5 things I learned in 2014

5 things I learned in 2014:

About being a wife:
Trusting the Lord means trusting your husband. When the idea of inviting Marcel to come live with us FOR A FREAKING YEAR was presented to me by my dear husband, I thought he was insane. No way could I handle having someone else in my house, in my space, taking up my time, my precious private time for a whole year. No way could I trust myself to be in charge of someone else's life. But you know what I could trust? That my husband is a man rooted in the Bible. That he seeks the Lord's wisdom every single day. That he loves me sacrificially and never looks at life without taking me into consideration. And so when Casey said he thought it was a good idea, I let him make that decision for us. Sometimes trusting the Lord means trusting your husband.

About chasing your dreams:
Don't let anyone but Jesus tell you no. Give your whole self to the mission of pursuing your dreams. If it's your dream, you can't just get sad that it's not working out and find a new dream. I applied for a job at Windy Gap 4 times before they told me yes. Unqualified, undereducated, unexperienced as I was, I had faith that if I kept chasing hard enough, it had to work out. And it did.

About health:
That I am and will always be a food addict. But that skinny and healthy tastes better than that second helping of mashed potatoes. That a day without potato chips or Chick Fil A or bread leads to a night without interrupted sleep. And that leads to me having way more energy. And that sometimes means I'll actually get up that extra 30 minutes earlier to read my Bible. Which leads to me being a WAY more gracious and loving wife and fake mommy. But that living a healthy life, eating good food and exercising is a journey not so smooth at times...because I am a food addict.

About Young Life:
To be an interesting person, do interesting things. My friend Leslie said this to me a long time ago and it's rang true in my head every since. This mission of pursuing high school kids can be more than coffee dates and campaigners. Living life with Jesus is fun and exciting. Show them that. Show them what a life without fear of being weird or failing looks like.

About tragedy:
The Lord is bigger than it. Bigger than Gatsby dying. Bigger than my parents divorce. Bigger than Casey getting laid off the week before Christmas. He's louder than the Enemy that whispers lies through pain and brighter than the sun that seeps through the darkness. He is.