It was 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. I was at work, hungry, and ready for a break to rest my legs and get some breakfast. I clocked out and filled my plate with goodies from the buffet: eggs, sausage, fruit, and coffee cake. I found a spot, and, bowing my head, said a quick prayer, thanking God for the food. A few minutes later, I felt a light touch on my shoulder and found myself looking into the face of a woman. She was an older lady and her eyes were soft and full of tears. She leaned down and said to me earnestly, “I just wanted to tell you that I noticed you praying before your meal. I have had a very hard morning and seeing you pray reminded me what I need to be doing right now.” I can’t remember what else she said, but I remember saying “praise the Lord!” and hugging her. She kissed me softly on the cheek and then left the restaurant with her husband. I wish I would have told her a hundred things, but I know it happened exactly as God planned it. It was a kingdom moment, my friends.

And let me tell you also – it was humbling. I praise God for using me to bless this woman, but I also think God used that situation to bring something to the forefront of my mind: I began to think about the times I sit down to a meal by myself (whether at school, home, or work) and forget to pray. I just…don’t. It is so important to acknowledge and praise the Provider of all good things. I think this ties into the fact that if we make a point to live in thankfulness instead of discontentment, no matter the circumstances, we will be blessed. We must look back and remember the faithfulness of the Lord. I was recently challenged by this article from desiring God titled, “We Complain Because We Forget.” I’d encourage you to take a moment and read it.

After reading that article, I realized again that I am undeserving. I so often forget the goodness of my Lord, failing to see the abundance of His grace in my life and focusing in on what I don’t have. When the days get long and I am overwhelmed, I lose sight of the cross and become frustrated and forgetful. But…the Lord reigns still. And He reigns in every moment, in every one of the tiniest details of my life. He has taken my brokenness and is making something beautiful. I need only to rest under His fingers and be molded by His loving hands. To move forward in faith and to trust that His grace will meet me.

Life these days is beautiful, filled with so many incredible blessings, as I mentioned in the last post. But will life always be as comfortable as it is right now in this second? No. But will God’s grace be there to meet me on those days when it gets hard? Most assuredly. And that is what I am banking on today. That is where my satisfaction will stem from. That is truly where I can anchor my drifting mind and soul and body: to the hand of God in Christ Jesus. And I will never be disappointed. I will always be filled. I will always be IN. HIM. As we worship our risen Savior, let’s take a moment to remember the suffering of Jesus on our behalf, the story of redemption God is writing in our lives, and that our biggest problems in life have been solved. We are in Christ. And that, my friends, is the most blessed, most exciting, and most glorious place to be.

Oh to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let your goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart Lord,
Take and seal it
Seal it for thy courts above 

Hello my dears! It has been a long time, I know. These past three weeks have easily been some of the craziest, most stressful, and most beautiful of my life. So much has changed, but through it all, the Lord is constant. He has been my Rock and Foundation through this time. Since I wrote the post about family change, much has happened. My spring break happened to land during the week my family and I moved. That was a HUGE blessing and that week was….unforgettable and filled with lots of amazing memories. Here are some pictures of the goings ons:

Me and my pup a few weeks before moving. Need I say more? <3 Greta is happily settled with some friends of ours now. I miss her, but I honestly couldn’t be more excited about the home she’s in now, so it worked out all right. :)

Going out for a celebratory dinner on Daddy’s last day of work in his old job.

Bair’s burgers are seriously the best! :)

Austin and I went squirrel hunting on Monday. Usually the woods are teaming with squirrels, but we didn’t see a single one that day. Grr. We just did target shooting and it was still a jolly good time.

Ah, I now see why people like hunting. Just being able to immerse yourself in the beauty and stillness of the outdoors is such bliss!

The next day, Wesley took off work and we went to Mansfield and visited the museum and home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The Little House series are near and dear to my heart, since my Mom was intentional about reading them all to us when we were little. I would definitely say that they shaped my childhood. How amazing to see and experience some of Laura’s world!

Then we came back to Wesley’s apartment and had a pizza and movie night. What a delightful evening! It was one of those few days I enjoyed so very much that I wished I could rewind it and live the day over again.

On Wednesday, Mom and I moved my stuff to our friends’ home. This picture kinda sums up the day. Yes, I stayed in my pajama’s almost all day, and yes, there were lots of unorganized moments. :) It all worked out, though, and I was glad to get my stuff settled ahead of me.

Of course that week was filled with lots of sibling time. We played games and yes – even stayed up late being silly and watching old dingbat cartoons. :) That’s what siblings are for, right?

 The day I moved went by rapidly. I worked all day until 4, then we went out for a family dinner. Settling in with my friends has gone smoothly. They are so kind and welcoming and I feel blessed to be a part of their family, in a way. Although I miss our little paradise in the country, though living in town definitely has its perks, including not having to drive so far to run errands and go to school.

 Photo taken by Hannah Armour.

Just a quick one today, my friends, but I wanted to share with you something that encouraged me today.

“Rest is only ever found in trusting the One who has everything figured out for your good and his glory. Because he is wise, gracious, faithful, and powerful, he is worthy of your trust and is alone able to give your heart rest.”

When I read that from Paul Tripp in his devotional New Morning Mercies, it was like balm to my soul. I needed to hear that and be reminded that Jesus is the very fountain of rest. His is pure, lasting, and deeper than anything we can imagine.

Life is incredible. Baffling. Uncertain. When I try to bank my security on things other than the Lord, anxiety so quickly steals my joy. Through the ups and downs we must to cling to the strong anchor of Jesus’ name and look to Him alone for our rest.

In the chaos of life, He is peace.

In the shadow of discontentment, He fulfills.

In the flurry of emotions, He never changes.

In moments that overwhelm, He is constant.

So rest in Him today.

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust Him more!