What a new year! Part 1

How are we over halfway through the "new year" already?!

It has been a whole new year to know better and do better! Upon reflection, 2010-2017 have taught me that the following quote from Steve Harvey is true.

"Two things come out of adversity: there's a lesson and there's a blessing." - Steve Harvey

Over the last 7 years I have experienced normal life transitions but I have been working to see the lesson and the blessing in the experiences.

In 2010, I learned how important sharing the Gospel regularly was to me. I made a decision that I if I didn't become a full-time missionary, I was going to have to do something where I could live out my faith and tell people about Jesus. I was influenced by the Bible, Christian friends in a campus ministry that I was a part of, a book called A Life that Matters by Ron Hutchcraft, and several mission trips. I saw that there were thousands of people within my community who did not have a relationship with the Lord. It really bothered me. I believed that the Lord burdened me with a glimpse of how He sees lost people - with His love, mercy, and grace. It was challenging to hit the streets with the Gospel regularly, but I did it with a group of committed peers. I saw the blessing of being obedient to the Lord's command to "go" and had the opportunity to pray with people to give their lives to the Lord. Even now, I'm a member of the evangelism team at my church.

In 2011, I graduated from college with no job prospects and spent months looking for full-time work. While looking for something full-time, I found 2 part-time jobs where I learned that I do like working with people but not kids. I admire people who connect with kids easily, gain their respect, and keep them in line. I can relate to teens and adults well but I feel like the kindergarten teacher from the cartoon, Recess, when I work with kids. I learned about the challenges of being unemployed and the blessing of the Lord's provision.

To be continued...