Journeys

A few weeks ago, I sat here at my desk waiting for 9:00 to hit so I could register my youngest daughter for her spring classes at our local community college. I nervously waited to enter the numbers, hit the register button and hope she got the classes she needed and wanted. I checked the schedule to be sure there were still seats available. It's her last quarter. She'll be done and this portion of the journey of life starts to come to a close. It's like we're almost to the end of this road and getting ready to take another road to the next adventure. It's a crazy feeling. She's a high school senior and also taking classes for the Running Start program at our local college and will be graduating with her HS diploma as well as her AA degree. It's been a roller coaster journey that she was hesitant to take, but now I think she's realizing the value. Our oldest did the same program, graduating in 2014, and is almost done with another certificate at the college, she will now have two Associates Degrees and two certificates in the health field. The youngest wants to take a year off and do some traveling. I homeschooled our girls so after all these years, the education journey will transition for me as well. That is a crazy thought.

Life goes through so many seasons and as I sit here I can honestly say in some regards, I didn't expect to be where I am, where we are and it's not necessarily where we wanted to be. When things like these happen, they can certainly throw us for loops, break our hearts, make us question motives, friendships, etc. What do we do with that? Do we become bitter, angry, give up, turn our backs on God? I've found those things don't work. There's surely a period of grieving, heartbreak, questions, but I think one of the keys to journeys that take a turn where we least expected them to, is to stop, look around, acknowledge the hurt and then plow forward, embracing what comes our way and creating a great life. 

Because in the words of Rob Bell;

 "you're here, you're breathing, and you have received a gift, a generous, extraordinary, mysterious, inexplicable gift."

We've been given beautiful life, each day, from the very beginning. And that in and of itself should move us forward. Asking ourselves the question;

"What new and good thing is going to come out of even this?"

I have loved blogging and plan to continue to do so in some capacity. It's obvious my blog has never had a niche, and I haven't been very consistent which at times I think makes it more difficult to be consistent, but I love writing, putting thoughts down and sharing my heart, recipes, whatever comes to mind...now to just get going. I think I've said that before, but it doesn't matter how many times we say it, if it's in our heart we just have to keep being intentional and keep moving forward. If I've rambled I apologize, I just felt like writing what was on my heart at the moment.

We all go through changes in our lives and our journey's take us on many twists and turns, ups and downs, and everything in between. It's what we do with those changes that makes all the difference! So wherever you are, just keep going.

With Joy Unquenchable,