1st Corinthians 15:58

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

God has to have humor in my regard. Not only did He convince me that a milk chocolate brown snuggie was necessary to live in this bipolar icebox/furnace I call my apartment, but... well. Here's the story...

For the past seven weeks, I have been working on an annotated bibliography notebook. Basically, I researched eleven subjects and wrote eighty critiques. And the Lord said, "that is enough, my child." :) Anyways, my professor draaaags out the last tidbit of our unit today, stands up, and writes on the board giving us instructions for our take home final: one page, double spaced, reference at the top, critique over "worthy" journal article. BAAAH. For those of you who know me, you'll appreciate this next part. I wanted to throw my laptop at her and then politely ask for the hours I invested study over this last weekend. As much as I love the idea of not taking another one of her tests that I probably would have failed (said in a satire tone), I wish she would have given us more than a two day warning. I can only hope that my class tomorrow does not pull the same wool off my eyes, because my laundry is not done, I have food that has been planned to be eaten over these next three days, and I have not finished the movie, "Funny Face" with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

I chose the picture above for an array of reasons.
1. I love reading outside next to a tree with the wind gently blowing. The NSU campus has many trees for this lovely endeavor.
2. Barefoot. And, for those of you who don't believe, college turns you into a hippie. Hence, the flip flops. I am addicted to flip flops as much as the next person, and I would much rather slip into a pair of those then taking the time to "tie a pair of ten-eez".
3. She has taken a lot of time out of her day to read and finish that book. She's determined, anxious to finish and see how the end turns out. When she finally finishes it, there's a since of accomplishment.

That's exactly how I feel right now. I feel like I'm on the last page of the last chapter of a really good book (currently for me, it's Pride & Prejudice), and I am anxious to experience the results. In a way, it reminds me of cooking. A few days ago, I made the most delicious homemade artichoke spinach dip and fried bowtie pasta used for dipping. It was an awful experience trying to wait for this wonderfulness. I could smell the bubbly goodness outside of my apartment. Maybe this is how God views us our lives. In a way, He can't wait to see the finished product, but He is so excited to see the fun "middle". He wants to see us succeed andget to taste the "goodness" that comes from working hard. That's why I really like 1st Corinthians 15:58. It's a given that life is going to stink... okay, flat out suck, sometimes. We know that life is going to be hard, we're going to want to give up. But, the great thing about God is that He will always bless us in return when the effort we put forth in our lives is not in vain.

How awesome-possum is that?
I'm pretty sure I can be patient
and wait three more days
until my two weeks of freedom. :)

Lord, thank you for showing me this verse today; I really needed a laugh and some encouragement. Thank you for helping me accomplish my goal and kick booty on this "final". I love you, Lord, with all of my heart, soul, and mind.


much love,
klc