Uncool

I am not good at this blogging thing! There are so many talented people out there in "blogger world" who have this whole thing down like it's their second job or full time job--literally. Wow, how great would that be? Blog for a living. Well, I've been inspired by some of those talented people and recently decided that it's something I want to get better at. So...here I am. As with most things in my life I like to know the detailed plans before I just jump in. When I first created my blog the key component missing was a focus--a plan. As I've reflected on my life I've come to realize that I don't really have one specific topic I could blog about on a regular basis. So...I've decided that the focus of my blog {insert drum-roll here}may include (but is not limited to) what God has been teaching me, 2nd grade stories, our pup-Bristol, adventures of Jon and Suz, favorite recipes, etc. Great focus huh? ;) So...if you're really bored and have nothing else to do feel free to take a glimpse into my not-so-exciting-life-that-God-has-blessed-me-with!:)


Okay now here is where the title of my blog comes into play...

Last weekend over my spring break, I went along with the high school youth group from our church to a conference in St. Louis, MO called Dare2Share. The focus of the weekend was to help the six thousand junior high and high school students in attendance gain a sense of urgency in sharing Christ with their peers. Attending the conference as an adult, I felt just as much of an urgency for the people in my life who I know are destined to eternal separation from Christ. One of the main "slogans" for the weekend was centered around being "uncool" for the sake of the gospel. Which really got me thinking about how I have such a fear of people and their thoughts of me. It's like I'd rather have people think well of me then to share Christ with them and change the course of their eternal destiny. There have been points in my life where I felt untouchable by the negative thoughts of others because I knew God was my final judge--not the finite people I encountered. Somehow along the way this mindset slowly changed, and I became consumed by the world and it's view of me. I felt as if I was being enveloped by this "secular" world in which I live. I began to feel a major disconnect--pulled in two completely opposite directions. A moment of forgotten identity. I was no longer being a light. The light was slowing being extinguished by the negativity and meaninglessness I felt around me on a daily basis. I knew I wanted to make a difference--it had just gotten to the point where it was hard--really hard.
Since that weekend in St. Louis God has continued to work in my heart. Showing me the importance of glorifying Him all areas of my life--the way I relate to Jon, having patience with my students, reading my Bible each day, praying, investing in other people's lives, taking a stand against gossip, sharing about Christ, the list goes on. It was so refreshing to be reminded of my true identity--found in Him alone. My new goal--be "uncool".