I made it!

I now live in Danville, California. California! That is a place I go on vacation, not a place I live! It still blows me away that God would bring me here.

At the present moment, I’m sitting at one of the two Starbucks in town, reflecting and typing a final paper for Crown. I originally thought I’d get a part-time job at one of the two, since I’ve worked at Starbucks before and love it. Instead, I had a great part-time job come my way, at a local antique shop called Sweet Magnolia. I’m their first hired employee, as the owner is about to have her first baby and needs some extra help. It will be a great laid-back job to match my much more laid-back life.

And when I say laid-back for those of you who know me well, I’m not kidding! I’ve done something outside every day because the weather is so beautiful, and today I drove my car for the first time in four days. My house is literally in the backyard of the church, so I don’t need to drive to work. It’s so great.

Plus, I’m not working full-time right now, either. I have time to chill, cook my meals, and read. So far I’ve read an entire book for leisure. It’s a great thing. It’s blessing upon blessing, as I was going at an almost impossible pace before I moved here. I feel like God has rewarded me for the last three and a half difficult and busy years.

I also now see with my own eyes why people say the San Francisco Bay area is one of the most desirable places to live. The weather is gorgeous, and in 10 days I only saw clouds on one day. The sun is always shining. Plus, within two hours of here there are so many wonderful things: Yosemite National Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and all the other wonderful things in downtown SF, Santa Cruz with it’s beaches, Lake Tahoe, Napa Valley, Sacramento, and a hundred other amazing things. It would be really hard to get bored here.

As I have new adventures, I will try to write about them. For now, I’m going to sign off with a prayer:

My loving Father in heaven, thank You so much for all You have blessed me with. Thank You for bringing me safely to CA and giving Kristin and me a safe and fun drive out here. Thank You for the awesome new friends I have made already—what an answer to the prayers of many people back in Minnesota. Thank You for Deana—for her warm welcome, for how she includes me in the things going on so I can make new friends, for her helping me to jump into my new role with both feet and for her leadership in the ministry. Thank You for my new small group of 7th grade girls and their precious hearts, especially for Haley and Stephanie and all they mean to me after two short weeks. I love You Lord, for all You are and for all You do. You are amazing to me, and too marvelous for words. I am Your servant, now and forever, to do Your bidding. Continue to guide me and grant me wisdom to make the choices You would will for me. In the precious name of Your son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.