Graduation Night - Class of 2012

Tonight I had an opportunity to experience and be a part of my school, New Hope Christian College's Graduation Commencement Ceremony.  It was very inspirational, especially since I had a chance to see and get to know most of these kids my first year.

The ceremony started off with Albert blowing the traditional Hawaiian Conch Shell, officially calling the ceremony to begin.  Mia gave a beautiful prayer for the graduates; Dr. Randy gave his opening welcome; Dr. Guy spoke about the school year theme "Discover"; Pastor Gary Lau introduced and confirmed the graduates; Pastor Wayne gave the student body and graduates a charge to "serve God with a joyful and glad heart"; and Jasmine, the Hebrew teacher prayed in Hebrew {which was very touching}; and there was even a video yearbook {and I had a 3 second airtime -- so cool!}.

As Pastor Wayne spoke, he said that we must "scrub our hearts daily", to be joyful and have a clean heart to serve Him.  He gave a charge with a warning that what he was about to say was challenging.  He quoted Deuteronomy 28:47-48 "If you do not serve the Lord your God with joy and enthusiasm for the abundant benefits you have received, you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you.  You will be left hungry, thirsty, naked, and lacking in everything.  The Lord will put an iron yoke on your neck, oppressing you harshly until he has destroyed you." NLT. These words hit hard because I have been complaining about little things.  I haven't been faithful in the little things and because of my disobedience, I haven't liked myself lately.  I want to have a clean heart, but to also love and serve Him with joy and gladness.  That is my prayer:

"Lord, I'm a failure daily.  Thank you so much for your grace, let me not take advantage of it but learn and grow from your lessons and rebuke.  I want to want to love you, to have that joy. to drink from your living water and feed from your daily bread.  Help me to become the woman you want me to be, to inspire others, to love others the way your love them, but more importantly, to love you as much as I could possibly love you and more.  I love you.  IJN, Amen."

It was an amazing ceremony, which made me think about how my year "Discovering" flew by.

As I process what I had Discovered this year, I realized that this year was like a field trip into the Discovery Zone of God.  There is so much that I did Discover, and if I were to say it in a few short sentences, it would be -- I discovered that God loves me, and wants me to fall in love with Him and know that He IS enough.  I need to stop searching in other things, trust Him, and rest in His love.  He is ever so faithful and I want to be faithful to Him.

In a few years, I will be on that end of the ceremony, with pomp and circumstance receiving my degree but I know what God will teach me and let me grow through my schooling at NHCC will be worth every moment.  I hope I never want to just "go through the motions".