The past month has definitely been a season of favor, with so much to be thankful for.

In the past week we've joined a church up here and gotten plugged in and started serving through it, survived being sick, had some health tests come back with no problems, checked out Haven of Rest some more, and….I GOT A JOB! It's pretty cool how it all worked out, and completely not of me. I was looking for a job, but not really looking, (if that makes sense) because we've been trying to get pre-approved for a house, but long story short, our mortgage loaner told me to not get a job until the end of August when we'll probably close on the house. Well, a family friend of ours, Ms. Minister Kathy Borders , works at the Montessori school here in Anderson, and she's heading up the summer program there for the 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Well, they needed an assistant, so she told me to put in an application. Well, after a day, I had a job! Didn't see that coming! I guess my major should have been child and family development. jk. I'll learn by experience. I love people in general, and I know that this opportunity has come from nothing else but my faithful God, and I know that He has and will give me everything I need to bring glory to Him through it. (2 Peter 1:3). God even made a way for the job to work out with us getting approved because for right now, it's just considered a summer job. However, in August, it could lead to something else! :) Maybe it will lead to something more, maybe not. But how cool is it to be given an opportunity, and to just throw yourself into it, and rely on God to give you what He knows is best for you.. God really is faithful and never-failing, and I'm so excited about the opportunity. I'm pumped to learn from Ms. Kathy because she is amazing with the kids and she is such an awesome woman of God, so it's just a great experience all the way around. Montessori schools are so cool too. They focus on interactive learning and learning through experiece, and the kids are so independent. I was able to meet some of the kids and observe the program for a little while last week, and I had so much fun. That is such a cool age. There is no 3, 4, and 5 year old that is the same. All of their personalities are so fun and unique, and I know I'll learn a lot!

As things continue to work out in our favor, and God continues to confirm that He has plans for us here, the more that I have this fear of becoming too comfortable. Last night, in a little authentic Mexican restaurant, Daniel and I talked about what we truly desire, which is to not have a boring life…and to be able to just get up and go help those who need it when we are able to. Ephesians 5:15-17 says: "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." James 4:14 says that our life is like a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. Our world is so content with just being comfortable, and being like everyone else. But I want to do things that other people think are weird.

Speaking of Weird, I'm reading this book right now called "Weird" and God is kicking my butt in the place that I struggle with the most, which is how I manage my time. Mark Driscoll says that whatever you do, be all there. My head is constantly racing with things that need to get done, what's going on with other people, and what I can be doing better. I can't even give the people I'm with my full attention. I'm one of those people that tries to take on way more than I can handle, and then I'll burn out and quit all of it. So, I think as believers, we have to take a step back and know that even the good things in life may not be in the will of God for our lives. Instead of trying to take on every single thing (although they are good things) that is thrown at us--every opportunity to serve, every opportunity to volunteer, helping with every single need in the church, etc.--we need to pour our time into what is "better" for us. If we don't then we can't be most effective. Anyways, it's a great book. It was actually an amazing feeling to go observe something in our church last week and decide not to commit to it because of the dreams we have that just so happen to be better for us. Although it was an amazing ministry through our church, we both knew that it would only be adding another thing to our lists because there are other things that we're more passionate about. We're pumped about the Care ministry(me) and special needs part of the children's ministry(daniel), but we know that we want to still have time to devote to outside the church walls. And we're still growing in the original dreams we've had. So, we'll see what comes from all of that :)

The past 5 weeks have been heavenly. I'm learning so much about what it means to love someone to the core of who they really are. I've learned things that I'm weak in, and I'm slowly working through those things :) I'm learning how Daniel and I are different, and most importantly, I'm learning what an amazing witness a marriage can be. I've been able to truly rest and take a breather. Now that we're members of a church here and we're getting involved, hopefully we can meet some cool people outside of our jobs. Everything will come in its timing. Life is good. Praise God!

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." --Colossians 4:23