Love what you do, do what you love...

I realized the other day that I haven't found what I love to do yet.  I hope that I'll love teaching, but I don't know for sure if I will.  I realized this because lately several people have told me how much they love what they are doing right now.  Kasey loves being a graduate student, she loves studying history, doing research, teaching, and the idea of writing a book.  Jeff loves seminary.  He says that it's been a life-changing experience, and he loves every minute of his life out in St. Louis.  Matt absolutely loved his time abroad.  He loves studying languages, and he's so good at it.

I haven't found that yet.  I do love history, but sometimes I wonder what else I could do.  I didn't hate graduate school, but I didn't love it either.  I was good at it, but I am pretty sure that I don't want to continue in that direction.  And I'm afraid that I'll hate teaching or that I won't be good at it.    I know I have to try it to know for sure, but part of me doesn't even want to try.  I want to do something interesting that means something, that influences people, and that I love.  What if that isn't teaching high school history?  I just wish I could jump in with both feet like my brothers do.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

Psalm 27: 13-14

Run the Race

Last summer, Bob Collins challenged me to start running.  He said that I would be a good middle-distance runner and that I should sign up for some 5K runs.  I did start running, using the Couch-2-5k program, but I didn't get the chance to run any races until this spring.  Then I ran two in a month, and now I'm hooked.

The first 5K I ran was a Color Run.  It was so much fun!  They don't time you and there are so many people running that there is no pressure on finishing at a certain pace or even running.  Hayes was my running buddy for this race, and we were appropriately covered in color by the end.  It was a complete blast!

Color Run Atlanta 2013

The second run I did was at the beginning of May.  My friend Kasey's aunt died earlier this semester, and some of her aunt's friends organized a run to raise money for the kids.  I knew this was really important to Kasey, so I told her I would run it with her.  We went down to Enterprise, MS, after leaving Starkville at 5:15 am in order to get there for the race's start at 8:00.  It was a beautiful run, and the weather was perfect!  I was able to run most of it, only walking for two short stretches, and I finished in about 40 minutes.  After we burned all those calories, we replenished them at Cracker Barrel.  It was a great way to spend a Saturday!

Fight Like a Girl 5K

I've told Susie that we are going to run a 5K this summer together.  I'm keeping my eyes open for one that is nearby and cheap to register.  Hopefully this will keep me motivated to run over the summer.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the price?  So run that you may obtain it.

1 Corinthians 9:24

The End of an Era

How can I have a Master's Degree?  I am only 24 years old!  It's hard to believe, but I am so thankful for my time at Mississippi State.  I made great friends, I learned a lot about history and about how to be an adult, and I graduated debt free!  All the glory goes to God because without Him, I would not have accomplished any of this.  

It's strange to think that I am done with school.  I'm sure that I will take some individual classes in the future, but I don't think I'll ever be a full-time student again.  It's simultaneously a relief and a little scary.  I have no idea what God has in store for me over the next year, but I'm excited to find out, and I'm trying to trust Him to guide me and create opportunities for me.  Not having homework, though, now that's GREAT!  

I want to teach high school history at a Christian school.  That's my dream.  I want to be able to talk about sin and grace and sovereignty in the context of history because, as Christians, we need to look at past events through the lens of Scripture just as much as current and future ones.  I'm reading Francis Schaeffer's How Should We Then Live? right now, and I think that it is helping me wrap my mind around some of these ideas.  I definitely want to incorporate all or some of the book into my classes.  

On the other hand, the idea of moving somewhere and finding something temporary to do is also appealing.  The idea of having a career for the rest of my life is a little daunting in its seeming permanence, and having another year to goof around (not exactly what I mean) might be nice.  Although, maybe it's time to grow up and be an adult with an adult job.  We'll see what this summer holds, and if I have a full-time teaching job, then I'll go that route, but if not, then I'll have a little adventure.  Both situations would be an adventure, actually. 

Thus says the Lord: "Stand at the crossroads, and look, 

and ask for the ancient paths, 

where the good way is; and walk in it,

 and find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 6:16