"80 grand later and I found out all that I had learned"

"Is that you should show up to take your finals and your midterms."

So, again my life reflects a Relient K song. But its really my sister's fault. She gives me these CDs she burns with catchy tunes. Today (well, I guess it is yesterday now) I picked up all my stuff for graduation... YAY! One less thing to do. In just a few weeks I will have my Associates. I'll be the first in my family, too. It's weird and exciting.
I guess what is so weird is that I feel like in some classes I didn't learn much. Like in the song, I just showed up. However, I guess I learned enough to keep a 4.0, so I can't complain.
In 2 years at EMCC, I have taken:
-1 Math (After testing into Calc, I decided on MAT142, the lowest level they allowed me to take.)
-2 Lab Sciences (They both were Biology, the only science I ever understood)
-2 Computer classes (I abhor these classes, so I took them online over winter breaks)
-2 English classes (Reasons 1 and 2 why I decided not to become an English teacher, which had been my dream since I was 8)
-3 Religion courses (My favorite. Fun classes, fair teacher, lots of learning via discussion)
-1 Mythology (I agree, it should be considered a religion course.)
-2 Psychology classes (In which the instructor tried to convince me to switch majors.)
-1 Sociology class (Gender and Society, which I affectionately referred to as Feminism 101 (ok, so it was really affectionate)
-2 Communication classes (which taught me that talking to people usually means convincing them you are right)
-1 Story telling class (I read them The Tale of Three Trees.)
-2 Sign Language classes (which are not helping my attempts to learn Spanish)

And now, I get to take the classes I have been waiting to take since my second semester here, when I finally admitted that I secretly wanted to go to Bible College. I really don't want to major in English. I really don't want to live in the same spot my whole life with a comfortable income. I want to recklessly abandon this world and live an extreme life of faith. Why? Because one day, I realized something.

When I was fourteen, and in eighth grade, I learned a lesson more valuable than anything I learned from school. I was at a youth camp. We were all worshiping God, and learning about how great He is. We were getting convicted and rejoicing together. For the most part, we all new our Savior. It was then that it hit me. We are so blessed. We KNOW Jesus. We have the opportunity to worship, and to be convicted and rejoice together because we know HIM. But what about the rest of the world? I realized that a majority of the people I saw everyday were going to Hell, and that I was doing nothing to stop them from dying in their sin. I was afraid to share my faith. Afraid of rejection. Afraid of getting to close to sinners. I was just plain scared. But I felt what one author refers to as the Blow Fish Feeling. I knew what I needed to do, but I didn't know how. I knew I couldn't do it myself, but I felt like a blow fish about to explode if I didn't.
God has taught me that He wants to use me. He'll do all the work through me, I just have to be willing. This is true for all Christians. Maybe you don't feel called, like me, into full time ministry as a career, but you have been called by God to reach others for His Kingdom. And when you come face to face with that fact, and the real gravity of it, I believe it will drastically change your life.
I want to present a challenge to you. I don't know how many people read this blog, but I am doing to do this, and I would like you to join me.

My challenge is this: Ask God to show you what it will take for you to be the person He wants you to be. When He shows you--do it.
It sounds simple, but trust me its not. I have been saying this prayer for a few weeks now: "God, what do you want me to do for you, today?"
I told you in my recent post, He asked me to give up television. He has asked me to give up dreams. He has asked me to love people who are hard to love. He has asked me to find time for Him first. These are not easy things. But I find that when I just do them, I find peace with a God who loves me more than I could imagine. And He is more than able to take care of me, despite what I think.