Influenciation

Influenciation: the process of learning what we want to influence us and how we want to let it influence us. It is valuable to note that most experts have asserted that we are influenced by stimuli without consciously knowing it. Also see: Divine influenciation, which concerns a similar process of growing attune to what God wants us to learn and being influenced by Him.

Ok, so I totally made that up, if you couldn't tell. However, it really sums up this season in my life and I just wanted to try to define it for myself and the reader of this "blog." I have never in my life been so aware of the growth that is taking place and needs to take place with in me. I was told the other day by my dear cousin that Sophomore year of college is supposed to be the most difficult year of your journey through Academia. Well, I don't know if this is true for everyone, or for what specific reason it may be true for me, but I can venture to say that it may involve these few factors-
1. I have only been living "independently" from my parental units for a little over than a year now and as the time progresses I am faced with dealing with a variety of things that previously they worried about.
2. I was saved by God's living, breathing, grace just last summer and now I am here trying to sort through all the implications of being a woman of faith that are so contradictory to my life before that point.
3. I'm supposed to be a woman. Ok, so not that I'm apposed to being a woman, don't get me wrong I'm definitely not a feminist, I'm sooo for being feminine, but the idea of being a grown up, a woman not just a girl, well, it's not easy to figure out what that really means.
4. Going along with growing up, I'm figuring out what is important to me, what I want to do for the rest of my life, what people are really pivital and important in my life, how to have meaningful relationships with people, and how to teach and be taught.

As I write this however, I am once again reminded of the passage that helps to title this blog.

"...because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." - Hebrews 10:14

No matter how discouraged I can become, I must remember that this is a PROCESS. God is making me holy, in HIS time, but through Christ I have been saved. What a strange thing to work through. I once heard it said this way, "He has sanctified forever, those who are BEING sanctified."

Perhaps the hardest part is that although it is a process, only God knows each step.