Reflections/Blessings

Let me start by saying, I'm not going to talk about the obvious. I will simply say this, it makes me sad to my very core when children are hurt for no reason at all.  If you know me at all, you know I have a heart that burns for children, I mean they are pretty much my life. Children and families are my ministry field. When tragedy  happens I desire to reach out to those hurt and pray for ways to do so. With that said, I ask you to pray, pray even when you have no words, just let the Lord know what's on your heart and your mind and He'll help you. He's our fortress and our strength. That is something to never, ever forget.
Now, with that out of the way and said before I start crying, can you believe it's that time of year
AGAIN! Wow! The semester is over, Christmas is almost here, New Years too and my birthday. Whew! It all just seems to roll around faster and faster every year.
 It's often during this time of the year that I become reflective and look back on the year and my life over all. Especially this year. Why? Well, I mentioned my birthday earlier. It's not until the 15th of January but it's already hitting me. Why? Well, I'll be 25. Twenty- five. Now many would say "OH! Twenty-five! That's not a big deal." To them I say yeah right, not a big deal.
I didn't think it would be a big deal either and then one day it hit me. I'm not at all where I always thought I would be when I got to twenty-five. I thought by twenty-five I would be married and be a full time day care teacher. I thought I would still be in Ruston, considering getting a Master's from Tech. I thought my life would look much different.
This is my life:  I have none of those things. I am single (I won't go into that whole mess, but I'm grateful for this season), I'm getting a Master's degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, I'm still a part time teacher at a day care, I teach Mission Friends to toddlers, and I'm thinking about getting a teaching degree when I'm done here. I feel like somewhere between 15 and 25 EVERYTHING changed. I went from wanting to be chef to a nutritionist, to thinking about being a pediatric nurse to realizing I really, desperately wanted to work with children. Then in college, I tried to convince myself (and the Lord, gulp) that I wanted to do college ministry. I surrendered to children's ministry my junior year and  started looking at one seminary. Well, when that seminary closed it's childcare center, and with that I knew NOBTS would be the place. Then I tried to go the extension route and that wasn't cutting it so here I am. In New Orleans, working on a MACE, wondering where I'll end up next.
I think about where I am now and where I've been. It's crazy! But through it all, God has worked greatly. It's amazing to me that I where I am now is  not because I've anything I've done. These were always the plans, this is always where I was going to end up. I just didn't know it. He did though. He knows what's around the next corner. And the best part of that is, He's preparing me for it! So as this time of year rolls around I think about blessings and answered prayers and the way things are, I got inspired to write about this from a song in a movie I watched the other night while keeping some precious children.White Christmas is my number one favorite Christmas movie. I LOVE it! It's so good, and if you've never seen it, please do yourself a favor and watch it! But this song, A) made me cry B) made me want to worship the King right there in this families home. I was reminded of the MANY blessings He's given me over my almost 25 years and I think that I'm good with the way life is now. I'm going to enjoy it and thank Him for it every single day. Why? Because He has perfect and pleasing plans for the next 25 years of my life and I can't wait for them! So enjoy this little song and remember to count your blessings and to have a blessed Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

peace, love, flowers & grace
CA