Singing in the car!

Wednesday's meeting with the church in O'Fallon went great, and they are wanting us to come visit sometime in March.  Maryville is supposed to call us sometime next week.  We are excited about these opportunities!

Today I went to Bolivar to visit my friend Heather.  Heather and I were in Welcome Week together at SBU and hit it off, and we were roommates my last semester there.  We had a good time- got Happy Hour from Sonic, enjoyed the GREAT weather at the park, had El Rodeo for dinner, and then watched an entire disk of Friends.

Today is the day that was supposed to be Steven's first day at Maryville.  On the way home, there was nothing good on the radio so I turned on the Chris Tomlin CD I had bought a few months ago. "I Will Follow" really hit me and almost had me crying on my way home.  The lyrics at the beginning go,

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

In my version, though, the words were "WHEN you go, I'll go, WHEN you stay, I'll stay...".  This really is the desire of my heart.  God is working His perfect timing and all Steven and I need to do is trust that HE has everything in His hands!

I really think that God has been using this as some sort of a "refining" process.  I know we would have been ready if we had started the Maryville position today, but through this trial we have had to rely on God even more than ever before and have grown closer to Him as a couple and as individuals. I've been more intent on having devotions and have been able to see God move in my heart in the little things. I had a passion for teenage girls before, but now I am even more eager to nurture these girls God will entrust us with... to show them they don't need a boy to be beautiful or lovely... to encourage them, hopefully give them a little wisdom, and just be a listening ear that they may not get anywhere else.

I know it's cliche to say "God has a plan and it's the best thing" but I think that that has become real to our hearts and minds and it is a lesson we will take with us through the rest of our lives and marriage!