life update and a reminder

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! I thought I'd share a little of what's on my heart this week. I have to back up before I begin. Remember a few weeks when I mentioned getting a part time job? I shadowed my friend for a day and then loved it and the owner was supposed to call me to set up a meeting and a time for me to come in—well, that never happened. Since she kept on not calling me, I kind of took that as a sign that maybe it's not what the Lord had in store for me. (This was the picture I shared that day.)

I never said anything—I just kept on waiting, but truthfully, I've waited on possibly getting a part time job for more than a year now. Once Jonah and Noah graduated from high school, I started thinking about it, and even really before their graduation. I sort of had it in mind all along that I would start to work when everyone was finished. Then Graham got a puppy and I gave him my okay to get her, so I put everything on hold. I didn't have to do that, I know, but I can't stand the thought of a puppy living in a kennel for too long of a stretch during the day. She needed to be house broken and she needed to be social around the other dogs. We've had her for a full year now and as the summer approached, I started thinking about working part time again. 

So, I ran into a friend of mine one day who works at a cute little shop on the square and she told me that I needed to come to work there. I waited a couple of weeks, then I sent them an email asking if they were hiring. She reached out to me the next day and asked me to come shadow them for a day to see if it was what I had in mind, which it was and I LOVED IT and I loved the people and the environment. But, like I said, the owner never reached out to me and in the meantime I was really wanting to find something part time. Fast forward to last Wednesday night when I went to dinner with my best friend after church. I was telling her this saga and she was just laughing and trying to finish the food in her mouth to tell me something. She finally swallowed the bite in her mouth and told me that her boss had been telling her for weeks to get me to come to work with them. We had actually talked about it before, but I wasn't ever really ready when we would talk about it. Then I found out that he was on board with me coming to work there part time and when I learned I could kind of set my own schedule, it sounded more and more appealing. 

So, yesterday I gave it a go. I didn't really, all I did was go into the office and talk to Missy about what I would be doing and she explained to me exactly why I would be taking phone calls and the right kinds of questions to ask, and I decided to go ahead and start this week! Part of why the other job held such appeal for me was it because it was on our town square, but guess what? So is this place! It's in the heart of the downtown area, it's an attorney's office and it's basically just reception type work that I can eventually do at home as well as in the office. I love that the hours are more flexible, and not for as many during the day because of our dogs and I love that I'll be working with my best friend! She was afraid it would be weird, but I don't think it will be that way. I'm perfectly fine with her telling me what to do and walking me through the first few weeks until I get the hang of things. Hopefully it won't get on her nerves. 🤣

I wrote all of that to catch you up and to get to the main point of what I was going to say in the first place, which is this: God is sovereign. I wrote that in my journal on Monday as I read in Jeremiah chapter ten. I know what was going on in this portion of Scripture, but I was so encouraged by one verse in particular that I stopped to write it down and I read it again. 

In this chapter (and in the whole book), Jeremiah was prophesying to the people what would be to come if they didn't turn from their wicked ways. They worshiped other gods, they turned their back on the one true God and they all did what was right in their own eyes. There wasn't good leadership for either nation and they were quickly going from bad to much worse. God was warning them that he would punish them for their blatant disobedience, but He was always good to warn them through Jeremiah. Of course, nobody listened to Jeremiah, but he kept speaking to them. God warned them of utter destruction if they didn't turn back to Him. They didn't, I'll tell you that now, in case you didn't know, and God eventually allowed them to be carried off into captivity to other pagan nations. They had no idea of what was to come and though the times were dark, there were still some good things happening here and there throughout history. This is the time period of when the book of Daniel opens up and as bad as the nation was where they were carried away to, Daniel and his three young friends were mighty men of God, whom He used to encourage the heart of evil King Nebuchadnezzar. 

Here is the verse that caught my eye on Monday morning, which is Jeremiah 10:23. 

I know, LORD, that a person's way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps.

You know who does determine our steps? Read Proverbs 16:9.

A person's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.

I find it so encouraging that nothing that ever happens in life takes God by surprise. I love knowing that I don't have to strive to determine how things turn out. I'm all about working wholeheartedly for God and for being loyal to a commitment, but other than giving something my best for His glory, He is the one who is determining my steps, who knows what the outcome of my life is going to look like someday. It's comforting to not have to worry or to fret about things, which is what I want to remind you of today. Maybe someone needs to hear that reminder...all the worrying in the world will not add even one minute to your life, so why bother? I know it's hard to not worry, but we can rest than God Almighty has got everything in His hands. 

If you ever want to talk more about having a relationship with Jesus or how to pray, please feel free reach out! Do you know Jesus? I'm right here if you ever want to talk. My email address is allboys@gmail.com if you ever want to take me up on my offer. He brings me peace and comforts me like nothing else and it's one of the million things that makes me grateful to know Him and to walk so closely with Him. I pray these words encourage you today, friend. Thanks for reading my blog! Love to all.  

P.s. This is the side of the square I'll be working on...isn't this mural awesome? I love a great mural!