Mug!

I was just thinking of this sweet mug from my even sweeter sister. It feels like a snapshot through time, receiving it almost two years ago for Christmas. It says, 'The best is yet to come.' Perhaps I was holding onto something that would change everything and that would help me or rather heal me from my slump and blues. Perhaps I was putting too much confidence in whatever that was.

Maybe the best that will come and what we are hoping for isn't a big and grand thing. I have come to realize that it could be fairly simple, ordinary and even not so grand the way our minds play it out to be. It could be something you see or do everyday and it could still be the best. Maybe you're waiting for something big to occur but really the best is something very different, something minor or insignificant at first glance, but who would want to miss it if it's the best and even important and fulfilling.

I think we are always searching for that thing or maybe even multiple things that will lead us somewhere or change our lives in big or small ways. But we could be looking at this something the wrong way. We could be viewing and going through life with our eyes and focus peeled on something that wont lead us down a path of  fulfillment. Life can be full of surprises which I think often times is more true than false. I see this special mug in a different way than I did before. The best is yet to come is always coming, and it might be something that we least expect. Perhaps we just need to change our outlook and our focus to figure out what that is.

I'm trying to appreciate this time of last assignments and work for my classes, and the eve of falling leaves and orange and red color that backdrops the sky nicely. There is a lot ahead and it's all good, beautiful and exciting. There is a lot that I am grateful for and I am learning to see it as the best, as I look forward to the rest.

The Knock

It feels like the holidays are almost here. I can feel it in the air, feel it in the mood. The end of the year is swiftly approaching closer and the smell of turkey, pumpkin pie and a Christmas tree are right near the doorstep, soon to knock. The knock of guests will come and enter, the knock of generosity and joy and all things that fill the heart throughout the holiday season.

The knock on my heart as of late is more about the next step and preparing for it. I've had some time to really sit and process things, to mentally prepare, hope and enjoy the present moment. Even if some days feel more busy or productive than others, I am continually growing, learning and getting ready for what's ahead.

I have been very blessed with growing and learning so much from former job of Freelance English Tutoring. God knew that my heart was yearning for a job to utilize my skill set for individual's needs and see their progress up close. I was able to call the shots and take control and ultimately lead and plan in the direction where I felt was right. I encountered various students and learned so much from each of them. Some I connected with more than others and some were easier to motivate and tutor than others. Almost all of them I was welcomed into their homes and absorbed into their culture, daily living and native language. The many hard moments of learning solely and not connecting with others in my college classes for my language study (Mandarin) paid off when I could use my knowledge of the language, culture and customs when needed as well as fulfill my role and passion in teaching English as a second language.

I remember earlier in the year right before I was going to go into my student's home, I quickly prayed to God that he was the one who made my job of tutoring possible and I had these clients, some longer than others, but always a few to tutor. There was a reason that I was given this opportunity. If He wanted to take it away, then I would trust Him. I felt this later on, in later Summer that my heart was in a different place with tutoring. I had grown a lot over the Summer and things just weren't the same, my energy and enthusiasm were different and I could tell that I had stopped growing in it. I felt that my prayer earlier in the year had been answered and acknowledged and could tell that my time was coming to a close. I was becoming ready for the next chapter and to focus on other things to help prepare me.

I am continually trusting that God continues to prepare me for the soon to be changes in my schedule with a new job, new opportunities and new challenges. It has been a beautiful season even if some of it has been hard and at times painful. I am looking forward to the celebrations of the holidays, the turning of the liturgical year as well as the new year. There is so much ahead, and I feel more excited, ready and blessed!