The Story of Me

I always grew up in a Christian family.  There was no other choice but to go to church on Sunday.  At the time, I thought it really put a damper on my socialness, but I do the same thing now.  There's no other choice, because church is where we are on Sunday morning.  My parents are still married after I don't know how long, and don't anticipate a change any time soon. 
I became a Christian at the tender age of 6, which I know that I had no idea what that meant except that I loved God, and I knew He died for me.  Beyond that, I had no clue. 
I was never a very overly outgoing kid.  I tried to be, but never did very well at it.  My brother was always naturally very good at almost anything that he did.  That was kind of an irritating thing when you are older by 5 years.  But whatever, he is very accomplished and I am very proud of him.
By the time that I got into high school, I didn't really like myself all that much.  I had really good friends, but I had a very large mixture of friends.  When you grow up in a town of 1000 people, you grow up with people from K-12.  You are destined to be friends if you like it or not.  I was mascot (the buffalo of all things) and a cheerleader my senior year.
I got the opportunity to go to a great private Christian university, UMHB.  There I met some great people that I don't get the blessing of talking to.  I really miss that.  They were wonderful people that God put in my life for a reason, and I am thankful for that.  There, I earned my BA in Early Childhood Education.  I was very proud of that degree.  I was ready to take on the world one child at a time, but things were still popping up left and right.   Just because it was a Christian university doesn't mean that I acted like one.
I don't think that I acted like a Christian since I was in high school.  I was the child pushing the envelope.  Late nights, not caring, hanging out with people I should never have.  I think my mother should have been gray headed.  I was not the kind of daughter that you bragged about.  College was no different.  You get into things that you don't know how to get yourself out of.  You didn't think you could ask God to deliver you from it.  You've lived like that long enough to know that you can do it on your own.  How stupid I must have been, to think God wasn't big enough to help much.
I became an addict.  That word has such a nasty taste in my mouth now.  That is the power of Christ.  He is the only one who can deliver you from a life that is soiled and full of stinky.  I was given my husband, whom I didn't deserve.  He and I were in the same place in our lives.  We had demons that needed to be addressed.  We both knew the way, and were trying to win our way back into good graces to an extent.  We were engaged after, I think, 1 month of dating.  It was really fast, but I would not have changed it for anything.  He left for Iraq that May, and we got married that Jan.  That was when I knew that we needed a change.  We both knew Christ needed to be the center of our household.  However, Satan doesn't give up that easily either.  There were words said, feelings hurt, hearts broken, and kisses made up.
We had been told that having kids would be hard.  Due to happenings with me, carrying would be rather difficult, probably ending in miscarriage.  When God has something He wants to happen, it happens. We had a perfect pregnancy, Monkey was late by a week, and 8 lbs.
Seth had to leave for Iraq again that year.  I was a single, married mother of 1, living with my parents.  Yes, yes.  I know, I promise.  It was good.  And it was nice to have support while Love was gone.  I find myself and my husband raising Monkey like we were raised, which is something that I swore I would never do.  I was never going to be like those people called parents.  Hmmmmm, funny how things change.
I do have to say that I had wonderful people in my life, and you know who you are, help shape me into the woman that I am today.  I have not arrived to the person that I want to be.  Not by a long shot.  I think that's where the patience comes in, and waiting for God's timing.  He knows what is in store for me, and I don't have to worry about it.  Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?" Matthew 6:27  I didn't think so either :)