I love today!

Why you may ask.....

Because today is my BIRTHDAY! I love that my birthday is in the spring. Everything seems so full of hope and promise. I am always reminded of the verses where it talks about that even if we don't praise the Lord it doesn't matter because the rocks and the trees will praise Him anyway. Spring is a TRUE testament to that.

(I get very reflective on my birthday) When I look over the past year the one thing that has covered this year is the Lord's gentle care and provision for me. Let me tell you...I always thought that life would look a lot different at 24. I had this vision in my head that I would be married to the perfect man, have the perfect job, and we would be happily living in our adorable house with a dog and I would be constantly whipping up amazing meals in the kitchen. Well...real life at 24 is that I am nannying because I left the country and don't have a fulltime job yet, definitely no husband, I am living in an adorable house (but it belongs to a great family that is graciously letting me live with them for a bit), I do not have a dog, but at least I got one part right. I AM whipping up some yummy meals in the kitchen! Last year the fact that life did not go AT ALL as planned kept me in a tizzy for awhile. Now. I am perfectly content with my life. That is only due to the goodness of the Lord. I know deep down that He has labored this year to draw me back to himself. He has gently allowed change to happen and recently he has totally provided for and blessed me in unexpected ways.

I also love that my birthday falls around Easter. I was actually born on Easter! I got new life on the same day that we celebrate Christ giving us all new life through His resurrection. I cannot wait to celebrate with my church family at Vintage21 on Easter! If you are reading this and you are not a part of a great church....you need to be! I have learned so much about what a community of believers can truly look like. Everyday I am amazed at the humility and sacrifice that the Pastors make for their church.

I am excited to see what being 24 holds for me! And hey....maybe a few of those things I have been hoping for will happen....a girl can dream right! I hope that you all enjoy this Holy Week and time celebrating our life in Christ through what He did on the cross!

this heart that's overcome.

The sun is finally out in North Carolina today. The chill of winter seems to be possibly blowing away. The first signs of spring were seen in my friends house when her husband brought her a single daffodil. In North Carolina...daffodils = springtime.

Life for me has been a bit crazy as of late. Somedays I think the Lord just wants to have fun with me and see how far He can push me. There have been seasons in my life where I have felt like the good things were always happening to everyone else. Never me. Most things do not come easily for me, but I realized this week that it is because God is reminding me over and over again that if I will only rely on Him--BIG things will happen. When I left for Uganda all I really wanted out of the trip was to come back changed. I wanted to serve God and others and in the process heal and change. I have been back for awhile now and I wasn't really sure if that change had happened. But last night at bible study I realized I had. When I left I had no purpose for life or any idea what I wanted to do with my time. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful...but what? My bible study leaders, Mary Kate and Jayson Humphrey (also wonderful friends), asked us last night what kind of legacy did we want to leave or what sort of things did we want to accomplish. My answer shocked me. I had been toying around with this idea....but I felt the Lord showing me that this is exactly what I am supposed to do.

Answer: I want to start an adoption program in the Triangle area that specializes in international adoption of HIV/AIDS orphans. I want to provide training and support groups for the parents before and after they adopt their children to educate them on how to successfully care for them.

DO WHAT!? I left for Uganda an Interior Design major with a shattered heart and broken dreams and I come home with THIS? That is evidence of the Lord taking my broken heart and dreams and substituting it with His whole heart. It is also due to one precious little boy named Joshua. He was at Sanyu Babies Home and he had a family wanting to adopt him. Then they found out that he was HIV positive and chose another baby. Look at his face. How could they leave him behind? Now he may never get proper treatment. So Joshua. Thank you for giving me a better story. And Lord, thank you for allowing my heart to be overcome by your heart and redirecting my life for Your purposes.