DADDY, YOU ROCK MY WORLD!

I never dreamed I would live in the mountains!  Nope, never in my dreams!  You see, I am an eastern NC girl who loves the beach.  I did not see mountains and winding roads in my future at all.  My roommate of 9 years and I use to quote the country song all the time that says "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans."  Well, I am laughing Lord because my plans are not Your plans obviously!  At age 18 - I thought I had my next 15 years of life planned out.  Isn't it funny how you think at 18?  My future went something like this:  I would go to college, get my degree, get a job, get married to the man of my dreams around 23 or 24, have our first child at 26, another at 28, possibly another all before I would turn 30.  My husband and I would live near my parents and we would just all be happy, happy!  Did any of that happen?  Uhm, NO!  Negative! 

Let me tell you how it really went:
18 - went off to college at North Carolina State University (yes, I'm a wolfpacker!)
19 - such a clueless teenager
20 - what am I doing???  I'm missing something
21 - Jesus.changed.my.life  (thank you Marie for being an intricate part of His plan in my life)
22 - 25 (and still now) - learning how to live this life for Him, lots of discipleship, mission trips to Trinidad, growing, changing, transforming, sanctification, praying, fasting, change, change, change!  (also met some of my best friends during this time period - Laura, Rachel, Mandy)
26 - met my husband in Trinidad
27 - A HUGE YEAR OF CHANGE - got engaged, married the man that far surpassed my prayers of a Godly man & moved 6 hours from my family/friends to the MOUNTAINS of North Carolina (yep, just as far WEST as you can go before you fall off into Tennessee)
28 - well, I'm not there yet but it's a little over a month away and do I have any babies yet???  And no, I'm not pregnant either!

Do you see how we can make all these plans but they never work out quite the way we had in mind? 

Note~Be careful planning out your future.  God is in control, not me (or you).

If one thing has changed about me, I am not the planner I use to be.  Yes, I plan trips, visits, & things like that in advance but I have surrendered the plans of the future to the Lord.  Only He knows where Rance and I (and our future family) will end up.   We are open to whatever the Lord wants and however and wherever He can use us best.  This was one of the hardest things for me - letting go of my plans & what I saw as best.  You see, this life is not about us & what makes us happy.  It's not about our plans & what else we can get or accumulate.  Don't forget that life - right here - right now - on this earth - it's temporary.  This is NOT our home so don't get so attached to it and the newest piece of technology and the big dream house and the fancy car and the sassy ____ (whatever, you fill in the blank).  We can't take any of these things to heaven so why do we work so hard for stuff (instead of eternal rewards)?  Ask my friend Susie, whose house was completely destroyed in the tornadoes that hit Sanford, NC a few months ago.  In a few minutes, she lost everything - her house, her belongings, everything.  Was this part of Susie's plan?  Of course not!  You know what Susie did not lose though?  Her salvation.  Her faith in Jesus Christ.  In fact, she has glorified God in a way that knocks me off my feet in how she has handled the entire situation.  Susie, you are storing up treasures in heaven ~ the kind that last an eternity! 

Surrender your plans to Jesus - He knows what is best for you! 

And just to share a little of God's majesty, artwork, and complete creativity ~ Here is a picture of Stecoah Gap!  Basically, I pass this spot every single morning on my way to work as I round the mountain and every day God has something different in mind.  It's usually impossible to capture it on a camera - but this week, we were able to get this shot:

Tell me God does not make Himself known & reveal HIMSELF through His invisible qualities = CREATION (Romans 1).

I am BLESSED to be living in Robbinsville, North Carolina.  Lord, do not let a day go by that I take advantage of Your Beauty all around me & thank you for Your plans because being in Your will is far greater than being in mine.