Institute

For those of you who don't share my faith, Institute is what we call our weekly Bible study class. I don't know why. I've really enjoyed my class this semester. The New Testament is a great text, and I've enjoyed Brother Baillio's approach to teaching. I also find it nice to be in a smaller class. I'm getting to know my class mates better, and it makes the potential for baking treats for everyone something other than a daunting task.

I think my favorite part of class this semester is that each week Brother Baillio leaves us with a challenge-something to work on during the week to keep us thinking about what we have learned, and to help us become more Christ-like, and to have lives full of joy, peace and love. While I may not have had some big, amazing experiences, the small quite ones mean more to me anyhow.

Our first challenge was to show more gratitude. Try to recognize even the small things that are blessings and express gratitude for them. Be grateful to the people who make your life as good as it is, and even grateful for the people who are trying-they are helping with learning and growth probably more than those we get along with easily. As I recognized things I was grateful for, and expressed that gratitude, I found more to be grateful for-the cycle repeated itself often. Try to be anything but happy when you realize how well cared for you are!

The second challenge was forgiveness. Forgive people, forgive yourself, forgive life. Holding on to a grudge will only hurt one person-you. The people you're angry with rarely know of your feelings, and sometimes don't care about your feelings. Learning to let go frees you of the burden, even if the circumstance is still bad, it helps with perspective. Forgiving others allows you to be forgiven, which brings with it the peace of progress toward the person God wants you to be. I love the knowledge that I can be free of my burdens, and I have felt freed as I tried to recognize those instances in which I should forgive, and done so.

Love was our third assignment. I find it easy to love, especially after a week of thinking about forgiving, and two weeks of thinking about gratitude. I started seeing people a little differently, forgiving them more easily for being human, and finding reasons to love everyone.

To me, a natural outgrowth of loving people is finding ways to show that love through actions. I thought it appropriate that service was our next assignment. I had trouble finding big things to do, and wonder if anyone noticed the small things I did. Whether they were noticed or not, my view was changed by my actions. In a cycle like the one I observed with gratitude, the more I did for my friends, the more able I felt to love them, and the more I wanted to do for them.

Optimism is our assignment for this week. With a life full of love, peace and joy, how can one not be optimistic? Situations do make it difficult sometimes, but for me, that's where faith comes in. I hope that by focusing on optimism, I can also become more aware of God's plan for me, and develop more faith in the fact that He knows what is best, even when I think things are not going well. Ask me how it went next week:)