Life These Days

What a whirl wind I feel like the last few months have been! Life has really been good – it isn't without it's struggles but I am blessed.

My Weight Loss

In the last few months I have been meeting with a WONDERFUL group of ladies and going through a book called "Love to Eat, Hate to Eat" by Elyse Fitzpatrick about how over eating is a sin of gluttony. Its about learning to turn and lean on God for the support we need to get through those difficult choices in life (in regards to food). In the last 3 months I have lost 7.2 lbs – which is slow but I am still on my way.

I am back on track with running again and I can't wait for the runs I have planned this year. I am going to beat my last years running goals with new ones and hope to drop to pounds along the way.

Weight Watchers has a new face lift and its been really fun getting to know the new program. It feels like a new beginning and I'm excited to be on track with my goals. First goal – loss 10lbs byJanuary 1^st.

Pregnancy Resource Center

My time at PRC so far has been challenging and rewarding. The difficulties are of my flesh wanting to just be prideful, and in control. There have been some difficult situations that really made me wonder what I was doing at PRC but I knew that God had a plan and pushing through was just what was required, regardless of how uncomfortable I felt.

For example, 3 weeks ago I was asked to see a client that spoke very little English and it was assumed she spoke more then she did. When I met with the client to ask her the normal intake questions, she was having a very hard time understanding me – (in addition to having our center director in the room with me, shadowing my work). This was extremely difficult because I felt like I was the least experienced person to handle the situation and I felt that someone else could have been a better fit because others at PRC speak some Spanish. I left that day in tears asking God why? Why, was I put in that situation? Why, didn't our center director rescue me since she knew some Spanish? Why, did they think I could do it when I obviously couldn't? Why, am I even doing this? It was a pretty rough place. I called and talked to a girlfriend and she reminded me of all the things God has revealed to me and the story I have because of God's goodness. I was refocused on our Lord but struggled for the next 2 weeks wondering and thinking that I couldn't do it and maybe I wasn't called to this ministry and got my God's messages mixed up.

But…. I saw God moving this week like never before. Last week I saw one client (scared to death) and got cleared to see clients on my own. When I arrived yesterday it had been a slow morning and I didn't expect much in way of clients coming in. I started with my follow-up and called a couple of my girls.

--- Then I started alphabetizing and filing and just when I thought I was going to run out of things to do, the bells on the front door started to ring. I put the files down and started to pray, that God would give me the words to say and that I would hear him clearly. I wanted nothing more then just do what God has called me to and to be obedient in what he wants me to say.

--- My first client was a sweet, non-Christian girl who was worried she could be pregnant, she was not but we had a nice chat about her current relationship. It was a good and "easy" client.

--- Then when I was finished I saw another client who was quiet but excited to see if she was pregnant. She was newly married and couldn't hold her excitement in for her first born. She was pregnant and I gave her lots of info about prenatal and parenting classes, ways to have a healthy pregnancy, the fetal development booklet that tracks the growth of her baby, and a gift of booties to celebrate her pregnancy. It was very heart warming to feel her excitement.

--- Then there was another client… this particular client has changed my view on what I am really doing at PRC – GOD'S WORK!! Not my work, not my comfortably in the work, not to achieve a particular feeling and not to do what I have "thought" I would do at PRC. But to be God's hands, feet, and voice – in this dark sinful world. I went into this client already feeling empowered by the Holy Spirit because of all the blessings in the words He had given me in the past 2 clients. I was calm, I listened, I asked the questions from the intake form and after getting the positive test back we talked about how she was feeling the pressures of her boyfriend to have an abortion. I could tell that the thought of abortion made her uneasy as she had previously used the abortion pill and didn't want to talk or think much about it. I offered her an ultra sound and after looking through the appointment book – there was nothing that fit her schedule. We just happen to have our nurse on site and she had an ultra sound client who didn't show, so after asking a couple times, she was able to get right in for an ultrasound. I was able to be the advocate for this client as she received her ultrasound and seeing her little babies heart beating on the screen was life changing. My heart went out to this girl and her baby like I had never felt before. It was as if God filled my heart with His love for this girl and baby and I so badly wanted to hold her hand and cry. I wanted to pour that love over her like syrup so she could never be free from it – like the stickiness of syrup. Those were the last moments I spent with her as she saw her baby on the screen. I will call her Tuesday next week, but other then that, we have done the job God has called us to do. I pray for her hourly and sometimes every min. I hope she felt at least some of the love I felt for her, but if she didn't, I ask God to keep her safe, calm, and clearheaded as she moves farther along in her pregnancy. My life will forever be changed by that moment.

--- Somehow in there somewhere I met another client and her husband about getting a stroller. It was a wonderful day at PRC.

I will have more stories to come, hard ones and easy ones. But nonetheless, stories shaped by the love of God.