Summer Update

Hello Friends.  It’s been a while…

I recently gave my blog address to a couple of people I met on one of my journeys.  Since I haven’t written all summer I thought it would be a good idea to see what exactly they will find when they visit my blog.  In doing this I realized that I left you hanging on a couple of things. 

First of all, my job.  In the post about The Nature of God I talked about being worried about my future.  I want you to know that my life changed that night.  I got up the next day with a new outlook on life.  Things got worse before they got better, but I wasn’t worried.  I knew that God had put me where I was and that He would sustain me there.  God was in control, therefore I had nothing to do but trust Him and love others.  I also prayed for favor, as it was all I could do, and the favor eventually came.  (I have spent my life praying for favor.  I think it’s powerful what God can do when He gives you favor with those around you.) 

In other news, Jason and I are moving to Houston!  God gave Jason favor with the application department at South Texas College of Law. =)  We will be renting a house in Kingwood from a really neat, God-fearing woman.  I love the house and I am ecstatic to live where I work.  I have not lived in the same town where I worked since before Jason and I got married.  Over the past 4 years we have probably spent about  3/4 of our time apart.  This summer, I lived in Houston while Jason lived in Oklahoma.  Two years ago I lived in Bartlesville while Jason lived in Norman, and when I wasn’t living somewhere else I was commuting to work.  We are both really excited that we will actually get to have a life together.  Jason starts school on August 13, so we are packing up and moving again.  (We are renting the house in Ohio to one of Jason’s classmates.)

We picked Kingwood because I have been going to church there all summer (Kingwood Bible Church).  I’ve even joined a small group that meets on Wednesday nights.  The people are amazing.  One couple has already had me over for dinner and they are keeping Brinkley while I’m on a 6 day work trip.  (B lives with me in the hotel.)   Everyone in the group asks about Jason every time I see any of them, which is awesome, and they are genuinely excited that we are moving to Kingwood. 

I don’t think I mentioned it, but we bought another house in Durant, OK this past May.  Jason has spent the summer doing an internship in Durant, getting the house ready to rent and finishing up his thesis for his master’s degree.  Today, he defended his thesis and passed!  It was a great summer for him and he was able to drive to Houston a few times to see me.  The fun part though is that now we are moving out of two houses in two different states in the next two weeks!  I say we, Jason is doing it all while I’m working.  His summer turned into a full-time job and a half.  It’s what we love about life though, there is never a dull moment. 

You can see why I chose the name A Life Planned Is Never As Expected.  Since shortly after we got engaged, our life has been ever changing and not once has it been what we expected.  But, it’s fun.  Like I said, there is never a dull moment, and by God’s grace our relationship stays rock solid through it all.  There’s no one else I’d rather move with 5 times in 4 years.  I know it seems crazy, and many people shake their heads at us, but while we have both been working toward our own goals and seemingly doing our own things, it’s because we have one common goal that makes it all worth it.  I believe with all my heart that anyone can do anything for a little while.  We have a plan – a destination, if you will – but so far all the fun has been in the journey. 

I guess that’s all for now.  Just so there is a picture in the post, this is a Two-Stepping lesson we took one weekend when Jason, Brandon and Mindy came to Houston for a visit.

Here’s to Summer 2012 and to a life that’s never as expected…