Just a little bit nervous about finally returning to college to finally put some closure to a few things that have weighed heavy upon me for some time now. First class starts tomorrow evening and I’m a mixed bag of nervousness, excitement, joy and even a bit of anxiety all wrapped up into one. I had my doubts about actually returning to the physical classroom but after some deep thought and many prayers, I finally decided that this is the best way to go.
As I wind down tonight and think about how different my life is now compared to when I first started my college journey, I must confess, I’ve learned so much more outside of the classroom than inside the confines of any lecture hall. God has amazed me with His tutorials, His life lessons, His home assignments and the many tests and exams to solidify my understanding and growth before being promoted to the next level. All I can say when I think about then to now is “Lord, thank you for your mercy and your grace!”
I must say, in that perspective returning to school for academics seems like it might be a lot easier than some of the hard life lessons I’ve had to endure over the past decade of my life. Yet and still God understands how much it means to me on a personal level to finish this chapter in my life and I thank Him for honoring my heart’s desire and opening the door me to accomplish my goal. (By the way, I know of this GREAT book called Daily Inspirations for Adult Learners: 31 Days of Prayer, Encouragement and Personal Reflection to Help You Achieve Academic Success...please check it out by clicking this link.
So with that, I’m girding up my college-bound loins, shodding my feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace and heading to class tomorrow! Thanks for reading my RAWC Star ramblings and remember,
Confession is good for the soul they say...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
God of a Second Chance: Move On, Don’t Look Back
So today I had to take a writing placement exam before I start my classes this month on the 24th and I think I did pretty well considering that all I had to do was formulate an essay to support my opinion on a given topic. Needless to say, I don’t mind these kinds of “tests” because as a blogger/writer/author/journalist… well simply put, I love to write. After having such a topsy turvy week, landing in the ER and still recouping from of a car accident a few days before Christmas, I pressed my way to campus for the test. As I scurried about this morning, I had to stop and just begin praising God for blessing me with a second chance at this whole school thing.
You see a long time ago, I thought I had blown it. I dropped out of college after experiencing severe depression as a result of a date rape. (if interested, I share a little more about my testimony in my first book “Content… Right Where I Am” which is available for purchase through www.joyturner.net and Amazon.com.) From that point forward, I had difficulty recovering from that one isolated occurrence. Despite the fact that I did return to school to obtain my Associate’s Degree (Magna Cum Laude… I might add) I still had challenges moving ahead, mentally. Leaving school the first time was equivalent to failure in my mind, and from that there was no recovery. BUT GOD!
Over the years, I have been in personal battle with coming to grips with the fact that no matter what occurred in the past, I couldn’t go back and re-do any of it. There is no “undo” key, no “do over” option and no rewind button to press but as I began to seek God’s face concerning the matters of my past, the mistakes I have made, the things that others had inflicted upon me, and even my own indiscretions, God moved in my Spirit and I felt two words rise up within me: Move On. This I have learned is the key to my total restoration in Him and He is requiring all of us to do just that.
Many of you know the story of Lot’s wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. The key thing is that God Himself instructed them not to look back at the cities that they were leaving behind. It was a necessary component for receiving God’s blessing and progressing forward but the temptation to look back was so great that she could not resist and so great was the consequence. Suffice it to say that looking back hinders our progress and we become figurative “pillars of salt” in our minds and spirits as we are stagnated and paralyzed by the pain from the past. The New Living Translation of Philippians 3:13 reads where Paul says “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” So today I ask you, just as I’ve had to ask myself, what “cities” do you need to leave behind and never look back in order to press forward? If God has given you a second chance, there is no one who can stop you and no one who can hinder you… but YOU. I encourage you to take the second, third, tenth or fiftieth chance that our merciful God has given… and MOVE ON!
You see a long time ago, I thought I had blown it. I dropped out of college after experiencing severe depression as a result of a date rape. (if interested, I share a little more about my testimony in my first book “Content… Right Where I Am” which is available for purchase through www.joyturner.net and Amazon.com.) From that point forward, I had difficulty recovering from that one isolated occurrence. Despite the fact that I did return to school to obtain my Associate’s Degree (Magna Cum Laude… I might add) I still had challenges moving ahead, mentally. Leaving school the first time was equivalent to failure in my mind, and from that there was no recovery. BUT GOD!
Over the years, I have been in personal battle with coming to grips with the fact that no matter what occurred in the past, I couldn’t go back and re-do any of it. There is no “undo” key, no “do over” option and no rewind button to press but as I began to seek God’s face concerning the matters of my past, the mistakes I have made, the things that others had inflicted upon me, and even my own indiscretions, God moved in my Spirit and I felt two words rise up within me: Move On. This I have learned is the key to my total restoration in Him and He is requiring all of us to do just that.
Many of you know the story of Lot’s wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. The key thing is that God Himself instructed them not to look back at the cities that they were leaving behind. It was a necessary component for receiving God’s blessing and progressing forward but the temptation to look back was so great that she could not resist and so great was the consequence. Suffice it to say that looking back hinders our progress and we become figurative “pillars of salt” in our minds and spirits as we are stagnated and paralyzed by the pain from the past. The New Living Translation of Philippians 3:13 reads where Paul says “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” So today I ask you, just as I’ve had to ask myself, what “cities” do you need to leave behind and never look back in order to press forward? If God has given you a second chance, there is no one who can stop you and no one who can hinder you… but YOU. I encourage you to take the second, third, tenth or fiftieth chance that our merciful God has given… and MOVE ON!
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