Birthday reflection

I don't have a great memory when it comes to things that have happened in my life but my birthday is one day that I can usually remember what I was doing in the past. Last year my mom, dad, wanda and tori were here-my car broke down, we ate at Le Klepto for dinner and I opened my presents at about 11PM! 4 years ago on this day I had just moved to Belgium from Norway-I had been here maybe 3 days and knew about that same amount of people. 5 years ago I was in Norway. 10 years ago I was living in Atlanta-I had just moved there 2 months before. 15 years ago I was a sophomore in college living in a dorm and 20 years ago I was a freshmen in high school. Wow how time flies and how my life has gone in a direction I literally never dreamed of.

As most of you know every Wednesday morning I meet with a group of high school girls who come over to my place for breakfast and a Bible study. This semester we have been going through the book of Esther. Don't know if you know this or not but the name of God is not ever mentioned in the book. So as we began looking at the book we talked about that fact-that even though His name is not mentioned- His hand is all over the story. He was writing Esther's story from the very beginning. Every week we've talked about that fact that God is also writing our story even if we never audibly hear Him speak.

Yesterday morning we were looking at the 6th chapter and here is what hit me-within the first 4 verses you see God's timing perfectly. If you don't remember the story-look it up-it's amazing!! The king "just happens" to be up, he "just happens" to have read to him the story of Mordecai saving his life and Haman "just happens" to be in the hall when he asks. All of these "just happens" are really God's perfect timing and his plan.

My life-I don't foresee a time when my story is literally written down into a book like Esther's but at the same time my story is being written. I can see God's hand in the timing and direction of things. And though my memory often fails to recollect many of the events in my life I love that at least once I year I can look back and be amazed at how God has moved in my life. It is always an amazing reminder to me of His complete faithfulness. Seriously-as much as I loved the traveling even as a kid I NEVER imagined I would be living in another country, doing the most amazing job anyone could ever imagine, getting to know people from around the globe. I never would have imagined how much God has shown me and grown me and blown my mind away with His awesomeness(wow-sorry about all the rhyming!). This morning as I skipped french-oops! and lay in bed I was just reminded how much God has done in my life and the fact that YES at the time it sometimes hurts but looking back it is always amazing. So here's to another awesome year!

Some highlights of the past year: Cooked thanksgiving dinner by myself for 12 people, went snowboarding in the Alps-1st time, first concert in Belgium-Kelly Clarkson, bought a car all in French, Tenerife Spain, ran in a race with my sister-Trisha, learned how to wakeboard, Macedonia-2nd time, Spain-lots of it including Madrid and Barcelona, the shore with my family, working at Crooked Creek Ranch in Colorado, meeting Kate-my sweet friend Amybeth's-new baby girl from China. There are so many more!!!