So… What Happened???

It's been a little over two months since my last post and I'm thinking some of you MIGHT be wondering where I've been and what has happened since then.  I've actually been asked by a few of you how you got disconnected from the blog, that you wondered why you aren't getting my posts anymore.  No, it's not you, nor is it your email or computer.  I've haven't posted in over 2 months.

A lot has happened since my last post, the one I wrote about my upcoming adventure at The Ragnar Relay in Cape Cod.  I won't get into details here.  No need to bore you all, although I'm more than happy to share my story with anyone who asks.  It's one of those awesome God things!

I will share a few bits though.  I will say that my weekend at Ragnar is one I will never ever forget.  Aside from the fact that 12 women dug deep to run every single mile of that 200 mile relay, aside from the physicality of it all, that weekend was a life changer for me.  That was the weekend God broke me. It was the weekend He exposed me for who I was becoming, for the fraud and imposter that I saw looking back at me in the mirror.

In the two months since, God has humbled me in more ways that I can tell.  He has stripped me of a lot, but in return has given me a million times more.  My heart was broken, but then mended back together with His love.  His purposes, His plans.  And through it all, I was blessed to lean on my amazing husband and my three awesome little goofballs.  

And as I now wake daily to learn more about His plans, I am AMAZED (I cannot express enough how AMAZED I am) at how he is slowly but surely weaving all these heartaches, all of my life's passions (I'm talking decades worth!) together for His amazing purposes.  I am very slowly beginning to see the pieces falling together- my life's work, my passions in life, my children and family, my insecurities, even (and especially) the mistakes I've made (I love how He uses ALL things for good) for His purposes.  It's as if it was all for a reason.  Yeah… I believe it is…

So now that I've bored you enough, I will leave you with a few takeaways:

* Ragnar was amazing and unforgettable- for so many different reasons than I expected, but truly life changing.

* God's timing has been PERFECT as He has been teaching me through the long and lazy days of summer why He broke me at Ragnar, and what He wants to use me for.

* My portraiture is a part of His plan, along with my years spent teaching high school, my years of playing and coaching young women, my role as a mother (particularly to my precious girl), my life long insecurities, my mistakes, and my love for writing, encouraging and connecting.

* There is much much more to pray on, and meditate on, to wait on and to act on.  God will reveal His timing.

* The root of all of this is based on 1 Peter 3:3-4

                      Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is of great worth in God's sight.

For those of you who are still reading, I appreciate your hanging with me.  For those of you who are praying women, I ask for your prayers as I desire to move forward with this project and do God's will.  And for those who are interested in knowing more, stay tuned!  New things are coming!

Keep smiling!

Jen