"Consider the Ravens..."

Friends, I am in disbelief and awe of the words I'm about to write -- not because I'm any good at writing, but because God is so at work and I want to make sure to tell the story as it continues to unfold. At the start of 2018, I decided I was finally going to get a handle on my financial situation.  As I've watched friend after friend buy and move into houses of their own, it's become increasingly difficult to fight off envy.  But, because of choices I made in college (private, Christian education) my financial situation is a lot harder to find elbow room, and I finally realized that if it was ever going to change, I'm going to just have to own what I've signed on for and kick butt to pay it back.  I had wanted to take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class, but it just never worked out, until this January.  So, for the last 8 weeks, I've been outlining budgets, insurance, savings, etc and working SO hard to make sure that theory becomes reali...

The older I get, the more I realize the truth of this statement: "The only thing constant in life is change."  It's inescapable.  In fact, this very moment, even the biochemical processes in our bodies are seeking to change us, to age us, to heal us, and to grow us.  Change can feel pretty overwhelming.  If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know, I've seen some change in these last years. This month marks 15 months at my current employer.  This is the longest I have been with a single employer outside of international missions.  Part of me is a bit embarrassed or repulsed by that stat, after all, I've been out of college for 7 years.  But another part of me is relieved, because for the first time ever , I'm not facing a life-altering change like a career move or new education program in the foreseeable future.  I finally have a sustainable life rhythm.  The funny part is, the last 15 months have felt closer to 15 weeks....

      This time of year brings up lots of memories and emotions for seemingly all of humanity.  Parties, family gatherings, and favorite faith traditions dominate our calendars, and with them, an unusual amount of socializing...  It's in these moments we attempt to catch up with people we don't see as often as we would like or family that doesn't live nearby.  And it's these moments where the inevitable annual questions are asked: "So, how's work?" "Are you still living in the same place?" "How is your family doing?" And if you're single: "Are you... seeing anyone? (insert elbow jab here)" This year, my goal was to get both feet in the door and both shoes off before Grandma hit me with that last one.  Goal: achieved.  My second goal was to not roll my eyes when she finally asked.  Goal: failed.  Maybe next year. Truthfully, in the last 6 months, I've come to really appreciate the gift of my singleness.  I...

Last Fall, I landed a 30-hr/week job as a Kindergarten teaching assistant with one of the large metro schools here.  I had worked in the neighborhood of my assigned school a few years back and was aware of the demographics and what that might mean for the students I would interact with daily.  I knew, or at least assumed based on past experience, that this job would be a place that stretches me because this side of town was so different than my upbringing.  I knew I wouldn't fit in, even if I didn't mean to stand out.  But I was excited to do this job well, regardless of the challenges I might face. My students, for the most part, were from low-income families, often with just one parent, and in many cases, they were already considered to be at-risk children.  Almost all my students were people of color (non-white).  The school itself had been reinforced with community programming, services, and intervention programs to help support families with whatever...

I recently finished reading Lysa Terkeurst's book "The Best Yes."  In this real-life book about making better decisions in today's culture, she details hilariously relatable stories and moments that God used to refine her pace of life.  I initially started reading it because I'm a recovering perfectionist, and by association, a recovering workaholic (read: people-pleaser).  I kept reading it because she had a lot of great things to say past, "Stop over-scheduling yourself."  I finished it because I needed the answer to one of the heaviest questions in my life: What is my Best Yes for singleness?  What does it look like for a young woman, such as myself, to live a life that is undoubtedly following the Lord, but not in a position to pursue some of my longest-held dreams: marriage and a family? Disclaimer: at no point in this post will you find the ultimate answer to dating, finding your spouse, or a happy marriage.  These are just my reflections from ex...