2014

2014 has taught me so much about who I am and who I am becoming. This year has been a year of personal and spiritual growth.

I have learned...

What it means to be a true friend. 

How to be content in the present season God has placed me in. 

The beauty of speaking life into people rather than poison.

To listen to the voice of God and have faith despite what "logic" says.

I have switched jobs.

Finished my degree. 

I have learned to have peace above all, despite the circumstance. 

God has seen me through it all, has carried me when I thought I couldn't anymore, and has spoken inspiration and vision when I couldn't see anything.  

2015 I am looking forward to what you are wanting to teach me. I am wanting to move forward, intentionally building relationships, and taking hold of life. 2015 I don't want you to slip through my fingers but instead let every season, every moment point toward the one who created me for such a time as this. 

Work

My life has made a complete 180 in the last 3 weeks...I had an entire different plan for where I was going with my life. For the last two years I have taught virtually from the comfort of my home and it has been AMAZING. The company I worked with was wonderful, the people I worked with were brilliant, and the flexibility to die for. But my heart was not there... I long to be around people and students. I long to impact generations to come, to connect, inspire, and motivate young minds. I wanted to see a child's face light up when they grasp a concept, and push them beyond their limits when they think they can't go any further. I wanted more... and I felt God was leading me to more.

I had been struggling with going back to the classroom after the first year of teaching virtually, but I kept putting it aside, I kept doubting that God would want me to give up my comfort. I sought the opinions of others who would validated me staying home and ignored anyone who thought differently. But God kept tugging so I tugged harder, I looked for projects at work that would keep me busy, I varied instruction and had kids meet me on Skype, I did everything I could to make myself feel like I belonged at home. Still I felt my heart beating to be with living breathing students, so I applied for a position at a school 5 minutes from where I live, the only one school I applied for and the same day I went in for an interview they hired me.

I have now been in the classroom for 3 weeks, yes I have to wake up at 5am every morning, yes I don't usually finish working until 7pm, and yes I jumped in mid year however I have never felt more alive and in the presence of God then the day I walked into the classroom.

Simplicity

I want to live simply and somewhere in the mess of work, school and life I somehow lost sight of that. I got sucked into the materialistic wants of this world... I started focusing on things like attire, accessories, electronics... you name it I wanted it.

But that is not the life I want to lead, I want to love and be loved. I want to spend time in moments with friends and family. I want less so that I can worry less, and love more.

This type of thinking I believe is counter cultural. Because even the "cool" hipster kids who portray this image of "I don't care" spend lots of money on their appearance so that they can appear the way they do.

A life of simplicity in which you live with the things you need and not the things that are being pushed on you by advertisements or movie stars is what I am after.

I don't need fancy restaurants or the coolest shoes, I just need God, family, friends, and good food.

Rest

I have a type A personality, I want things done... and I want them done right. Which is definitely not a bad thing. But then I lose sight of rest, and for someone like me I don't want to take a rest because I feel like I'm losing time! Like I need to go,go,go, now,now,now.

Recently I have been challenged by several different groups of friend on the concept of rest. Initially my thought was that I don't have time to rest, I have so much to do etc. But I believe that God has been speaking into these moments of busyness and unrealistic expectations and asking me to take a rest.

So what does it mean to rest? I thought rest was watching TV and just laying in bed ( and don't get me wrong those can totally be rest) but I found that for me that didn't feel like rest, that felt like mush.

I have learned that rest varies for different people, and no matter what we will never all agree on what rest is and how rest looks. I have been reading the book " Creating a Discipleship Culture" which has help shape my idea of rest.

For Amanda Miro this is what rest is:

Rest is a time of abiding and being at peace with your mind, and soul. It is a time where there are no deadlines no activities planned just a time of being. For me rest looks like sitting outside reading a book, or having a no pressure day where I have no plans and can just be. It looks like just enjoying moments and time.

As followers of Christ we are called to bear fruit. The book relates first-century grape growing to our need for rest. In the first century, grapes had to grow for 3 years before being allowed to bear fruit. If the vine grew grapes before the 3 years was up then they would cut back the grapes and allow for the vine to grow.

The questions is "If fruit bearing is not coming naturally in our lives could it be that we have not spent the proper season abiding?"

"From abiding we grow, from growing, we bear fruit, from being fruit we are cut back. Abide, grow, bear fruit, prune, abide... repeat. "

What does rest look like for you? How will you abide?

Mrs. Miro

Dream

I have friend who is starting her first year of college and I am beyond excited. There is something about first year college students that reminds me about dreaming, passions, and inspiration.

 I am dreamer... I love to dream big and be inspired. I wholeheartedly believe that God has placed within each of us certain passions and desires. I believe that our dreams are nothing compared to the dreams God has for us.

" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

 But sometimes I think we are afraid of our own dreams, we think "that will never actually happen", "I'm not good enough, smart enough, strong enough...blah blah" ENOUGH! Today I feel like telling you, "you are enough" ... Your dreams and desires are unique to you. You were created with purpose and reason. Do not be afraid of what God has placed on your heart.

 "Now let me tell you what I know. Our God is real. Our God is coming. Our God has plans for us. Our lives are short. We must get after it. Because heaven is coming fast. And what we are about to do here is urgent. It’s more urgent than we could ever imagine. We get to play little parts in the epic story of a God who put this whole universe in motion with a word.” ― Jennie Allen


 ... I Dare you to dream ... And I double dog dare you to chase after those dreams.

Captivated

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" 2 Corinthian 10:5 

Lately this verse has been on my mind as work towards becoming the woman of God He has called me to be.

It's a struggle.

Everyday I fight against my own human thoughts. I love the imagery of taking hold of all of our thoughts keeping them accountable and not letting them over take us, but instead we take them captive and make them obedient to Christ.

I guess I had thought that once I truly pursued Christ, that I would change and that would be it. But what I have been learning is that it is a daily/hourly process.

When I read this verse I am reminded of my brokenness and my constant need for God.

"...and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"

Humbled by his grace.

Why I am saying goodbye to social media for a bit

Let me start by saying this post is not about bashing social media, it is not about me convincing you to give up social media or convince you why its “bad” this is a post on my personal beliefs on social media and why I feel the need to take a hiatus from it for a bit.

 Now let’s be real, I love social media just as must as the next person. I love seeing pictures and updates and feeling that sense of “community” via social media. I like that I can stay updated with people who inspire me and read/watch funny post. I also like that when I’m bored I can just scan my news feed and instantly be entertained! But recently I have been feeling convicted on my intentions and the thoughts that run through my mind while on social media. I feel like these are things that we blame on “human nature” but because of social media have now been even more heighten.


 1. The false sense of community: because of social media I get the feeling that I am  doing life with all 250+ friends. I get a sense of community because I get to comment on people’s lives and share in their good news. So up arises this false sense of community however the reality of it is, that there is no way I can genuinely do life with 250+. I need real life interactions that will not only share in the things I chose to post but in my everyday small mundane life situations.

2. Comparing myself to others: As I scroll through my feed I start to feel a sense of comparison, why do they get that? or how are they friends? why are they friends? I begin to compare the wonderful blessings I receive in my life to others which in turn robs me of the joy I receive from my blessing.

3. Because of number 2 I then grow bitter because I compare myself I then start to feel bitter towards people, I start to question their motives and doubt their happiness ( who am I to judge!?)

4. Because of number 2 and 3 jealousy starts appearing in my life. I become jealous of STUPID things, that on a normal everyday conversation I would never be jealous of!

5. Somehow I become God and judge everyone and their post. I look at pictures and post and say things in my mind such as "did she really wear that?" " I wouldn't post that picture" "Why I am not there?" "That baby is ugly" and other mean things, seriously I am not God nor do I want to be God, but for some reason I play that role as I go through my feed.

6. I want to engage in real life authentic conversation. I don't want to read what you did over your weekend I want to talk with you, hear your excitement or boredom lol. I want to make connections with you not by liking your post but encouraging you via a conversation.

Do the things I listed above happen every time I look at my feed? No, but they happen often enough that they have caused me to just take a brief moment and pause. Pause from the constant update on everyone's life and take a moment to enjoy the simple life.