Bless Me in the Work I Do

This is a blog I wrote about February 10th or so…

Blessing me in the work I do…
I have had the opportunity this week to really just be still before the Lord and gather myself. This time of "grounding myself" (as I like to say) began on Saturday and continued through these past few days.
Saturday did not start out so well. First, I thought we had to meet for the excursion at ten thirty in the morning. But as I was lying in bed and slowly waking up I decided that it would be better if I checked the schedule again. Sure enough, at 9:15 I has to be at la plaza de la paz (which is like ten or fifteen minutes away by car), and I looked at my phone it was 9:10. I told my senora, in my broken Spanish, that I had to be there in five minutes. She made me grab some food and we rushed out. None the less, I made it in time.
For the excursions on Saturday, we went to a few different places. The first museum was nice… to say the least. It was a museum of mummies! I thought it was a little interesting, but I probably wouldn't go again. However, one thing is I was able to see the worlds smallest mummy!
Then we went to a beautiful church in Valenciana (kind of like a suburb of Guanajuato), which was absolutely beautiful. After, we went to the mine, which was right next to the church. I thought it was cool we were going into a mine, but as soon as I stepped down I realized I really didn't like going into mines. Eek! But overall I enjoyed it! After that we returned to the beautiful church. As I was sitting on some steps, I realized, "I have no idea where my keys to the house were!!" (hint: this was not good, mostly because they were not my keys nor my house) While I was sitting on the steps, I was trying not to be upset. But I was. I don't like losing things! Not only had a woke up late and lost my keys. But I few days before I had been bit by a bug, which made my ankle swell up like a balloon, and I lost my Mexican cell phone. I just felt like I wasn't doing to well, and I just felt scattered and displaced.
After the final excursion, a historical hacienda that was used by the Spanish as a place to torture indigenous people (At least that is what I got from it!), I was finally able to go home and collect myself again! I really need the time to just be, to rest, to organize myself and enjoy just being still. I slept most of the day and night, I watched pride and prejudice and read a lot! IT WAS GREAT!
Sunday, I went to a Christian church with some other girls! This was such a refreshing time, I was able to sing and listen and be in a community! It was so wonderful and such a huge blessing. I hope to return and meet more people!
Now along comes Monday, Oh sweet Monday! I had sometime in the afternoon to just read and prayer. I just felt like it was on my heart to pray that the Lord would bless my work (work=school and opportunity to be apart of a community) here in Mexico. When we do work, we want to do it well and be great at what we do. When we accomplish something worthwhile (making life better for others, our family, or ourselves) well it just gives us satisfaction. But when our works are not blessed by the Lord then we can become frustrated and stressed. God wants us to experience this kind of success in our lives, but it can not happen without prayer! Therefore, I decided to really pray about my time here! Proverbs 27 says that a mans work is in vain if the lord is not apart of it. "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain."

Overall, I realized that my work is never in vain, if I continue to seek the Lord's will and blessing. I realized that I need to continually ask God to show me the work I am supposed to be doing. I understand now that no matter now or in the future, I can always pray that he will give me strength and energy to get my work done well. I can pray for success. I can pray for fullfillment and satisfaction in every aspect of it, even in the most difficult and unpleaseant parts. No matter where or how I may labor, there is always profits of one kind or another( Proverbs 14:23) He has given me the abilities to do this work, and where I am lacking in skill He will help me to grow and improve so that I do my work well. In conclusion, I give him my works… "knowing he will establish it." Provers 16:3

My overall prayer is that… "May it always be that I love the work I do and be able to do the work I love! According to Your Word I pray that I WILL NOT LAG IN DILIGENCE in my work, but REMAIN FERVENT in SPIRIT, SERVING YOU IN EVERYTHING I DO!!! (Romans 12:11) "

Every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor; it is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13) With that being said about our generous and loving God, why shouldn't I be able to pray such a prayer!

The pressure of time...

The last few hours, I had the opportunity to walk around the city by myself with no other norteamericanos or extranjeros. I had such a wonderful time! I am learning that I enjoy just being on my own, and I have missed the time that I can just have alone. For one thing, I am a person who cannot learn unless I have the opportunity to process on my own. I need my space, so I can think and find out what I am truly feeling. And lo and behold this afternoon I had the opportunity to just be able to wonder and walk around! (I love wondering in new place, you can always find such great things.) I decided to buy some delicious bread since I was unable to have breakfast today. I bought some pretty cute inexpensive shoes, so my feet wont get so dirty.
After that I had to come to the program's office, so that I could go to a doctor to find out my blood type. While we were there, I was with some wonderful and very sweet girls. As I was talking to them, something came to mind.
''Raise your 'I' and drop your 'D'. ''

(I think my family are the only people who will understand this next part... but oh well!)

Right now, I feel a little out of sorts, like I have lost my words. And I really think the reason for this is because my lifestyle right now is very dependent on others. For example, my host family (I depend on them for food, I have to adjust my schedule so that I can respect theirs, I have been dependent on others to help me speak, I am dependent on others when I want to hangout. All of which are not bad, but it is just very opposite to me. I like to do what I want, I like to have freedom in my schedule, I like to discover and do my own things seperately from others. Writing that makes me sounds so controlling and stubborn, but I am not. That is just how I am created. That is just the way I feel most comfortable. The things is I just like to have a lot of freedom in my life. Not because I have an attidude of it is my way or the highway... No!! But becuase I takes time, a lot of time, for me to pick things up or understand. And if I am around others, they are always a lot quicker than me and I get left in the dust. I can never learn or grow if there is no time for me to try on my own. I can never express myself if I don't have the time to reflect and explain. Now, is the time for me to drop this side of me, the ''d'' side and raise my ''s'' or ''c'' (either one, not sure which one) side.
I guess my biggest stress right now, beside the scorpions, is ''time''. There is so much to do and see, and I want to experience it all and grow a ton and speak beautiful spanish, and write without major grammar errors, and volunteer, and take up some form of minister, and make friends, and this and that, and this and that and there is just no time for it all. There is not enough time, especially for me, the girl who take enourmeous amounts of time with everything. Therefore, I am going to drop my ''D'' and raise my ''I'' or ''S''. I am not going to be a driven mover and shaker here in mexico, I am going to learn to just enjoy the time. While praying that everything that I want and what the Lord wants will fall into place.

I just can't controll time or shape the future into anything. Whatever happens... happens.

Please respond and let me know what you think!!!

the begging mexico blog

* There is so much to say and I wont say it all. But at least I started blogging... which is always that hardest thing to do!
Well, as I sit here in my bed writing I hear many things going on around me. First, I here my lovely and kind hearted senora clanking the dishes as she washes, a bus and a few cars, and my dear and beloved scorpions. I would say that there is one of these lovely bugs maybe three to four feet away from my bed. I could go on a hunt for him, but I never find the little guys. I have learn to just except that there are scorpions around me. I can only hear them but I have never see one, so I am not going to worry. I call them the little buggers. Obviously because he is a bug and second because those little guy keep me up at night, sometimes the little bugger can even wake me up at night! I just pray every night that they just wont come into my precious bed. I am not scared of them because of there bug-ish ways, but more because I just don't want to get stung! Ouch!
Anyway, enough about scorpions. Well, I am in Mexico. I have just completed my first week, and I would say that it went very well. I enjoy my family, a mom and her daughter (one year younger than me). I am finding that they enjoy me as well, which is a great blessing! There are times though when it is hard communicating with them, but I just know it that will happen and I am just going to have to accept it.
My days consists of waking up at six or six thirty, which here it seems very early but back home this is more like sleeping in for me. I will eat breakfast, head out the door, take a bus, attend classes until 12 or 1 central time. Then I will hang out with others, study, get online for a short time. Then I will head over to my house and eat with mi "hermana". I enjoy this time because it gives me an opportunity to speak and practice speaking with out the pressure of classes or other people in the room. But now, there is another student from Leon, the next city over, living in the house with us. At first she startled me when I saw her eating at the table. She is nice, but I am pretty sad that it isn't just me and the senora with her daughter. Oh well, what can you do!?
I love being here… I will write more latter. This blog was not very good! I blame it on the fact that it is my first one. And there is just so much to write and I don't know what to say, so I just rambled a bit… I will write more information later!!!