Day One

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"The Sovereign Lord has filled me with His Spirit.  The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the suffering and afflicted.  He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted, to announce liberty to captives, and to open the eyes of the blind.  He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of God's favor to them has come, and the day of His wrath to their enemies.  To all who mourn in Israel He will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.  For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.  And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities long ago destroyed, reviving them though they have been deserted for many generations."

~Isaiah 61:1-4

I chose that verse ten years ago as an SNU college student, and it still speaks to my heart today!  It describes the life mission of Jesus, which He restated in Luke 4.  And we are called to emulate Him, so I believe this is also a wonderful verse for a Christian mom and counselor...

Planted by God for His glory.

Strong and graceful.

Anointed and filled with His Spirit.

Bringing good news, comfort, liberty, and clarity of vision.

Declaring God's protective strength, His avenging love and favor.

Sent to help those who are grieving.

Validating the ashes, mourning, and heavy realities.

Praising God and trusting Him to bring redemptive beauty and joy!

Overcoming generational strongholds.

Rebuilding what was ruined.

Repairing deep-rooted devastation.

Reviving hope!

...Yes, please to every bit of that!! 

Happy Thursday, friends and fam!  Today is day one of pursuing my Master's in Counseling!  I am in Lakewood, Colorado today to start my five-day Residency course at CCU.  (Prayers appreciated for grace, peace, growth, and good connections.)  We will write a paper about our experience afterward, then we have a break until the fall semester begins August 22nd.  

A staggering amount of life transition has happened over the past few months, so I can say with certainty that there will be a lot of new things happening over the next three years.  There will be some great times, major milestones, hard things, personal growth, and a lot of the mundane in-between stuff.  I'm a little nervous and a lot excited to walk with God through the transformative, refining process ahead of me.  It can feel daunting when I think about the big picture, but I'm taking it one step at a time!

I am drawn to the idea of grief counseling, to the idea of teaching college students who hope to become counselors, and to the idea of walk-and-talk therapy with teens and young adults!  I know that a few wise and timely words can make a massive impact in people's lives, in how they view themselves and how they interact with others going forward... especially when they are coming to you for counsel.  So I don't know exactly how the timing will work or what the future holds, but I know this degree is step one.  I want to live from my heart, staying close to God and remembering I can do nothing good apart from Jesus.  I want to help people reframe their challenges and concerns, to be a kind and positive voice that strengthens their resilience and improves their internal narrator (thereby changing the trajectory of their futures).  I am super thankful to be seizing this opportunity and pursuing my God-given desires and calling, in His strength and in His timing... yay, God!

"But I am trusting You, O Lord, saying 'You are my God!'  My future is in Your hands..."  ~Psalm 31:14-15

Hooray for the pursuit of purpose!  Let's do this!! ❤

May the Lord keep guiding us with His wisdom and counsel,
leading us to a glorious destiny!