Reflections

I've not written a blog entry in some time.  With this new job, I don't have the time I used to, and I certainly don't have the time to really develop this blog the way I was hoping.  Ah well. I'm mostly writing it for my own benefit, and if it blesses others, so much the better.

First, the light weight stuff.  My friend Vickie challenged me to learn how to prep meals for the freezer/crockpot.  She's been doing it for some time, and asked if anybody was willing to take part in a meal exchange.  I finally found some recipes that I thought looked good and dove in.  I found this site to be very useful!

 http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html 

In fact, I'm going to be making her freezer chicken salsa, with some minor modifications, for the first meal exchange next week. 

This past few weeks at work have been very busy.  Finished the followup work to our largest outreach - our Living Lord's Supper presentation, then went to a conference last week.  I did glean some good information about short term mission trips during the conference, and bonded a little with some of the Ministry Leadership Team from church as well.  Then this week, yesterday actually, we hosted a National Day of Prayer event at church.  I was tasked with making a display board for the Worship Ministries, and my choice was "Pray for Our Elected Officials"  Here's a (not so great) picture of the board I designed:

I am loving the fact that I can use my creative scrapbooking skills and get paid for them :) 

Now, for what I really wanted to write about:

I found out that a childhood/high school friend died the morning of May 7 as a result of a tragic accident. It's funny how things like that cause you to reflect.  I've reestablished contact with some of those friends, but have lost all contact others. I know out of the group of 11 of us, six of us have remained faithful to God, and are active in our churches, including the one who is now rejoicing in Heaven. The rest, I don't know.  Certainly puts life in perspective. 

My quiet time this morning was Jeremiah 27-31

29:11 I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

William's death has really caused me to reflect on my past life, and how far I've come in the 40+ years since then. I'm not the same person, in so many ways, that I used to be, yet the insecurities that were present then - the feeling of being just on the fringe with nothing to contribute, has not gone away.  I still second guess myself all the time, especially when trying something new.

Yet, the Lord has been good.  Since those days I've…

• Joined the Air Force, graduating as an honor grad from tech school.
• Became a paralegal in the Air Force and won awards.
• Was requested to go on TDY trips because of my skill in claims.
• Eventually retired as a Master Sergeant, having turned down promotions because of the impact it would have had on my family.
• Married (too young), had 4 children. Divorced. Remarried a very Godly man.  Now have two grandchildren, a son in law and a daughter in law. One child is preparing to go on her third mission trip, and talking about going to Honduras as a full-time missionary in the near future.
• Moved - Cleveland, Omaha, Portugal, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Arizona
• Went to college off and on until finally graduating Summa Cum Laude from Liberty University in 2014 - 40 years after graduating from high school
• Served on multiple boards at a handful of churches, missions committees, women's fellowship director or board member, constitutional revision committee, church clerk, choir secretary
• Several short term mission trips, and one upcoming
• Landed in a dream job - Administrative Assistant to the Worship Pastor. Not only serving the Lord in a full time capacity, but using creative skills I never believed I had in a way I never could have imagined. 

I can see the Lord's hand through all of this, although at times I wonder. But You are faithful, and yes, You did and do have plans for me, plans to give me hope and a future.  What will the next…20?..however many years I have left, bring?  Hearing of William's death… I know that my life could end today. Help me live my life in every moment so I hear you say "well done, good and faithful servant."