Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Oh Happy Day!

Life is grand! I’ve graduated from Texas Tech University with a 3.83 GPA in three years, I have my dream job of writing for cattle magazines and I get to marry my best friend is three months! Life should be perfect, shouldn’t it?

Each of these things – graduating college, having a job and getting married – are all goals that I have been working toward my entire life. It’s almost a surreal feeling to have everything within my reach. I can fully enjoy each of these things now, but a few weeks ago, I was in a different boat.

During the spring semester I was enrolled in 24 credit hours, part of which counted towards my internship with Certified Angus Beef. I was a teaching assistant for an agricultural communications writing class where I had 94 students. In addition to that, I was the editor of my capstone Agriculture Publications class where we produced a 72-page magazine.

Through going to class, doing homework, studying for tests, editing articles and layouts, writing news releases and grading projects, God got lost in my schedule. My infrequent prayers usually revolved around asking for help to complete my long ‘to do’ list or that my brain would absorb a months worth of statistics notes in five minutes.

It hit me during finals week as a lay in bed thinking about how fast time has flown by. I remember going into the semester with God as my number one, knowing that I wouldn’t survive the next few months without Him guiding my steps. I don’t know when it happened, but I got the mindset that my way and my scheduling was better than His.

It hurts my heart to even think about how I placed God on the backburner to the things of this world. I got so busy and wrapped up in what I wanted and thought I needed to do that I lost my focus.

It seems that it is a slow fade – we miss a prayer or a devotional. The next day, we miss it again and before we know it, a week has gone by. Then we remember to say thanks here and there and pick up our Bible for a verse or two, but heartfelt love isn’t present.

I’m so thankful that we have a loving God who welcomes His lost children back with open arms.

How are things with you and God? Where is your focus? Who, or rather, what, is your number one?

Give meaning to your life – spend time with God.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

If

Texas Tech University Chancellor, Kent Hance, shared a poem titled “If” which evokes lots of thought.

From the poem that each graduate received, “Rudyard Kipling wrote “If” in 1896 as a tribute to the character of Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The poem was intended for Kipling’s son.

Jameson was a man of tremendous character who courageously led a raid in South Africa against the Boer Government. Jameson was defeated in the raid, and the poem was partially inspired by the way Jameson handled the defeat.

Though Kipling was just 31 years old when he wrote the poem, it has gone on to become one of the most popular pieces of literature in the world.”

IfIf you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk to wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kinds – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor living friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a man my son!

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Greatest Man in History

Lately I’ve been sharing a lot of e-mails that I have received but this is another that is too good to not pass along. My Uncle Kyle, who I have so much respect for, sent this to me (although I’m not sure who originally created it but here’s to giving them full credit). It brings up so many amazing points to ponder.

The Greatest Man in History-

“In biology, He was born without the normal conception.

In chemistry, He turned water into wine.

In physics, He disproved the law of gravity when He ascended into Heaven. In economics, He disproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves of bread.

In medicine, He cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs.

In history, He is the beginning and the end.

In government, He is called Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace.

In religion, He said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Jesus had no servants, yet the called Him Master. He had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. He had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer, He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet they crucified Him. He was curried in the tomb, yet He lives today.”

“God’s wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation!

All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold – all even numbers.

God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain times during the day, so that Linneus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed.

Thus the Lord in His wonderful grace can arrange the life that is entrusted to His care in such a way that it will carry out His purpose and plans, and will be fragrant with His presence.”

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Miss Talcott

God is so amazing when He brings special people into our lives. While at Texas Tech University, I have met one of the sweetest people on the planet!

Cristina Talcott and I met at a Bible study and then with both of us having busy semesters we began reading Power Thoughts by Joyce Meyers together when it worked with our schedules.

I have never met anyone else who sees the world the way I do or reacts the same way in certain situations. There can be lots of rough spots in college but they are always a little easier when a Godly friend is by your side. Cristina is also a very driven person and won the award of Outstanding Student in Landscape Architecture Department this year.

While having dinner with her parents one evening, her dad was telling stories about when she was little and there was one that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

They were on a family trip to Alaska and Cristina got to ride on a sled pulled by dogs. Afterwards, her dad explained to her that life is a lot like being a sled dog – you can either follow and stare at another tail or you can be in the lead and have a great view.

She has been an inspiration as a friend and is definitely a lead dog. Through the past year, she has encouraged me to press on and be the best that I can possible be.

Although I am now considered an adult, one of my verses to live by is 1 Timothy 4:12 which I tend to share with you quite often ~ Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Cristina has not only been an inspiration for classes and school but in my walk with God. Through Bible studies together, we have shared our hopes, dreams, failures and successes with each other. You never know where you will meet a best friend.
What friend has played a key role in your walk with God? I encourage you to call or send a letter to that person to let them know how special they are to you. It may be someone who shared words of wisdom or guided you through a tough time or it may be the example or innocence of a young person. Be a blessing to them.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Get your rain boots out!

In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. ~ Psalm 5:3

According to Urbandictionary.com, the definition of “rain” is 1- Water that falls from the sky. 2- A free car wash. 3- Life-giving moisture, often found in the midst of a storm.

There is no question about it – we need rain (I pray that by the time this is sent to print, that sentence is inaccurate)!

Psalm 5:3 tells us to lay (deposit, leave, and set down) our requests before the Lord, and then wait expectantly (confidently, trustfully, and with hope).

I’ve heard it said that when we pray for rain, we cannot just merely ask God to send us the life-giving moisture, we must prepare. That means getting our umbrella and rain boots out.

A little side note – did you know that the original name for rain boots was ‘Wellingtons’.

According to Wikipedia, the Wellington boot, also known as rubber-boots, wellies, barn boots, muck boots or rain boots, are a type of boot based upon leather Hessian boots. It was worn and popularized by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. This novel “Wellington” boot became a fashionable style emulated by the British aristocracy in the early 19th century.

The Duke of Wellington had his shoemaker in London modify his 18th-century Hessian boot. Wellington boots, which were originally made of leather, quickly became popular and were the main fashion for men through the 1840s.

In the 1850s, Charles Goodyear invented the vulcanization process for natural rubber and Hiram Hutchinson bought the patent to make shoes.

Wellington boots played an important role in World War I and World War II.

The boot has evolved to become roomier with a thick sole and rounded toe and is entirely waterproof.

“Young people can be seen wearing them to school or university and taking them to summer camps (Wikipedia).”

As a student at Texas Tech University, Wellington boots are a necessity. Although we are in West Texas, any student would agree that rivers begin to flow through campus when it rains.

Despite the lack of drains on campus, I look forward to wading across Tech soon. My umbrella is in my backpack and my rain boots are sitting by the door. Are yours?