Somehow without me even knowing it or realizing it summer escaped. I start back in the treehouse (my office) bright and early Monday morning. Goodbye summer. Summertime is always really great for me because I get to step outside of my life for a couple of months and be reflective on my life. I evaluate what areas of my life need a little TLC, the things I put my time towards, and the people I need to be intentional with. I can honestly say that the spring semester and summer were some hard months for me personally (mostly because of my own selfishness). Somewhere along the way, I forgot that I was bought with a price and that I am a bond servant of Christ. I was living for myself and my own desires instead of for the glory of Christ. When Christ took things from and made it clear that His will was different than my own- instead of desiring obedience I desired my own will. I have spent this past spring semester off on the beaten path that I paved for myself which produced an apathetic lukewarm heart. I have hated who I have become.
BUT thankfully God is faithful when I am faithless! My time in East Asia was personally a really impactful time. I can't really say that I came away with this huge new insight, but rather the Holy Spirit spent three weeks reminding me of important foundational truths in my life. Truths that are foundational to who I am but were buried in apathy. This time I was finally at a place where I was ready to listen. He reminded me of my heart for obedience. The spring semester of my junior year of college God birthed in me a heart for obedience. Sometime this past semester this heart was lost in my own flesh and will. God also reminded me of my love for the Word. As a team we were able to study the books of Philippians and Colossians. We had some awesome times digging into the Word of God. There is nothing like some good meaty theology that makes my little Alicia heart get all fired up. My years in college at First Baptist Church Irving were foundational in forming in me a love for Scripture. However, I will confess that my study of the Word in the past several years has been almost non-existent. I am ashamed. I hate who I am because I am not in His word consistently. I will be changing that this semester- you can even ask me how that's going. The Holy Spirit also reminded me of my desire to be overseas. This past semester has been the first time that I have really struggled with desiring the "American dream". I want the husband, the house, and the kids that live close to their grandparents. The thought of roots and being settled sounds AMAZING. I longed this semester just to be ordinary. But this trip I was reminded, that I am "ruined for the ordinary". God has called me to a life of mobility and the extraordinary. Because of the experiences and the things I have seen I am accountable- to much is given much is expected. I have seen the faces of hopelessly lost people that are dying without the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is an unfinished task and God has called me to that task. It was refreshing to be around people in East Asia that are daily living their lives for the spread of the gospel because they too are ruined for the ordinary. My heart and desire to go to the nations has been intensified and given clearer focus.
All this to say... God is patient with me! Can I get an Amen? I am thankful for this summer and the sin that the Holy Spirit exposed in my own life and the new focus I have for this upcoming semester. My time in East Asia was refreshing and just what I needed. I know that God has been trying to teach me so many things this past semester and I am finally at a place where I am ready to listen and to be changed. Thankfully God never leaves us, but continues to pursue relationship with His children. This summer was much needed and I am sad to see it go, but also ready to put into practice all the things the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me.
God, I pray that this semester will be a semester of spiritual growth, fresh insight, and joy. Joy in serving the risen Savior in whom I am bond servant of Christ!! I pray that you would make me a woman of passion. That this passion would be an overflow of my love for Christ and for people. I pray that you would give me a desire of excellence in all things- my job, my school, and in my relationships. God please make me faithful. God intensify my heart for obedience and for Your purposes. I pray that this semester would be a semester that my love for your Word is rekindled and that Your Word would be active and real in my life. Please give me a love for your gospel and that I would be able to grasp the power of your gospel and it's ability to transform lives. Teach me how to make sharing the gospel a normal and common practice in my life. I pray that my life would be completely hidden in you. For You are worthy because You are righteous and Holy. You are worthy of ALL praise. Make me faithful.
One of the things that I am most thankful in this season of my life is my roommates. Not just because because they are fun, or witty, or silly, or crazy, or awesome BUT because they love Jesus and strive to live lives that glorify God. They sharpen me. They teach me what a godly woman looks like through their actions and their desire for excellence. This year we want to do a much better job of encouraging each other and being accountable to each other to be in the Word. So we decided to all do the same study together! We decided to do the Ester 9-week study by Beth Moore! I am pretty excited about studying the same thing with the roomies and grow in depth and knowledge in the Word together!
