I know i'm about a month late but it's February 2nd and already this year is completely amazing. It started with my beautiful daughter turning 1 year old. Her party was adorable in all aspects and i was pleased as punch for all the friends and family that got to share it with her and i. I still haven't sent out the thank you cards, dang it, i guess because i always forget to write things like that down. Haha!
Well where to go from there. I had been planning to start school for medical assisting in March, but on a whim had looked at want ads on craigslist. I found one for a Christian preschool and just felt a tug to apply. So, not even thinking twice about it, or thinking i'd get a call back for that matter, i applied online at their website and continued on my normal stay at home mommy day. The next day i had a voice mail left on my phone while Julia and i were taking a nap and they had wanted to set up an interview. Dumb founded i called back and proceeded to have a phone interview. After the weekend was over i showed up to my interview and the director and assistant director were so personable and sweet that my heart just felt completely at home right away. Towards the end of the interview they asked me when i'd be able to do a working interview where i get to work with the kids for a couple hours and have the employees evaluate my working skills with the kids and efficiency of cleaning up the room and keeping a schedule. Which i happened to agree to come back in a couple of hours. When i did the working interview, i loved it completely. It had been almost 2 years since i'd worked with children in a preschool/day care setting and my heart was over flowing with joy and love for these kids whom i'd never met or seen before.
After being pulled out of the working interview the director asked me how it went and honestly, if i had walked out of that facility with just that one day of seeing and playing with kids after going almost 2 years without it, i would have been satisfied. After turning the corner in the hall to the desk she handed me an employee packet and said "We'd love for you to join our team." All joking aside, i wanted to cry. God had just handed me an amazingly beautiful and perfect job to me when i had least expected it or least wanted it.
January 27th was my last day of unemployment and January 28th was my first day at a job i've already grown to love so quickly. And this is only blessing number 1.
Saturday January 29th, coincidentally my best friend Marie's birthday, my friend Melissa had asked me to come to church with her at Palm Valley, about ten minutes from my house. Idk what it was but i got incredibly excited and anxious and told her i'd meet her there when the service was supposed to start. [Now before i go on about that amazing night, there's a little history here. The pastor of Palm Valley Church or PVC is Greg Rholinger(sp?). From the time i was 1 or 2 until 16 or so i went to Desert Springs Community Church, at that church Greg and his wife came to be youth pastors and i've known them since i was about 2 or 3.] Now i'm a real wuss when it comes to meeting friends places without a friend of my own with me to fill that gap of awkward loneliness until the friend i'm expecting shows up, so when Melissa told me she was running late i was thinking about waiting in the car, but i had Julia with me. As i got her out of the car thinking that i'd sign her into the nursery and just wait in the lobby i looked at the front doors of the church and felt a sudden calmness. This was probably the first time i'd ever been comfortable walking into an unfamiliar place and not worried about what people would think of me.
Instantly i felt welcomed, loved and had a sense of home. I was shown where to sign Julia in and out of the nursery and Melissa her husband and friend showed up and we went into the service. THIS is where things come together. This sermon. A sermon about addiction, how everyone has one no matter how legal or illegal it might be. But it wasn't the topic alone that changed me, it was Greg's testimony. The fact that he had gone through so much in his youth, drugs, alcohol, sex, dealing and all kinds of things, but yet he held a strong passion for Christ because one night he fell to his knees. At this point i was already hooked and thinking about making PVC my home church. What pushed me over the top and really changed my life, was what he said after sharing his testimony. That i have issues. I am imperfect. I am a sinner and will undoubtedly lose my way a few times before my life is over. But no matter how messed up of a sinner i am, no matter what i did last night or a few hours ago, Christ will forgive me and will always love me. That everyone in that sanctuary was messed up and addicts of some kind and that we were all just messed up sinning children of God coming together to help each other on our walks with Christ to get closer to Him. THIS IS YOUR HOME. This is your home because you have one messed up, drug dealing, dope using, alcohol drinking, sex having pastor. [Not that he still does that haha but he USED TO]. And that was it for my life as i knew it. At the end of that sermon on January 29th of 2011, the same day as my best friends birthday, i renewed my dedication to the Lord.
Not just a flimsy, i feel empowered now but later i'll keep doing whatever i have been doing rededication, but a true, real, ever so meaningful rededication to Him. I'm changing my life to be more like Him. I'm planning on becoming a member of PVC and dedicating my daughter in the middle of this month. Blessing number 2? Finally figuring out where my life needs to be. With Christ.
Now i have two great things happen since 2011 started. 1. A great new Christian job 2. A new REAL faith in Jesus Christ how can there be more? Oh but there is.
For the first time in my 22 years of living, i will FINALLY have plans for Valentines day. My 23rd Valentine's Day is going to be the very first one i'll have a date and actually be going out with someone for a real dinner and a real date. This might seem trivial to you, but for someone who's always dreamed of a 'happily ever after' and longs for romance, this is a big deal for me.
It's only February 2nd of 2011 and God has already blessed my life so richly with new and exciting things i can't even begin to imagine how this year is going to end. But it's all in His hands. My life is not my own. It's His. I feel a new over flowing and over whelming joy and love in my heart and life. I'm smiling more and loving more freely, i'm caring about my friends easier than before and hating my enemies is harder than before. Nothing can ever compare to crying out to God and feeling Him answer you and let you know that He is here with you. Amazing.
That's all for now, but it's just been filling up my heart and i needed to share it with the world. <3
-Stephanie Lynn
No comments:
Post a Comment