APPLE JACS WEEK 3

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!
I'm definitely counting down the days until we can all be reunited again (17 days for those who were wondering). I miss everything about home especially during the busiest time of the school year. 
Emotionally/Spiritually:
I'm at the bittersweet stage of this semester where I'm STOKED that there's only 3 weeks left...but then I'm all like, "how in the WORLD am I suppose to get everything done in a short 3 weeks?!". I'm working on a research paper on MOTIVATION and don't have the slightest bit of motivation to complete it (oh, the irony). Sometimes when I'm drowned in my books, papers, and academics I get to a point of frustration where I think, "What is the point of doing all this? I feel like I'm wasting my time...am I even called to be a teacher?" Where is God in the midst of all this? Does he even care? Insecurities start to creep in and it's easy to get caught in Satan's little lies. During one of my devo times I was reminded of a story I once saw on tumblr. I will try and re-tell it correctly: 
Once upon a time there was a man called Tyrone* who was very sick. One night he had a vision that God wanted him to PUSH this ENORMOUS boulder sitting outside of his house. In the morning he got out of bed and pushed, and pushed, and pushed this boulder with all his might until night time. Tyrone* did this for days, weeks, and then months. After more than half a year of pushing, the man didn't feel any progress being made so he got a measuring tape to see how far he had pushed the rock. It didn't budge a millimeter. Tyrone* was furious and disappointed because he put so much effort into what seemed like nothing! In the midst of this emotional breakdown, Jesus actually appeared next to him and asked what was wrong. Tyrone* poured out his frustrations and weaknesses. But Jesus calmly replied, "Hey, didn't I just ask you to PUSH against the rock? I never desired for you to move it! Why  don't you take a look in the mirror?" Tyrone* did as he was asked and noticed that his once-sickly body was now strong. He developed toned biceps and a nice 6-pack (oh, shoot). Pushing the rock all these months made him a strong and healthy person again! He may have thought he was wasting his life following what God wanted him to do, but in actuality it was through his OBEDIENCE that God was able to bless and fulfill the plans he had for Tyrone*.
*name changed to protect identity. Or maybe just cause I forgot the real name. 
So moral of the story: push against a boulder for a couple months to obtain a six-pack. KIDDING!
This story was relatable in the sense that I, like Tyrone, have reached a point of frustration where I believe I'm obeying God by fulfilling his calling, but feel like nothing is happening. The amount of time, effort, energy I invest into this seems like a waste. I don't see any direction or end in sight. But God calls us to have FAITH and be OBEDIENT to him. He is always working in us, even if we fail to see it. I know God does care and pray that he can reveal himself to me and that I will be able to glorify him, even through my works. 

Verses:
Oh, the infamous "light of the world" verses. Always such a great reminder to...shine bright like a diamond! JK haha. But what a privilege it is to be a LIGHT for this dark world. The Word says that this light shouldn't be hidden. In my California History class we learned about the gold rush and how this guy called James Marshall was the first person to discover gold-something people had only dreamed about. Instead of keeping this secret to himself, he proclaimed it to the world. And what happened? This ignited excitement for MILLIONS and thousands came over to California to seek this treasure. God's WORD and his GOOD NEWS is the GOLD and LIGHT of this world and most definitely shouldn't be kept hidden. We are set on this hill so that others can see and follow it. I don't think that the light refers to merely doing good work/deeds/actions. Instead, it is being a living testimony of God's grace and through this, people should be able to have a glimpse of our Creator. This light makes us Christians set apart. This light brings hope to this sinful world. This light brings glory to God.

Physically: Well, today was our last real class in weight training. I hope I can continue my workout routine and be motivated to keep my body healthy. My mom says she's going to make Jojo and I go jogging everyday when we get back. I am less than thrilled about this. 

Have a great rest of the week!
Be kind, love God, and make good choices :)

LOVE,
J-Qwellyn

Cute pic of the week: