2 years ago today

2 years ago  my life took a crazy change. I was reflecting over 2010, and all that had gone on. I had graduated from USC, traveled to Europe and New York, worked enough to support the travel, and was genuinely thankful for this season in life. After years at SC assuming it must be where I'd meet my husband (after all my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had all met their spouses there) it was just how it worked right? After 6 months of graduating and realizing that, in-fact, was not the plan for me, I was, dare I say, content with being single. Naturally that's when everything gets mixed up - when we're comfortable. As I got coffee with one of my best friends I quickly ran through the milestones of those last two years and the insanity they have carried.

Dec 2010 -  knew I was supposed to "pray about Jake" - had no clue what that even meant - what do you pray about someone?
January 2011 - knew at some point I was supposed to marry Jake - lots of confirmation - too much to go into here
March 2011 - started dating Jake
July 2011 - got engaged
September 2011 - newlywed housing fell through - planned to live with family until the move to Haiti
October 2011 - got married
November 2011 - went to Haiti to plan upcoming move in January - realize so clearly we were not supposed to be moving there
December 2011 - came home to LA, regrouped, realized we would be living with family for a bit longer than expected
March 2012 - we were both out of work, confused, pieces of depression crept in
April - August 2012 - worked random jobs, still living with family, even more confused about why we were here, trying to trust God
August 2012 - Jake got a job, and the next day I got hired
September 2012 - Started leading a youth group - it was finally making more sense why we were here in la la land
October 2012 - 1 year married!
November 2012 - Jake's employer cut jobs = layoff
December 2012 - went back to Haiti, were actually able to be thankful for God's timing and plans this time and look forward to what the next year will hold

A lot - a lot, A LOT has gone on, at times it's exhausting, and we still wouldn't change it. We knew at the beginning of all of this we weren't signing up for "normal", it was probably one of the biggest things that attracted us to each other ... sometimes I've sat and asked God for just an ounce of normal, and He is more gracious than I deserve to keep giving me what He knows I need over what I "want." Wherever your life is at - more insane, more normal, keep trusting God - He is faithful - and He has great plans.

 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5 ESV)