Week Two

I feel like we are home.  It is amazing to me, but I don't think I have very felt this way about any place that I have ever lived outside of Roswell.  I am very grateful to feel so comfortable because in 4 days I will be starting a new job, completing tasks I have never before attempted, and doing my best to trust that God will give me the knowledge and connections to get it all done.

When I moved to Scotland for my Masters degree, I remember having to completely change the way I spoke in my courses and writing.  The people I met there, primarily my professors and colleagues, spoke with a large academic vocabulary.  This is normal in classrooms, but in my mind and probably in reality, they spoke this way in their everyday lives.  Everyone was so knowledgeable.  I struggled to sound as knowledgable and well educated as they did.  Eventually my vocabulary began changing and I didn't feel quite as uneducated (even though I have had a great education).

Moving back to Roswell scared me.  Not everyone used the academic vocabulary I had grown accustomed to and I was afraid I would lose that as well as all the knowledge I had gained.  I felt like I was going to be dumbed down if I stayed too long.  I'm sorry.  I know that is a terrible thing to say, and I have such amazing, smart, respectable friends and family in Roswell, but it wasn't Edinburgh and I may have turned into a bit of a prude since I actually believed that.  I tried so hard to get out of Roswell, but God had other plans as all those who know me understand.  As those plans were taking shape and I was going to be staying in Roswell, God was shaping my heart towards his and kind of slapped me in the face.  Side note: God doesn't care how much your grieving, if you  need humbling, he will humble you.   That slap consisted of God reminding me that the amount of knowledge in my mind and the vocabulary I use do not make me who I am.  My identity is not found in my education, my vocabulary, or what I know.  My identity is found in Him.

I share this because I am beginning to go back into that world.  The world where vocabulary, specifically academic vocabulary, is important.  The world where I need to be able to understand the English language in all aspects.  I still have so much to learn.  The difference now, is that I understand that my identity is in Christ.  God has given me this position and I know that he will give me the knowledge and words I need to succeed.  I am so excited to be back in the world of international students and I can't wait to see how God will use all of this for His glory!!!

Week 1

Many people hate change.  Hate is a strong word.  Change is definitely hard, but it can also be exciting and renewing.  Change and I are very familiar. He visits me often lately and when he does, its always in a dramatic way.  To me, change is dramatic, and I do my best to live a drama free life.  Thankfully, his last visit was welcomed! David and I just got married, went on our honeymoon and are now unpacking our new apartment in OKC.   It was not easy leaving my friends in Roswell and moving even farther away from my parents.  However, this change needed to happen.  Now that we are in Oklahoma, I feel like I have lived here for a while; like it is home (despite the boxes I still need to unpack).  Now that I have begun this new chapter in life, I have never been more certain that this is where I am supposed to be.  I feel like everyday in OKC so far has been a constant reassurance of that.  I am so excited to begin my new job teaching ESL and meet so many new people. 

I have caught myself at more than one point feeling like I am a missionary.  What’s odd is that this is how I should have been feeling my entire Christian life.  My prayer for myself is that this responsible feeling will not go away.  I need to continue with this mindset for the rest of my life.  It definitely makes me aware that every moment is a missional moment and every person I meet may be someone that I can build a relationship with and lead to Christ.  That doesn’t mean that I have to tell them about Jesus right away, but it does mean that every word I say and action I make can impact their decision for Christ.   All this has really been heightened since most of the people we meet want to know why we moved here.  When we tell them that we moved here to help plant a church, we are already putting it out there that we are Christian and I personally feel a huge responsibility to not mess that up by saying or doing something stupid.  So, I would like to ask anyone who reads it to please pray that I don’t mess this up.  Its super easy to do which is why so many people dislike Christians.  I would love to meet those people and be someone who helps change their mindset.