"Plan to be surprised"

Emotional me. What's not to love. I am actually supposed to be organizing my, well it's junk to me because I don't use any of it, might be a treasure to you though, pile. For our upcoming yard sale we are having to raise funds for our adoption to Uganda. 

I was just about to romp on downstairs when it hit me- This is my life...

And maybe it has been awhile since I took just a personal inventory of everything the Lord has completely blessed me with. My life is full and I tend to take it for granted way, way too often. 

To totally contrast, I'm on facebook. I bet you just had an audible gasp because that was such. a. surprise.  Yeah no. continuing... just rummaging through posts, seeing where everyone is at in life and I am especially drawn to where the younger crowd is at. (yes, younger than me)

I am reminded of my views and overall outlook when I was in highschool. My DREAM (changed almost daily) was to ... well first it was to live in Abilene Texas. Nope, never been there, never even been to Texas, but I had a plan to live there, never get married and adopt a child that I would push in a stroller to my hair salon everyday. Then my dream was to be an Art major with a minor in creative journalism. At least it's a step up from Texas. Then it was the peace corp. Then I was going to move to New York to live in one of those crappy apartments with a million locks on it. Then I was going to travel with some metal bands. Then I was going to work in life skills and learn sign language. Social Work... The list goes on.

Let's skip over a great deal of babbling I could do and cut right to the chase, obviously I became none of those.

Instead I have been formed into this wife and mommy mold. I say mold because... God had my life, had plans for my life when I clung to Him. I am so thankful everything I EVER attempted to make of myself fell through before knowing the Lord. Where in the world would I be... riding with a metal band to Abilene Texas practicing my art skills in a windowless van. Yeeah high five... not so much.

But instead I have been so blessed with my precious family, our hearts to adopt, and our willingness to be used by the Lord wherever he wants us to be in life. <---- If I really knew what I wanted in hs, I wouldn't had wasted so much of my life on crap! We win some we lose some and that whole thing about learning and living through mistakes to get us to where we are now, blah blah blah. 

My prayer for these highschoolers and even graduated and wondering, is that they will keep an open heart and be willing to be used by the Lord. He holds your hearts true desires. A man makes a path in his heart but the Lord will guide, and it may not be down the path you think is what you want... but we don't really know what we want until the Lord has led us.

Jeremiah 29:11" For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."