Black and White

God bless those little children.

I've probably added 5+ years to my life simply by teaching them for a mere 7 months.

From observing children, I remember how everything in childhood was so black and white. Proof as follows...

"Don't be ridiculous! If you don't go to college, you will be homeless. Do you know what that means?! You have to sleep in the middle of the street NAKED."

"Miss Walker...you know that if it's not sweet, I don't want to eat it for snack."

"You CANNOT be serious. Pick one...you can't like the Red Raiders AND the Aggies."

"Miss Walker! I picked up his crayon for him! He said thank you! I feel good!"

"If you do not share that book with me, I just don't think you love God."

You believed in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter bunny...or you didn't.
You simply adored school, or you hated it.
There were foods you inhaled, and those you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.
Animals called for hugs and smiles, or fear and tears.


And the simple thoughts, words, and actions of children are so applicable to the most important things in life. "Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Mark 10:15

I was sitting in a Bible class on Sunday, when a discussion began about people who do not take all of the Bible literally, that time frames may not be equivalent to our time frames, or that there may be some "inaccuracies." The first thing that always enters my mind is...how can you believe some, but not all? How can you accept that God created, but not that He performed miracles? How can you not believe that He could do anything? When people begin deep theological discussions, I can't help but shy away. I have a simple faith...faith based on my testimony and salvation experience. The blood of the Sacrificial Lamb, God who humbled himself and walked on Earth as a man, was shed for the remission of sins...for those who desire to receive the gift of God. Out of gratitude for a gift that we are not worthy of and could never repay, we live to glorify Him...through a consistent heart of worship, through marriage that reflects the perfect relationship of Christ and His Bride the Church or through full devotion to him in singleness, through a heart of servitude, and through unconditional love and uncontainable joy.

When I think about trying to "prove Christ" many C.S. Lewis quotes also come to mind...

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him; I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and claim him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
- C. S. Lewis

So there it is...either you accept all of it...or you can't accept any of it. And how can you not accept it? Lewis also said "...if the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..." Powerful truth.

I've started a new Bible study on my own that had a very relevant analogy. I am very much a daddy's girl, so I could totally relate...a little girl jumps from the bed or off a diving board into her daddy's arms. She looks at him, giggles, and jumps without hesitation. She trusts him because he has never given her a reason not to. "And so she soars, and so she flies...and so he catches her and the two rejoice at the wedding of her trust and his faithfulness." Those simple words brought tears to my eyes...I do not question anything about the majesty, omniscence, omnipotence, etc. of Christ but I worry, which is doubting Him...when he has never given me a reason not to trust him. And every time I take a leap of faith landing sweetly in His faithful arms, I am so embarrassed that I was ever concerned about anything.

And at the end of it all, what questions will you be asking when you gaze upon the face of the Savior for the first time? Will there be anything more important at that moment than falling prostrate at the feet of Jesus? Will there be any thought in your mind other than overwhelming joy, humility, gratitude, devotion, adoration, praise, and love?
"I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?"
-C. S. Lewis

2011?!

2010 was definitely an awesome rebound from 2009! It has had it's share of pain, and more "Leaps of Faith" than I ever thought possible...but I think I'll call it "The Year of Second Chances."
Some of my favorite memories:

• Ringing in the New Year in dowtown Dallas with some of my favorite people in the whole world.
• PBR Rodeo at Cowboys Stadium & Cowboys afterward with my girls
• Spring Break on the beach - crazy, crazy, crazy.
• filling a weekly obsession with country dancing...Dallas, Ft. Worth, Sherman, Terrell, New Braunfels, College Station, Huntsville...
• Motorcross race weekend in Dallas with my sweet boyfriend...and Pete's Piano bar afterward with my cousin!
• Chilifest...Team Keystone Lake & Resort...enough said.
• Bridget's Aggie Ring Weekend!
• becoming a VIP/"penguin" at Harry's...I just love to dance.
• Surprising Nick at the River Trip
• Family reunion at the lake
• finding real, unconditional love
• "Does this shirt make me look tall?"
• weekends in the country with Britt's family
• River trip/Shiner Brewery tour with my girls
• 3 day driving escapade across Texas for job interviews
• Estes Park, CO with Julie and Jenn...what an awesome place to see the glory of my Savior!
• DeJong 25th Anniversary party
• Walker family reunion
• 1/2 of my first year as a teacher! and a Kindergarten teacher at that!
• the great move to the Panhandle...better known as Antarctica, TX.
• seeing Easton Corbin live
• getting back into running!
• surprise birthday trip to Colorado Springs with my sweet Nick!
• going home at Thanksgiving for the first time in a while
• Poncho!!!
• reunion weekend in College Station with my girls!
• Christmas break with my amazing family

So 2011, I don't know how you arrived so quickly, but I welcome you with open arms. I am in a career that I love, in a place that I love, near a man that I love, supported by a family I love, and under the watchful eye of the God of love. It doesn't get much better than that! Oddly enough (and a good way to start the new year), I was in staff development today with a speaker specializing in brain development and how to use that in the classroom. Little did I know how applicable it would be to my own life. The memory and brain develop through 5 important things; talking (I'm already pretty good at that), moving (good thing I've rediscovered a love for running- teaching Kindergarten might help that too haha), connecting (new information, old information, memories, etc), thinking positively (confidence and less stress/anger/fear), and having a purpose (find what and who you love).

So after some thinking and praying I've made some decisions for the new year...I refuse to call it "New Year's Resolutions" but rather a change of heart.

talking- Most of the time I'd rather just have surface conversations, short in duration and about nothing much deeper than the weather. That's not loving people as Christ loved people...I think it's time I open up a little.

moving- I teach Kindergarten...I am constantly moving. And I'm back into distance running, so hopefully this one is taking care of itself.

connecting- I love to write, so I'll be trying to use my blog and journal more often for thinking through my thoughts and ideas...and to have them for looking back on later.

thinking positively- I have improved so much in this area. I think it helps that the man I adore doesn't have a negative bone in his body and being around 19 of the most joyful people every day for 8 hours :) Life's too short to be upset. Little things that used to matter, just don't matter so much anymore. I'd rather delight in the joy my Savior brings.

having a purpose- to glorify God. I thought it was interesting that this was such a huge factor. People without a purpose live much shorter lives than people who determine and pursue a purpose. I'm reminding myself everyday to walk closely with my sweet Jesus and entrust Him with every future moment. I even taped a reminder on my bathroom mirror, so that I will read it every morning.

Each day, I'll be putting on the full armor of God and a smile...so 2011...bring on the blessings and joy!