Remember When...

While doing my reading this morning I was reminded of something I wrote in a post several months back, and after looking up said post I ended up spending the next hour or so skimming back through the 3 years of this blog's existence. I first started sharing my adventures and my journey through life when I got to Utah in 2010, and a LOT has happened in those 3 years. 2 jobs, 2 boyfriends, 3 houses, 2 married siblings, 1 niece, 2 nephews, and many lessons learned along the way. As I adventured through my own past I was reminded of the story of the nation of Israel when they crossed the Jordan river in Joshua chapter four. God commanded Joshua to have a member from each tribe pick up a stone from the center of the riverbed and to set them up in a memorial on the other side. This was to be done so that when asked of their significance they could explain the story of God's faithfulness for generations to come. In some ways this blog serves as my "memorial stones" in my life. Looking back over where I started when I got here, the seasons He has brought my life through, to where I am now, tears of joy and gratefulness in God's never ending faithfulness and mercy and grace flow anew. Here are a few lessons I have been reminded of today as I walked down memory lane. If you want to see the original post I have linked each one.
Remembering to have faith like a child.
                           Learning to embrace the new instead of wasting all of my energy missing the old.
 Being willing to open my heart and my home, because whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him.
                                  That life is short and challenged about glorifying God with my time here.
Of the place of influence God has put me in as a woman.
               How who I am and how He created me has me right where He wants me, even if I'm "not normal".
Many lessons of learning what God wants me to do, and doing it.
                                     Above everything else is that God really is faithful beyond a shadow of a doubt.

All of that said I feel rejuvenated as write this, encouraged, refreshed, and so very glad God laid it on my heart those years ago to write and share my journey. Here is to the future, wherever it may lead.

I Can Be Your Friend La La La

For some reason the sermons at church the past few weeks have inspired many a Veggie Tales tune in my head, from french peas singing and throwing slushies off the wall at Jericho to Moses talking to the burning bush. So, naturally, as I was sitting here thinking this morning another tune sung by my favorite childhood vegetables came to mind.

Even in how busy I've been working with all of the singles at church and amongst other friends God has been working in my life on where my security lies. As I was sitting here this morning a conversation I overheard way back at my first year apprentice graduation came to mind. We were spreading sawdust in the barn the day before and a friend made a comment about how she doesn't fit in a box, and as the ranch director walked by he said that if she got back in the box more often she'd have more friends. What stuck in my mind is that yes, if we fit in a specific box we may have more friends who are all in the same box, but then what influence would we have for Christ if we were all in the same place? What about the misfits? Or the people in other boxes? This has been heavy on my heart the past week as I've struggled with feeling like I'm in a lot of people's back pocket for when they need something, but not a choice for social stuff and fun stuff. A lot of times it feels like if I want to be a part then it has to be my idea or my sister's idea. Even as tears flow anew this morning I know it's OK. In the words of one of my mentors, "God sets apart those He wants to use greatly." It is a blessing in disguise to not fit in a box, because it allows me to interact with a broader range of people.