It’s been a while.
I would like to formally apologize to Ashley Crutchfield for being the most inconsistent about my blog posts. It’s not that hard, I’m just truly the most forgetful person I know. PLZ FORGIVE ME.
A NEW YEAR. Which also means halfway through Fellows... mer mer.
Coming back from our Career, Calling and Vocation Retreat brought an entirely fresh wave of thankfulness and gratitude. How the heck did I end up here and how in the world am I ever going to not think back and remember this year as one of the best of my whole life? God has been so gracious to bless this entire process of “becoming” - even in the midst of being undone.
Back in September, I thought God had good things in store for this year. Almost like a little bucket of blessings He was planning on just sprinkling around.
No, that’s not how it happened. It feels like He picked up the bucket and physically dumped it all out. A down pour.
I was hesitant to come back to my job after this week with Bill dreaming about the future and all the possibilities it holds. Yet, coming back to Grubb was like coming home. I love what I do and I LOVE who I get to do it with.
My host-family, parents and kids, bring me so much joy. Hannah, the middle-child 6th grader, makes sharing a jack-and-Jill bathroom more fun than I ever thought possible and sings more than I ever knew anyone could. My host-mom is teaching me the power of prayer, which is one of my words for the new year along with my life.
My mentor is a gem. Sweet Meg is the most intentional woman and listens so well. Not the kind of listening to respond, but listening to understand. She asks me hard/good questions and is teaching me the importance of pausing.
I’m extremely hopeful for class this semester as well, since it will be very difficult to top the last. We are now moving into New Testament, learning Inductive Bible Study and World View with Family Systems Theory and Spiritual Formation carrying over as our year-long classes.
The COMMUNITY. These people are the best friends in the world and I’ll never stop being thankful for getting to walk through this journey with these incredible ten Fellows hand-picked by the Lord. We’re at the stage where we’re comfortable in the silence and don’t feel pressure to simply fill the space. Just enjoying their presence is all I need most days. The generosity of the community at Apostles continues to astound me with how they steward their resources (mostly food, yay) and open up their homes to us.
I’m so thankful and so hopeful for the coming months:
To grow in awareness of myself and my actions while actively pursuing what God has for me in the world.
To explore what it looks like to intentionally pause more and make prayer more of a priority.
To see His plan unfold and boldly step into whatever He has for me after these last five months.
To know that the same God who made me feel so loved this year is the same God who has promised to be with me in every step of every year to come.
xoxo
Adelaide