A few transitions and a miracle

The people-pleaser in me just has to say to you, "Please don't be disappointed at my blogger neglect."

Although nothing horrible has happened to me or us lately, I still feel beat up by life. Transitions are seriously stressful, and I need a pill to pop just to get through them.

Russ has started a new job. I have said goodbye to cleaning, and hello to nannying. We are moving for the fourth time in four years. I also started dancing again, and then quit again (super long story I will tell later). But I am not quit for good because I found another dance studio that doesn't run their classes like a Nazi concentration camp (promise I will tell you the whole story later).

And of course the biggest transition of them all....we have Tivo!!! So many shows to watch!!

Oh, and I forgot another terribly important transition: Rosie on View, Merideth on The Today Show, and Katie on CBS evening news.

HOW WILL I COPE.

No seriously. I long for stability. The only stable I've got is God sometimes, oh and Russ of course. Can't forget him.

And God did a cool today.

I'm sure I don't need to rehash about what a crappy, POS car we have, and the terrible deal we made when we bought it, and that it's no longer under warranty, and it's always having problems. We took it in to Carmax this week cause it was acting up. Carmax said we had $950 in repairs. Two engine leaks, and some other sensor thingy broken. May I repeat $950!! I had a minor heart attack, sat on my couch and cried while Isabel licked my tears, and prayed for God to help us.

Wanting desperately to make a good decision, I consulted my friend Carey, my dad, my friend Lisa. Then Russ and I talked, and we decided to get another estimate. My friend and her family know a car guy. A good car guy. Not necessarily a customer friendly or charismatic car guy. Just a good, honest, fair car guy.

So yesterday we dropped off the Olds Cutlass for the car guy to look at. As we left, Russ and I prayed together that God would either heal our car of leaks, or let the estimate be significantly lower.

Today, car guy calls and car work is going to be $128. NO LEAKS. Just what he calls "normal seapage" on a car this old. I quote him saying, "it's dry under the vehicle."

So we will just say God performed a miracle, not that Carmax tried to rip us off.

God is faithful. He cares about every detail of our lives.

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand."

Psalm 38: 23-24

Happy Birthday To Me

Today I am 29 years old.

I know the looks I would get from my older comrades in life if I were to say I feel old, but..

I feel old.

I guess I have always been "the baby". And the baby is 29. So it's weird. I am standing on the edge looking down on 30 with fear and trepidation. What will it look like? At 30, I will no longer have the excuse that the 20s are for finding myself, for discovering who I am.

At 30, I will have to be found.

Today I spent my Birthday in Theology class at Gordon. In class, I was reminded that I am not the center of the universe, where I routinely like to place myself, even when it's not my birthday.

And I am reminded that I don't have to find myself.
God found me.

As I was worshipping in chapel this morning. we were singing the words, "I exalt thee, I exalt thee, I exalt thee, Oh Lord." Our God is a God that demands exaltation. He deserves our humble worship at His awesomeness.

But you want to know what precious words I heard whispered in my spirit from the Living God, today as I was singing those words?

I heard, "Happy Birthday, Precious Daughter. Your life is so precious to me. You are precious to me!" God spoke to my spirit these loving words and wrapped His presence around me in that moment.

I was overwhelmed that such a mighty God, the King of the Universe, in the middle of the exaltations of a room of seminary students, would bend down from His throne to whisper His love into my heart. Only the God we serve could be so worthy of honor, yet so unabashedly tender to His people.

I am humbled and thankful that God gave me life, and He is in whom I live, and move, and have my being.

To God be the glory. Amen.