Don't Give Up, There is Victory!

So I am 6 weeks into my second semester of my freshman year of college and for the first few weeks of this semester, it wasn't looking up like I thought it would. Especially in my English Reading 10 class, the professor is far beyond not lenient in every area, well at least she was for the first five weeks. I'll be the first to acknowledge that I am stubborn. It just rubs me the wrong way if I start something and don't eventually finish it. I was not going to drop this class unless my livelihood depended on it and even then it would just annoy me, I don't like quitting. It's just not worth it to me. Anyway, the first five weeks of this class were absolutely brutal. For the first three, the professor just sucked the life out of me, even with two more classes to go, I was very bitter. I hated this class with an absolute passion.

Chi Alpha this semester at Sac City just doesn't fit into my schedule because I have a class during it, well one day my class got out early, just in time to go that day. I went and after the Bible Study I was sitting talking with one of the interns there, telling him about this professor and how much I can't stand her belittlement and her sucking the life out of me. He gave probably the best advice about the situation:

You are smarter than this professor knows thinks that you are. Prove her wrong. Work and study hard. She'll eventually realize that she belittling and picking on the wrong student.

That was in like three weeks ago, so I did. There were many times that I wanted to give up, but my stubborn ways and that advice kept me going. Personal issues came up in the professors life and she was constantly late, and it annoyed the heck out of me. If we couldn't be late, why should we? Well to make a long story short, today, after 5 weeks of frustration, after five weeks of praying, "God, it's getting somewhat easier, but is it really all worth it?" Today, the professor showed up on time, however most of the class wasn't prepared for today. I could see the frustration arising from the professor. I was not one of those people who was not prepared, I was probably more prepared than anyone else in the class. So she'd ask a question and I'd very hesitantly raise my hand and answer the question correctly. You could see the amazement in the professors eyes. As I was leaving class today, the professor said this to me, "Thank you for coming so prepared, I'm glad I now know that what I am teaching is sinking in someones head. Have a great weekend."

You know that epic feeling you get when you finally did something right or finally got it into someones head that you may have two learning disabilities and maybe a little slow most of the time, but you aren't dumb? I think I've officially experienced that for the first time today.

So let me conclude this post with some advice, even when life gets tough, don't give up. You are placed where you are for a reason. I heard this line from someone, "If you're going through a tunnel of hell, don't stop, keep advancing forward because eventually you will have to get to the end of that tunnel."

Keep you're head up, don't give up! That's what I have for you today.

Philippians 4:13

If you don't love the One who loved you before you even knew how love, is it really true love?

I refuse to be not original, so I am not going to say, Happy Valentines Day! I'm sorry, but I just don't have it in me. I personally think that this day was invented for Hallmark to make money. However, that's my personal opinion. Why do we need a day devoted to love, when we should be living a life of love? Okay maybe, just maybe, it's a little bit of bitterness, maybe I'm a bit too opinionated. But at the same time, please don't be stubborn and admit, I have a little bit of truth behind what I am saying. Yeah Jesus is the ultimate and most incredible Valentine, I'm not saying He's not. What I am saying is that this world take Valentine's day a little too seriously. Let me phrase this question: If you only by the love of your life, chocolate, flowers, etc on Valentines day and not any other day to surprise them, are you just going through the motions of love? My mom and stepdad surprise each other on pretty much a daily basis with gifts. My stepdad buys flowers for my mom 99.99% of the time he goes to Costco. Not saying that your love for that special person is fake, if you do only buy them chocolate, flowers, and etc on this day. Here's what I am saying, the world sometimes takes love and basically sugar coats it to be less than it really is.

My prayer on a daily basis since the beginning of this chaotic second semester has this:

"Lord, let this be my prayer. That I live a life of love because You first loved me with this love that is so unconditional. That I live a life of kindness because You first were kind to me. That I live a life of patience because You are paitent with me even when I am undeserving. That I live a life of boldness to impact this world and bring them with me to Your kingdom. That I will live a life fully serving You. In Your Name I pray, Amen!"

Our Papa God first loved us before the foundations of the world, so maybe you're like me today, single. God is there to be your Valentine, this post was nothing saying that He wasn't. This post was supposed to be encouraging, sorry if it wasn't. I just am done with the sterotypical "holiday" when that is the only time that people show love truly. My only prayer is that maybe you can see my heart. I am not against Valentines day or love for another human being, whether it be romantically or just because. I am all for that, in God's timing. But let me conclude this post with this, if you don't love the One who loved you before you even knew how love, is it really true love?

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

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The Impact.

On Saturday night, I watched a movie that just about changed my life. What movie? To Save a Life. If you haven't seen it yet, you should. It's a must see. It was a Christian movie basically telling you to love your neighbor as yourself. As I was watching this movie, I reflected back to my own life, and I realized that even though I can love my neighbor as I do myself. I can take one step further and do something most people my age, wouldn't necessarily do. I take light rail to school and when I am on during the week, so are a lot of business people and I was raised if someone older than you, by at least 5 years, walks into a place where there is seating you stand up and let that person sit down. Normally I do this, but it's not with a good heart. Yesterday as God is continuing to do an incredible work in me, this older gentleman got on the light rail, and it looked like he needed to sit down. So instead of obligation, I free willingly gave up my seat. The gentleman, "You really didn't have to do that for me." Me, "Sir, I totally don't mind, another seat will open up for me." And sure enough, at the next stop, another seat did open up for me. And at the following stop, 15 more seats opened up. I'll be totally candid, I did not want to give up my seat, my feet were killing me, I just wanted to sit down, clear my head before I went home and dived into a whole lot of homework, but I felt that urging in my heart to do so.

What's my point in all of this? It's simple. The act of kindness is a funny thing. Not everyone is naturally good at this, some people have to literally work at this. So my point, what's one seat on light rail or simply one smile as you walk down the street or across your work building or school campus? What's two more seconds at Starbucks or somewhere by just saying, "Have a great day!"? You have no idea the impact on someone's life that you have. You don't know what they're going through, maybe your simple smile or the simple line coming out of your mouth of "Have a great day!" Maybe that will change someone's life. So to you, have a great day!

Mark 12:30-31