Just another day…
•February 4, 2010 •I was thinking today about service and how my service can affect the service of others…
Now, I realize that my life is service right now, serving in UCO through WOL and SOS, I can say a number of things about service and what service in my life has done and changed me. But really, service is more than just us. It’s more about what’s going on in the here and now and it looks forward toward eternity. Service isn’t just about helping someone with something, it’s about making changes in the lives of people who may not have experienced those changes otherwise. There are many people who serve me and do great things and have changed me and my thoughts without knowing. I guess my “worldview” has opened up to a great number of things I wouldn’t know without the service of others. Yet, sometimes I find myself turning back in and focusing on me. It’s really not about me. I want to change myself to be focused out on someone else. Even if it’s just one person, even if my life were to serve one person, it would be worth it.
I once read a quote from Mother Theresa that said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other”. I think this is so true! This week I found myself looking back at myself and not looking out and focusing on the love of others and love for others…this week was a long, hard week because of that. I realized that my love for me cannot go anywhere, but my love for others and for Christ can bring joy, hope and peace. I was not a happy person, and in pondering why, I realized that I was being selfish, I am looking now to Jesus Christ, the one who saves me and learning more about love from the one who cares.
In other news, if you have not heard of Anjelah Johnson, you should totally check her out in the “Bon Qui Qui at King Burger” on Youtube.
Now, I realize that my life is service right now, serving in UCO through WOL and SOS, I can say a number of things about service and what service in my life has done and changed me. But really, service is more than just us. It’s more about what’s going on in the here and now and it looks forward toward eternity. Service isn’t just about helping someone with something, it’s about making changes in the lives of people who may not have experienced those changes otherwise. There are many people who serve me and do great things and have changed me and my thoughts without knowing. I guess my “worldview” has opened up to a great number of things I wouldn’t know without the service of others. Yet, sometimes I find myself turning back in and focusing on me. It’s really not about me. I want to change myself to be focused out on someone else. Even if it’s just one person, even if my life were to serve one person, it would be worth it.
I once read a quote from Mother Theresa that said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other”. I think this is so true! This week I found myself looking back at myself and not looking out and focusing on the love of others and love for others…this week was a long, hard week because of that. I realized that my love for me cannot go anywhere, but my love for others and for Christ can bring joy, hope and peace. I was not a happy person, and in pondering why, I realized that I was being selfish, I am looking now to Jesus Christ, the one who saves me and learning more about love from the one who cares.
In other news, if you have not heard of Anjelah Johnson, you should totally check her out in the “Bon Qui Qui at King Burger” on Youtube.
Life is short – love now!
•October 22, 2009 •Recently I experienced the death of my Uncle Tom, my mother’s brother. He was a wonderful and talented man and I’m glad that he is in a better place, but it is hard to not have him here. I think the hardest thing will be not having him around during the holidays. It was a hard weekend with my family in from out of town and seeing them for the first time in many years. It was not hard seeing them, just emotionally a lot to take in.
Coming from a large family (my mom is one of 17 kids and my dad is the oldest of 14), I have a lot of experience with life and death. I have been going to weddings, funerals and baptisms for many many years and when another one comes around, it’s a wonderful thing, but also sad in some ways. It’s a new beginning in all of the circumstances, but can bring happiness or sadness or both in the situation at hand. Weddings bring joy to both of the families involved (most of the time), but also brings a time of mourning the loss of singleness for the couple involved. As a fairly independent woman, I believe this will something that will happen to me when I marry. I will be very excited of course, but as with entering any new stage of life, you are saying goodbye to an old one – one that you often know well and love. That is one form of happiness and sadness. In a funeral, the obvious sadness is the loss of a dear friend, companion, or relative. But there is often also joy to know that they are experiencing something better than we can imagine. So many funerals are sad, but also come with a sense of joy and celebration of this person’s life. And the last is a birth/baptism. This is the ultimate example of new life…because that is ultimately what it is. For the parents, welcoming a child into their lives is very joyful, but also brings a new phase of “mourning” in a way of who they were before that child existed. It is a very exciting time, but also a time of letting go of more of themselves to give all to this new person.
Love life now. It doesn’t matter if you’re married, single, grieving, joyful…etc. Live life to the fullest right now. Sitting around and wishing that something would happen does not make your life more full, it makes it more lonely. So go out there, get some friends, find a new hobby, revive or begin a spiritual life. It helps to know who you are and to love wherever you are.
A few years ago I was in a job that I didn’t enjoy in a town I didn’t like. In fact, I dreaded going to work everyday and wished that I didn’t need to. Soon after I realized this, I found a job that I now have and I love it, in a different town that I love! I am using my talents and skills that come naturally to me and I enjoy it. This is how we are made – with certain gifts and abilities and if we aren’t using them, we are wasting them. Find what you love and do it, and do it well!
Lately, life has been fascinating. I didn’t end up going to Cedar Point, as I got sick that weekend. And my trip to PA was canceled because of our death in the family. It wasn’t an all around bad thing though. I ended up enjoying some time alone (something I haven’t had in awhile). It was very good. I also got to experience the love of a lot of close friends and they really blessed me while I was grieving and made me laugh (another wonderful thing to have in life – awesome friends who make you laugh!).
I am really looking forward to two trips coming up soon: New Hampshire (with my family for Thanksgiving) and Florida (with my brother for Christmas). I am very excited about both, and I think they will be excellent for me, but I know it will also be a little difficult (as this is one of my first Christmas’ away from home). And also a trip to Joe Louis Arena to see the Red Wings play!! I am sooo excited for this especially!
Off to find myself a jersey now (not a hot pink one) – don’t worry – I will stick to the team colors.
Coming from a large family (my mom is one of 17 kids and my dad is the oldest of 14), I have a lot of experience with life and death. I have been going to weddings, funerals and baptisms for many many years and when another one comes around, it’s a wonderful thing, but also sad in some ways. It’s a new beginning in all of the circumstances, but can bring happiness or sadness or both in the situation at hand. Weddings bring joy to both of the families involved (most of the time), but also brings a time of mourning the loss of singleness for the couple involved. As a fairly independent woman, I believe this will something that will happen to me when I marry. I will be very excited of course, but as with entering any new stage of life, you are saying goodbye to an old one – one that you often know well and love. That is one form of happiness and sadness. In a funeral, the obvious sadness is the loss of a dear friend, companion, or relative. But there is often also joy to know that they are experiencing something better than we can imagine. So many funerals are sad, but also come with a sense of joy and celebration of this person’s life. And the last is a birth/baptism. This is the ultimate example of new life…because that is ultimately what it is. For the parents, welcoming a child into their lives is very joyful, but also brings a new phase of “mourning” in a way of who they were before that child existed. It is a very exciting time, but also a time of letting go of more of themselves to give all to this new person.
Love life now. It doesn’t matter if you’re married, single, grieving, joyful…etc. Live life to the fullest right now. Sitting around and wishing that something would happen does not make your life more full, it makes it more lonely. So go out there, get some friends, find a new hobby, revive or begin a spiritual life. It helps to know who you are and to love wherever you are.
A few years ago I was in a job that I didn’t enjoy in a town I didn’t like. In fact, I dreaded going to work everyday and wished that I didn’t need to. Soon after I realized this, I found a job that I now have and I love it, in a different town that I love! I am using my talents and skills that come naturally to me and I enjoy it. This is how we are made – with certain gifts and abilities and if we aren’t using them, we are wasting them. Find what you love and do it, and do it well!
Lately, life has been fascinating. I didn’t end up going to Cedar Point, as I got sick that weekend. And my trip to PA was canceled because of our death in the family. It wasn’t an all around bad thing though. I ended up enjoying some time alone (something I haven’t had in awhile). It was very good. I also got to experience the love of a lot of close friends and they really blessed me while I was grieving and made me laugh (another wonderful thing to have in life – awesome friends who make you laugh!).
I am really looking forward to two trips coming up soon: New Hampshire (with my family for Thanksgiving) and Florida (with my brother for Christmas). I am very excited about both, and I think they will be excellent for me, but I know it will also be a little difficult (as this is one of my first Christmas’ away from home). And also a trip to Joe Louis Arena to see the Red Wings play!! I am sooo excited for this especially!
Off to find myself a jersey now (not a hot pink one) – don’t worry – I will stick to the team colors.
Jesus walks…and miracles do happen.
•September 29, 2009 •So this weekend was probably one of the first times that I feel like I’m on the right track with the Lord, I mean I’ve had a relationship with him for awhile now, but I think this is a different type of “life” I am experiencing. It’s like a plug on a machine that was half-way into the wall and has now been fully plugged in, before it didn’t have a full source of electricity and would sometimes go in and out, but now it’s fully charged. I feel like a tree which has experienced winter and is now ready for spring, with buds beginning to bloom – looking up into the sky with new life and a new season approaching. I am on fire. I am alive. Ever since I asked the Lord to completely take over my life, the scripture and words from God have been more alive to me. I am so excited!!
Even though I don’t agree with Kanye West most of the time, his lyrics from “Jesus Walks” came out at me:
“God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down (Jesus Walks)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now (Jesus Walks…)”
This is where I was situated in my heart before being prayed over this weekend. I knew the devil was breaking me down in many ways and I pray now to have the strength to not get to the place where my feet might fail me. Another song has been going through my mind also – “Child of God” by Vineyard Music:
“With every breath, with every part, from what is seen to the deepest part, I offer all that I’ve come to be – to know your love fathering me. Father, you’re all I need! My soul’s sufficiency, my strength when I am weak, the Love that carries me. Your arms enfold me until I am only a Child of God. With every step on this journey’s walk and wisdom’s song that the soul has sought – I give myself unreservedly to know your love enfolding me. Father you’re all I need! – My soul’s sufficiency, my strength when I am weak, the Love that carries me. Your arms enfold me until I am only a Child of God.”
Those are my spiritual thoughts for the evening – morning. Again, I am writing (as I always do) very, very early in the morning before going to bed. Now onto some practical life things…
Life is great here in the little town of Ann Arbor. It’s great to be more fully situated and to know who my friends are and what I am doing in my life (with my job, with my friends, with my free time…etc.) I have a great many little trips planned for the future and look forward to taking them. I hope to head down to PA to visit the Shay Family as well as out to NH and Flordia to visit my brothers and their families. I also hope to get down to TX for the first time in my life and visit my good friend Rachel. But while I’m here, I have people who love me and with whom I love to hang out.
I am also looking forward to Cedar Point next week, Autumn just beginning, the Red Wings game coming up in a month, Fall Walks with Julie and Mary F., Bonfires, friends and fun. Life is good and I’m just so excited to be living it. Ann Arbor brings me so much life and I think it’s partially the city and partially the knowledge and reality that God really wants me here. PTL!!
I need to go to bed now as it is 2am EST. Thanks for reading once again.
Even though I don’t agree with Kanye West most of the time, his lyrics from “Jesus Walks” came out at me:
“God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down (Jesus Walks)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don’t fail me now (Jesus Walks…)”
This is where I was situated in my heart before being prayed over this weekend. I knew the devil was breaking me down in many ways and I pray now to have the strength to not get to the place where my feet might fail me. Another song has been going through my mind also – “Child of God” by Vineyard Music:
“With every breath, with every part, from what is seen to the deepest part, I offer all that I’ve come to be – to know your love fathering me. Father, you’re all I need! My soul’s sufficiency, my strength when I am weak, the Love that carries me. Your arms enfold me until I am only a Child of God. With every step on this journey’s walk and wisdom’s song that the soul has sought – I give myself unreservedly to know your love enfolding me. Father you’re all I need! – My soul’s sufficiency, my strength when I am weak, the Love that carries me. Your arms enfold me until I am only a Child of God.”
Those are my spiritual thoughts for the evening – morning. Again, I am writing (as I always do) very, very early in the morning before going to bed. Now onto some practical life things…
Life is great here in the little town of Ann Arbor. It’s great to be more fully situated and to know who my friends are and what I am doing in my life (with my job, with my friends, with my free time…etc.) I have a great many little trips planned for the future and look forward to taking them. I hope to head down to PA to visit the Shay Family as well as out to NH and Flordia to visit my brothers and their families. I also hope to get down to TX for the first time in my life and visit my good friend Rachel. But while I’m here, I have people who love me and with whom I love to hang out.
I am also looking forward to Cedar Point next week, Autumn just beginning, the Red Wings game coming up in a month, Fall Walks with Julie and Mary F., Bonfires, friends and fun. Life is good and I’m just so excited to be living it. Ann Arbor brings me so much life and I think it’s partially the city and partially the knowledge and reality that God really wants me here. PTL!!
I need to go to bed now as it is 2am EST. Thanks for reading once again.
For the Love of Summer…
•August 25, 2009 •It’s been FOR-EV-ER. As you can see I am not much of a writer. I would love to be and totally enjoy writing – I just forget!!
So I have officially finished my first year as a UCO staffer in Ann Arbor, MI. Very exciting and very sad at the same time. A new year means a new set of staff (mostly) and I will miss working with my old friends. I am excited for the new ones though, don’t get me wrong!!!
My summer began with a conference and ended with a conference (not the same one) and I will be beginning my 2nd year tomorrow. The beginning of the summer brought about a lot of fun and joy. I was asked to help with an International Women’s Conference at the beginning of May – which I totally loved! and then went straight from there into working with the students who decided to stick around for part of the summer and dedicate some of their time to building relationships (including their one with God). It made for a great beginning to the summer.
I was also helping with the development of something my co-workers like to call “Project Hawaii” – a wonderful plan to build up some of our sister outreaches across North America. This was a work in progress and it took a couple months to complete it (I think some finishing touches are still happening now).
My brother also got married – Christian Alexander and Sonya Ann joined together in Holy Matrimony on June 20. It was a wonderful wedding. The music was AWESOME! I sang – my sis played cello – my lil bro joined us on the violin. Try singing “Holy Matrimony” in a high voice – yeah, not easy is it? haha…
So that was May and June, on top of all that I also moved, took some roadtrips out to see friends in Grand Rapids and Lansing, attended 4 weddings besides my brother’s and had an overall packed time!!
July came about and brought with it a whole different can of jellybeans called the COA. It is now over and great, but wow…CRAZINESS!! I began prep for COA sometime in late May, but in July I really dove in and began working on it. I ended up helping with one of our three tracks on “Discipleship”. I was also the key administrator for this, so it was quite the project. But August 9-18 came and flew by with no major bumps. It was a great time and I look forward to working on it next year.
I also went for a long visit to see my brother Stefan, his wife Katie and their two boys Luke and Jude. Luke is almost 4 and Jude is 18 months. They are the cutest, most beautiful kids I have ever met with the biggest smiles!! I loved hanging out with them and road-tripping with my little brother John Paul as well. I hope to spend a good bit of time out there next year, but we will see what life brings! By the way, Jude is my Godson and honestly, no one can rival him. His nickname is “Judo” because “Judee” is too feminine and the former just works for him. He’s so full of energy!!
I just arrived back home tonight from a weekend in Minnesota visiting some close friends. It is a wonderful place and if you haven’t visited you should – and if you have, you should go back and take a walk down Grand. It’s just beautiful!!
SO it’s been a great summer- long and good, but packed!! One of these days I will learn to slow down. No really, I swear! Goodbye for now. Keep me posted on your lives!
So I have officially finished my first year as a UCO staffer in Ann Arbor, MI. Very exciting and very sad at the same time. A new year means a new set of staff (mostly) and I will miss working with my old friends. I am excited for the new ones though, don’t get me wrong!!!
My summer began with a conference and ended with a conference (not the same one) and I will be beginning my 2nd year tomorrow. The beginning of the summer brought about a lot of fun and joy. I was asked to help with an International Women’s Conference at the beginning of May – which I totally loved! and then went straight from there into working with the students who decided to stick around for part of the summer and dedicate some of their time to building relationships (including their one with God). It made for a great beginning to the summer.
I was also helping with the development of something my co-workers like to call “Project Hawaii” – a wonderful plan to build up some of our sister outreaches across North America. This was a work in progress and it took a couple months to complete it (I think some finishing touches are still happening now).
My brother also got married – Christian Alexander and Sonya Ann joined together in Holy Matrimony on June 20. It was a wonderful wedding. The music was AWESOME!
I sang – my sis played cello – my lil bro joined us on the violin. Try singing “Holy Matrimony” in a high voice – yeah, not easy is it? haha…So that was May and June, on top of all that I also moved, took some roadtrips out to see friends in Grand Rapids and Lansing, attended 4 weddings besides my brother’s and had an overall packed time!!
July came about and brought with it a whole different can of jellybeans called the COA. It is now over and great, but wow…CRAZINESS!! I began prep for COA sometime in late May, but in July I really dove in and began working on it. I ended up helping with one of our three tracks on “Discipleship”. I was also the key administrator for this, so it was quite the project. But August 9-18 came and flew by with no major bumps. It was a great time and I look forward to working on it next year.
I also went for a long visit to see my brother Stefan, his wife Katie and their two boys Luke and Jude. Luke is almost 4 and Jude is 18 months. They are the cutest, most beautiful kids I have ever met with the biggest smiles!! I loved hanging out with them and road-tripping with my little brother John Paul as well. I hope to spend a good bit of time out there next year, but we will see what life brings! By the way, Jude is my Godson and honestly, no one can rival him. His nickname is “Judo” because “Judee” is too feminine and the former just works for him. He’s so full of energy!!
I just arrived back home tonight from a weekend in Minnesota visiting some close friends. It is a wonderful place and if you haven’t visited you should – and if you have, you should go back and take a walk down Grand. It’s just beautiful!!
SO it’s been a great summer- long and good, but packed!! One of these days I will learn to slow down. No really, I swear! Goodbye for now. Keep me posted on your lives!
Life of the Night…
•February 17, 2009 •It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything – mostly because I’ve just been soo busy with life. It’s funny how it’s busy, and how much I spend looking at a screen – probably not the best thing. Lately I was speaking with a friend about some stuff and he had his computer screen on in front of him and every six minutes a little screen popped up notating that it was taking a pause. When I asked him what it was, he said his computer takes a break every six minutes for eight seconds to give his eyes and hands a rest; every hour, it takes an eight minute break and he needs to get up and do something else (like stretches which are so nicely placed in front of him on his screen). It’s not a bad idea.
As you can probably tell, I am writing this late at night – the time when I get the most stuff done. I’m sitting in the student union at the University of Michigan and have heard conversations about God, Homosexuality, Biology, food and other things just filling the air around me for the past 3 hours. Getting work done here is interesting. It brings me back to the days of studying in the MSU Union until all hours of the morning. And despite the lack of a Biggby (Beaner’s) Coffee Shop – I am kind of partial to the atmosphere. It’s almost therapeutic.
The last couple months have been full of late night ponderings. With Christmas, Winter Conference (an Annual Event hosted by Kairos [UCO/SPO]), and getting back into the swing of working and dealing with life’s issues, it has been a hard time for me to sleep. Lately I have been lying in bed late at night with the next day’s work in my head, or certain music taking up residence. Kinda fun for the first 20 minutes, then I realize I actually need to sleep at night – and then the trouble begins.
Earlier today I was conversing with a friend and she brought up the point about how life is so busy and sleep gets in the way of what we need to do. True, but at the same time, any logical person knows that sleep is part of the way we survive life and most of us don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. Why are we so afraid/annoyed/irritated to go to sleep and yet have a difficult time waking up? Hmm…as my mom would say, “Pondering minds would like to know.”
This past Saturday a couple of friends and I spent some time with one of our girlfriends who lives a good distance from my apartment. On the trip home, my roommate and I discovered we had a flat tire – and spent the next 3 hours fixing the problem and getting towed. (The problem wasn’t fixed that night, only momentarily resolved by the tow-truck pulling the car to our complex) It was a night of frustration, but also of some fun conversations that I might not have had. My roommate may not have been too happy with the situation (as it was her car) – but it was not too bad looking back on it…and I am still catching up to that sleep that I lost.
These are the blubberings of my mind for the night. I need to get out of here and go to bed now – I’m off to Florida in a few days and don’t want to be sleeping during my entire vacation.
As you can probably tell, I am writing this late at night – the time when I get the most stuff done. I’m sitting in the student union at the University of Michigan and have heard conversations about God, Homosexuality, Biology, food and other things just filling the air around me for the past 3 hours. Getting work done here is interesting. It brings me back to the days of studying in the MSU Union until all hours of the morning. And despite the lack of a Biggby (Beaner’s) Coffee Shop – I am kind of partial to the atmosphere. It’s almost therapeutic.
The last couple months have been full of late night ponderings. With Christmas, Winter Conference (an Annual Event hosted by Kairos [UCO/SPO]), and getting back into the swing of working and dealing with life’s issues, it has been a hard time for me to sleep. Lately I have been lying in bed late at night with the next day’s work in my head, or certain music taking up residence. Kinda fun for the first 20 minutes, then I realize I actually need to sleep at night – and then the trouble begins.
Earlier today I was conversing with a friend and she brought up the point about how life is so busy and sleep gets in the way of what we need to do. True, but at the same time, any logical person knows that sleep is part of the way we survive life and most of us don’t want to get out of bed in the morning. Why are we so afraid/annoyed/irritated to go to sleep and yet have a difficult time waking up? Hmm…as my mom would say, “Pondering minds would like to know.”
This past Saturday a couple of friends and I spent some time with one of our girlfriends who lives a good distance from my apartment. On the trip home, my roommate and I discovered we had a flat tire – and spent the next 3 hours fixing the problem and getting towed. (The problem wasn’t fixed that night, only momentarily resolved by the tow-truck pulling the car to our complex) It was a night of frustration, but also of some fun conversations that I might not have had. My roommate may not have been too happy with the situation (as it was her car) – but it was not too bad looking back on it…and I am still catching up to that sleep that I lost.
These are the blubberings of my mind for the night. I need to get out of here and go to bed now – I’m off to Florida in a few days and don’t want to be sleeping during my entire vacation.
What’s in a name?
•November 7, 2008 •So lately God has been teaching me a lot about myself. One of the biggest challenges I have gone through since moving to Ann Arbor is that I have had to find my identity in Christ, not in who I thought I was (i.e. popular, with many friends, known by many, community kid…etc.). I have had to place my total trust in Him. Not a bad thing, but definitely something I haven’t experienced at this level.
A funny thing was when I got here, I seemed to forget the actuality of how many friends I did have here – which made me have to lean on Christ more! Before beginning work with UCO, I was finding myself out by the pool in my apartment complex, by myself just contemplating life. Times have changed from that stage I was at 13 weeks ago. I am now busier than ever, but the Lord is still training my mind and heart and I am more content with Him now than I ever was before.
Recently I was invited to visit a local evanglical church of a friend who’s dad was preaching that Sunday. The topic of the sermon was our name – finding our identity in Christ. This was right on for me, but being who I am kind of thought, “Lord, didn’t we already touch on this subject a bit? What are you trying to say?” Nonetheless, I was intrigued. The preacher was speaking about how when we were named, our names meant something, and they still do. Our names define us and can become our “idol” in a way, because of the pride we carry in our lives.
Later that evening, I had been invited to have dinner with some friends. It was more of a sharing group than anything – very pleasant, but I was new and didn’t really know if I had a place there. When one of the girls began sharing about how God values our names and how we were named what we were for a reason, I began getting chills. The Lord was trying to work in me and I was beginning to shrug Him off a bit – then he brought me back to reality. I felt Him saying to me, “I know you, before you were born I knew your name and your purpose – why can’t you believe that your name has something to do with your life. It defines you. Figure out what it means and you will figure out your purpose.”
For myself, I have always prided myself with coming from a big family that many people knew. Moving to Ann Arbor, I have not had this experience as none of my were known in the area as well as they were in my hometown. I have been slowly gaining my own identity here as a “pretty-cool” person, but first of all, I hope to be known as a daughter of God. But when I realized that God was teaching me so much more. Something that goes deeper, that I will probably continue learning for the rest of my life – the purpose for my life.
So I went home and looked up what my name means:
Claire – Famous/Brilliant Light
Marie – “Wished-For Child”, “Beloved”, “Full of Grace”
Monica – “The Advisor”
Cherniawski – Of/In the Black Forest
A cool name if you ask me. Monica wasn’t given to me at birth, but as a Confirmation name in the Catholic Church. In my family, traditionally, we have “unofficially” added it next to our middle name. It totally fits as one of my spiritual gifts is pastoring/guiding. Way cool.
As for what else is going on in my life, it’s been interesting because it seems like anyone who is anyone is either beginning a relationship or getting engaged. Crazy, I know. But it seems true. A little discouraging, but enlightening at the same time. I’ve realized that although it would be nice to be in a relationship right now, it’s not necessary for me. And somehow, rejoicing with other people is a lot less stressful. I’m now up to 9 weddings next summer…and counting. whoa! That is a LOT of weddings. But hooray for good Christian families and relationships too!
A funny thing was when I got here, I seemed to forget the actuality of how many friends I did have here – which made me have to lean on Christ more! Before beginning work with UCO, I was finding myself out by the pool in my apartment complex, by myself just contemplating life. Times have changed from that stage I was at 13 weeks ago. I am now busier than ever, but the Lord is still training my mind and heart and I am more content with Him now than I ever was before.
Recently I was invited to visit a local evanglical church of a friend who’s dad was preaching that Sunday. The topic of the sermon was our name – finding our identity in Christ. This was right on for me, but being who I am kind of thought, “Lord, didn’t we already touch on this subject a bit? What are you trying to say?” Nonetheless, I was intrigued. The preacher was speaking about how when we were named, our names meant something, and they still do. Our names define us and can become our “idol” in a way, because of the pride we carry in our lives.
Later that evening, I had been invited to have dinner with some friends. It was more of a sharing group than anything – very pleasant, but I was new and didn’t really know if I had a place there. When one of the girls began sharing about how God values our names and how we were named what we were for a reason, I began getting chills. The Lord was trying to work in me and I was beginning to shrug Him off a bit – then he brought me back to reality. I felt Him saying to me, “I know you, before you were born I knew your name and your purpose – why can’t you believe that your name has something to do with your life. It defines you. Figure out what it means and you will figure out your purpose.”
For myself, I have always prided myself with coming from a big family that many people knew. Moving to Ann Arbor, I have not had this experience as none of my were known in the area as well as they were in my hometown. I have been slowly gaining my own identity here as a “pretty-cool” person, but first of all, I hope to be known as a daughter of God. But when I realized that God was teaching me so much more. Something that goes deeper, that I will probably continue learning for the rest of my life – the purpose for my life.
So I went home and looked up what my name means:
Claire – Famous/Brilliant Light
Marie – “Wished-For Child”, “Beloved”, “Full of Grace”
Monica – “The Advisor”
Cherniawski – Of/In the Black Forest
A cool name if you ask me. Monica wasn’t given to me at birth, but as a Confirmation name in the Catholic Church. In my family, traditionally, we have “unofficially” added it next to our middle name. It totally fits as one of my spiritual gifts is pastoring/guiding. Way cool.
As for what else is going on in my life, it’s been interesting because it seems like anyone who is anyone is either beginning a relationship or getting engaged. Crazy, I know. But it seems true. A little discouraging, but enlightening at the same time. I’ve realized that although it would be nice to be in a relationship right now, it’s not necessary for me. And somehow, rejoicing with other people is a lot less stressful. I’m now up to 9 weddings next summer…and counting. whoa! That is a LOT of weddings. But hooray for good Christian families and relationships too!
When God writes your story…
•July 25, 2008 • He definitely knows what he’s talking about!I was recently in a Prayer Meeting near Michigan State University Campus and I came across the re-discovered realization that God knows me. He knows what I’m talking about and who I am. He knows when I need a word from him and when I need to be radiating his peace. He knows the turmoil in my life and the rollercoaster ride that I experience.
This week has been quite busy because of my moving and summer camp coming up. After that I will be attending Campus Outreach Academy also – So I’m looking to a busy next few weeks and the Lord knows that. Last night I picked up my bible after a dear friend encouraged me to turn to the Lord more and the scripture I opened up to was: Isaiah 49:4- 18 and it talks about how the Lord is our strength when we think we’re fighting for nothing. Also, that he will restore us. It’s amazing how much the Lord can restore and renew me through just one scripture passage. Wow!
Please keep me in your prayers these next couple weeks as I begin my new job and close out another chapter in my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment