life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: Life


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2013 First Quarter Review

It seems like 2013 is zooming by!  I can hardly believe that it’s already April.  This year has already been amazing, and I’m really excited to see what God has in store for the rest of the year.  Preacherman and I have been enjoying our life together as newlyweds, and are learning, loving, laughing, and growing together every day.  It’s so much fun being married to your best friend!

I’m not one for resolutions, but going into this year, I knew that I wanted to focus on my dissertation and getting into a healthy exercise routine.  Along with that, I wanted to be better about reading and studying my word, and getting to work on time.  After experiencing some challenges, I feel like I’m finally on track.

More than anything, I’ve learned the value of consistency and persistence.  Every thing that I’ve committed to focusing on this year does not yield immediate results.  And I, like the rest of us, am used to getting results when I want them.  Our microwave society, complete with all the technology that I could ever desire (until some marketing gurus convince me that I need something else), has conditioned me to want the results immediately.  This is SO unhealthy.  Anything worth having takes time.  If we rush the process, we don’t get to enjoy the product in its’ best form.  Can it stand on its’ own?  Maybe.  But you can never know the value of waiting without actually waiting and seeing the process all the way through.

But also, each of the things that I’m focusing on for this year are mostly dependent on me.  Meaning, if I’m not seeing the progress I desire, it’s more than likely the result of something that I’ve done- or failed to do.  So, if I’m failing to be consistent and persistent, I’m not going to see the results.  It’s no one’s fault but mine.  Coming to grips with that has truly allowed for me to take ownership of my behavior so that I can be sure that I’m getting the desired results.

What does all this equate to: discipline.  In regards to my healthy exercise routine, it’s meant getting up early or carving time in the evenings to work out; but also taking the time to make sure I’m eating the right things and tracking my food and exercise intake.  In regards to my dissertation, it’s meant constantly seeking feedback from my advisor and doing revision after revision, even when I don’t understand or see the need in revising.  In reading my word, it’s meant taking stock of my time, and not being afraid to press reset when I’ve done a poor job at managing my time and my priorities.  What I’ve realized is that if I fail to be disciplined, I’m going to experience a failure of some sort down the line.

I’m looking forward to applying the lessons learned during this first quarter to the rest of the year, and finishing stronger than ever!

Be encouraged!  Peace and blessings!


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Am I Mature?

A few weeks ago, my pastor preached a sermon entitled “Are You of the World or of the Word?”  As with all of his sermons, it was GREAT, but this one really left me thinking about where I am in regards to my maturity.

Most of the time, I feel like I am a mature, responsible person.  As a wife, I take care of my husband and our home; as an employee, I manage my responsibilities to my students, my coworkers, and my colleagues in other offices.  I do all these “responsible” “adult” things like pay bills and be at work on time, help take care of our daughter- so that HAS to mean I’m mature, right?  Do I always get it right?  Not exactly.  But more often than not, I handle these things pretty well.

And then my pastor shared these three signs of maturity:

  1. What You Say: Am I saying immature things?  Do I still speak like a child?
  2. What You Think: How is my thought life?  What do I allow my brain to think?
  3. What You Reason/Calculate: Are my calculations mature?  Am I assigning the right value to things?

So looking at this a little closer and reflecting on things, I realized that I may not be as mature as I thought.  While I may not speak like a child, there are times where my reactions are child-like, because I feel that something is unfair or unjust.  Don’t believe me?  Just ask Preacherman.  And because our responses are just as important, if not more important than our calculated thoughts, I have know that I have room for growth in the things that I say.

While I have definitely been working on my thought life this year, I know that this is another area where I could stand to improve.  One of the things that my pastor said that really stuck out was, “You can tell what your thoughts are by what your mouth says.”  This is true.  Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  So those things that I’m thinking, those things that are stored up, will eventually be revealed by what I say.  In order to be mature, my mind and my heart must be right.  Or as my pastor says, “Get your mind working for you and not against you.”

Finally, I think that I’m strongest in what I reason and/or calculate.  This doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for growth; however, I have worked over the years to make sure that my motive and reasoning for my actions is Christ-like.

When I think about this lesson in maturity, I’ve realized a couple of things.  The first is that mastering these three items (what I say, what I think, what I reason) is crucially important because it can affect my witness.  In conjunction with that, as a believer, I don’t ever want to misrepresent Christ.  I’m extremely aware of the fact that many people struggle with their faith because they see so many people misrepresenting Christ.  I don’t want that to be me.  Mastering my maturity and continuing to grow in wisdom in regards to what I say, think, and reason can surely help make sure that I’m a positive reflection of Christ, His grace, mercy, and love.

How’s your maturity?  Where do you need to grow?

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings