Hi friends.

I’m here once again wondering what to write about. How does Tuesday keep coming around again so quickly?

One of the things I’ve been thinking about today is what I’m choosing to focus on. Lately, it has been easy to focus on all the things I feel like I’m losing. Last week, I had a realization that I had made one thing into the representation of nearly all my dreams. When that one thing fell through, it felt like all my dreams came crashing down with it and life as I’ve known it was over.

Life has certainly changed, but contrary to how it often feels, change isn’t always a bad thing. It’s not comfortable, but since when is comfort the end goal of life?

Moving to Ireland was a huge change, and it’s one of the best things that’s happened in my life. I don’t know what the next step will be, or where it will take me, but I’m pretty sure if I choose to keep my focus on the One who walks with me, it can be pretty great too.

So, today, instead of focusing on what I’m losing when I leave here, I’m going to focus on what God has given me during my time here. A friend sent me an email a couple of weeks ago with a partial list of all that God has allowed me to be a part of in the past few years. It was a pretty crazy list.

This week marks three and half years since I first set foot in Ireland and one year since my book was released! During the past three and half years, in addition to becoming a published author, God has given me opportunities to: meet a load of incredible people and build friendships that will last a lifetime; sing on local radio, on national television and at countless services and concerts in various churches throughout this county and beyond; pray with many people and watch God at work in their lives; cook meals that made many people happy; teach young people about finding their identity and purpose in relationship with God; make a home that has been a place of worship, prayer and hospitality – a haven for me and others; and be an encouragement to many people through building friendships and serving in several local churches, a café run by one of churches, a mother/toddler group, and the local gospel choir.

Today, I am celebrating the incredible time I’ve had during the past three and half years I’ve called Ireland home. The same God who brought me here and opened every one of the doors to the opportunities listed above is still writing my story, and I’m pretty sure there will be some amazing lists written during the seasons to come too. I’ll just have to “live my story” to see where its Author takes me next.