Thoughts and Ponderings

I am at home in the States right now!!! I have two siblings getting married in July!!! I'm excited to be here for summer...I hope it stops raining soon!

It has been great to reconnect with family after not being here for over a year. It has been great, but I do admit that it has been challenging. My family doesn't recognize their daughter/sister. They see someone who appears to be a part of the family but have said things like "you're very distinct...we're trying to figure out who you are." And when I say recognize, that doesn't mean physically. I look just about the same.
But I do believe God has done and will continue to do a lot of inside changes that may not be as obvious to see as I continue to deepen my relationship with Him. I have learned a lot about myself, my fears, my enemies, my potential, my gifts, my passions, about my past, my present and my future. I have been broken, I have been built up, I have been set free. I have experienced in God in a new and real way!
Talking with someone recently I asked why they believed God to be real. What I was looking for in their response was that they could say that they have experienced Him, beyond what the Bible says, beyond what their parents say, what church says, what their "supposed" to believe. But that really they believed in God because they had experienced Him!

My journey with God will never end. I will make mistakes, learn from them, and keep walking and growing; holding on to God's hand every step of the way.

One thing I have also learned is that when I hear from the Lord, I also look to others. I want to hear concerns and advice. But that doesn't mean that I will or have to walk exactly according to the advice or concerns. I want to go before the Lord with what He's spoken, with what others have shared and weigh them before Him, seek His best.

I will not doubt in the darkness/confusion/conflict/disagreement what I believe God has spoken to me in the light/clarity.