Katie's prayer: Kutless' "Perspectives"

If feels like your life's crashing down all around you.

Three weeks from today, I will graduate from college. I'm getting ready to leave behind the world I've always known. I've gone to school since I was 5, and suddenly, I have to change that?! Not only that, but I have to find a job too! And before I do that, I have to decide where I'm going to live! And there are friends leaving that I might not ever see again, cause let's face it, there's always talk of "oh we'll see each other, we'll get together at some point in the future." but it never really happens. So many things are coming to an end, and I really don't want them too. My world IS crashing down around me.

Let me ask if it's really so bad

If you think about it though, it's not all that bad. I'm privileged that I can even go to college, much less graduate. I'm privileged to have such great friends that I never want to leave. I'm privileged to have the awesome resume I have and the amazing possibilities of jobs before me. I'm privileged. Other people are not as lucky as me. There are many out there who I'm sure would much rather be in my position of not knowing what's next, but having many possibilities. Sometimes it's so easy for me to forget about them and worry only about me

Chris' prayer: Kutless' "Perspectives"

Freedom is sometimes just simply another perspective away

This song reminds me of a trick I taught myself several years ago when I was waiting tables.

There would be days at the restaurant where nothing was going right. The managers were on me for not keeping the side stations stocked, a customer was mad because I had taken just too long to get her refill, the bussers were mad because I was not helping out with bussing the tables, and the cooks, well, the cooks were always mad. I just couldn't catch a break, and my perspective would suffer. I would reflect the anger placed on me outward and be in a bad mood.

It was clearly not a healthy situation. One particular instance, though, I reminded myself that Christmas was coming up, and I began to sing to myself one of my favorite Advent hymns, just repeating "Prepare ye the way of the Lord," to myself over and over again. Bus a table– prepare ye, stock the side station– the way of the Lord. I would focus on nothing outside of that song as I went around doing whatever it was I was supposed to be doing. That was my prayer, repeated again and again.

And slowly, my mood would change. A favorite song, even when heard at a bad time, still had the power to turn my day around. And it's a trick that I still use to this day when nothing seems to be going right. Freedom [from my sour mood] really is sometimes just another perspective away.


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Megan's prayer: Kutless' "Perspectives"

Why can't you see that freedom is sometimes simply another perspective away?

I've been told that misery loves company. This semester has been a perfect example of this. School has been overwhelmingly stressful and full of projects. When you are surrounded by 30 other girls going through the exact same thing, it becomes very easy to have a pity party.

And we partied hard this semester. Before classes, after classes, at lunch, sometimes even during class. Even a few teachers would join in. It has just been a stressful semester.

Why can't you see that freedom is sometimes simply another perspective away?

While the number of assignments due has not decreased, a new perspective has been helping me deal with the stress a bit better. Instead of being held back by the stress and only focusing on that, I've freed myself from it. I know that my work will get done, I just need to stay focused and have a positive attitude. The pity parties got me no where. I've finally realized that in order to make this a successful semester, I have to take a new perspective. I have to trust in myself, and trust in the fact that everything will get done, and that everything will turn out okay in the end.

Catie's prayer: Kutless' "Perspectives"

It feels like your life's crashing down all around you
Let me ask if it's really so bad
Look at the world in it's suffering
Can you honestly tell me that know one else could understand
All of the hurting inside

So many times I forget that my life isn't that bad. I get complaining about how I have too much to do, about a class I don't like, whatever. I forget that there are such bigger problems in the world than mine. I also forget that there other people who get it. They understand what I'm going through and we could help each other out if open to it. God puts people in our lives for a reason. He knows what we're going through. He's there to help us. God puts other people in our lives at certain points in our life for a reason. They are put there by God to help us along the way. God is there for us always, but we have to be the one to go to him.

Jen's prayer: Kutless' "Perspectives"

Ha. Ha.
That's what I thought of as soon as I read the first two lines of "Perspectives":

It feels like your life's crashing down all around you
Let me ask if it's really so bad

I have had an additional stress since my newspaper started doing a weekly video on a popular television show. We aren't tech savvy, so it's been interesting. One week the video is too long and can't be uploaded, then this week the audio comes in and out due to a software malfunction. It gets to be so frustrating and then as I sit down to do this blog and I read, "Let me ask if it's really so bad." Ummm...no. It's not. On Tuesday night I was at a Bible study and we were praying that we would be able to find a peace and rest in Jesus. That we would be able to not let these life's distractions get us down. Because when you're in constant prayer, little things seem just that - little. Yet here it is just a few days later and I'm letting life's little frustrations and distractions like stupid electronics get in my way. Tsk Tsk, Jen. I'm praying that God changes my perspective so I can see things through His eyes where little stuff is no problem.