Journey of a Thousand Miles

Written in 2012 before I moved back home: After 3 years of living in Austin, I think it's time for me to go home, regardless if I find a job or not. I've learned a lot here. I have fallen and gotten back up repeatedly. My friendships have evolved as I've grown closer to my true values. I have learned to believe and follow my dreams. I have learned to live a more meaningful life. I have learned what really matters to me. I thought I would find love out here, but God had other plans; maybe He didn't want me to stay here. Maybe He wanted me to return home to my family. I have learned to set boundaries and to not allow people to hold me back from my goals and dreams. I have let go of a lot of guilt and shame I held onto for so long, and I have learned to find my identity in Christ and not in what others think of me. I found a career that better fulfills me, and I am still striving towards my dreams so I can escape the day job. I got out of retail like I hoped, I had fun a

God's goodness is not cut off from us in the wilderness. No matter what wilderness we are in, God has a plan for us through that wilderness, and it is a plan to take us into a place of promise. In a time of testing, it's important to keep your eyes on the promise. We could choose to focus on God's faithfulness and be filled with anticipation, or we could focus on our fear and be filled with anxiety. God wants our first response to be faith in Him. Reject fear and simply choose to trust Him.

There are times in my life when I feel crushed by the weight of dashed hopes, unanswered prayers, and broken dreams. Every day, there's a reminder of what could've been, should've been, or what I wish would come to pass. Before, I didn't have an explanation for the heavy weight I felt in my heart, but lately I've started to label it as grief and sorrow. Sometimes it comes out as anger, but when I look past all the layers, there is a deep sorrow that runs in my soul. It begs God every day for deliverance, and every now and again, I get consoling, but it always comes back again.  I began to search for guidance and wanted to share my findings with you, in case you are also struggling with heartbreak. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18 First, have peace in knowing that you have a God and a Jesus who understand the weight of grief and loss. Our Father was grieved when His people disobeyed Him, causing the g

Dear Amy at 29, Everything is going to be okay. Everything you're going through right now is part of God's plan to get you where He wants you to be.  Surrender your control and let God guide your life. He will guide you where you're supposed to be, so relinquish the reins. God is working some things through you. He is healing you slowly, but He needs to keep you protected for awhile, so stay in His loving arms and trust Him to heal you.  God will lead you where He wants you. Don't give up on your dreams, and don't give up on life. It's okay if you don't fulfill all your dreams. God will still give you a good life. Don't worry about your finances. God will take good care of you. You will see. About your job: God will use all that you're learning. God will fulfill your dreams sooner than you think and in a different way than you think, so sit back and stop worrying so much. God is preparing you for a major breakthrough. He is guiding you to make you

I am seeing God work in mysterious ways in my life right now. I'm starting to learn that even life's tragedies are the beginnings of God answering our prayers. My prayer for a change in my life and wanting to come home and be able to work on my dreams was answered my God taking away my job and allowing me to collect unemployment. At the onset, looks like a tragedy. But turns out to be a blessing because He answered my prayer in a better way than I had planned. If I had quit my job, I would have no income. I also prayed for my back to be healed, and then I got in a car wreck. Now I'm able to get frequent chiropractic adjustments for free, which I couldn't afford on my own. At the onset, a tragedy. But in the end, a blessing in disguise. One by one, God is answering my prayers in the strangest of ways. He has been healing me at home in ways that He couldn't when I lived in Austin. My healing is being completed here. Austin did a good start, but it was beginning