Most people are at least familiar with Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you…” It is printed on every graduation card known to man and written in every graduate advice book ever published, but what about the rest of the 65 books or even the rest of Jeremiah for that matter?

We focus all of our energies on this one verse hoping that it will somehow hold all of the answers and when we feel lost and confused we can’t seem to understand why God’s promise to Jeremiah no longer brings us hope and promise to our future.

It’s not because God has left us. It’s not because the promise has changed. It’s because we have become so short-sighted on this one verse of promise that we fail to see where exactly it is that God is leading us in our future.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” In our own visions and ideas of the future, we are in control; we know how to handle every situation that we face. But, if we were to let go of our strong hold on life and truly lean on God in trust and faith beyond what we know, then God would lead us straight past what we plan for ourselves and into some much greater.

David said something similar to Solomon as he knew he was at the end of his life. “Get to know the God of your ancestor. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and with a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and understands and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him you will find him.” (1Chronicles 28:9). We don’t serve some ambiguous God, disconnected and uninterested. We serve a God who loves us enough to die on a cross so each and every one of us can not only have a plan and a purpose, but so that we can spend eternity with him once we have lived out that plan he created us for.

I don’t believe that we were necessarily created for one thing, perhaps thousands of little things that affect lives beyond our scope. But whatever it is that we have as our purpose, we will not only change other people’s lives, but have our life changed. From a doctor who saves a life to a teacher who changes a child’s heart to a sales associate whose smile brightens the day of someone stuck in depression.

Lives are changed everyday by you and by me beyond what we see.

The plans that God has for us will be revealed as we seek him, love him and live for him day by day.

In the mornings I, despite griping about the early morning wake up that is required for work, greatly enjoy driving to work because for the first time ever, I catch the sun rise every morning.  I use this glorious sight as my reminder that I am not in control (very obvious by my rushing and running about in the early morning dash to attempt to get out of the house by 6:40 AM) but rather that God is in control of this universe (thankfully) and he has painted this beautiful masterpiece just for me (or so it seems at that moment).

Also in that same moment I often take a breath and begin by simply saying, “Good morning.” I figure I need to get myself squared away before the day truly begins with the general public and the best way to do that is to have my first conversation be with my Father in heaven.  He and I talk all the way into work.  Sometimes just praise for his beauty, and thanksgiving for everything he has given me, sometimes it is a plea for something I feel I need or desire.

This morning I began with a thankful heart, but it was greater than I normal.  For whatever reason I was overwhelm with how much my God has given me and done for me (and human kind) and then I began talking with him about rational and how I just could not understand it.

What was interesting was that I kind of began ranting, not at God but about different topics such as my desire to learn more about the language and context in which His word was written.  Then how some people see the need to dissect each and every word to the point of taking it out of context beyond what was ever actually said.

Interestingly enough, I took that thought to the Constitution, particularly with regards to the first amendment.  We all know “Freedom of religion.”  Our Founding Fathers came from a country whos government was butting into the business of the church, restricting how they were  worshiping Jesus Christ.  When they came and developed  America, they never said to keep Jesus out of the government, ironically, to keep the government our of worshiping Jesus (a little backwards from how it is today interestingly enough).

By the time I got to work I realized I had ranted about several different items but they were all a reflection of my heart.  I love God and I love the thought of defending him in some manner be it through government action via activism or through writing which I havent had enough down time to even stop and grasp them in a single coherent thought (as one might notice here).  I pray for further direction that I can serve Him more.

I have always been very vocal in support for my country and for its leaders (even when I don’t always agree with them) but when the 2008 presidential campaign began I felt discouraged and about as apathetic about the whole thing as I have ever been.  To be blunt, I didn’t like any (not a single one) of the candidates, republican or democratic.  As soon as I thought one might be hopeful, I read more and discovered some irregularities in their patterns (voting versus promised, outlandish campaign promises, all around crummy, dirty politics for some).  It broke my heart that I did not feel that I could back a single candidate, that America could have so many “poli-tics” running for office (Kyle says the definition of politics is “many blood sucking insects” and in this case I agreed with him).  Then I found my hope.

His name is Mike Huckabee, past governor of Arkansas and someone who hasn’t said one thing to one activist group and then the exact opposite to another opposing group the following day (a rare find on the campaign trail).  He is republican and conservative but has some views that would upset a lot of the GOP and bring a smile to the face of a Democrat.  He is a good guy who wants to bring a little civility back to the Capital (which is long over due).

He isn’t a front runner but he should be and has my vote.  If nothing else, I don’t care if you agree with my or not, please look at the issues of the candidate you are thinking of supporting.  Please don’t base your vote off of their campaign speeches; check them out.  Find out where they stand on the issues that make a difference to you and your family.  If you don’t know what those issues are, start there, making a list of some things you want changed or some things you want to stay the same.  I promise all of those will or should be on the candidates websites with their stance (and some with their voting record which always needs to be checked).  The most important thing in elections is to be informed on all of the issues, not the ones the media or the candidates decide you need to know.  You decide, educate yourself and make the vote worthwhile (especially the primaries which count more than most people realize).

I’m not really sure when exactly, but somewhere between the time of my introduction to adolescent stupidity and graduating to the utter confusion of young adulthood I made the assumption that by the end of college I would have things figured out.  Now of course I’m not talking about the BIG THINGS that people ponder for ages until their gray in wonder and we’re all bored in thought, but I’m talking about the basics: what I would do in life or at least for the first part of my life, where I wanted to live, what I wanted to do.  Those are those wonderfully intricate questions that 50-year-old teachers like to ask 8 to 6-year old kids because they get the big, out-of-this-world kind of answers like, “I want to be the president!” (before they know what that job actually entails and how much it take to get there and how by the end of that job no one likes you and most of the people who voted for you are now trying to get you impeached) or “I want to be an astronaut!” (before they realize the amount of schooling and training that it requires and how few people who start out on that path actually go into space) or a teachers personal favorite, “I want to be a teacher!” (then of course they don’t realize that teachers receive no money for the amount of hassle that they have to deal with and depending on the county depend on how much say they will actually have not even going into the fact that teachers are no longer allowed to do anything in the classroom that remotely resembles discipline or love, for example teachers can only give their students a hug if the child initiates it).  When I was asked that when I was six, I said I wanted to be a mom (imagine that, I had–and have–the best example of a mom there could ever be, I still do, I just want to have a job as well).

Now, I don’t know why exactly I made this assumption that by now I would have these things figured out.  I guess it has something to do with the idea that I knew that after college I would get a job, get married, and settle down.  I suppose that in my figuring I just never figured enough that I would remain as jumbled and mixed up in what I felt led to do as when I was in middle and high school.  It surprises me I suppose is what I’m saying.  It’s not doubt or self pity or anything negative, just simple amusement in my own silly assumptions (now we know what happens when we assume…:-) ) and shock that I am still so mixed up in the head (some of the people I know would have plenty of comments for that one!).

That’s all I suppose.  Just the thoughts for today.

I found this on a website that offers WONDERFUL ideas and links for kindergarten teachers and just had to share   Enjoy!

I’m fed up with teachers and their hefty salary schedules.  What we need here is a little perspective.

~Anonymous

So the community college in this area (the Treasure Coast) is Indian River Community College.  When I began looking for the education classes to take to prepare myself for teaching I found that IRCC has a program called the Education Preparatory Institute (EPI).  It looks like a fantastic program!  Basically they offer the 7 basic classes (classroom management, diversity, instructional studies, ect.) and in those classes they help you develop a portfolio of your projects and assignments, prepare for your tests (of which you take your last certification–> the professional certification, at the finish of the program).  It takes people with non-education degrees and prepares them to be teachers.

I hope to take the classes this fall at the St. Lucie West campus (at the recommendation of my teacher sister who said those were the best classes to start out with).  Anyone familiar with the program?  I would love to hear comments  on what  you think!