Waiting on the Sidelines

 

Some days life is about waiting on the sidelines. My son wanted to play football ever since third grade. The problem was he was the skinniest kid in his class. He did end up playing football in third grade. However, during a scrimmage, he got tackled by a much bigger kid than he and ended up in the hospital with a concussion. That was the end of his football career for a long time.

In high school, he decided to play again during his freshman year. This time three games in, a much bigger kid tackled him and he broke his hand in three places. And that was the end of his football season.

In the sophomore year, he tried again. He never got hurt, thankfully, but this time he waited on the sidelines. A lot. It’s tough for a kid who wants to play so badly to have to wait on the sidelines for a chance the coach will put him in. But I believe the lessons learned on the sidelines are invaluable when the time came for him to start. 

I remember the hard work and many years it took for me to become a teacher. The qualifications needed to become certified in New Jersey were rigorous and demanding. By the fourth year waiting on the sidelines by subbing, working as an aid, and completing all of the requirements necessary to become a teacher via the alternate path route, I almost was ready to throw in the towel of my faith in getting a teaching job. It was at that time that I finally got an interview and a special education teacher position offer at the current school where I've been working now for over four years.

In retrospect,  I wish I would have remained an aid or a substitute just a little longer so I could have learned a few more things from my mentors like how to manage my classroom, how to teach with a co-teacher and as an in-class support teacher, and how to communicate effectively with my team.

Taking on this perspective is why I say waiting on the sidelines is a good thing. The learning received while observing and watching others will help guide you when you finally do get the position of your dreams.

Loving Yourself to Sleep-Inner Child Meditation by Joanne/relax for awhile.com

 

Girls Day Out at Sally Lunn's Tea House in Chester, NJ

 Sometimes all it takes for me to get out of a funky mood is to change my routine. Yesterday, my friends and I met at a tea house in Chester, NJ for lunch. I had the Basic Afternoon Tea, for $20.95, which came with a pot of tea (I chose lemon chai), finger sandwiches (a variety of egg salad & watercress, cucumber & cream cheese, pink salmon & dill mayo, no crusts), and the best part of my meal; a chocolate chip scone with clotted cream and strawberry preserves, shared with friends. Delicious!

It's Monday Eve!

 This is the day that the Lord has made. let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Sunday afternoon brunch with the family

For those of you who don’t know us, we have a saying that Thursday is better than Friday because it’s the 'anticipation' of Friday coming; hence, we call it Thursday Eve. So when my husband told me it was Monday Eve, my worldly thought was to say, “Ugh, I hate Mondays! What good is there to anticipate with that?"

However, those of us who have God‘s favor can rejoice in Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and every day. Why? Because this day is the day that the Lord has made and every day is a call for rejoicing. This is not pie in the sky thinking, but it's training your mind to see the good in a situation.

There was a time when I worked in a very difficult environment. I was anxious, depressed, and unhappy at my job every day. I would dread, dread, dread Sunday nights. At work, I felt a lack of support and encouragement from my co-workers and because I was the newest employee, I was an easy target for them to criticize.

After much prayer and advice, I believed God didn't want me to leave my job but instead he wanted me to grow in my character. So instead of accepting the negativity at work or quitting, I decided to believe this was the job God wanted me to have.

On the job, I changed my perspective. When I made a mistake I was humble, honest, and corrected it. When I felt like I didn't belong, I told myself the truth. I do belong and this position was given to me by the Lord himself.

Being a people pleaser by nature, I saw this as God training me to not be so concerned about what others thought of me or how they acted around me. I was free to work at my job happily despite the negativity around me.

I had limited contact with my co-workers throughout the day so it was possible to be about my own joyful business (in my own mind) at work. When I felt I needed to talk to someone, I found other joyful people who I could go to for support. This took discipline and training, but I persisted.

Every Monday, instead of telling myself I hated my job, I would say, "I am qualified and I want to keep my job." Instead of walking into work feeling defeated, I decided to walk in, head held high, and work harder with even more enthusiasm than before. And guess what? The atmosphere changed. Because I believed, others believed, too. That is the power of believing.

If it's time to leave your job, you can still find a way to be joyful while looking for a new one. Find the right perspective.

 

Happy Sunday Eve everyone and rejoice each and every day that the Lord gives us!

Making Faithful Choices

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.

Prov 14:15 NIV

I took this picture on my early morning jog today. It made me think about the choices we often make in life. 

In the picture, there are two paths. The path to the left leads to a sunny, open field. People reside just around the corner. The path to the right extends deeper into the woods where nobody is around for miles. Wild animals and bears have been spotted at different times in these woods. If you were alone with no protection, I'm not so sure you'd want to go that route.

Depending on who you were with and what your purposes were, you wouldn't know which path to take unless you knew the area.

Making life decisions is the same way. We often have many choices. Some good, some better, some best. And some bad. We weigh the pros and cons of what we know, and if we are uncertain, we ask someone who does know or we do our research. 

God's plans for us are always best. When we don't believe He is with us or that He wants the best for us, we take matters into our own hands and we settle for second best. But even then God works for the good of those who love Him.

Is there a decision you need to make that you're not sure about? Is there someone who you trust who can give you some good advice?

About

MaryAnn Kasper received her Master of Arts Degree in Special Education at NJCU and teaches middle school math in the NJ public school system. She is married to her best friend, Joey. They have three grown sons together. 

She started this blog to help remember:

• There is peace and power in following Jesus and believing him at his Word.
• God has the best plans for our lives
• We are wonderfully made in his image for purposes he planned in advance for us to do
• Amidst our struggles, God keeps his promises

MaryAnn Kasper is a contributor and editor for Woman Today International and is currently writing her first book, The Art of Believing: Claiming God's Promises for a Peaceful and Powerful Life. 

She loves coffee, journaling, creating, going on road trips, Target, and Jesus. She plans to open her own online shop here on her blog where she will create trendy and uplifting merchandise that can be purchased along with her book. She is grateful for any support you can give her :).