It's been just over two months since moving to San Antonio... It feels like it's been much longer! A lot has happened and a lot has changed. I've learned more in these past 64 days than I've learned in a long time. God has shown me a lot about life, others and myself in this span... I've gone through a gauntlet of emotions, ranging from happiness, loneliness, peaceful, anger, frustration, amazement and everything in between.
In no particular order, here are some things I've learned (and some things that have become more clear to me since I got here) so far:
1) I'm a terribly inconsistent blogger. Well, I knew this before I left. Sorry! Still working on that...
2) Don't be afraid to try new things. Living on your own forces you to do new stuff you probably didn't do much of before, which is a great thing. Learning how to cook has been really fun! Do something different. It's good for you!
3) Don't let things pile up. Whether it's a mini-mountain of dirty dishes in the sink or a series of tasks to get done at work, don't allow things to get out of hand. Take care of what needs to get done on the spot. Because it's amazing how quickly a to-do list of one or two things becomes 10 or 11. Avoid stress. Take care of things one-by-one.
4) Begin every day spending time with God. Life can move pretty fast and schedules can get pretty hectic. There were times when I went several days putting off spending time in prayer. Time in God's word. I felt myself drifting away and as I tried to push through each day on my own strength, I was quickly reminded that I could not do this on my own. I was heading towards a burn out. I could feel it. When I started each day spending time with him, turning off my phone and my TV for a half hour and filling my heart and mind with his truth, it made a difference. My strength, confidence and hope rests in the Lord. If we are to truly seek a relationship with God, make it a top priority.
5) Plan, plan, plan. Time is an extremely valuable resource, and whether it works for you or against you really depends on you. Take a look at your schedule. Make a list of priorities and stick with them. Set aside time for work Set aside time for yourself as well. Make meal plan so that you know what to shop for every week and you don't waste time and money. Set aside an hour to exercise. A little time to reach out to people. A little time to just relax and unwind. If you plan things out, life becomes a bit more manageable.
6) Don't be afraid to divert from the plan. At the same time, having a set schedule and strictly going by it all the time can get mundane and boring and stale really fast. Do something different once in a while. Changes things up. Make breakfast for dinner once in a while. Go explore a new place. Take a detour on your way home. If you feel God calling you to spend more time with him or go out of your way to do something, listen. Keep things fresh and, if necessary, shuffle your schedule every so often. As much as we plan, be ready for God to come in and completely mess up that plan. And when that happens, remember that God's plans are always bigger and better than ours.
7) Know your resources and stay within your means. Be smart and prudent with your resources. Know what you have and what you don't have. Adopt a "10-10-80 Plan": The first 10% to God, The next 10% in savings, and how you use the other 80% is up to you. But it's in that 80% where we can really mess up. Honor God with that 80%. Honor God with your musical purchases. Honor God with what you spend on food. If you can, donate and invest into the lives of others. I would recommend making a budget and seeing where your money is going (I use Mint.com. It's easy and free). If we're not careful, we can easily become a slave to our finances. Don't let that happen.
8) I'm not alone and neither are you. There have been times here where I have felt as lonely as I've ever felt. Moments where I felt I made a serious mistake in coming out here. But it's in those moments where I have felt God's hand in my life. Remembering his faithfulness to those who love him. There is no one I need more than Jesus. Sometimes it takes being away from everything and everyone you ever knew to realize that in a whole new way.
9) Trust God completely. Keep moving forward taking steps of faith. God will take care of the rest and will never give you more than you can handle. Time and again, I've tried to wrestle control away from God. Tried to take the wheel and determine my own direction. That's my natural reaction when I face mystery and uncertainty. All that has done is add unneeded stress and worry into my heart and that can rob of me of the blessings and joys that God has placed right in front of me. I don't need to know where I'm going. All I need to do is trust.
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