The Journey Begins

Good Morning All!

Over the past several months I have found myself at a new beginning of life...............I know several of you may be jealous but let me explain where I have been and the journey that God has chosen before me.

I am an educator by trade and stepped into administration as the need arose in my small Christian school. In mid October I was told that due to financial difficulties of the school that my position was no longer necessary. I was devastated in every form of the word. I considered the families, students and staff of the school my extended family. My children's education, life long friendships had been filled with the people of this school. God brought me to this school in a miraculous chain of events so I will not allow the enemy to rob the precious memories and relationships that have been built in the confines of those walls. However, the question loomed large - "What now?".

I have known that the administrative end of my job was waning on me personally and I yearned to teach more. God was calling me, I believe, back to His first calling on my life - the classroom. In November of 2011, I decided to do something out of my comfort zone after completing my master's degree in Christian Leadership from Liberty Theological Seminary ~ I applied to be a professor for a local Christian college. After several grueling interviews and theological reviews, I was now to be a part time professor in the CAPP program, College of Adult and Professional Program, teaching Introduction to the Bible (my favorite) and World Religions courses. Teaching adults, have I lost my mind? Well it can't be worse than what I love more than anything else in the world, middle schoolers! So that is what I have done the past year is teach adults the Bible ~ possibly the best job in the world! Down side is that I can't do it enough, it is only several classes a year. (I am working on that one)

So...............after my shock in October, I also began to experiment with another idea I have been wanting to do, repurposing furniture. So I have taken pieces around my house, our lake house and things people have not wanted and repurposed them. I will have pictures and the processes on the blog shortly. God graciously has given me a small amount of talent in painting and creativity, just enough to get me in trouble. The holidays kept me busy but then came January.............

January felt like a long labor before a birth. You remember those nagging back pains, the times that those 'fake' contractions caught your breath? I was in the midst of my spiritual labor. My Bible study time was intense. I had begun to work through Kay Arthur's book Lord Heal My Hurts because heavens knew I needed some kind of healing. God began to show me things that were opening my heart and the healing was almost palpable. God also led me to something really out of my comfort zone, a Daniel Fast. Now I must admit I was not perfect on this puppy but I knew that if I kept through it that God was working, even though at this point I could not see past my front porch.

I was blessed with the opportunity to begin one of my college courses at the end of January once a week. I was so excited to teach!! I cannot begin to tell you how hungry you become to do what God has called you to do when the opportunity to do it daily is taken away. My gratefulness in the opportunity to teach God's Word is overflowing. The timing of this class and its students have blessed me beyond measure.

It was also at this time, end of January during the Daniel Fast, that I stepped out on a limb to do something I would have never in a lifetime done before ~ I applied to be on a televised weight loss program, Atlanta's Biggest Loser. Now I need to tell you that Loser in an educator's vocabulary is a no-no, so to tell you I am going to join a 'Loser' group is actually hysterical. Never in my life did I believe that I would be chosen but I received an email announcing that I was a semi finalist and needed to come down to the station for an on camera interview. HOLY TOLEDO, what have I done?? Large people do not volunteer to be in a media that adds pounds to the viewing audience!! So I go, nervous as a demon in church. I was horrible, not myself, shaking and just awful. I drove out of that parking lot knowing they deleted that interview as soon as I walked out the door - oh no honey, they picked me for their finalist!! Yes, beginning next week I will begin a new adventure of pain and torture that hopefully will create in me a hunger for a healthier me!! I know I still can't believe it, but I feel assured that next week I will begin to believe it when I can't get my fanny out of the bed because my body can't move!

To sum up what I have take wayyyyy toooo many words to say already is this...............God will not waste our time in the desert. As we remain faithful to His Word and trust Him, know His sovereignty above all, He is working behind the scenes. I have shed more tears in the past months that I ever thought I could in a lifetime, those tears He has wiped each one and given me His promises in which I cling. It is NOT easy or for the faint of heart but it is worth it. I may not know what IT is but I know He is a part of IT and that is all I need to know.

As you read these posts I pray that they encourage you. I am not known for being politically correct or even correct but I pray that you laugh and cry with me in this journey that God is so graciously opened for us to partake. Thank you for coming with me and fo' sho' we will have some fun!!

Holding to His Promises,

Lisa