When One Door Closes, Another Opens

So my gym is closing. As of Tuesday. I found out Monday night, so I got a week's notice, but you can imagine that along with everything else going on, I took the news hard.

Just a gym, you say? Well, perhaps. But the work I did at that gym changed me. I worked harder than I knew I was capable of. I did things I thought I was too scared to do. I pushed in ways I wasn't sure I could. I left gallons of sweat on that floor, steeled my will. I became closer to who I want to be in a year of consistent work. I showed myself that I was capable of disciplined steps toward my goal.

I made new friends, friends who have become so precious to me. I got out of my comfort zone in relationships, allowed people to teach me about vulnerability and trust. It's been an amazing year, and I know that, as I walk out after my Pilates class next week, I will cry. I will cry because I'll miss the sweat and the work. I will cry because I will miss those people who I have suffered and overcome with. I will cry in gratitude to the One who gave me that place, that growth, that strength.

Good News, Bad News

Don't you love how things do that? One day, you are ecstatic over some wonderful thing that happens, then something stinky happens, and you almost allow it to threaten all your joy.

Well, first the bad news. I lost my job. I've done data collecting and entry since the Firecracker Princess was born. Tuesday, I got a Fed Ex letter that said they were eliminating the position company-wide as of July 31. The good part of that is that the Music Man has marching band starting at the end of July, so we should be ok for several months.

But the good news? We're expecting again! Yep, baby #4 is on his/her way, expected to make the debut late February/early March. We thought we'd actually get to celebrate the Joyful Babe's second birthday before we had another, but it looks like we'll miss it by a week or so. Oh well, we're excited about more babies to love and more to celebrate in our lives.

So while things are a little stressful, it is well. It is well.

I'm Here!

I realize that it's been a few weeks since I've updated. In that time, I spent 30ish hours on a scrapbook for Ransomed Grace from her friends, went to Disney World, and made a pretty big discovery in my personal life. I'll share more about each of those soon.

For now, I'm trying to finish my assignment for RG tomorrow, and it's killer. She had me write a story in the style of Joseph (as in Genesis 36-50) where I'm Joe and my mom is his brothers. We're at page 15, and I'm almost finished. I feel like God told me yesterday that He wouldn't give me the end until tonight, so I'm waiting!

He's finally softening my heart, and guess what? I've cried TWICE in the last week. Woohoo!! This is a good thing!

That's about it for now, back to my homework. I'll write soon!