The Decade Challenge

It's a new year and to celebrate the start of the year I've decided that for my first post in 2020, I would give in to "The Decade Challenge." Here goes nothing...

Ten years ago, I was a naive 16 year old wishing she could be 18; a high school junior anxiously waiting for the "big year" that is Senior year; all I wanted was to graduate high school. Ten years ago I did not know what awaited me. 

Me (left) with two friends at the Spring Dance my junior year of high school.

It is my pleasure to announce that I did in fact graduate high school and continued my studies at Houston Baptist University (HBU). At 16, that was the expectation from my mother and myself. What was unexpected is that in the last 10 years, I not only graduated high school, but also graduated from college twice. I obtained my Bachelors in 2016 and my Masters 2019 both from HBU. 

     

Ten years ago, I had no clue that I would become a teacher (I wanted to be an Architect), that I would then move on the be a Literacy Coach, that I would actually pay to wake up extra early on Saturdays and run races (what?!), that I would find some of the best friends a girl can have in coworkers, that I would be so moved and touched by so many of my students, sky dive, bungee jump, free fall into a giant net, see actual snow and hike mountains, attend many concerts, museums, and plays, and not to mention cheer on as the Astros win a championship and try to take it back. 

   

Unfortunately, not all that happened in the past ten years were happy memories. Never in a million years I could imagine that I would suffer the negative impacts of a hurricane, get hit by an eighteen wheeler and lose my first car, go through a scare where a sibling isn't at its 100 percent healthy self, watch my parents feel the strain that comes with age, or even experience the devastation of a house fire and all it's impacts (being homeless, etc.). 

Ten years ago I had dreams and plans, some that did happened and others that faded or changed over time. If one thing I have learned from the past ten years is that no matter what our plans may be, God has the last word. Ten years ago I was a naive 16 year old waiting for Senior Year, now I am a 26 year old waiting on The Lord. Yes I have plans and aspirations, but this time I go in knowing that God may modify them at any time. Ten years ago the unknown and uncertainty scared me, now I welcome it. 

From where You're standing

Lord, You see a grand design

That You imagined

When You breathed me into life

And all the chaos

Comes together in Your hands

Like a masterpiece

Of Your picture perfect plan

When I'm lost in the mystery

To You my future is a memory

Cause You're already there

You're already there

Standing at the end of my life

Waiting on the other side

You're already there

Already There by Casting Crowns

Happy New Year!