What I learned in my first week of school... not from school.

"[a righteous man] will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is secure, he will have no fear." Psalm 112:7-8

That verse pretty much sums up what I learned this week. [The first week of school. A full week of watching Channing + Gannon. The new schedule that I thought was going to be soooo easy. Puh! What little I know...] Note: The verse above is definitely NOT a picture of how I initially responded to the situation, unfortunately. But then I realized my wrong thinking, fixed it and the next day was 100x more peaceful in my heart - not so much circumstantially. Then a day or two later I came across that verse up there and it basically jumped out of my Bible and hit me in the face Friday morning as I ate my breakfast and drank some coffee. It hits home as far as who I want to be and how I should respond. No fear of bad news. A steadfast and secure heart. NO FEAR.

So how does one BECOME that? It's awfully contrary to our natural instincts, that's for sure. No formula or step-by-step process will do the trick. It's all about fearing GOD more than you fear MAN or circumstances. My good friend, Felicia, and I have talked a LOT about fearing the Lord lately because it's something that God has put heavily on her heart.

What does it mean to fear God?

Well. I'm still learning. I do know that we give power to that which we fear, whether it is a healthy fear or unhealthy fear. If I am afraid of a monster under my bed, I've given him power over my actions because 1. I might have trouble sleeping 2. Maybe I'll sleep with the light on 3. I would probably not sleep near the edge of the bed. I know that's a silly example, but it shows that my fear in the monster determines how I act/think. My fear in God also determines how I act/think. It's also important to note that I may fear monsters because they could "get me," but I fear God because I am in awe of His power and might... His grace covers over my sins, and I know that God is not out to "get me."

My goal? Eliminate all fear that I've placed in people or circumstances and turn it over to God.

I will NOT fear bad news, my heart WILL be steadfast and secure.