This past Sunday was July 4th which is, of course, United States Independence day.  (It is also my birthday which I do feel is equally important if not more important!! 😉 Ok.  I’m definitely kidding.) I also live in Storm Lake which is a very small but diverse town in Iowa.  Every year as a part of my non-profit, I get the chance to be in the parade in Storm Lake, Iowa with my team as well as some of the youth members that we serve. Their parade is huge and includes a lot of different cultures and organizations.  Something I absolutely love is that all of the nations that live in Storm Lake are well represented and are celebrated.   There were floats with different flags of the countries that are represented in the area of Storm Lake, and there were traditional dresses and clothes walking amidst the parade.  Pictured below are traditional dresses from El Salvador, for example.  (Also, those are some girls that are a part of the program that I work at in the summer).  

This reminded me how beautiful the world that God created is.  God created it with a whole bunch of different peoples with different clothing, traditions, flags, etc.  The Lord was a great creator.  Sometimes we can live in our very separated lives and live only amongst those who look and act like us, when in reality we should be living in a world filled with diversity.  I believe it was so important that Storm Lake took time amidst the American Independent celebration to enjoy and celebrate cultures of many different races that are in the United States.  In the United States, we can often get focused on the “American way of life,”   when in reality, there is more than one way to live the American way of life.  The cultures and people groups that live in the United States have different ways to live in America, and that is what should make the United States unique and beautiful.  

This parade showed me what God is hoping to see when we are in heaven with a majority of different cultures and different nations.  This is mentioned in Revelation 7:9-10, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  The Lord is desiring the world to come together to praise him and love him.  This is because God loves everyone equally, and they are all his creation.  God wants us to love each other.  When we have moments where we see diversity and cultures coming together like they did in this parade, we see a bit of a glimpse of our lives praising God together in heaven.  

I believe that this is a good reminder that we need to take the time to get to know and love our neighbors.  This is a reminder that when the Lord was talking about loving our neighbors, he was not just talking about the person that live right next door.  Rather, he was talking about loving all nations, and spreading God’s word, so that way every single nation and tongue could be in heaven.  This was the final commandment of Jesus, and this should also be a main priority of ours.  This is what God’s word says in Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” 

My best advice or suggestion when it comes to learning and loving about cultures is to take time to learn about other cultures and then actually take the time to get to know them.  I suggest making sure to read what is going on in the world. (I still struggle with this).  This way we can know what certain nations are struggling with and what is going on in order to better love them.  I do this more through reading books about history and culture about different countries.  Then when I am working with IJM, I am also learning about all the work that is going on in different countries.  When we take the time to understand and learn about others, then that is the only way we can really love them and if needed, teach them about God’s word.  

Another thing that has really helped me appreciate and respect other cultures is working in organizations that collaborate multiple cultures together.  The Bridge of Storm Lake in Storm Lake Iowa works to serve many different youth from different nations and cultures which gives us time to appreciate every single one of them as we love and serve the youth.   Then of course, I also volunteer with IJM or International Justice Mission that helps nations all over the world.  When you have a chance to actually work with cultures and get to know multiple members of said culture, you learn to appreciate their thoughts and opinions.  They can give a better insight to how to do things and how to best think.  Similarly it is important to make friendships with those who are from different backgrounds and cultures.  It is very important to have friendships with those who have had a different life-story, so you can continue to learn different ways to think and handle life. 

Recently I was listening a bit to the rapper, NF.  I love his music, and when I am in the mood for some deeper raps, his are usually the ones that I listen to.  He has this song that is called, “Therapy Session.”  One of the lyrics in that song goes, “If I wouldn’t say what I say to your face, Then I promise you I wouldn’t say it in private.”  This really is a powerful quote when you think about it.  Nate (the actual name of the rapper NF) is promising that he won’t say anything behind your back essentially.  He is saying that what he says and how he treats you in front of you is exactly how he feels about you, and it does not change once he is away from you.    

I feel as though it is not always easy to live this quote out.  As much as I hate to admit it, there are many times that I will say something behind someone’s back that I wouldn’t say to their faces.  I can be a lot more kind and a lot more loving in front of people’s faces, (which is an overall good thing), but I may not be completely as loving or compassionate behind those same people’s faces.  I am not saying that this means we should say mean or hurtful words to each other’s faces.   But if on a usual basis, we would be way too ashamed or scared to say certain words to people than we should never even think or dream about saying that behind the person’s back. 

This is always something that I need to keep in check.  If you are friends with me, it is not that I am talking bad about you behind your back all the time.  (I promise! If you are friends with me, then I really do love and care about you!)  I do have a few issues, though, with this as we all do.  If I am honest about my struggles with my tongue, the main issue would be venting for a long time behind people’s back.  When I am upset with someone else, I need to learn to find a way to better verbalize my thoughts and emotions or get it off my chest than sounding as though I am bad-mouthing or talking negatively about the person I am frustrated with. Another problem is when someone else starts to talk bad about a person I love, I may not always be the quickest to defend that person or every once in a while can join in on that person’s jokes.    

This is especially true with gossip.  It is not very easy to avoid gossiping, especially when others start to gossip.  It can be so easy to gossip and talk about others and their issues whilst not being in their presence and in the community of others.  This, of course, can include telling others about the rumors that are about someone else.   The Bible brings this up a few times as well including in Psalm 62.  In verse 4, there is a part of the verse that says, “With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse.” I love this verse because it reminds me that even if we say kind things with our mouths, but we don’t actually mean it, then we are not really providing the great blessings and giving the good things that our mouths are saying.  It will not be good if we also spend our time giving out false promises or giving out false narratives to those around us.  When we are gossipping or slandering, we are also not giving out blessings.  

Overall, this is very important because we really need to care about the words that we say and specifically that we mean the words that we say.  We shouldn’t just give out false words and words that are filled with empty promises, blessings, and compliments.  At the end of the day, if we are saying something to someone in order to look good or sound good, then we are not really caring about the person.  If you don’t mean the words that you say or you speak behind someone’s back, then you are overall not being truthful or God-filled, but instead you are being fake and two-faced.  God ultimately wants us to care about being authentic and be who we are amidst everyone that we are with.  It is not useful to speak falsely or lie to those that we are with and think differently behind their back.  

The two other reminders I have is that it is important to be honest, and it is important to process emotions outside of those we are possibly upset with.  We need to be honest with those that are in our lives.  We don’t have to just be Yes people who tell people what they want to hear.  (Especially, if we don’t mean it and maybe tell someone else later what our real thoughts are).  There is a way that we can be honest and kind.  We can tell our true thoughts by showing love and care for those around us.  The other one is that it is important to process certain emotions sometimes in a separate place from the ones who may upset us.  I said earlier that I like to vent when I am upset with someone.  However, I do think that if I am talking to someone about how someone else hurt me in order to get advice and speak of that person in a loving manner with the hope that a relationship can be repaired then it should be done.  Then I believe that it is important to process those emotions out and then maybe speak to that person to their face if that is what you need to do to help repair the relationship or speak of the problems.  

 Overall, it is important that we care about being authentic and that we care about being the person we say that we are in front of others and behind their backs.  Can you be a person like the rapper NF says when he says, “If I wouldn’t say what I say to your face, Then I promise you I wouldn’t say it in private.”  I hope that we all can and learn to use this as our own mantra. 

One of my mom’s favorite quotes that she would really teach to me is “Be the change you want to see in the world,” said by Gandhi.  I do think that this is a powerful quote.  It is very important that we try to change the world in the best way that we can.  We need to be willing to go out and do the things that we want to see happen in the world for good.  There are many times we as people can be willing to talk about what we want to see changed, and then there are times that we can even spend a majority of time dreaming about the change, but we don’t actually go out and make those changes.  This quote is a reminder that we all, every single one of us, have the potential to go out in the world and make that change we want to see happen.  

However, I also thought about this quote recently in a new light and as a new quote.  Why can’t it be “Be the highlighted good you want to see in the world.” Even though there are a lot of bad things in the world, and there are many actions that should not be highlighted, I have seen so many wonderful things in the world including many wonderful actions done by individuals.  I have seen teachers spend hours after school in order to help their students.  I have seen some give a huge donation to fundraisers.  I have had friends who have been willing to come over just because they have heard how upset I am by the events happening in my life.  I have had so many people who are so good and doing so many good things in my life that it is hard to not think about it and not want to highlight those good things.  

I think that it can be very easy to focus on the negative items in our lives.  I know that I personally have done that a lot in my life.  I have focused on the wrong words said, the hurtful actions, the insensitivity and the unthoughtfulness.  However, this year I have started a joy journal which is when I write down something joyful from everyday.  This has really helped me focus on the good things that happened to me that day, or it can be something that I saw that brought me intense joy.  This can be watching a parent play a really good game of basketball to a student offering to help me clean my room.  This has been a positive thing for me to notice and since I have been watching these items, I am starting to notice more and more pieces that should be highlighted in our world.  

I think that these things are important to highlight because many of the times, we don’t actually have to reinvent the wheel.  We don’t have to think of a million positive things that we need to be doing in order to change the world.  We just need to be aware of the good things that are happening, and then try to add more of it.   Sure, creativity is great, and it is wonderful to spend time thinking about what we could do that would be good for the world that is different and creative, but at the same time, we should not be upset or discouraged if we feel as though we are not doing something different.  It would be more important to do something really kind that is similar to what someone else has done than not doing anything kind at all.  

My challenge for you is to also write down the positive or joyful things that you see in your life.  This can be like me when I write down one positive/joyful thing from everyday in a journal, or it can be just a list that you keep on your computer.  These can be the kind words that others give to the people around you or to big items like someone rescuing a kitten from a tree.  The point is to notice the kind and wonderful pieces of the world and then act it out in our daily lives.   Some of the main things that I have seen are my older Jr. boys (who sometimes can seem too cool for school) playing basketball with elementary students, a mother shooting hoops with her son, kids delivering May Day baskets, my friends donating to my fundraisers as a way to support me, teammates cheering each other on with their full heart, and a man making sure to greet everyone in the store with both a smile and a hearty hello.  These are maybe what some would consider small things, but they are also the things that would make my heart happy for at least a little part of the day.  So if this is something that brings me joy, I can only imagine that it would bring others great joy.  If I also did that, then I would hopefully make someone else joy-filled and happy.  There are, of course, even be bigger actions like when you hear someone donate thousands of dollars to a great cause, and those spending great time and effort in rescue operations against modern day slavery.  

The world can be rough, but it can also be wonderful.  Start to keep track of the wonderful things that are happening in the world in whatever way that works well for you, and then start to also do those very actions.  I assure you that if you start doing that, then you will be a part of the change that is in the world for the better. 

As I have been writing my blog, I have tried to be more and more focused on my personal relationship with Jesus and how I can continually work on following my favorite verse of Colossians 3:23.  Again, as a reminder, that verse says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”  This following of God can even apply to what we wear on a regular basis. As I have gotten older and I have grown more and more passionate about fighting against human trafficking/modern day slavery, I have fallen more and more in love with ethical fashion.  Sadly, there are many items that are being sold in our world where items are not necessarily made ethically and where the ones who are making the clothing, jewelry, many food items, etc. do not have the adequate working conditions/payment they should be receiving. I have realized that as I am growing closer and closer to God and have a desire to follow him in all ways, I have to care about the miniscule things, and this includes fashion that I am purchasing.

There are many people who don’t think a lot about what they are wearing.  Then there are others that love to take the time of what they wear and really enjoy putting outfits together.  I have always fallen into the second category.  I have always loved to put outfits together, even if some have been crazy.  (Some of my middle school outfits-it’s hard to look back on!)  Therefore taking this time to really think about the clothes that I am wearing and how that can actually impact others has now become a big passion of mine.  Because of this, I am going to take this time in this blog to make sure I talk about ethical fashion and how anyone reading this can also learn more.  The more everyone is aware, the more ethical fashion decisions that are made to create hopefully a world filled with more and more ethical fashion and better working conditions for everybody.    

Some places that I have chosen to shop in regards to Ethical fashion are Dressember’s collection.  Dressember is an organization that I do love with my whole heart and is also a fundraiser that I do yearly.  This is where I wear a dress all throughout the month of December to raise money to end human trafficking.  Not only is this organization a style challenge, but it does have it’s own collection of dresses and a few other items that is made ethically and even has the designer/creator sign their name as they made the dress.  The other great part about Dressember is that they have helped create the Ethical Fashion Directory that lists brands that are made ethically.  With that, they provide encouragement that people will take the time to contact a brand they care about and inquire if or not they have considered making their clothes more ethically or where they get their clothes from and how they are made. 

Another important thing to know about me is that I am a jewelry girl.  I have always loved and adored jewelry.  The best part is that I know about a lot of ethically made jewelry companies.  I, therefore, own a great deal of jewelry that has been made ethically.  These jewelry companies not only are made ethically, but many are also helping to combat modern day slavery.  Some of the things that I have used in the past that I absolutely love are the Starfish project, Bracha, Purpose Jewelry, Threads of Hope, and Anthem.  The cool thing about the last one, Anthem, is that they often write down the name of a woman who has been rescued from human trafficking on the back of either their necklaces or their bracelets.  These pieces of jewelry help raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking as well as raise funds to help end it.  

I do believe that it is very important that we as people of this planet take the time to learn about the issues that are plaguing our world, and one of those issues is then Modern Day slavery. Some of the places that I first went to in order to learn more about modern day slavery and sustainable fashion was a documentary called, “The true Cost.”  This discussed the true cost of fashion, specifically fast fashion, (also known as non-sustainable fashion) that plagues the world of different issues.  These things include chemicals that are plaguing the river and the area of where the clothes are made, the workers not having great working conditions that even created a major fire that people could not get out of, and that the workers would not get paid the money that they had earned.  The fast-fashion industry was at the time of making that documentary, growing and therefore creating a higher demand and even worse working conditions.  As consumers, it is very important to know that our decisions on what we buy has grave impacts on others in the world.  

The other book that I read in order to learn more about ethical fashion was “The Conscious Closet,” by Elizabeth L. Cline.  This book talked about how a person can create both a fashionable and unique closet that makes more conscious decisions and be more sustainable with their fashion that will not necessarily cost a million dollars.  It is very hard to think about spending money on nothing but ethical clothes.  Many of the times, they are not the cheapest finds, so this book helps give techniques to spending less money, and to just having an overall more sustainable and ethically based closet.  

I am so happy that I have taken the time to learn more about ethical fashion and have started the journey to make smarter, sustainable decisions, starting in my closet and then for the rest of the areas in my life.  I know that there are many things that I still need to learn, but I am excited for that opportunity.  My hope is to make a difference in the world and bring about change, especially in ending modern day slavery, even starting with my wardrobe. 

Recently I have seen some of my co-workers start to struggle with some things.  This is ranging from them making poor choices that maybe they are not aware will impact them in the future, and I am concerned about them.  Then there were some other co-workers that I have seen struggling with their health.  I have been struggling to know what I should do in order to help them.  Can I make them a meal, or should I spend time talking to them? What can I do?  What will make the biggest impact on their lives and truly help them? I’m not a doctor, and I am not a person who can make choices for other people.  However, then I had a realization that one of the biggest things that I can do is to go to the Lord in prayer.  I always have the ability to pray, and I need to become more aware of the impact that can make on a person’s life.  

If I am being honest, I am a doer, and so sometimes when I think that prayer is all I can do, I basically go to the thought that I am doing nothing.  I am not actually doing anything.  I am not serving, or giving, so therefore I might as well as be doing nothing.  However, I realized that it was such a wrong thought to have.  When we are praying, especially for someone, we are lifting that up to the maker of the universe and the most holy being there is.  There isn’t anything better that we can do.  Even if it doesn’t feel as though we are physically fixing the problem ourselves, we are going to the one who can truly fix it.  

There are many verses that are in the Bible that also highlight the importance of prayer.  One of those verses is James 5:16, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  The first part of the verse highlights how important it is to have a community of believers.  It is important that we have the people to talk to and even confess our struggles with.  That is important.  When we can talk to someone about our struggles, even with our sins and doubts,  we have a bigger ability to grow and develop as both Chrsitians and people.  

Of course, the next thing is to pray for each other, so that we each can be healed.  I believe that this is healing that can take various forms.  This can be both physical healing, emotional healing, and spiritual healing.  This is important because again we as people can not fully heal someone.  While doctors have the ability to heal the body for as much as their expertise can give, it is truly the Lord that guides the hands and provides the main healing.  The same is true for those who are counselors and provide spiritual/emotional healing.  While again, they have expertise, and they have the ability to provide strength emotionally, they are still only allowed to heal those as much as the Lord provides.  

The last part of the verse is also very important.  “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  This is a good reminder for me that even though it feels like I can do more for people, really at the end of the day, prayer for those is what is actually the most important.  The verse even uses words like powerful and effective.  The Lord has given us a strong spirit through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is also great at guiding us in our journey of wanting to pray for others.  The Holy Spirit helps lead our prayers when we are praying over others.  This is because the Lord and therefore, the Holy Spirit knows what the person needs more than we do.

One other verse that talks about the importance of prayer is Mark 11:22-24.  This says, “Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth. If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Now, I won’t lie, I know that this verse has been used inappropriately in the past.  There are many that believe that this means they can get whatever they want from the Lord, and he is like a giving machine or a giving box.   This is not what the Lord is.  He is a Holy being who has a very sovereign plan for our lives.  Ultimately if the Lord truly does not want something to be done, then he will not plan it to happen, but he will also always listen to our prayers and our deepest desires.  

One other verse that I looked at that discussed the importance of prayer is 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”  Again, this is another reminder that the Lord hears us every single time we pray.  We can have full confidence in that. In the end, there are going to be times that we really want to have an impact on the people in our lives.  My challenge for you is to write down a few people that you want to be praying for on a regular basis, and then pray for them.   This can be written down on a notecard or wherever it works best and keep it in a place that you can fully remember to pray.  Then notice how that person’s life has hopefully been impacted by the only one that can change anything.  Also a reminder that prayer can also impact our relationships with people.  There have been many times where I have prayed over my relationships with either my students or others in my life, and it has made our relationships so much better than it was before.  I hope that whatever is laying on your heart for those around you that prayer will make it beneficial.  

I have just finished my second year of teaching.  There have been a lot of things that I have learned in my second year of teaching.  I have definitely continued to grow and develop not just as a teacher but really as a person.   It was a very hard year while teaching in a pandemic.  Over half of the year, we had to make sure we were teaching the lessons in both class and for those who are online, and this includes those who were at home sick with COVID and in quarantine.  Then even when that time both in person and online ended, there were many new rules and regulations that we had in place while students were in the school.  Besides that, I was making it through the very first year of teaching for the full year in person.  Last year, my year was cut short, and so I get to experience a regular fourth quarter like I am this year.  

I noticed that in my first year I had a new name which was Miss Post.  It was hard to get used to.  It also was hard for some students to get into the habit of saying it because they didn’t know me, and they probably didn’t have the respect for me quite yet.  They instead would just call for me with a “Hey” or they would call me “teach.”  However, this year there are many who are now finally used to calling me Miss Post, and I am even getting used to being called Miss Post.  While there are some variations.  For example, all of my middle school students call me Miss Posta.  I have no idea why.  I don’t know where that started, but that is what they call me. Then there are many Jr.’s that like to call me Miss Pueste.  Again, I don’t know what happened there, but that is now what they call me. 

It is still a little weird though, when I think about how really Courtney (my first name) and Miss Post have to be slightly different people.  The one can be a bit more crazy, lazy, and emotional.  Courtney has the ability to kind of do things on her own and do the things that she solely wants to do.  Courtney for a majority of her life was focused on her goals, getting good grades, getting all of her meetings and focused on the hobbies and things that she wants to do.  However, Miss Post has to be more focused on her students and what I can best do for them.  

I have realized that I have a great amount of responsibility when it comes to being Miss Post.  I have to live my life in a more selfless and loving manner than I do when I am just Courtney.  Yes, I should have high expectations when I am Courtney, but I definitely need to have higher expectations when I am serving my students as Miss Post.  Miss Post needs to be more understanding, more patient, more kind, more loving than regular Courtney.  She is serving students, so therefore she needs to be more focused on everyone else as opposed to herself.  

I am very happy that in this second year of teaching I have developed myself more in the school building.  I have had students, even ones that I don’t necessarily know that well and that don’t necessarily know who I am all that I’ll have conversations with on a regular basis.   They are starting to recognize me more and more, and therefore they will strike up conversations with me.  This has given me a great chance to get to know students that I don’t even really have in my classes.  I even got some invites to graduation parties from some students that I didn’t have in class, but because I had them in Speech as an extra curricular and because I just talked to them enough in the hallways.  

I am also very happy that in my second year I have developed relationships with the teachers and the other members of staff at North Iowa.  There have been new teachers that have come to town and to the school, and we have all become pretty close friends.  I am glad that I can really look to them for comfort and for advice while we are all in this struggling year.  For the first year teachers that came this year, they were in the middle of teaching their first year in a pandemic, so they have had an extra hard first year.  I have had the chance to give them some comfort while also being comforted and helped out in my second year struggles.  

Lastly, I feel as though I have just grown as a teacher.  I am still going to hopefully grow as a teacher, but I am more and more happy with how I am establishing myself and how I am planning and delivering my curriculum.   I have become very happy about what I have done for my Spanish I and II classes, while I still want to include more speaking components.  Then I also want to create better Spanish III and IV classes. I want to continue to develop relationships and help my students that I have already and the future students that I will have.  I know that this last year was very hard on students, as well as the teachers, so I am going to need to continue to have to be there for them next year. 

The good news is that I know the Lord will help me to continue to grow as both a person, Courtney and as a teacher, Miss Post.  In John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”  If I continue to set my sights and seek help from the Lord, I know that he will continue to help me grow. 

Throughout my time of writing blogs, I have written about a majority if not all of the items that are a part of the fruits of the spirit.  I have definitely talked about love, joy (especially this year), peace, patience (because I struggle), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness.  I have never really talked about self-control.  However, I am realizing that self-control is incredibly important, and it can help serve as a basis for a lot of the other fruits of the spirit.  

Self control is defined according to the dictionary as “the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.” I loved this definition because emotions are a part of our daily life.  We are going to experience sadness, happiness, anger, frustration, and anxiety, maybe all in one day or within the same hour.  However learning to keep the same behavior within all those different emotions becomes really important.  It can be so easy to say the things that you can’t take back when you are angry, but that will not help prosper any of our relationships. 

Another thing about self-control is it helps us from doing the actions that we wouldn’t want to do on a regular basis.   There are many temptations out there for us people that the world puts in front of us that the Lord does not agree to.  I know for just me, there are the temptations of drunkenness, watching inappropriate movies, listening to inappropriate songs, and a bigger one for me lately is swearing and saying inappropriate words.  I was recently reading this book called, “Sexless in the City,” by Kat Harris.  She had a whole chapter talking about how living in this world lately has all been about instant-gratification.  We have the ability to get food whenever we want it through carry-out and frozen dinners without the hassle of cooking.  We have the ability to watch whatever show, the entire show, on demand on whatever streaming service we subscribe to.  We even have that ability with relationships through dating apps.  However, she does start to describe that when we start to look at people, especially in regard to dating, how they can best serve us, we can start to dehumanize them and only start to see them as something that can please us and make us happy.  The idea of self-control and patiently waiting to get to know people can help us better truly appreciate the relationships that we make in regards to dating and just overall, other relationships.  

Self control can also help us all feel better about ourselves.  I have these items that I try to complete everyday that I in my Christian planner like to call healthy habits.  These include things like exercise, devotional, practicing my memory verses, reading, writing, and making my bed.  These are items in my life that I think are important for my growth.  It can also be very easy to think that we don’t need to do these items.  There are days that I can wake up and not want to exercise.  I’m tired and don’t have energy.  Although, yes there are times when we should listen to our bodies and take a day off and not force it, the majority of times I end up feeling great after I do end up choosing to work out.  Sometimes, even though originally I felt I had no energy, after I worked out I actually had more energy because it got my body moving.  

Another healthy habit that I mentioned was my devotional with the Lord.  Yes I believe that a devotional should come from the heart.  A devotional should not necessarily be something that we just want to do in regard to check off our list.  The Lord will know if our heart is not fully in it.  However, just like in all things we may have some times in our lives when we don’t want to spend time doing a devotional.  There can be days when we may just want to continually watch television. I also, won’t lie, lately while I love doing my devotional, I am a bit unsure of God’s sovereignty.  If you read one of my more recent blog posts, you may have read that I am not sure where I am going or what God has in store for me, and it has at times been very hard to do my devotional when I am struggling to trust God.  However, when my self-control and dedication make me do it anyway, I am continually reminded that God loves me, and he does have a plan for me, even when I don’t always truly believe it.  

Self-control is definitely a basis for many of the other emotions.  It would be very hard to have any sort of patience without self-control.  Lately, I have had to really fight against my impatience and my fatigue in order to be the best teacher that I can be.  There are many times that I am not doing the best.  I am still incredibly tired, but I am learning more and more about how to do that and to continue to fight in my self-control.  The self-control in my classroom has helped me better keep my cool and has saved a few relationships with my students.  There have been times when I have not done this the best that I could possibly do, however.  I have definitely gotten impatient with a class and said something that I am not necessarily proud of, and have had to apologize to my class or students.  I am continually trying to grow in this regard.  

The good news is that self control does not have to be something that we have to fight for alone.  The Lord has the desire to help us through giving us the Holy Spirit that we have with us wherever we go.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  (1 Timothy 1:7).   The Lord has provided us with a spirit that can have a great amount of self-control.  Know that I am talking through this devotional, like in all things, these are things that I am continually trying to work on.  I don’t have perfect self-control.  I sometimes swear and speak profanity, even lately when I have been really trying to work on not speaking that way.  I write blog posts, one because I love it, but secondly because I am continually trying to grow as a person and as a Christian, and I know that reflecting and writing has better helped me to grow.  We all should take consideration on how we can continually grow in self-control, and we can all do that together. 

Recently I was in need of some inspiration.  There are times where thoughts are flowing out of me when it comes to writing, and then there are other times when I am struggling to write even a sentence.  So I did the one thing that a person should always do when in need of inspiration, or something uplifting, when you are weary, and when you are even looking for hope.  This is, of course, to look towards the Bible.  I looked through some cards I have of different verses that are from the Bible.  A verse that I found is Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in Hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.”  I have read this verse many times, but tonight when I read this, it made my heart happy.  It felt good to think about hope, and I knew that was what I wanted to write about for my next blog post.    

It is finally spring here in Iowa, and the weather is starting to get really warm.  This means that we are now pretty much out of the yucky and cold winter.  (Sorry if there are any readers that really enjoy winter, but also what the heck are you thinking?!)  This is the perfect time to have hope.  There are many who are getting a lot of seasonal depression while dealing with the pain and suffering of the winter months, besides maybe what else may be going on in their personal lives.  I know that I personally receive a bit of seasonal depression, especially when the sun is only out a short amount of time in the day, and it is too cold to appreciate it. I hope that like the weather outside, many of your lives are improving, and you are starting to feel the sun, getting fresh air, and increasing your overall joy.  

One of my favorite stories that is not found in the Bible would have to be Pandora’s box.  Do I believe this really happened? No, I don’t believe in any God but our God, but this story is just an interesting tale and legend.  I won’t retell the whole story, but essentially Pandora was not supposed to open this box, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she ended up opening the box anyway.  The horrible things that are in this world such as greed, hunger, envy, hatred, poverty, war, and death flew out of the box and into the world.  While Pandora was very upset at seeing all these evil things in the world that are now released onto the humans, she would look back into her box and see that there was hope still at the bottom.. It was beaten and weak, plus a little scared, but there it was and she released the hope spirit into the earth.  She knew that if the humans at least had that hope, they would be able to look to something to get them through all the evils now in the world. 

While again I don’t believe this story, I do believe that it is awesome, and it is something that God more or less did.  He didn’t have a box, but he knew that if we as humans were going to be able to live through some of the terrible pieces of life and the things that Satan tries to fight against us, then we are going to need something to keep us going.  That item and thing that we would need is hope.   Satan would rather have us have no hope.  If we had no hope, there is pretty much nothing positive, encouraging, or happy to work or look towards.  When people have just a little bit of hope to look forward to or believe in, then they are more likely to keep going. 

The thing about hope, especially in our Christian world is the hope that we have in the Lord.  This is brought up many times throughout the Bible.  This of course, includes when we are downcast, and we are upset or in a bad place like in Psalm 42:11, “Why my soul, are you so downcast?  Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, Put your hope in God, for I will praise him.”  The Lord is also the main thing that will give us hope and strength.  In Isaiah 40:31 it says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”  Lastly, looking to the Lord for hope also gives us joy.   Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

If you are right now in a place where you don’t know anything to hope for, I hope you can remember the one thing in the heavens that is always present and good that provides the strength, uplift, and joy.  There is one other verse that I read that should be able to give anyone hope.  That is Isaiah 54:10, “‘Though the mountains move and the hills shake, my love will not be removed from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says your compassionate Lord.”  The Lord will never stop loving you.  You can rest in the hope of the Lord that no matter what happens in the world, the Lord will never leave you. 

I have recently been very confused and feel like I have been led astray.  Anyone ever feel like that?  If you haven’t, good for you.  Maybe you have lived your whole life being willing to go with whatever life throws at you.  I wish that would be me.  I wish that I cared more about being willing to go with whatever the Lord wanted for me.  However, I am often here wondering what is next.  Lately, I have been struggling to understand my future.  I love my teaching job, but I just don’t know how long I will be in this teaching position.  This has gotten me questioning the Lord, so I knew that I had to go right into writing this blog post.  

When I was a kid, I had definitely made a timeline for myself.  We all do, don’t we.  We can all make plans and dreams that are very good, but at the same time can if we are not careful, close us off from other things that are in the world.  When I was a kid, my first dream was to be a singer.  I was going to be a huge pop star, and I was going to have a million fans.  Then maybe I would even become a movie star and be in blockbuster films.  (Granted, I probably really didn’t know the term, blockbuster when I was a kid).  When I grew older and was in high school, I dreamed of writing books.  (Ok, that is definitely still there for me to this day. )  I was originally going to go to college to study journalism, however, I would change my mind by the time I got to college and instead study education.  While I was in college studying to become a teacher, there was also a growing passion in me for anti-human trafficking work. If you have read a lot of my blogs or know me personally, you will know that is still a deep passion for me.  I still have some of those dreams I had while I was growing up, but they are always changing which is a good testament that I should not be the one that is in charge of my destiny, at least not fully.  

A very classic verse of knowing and trusting in God’s perfect plan is Jeremiah 29:11.  That verse says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you’ Declares the Lord.  ‘Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.;’” If you have ever felt as though God’s plan is not going the exact place you want, God has a better plan than even you could plan.  I know that it is something that I have said in my blogs many times, and there are many other places where this has been written and spoken of, but it is always a good reminder.   We all have a plan for our lives, and then it may end up not being the way we originally expected.  It can be so painful to watch the lives that we believe that we want pass us by.  

A hymn that I have discovered recently through singing in church is called, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.”  This is a great hymn to listen to as well as to sing, especially when you feel you need to trust more in God.  The chorus goes something like,“Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more!”  I don’t always want to trust God.  It is definitely hard to trust God more than to trust myself.  The best part is that God gives us more and more grace in order to trust him more and more, so even when there are moments you believe that you can’t trust God, his Holy Spirit and the grace that is living amongst us will help us to trust him.  It does not have to be solely on our own. 

One other song that is important to look at in regards to giving God control is the song of “Control” by Tenth Avenue North.  This song is a great example of a surrendering song.  The chorus line goes something like this, “God You don’t need me, But somehow You want me, Oh, how You love me, Somehow that frees me, To open my hands up, And give You control, I give, You control.”  How powerful is that.  The Lord doesn’t need us at all.  He can do everything he could ever want without our presence, but he chooses to love us and care for us anyway.  Therefore because he chooses to love us, the only thing that we should be focused on is giving him the complete love and service that he is owed back to him.  

I don’t know God’s plan. I don’t know if he will have me live in a small town in Iowa forever, or if he will have me be a missionary in Asia.  I can’t tell you if he will have me get married, or if he will have me be single for the rest of my life.  I can’t tell you anything of what my future holds, except for one thing and that is that God loves me.  While I have been struggling to understand what the future holds and while I am trying to figure out who I am, I was reminded that I didn’t need to have that all figured out if I had someone out there for me.  Ultimately my main future is spending eternity with him, and I guess that is the only one that matters.  If any of you have felt this way recently, I challenge you to remember that the time here is very short, the eternity is what we need to look to.  

I would love to say that I am a selfless person, and I spend a lot of time thinking about others, but the truth of the matter is that I am often thinking about myself.  I am often thinking about what I can best do to make myself happy and do the things that I really enjoy.   I would say that I can be a thoughtful person, where I am thinking of things that can make others feel better with different kinds of snacks or cards, but when it starts to get really hard and I am really tired, I can often put others feelings away.  I guess another way of saying that is when the going gets tough it is hard for me to think of others.  

Philippians 2:3-4 describes perfectly how to be selfless.  “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” A big piece of these two verses describes that when we love and value others more than ourselves, we are more interested in asking them questions about them and to try to figure out things the things that make them happy and bring them joy.  If anyone knows me, they know that I really love the 5 love languages by Gary Chapman.  I love trying to figure out what kind of love language a person is, so that way I can best love that person.  If they are a person who enjoys getting little cards or gifts (tip-that’s my love language :)) then I want to show love to a person in that way.  

Another verse that the Bible talks about being selfless is Galatians 5:13 which says, “For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”   One should definitely serve and to think of others as more importantly than themselves. The Lord has chosen you to be someone who is free that then works to make others free.  This also goes into a big way of being selfless is through being willing to serve one another.   I know those are the times when it can be the hardest.  It can be hard to spend time thinking about serving one another when our lives seem so chaotic and hard, but it is also in those moments when others truly see God and feel his love.  

Both of these verses also mentioned being humble.  Again, this is because one will struggle to care more about others if they are more focused on themselves.  This can, however, lend itself to the belief that “you are such a good person” and are serving so many others that then you feel as though you are on a pedestal above everyone else.   That can be easy to do, right.  If I am honest, there are times when I have done a lot of good deeds, that I am thinking highly of myself.  This is not being selfless at all, but rather it is just being selfish that looks a bit more selfless.  A person should have the desire of helping or loving the other person without any reward.  When you believe that you deserve better than others, then you are less likely to be selfless towards them.  

The golden rule is another good example of being selfless, and it is actually based on a verse from the Bible and that is from Luke, in 6:31. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  We need to be willing to treat others the way that we would want to be treated.  I have written a blog post about this verse or this command a long time ago.  It was probably one of my very first blog posts where I tried to challenge myself as well as everyone reading that we are supposed to treat people the way that we want to be treated, not necessarily treating them the way that we actually are treated.  We are often not treated by others the way that we want to be treated, through maybe being yelled at, made fun of, or ignored.  

Recently, my mom got me a prayer journal that has one write down a few prayer requests from the day, what they are thankful for, and then one act of kindness that is supposed to be completed within the day.  While at first, this drove me insane, I have found that this was a good way to keep me constantly thinking about what I can do for others.  There would be some days when I would stare at that question for quite a few minutes, and I would think about skipping it.  I don’t know what I can do for someone today, I am already doing so many other different things and am going to be so busy.  However, I have seen how this question has helped me think of others on a regular basis.  This has helped me start to notice the things that people say in regards to needing help or needing some kind of encouragement.   I believe that this is going to be something that I do on a regular basis even after I finish the prayer journal.  This is something that I believe can be beneficial for a lot of people, so I do highly recommend that you think about something you start to adapt in your own personal life.