Perfect Plans

"When ours are interrupted, his are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) "toward the goal of true maturity" - Elisabeth Elliot

Learning about trust.......s l o w l y

Much has happened I guess since my last life-update. This past weekend seems like such a whirlwind! Friday-Saturday was my camp's staff overnight orientation, met some new people, played some crazy camp games, had sessions to remind us of all the policies and rules that go along with working at a camp, and met some new people. Saturday I needed to leave camp early for my little sister and her best friend's graduation party. Ethan came down for it, and it was nice to spend some time with him since I hadn't seen him since memorial day weekend for a few hours. There were MANY children at the party, it was great :). (And can I make a side note to say it feels like it's the summer of babies, I feel like I haven't gone more than a few days without playing with and holding a baby and I am COMPLETELY fine with that :).) Then, today after church we had a small reunion with some of the people that I was in youth group with in high school- it was sooo great to all be in one place to catch up, and reminisce about some of fun things that went on back then.

A few weeks ago, I found out that the nannying job that I thought I had for this summer wasn't going to work out because the family no longer had a need. At first I was upset because I really thought that God had orchestrated it so perfectly (you know, me planning for God and thinking that the way I think is what He's thinking... so doesn't match up with Isaiah 55:8 but you know...). I started applying all over for part-time evening jobs, but most places don't really like to hear that you can only work for a short amount of time each day and that you'll only really be there about 2 months all together, so I received no calls, no interviews- which I was okay with.
At this point I started repeating to myself daily, 'God provides all I need and if He doesn't provide a second source of income for me this summer, that's okay because He's in control and ultimately knows what I will need for the upcoming year.' To be honest this was so hard for be to be optimistic about partially because I had so many ideas of things I wanted to do this summer before work started and I haven't really been able to do any of them and partially because I feel like I really need to be saving up for after college. So, I was disappointed, but once again- planning my own life, not letting God take control and do His whole omnipotent thing never really works out. After I had pretty much given up on the idea of having another job this summer I saw that a new hourly childcare center was opening in just a few weeks in my area- I thought 'okay- THIS will be my last attempt,' the next day I got an email telling me that they were conducting their final interviews that night and what do you know- I got a job! (Well, they told me they are going to hire me once their enrollment goes up and the open but, still.) All about patience and trust. Clearly I'm still really in need of some work on the trust and letting go of control thing.

Tomorrow, I will start my first work day at camp with a few campers (I've gone in for set-up and clean up a few times already). Summer is getting rolling this week! I think that's enough of an update for now, hope your summers are going wonderfully as well whether they're busy or relaxed!

Also, check out this song- it's a new summer favorite :)

Education & God's Sovereignty

So the past few weeks have been chaotic to say the least in the world of Pennsylvania education. The governor has proposed a budget that, if passed, will lower the amount of funding public schools are getting immensely. This means that schools are being forced to get rid of things like kindergarten, art & music programs, sports, and that they're laying off teachers. This also means for the kids in those schools that if there are fewer teachers their classes sizes will grow and their ability to receive the help they need will grow slim.

My education professors over the past four years have always said that if we can get out of the state to teach we should do it because Pennsylvania has an odd problem- we have more certified teachers than there are jobs, where all of the states surrounding us have the opposite problem. This is true now more than ever.

Last night as a class requirement I had to go to an on campus rally against the budget. My professor was speaking and told us that if half the class agreed to go she would cancel two classes and a quiz (when you through around incentives like cancelling class and tests things usually go your way). So I went, along with the rest of my class. It was by far the most political/hippie-esque thing I have ever been to. There was chanting, singing, and waving of signs. To be honest I was completely freaked out and out of my element by being there. Don't get me wrong- I'm all for education and wanting children to succeed but I don't think yelling and making mean phone calls to state representatives is at all the way about it. What struck me about the rally was that every story anyone shared was about them, how they could get further ahead if this budget doesn't pass, how they could make more money in the future with their college degrees and how the people who want to pass this budget are the enemy. They continuously referred to the political leaders of our state as the enemy.
The enemy? Now that's taking it a little too far. Being someone who knows very little about politics and very little about what's going on in the news and I'll be honest, I don't really know full extent of what is going on.

I do know that God is in control and that He knew that this was going to happen centuries before today. I know that things may seem bad, but that my God is mighty. I know that for how much people feel slighted by this that there is a God who holds the key to hope. Our society is flawed, it has been since the moment that Adam and Eve decided to go against what God specifically told them and sinned. We are sinful, we are selfish, we are detestable. The only cure for our faulty hearts is Christ, to live to glorify Him with everything. We can't go pointing our fingers and others, yelling and waving signs, because although education matters- Christ matters most.
No matter how discouraged, or upset we get by the things of this world we need to keep in perspective that our God is greater than our worries and fears, He conquered death and sin and He and He alone gives us the choice to belong to Him, to live for Him, to live in joy and hope and peace. Our God is sovereign.


"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 34:1

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:11-12