It has been a crazy 6 months since returning home from our summer mission trip in the Dominican Republic. A lot has happened, here’s a quick recap…
Upon immediately returning to the States in August, I lost my laptop in the Miami Airport (which I did eventually get back after I had bought a new one), hit several flight delays, and arrived home to turn around and start an NCLEX prep class to begin my journey of officially becoming a Registered Nurse. While I studied, Nathan settled us into our new apartment in Grand Rapids. Three weeks later, I began graduate school at Grand Valley State University to pursue my dream of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. Three weeks later…while still chipping away at NCLEX (nursing licensure test) studying…I found out I was pregnant. And the ride just hasn’t slowed down at all since then. In October I passed my state test and officially became a licensed Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan. In December I finished my first semester of graduate school and also found out that we are having a baby girl! Now here we are…almost 27 weeks into this pregnancy, onto second semester of grad school, and starting to (finally) get acquainted with the city of Grand Rapids.
I thought about writing in this blog again for a while, but it was so hard. How do you follow up a summer long trip of weekly blogs about building homes for families in need? I just felt like anything I had to say couldn’t compare. It wasn’t nearly as meaningful. But just because one season of life has ended, doesn’t mean the story is over. There’s still more to be said. And I’m still figuring out where this chapter of our life is headed. I mean, I can see the obvious landmark ahead of becoming a mom, but there is still so much unknown. I constantly bring myself before God and try to lay my future at His feet. What is His plan? What is His will? Am I doing the right things? And ya know…I’m still not quite sure. But every day I trust that He will show me when I need to make a change. He will lead me through the different seasons, and as long as I keep asking and listening to the pokes and prods He gives me, then I’ll know where I need to be and what I need to be doing.
When Nathan and I came back from the DR one of our biggest concerns was finding ways to serve in a meaningful way outside of building a house for a family every week. It has been so different the ways we can serve here versus how we served there. In August I began coaching cheerleading at a Christian school in Grand Rapids, and it has been such an awesome thing for me to be able to combine my passion for cheer with my passion for God. To have a team that I can openly share Bible verses and pray with has been encouraging and rewarding to me in so many ways. Nathan began teaching the high school class on Sunday mornings at our church in Grand Rapids, and so far he seems to enjoy this avenue of serving as well. There is always more to be done and always different avenues to explore in trying to serve our creator.
A big lesson I am learning right now though, is that some days the best way I can serve is by simply slowing down and taking time to be quiet before God. Some days I need to sit in awe of what God has done and what He continues to do in mine and Nathan’s lives. Because, this thing called pregnancy tends to exponentially escalade my ability to become overwhelmed, to doubt myself, and to feel inadequate. The devil tries to prey on my weak moments and put me into a pit. But my God is faithful and He carries me through these moments. He has blessed me with the most encouraging and loving husband possible, and somehow…we get through the weak moments of despair and doubt and frustration.
I haven’t posted on here in a while…I guess I needed 6 months to decide what I had left to say.
Upon immediately returning to the States in August, I lost my laptop in the Miami Airport (which I did eventually get back after I had bought a new one), hit several flight delays, and arrived home to turn around and start an NCLEX prep class to begin my journey of officially becoming a Registered Nurse. While I studied, Nathan settled us into our new apartment in Grand Rapids. Three weeks later, I began graduate school at Grand Valley State University to pursue my dream of becoming a pediatric nurse practitioner. Three weeks later…while still chipping away at NCLEX (nursing licensure test) studying…I found out I was pregnant. And the ride just hasn’t slowed down at all since then. In October I passed my state test and officially became a licensed Registered Nurse in the State of Michigan. In December I finished my first semester of graduate school and also found out that we are having a baby girl! Now here we are…almost 27 weeks into this pregnancy, onto second semester of grad school, and starting to (finally) get acquainted with the city of Grand Rapids.
I thought about writing in this blog again for a while, but it was so hard. How do you follow up a summer long trip of weekly blogs about building homes for families in need? I just felt like anything I had to say couldn’t compare. It wasn’t nearly as meaningful. But just because one season of life has ended, doesn’t mean the story is over. There’s still more to be said. And I’m still figuring out where this chapter of our life is headed. I mean, I can see the obvious landmark ahead of becoming a mom, but there is still so much unknown. I constantly bring myself before God and try to lay my future at His feet. What is His plan? What is His will? Am I doing the right things? And ya know…I’m still not quite sure. But every day I trust that He will show me when I need to make a change. He will lead me through the different seasons, and as long as I keep asking and listening to the pokes and prods He gives me, then I’ll know where I need to be and what I need to be doing.
When Nathan and I came back from the DR one of our biggest concerns was finding ways to serve in a meaningful way outside of building a house for a family every week. It has been so different the ways we can serve here versus how we served there. In August I began coaching cheerleading at a Christian school in Grand Rapids, and it has been such an awesome thing for me to be able to combine my passion for cheer with my passion for God. To have a team that I can openly share Bible verses and pray with has been encouraging and rewarding to me in so many ways. Nathan began teaching the high school class on Sunday mornings at our church in Grand Rapids, and so far he seems to enjoy this avenue of serving as well. There is always more to be done and always different avenues to explore in trying to serve our creator.
A big lesson I am learning right now though, is that some days the best way I can serve is by simply slowing down and taking time to be quiet before God. Some days I need to sit in awe of what God has done and what He continues to do in mine and Nathan’s lives. Because, this thing called pregnancy tends to exponentially escalade my ability to become overwhelmed, to doubt myself, and to feel inadequate. The devil tries to prey on my weak moments and put me into a pit. But my God is faithful and He carries me through these moments. He has blessed me with the most encouraging and loving husband possible, and somehow…we get through the weak moments of despair and doubt and frustration.
I haven’t posted on here in a while…I guess I needed 6 months to decide what I had left to say.