Happy 2011! New Year, New Plans

So.....where to start? I had an awesome celebration of the New Year with my family and friends, both old ones and new. After being in Guatemala for several months, it was so wonderful to spend time with my family and seeing friends that I had been looking forward to seeing for so long!

Below is our Christmas/New Years picture for 2010. We had two "final" pictures to decide between to be the one sent out to all of our friends and family, and there was quite a huge family discussion (or should I say argument) over which one it should be. Afterwards, I was really regretting being a part of the argument and for allowing anyone other than Mom to see the pictures because I realized how ridiculous it was! Does it really even matter? I am definitely the most picky about having everyone arranged perfectly and looking exactly right. Well, clearly it's nearly impossible to have all of us looking "good" in the one photo (especially as our family grows!), and this is when I realized, why try? Why try to make us look perfect when we are so far from it? This is who we are, and there's no need to try to fake it! I'm so blessed to have this loving family and be able to spend time with all of them together, and nothing else should matter! (Even though I will always love a good picture ;)

I've been home for two weeks now and although I miss Guatemala a lot and miss being able to speak Spanish everyday, I'm looking forward to what is in store for now until I return to Central America again. Before I went to Guatemala my plan was to start school this semester at Eastern University for nursing. However, while there I decided that I want to complete a Discipleship Training School with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) before college. They have schools all over the world, their main campus being in Hawaii, and I've decided that I either want to attend the one in Guatemala or El Salvador, which both begin in July. Before I even applied to colleges I felt that I wanted to attend a Bible school first, and when I was Guatemala it was really clear to me that that is what I felt like I need to do. While in Guatemala I was also offered a job with CURE International in Honduras. This is like a dream come true job for me! So after YWAM I will most likely be taking the job there getting nursing training and helping in other areas of their ministry. Because I decided to not start college this semester, my plan was to go back to Guatemala to continue studying for several months before the DTS starts. However, my friend Kerry and her husband Scott (who works with Show Hope) were visiting us for New Years, and Kerry expressed to me a need for assistance with getting supplies ready for Show Hope's medical missions trip to Maria's Big House in China to do more cleft lip/palate surgeries on the children there, and also to be of assistance to Scott with his office work. I was thrilled to be offered this opportunity! They are some of the most influential people (I just tried to use the word "impactful" and realized that it's not a real word in English!) in my life and to be able to spend time with them and serve with Show Hope is an amazing gift that I am so grateful for!

This example of God's complete provision in my life and His perfect timing reminded me of a lesson that I've been learning for a while now. As I look back at these past several years, there have been many times that I would worry about the future, where I should go to college after I graduated and and what I should do with my life. I knew that I shouldn't worry or have fear of what would happen. I knew that this wouldn't bring me closer to God or bring more peace in my life, but so many times I found myself focusing on my circumstance and what they might look like in the future, and even on circumstances of other people in my family. I would lose sight of the fact that when I worry about what might happen, there is no grace. There is only grace for this present moment, there is no grace for what is not real. The future hasn't happened yet and when I stress about it, I'm saying that I don't trust that God knows exactly what will happen and will carry me through whatever comes.

As this new year begins, I am grateful for God's perfect timing and His guidance each step of the way. I'm thankful for His forgiveness when I choose wrongly and that His mercies are new everyday. I'm so grateful that He is faithful when I trust Him and when I lose sight of the fact that He is always in the details and cares more about my life than I do. I'm thankful that each day is one step closer to eternity and I pray that each moment would be lived out remembering that this earth is not my home, but preparation to be with my Creator forever!

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Dear friends, I warn you as "temporary residents and foreigners" to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

1 Peter 2:11

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matt 6:20-21