scripture study

I have had the thought many, many times, that I wanted to start a place to record my thoughts - about spiritual things. I wanted to type them out so that it is just a little bit more formal. I wanted it to be somewhat public so that it gives me a reason to write and perhaps someone will see and read and somehow know God more personally.

A large reason for doing this, is the fact that I work with some of the greatest women. I often tell them that they know the most about the details of my life, than anyone else. Poor them!! And because of this, they know about Mormonism than I am sure they ever thought they would know. 

We have some great conversations. And there are great questions they ask me. I have answers, but sometimes I tell them that I will keep thinking about something. I know how I feel, I just don't know how to put that into words. Thus, I have thought more and more about this place to share my developed answers and thoughts. But, I also see this as a work in progress. I have come to realize that I really need to share my thoughts for them to be solidified. I had a friend who was really good at pushing me to see what was at the core of my heart because sometimes the words didn't always match what he knew I truly thought and believed. Through that friendendship, I have learned that I really need to process through my thoughts. So here is an attempt to do so again.  But let me warn you - this is COMPLETELY stream of consciousness. There will be little to no order. Many thoughts may not seem to connect. I am just dumping thoughts.

Two main questions that my friend, Julie, has asked: why do bad things happen, and women's roles in the church. 

Through many experiences and much pondering, I have decided that in order to answer or even look at any question like these, there must be a correct understanding of who God is and His character. I love the definition of faith in the Bible Dictionary: "The Lord has revealed himself and his perfect character, possessing in their fulness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power, and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in him without reservation." I love this because the God I have come to know is just this - perfectly loving, perfectly understanding, perfectly encouraging, perfectly and wholly committed to me seeing myself as I am eternally, and seeing and knowing my eternal power and worth and influnece.

I am forever grateful for my career as a teacher. I have come to know and treasure the nature of God through my teaching.

 gotta love this fake teacher - i am soo sure there is NOTHING on the board. and like she would be smiling if he didn't know where he was . . just sayin!

Because I dearly and deeply love my students. I would adopt them all, even the ones that I would find myself praying would be sick. I come to realize that there were very real reasons why they lashed out at me and at others. I often just wanted them to be consumed in a hug and know what it feels like to be completely loved with unconditional love. I treasured their individuality. I feel like I have a glimpse of understanding of what the Lords says when he says He is no respecter of persons - He loves us all. There is no hierarchy, no preferences, no one that is better or worse.

There were areas where one student excelled and another struggled. There were certain things I needed - and wanted - help doing in our classroom so that we had a community and worked towards a common goal. I needed these jobs divided up. There were certain reasons why I asked a student or a group of students to do something.

 . . . to be continued.