Why We Do What We Do

Some days, we just need a little reminder of why we do what we do. At least, that is how it is in social work. I assume everyone needs an extra dose of encouragement, or extra affirmation that they are doing something right, or something worthwhile. That is what God gave me today... A reminder of why I do what I do.

And here are the reasons why I am a social worker...

Matthew 25:34-36;40
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Isaiah 61:1-8
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.
Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.
For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them."



James 1:27
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

1 John 3:17,18
"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in Him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

1 Timothy 5:3
"Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need."



Proverbs 31:8,9
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Proverbs22:2,9
"Rich and poor have this is common: The Lord is the Maker of them all...
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor."

Proverbs 14:21,31
"He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who is kind to the needy...
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God."

John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Proverbs 11:24,25
"One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

Today, I was refreshed! Thank you, Jesus, for my little blessing today!

Pretty is as Pretty Does

From here

Today is going to be one of those days full of busy-ness; one of those days where it is easy to get caught up in the work instead of the people you are doing the work for and with. Audrey said it well... People mean something. All people are worth stopping what you are doing for. All people are worth deviating from your busy schedule for. Pretty is as pretty does. My goal today is to remember that my clients are people; they are people with feelings, not just clients with needs.

More on Audrey later... She is a hero of mine...

Happy March and Happy Monday!

I found these photos, by Contented Sparrow, here.

Sometimes it is frustrating to look at interior design or home decor photos and blogs. Everything is so pretty but so much of what I see seems so unrealistic... and unlivable. I think that is why I fell in love with her photos. If you view her entire photostream on flickr, it is obvious that, not only does she live in this home, amongst all of these beautiful things, but she also raises children here. Not only does she raise children here... she homeschools them here! Talk about getting major use out of your home!

I also think it is incredible that her home is decorated almost entirely by handmade or thrifted items, or from flea market finds. It gives me hope that I can really create a functional, practical, liveable, family-friendly (for the future), welcoming, fun home on a budget, and with my own two hands!

Thank you, Contented Sparrow, for your inspiration for this Monday!

So Thankful

1 Thessalonians 2:11,12
"...As a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting, and urging you to live lives worth of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory."



3 John 1:4
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

At my internship, I work closely with families; lots of families. And they are all different, but they all have one thing in common: dysfunction. Most of this dysfunction has to do with series of bad choices. Yes, life has thrown these families curve balls, and they have been thrust into situations that they had not planned for; however, their dysfunction was not caused by one single event or occurance. Most of these families are just another generation in long cycles of dysfunction. Most families I see come from a history of dysfunction, and caregivers (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, whomever the caregivers [or, in most cases, caregiver,] may be) seem to be teaching their children just that... dysfunction. These children grow up seeing dysfunction all around them, and they learn from that. Children are never taught that there is a different way of living than what they see day in and day out. Children who live in the projects also go to school in the projects. They see the same people each day at school as they see when they are in their homes, on their streets, or in their neighborhoods. They do not see positive choices, or appropriate decision-making skills modeled in adults or peers around them.

Realizing this made me begin to think about how different I would be today had I been raised in a different environment, by different parents. Yes, children are resilient; they often have the ability to bounce back from horrible circumstances and events if they are given that chance, or if they somehow make that opportunity for themselves. Even so, I know that my life would be incredibly different had I not grown up with the wonderful family that God has given me. My parents have taught me so much. I shudder to think where I might had it not been for their presence, activity, and love in my life. They were the face of Christ to me; and they still are.

In my seminar class a few weeks ago, we were asked to go around the room and tell what we have learned from our families. Our class is three hours long, and even if I had been given the entire three hours to tell what I have learned from my family, that would not have been enough time to even capture a snapshot of what my family has taught me over the past twenty years. There is nothing of lasting importance that I have not learned from my family.





From my mother...
I have learned honesty, no matter what the cost. I have learned the art of forgiveness. And of second chances. And of unconditional love. In loving so deeply, she has also been hurt just as deeply. She has been let down and disappointed, and in response to each let down and disappointment, she has overcome and loved harder. I have learned that what you look like on the inside is much more important than what you look like on the outside.

Colossians 3:13,14
"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

1 Timothy 2:9,10
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

1 John 4:16-21
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother."

Proverbs 11:1
"The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight."

From my father...
Teachability... We are all works in progress. Humility. Self-discipline and self-denial. Reaching for your dreams, and working for them. Standing firm though others around you may not. Living life through loving and giving to others. My father is the most godly man I know, yet, somehow, he is always striving to be better: to be less self-focused, to love others more, to learn as much as he can about whatever he can, to be the best that he can be in all circumstances, and for the glory of God, as opposed to the glorification of himself.

Philippians 1:27; 2:2-4
"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ... I will know that you stand firm, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you... Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

1 Thessalonians 4:11
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you."

2 Timothy 1:7
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, or love, and of self-discipline."

Proverbs 3:9-12
"Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in."

Proverbs 17:27
"A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered."

From my sister...
Hard work in the face of adveristy. She can never seem to settle on just one hobby or interest for very long; she tends to jump from thing to thing. But whatever her current "thing" is, she works harder at it than anyone else, and often for less of a return on her work than others.

Proverbs 6:6-8
"Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. "

Proverbs 10:4,5
"Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son."

Proverbs 13:4
"The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

I could never put into words all of the things my family has taught me. These are just the highlights; the first things that came to my mind when I was asked. I am now, and will forever be, grateful for my family, for what they have taught me, and for the God they introduced me to, and have exemplified each and every day of my life.

Style Me Pretty

Found this blog today. And I also found this picture with it!



I am in love with the yellow dress she is wearing... And with the balloons... And I can't wait for Style Me Pretty to add more pics of this wedding!

Ok... I am seriously done for the weekend now... I think. :)

Weekend, Work, or Anytime Outfit

I love Thursdays, because I get a break from my internship, I am able to spend lunchtime with Andrew, and I get to spend seven hours working in the library and catching up on schoolwork! Plus, all day, every Thursday, I have Friday to look forward to!

This outfit is great. It is so versatile: perfect for work, and perfect for a Saturday shopping trip with the gals. Perfect for breakfast on the go, or for dog walking at the park, or for an afternoon lunch with your significant other (which is one of my favorite things about Fridays, personally).

New York and Company has a more affordable version of these pants here. Throw this t-shirt
on with them, also from NY&Co, and you are ready for whatever your weekend has in store.

Unfortunately, I will not be wearing this outfit any weekend soon... It is still sooooo cold here!

The Weekend is Here

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands." - Psalm 138:8

This verse was prevalent to me when I was younger... When I was still in high school, and had no clue what I wanted to do. When I thought it actually mattered where I went to college. When I thought I had to know right then what I wanted to do with my life. How funny that, years later, here I am, wondering if I should go to grad school. What should I do with my life? My concerns are similar, but somehow, they are vastly different too.

I do tend to worry (which is why my bird story is so cool). I am a compulsive planner, a list maker, and a rule follower. I make agendas and stick to them. That is the way I have always been. Flexibility has never been my strong point. Plans, schedules, and to-do lists are not bad things; in fact, they are great things... in moderation. It is when those plans, schedules, and lists begin to control your life that they become bad things. When those things turn into your way of being the one in control, as opposed to God being in control, nothing good will come from those plans, schedules, or lists.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."- Psalm 16:9

This is an area in which God is really working in my life. He is beginning to change my heart; to make me more teachable; to make me more mold-able; to make me more humble. My plans are no more important than anyone else's. My schedule is no more pressing, and my work no more pertinent.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed."- Psalm 16:3