Revealing Grace

"Why are you so happy all of the time?" This is a question that lately I get asked more often than you would think. At doctor's appointments (of which I have been to a lot recently) they look at my quizzically as I smile, laugh, make light of serious things, and talk about my hope for God's supernatural healing. At my new job the kids make fun of my unwavering positivity, relating me to the weirdest (and most unattractive!) cartoon characters. I told my Arizona kids about this and they replied, "Yea, you were too happy for us too. But we got used to it."  Haha- there are worse things to be I suppose. What people don't realize when they comment on my "eternal optimism" is how great of a victory that is for me. I was always ridiculously optimistic growing up, but seeing my students on the reservation go through so much pain, and living in an unkind marriage, made me lose that joy for a while. For a couple of years I became an extremely a...

The other day I was out with a stranger (you know, as I do) and we were talking about our lives, our passions, etc. As this person talked I noticed that they described their life in terms of dates. When I mentioned this to him, he paused, and then replied, "I do talk in terms of dates. You talk in terms of blessings. " _______________________ If you are just joining the story, the last year of my life has been a doozy. Here is the run-down: A year ago my husband started the process of leaving our marriage 11 months ago he left me and I moved from Arizona to Georgia. 10 months ago I unjustly lost my job. 9-7 months ago I struggled with the divorce, the job loss, etc. and also worked at a pizza restaurant. The pizza was delicious. Oh and I lived in my parents' basement. It was glamorous. 6 months ago I started a new job. 5 months ago divorce papers were finalized. 3 months ago I randomly applied to a job in Dallas, Texas. 1 month ago I quit my job ...

Well ya'll, four days ago I officially moved to Dallas! For my second move to a new state within ten months I hopped in my car and drove twelve hours back out west on my own. Sometimes I step back and it hits me that this has been one crazy year. With multiple cross-country moves, huge life changes, and a smattering of different jobs, it has been quite the year of change! Thankfully, this move has been easy in almost every way. I signed a lease on an apartment I had never seen and when I arrived I found that it was perfect. The right size, the right amenities, and a beautiful view, I had stumbled upon my perfect oasis in the city. I began work on Tuesday to find that I love the staff, the organization is healthy, and the kids are phenomenal. After one afternoon I felt like I had been there for years. Even though it was a new set of kids and I have so much to learn about this organization, I have felt so at home every day this week. What has been so amazing to me about this m...