Reflection is a good thing...

Here is where I find myself tonight...

Thankful for my God, my family and friends, my church, and my job.

Thankful for my life group and the opportunity to do life together, talk about real stuff, and to grow closer because of it. Thankful for a story to share, and for people to share it with.

Thankful that God gives us all different convictions...and even more than that...as I grow up I am realizing that it's not my place to push mine on others, nor should I be offended or take it personally when and if they don't share mine. I have also learned that I am not wrong when I don't share theirs. I don't have to defend God's call on my life, I just have to live it out.

My pastor says that "We all have a wall to build". In Nehemiah, a clear picture is painted that there is a work to be done! I am thankful that I get to hammer away bright and early Monday- Friday at Putnam County Primary School. I get to love on kids that are not easy to love. I get love on kids that are. I get to watch kids have "aha moments" and I get to help those who struggle through. I also get to share Jesus with them...each and every day. Despite what is so often said, written, or assumed...as a Christian not only will I not leave God out of my classroom, I cannot...for you see...where I am, there He is also...He lives within my heart. We will pledge, we will pray, we will stand united. We will cry with the family when one of our students is diagnosed with cancer. We will visit with each other when a faculty member dies or someone in their family does. We will donate money, and we will walk for a cause. We will not stand by and become a statistic, and we will not stop building until the wall is complete!

Are you building a wall, or are you tearing one down? It is either one or the other, you cannot do both. God did not call us all to the same "job site", so let's agree to disagree and get to work. Life is too short to watch each other to see if we are doing what is "right"...let's just spur each other on to do what we are called to do.

Love God and love people...