Expectations

You may have already heard about this research before, but just take five minutes to watch this youtube video to learn about the Pymalion Effect. For some reason, I can't embed it into the blog post, but if you click "this" it should take you to the video! I first heard about this study when I studied A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado (which I recommend reading) during my senior year of high school with Sarah & Sarah. I had to watch this video for my PSYC100 class which has been really interesting so far. Interesting, but so different from my other science classes!

In the study, all the students were tested in the beginning of the year. Then the researcher randomly picked students, despite their test scores, and told the teacher that they were the ones that were going to "bloom" that year. What amazes me about this study that although the teacher wasn't consciously trying to treat the "smarter" kids better, she did. And she didn't know she did! The students she had higher expectations for ended up meeting the expectations and tested to be smarter at the end of the year. This study really amazes me because it shows that teachers' expectation for their students can shape the students' learning, goals, and eventually their future. As a youth group teacher, I want to have high expectations for them and hope in and for them. I want them to live this one life they have for God and not just for themselves. I want to see them grow and bloom. However I realized that in order to do that, I must give and teach them the tools to do so. My life should also be transparent - that they see that it's not always easy to walk the narrow path. That they will struggle and struggle, but despite their struggles God will never leave them. For me to lead, I need to dig further into God's word - and grow in my personal relationship with God. I also need to teach them to read the Bible and to depend on God. During the retreat, Pastor Jane said something that really caught my attention. She asked her youth groups kids - "why do you have to read your Bible?" and they answered "because it's the word of God" and things like that. But her answer really surprised me. She said, "You have to read your Bible because I'm going to leave." (paraphrased) But that has been on my mind. Even though she's with them right now, one day she's going to have to leave. In the same way, I won't be with them forever. We cannot live our Christian life depending on other people's relationship with God. Also no one else can live my Christian life for me. Only I can. And in the same way, I can't live out my Christian life for the youth groups kids. Only they can. It's really hard to teach, correct, and rebuke but I believe that as teachers, these are our responsibilities.

I am so excited for the journeys God is going to take each one of them when they say yes!

Worship is Life Part 1

Although the "Worship is Life" retreat was mainly for the youth group kids this past weekend, I was so blessed! Throughout the retreat, I was reminded of the joy of my salvation. I will write a longer post reflecting on what I learned this past weekend (hopefully tomorrow or Thursday). But for now, I just wanted to share a bit of what God has been placing on my heart. I believe that God is doing something in our midst - he's stirring hearts because he's going to do big things! And he's doing it here in College Park. As I saw the youth group kids truly worshiping God, God stirred my heart to hope - to hope for their futures and for others not because they're perfect and will never fall, but because He is good. We will all stumble and fall, but no matter how hard or far we fall, God calls us to get back up again. As I see the subtle change in my sister's heart and her newfound genuine faith, I remembered that God too, first met me at a youth group winter retreat. And I am so soo thankful that he met me there because life has been so much different since then! If you are interested, you can read the first part of my sister's testimony here!

& thank God for snow days!

Spring 2015

It's hard to believe that another semester has begun and it's only been the second week of school. It's exciting to be back, but at the same time, it can get overwhelming very fast! I know you cannot define people through their personalities and personalities can change as you go through life, but I am always fascinated by the Myers Brigg Personality Test. A few weeks ago, I was reading the descriptions of INTJ, and I couldn't help laugh at how accurately it described me (of course, not every single part, but most of it). At the same time, I realized that it's difficult for me to communicate and express my thoughts and ideas to others. It takes me a long time to really think through things and form them into words and paragraphs. Maybe that's why I like to post pictures, haha. Despite the busy-ness of the semester, I hope that I can take some time this year to reflect and share what I'm learning! (And hopefully you can do the same!)

So what's new? I really believe that 2015 is a year of hope. When I started college, I couldn't help feeling that I was spiritually backsliding. It seemed that whenever I looked back at my spiritual life in high school, it was full of so much joy and hope. Back then,I honestly believed that God could do anything. I wondered - was it because I didn't know and understand the harshness of life? How did I have so much faith that God could do unspeakable things such as heal cancer? How did I have so much hope for others? How did I even have Bible study every week with my Bible teacher even when I was busy? During freshman year, my eyes opened to the tragedies of this world, and to sum it up, I would say I lost hope. But I believe that it's time to hope again. However, my hope is not grounded in my circumstances or how I feel. We have this unshakable hope because it's rooted in Jesus. January was a journey of learning more what hope is. Romans 5:3-5 says, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." From this verse, I learned that if all of these thing produce hope, hope must encompass all of these things - suffering, perseverance, and character. Although hope seems to be a concept that I know of because I heard it so often, it's a concept that I am learning more deeply about. The dictionary definition for hope is "a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen." Hope requires waiting. But waiting for what? When I think about waiting, it sounds unpleasant. Waiting requires patience, which I thought I had a lot of (but I realized I really don't). But when we hope, we are not wasting our time waiting. Instead of rushing into things, we are waiting for the Lord for his perfect timing. Why? We trust that his will for our lives is higher than the plans we have for our lives.

Aug gave a youth group message on Psalm 37:1-7 in January which was really encouraging.

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes."

Psalm 37:7

After I sort of had an understanding of hope, I wondered - what does it look like? What does a hopeful person look like? Then during Bible study, Romans 12:12 really stood out to me. "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." A hopeful person looks joyful. And from then on, it's been a journey of learning to be joyful! It also reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Yes, being joyful always is God's will for us. And like hope, joy is not rooted on our circumstances, but in Jesus.

Here's something that I have been reminded of recently.
Background: one snowy day
Words written with an Aquash brush

As the new year began, I have been trying to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer (and discipline). It's been really difficult, but I believe that God is going to do big things. And I can't wait to see how God will unfold things in my life and in the lives around me! The youth group winter retreat will be February 13-15 (next weekend)! I invite you to join with me in prayer for the guest speaker, Pastor Jane & Pastor Jason, as well as all the youth group kids that will attend. (: