child at heart

Life has been hard in 2013. A lot harder than I expected. There is not a day that passes that I don’t yearn to go back to Kenya. Full time would be ideal, but just a visit again would be sufficient.

I struggle with still finding my place here in Montgomery, but more so in life. I don’t know that the struggle will ever be diminished. I wish I struggled with just finding myself here in Alabama, but it is so much more than that. It is life. I don’t know a lot and I realize daily that how much I don’t know and how much I struggle is only expanding. It seems at the moment that where I’m supposed to be is working in Children’s centers and working with little ones. I’m just as much a missionary here as anywhere else I may move to in life. I’m very thankful that I’m back to mostly full time (35 hours) work again. I feel less disheveled when I’m working. I actually love to work. 

I’m not even going to go in detail as to what has been going on since my last post. It is a lot. And my problems are not all mine to share anyway. But I’m so thankful for all of you who have prayed specifically and for those of you who may have even just said a passing prayer because you noticed I was absent or far off in my mind. Part of my problems were the fact that stress and tension had brought my migraines back. With a vengeance. I had one in March that lasted a whole week. Come again? Yes, a whole week. I thought I was going to die from the pain. I am not even lying. I was scared. I won’t lie about that either. Went to the Neurologist, and they were concerned with the severity and persistence that I was having them again after 6 years of nothing. I had an MRI and that came back normal. Thank you Jesus. After getting on some medicine that had side effects I didn’t even want to  give a chance, I started playing around with Massage Therapy in May. BINGO! I haven’t had a migraine since the end of May. Totally worth it. 

I was blessed to have a surprise trip to California with my parents to visit my Grandparents. It was a fast but fantastic 5 days with family, Disney Land, and of course the dog Buddy. Last time I was there my cousin Dani was announcing her pregnancy and this time we had an almost 2 year old running around! We celebrated my grandpa’s birthday. I sat in on a few of his Ham radio shows and we spend some down time together just talking. It was a sweet time. 

I’ve been praying and the Lord has been so incredibly faithful to me. He’s opened doors and given my some sweet and precious girlfriends. I’m still learning who they are but I’m so thankful for their presence in my life. Laura and I seem to be made to be friends, we just needed to meet each other to cement our friendship. I feel like I have known her my whole life. It is just effortless to be with her. It is so very refreshing. Loren is hilarious and goofy and so encouraging in the things she says to me. I doubt she even knows how much she has helped me out without even being intentionally doing so. And then Jenny. I don’t even know. I’ve never laughed so openly, or cried with someone I barely know. I’ve never felt so lifted in my faith and yet so convicted at how lousy and weak I am in Christ. She’s amazing. And encouraging. And challenging. I CANNOT WAIT to see where we all go in our friendships in this next season of my life. 

I think my brother, Joey, is about to get a job down in Mobile – which is what he desperately wants right now so I’m hoping it works out for him. Plus, then he can finally marry Laura and they can start their new life together. 7 months of engagement is long enough, thank you very much.

I honestly planned on updating sooner but when things get hard it is easy for me to draw into myself and ignore everyone around me. But, I’ve had several people ask me to write an update so hopefully this will spur me into keeping this up more often.