Contentment

It is amazing to see God actively cultivating contentment in my heart recently. There are so many things I would love to do and places I hope to get to in life. But right now God has me exactly where I am. He has been teaching me that that is just fine...and not just fine, but good. I haven't been gypped out of something good from him because I am not on the mission field, married, or living in my own place. Contentment isn't something that I have achieved, but it is something that He is slowing changing in my heart. He has used different things to help me see that He has given me Himself and things where He has me now to enjoy and learn from. I have had so much peace about where He has me in life now, including where I live, the job I have, the ministries He has given me, and how being single gives me extra freedom to pour my life into the people He has put in my life. It seems like a few times a week a new opportunity comes up to minister to someone new. Often my singleness is a big plus as to the why different people come to me or make a suggestion of someon for me to minister too. I am loving it. God is even changing my heart so that I am considering living at home a little longer to save money and not me so anxious get my own place. I don't know what He has ahead for me with that.The fall colors here in the south have been an extra reminder of the truth that God enjoys and finds pleasure in giving us things that we will delight in. I love the fall and miss it from being in WI for the last 6 years. But it has been colder this year, so the colors have been brighter than normal. This is only the second fall I have been in the south since 1999, but the color seems so much more brilliant. I have had a chance to go up to the mountains in NC for the last two weekends and the color has been great there. I absolutely love this time of year. The cold air makes you want to bundle up and take a walk in the woods or drink hot chocolate and read a book. God is so good to us. That is true every day of our life, but often we don't see it. He delights in opening our eyes to His goodness and beauty.

For those of you who knew me when I didn't own a good camera, I love photography. If you were on my team in China this summer, that is probably something that comes to mind when you think of me (since I bought my digital camera just before I left for China this summer.) Well, my hobbies have broadened a lot this year too. Photography has been something I have thrived on lately. Landscaping in my parent's yard, cooking, interior decorating, and many other things have been interest that have been brought out in me lately.


This is the contrast in color from the beginning of the month to last weekend in the same dogwood tree in our front yard.





Of all the trees in our neighborhood, God put in our yard the trees that changed the most and the brightest. His mercies are new every morning. He gives and takes away. My heart will choose to say, "Lord, blessed be your name."