Dear Diary...

When you have a baby, your house fills up with a lot of 'stuff' very quickly. Swings, and bouncy chairs, and toys, and exersaucers, and highchairs... it's never ending really. I hate clutter, it really stresses me out, so I've been trying to "dejunkify" a bit recently, get rid of some of the stuff we don't need in order to make room for all the baby paraphernalia. I was going through a box this week and came across all my old journals from adolescene. Embarrassing, like seriously embarrassing, to read the voice of my teenage self... and so funny now, at the wise old age of 27, to think back on those moments in my life which, at the time, seemed so earthshattering. But there was an endearing earnestness there too. I was reminded of the longings and desires of my heart at the age... the things I was able to articulate in writing, and even those that were too deep and too personal to express in words. But HE knew them all.  As I was reading it was like I could feel the Lord looking over my shoulder saying, "See... see how I have always been faithful, see how I have always kept my promises, see how perfect my plan has always been..." It was almost like a map of my life over the last 10 years, and being able to see so clearly how God had ordained my steps to bring me right to where I am now. If I could speak to that 17 year old version of myself, I would tell her just to trust, as simple as that... trust... because the Lord works everything out for the good of those who love Him.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Oh, how good that future is, and how good it will continue to be!