January 7th

Wow - a week into 2010 and it's already blowing my mind. A great deal of changes are happening - beginning with a move. Yes - this makes 10 moves in my adult life. (not counting changing dorms in college)

My mom is continuing to make some interesting choices and I hate to watch her. But, it's her life and at some point you have to just let her be. So - she asked me to move out - I'm currently staying in my aunt (mom's sister's) spare bedroom. So far it's been working out ok - although she's pretty adament about my eating when/what she thinks I should. Ah...the price we pay for family. :) Life I said - it's working out for now.

However, my stuff has to be out of mom's house by the end of this month. I might have a tiny bit of room on either side - but I'm not sure. I'm not planning on staying at my aunt's house for a long period of time. She wants to rent it out - which I am paying her some rent - but with it only being a small room - I'll have to put almost everything of mine into storage again...and I really don't want to go that route. Not to mention - I think I'd really like to have my own place, plus it's on the very far end of town and takes me forever to get anywhere.

I am contemplating moving into my grandmother's house. It's on the west side - but pretty close to escambia. It'll come in handy when doing stuff for Katie - or Claire. But, my dad hasn't done anything with the inside - hasn't gone through my grandmother's things, sold anything, boxed anything, fixed the sink...etc. There's some minor things that need to happen - mostly new carpet - but he's being a little weird...and it's like pulling teeth for him to get started on some things. So...I may just not go that route either...

So...onto my other options...looking for a place to rent on my own - apartment, small house, etc. Or finding someone who needs a roommate but will let me bring all my junk too. Ah...such is life. Or at least mine.

One thing that is a paramount to all of this is a new job. I've been applying at different places since before Christmas and I finally went on an interview yesterday. It seemed to go really well and might be a great fit for me. So - I'm continuing to pray about it - and we'll see what happens. In the meantime...still applying at other places. That's going to have a big impact on what I do or don't do as far as moving.

Tonight we're headed to literally finish the VERY.LAST.THINGS. at the HMO house. I have to run by my mom's to pick up my paint clothes and then we'll hopefully get it all knocked out pretty quickly. YAY!!!! It'll be nice to put the final closure on it.

As if all that wasn't enough - God's been working on me the last few months. I'm not quite sure what He's getting me ready for - but goodness - it's been a little crazy. He's stretching me - on that whole difference between what we say we believe and what we do. Meaning - I say believe in God - but do my actions really, REALLY show that? I say I want people to know the Lord - but is that what I'm doing? There are things that I've noticed in other people that make me sad for them - and then God shows me that I'm the same - or have been the same. It's made me grow in my compassion and it's made me very introspective - which at times is a little bit of a bummer.

Another repetitive idea that He keeps showing me is how important it is to spend time in the Word. That's not news to me - and it's not that I don't - but the various ways that it is important and instrumental in my faith just astounds me. And I wonder...how can I spend more time in it? We had a bible study about it, the message this past week touched on it, I had a conversation with my aunt who said she doesn't need to read the bible to understand God, there was a thread on facebook about it, on and on...all reminding me to get in the Word more.

I've been praying about a bible study - for women. Not quite sure yet - it's just something that's been on my heart - and I'm just praying about it.

God is stretching me in so many ways. Preparing me for something and through all of it - I am reminded of His faithfulness, His love, His encouragement, His Word, His promises, and just the ability to rest in Him through anything. I am blessed.