Giving Thanks

In the early hours of the morning today (1:09 to be precise) I got a phone call that my family was finally here! They had been traveling all day from their homes in Missouri to my apartment here in Nashville. My parents, my brother and his girlfriend, my two little sisters, and my surrogate sisters – two girls my age that my family has become very close with over the past couple of years – all piled into my apartment finding places on the floor in between musical instruments and easels and fireplaces and coffee tables. Although I’m sure they were not comfortable there, I was so glad to have them all in my humble home.

Because tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought now was the perfect time to give thanks for my wonderful, wonderful family who sacrificed money and time to come visit us here. As has been apparent in the short time I’ve had this blog, family is very important to me. Having them all here means so much to me – this will be my first holiday as the “host” and I couldn’t be more excited. I hope to take thousands of pictures while everyone is here to share some of the holiday love with the blogging world.

From one cozy family to another- Happy Thanksgiving!

Vision

I'm reading a very cool book right now. The title of the book is Chazown (pronounced khaZOWN) and it's written by Craig Groeschel. The word Chazown is a Hebrew word that means dream, revelation, or vision. The book is all about finding vision for your life...something that this twenty-two year old struggles with quite often.

Although I am blessed to be employed when so many people are hurting for jobs right now, my job is not a place I want to be forever. I work for a small not-for-profit institute, and I am basically as high up in the company as I can go. I'm not the type of person who necessarily wants to be high up in a company, but I do feel as though I’m not getting the chance to use any of my gifts or passions. One passion that I have been thinking about quite a bit lately is my love for children.

I have always wanted to be a mother- probably since my little sisters were born. In elementary school when I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said "a mom." So now that I've been married for several years and having children is the next step, I am really feeling a void where that desire has always been. My nurturing self is having a hard time learning that I am only twenty-two and I am nowhere near financially ready to bring a new life into my home. But sometimes I wonder about my vision. My vision for my life is not something that has to come true. What if God’s plans for my life are completely different? I know that what He plans is greater than anything I could dream of. But how do I live in between knowing my life could be great and feeling that I’m missing something?

Flea Market

Yesterday was a fun-filled day at the Flea Market. I am a newcomer to the whole scene, but I’ve got to admit, I may quickly become a junkie. Doorknobs, vintage books, handmade scarves, anything you could imagine, really…it’s all there waiting to be found and turned into something wonderful. An old set of shutters for example, will quickly be turned into one of the many Christmas gifts I am making this year. There’s something so fulfilling about scavenging through piles of old keys and clip-on earrings to find exactly what you’re looking for. We wandered around for an hour or so, bundled up in our winter coats, making our ways through the junk vendors to the quality booths. I’m still looking for that perfect vintage copy of the Bell Jar, though. I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Family Life

As someone who is new to the blogging scene, I thought an introduction should be in order. I’ll give you the basics, and hopefully during the life of my online journaling, you will find out so much more.

I am married to my very best friend, David. We “met” when he was in my brother’s 5th grade class but didn’t know each other well until early high school. We became nearly inseparable and began dating my junior year. I followed him to college, two years later, and was engaged shortly after that. We married when I was 19 and he was 20. Babies, really, but as Dave has worded it, we had a uniquely stable relationship. Though I’m only 22 now, I have had the three growing-up-est years of my life. Hard at times, but I’ve always had Dave there to remind me of how blessed I am.

My family is made up of 6- my mom, Regina, my dad, Brian, my older brother, Stephen, me, and my two younger sisters, Christina and Emily. David has a family of 5- his parents are John and Sandi, he has an older sister, Christine who is married and has two precious little girls. He also has an older brother, Steve, who is married and they have three young, and also precious, children. They are overseas right now in the Philippines and we are anxiously awaiting their next trip home.

I’ll leave you with a couple pictures of the family.

Dave and me

Dave and I with my family

Dave's parents

Welcome

First of all, thank you for checking out my blog. This is a new venture for me that I am excited about but also a bit nervous about. I am nervous for a few reasons- one being that my stick-to-it-iveness is not always one of my strong points, but more because I am not one to be transparent. I want this blog to be a place where I can be honest and open about all of the little things and the big things. One of those big things is my faith. Although I don't want to use this blog to preach, my faith is very important to me. I hope that through all things my faith shines. The name "rest on me" was birthed from faith and learning. It is from 2 Corinthians 12:9 - a powerful verse for me, and I hope that the comfort I've felt in these words can be passed in one way or another on to you. For my first post, I will leave you with these words (emphasis my own)-

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.