Summer Internship

Since I transferred this past semester from the University of Kentucky to Stetson College of Law, I lost some credits which has forced me to take summer classes. After taking summer classes during my master's program, I swore I would never take them again. Who likes going to school during the summer, especially in sunny Florida??? But my choices were to go to school during the summer or graduate in December 2012 instead of May 2012. Not even a choice-- of course, I am graduating in May!

So, this summer I am taking 2 classes, one at school and one online, and I am doing an internship for class credit. I am so glad that I got the placement I did with my internship. I was placed at the Bay Area Legal Services (www.bals.org). BALS is an organization that operates under private grant funding to provide legal services to people who can't afford hiring a private attorney. Their services include representing clients in domestic violence cases, elder abuse, child neglect and abuse, and divorces where domestic violence is present. My very first day there I had the privilege of attending one of their meetings where former clients spoke about how BALS had helped them in their situations. It was so neat to hear the testimonies. One man who has 3 young children came to BALS because his wife was being abusive to him and the kids and was not caring for the children at all. He found out later that while he was working 16 hour shifts, his wife would keep the babies drugged and sedated because she didn't want to bother with them. Then when he came home, the kids would be wide awake and he would have to stay up to take care of him. He shared how BALS had helped him file for divorce and had also helped him get the resources he needed to take for his 3 children. I sat there in the meeting thinking, 'WOW, I would love to work at this place.'

I am excited about the opportunities this internship may bring, and I am also praying that doors will be opened so that in May 2012 when I graduate, I will have a job, whether or not it is with BALS. For the longest time, it seemed that my career was so far off, something in the distance, and now all of the sudden, it looks like it might become actually become a reality. I know that God has placed a passion in my heart to work at an organization like BALS. I know that all the schooling and student loans were not in vain. I know God has a plan for my life, a plan to use my gifts and talents for his glory. I know this now, but I have doubted it so many times. I doubted it after I finished my master's only to be turned down for so many jobs. I doubted is as I bounced around from one part-time job to another. I doubted it as I watched my friends begin their careers. I doubted it in law school as I sat beside students younger and smarter than me. I know that a job is not everything and that it doesn't define you, but it is a desire of my heart. It is a way that I believe God will use me. I have the privilege of watching God use Josh in his job everyday, and I see how much joy he has in doing what he loves and was created to do. I long for that and know it will be worth the wait. I almost cried sitting in that meeting last week because I could see the promise of a plan for my life at work. Even if it is not at BALS, I know that I will be making a difference somewhere in Tampa, and that one day, I will be listening to my clients' stories. I CAN'T WAIT!

I am Israel

During my month hiatus from blogging, I have been working on a couple posts, which are still in progress and will be posted soon. Tonight, though, I just wanted to share something really quick that is on my heart before I forget. Blogging can be such a good exercise of reflection.

Over the past two days, I have been reading through the book of Hosea. I absolutely love the story of Hosea's love for his wife, Gomer. If you haven't read Redeeming Love, do yourself a favor and go buy it. You won't regret it. It is a fictional account based on the story of Hosea. But that's not what caught my attention during this last read through of Hosea. I don't know that I've ever really carefully read the book, or if I've just been so focused on the fact that Hosea married a prostitute, that I missed the bigger picture. Of course, Hosea marrying Gomer is an example of God's love for us in that even when we throw ourselves at other things, God still pursues us, but the main subject of the book of Hosea is God's love for Israel and his chosen people.

The book of Hosea is devoted to Hosea giving the Israelites a message from God of how God is turning his back on them because they've continued to live in sin and have run from the things of God. Several chapters go on and on about how God was faithful to the Israelites and they continued to run from him. Hosea's whole message seems to be leading to the fact, that once and for all, God is done with Israel. However, in the end, Hosea tells of God's great love for Israel and how God would always pursue her. In fact, Hosea is just one of the many places in the Old Testament where God uses a prophet both to rebuke Israel and to tell of his great love for the nation.

I love the story of God's love for Israel because it is a picture of how vast God's love is and how passionately he pursues those he loves. Then, tonight it hit me...I AM ISRAEL. God's love for ME is beyond measure. God passionately pursues ME.

Florida Adventures- Part 1

Birthday Weekend- January 16
Natalie came from D.C. for the weekend and we went to a Tampa Lightning Bolts Game (hockey) and to the Salt Rock Grill for my birthday lunch.




Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band Concert- March 19






MORE TO COME...

Drowning Out the World

This morning while running on the treadmill at our apartment complex, I was reminded of how difficult it can be to live out the command of Jesus to be in the world but not of it. Jesus in the book of John talks about how we are not to love the things that the world loves and how like him we are not of this world. Paul further commands in Romans not to be conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:1-2). Many of us know these words but they are often so hard to live by.

Sometimes while I work out, I like to listen to podcasts of sermons. This morning I decided to listen to Steven Furtick's (Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC) latest message in his series, "Grapes and Giants," http://bit.ly/hqnMVl. I started listening to it as I walked to the gym. However, upon entering the gym, I could barely hear my iPod because another guy using the gym had the TV on MTV, watching the morning music videos, at an extremely high volume. It was so loud that I could not hear my iPod at all. Therefore to combat the abnormally loud volume of the TV, I had to turn my iPod up to its loudest decibel level. Even with doing that, I could still clearly hear the music from the TV. In order to pay attention to the sermon, I had to concentrate on the sound coming from the iPod and let the TV noise fade to the background.

I thought that this was a perfect illustration of how Jesus commanded us to live in this world. We often have no control of what is going on in the world around us, just like I had no control over what another gym member was watching on TV. Our responsibility is not always to change what is in the world but it is to not let what the world is about be what we are about. It would have been so easy for me to turn off my iPod and just listen to the music already playing, but God many times has a word for us that contradicts the message of the world. The problem is that the voice of the world is often louder than the voice of God until we attune our focus to His voice.

This morning I had to concentrate on the sound of Pastor Furtick's voice in order to not be drowned out by the music. Once I concentrated on that, I could hear the sermon clearly. God calls us to discern his voice in the world and to fix our concentration on that and then the noise of the world will fade into the background. Many of us (including me) wonder why we are not hearing the voice of God. How can we when we are bombarded with messages of the world from sex, alcohol, partying, living for self, materialism? So just like this morning when I had to concentrate on the sound from my iPod to hear the sermon, we must concentrate on the things of God to hear his voice and by doing that, we will drown out the world.

Food Stamp Challenge

For my Poverty Law class, we are required to do a food stamp challenge. For a week, we are only allowed to use $19.50 to buy groceries. Last night after a delicious meal at Fridays (have to go out with a bang), I went shopping for my food. My first stop was Target. Thanks to www.hip2save.com I knew that Target was giving away a $5 gift card if you bought 10 Smart Ones meals. On top of that, I had a $4 coupon. So the 10 Smart Ones meals were $18 - $4 (coupon) = $14 and I got a $5 gift card! With my gift card, I bought bananas (.69), loaf of bread (.84), box of fruit snacks (1.33), box of peanut butter crackers (1.75), and ice cream sandwiches (1.69). I had to pay an additional $1.63. Total spent at Target = $15.63. If you are looking for a good deal on food, don't overlook Target. They have great deals on snacky stuff and ice cream!

My next stop was Walgreens where I picked up a carton of eggs for $1.19. I always forget to check places like Walgreens and CVS, but they have great deals and good coupons. Today with my remaining $2.80, I am planning on going to Publix to pick up some peanut butter and whatever else I can afford. I also have 8 empty Starbucks bags, so I can get 8 free cups of coffee this week! My whole menu was designed around how I could afford coffee!!!

So, we'll see how this goes. I will eating a lot of Smart Ones meals, scrambled eggs, and PB and banana sandwiches, but I think I will be doing a lot better than some of my other classmates :)

April Fools Day

GOTCHA! Isn't it required that you at least attempt to pull off a prank on this day?

7 Things I Can't Expect

I borrowed these words of wisdom from Perry Noble, Pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC.

#1 – I cannot expect to win arguments with those who don’t want to settle the argument, they just want to fight for the sake of fighting. (II Timothy 2:23)

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

#2 – I cannot expect people to read my mind. (I Corinthians 14:8)

Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

#3 – I cannot possibly expect to have a complete and detailed plan from God that tells me exactly what His plans are for the next 20 years. (Psalm 119:105) – He doesn’t promise to let us see years in advance, but He does promise to show us our next step!

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

#4 – I cannot expect to be a follower of Jesus and keep everyone around me happy at the same time. (Proverbs 29:25)

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe

#5 – I cannot expect to stay the same and see progress (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

#6 – I cannot expect to please God without taking steps of faith (Hebrews 11:6)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

#7 – I cannot expect to hear God’s voice if I am always running at an unsustainable pace! (Psalm 46:10)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.