Learning & Growing

I love the fact that we never stop learning about ourselves and that our potential for growth never ceases. I'm beginning to wonder if our potential for growth actually increases as we get older because we can be more in tune with ourselves. I am learning so much about myself as I am learning some new hobbies...some good stuff...some stuff that I need to grow from. As I learn scuba, I am learning that I have some, what I think are unfounded, fears. It's interesting. What I am also learning is that I have the choice to allow myself to grow out of those fears. As I learn rock climbing I have realized that improvement, even when it is minuscule, is still improvement. I had a friend recently tell me that one of his goals in skiing is to fall down less and I thought what a wonderful growth concept that was. We don't have to be perfect, the goal is to be moving in the positive direction on the growth continuum. Isn't that true in life too? The things I learn....good thing I'm never too old to learn :-)

WOW!!!

I have to laugh because so often I say "God works in mysterious ways" and I think God chose this week to show me that He may not always be "mysterious!" This week I got to see God move in not so mysterious ways...actually in some pretty concrete ways and I have to say although it bordered on a bit scary for me, I'm in awe that the God of the universe is willing to communicate with me.

This week the MCCC staff & I were at a conference called Next Leadership at Savannah Christian Church. It was an amazing conference but there are 5 events that just leave me smiling the biggest smile inside. The first 3 are very similar. I went to three workshops and all three of them took a kernel of a ministry vision that I had in my mind and showed me how it could look in it's fruition. It was so exciting. The really wild thing was listening to the workshop leaders use exact words and phrases that I would have used. Way cool. The 4th thing was a prayer time during one of the workshops where I think God directly gave me an answer to a concern of mine. The workshop leader was relaying a story that so could have been me (I know it wasn't because the workshop leader has never met me) and in the process of the story relayed his response to an issue and it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment...in the exact words and phrases that I would have used if I was communicating the response to someone else. The last one was getting to see a rock climbing wall and recreational center that they had in their youth building...WOW, it can be done.

The other thing that happened during this trip was getting to connect with two of my college professors, one of which I hadn't seen in 20 years. It was so AWESOME getting to reconnect with them and just hang out with them but the most incredible thing was getting to listen to their stories and seeing how God was using them so incredibly to change the world and in doing that he was utilizing the "junk" that had occurred in their worlds. It was so cool to see even more evidence that even when we make really stupid choices or bad things happen, if we reconnect with God, He can use even those BIG ick moments to teach us stuff that can help further His Kingdom. AWESOME!!!!

Seize the day!

I'm learning more and more that what I do in my world is all up to me. I can make or break my happiness by my outlook on the world. I firmly believe that God is in control but thanks to free will he leaves my reactions to the world round me up to me. One of my favorite books is "Man's Search For Meaning" by Victor Frankl. His whole essence is that every moment has meaning and it is all in what we do with that. Life may send crappy junk our way but it is our choice if we are going to become a victim of our circumstances or are we going to use it to grow more into the person God designed us to be. Life goes on even when the worst things happen and we have to decide what we are going to do with that. Grief, sadness and disappointment will be a part of our life experience and we must allow ourselves to feel those emotions...if we stuff them, bad things will happen. However, bitterness, disillusionment and dissatisfaction are all choices. The past cannot be changed but we have control on how we let it affect us. Seize the day! Grow into who you are designed to be and don't let the past stop you from doing that. I am learning it's well worth it!! One of my favorite quotes of all times is from Carl Bard and says “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”

I'm learning about me!

The older I get, the more and more I am learning about myself. My recent revelation has been, I love adventure and challenge. I am definitely not a competitive person in any realm, but I guess I like self competition and the challenge of improving on what I am doing. It's not a perfectionism thing. I am definitely not good at some of the things that I am enjoying challenging myself on. My most recent adventure has been thinking about doing the Morgan's Triathlon in June. My goal is not to win, my goal is just to complete the event before the sun goes down and they want to close the event. As a part of this, I've been teaching myself to run. At this point its still a very awkward jog, but I still love the aspect of pushing myself just a little bit farther or getting a little bit better. I've noticed that about myself with my other "adventures." With hiking and backpacking, I may always be the last one down the trail and I probably won't ever be really coordinated, but the more I grow my skills the happier I am. I realized that was what my relationship with Jesus is like. I will never be all of what God designed me to be...that's the unfortunate thing about humanness, but the challenge becomes to get a little bit better with each adventure...or in my case each day!!!

it ain't survival of the fittest!!!

So, on Sunday I went to a survival type class and learned that I am not called to be a survivalist!! If I get stranded...let's hope I have a phone signal!! At this seminar I did learn some really cool stuff that I could use if I need to but my favorite thing was a quote made by the instructor. He said something to the effect of "those that survive are the ones that set their mind to survive and do everything possible to make it happen." What a great life lesson that is! That applies to so many facets of life. No matter what is going on in your world, if you set your mind to making it through it, you can survive anything! We have tools but attitude determines if we are going to utilize the tools. I love all the cliches that reinforce that, too! "Fake it until you make it," "Mind over matter" and so on. With God's help we can make it through anything, we just have to focus on being a survivor!!!

By golly, I think I've found it!!!

Guess what....I think I've stumbled on something really cool...the great outdoors. For those of you that have known that all along, feel free to laugh at my excitement of this "revelation!" Last weekend I went camping for the first time since I was in Girl Scouts...which was around 30 or so years ago! I absolutely loved the experience. I have never bonded with the outdoors during my adult years (actually I don't think I bonded with them in my childhood years either) and really didn't think I had the desire to, until a couple of years ago. I'm not sure what changed...some say I'm having a midlife crisis and if I am, all I can say is "COOL!!!"

All this came about as a result of some neat coincidences. I found out about some cool stuff that the Hamilton County Parks does with teaching people about the 'great outdoors' and started experimenting with outdoor stuff and I love it... A LOT!! Last weekend I tent camped and had the time of my life. Over the next few months I'm gonna attend some seminars about Wilderness Skills and Backpacking and in October I'm gonna go on my first Backpacking/Camping Trip. (on a side note, if you ever want to learn about any of this stuff, I highly recommend Hamilton County Parks, University of the Great Outdoors...here's the link: http://www.greatparks.org/edu/UGO.htm).

What's interesting is now I'm thinking about ways this can be used for outreach. One of my passions is working with at-risk kids and I know from first hand experience that at risk kids don't get many opportunities to do "outdoors stuff" which is such a shame because there are all kinds of studies that show how noncompetitive activities like hiking, backpacking and paddle sports help kids find their internal strength and build esteem value. I'm beginning to think having an outdoor recreation program for at risk kids would be a really cool thing. Not sure what I'm going to do with those thoughts or if God has an plans for using this or how He might put all this pieces together but I can't wait to find out!!

It's been a great summer

The summer of 2009 may go down as one of my favorite ever. It was fantastic, not because of specific event, but due to the convergence of so many cool things. First off, I had some great classes this summer. I had a class about Counseling Adolescents, a technology class, a curriculum development class and a grants writing class. They all had an element of "Providence" to them. It was funny b/c I was taking the curriculum development class and the technology class just because they are requirements for my Ed.D. but they ended up bringing such necessary information to me. The curriculum development class had a lot of info about how people learn and are engaged in the learning process and gave me such great resources for both of my jobs. At the tail end of my technology class I found out I'd be teaching an online class at CCU. Interestingly enough one of the elements we learned in that class was a Learning Management System called Moodle. The online class that I am teaching utilizes Moodle. How cool is that. The next cool element of my summer was CT09. It was so cool seeing the people of Mt. Carmel working together to impact our community. What an amazing experience! After that I got my pink kayak, which as everyone knows excites me to no end. I've also had great "outings" this summer. I've gotten to kayak, canoe, hike, zumba and hang out with amazing friends. I got to go on a vacation to Orlando and hang out with friends I've known for almost 30 years and do some really cool stuff with them (pictures posted on Facebook). Now as summer ends and I have all my happy memories, I am getting excited about the opportunities that the Fall is presenting. I'm going to be teaching 2 new classes that really interest me. One of them is the online class so that will be a whole new adventure. I get to do clinical supervision with another Practicum student which is just such a cool opportunity. At the church we have several new projects starting. I love to see God working through the people at MCCC. That is just amazing. I will be taking 3 classes, all of which really interest me. I'll be taking "Transformational Leadership," "Nonprofit Strategic Planning" and "Nonprofit Law." You know, the summer was great, but I'm thinking the Fall is going to be even greater! I look forward to the opportunities and experiences that this new season holds!!! Yay for God and his orchestrating such wonderful thinks in their perfectly right time!