Then and Now

This week I am thankful that I survived my first semester of college and I am now able to enjoy Christmas break!  It has been a journey and not always an easy one.  Life threw me for quite a few loops and turns this past semester, but with the Lord’s help I overcame every obstacle. 

I could go on and on about all the things I am thankful for, but what I am thankful for the most is that the Lord made it clear to me that He is active in my life.  Never before have I seen His hand on my life in such a distinct way.  Never before have I felt His presence in every situation that I encountered.  Never before have I been able to so clearly tell that He is working through every moment, but I am thankful to be able to say that I now have.  I have always known that He is there for me, but this is the first time in my life that I can say that I felt Him in the moment without noticing afterwards that He was there.  My heart is overwhelmed with joy.  So very thankful.     

One Slice of the Pizza

As I take a break from studying for finals, I am thankful to know that the end is near.  In three days I will be home for Christmas break and my first semester of college will be over.  The first of eight semesters in my college career is almost over.  I have eaten one slice of the pizza (8 slices in a pizza, 8 semesters in college, get it?)  It has just been a few months, but so much has happened.  I am thankful to have gone through everything I have this semester because each situation and experience has formed and changed me.

I have learned to embrace the things that I like about myself and be proactive in areas that I don’t like so much and can change.  I have learned that God will always place the right people in my life.  He has given me people who I know are forever friends.  People who embrace my silliness.  People who love to laugh with me and sometimes probably at me.  He has given me people that I look up to and aspire to be like.  People who I know are in my corner and will support me when adversity comes my way.  I have learned that I love learning.  In high school I hated anything having to do with learning, but in college I have been able to see the value in digging deeper into life and all it has to offer.     

In one semester I have grown in a million ways.  In one semester I have been blessed with so many new opportunities.  In one semester I have seen God working in my life in more ways than I ever have before.  And for that I am thankful.

Shout out to Ali Swank for helping me get through this semester (mostly finals) with her blog on coping skills! 

Chances

This week I am thankful for chances.

Have you ever done something that you were really nervous to do?  There was a 50/50 chance that the outcome would not be in your favor, but you knew that you if you let the opportunity pass and didn’t take advantage of it you would eventually come to regret not making that move.  You knew that if things did end up working in your favor, it would be so amazing and you’d be so thankful that you sucked it up and took the chance.

Recently, I experienced a situation like this.  I tend to be a shy person, but I put myself out there.  I took a chance. I took matters into my own hands.  I’m still in the process of trying to figure out whether or not it will be worth it, but I do know one thing – I am glad I took the chance.  I am thankful that I had a chance to do something that I never would have done.  I’m thankful that I am given thousands of chances.  I have been given the ability to take chances that could possibly change the course of my life for the better, especially at this point in my life. Some chances I will know the outcome of soon, some I won’t find out the outcome for years to come.  Either way, I am thankful.

Almost Half Way There

            My to-do list is long, it doesn’t seem like there is enough time in the day to get everything done, the gloom of upcoming finals is looming over my head, and I’m tired all the time, but that must mean one thing – the holidays are drawing near!  This week I am thankful because I can see the Christmas lights at the end of the tunnel... just a few classes and papers stand in the way of me stuffing my face with mashed potatoes!  I’m thankful because I have made it half way through my freshman year, and soon I get some time off to recover from and celebrate that.  Figuring out college has been a weird and cool experience, but I’m surprised to say that I think I kind of have the hang of it.  I’m thankful for what I have learned and what I will learn.  I’m thankful for the people I’ve met and the people that I will meet. I’m thankful for the fun I’ve had, and the fun that is yet to come.  I’m thankful.

He Sees Me

Honestly, this week I am finding it hard to come up with something to be thankful for.  I can’t seem to catch a break lately.  Life seems to have a lot more downs than ups, but this is the very reason that I came up with the idea to think about something I am thankful for weekly.  To show me that no matter how yucky life might seem to be, there is still something to be thankful for even if it’s super small.  So let me tell you a story of my experience registering for classes…

            This past week all the students at Eastern started to register for their spring 2016 semester of classes.  Everyone was in a buzz asking which professors are best for what classes and dreading the fact that an 8am class may end up on their schedule.  The student accounts office had students swarming in trying to pay their overdue bills so that holds would be lifted on their accounts so they could register.   I managed to make sure everything was fine with my account at the beginning of the semester and assumed I would have no trouble registering.  I met with my advisors and we planned out the next four years so that I would know what classes I would need for the spring.  Although things weren’t working out in other areas of my life, this was one thing that I was pretty confident would work out with little to know problems.  That is until the night before registry opened up and I was informed that something happened with my high school transcripts.  A hold was placed on my account and I wouldn’t be able to register until it was sorted out.  Unfortunately, I found this out late at night.  In a panic I called my mother hoping she would have a solution, only to be told that there was nothing we could do until morning since all offices were closed.  All night I was anxious that my classes would fill up and I wouldn’t be able to take any of my required classes for the semester. 

The next morning I was at work and unable to contact anyone about my situation.  As I kept an eye on the webpage for registering, I saw the number of seats left in the classes I needed decrease at a steady pace.  Thankfully, I have the best mom ever because at home she was calling people left and right trying to work out a way to have the hold lifted so I could register for my classes.  She eventually managed to convince someone to lift the hold so that I could register, but by that time one of the classes that I was desperate for filled up before I could click the little “register” button.  That was it… just another crappy problem to add to my ever growing list of problems to solve.  Since that class was the only one that worked in my schedule, my only option was to contact the professor and ask him if he could make an exception and allow me into his class.  As I was about to email him to beg him to let me in, I decided that I’d check online to see if I had any other possible options.  As I clicked back to my schedule to look at the class again, what do I see?  The exact class I needed now had one seat open!  I quickly clicked the register button on the course before I even had time to think about it!   In the end everything worked out and my spring 2016 schedule is all set! 

You may be wondering why in the world I decided to share this story with you, so I will now let you know.  This may sound silly, but I believe that this was a “God moment.”  In the midst of the chaos and stress, God saw that I needed a break and He gave it to me.  Now I know that this is not a huge problem and people deal with far worse things than this.  I would have been fine no matter the outcome, but I believe that this was a specific moment that God wanted to show me that He sees me.  He knows what I’m dealing with, and He is capable of helping me through it.  This week I am thankful for a God who has put people in my life to help me through those weeks when I’m having difficulty finding something to be thankful for.  This week I am thankful for a God who is not far from me, even when I feel like He is.  This week I am thankful for a God who knows me.  This week I am thankful for a God who sees me. 

“He knows my name

He knows my every thought

He sees each tear that falls

And He hears me when I call”

The Fall Blog

This week is going to be a little more light-hearted because this week I want to share with you about how I am thankful for fall!  I just love absolutely everything about this time of the year.  If there was a country that could have autumn all year round, I would live there.  I love the weather – not too hot, but not too cold!  I love the colors – thousands of beautiful leafy trees!  I love the smells – pumpkin spice and bonfires!  I love the clothes – comfy scarves and boots!  I love the holidays – boat loads of chocolate on Halloween and tons of mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving!!

If I am feeling down I can take a brisk walk in the crunchy leaves as I breathe in the crisp air and my worries slip away.  If I am getting stressed by school, I can remind myself that I just have to make it through a few more weeks until my Thanksgiving break when my biggest concern will be how much stuffing I can fit in my mouth at one time!  If you couldn't tell, fall is definitely my favorite season and I’m super thankful that I get to experience it for a few months each year!

What are you thankful for this week?  Feel free to share in the comments below! :) 

I’m so fortunate to live at a school that is absolutely gorgeous during this season!  Here is a picture that I took last week on campus… so pretty!! 

Taken on October 25, 2015 by Emily Pastin
Eastern University Campus

Not Our Home

            Ever have one of those weeks that seems like you can't catch a break?  Well this was one of those weeks for me, so it’s been difficult to try and think of something to be thankful for.  As I’ve been thinking through all the bad stuff that has happened this week, I’ve learned that I am thankful that this is not our home.  No matter what I go through on this planet, I am promised that one day I will live in a place that my Father has prepared for me.  A place that does not have bad days.  A place where everything that has gone wrong on this earth will be made right again. 

Although I am not promised a perfect life, I am promised a perfect eternity.  I am thankful for this because through the bad times, I can remind myself that nothing on this earth matters as much as it seems to.  This idea can be pretty depressing or relieving depending on which perspective you use to look at it.  I don’t mean this to say that nothing matters on this earth so we shouldn't care about anything, I just mean that if we serve the Creator we don’t need to worry about creation.  In other words, if we give our lives to the One who is God over everything, as long as we press into Him, we can rest in the fact that He will work this life out for us until He takes us home to the perfect place He has prepared for us.  

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33

What are you thankful for this week?  Feel free to share in the comments below!

Do You Like to Talk to Tomatoes?

                This week, as I was studying for an Old Testament quiz, I came across the story in the Bible where God commands Joshua and his people to walk around the walls of Jericho.  I was getting a little bit bored with studying, so I decided to find an entertaining way of refreshing the story in my mind.  I decided to search YouTube for the VeggieTales version, “Josh and the Big Wall,” filled with sassy French Peas (my favorite!) and messy purple slurpees!  It brought me back to the times when I used to watch VHS after VHS of the VeggieTales, never getting sick of the silly vegetable characters and their humorous retellings of major Biblical concepts and stories.  I wasn’t aware of it then, but those videos I used to watch as a six year old would continue to hold meaning in my life and a place in my heart forever. 

                Every time we study the stories of the Bible in my Old Testament class, I instantly relate it to a VeggieTales version of the same story.  Every time I notice that I am being selfish, materialistic, or unhappy with what I have, I am reminded of Madam Blueberry and how she learned through song that, “a grateful heart is a happy heart.”  When I feel I am too young or not strong enough to accomplish something, I am reminded of a young leek version of Queen Esther, saving the Jewish people with the help of a God that uses the weak and powerless to fulfill His will.  It may sound ridiculous or silly, but those friendly and outgoing vegetable characters taught me a lot, and for that I am thankful.  I am thankful for the mission of the VeggieTales.  I am thankful that they have always shared Biblical truths that helps people relate and apply it to their lives whether they are eight or eighty years old.  I am thankful for “Silly Songs with Larry.”  I am thankful for a positive influence for young children in the middle of a world of negativity.  I am thankful for The VeggieTales!

What are you thankful for this week?  Feel free to share in the comments below! 

Grace and Mercy

It seems that the concepts of grace and mercy have come up a lot lately for me this past week.  Maybe that is because God is trying to show me that I need to be showing these things more to those I come in contact with, or maybe He is trying to show me that I need to appreciate how much grace and mercy I am shown.  Probably both.  Either way, this week I am thankful for grace and mercy because, without them, I can’t imagine what life would be like.

My understanding of grace and mercy is that grace is when God gives us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we do deserve.  Such small words hold such great meaning.  It says in Psalm 103:10, “He does not treat us as our sins deserve.”  If God doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, then what would life be like if He did?  This leads me to think through the wrongs I have done and how God hasn’t punished me or forced me to face the consequences of my actions.  How absolutely amazing and frightening it is to realize that there are a million things I could have been punished for, but God had mercy on me through each time that I failed Him. “Over and over again, Your love and Your mercy begins.”  This is the chorus to one of my favorite songs, “Over and Over Again” by a group called, I Am They.  It reminds me that, no matter how many times fail, His love is endless.  He shows me His grace and mercy when I am being self-centered, when I am completely wrong, and when I fail to or do not want to show grace and mercy to others. Instead of leaving me to figure out my messes on my own, He has walked with me and shown me His perfect grace and mercy.

I think about how many times I haven’t shown grace and mercy when I should have.  How many times have I been too hard on someone, while God continuously forgives me through my failures?  Can you imagine what it would be like if God acted as we do towards others, by deciding that it is too difficult to show grace and mercy?  What if God decided that He is sick of us messing up time and time again and gives up on showing us mercy?  What if He put a limit on how much grace He gives?  Thankfully, we serve a God whose ways are greater than our ways, because if His ways were like ours, we’d be in big trouble.  God has shown me grace and mercy in so many ways, but I often don’t share that grace and mercy with others.  This week I am going to challenge myself to share with others the grace and mercy that I have been saved by.

I hope that you are encouraged to look at the role that grace and mercy plays in your life this week.  How have you been shown grace and mercy?  Is there a person in your life that you should be showing more grace and mercy?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!  

Taken on October 12th, 2015 by Emily Pastin.
This scripture, found in my weekly planner, is what inspired my thoughts for this blogpost this week!

More Than Thrift Stores and Red Kettles

You might think of a thrift store, a soup kitchen, or a red kettle at Christmas time, but whatever comes to mind when you think of The Salvation Army – it’s more than you’d expect.

The Salvation Army is currently active in over 126 countries and recently celebrated their 150^th anniversary.  Originally titled, “East London Christian Mission,” what started as a simple Christian outreach on the streets of London by evangelists William and Catherine Booth, eventually came to be an internationally recognized non-profit organization and church.   When most people think of The Salvation Army charity usually is what comes to mind.  The Salvation Army is often recognized during Christmas time because of their iconic Red Kettles for donations and their “Angel Tree” program where Christmas presents are collected and redistributed to underprivileged children.  Although these services are a large part of the organization, they are only a small fraction of what the Salvation Army does.  With thousands of churches, addiction rehabilitation centers, homeless shelters, spiritual support, soup kitchens, counseling services, free music and dance lessons (often taught by professionally trained musicians and dancers), after school programs, personal finance support, and disaster relief services, this multi-faceted non-profit provides endless support to people and communities all over the world. 

Since I started attending and volunteering at a local Salvation Army church from a young age, I have had the privilege of experiencing and being involved in the outreach of The Army for many years. Like any organization or church, it can have many pros and cons, but the mission of The Army far outweighs any of the negative aspects that it can have.  It has been amazing to see what the organization has done to change the lives of countless people in and out of my community, but it has also been incredible to see what it has done in my life.  Without The Army I would not be half the person that I am today.  I have had the privilege of traveling out of the country multiple times thanks to The Army.  I have taught, performed, competed, and learned because of programs within the organization.  I can dance, teach, and play instruments because of people within the organization that have constantly taught, mentored, and supported me.  I am member of Eastern’s Leadership Fellows Program thanks to the recommendation letter of Dr. Harold Burgmayer – a mentor that I came to know through The Army!  The Army has provided me with more opportunities and resources than I could ever imagine possible, and for that, I am thankful.

What are you thankful for this week? Let me know in the comments below! 

Fun fact: Did you know that Mr. Bean has lead a Salvation Army Band?  Here is a fun little video of Mr. Bean assisting The Salvation Army in raising donations during Christmas time! :)

 Get connected with or learn more about The Salvation Army of Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware here: http://pendel.salvationarmy.org/easternpa

Thankful for Homework?

Hello! My name is Emily, and I am currently a freshman at Eastern University.  I am a double major in business management and dance, a part of the Leadership Fellows Program, and also involved in other various on-campus clubs and activities.  With such a full schedule, many classes, and usually lots of homework, I recently have realized that it is easy for me to become negative and to dwell on the difficulties I’m facing when I’m feeling stressed and pressured.  Because of this, I plan to use this blog to encourage myself to look at the bright side of life!  Each week for the rest of the semester, I plan to come up with one thing that I am thankful for and to share it with you! This could include a person, a place, a memory, something that happened that week, etc., this way, I can be reminded of all the great things in life while hopefully inspiring you to do the same!

After thinking about what I am thankful for this week, I have realized that, despite how much work I have to do, I am thankful for the opportunity to attend a school where I can learn and grow.  A study conducted on campaignforeducation.org found that 70 million children across the world are unable to attend school.  That seems like a pretty ridiculous number if you ask me.  God could have easily made me one of those 70 million kids, and I’m not sure why, but He didn’t.  That’s not all though, I had the option to pick which school I wanted to go to.  Not only do I attend a school – I attend the school that I chose to attend.  I attend a school where I can not only learn the basics, but can expand on them and study what I love.  I attend a school where I can freely be myself, openly love Jesus, dance, make friends, join clubs, and eat an endless supply of food. It’s almost embarrassing how much of a luxury that seems to be after putting things into perspective.  Some kids don’t have the option to go to any school to begin with, and here I am with an endless supply of options when it comes to my education. It’s an unfair reality that I will never understand, but all I can do is be thankful and use the opportunity I have to the best of my ability.  Looking at statistics like those makes me not only thankful to be able to attend school, but it also pushes me to study and use the knowledge I obtain over the next four years to find a way to reach out to those 70 million.

School can often seem like a boring, stressful, or bothersome requirement, but it’s something that too many people all over the world long for and are deprived of.  This motivates me to be thankful and use the opportunity that God has given me to attend school.  Next time I am tempted to complain about writing a paper or having to study for a quiz, I am going to challenge myself to be thankful for the fact that I have been given homework, rather than dwelling on the negative thoughts racing through my mind as I struggle through my assignments.  I know I can’t be the only one dealing with this, so if you are in school, I encourage you to remember this and to challenge yourself to do the same!