Life Post-MBA

So. It's now been officially 6 months since I finished grad school. And let me tell you, it's such an amazing feeling! I've seen how I've remembered and applied much of what I learned, but also how I feel such freedom and peace being done.

I looked back at a blog post from when I was nearing the end. It was a list of things I was and was not going to do. How am I doing with them? Status report is below:
What I'm going to do:
1) Sleep - I can say I get an A in that department!
2) Eat healthier - I'm definitely eating much healthier!
3) Exercise more - half and half. I'm still exercising, I wouldn't say more though...
4) Be a mentor for a Calvin student this fall - definitely, and it has been a great experience!
5) Volunteer with local missions and organizations - I've volunteered alot with my church and am now volunteering with Heart Support, but I feel there is so much more I can do.
6) Hang out with my friends!!!!!!!!! - An A+ on this one! :)
7) Read more books - yes! and it's been so great...
8) Go to 'quiet places' to seek God more fully - hmmm. half and half. Still do it, but not more. I need to work on this one.

Things I am not going to do:
1) Find something else to consume every ounce of energy and every minute of the day that leaves me feeling tired and selfish - accomplished.
2) Spend my new free time working more (this one will be hard for me, but I will not give in to it!) - accomplished as well.
3) Sit around and do nothing - I've done some of this. And it's been amazing. :) Thanks Anne for reminding me that it's not always a bad thing to just sit and relax!!

The biggest miracle of all? That I haven't had the identity struggles like I thought I would. Not having something to 'accomplish' has actually set well with me. I've had my days of missing it, but overall, I feel much more alive, vibrant, more Melinda than I ever have.

Check it Out

OK, for all my faithful and loyal readers (aka the 1 or 2 people that visit this thing) there are a couple things you need to check out. Big time!

1) Heart Support. This is an AMAZING new non-profit, and it is a place for healing and hope for the heart. We all struggle, we all have issues, we all need help. Some of us are lucky enough to have friends and family to lean on, but we don't all have that luxury. And sometimes you need to just know you're not alone. Check out this site - you are not alone. www.heartsupport.com

2) The Ada Bible CD - Kingdom Coming Down. I've had it on repeat everywhere since I got it Sunday morning at church. My friends at Ada are so talented - these musicians are amazing! Check it out if you can...

3) Check out ways to give back this Christmas - buy less for yourself, and focus on more meaningful gifts. Find a family who likely won't have a Christmas meal, and get it or make it for them. Write a letter to someone you care about. Send a text or email. Spend quality time with people. Check out ways to give to those you love that will mean the most to them.

That's it for now. I'm at work and have a meeting soon. And while my head is so full of thoughts right now, posting them would be a jumbled mess at this point. :)
-M

Missed Opportunities

Wow, so church yesterday rocked the house. Jeff did an amazing job walking us through something that I know I needed to feel convicted of. He began by opening the story in Mark by asking about missed opportunities, what have we had happen in our life where we showed up just in time to miss out?

It made me miss my mom. I found her, but showed up for it a few months too late.

Anyways, then it moved on into how we need to have an awareness for our sins - we all very easily can look at ourselves and justify or compare our sins away. "I only spoke in anger because so-and-so made me angry. He/She said something first, I was just responding. It's only fair." Or "Well, I may have thought mean thoughts about her, but I didn't say them. At least I'm not going around talking about her to everyone else like so-and-so is. I'm not really that bad..."

And so I walked away from this sermon (I won't go into it all here, i wouldn't do it justice) realizing that I need to 1) have an appropriate level of recognition for my sins. I sin everyday, and it's easy to overlook that. And i need to 2) ask forgiveness and have an appropriate level of grace where I can believe I'm forgiven. I need to recognize what a gift it is that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins.

Anyways, it's done a lot to mess with my mind, and definitely in a good way. I hope this week finds you well, and that you can see God's forgiveness and grace in your life.