ATTENTION, ATTENTION!
I have the pleasure of introducing you to one of my dearest bloggy friends!
If you have not yet met Meredith of Two Texans and discovered her gem of a blog, then you need to hop on over there STAT! We are swapping guest posts today! :)
This girl radiates, I mean radiates, inner AND outer beauty. You know why? Because she's madly in love with Jesus AND her hubby of only 4 months, whoohoo! Yay for newlyweds! Aren't they the cutest?!! I'm so excited to have her here today! Welcome, twin! :)
When you're done reading this incredible guest post, go on over to her blog and say hello!
You can find this pretty lady here! --->
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Hey y'all, I'm Meredith!
I'm SO excited to be here today! Heather is one of my favorite blog friends...She's ridiculously fabulous and it's been such a joy getting to know her better. So a big thanks to her for asking me to guest post here!
Me? Well, you'll usually see me at my home-blog, Everything Espey. It's all about my life as a saved by grace, bargain hunting, Tex-Mex and fro-yo obsessed, newly married Texan transplanted to Utah. My husband Charlie and I are figuring this life out (with God's help) as we go, and we'd love for y'all to join us.
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God always gives you what you would have asked for if you knew everything he knew.
Tim Keller
The "where do you see yourself in 5 years" question always makes me laugh a little bit.
5 years ago, circa 2006, this was me:
Tim Keller
The "where do you see yourself in 5 years" question always makes me laugh a little bit.
5 years ago, circa 2006, this was me:
I was a sophomore in college, just doing the college girl thing. Yes, the second picture is with my then best friend (not on the radar as boyfriend or husband yet) Charlie. Don't we look so young?! I was 19...still a teenager!
If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be married to Charlie and living in Utah, I would have laughed in your face and then cried thinking it might be true. I never would have put myself here. Ever. I guess I should never say never! Utah was one of those states that didn't cross my mind as a possibility. I love all things Texas and I never allowed myself to think beyond what I knew.
When I moved out here, I was married to my best friend and absurdly thankful for long distance dating to be over (after more than a year!), but I let my emotions run wild and stampede reality. I started feeling that it was too hard to make a new life here - and idealized my life in Texas. I felt lonely, and after a while began to feel like God's provision was punishment. But that's the tricky thing with feelings - they can seriously mislead you. Feelings alone are an unreliable source for navigating life.
When I married Charlie, I didn't put limitations on it. I didn't say "I'll marry you only if we live in Texas or only if you keep me in my comfort zone." I made an unconditional commitment to him and his leadership - as I had made to God many years before. This move to Utah has also led me to believe more than ever that God is God and I'm (definitely) not. And reliance on the belief in God's sovereignty is crucial to my joy, no matter where we go.
Sometimes that's a tough concept to grasp. We believe that our limited view is all that exists. We plant ourselves in the center of the universe and push out the idea that God's path could be better. I envision an ostrich with its head in the sand; pretending nothing exists outside the hole in the ground.
If you had told me 5 years ago that I would be married to Charlie and living in Utah, I would have laughed in your face and then cried thinking it might be true. I never would have put myself here. Ever. I guess I should never say never! Utah was one of those states that didn't cross my mind as a possibility. I love all things Texas and I never allowed myself to think beyond what I knew.
When I moved out here, I was married to my best friend and absurdly thankful for long distance dating to be over (after more than a year!), but I let my emotions run wild and stampede reality. I started feeling that it was too hard to make a new life here - and idealized my life in Texas. I felt lonely, and after a while began to feel like God's provision was punishment. But that's the tricky thing with feelings - they can seriously mislead you. Feelings alone are an unreliable source for navigating life.
When I married Charlie, I didn't put limitations on it. I didn't say "I'll marry you only if we live in Texas or only if you keep me in my comfort zone." I made an unconditional commitment to him and his leadership - as I had made to God many years before. This move to Utah has also led me to believe more than ever that God is God and I'm (definitely) not. And reliance on the belief in God's sovereignty is crucial to my joy, no matter where we go.
Sometimes that's a tough concept to grasp. We believe that our limited view is all that exists. We plant ourselves in the center of the universe and push out the idea that God's path could be better. I envision an ostrich with its head in the sand; pretending nothing exists outside the hole in the ground.
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As time has passed, I've seen so much more of the picture here. When it seemed like I couldn't stand it anymore, he placed the next stepping stone in front of me. He provided friends, he provided opportunities for me to put my roots down; he has made all things new. I used to pray, "Lord please let us go back to Texas now." And I see that he wasn't just saying no or not yet, he was leading us somewhere different - somewhere better.
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21
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You probably aren't where you envisioned yourself to be 5 years ago. I'd wager that every one of you is either approaching a change, in the middle of one, or just adjusting to one. If you feel like you can't stand it anymore, take heart and hang tough. As my favorite hymn says, he is with you day by day:
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
