Maker of the Universe

With it being the middle of the semester, Missions Conference last week at school, Chrysalis training, floor events, and observations at the elementary school, there is so much going on. It is so easy at this time of the semester to fall out of our disciplined routine of doing homework, going to bed early, running, and staying up to date on friends’ lives. Usually my time with and awareness of God fall by the wayside and I start to feel like I’m drowning..mostly because I’m trying to do it all on my own, not relying on the Lord.

Yesterday in my Methods of Teaching Science class, our professor had us watch a video on YouTube of Louis Giglio. I had never heard of him or seen anything of his online before but I was amazed when I watched this video in class. It is kind of long but I highly recommend watching it! It gave me chills. The wales, the waves, the wind, all declaring his beauty! WOW. How can that not make you stop and marvel at the greatness of our God?!  This got me thinking about how great our God really is. Like really. It is so hard to fathom that the God who made the universe…like THE UNIVERSE, and everything in it, loves me. Not only does he love me, but he is working all things together in my life. He is bringing glory to himself through the work he is doing in my life and he is working his plans out for my life each day. I have been reading through the Gospels for the last few months and it has really brought to a place of being reminded of who God is. Who he is and what he has done. It has been so great to be reminded of these things. Each day as I read stories of the work of Jesus, I am in awe of his power. His greatness. His compassion.

Last week during Missions Conference I was also thinking, God is SO creative!!! Everywhere we look there is so much beauty. With yesterday being the first day of spring, flowers are blooming and the weather is lovely! Oh how I love feeling the warmth of sun on my skin and seeing flowers and sun dresses everywhere! But when God created everything, think about how much fun he had!!! Creating so many different kinds of flowers and weather, and people! Just think of all the different kinds of people he created! WOW. And he loves them all. Every nation, every tongue, every tribe. This alone is amazing to me. When I sit in my elementary classroom and look at the students, I think about how different each one of them looks, and that’s just the outside! On the inside they each have a different heart, different abilities, and different stories. Our God is so great!

When I was thinking about how great God is and reflecting on the video we watched in class, I couldn’t help but think of this Psalm:

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
    to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings^[b]
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,

all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

                        Psalm 8:1-9

Amazed by my Creator,

Amanda

The Orange Cone

It really is the little things in life that make our day. One of my teachers this semester said we should “redeem the little moments” in life. So often people look for or want to dwell on the moments that “take your breath away.” Is God only present in those moments? No! He is working in, revealing his love for us, and bringing glory to himself in every moment!

For my education classes this semester, I have to spend 40 hours in a classroom observing this semester. We got out field placements a little late and it took while to get into the classroom. I prayed and prayed about where God was going to place me. I was worried about having to spend so much time in a classroom with a teacher that was difficult to work with or a school that was uncooperative. When I got my placement, I was at the same school I was last semester, which doesn’t normally happen. Lake Marie Elementary is a quaint little school in Whittier with one class per grade level. Last semester I had the chance to meet a few teachers during elections and I was a little worried about who I might be placed with. For my Elementary Reading class, they try to put us in kinder or first grade classrooms and I had been placed in a third grade classroom. I was a little bummed but I really feel like God has been softening my heart towards older students. When I let the idea of third grade settle in, I was excited to learn something new working with an age I didn’t have much experience with. When I got to the classroom, the teacher made me feel very welcome and after being there for just three weeks, I feel very welcome and comfortable. It has been such a blessing to spend time in Miss Fuller’s classroom and I have fallen in love with the students. They are so sweet! Last week I got to teach my first lesson to the whole class and the students were so kind and cooperative:)

When I get to the school, I park on the side street right next to the school. Usually when I am walking in, I run in to the custodian and always say good morning. He is so sweet and earlier this week he asked why I park on the street. I told him I wasn’t sure if I could park in the parking lot and it’s no big deal. He said I should park in the lot because I work there (kinda)! The next day I tried to park in the parking lot and there were no open spots. I see him everyday I go, and he asked if I got a spot and I said they were all full. He asked when I was coming next and that he would put a cone in a spot for me. This morning I was running late (since three people needed to shower at the same time:::the joys of dorm life). When I pulled up to the school and saw an orange cone sitting in a parking spot, it made my day! Jose had saved me a spot! This custodian who doesn’t even know my name remembered I was coming on Thursday. I saw him when I was leaving and he said I’m glad you got your spot! I didn’t mind parking in the street whatsoever and he really wanted to make sure I could park in the parking lot. As I drove away today, I was reminded of the way God shows his love to us and provides for us. I was so touched that someone went out of his way to make me feel accepted at a school. Lake Marie Elementary has been so wonderful and I am so thankful that God has placed me where he has. It’s been really cool to share my faith with the people he has put in my path there! Why do I get so worried about what my future holds? God’s got it! He cares about the little things. I’m so thankful for the beautiful weather today and the way God reminded me of his love today.

Blessed by the little things,

Amanda