MY BLOG POSTS

I just returned from an extended weekend trip where my husband and I celebrated not one but TWO major events: his doctoral graduation and our 18th anniversary.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook (Krista Abney McGee), Instagram, or Twitter (KristaMcGeeYA for both) already know all this because I blew up my sites posting pics of these celebrations. But those sites don’t allow me to go into detail. And while I know a picture is worth a thousand words, a thousand words are still sometimes necessary (actually, more like 500, but whatever…).

So here’s the scoop:

Graduation

Since the summer of 2011, my husband, Dave, has been working on his Doctorate of Education. He traveled to Wake Forest, NC sixteen times over the last three years to attend seminars toward this degree, then he came home to read thousands of pages and write hundreds of pages about topics related to those seminars. Oh, yes. And it gets better: once he finished all those courses and all those books and all those papers, he  spent several months compiling data/research into a 250-page dissertation whose title is longer than some of my AP students’ in-class essays. Why did do all this, you ask?? Because my husband is a teacher – a gifted teacher. He has an advanced Masters degree in Theology, but he wanted to add to that so he could teach the Bible better. All those seminars and books and papers? They helped make him a better teacher and they allowed him to create lessons to put all that he was learning into practice. (If you’re reading this and happen to know of a Christian college looking for a phenomenal, godly, amazing professor who will not only teach God’s word but live it out…message me. Free books for life if the job works out ;)). Dave graduated on Friday from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. I was so blessed to be able to meet the professors and colleagues he had been telling me about for so long. It was a beautiful time.

Anniversary

Since we were already taking the time off to go up to North Carolina for graduation, and since our kids were already being well taken care of by fabulous family and friends, we stopped off in Savannah on our way home to celebrate our anniversary. On May 18, 1996, Dave and I were married at Grace Baptist Church in Winter Haven, FL. It was a simple wedding and simple reception. We neither wanted nor could afford a big expensive wedding, so we had friends help arrange flowers, family prepare the food, and loved ones join us as we pledged our lives to God and each other. We certainly never expected the roller coaster that has been these 18 years. We have gone through some amazing times and some rotten times. We have been through a lot of just plain old boring times, too.  But we both agree that our marriage is stronger now than it has ever been; and though neither of us are perfect, our God is, and we can trust Him with whatever crazy plans He has in store for the next 18 years!

Our weekend in Savannah was fantastic. We ate bangers and mash at Churchill’s Pub, and southern soul food at The Pirate House. We marveled at the architecture of the city’s glorious old houses and basked in the cool breezes blowing in off the river. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend.

I hate waiting. I hate ambiguity. I hate instability. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to make definitive plans. I want to pray for something and see the answer right away.

In many cases, I’d prefer a “no” to a “wait.” At least “no” is definite. I might be disappointed, but I can move on. Waiting prevents moving on.

Yesterday, in church and in family devotions, we studied the story of Hannah (I Samuel 1). Hannah prayed and begged and waited for a child. She was mocked for her childlessness and even for her faith that God would answer her prayers for a child. She was broken and desperate.

We know what Hannah didn’t – God had planned for her to have a child all along. That child would be a great man of God, remembered for thousands of years. We know that because we have the whole story. All Hannah knew, as she was praying, in tears, at the temple, was that her greatest desire was going unfulfilled.

Hannah wanted a child, prayed for a child, begged for a child; ultimately, she promised God that, should he give her a child, she would dedicate him wholly to God. When Samuel was weaned, she brought him to the temple and said, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

I got stuck on that aspect of the story. Had Hannah gotten pregnant right away, would she have given her child for God’s service? This is purely speculation, but my guess is no. I think if she’d had a child right away, she would not have let him go. I wonder if God delayed because he knew better than Hannah what she needed. He needed her to get to the point where she was willing to give even her deepest heart’s desire to Himself.

His plans were greater than her immediate desires, and the answer to her prayer was far greater than she could ever imagine.

I don’t know about you, but that encourages me. I am in a “waiting” phase right now. I know what I want, and I know God isn’t giving it to me. I have moments of frustration, moments of anger, moments of tears. But, through this story, I am reminded that God’s plans are far better than mine. That there are lessons to be learned in the waiting that I couldn’t learn if I got the quick “yes” or “no” that I think I want.

I reminded that, though I do not know the whole story, I do know the Author of the story, and I can trust Him with my fears and my future.

Have you ever been out for the day – without your charger – and seen this….?

Then you start getting the countdown…18%….12%….5%…Goodbye

It can be stressful, right? You NEED that phone. You kick yourself for forgetting the charger, you beg friends – maybe even strangers – for just a few minutes’ use of theirs. Anything to keep it alive. And if it does die, you feel lost. How will you know what’s trending? What if a perfect Instagram moment drops into your lap and you can’t record it?? The horror!

I’ve been studying the book of John, and last week I read chapter 15, where Jesus talks about abiding in the vine.  Even a non-gardener like myself knows that grapes can’t grow unless they’re attached to the life-giving vine. And that’s the point Jesus was making: if you are to grow, you MUST stay attached to me. Not near me, beside me, or occasionally visit — attached.

As I read that, I thought of my iPhone. It helps me in so many ways – giving me directions, keeping me connected to loved ones, providing answers and coupons and music. But it could do none of those things if I don’t keep my battery charged. It would be useless without the battery.

Jesus is kind of like my iPhone’s battery. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. With him, I can do all things. There is no knowledge apart from Him, no growth apart from Him. I am useless when I am not “plugged in.”

Yet many people remain “unattached” to Jesus. They get an occasional “charge” at church or a youth event. But they aren’t really plugged in. This is easily remedied, though! Just plug back in. Get into God’s word, spend time with him in prayer, get together with other believers. Stay connected to Jesus EVERYDAY.

If you are getting the “Warning” Low Battery” signal in your spiritual life (easily angered; apathetic; frustrated; distant) – stop whatever you’re doing and plug into the Source! Recharge that battery. Every day. Don’t do less for your walk with Jesus than you do for your phone! Stay connected.

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” ~John 15:4

This Teacher Appreciation Week, I want to talk about a few of my favorite teachers.

I had the great fortune of having some terrific teachers. Believe it or not, I wasn’t the easiest kid to have in a classroom. I was the kid who was ALWAYS talking. And doing cartwheels in the hallway. And singing. And acting out my classwork. And making up stories of how my parents locked me in a closet and that’s why I didn’t do my homework….

I wasn’t the smartest or the hardest working or the most obedient student. So a few of my teachers REALLY got annoyed with me. Being a teacher myself, now, I totally understand why! But there were some who saw past the mess that was me. I’d like to tell you about a few of them:

Miss Dean (4th grade): Miss Dean was so fun. She sang with us, she let me show her my dance moves, and she came to see plays I was in. She didn’t let me get too crazy, but she did understand that, occasionally, I just needed to do a handstand. She found my creativity endearing, not annoying. She made school fun, and I loved going to her class. Because I was at a Christian school that year, she also taught me about Jesus. That was the year before I came to accept Christ as my Savior, and I know she planted many of the seeds that came to fruition in later years.

Mr. Jones and Mrs. Mizelle (11th and 12th grades): These two are together because they were the Choir and Drama teachers, respectively. I spent A LOT of time with them – in class and out of class. I’ll never forget six of us going to Mrs. Mizelle’s on a Saturday to practice choreography for our junior play; or the corny jokes Mr. Jones on the way to and from competitions. They spent a lot of time and a lot of energy on us. Because academics were not my thing in high school, it was these two who made high school bearable for me. Their classrooms were my “happy places”.

Coach Elkins (11th and 12th grades): In the ultimate form of irony, I was my high school’s FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) President. I have not one athletic bone in my body (proved once again just yesterday when I literally tripped over my own feet while playing kickball). But Coach Elkins let me in the group, anyway. She saw in me something I didn’t know I had: leadership ability. I know I had to have driven her up the wall in a hundred different ways, but she never gave up on me, and she constantly challenged me to live for Jesus every day.

What about YOU? Who were your favorite teachers and why?