A Pair of Earrings

A Simple Pair of Earrings

I have these pearls that my dad bought me from Spain back when I was in 4th grade. I started 4th grade in 2001, and my dad was in Spain and many other places in the Mediterranean  and Persian Gulf for a 6 month deployment for the Navy.

I started 4th grade with excitement. I was going to see my dad soon, I think it was 1-2 months left of his deployment at that point. I was going on a Tiger Cruise - which meant that I was flying with my brother to FL to get on the USS Enterprise to do the rest of the cruise with my dad to Virginia. There were feelings of such joy, like Christmas, but better. 

Then something happened that shook our country, the military and their families, and me. September 11, 2001. I remember the day vividly. I was in Art class when we heard the news. Parents immediately started picking up my classmates from school. I remember the fear that I felt, a fear that no child should have to experience but many of us did that day. 

As an 8 year old, because of my own feelings and things I was hearing from adults around me, I was afraid:

• I was afraid for my dad, who’s ship turned around and headed to the war zone. 
• I was afraid because the Pentagon was a building that my dad worked in all the time and continued to work in for years.
• I was afraid because the city of Norfolk holds the largest Naval base in the world. People were afraid that the terrorists were coming to Norfolk next. 

That’s a lot of big things to be scared of as an 8 year old, and I probably cried myself to sleep every night until my dad got home. 

I don’t remember the timeline exactly. But we eventually found out that there would be no Tiger Cruise. The ship my dad was wasn’t coming home yet because they were helping defend our country from terrorism. All I knew was that it meant my dad was near a dangerous part of the world, and he wasn’t coming home yet. According to some articles I’ve found online, the ship came back only 2 weeks later than scheduled. But those two weeks felt like an eternity given the circumstances. 

I remember waiting for him to get off that ship, again, it felt like an eternity. After 6 and a half months, my dad was finally home and he was safe. When we got home, he pulled out some gifts that he got for my mom, brother, and I when the ship made some stops. My two favorite things he bought me were a beautiful music box and a pair of pearl earrings. 

At the time, the pearl earrings were kind of funny to me. What 8 year old wears pearls? But I treasured them because they were my reminder that my dad made it back home. I wore those earrings a lot as I got older. We had to wear pearl earrings for choir, so I wore them frequently in high school. I also grew to love the gold and pearl combo that I didn’t appreciate as a child. 

To this day though, I can’t wear those earrings without being grateful. Grateful that my dad made it home safely from that deployment and every deployment after. Grateful for all of the military and their defense of our country. Grateful for TSA employees who try their best to help airports be safe. The list could go on and on. 

While my fear did not diminish for a while, having my dad home and safe definitely brought peace. Those pearl earrings serve as that reminder of comfort and peace that my dad brought in a time of extreme fear. 

A Purpose in Every Season

There was one thing that I was really worried about when I switched from my teaching job to working for FAST. Would I feel a sense of purpose? In teaching, having a purpose is pretty easy. Teaching at a Christian school made that even easier. It was my job to teach the students about math, science, history, and most importantly, having a relationship with Christ. 

Over the past 18 months, God has reminded me that my purpose doesn’t just have to be found at work. Sometimes it’s found in the way that we live our daily lives. I’ve always believed that God uses people in every aspect of their life. I’ve also found that that story from my own life hasn’t always been clearly shown to me. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like I’m not actually making a difference in people’s lives. 

God knows our hearts though. He knows that my love is great for other people and that I want to point more people to Him. The last week has been a reminder that our labor is not in vain. The seeds that we plant do eventually grow. Sometimes we don’t get to see the end product, but sometimes we do. Sometimes it’s not even the end product, but it is simply just a step in the journey that will last a lifetime. 

Back in the fall, I was texting one of my college roommates because I was having a pretty hard week. I honestly don’t really remember what was happening I just remember texting her, “I have a co-worker who has no idea what a true friend looks like in life.”

Now it’s July, and God reminded me of that conversation with my college friend back in the fall. The same friend who I said “has no idea what a true friend looks like” wrote a blog post. Her exact words were, "I never knew what friendship meant until I met Caryn..."

You see how crazy this is right? What a wonderful God we serve who would be willing to use someone like me to touch another person’s life.  Our purpose in life might look a little different in life depending on the season, but one things always remains the same: Love the people in your life, no matter what. You never know how far your impact will reach and the lives you might touch. 

If my only purpose in this season in South Carolina is to teach my new friend what friendship is, then that is definitely enough for me. 

A Thought from God

9 years ago today, I began a season of my life where I was broken and completely confused. After watching my choir teacher fight cancer for many years, she passed away April 20th, 2008. While that time was extremely difficult, God has used it to shape me and mold me into the person that I am today. This day serves as a reminder of that brokenness and how God has helped me overcome it. Today, God brought a beautiful thought to my mind and I just wanted to share.

I was thinking back to my time in college. I had one friend in particular that really helped me with my battle with depression. She was there for me without always realizing it. I remember one year that we had coffee on April 19th. I wasn't in a very good place but I didn't really want to talk about it. I just needed someone to be there and this friend was (even if she didn't know how much I needed her in that moment).

Then this same friend started her own battle with depression. I was able to return the favor and be there for her. Our friendship deepened, knowing that we were out there for each other. That didn't always mean talking about it, sometimes it did. Really, it was just about knowing that someone out there understood what you were going through. To me, that was the most powerful weapon in my battle.

Today I woke up feeling a little sad. I remember this day as one of the darkest and hardest days of my life. The day that my choir teacher, Cathy Turner, passed away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. It was a tipping point for me, and I was in a bad place. As the years have gone, I have grown to feel more joy towards this day, knowing how far I've come and knowing that I will see her again some day in heaven.

This morning when I woke up, I had a thought. I realized that my friend, the one who helped me in my battle of depression, her birthday is today April 20th. The exact same day that my choir teacher passed away. The exact same day that I hit rock bottom. The exact same day that I often dread because it brings up those emotions again.

How awesome that God put that thought in my mind. That the friend who helped me through that battle in college was born on this day. That I can be thankful and grateful for her and her life instead of drowning in the thoughts of the past. Her life is a reminder to me that hope and joy are always possible. That healing is possible and that we can overcome even the darkest of times and the hardest of battles.

We serve a faithful God, a sovereign God. He knows our needs- He gives us people to help us along the way. Today I am thankful for my dear friend: her life, her journey, and our friendship. I am also thankful for my choir teacher, Cathy Turner: a fierce follower of Jesus who taught me to believe in myself, to use the gifts God has given me, and to trust God in all that I do.

Restore: Word of the Year

This is something I do every year. I think about and pray about a word to focus on for the upcoming year. It's been amazing to look back at the end of the year and see how God really worked through a simple word or how a word described my year so perfectly. For the year 2017, my new word is "RESTORE."


When I think of the word restore, my mind immediately thinks of HGTV. So many shows on that channel take something old and broken and turn it into something beautiful. Sometimes the item isn't even broken, but once it is restored it looks even better than it did in the beginning!


My true inspiration behind this word came a few months ago. I absolutely love the show Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. I was on their website looking at their online shop and came across a sale on something I had always wanted: a giving key necklace. As you can probably guess, the word on the key was "RESTORE."


At the time, there really wasn't much of a significance. I was without a job and feeling quite lost. As I get ready to start this new year though, no word makes more sense! As I begin this new chapter of my life, I hope that restore is a word that will describe every aspect.


Restore some order, restore some lost faith, restore beauty to what feels like a completely broken year.


And to end, my favorite Bible verse:

1 Peter 5:10
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Drop Your Net and Follow Me

"Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work....They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed." (Matthew 4:18-22 MSG)


This was the story that popped into my mind every day while I was finishing up my first year of teaching earlier this year. God was calling me to drop my net and follow Him. I had no idea what that meant, but I knew deep down that it meant not returning to Norfolk Christian for another year of teaching in the fall. 


Since then, I have been trusting Him and listening closely. After months of applying for jobs, I finally found a job that I am excited about. At the beginning of January, I will be moving to Colombia, SC to begin this new chapter of my life with a company called FAST Enterprises. I will be working as a training coordinator for this company that has created software for government agencies all across the United States. 


I am excited to begin this new chapter in my life because I am 100% confident that it is where God wants me to be. He asked me to leave my ordinary, comfortable life. That was the scariest thing I've ever done, leaving a job with no job prospects at the time. 


To those that have been praying for me, thank you. This season of life has been difficult, and I am grateful for the way you have lifted me up to the Lord. I am excited for a fresh start and ready to see what the Lord has in store for me in Colombia, SC! 

Thankful

There is so much to be thankful for. 

I have a roof over my head, running water, and more than enough food. 

I have a family that cares for me and loves me each and every day. 

I have a beautiful puppy who brings joy and laughter to my life 24/7 (She wakes me up every morning by licking my face!). 

I have a job where I get to spend the day teaching 16 beautiful children, each with their own stories. 

At my job, I get to talk about Jesus openly and freely. I get to point my students back to Christ, always.

Have I mentioned I also have amazing co-workers? Beautiful friends who bring extra coffee from Starbucks on those long afternoons. People who encourage, pray for you and with you. People who listen to your rants with grace, and then point you back to Christ. 

Then there is anything related to my faith. I am thankful for the love and grace of Jesus. The hope and joy that I can only find in Him. I get to openly worship at church each Sunday. I get to teach Bible stories at school. I can read my Bible whenever I want. I even have an app for it in my phone. 

I could go on and on about all the blessings in my life. If I have learned one thing in my life, it is that I am so blessed. 

From my travels to third world countries, especially living in Nicaragua for two months, I have seen what it looks like to live with nothing. Ironically, these people were often more thankful than I ever was. They had an eternal perspective on what it means to be blessed. They understood that if have Christ in you life, you have everything. 

Let's think today and everyday with this eternal perspective. Be thankful to God for all that He has blessed you with. The small things, the big things, it is all yours because of Him.

A Lamp for those without a Light

Last week at school was Mission's week. It was an extraordinary time where our elementary school students got to hear about mission's work happening all over the world. When I was in school, this was always one of my FAVORITE weeks of the year.


I have loved reading the reflections my 4th graders wrote at the end of the week. Seeing young children with such big hearts gives me such hope. I hope that I can continue to bring up students who are mission's minded. Young people who have a heart for the Lord and a heart for sharing His love with others.


Here are a few of the things they wrote in their reflections:

~I pray that God will always be with the people who need help all over the world.
~I hope they learn about Jesus their entire lives.
~I want to go out and be a missionary to help them all.
~We could pray for the children at Nepal that they would be safe.
~I learned we need to pray for these people because some of them don't have a house or family.
~I will always try to be praying about people who are sad and lonely.


As my class continues to learn about Ambassadorship over the year, I pray that these memories and prayers will never leave them. I pray that they will always remember the hurting people all over the world. I pray that they will become a lamp for those without a light and a servant to all in need.