Life...it never seems to go as planned

Today I was thinking about my life and the plans that I had for my life 12 years ago when I graduated from high school. At that time, I knew that the next step would be college. Although it took some time for me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, attending a Christian college was the vital piece of that puzzle. However, the school that I thought that should attend, versus the school that God had in mind for me didn't match up. Life wasn't going as planned. Years later I would be able to see why I needed to go to the school that I did...I wouldn't have met my husband otherwise, but at the time it felt like another instance of things not going as planned.

Once I realized that God was calling me into secondary teaching at a public high school, I put all of my time and effort into finishing what my parents had wanted for me...earning a degree and starting a career which would enable me to support myself regardless of what the future would bring. However, a horrible grammar course and a recommendation from a professor which all but bluntly stated that I was not teacher material, made me start to question what I had planned. I began to consider changing my major with only one semester to go. Things were not going as planned. However, this was all part of the growing experience and I kept moving forward with my current major. I made it through the semester and moved home.



By the spring of 2003, I had earned my BA in English and was teaching full-time at my current school site. Despite the negative recommendation, I was quickly hired and viewed as a valuable member of my department. Things seemed to be going as planned for the first time in a long time. I had achieved the career that I wanted... but I was alone.

I never dreamed that I would graduate from a Christian college with a degree and no prospects of a loving Christian husband. Although outwardly I tried to smile and trust that God has plans for me, but inwardly I wasn't convinced. Perhaps the companionship that I so desired was not what God wanted for me?
Then, out of nowhere I met Michael. I never dreamed that God was preparing me for a man living in Gilroy. Everything about our story screams of God's provision for us. We met at the perfect time, got engaged at the perfect time, Michael got a job in the northbay at the perfect time...God knew that plans that he had for me even when I thought that all hope was lost.



Now, life is moving ahead and things might seem pretty good to those from the outside looking in on our lives. However, life at this point is very different from what I had planned. Marriage is different, not bad but anyone who is married knows that it is not all roses and champagne- marriage is wonderful but it takes work everyday. Family is not what I had planned for this point in my life that isn't easy. My life seems to be screaming...but Lord this is not what I planned!!!

And there is the problem..."I"...do I really want what I have planned? Can a sinner like me really know what is best for my life? Do I even have the capacity to understand God's plans for my life? When I look back on my life, it seems that the things that didn't go according to plan were the things that ended up being perfect examples of God's amazing grace and mercy in my life. So...I am learning to rejoice when things don't go according to plan. My life has shown me that His mercies are new every morning.

Praise

Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield

Last night our church started a month long journey through P.R.A.Y. as part of a week night series. There are so many people who are hurting for a variety of reasons and these special services are a time to Seek His Face through corporate prayer and worship. Last night we focused on the P which stands for praise. It is so easy to lose sight of the fact that God is worthy of our praise through any and EVERY circumstance. God has promised that "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In light of this all that I can do is fall on my face and praise God for:

• My Salvation
• Hope
• Answered and Unanswered Prayer
• Christ
• The Cross
• The Ability to Serve
• Joy
• Saving the Lost
• My Family and Friends
• Air, Shelter, and Water
• Difficult Times
• Sorrow
• The Body of Christ

"How can I keep from singing Your praise?" Answer- I Can't

Settling in...

Happy to have a home...Kona is settling in nicely and her big brother is in love with her. Here are a few of the adorable pics that we have taken of her over the past two days. She is hyper, but has a really sweet side as soon as she gets tired. She likes our couch! Sleeping with daddy!
Looking for her brother under the table!

Kittens are so much fun!

Welcome to the Family

Yesterday we added to our family...introducing Kona! We adopted her from a rescue in Fairfield and she is so excited to have a new home. Khai seems to be adjusting well so far...we will introduce them tomorrow since she is still recovering from her spay surgery. She is a sweetheart and purrs constantly. Welcome to the family little Kona!

Top Ten of 2010...So far...

10. We spent the weekend in San Francisco in February. Michael was working, but I walked around the city and had lunch with my sister. It was a beautiful and warm weekend and it lifted my spirits in between rain storms.





9. The new season of Survivor has Villains and Heroes returning to fight it out for the million dollar prize. It has been so much fun to watch and I can't wait to see who wins!!





8. We purchased a new couch and it is the first one that we have owned which is comfortable for more than 10 minutes. It has been a blessing to us and makes it easier to entertain.





7. We have been getting to know some of the couples in our church recently and it has been a huge blessing for us both to have them in our lives.





6. Michael traveled very little during the month of January. It was so nice to have him home for dinner every night.





5. We have lived in our little townhouse rental for one year and we couldn't be happier that it was for rent at the perfect time. We can't wait for the weather to warm up so that we can add more flowers to the backyard.





4. We LOOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEE our dutch oven and I love that Michael has been cooking me dinner so often using it. It has been a yummy blessing.





3. Our kitty Khai is the sweetest ever and I can't imagine not having him around when Michael is out of town.





2. I am going to pull back on teaching night school and next week I will start teaching only one night a week until the end of the semester and then I will officially retire from night school leaving me free to focus on my full time job, full time!! It will be great to be home at night, especially when Michael is home.



1. Every day I get one day closer to 5 years of marriage with the love of my life and I couldn't be more blessed.

I love you babe and I can't wait for the next 5 years!!

London and Paris 2009 Recap

Our trip to London and Paris over the summer was AMAZING. Not onlt was Europe wonderful, but we loved having the opportunity to spend 16 days together 24/7! Since Michael is gone so much of the year for work, we needed this time to spend together. After waiting for our room for nearly 5 hours...after a long flight...we finally got showered and changed and headed out to our first pub!

Then we went to Covet Gardens did the first little bit of shopping. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by St. James' park before going to bed early. We were still on California time and so very tired!!

The next day we continued to explore London. Our hotel was right by The London Eye and Big Ben so we felt very lucky to see them both every day.

Gretchen showed us this cute little wine bar in an old cave cellar. The next day we headed to Bath and loved seeing the inspiration for Jane Austen's novel, Persuasion. I was enthralled the entire time.

Sally Lunn's had the best brioche buns with cinnamon butter ever! The river (avon) was beautiful and we never wanted to leave. Well...until the train broke down later that evening and we couldn't leave until hours later...hehe.

Jane Austen and I got along famously :) The gardens in the town are beautiful!

The Roman baths were even more spectacular than I had imagined them.

Michael at Tower Bridge and in front of Big Ben.

The "New Globe" and getting ready for Les Miserables!

Notre Dame

The Louvre and Le Tour Eiffel

Champs Elysses and Le Tour Eiffel... again :)

I love it when it sparkles...


Versailles!!

In memory of Bill and Margaret Smith.

I heart the Beatles and I heart London!!

What is True...

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." -Philippians 4:6-9

Everything that we have is from God. He controls where we live, what we have, and what our jobs are. He is a loving God and he knows what we need. The world warps that perception. Sin causes us to want to control our own destiny rather than what God wants for us. I feel myself fight God daily on this issue. Instead of saying, "God I want your will in my life," I tell Him, the Creator of the universe, what I want Him to do for me all the while never really trusting that He can do it. One thing that God is teaching me is to look for His will and not my own. I don't want to live a life of my own creation because only God can give me joy. Yet, when I ask Him to help me to live His will for my life and to give me peace to get through it, I need to trust that He can do it. This is the thinking on what is true part.

What is true...
1. I have been blessed with a wonderful husband.
2. Through everything that is going on in education right now I have not 1, but 2 teaching jobs.
3. I have been saved from my sin through Christ.
4. Every day I wake up and choose to find joy in whatever comes my way...and to trust that God can give me peace. (I am not claiming that I am at 100% in this, but I do know that it gets better with each new trial).

We can't spend our lives thinking about what may happen tomorrow. That is not what is true. More importantly we will never be freed from our sin if we don't believe that God can accomplish a miracle in us.

Choose to believe and He will change your life. Praise God for so great a salvation!