i started this fast a week or so before i left my big kid job. just stressed about life and feeling like i needed to be listening to 'positive and encouraging (k-love)' music. the first week was killer. i wore out my emery and thrice cd's (yes, cd's) and began to love mumford and sons (who are technically not a christian band, but such positive and encouraging lyrics). i had every intention of doing the fast for a week, but on the 1 week mark, i was driving home from pittsburg with my thuggies and we chatted about moving to boston.
we were all three excited about it. it is really crazy how the conversations went, how it felt like the Lord was in it all. we all decided to legit fast from something until we met again (this weekend) and then chat about if we felt the Lord speaking about moving to boston. also, we wanted to fast to hear the Lord speak in general. we were/are all three going through interesting times in life and we just wanted to hear the Lord.
what i learned from 1 1/2 months without non-christian music (except for what played during work):
-learned more about trusting the Lord. started doing a Bible study and it talked all about how the Lord provides. how he works in the midst of suffering (all suffering he can use for good!). trusting him with the hard things- with things i want to handle on my own. praying more- about everything.
- boston. i finding lots of different organizations i want to work for/volunteer for. randomly found 2 churches that look pretty legit. found schools with great MSW programs and public admin programs- Harvard has a human trafficking and modern day slavery program within their public admin degree- is that perfect for me or what?!
-moving away. i was so hesitant to actually pray about moving to boston (or any other place for that matter) because i always wanted to make sure that the Lord didn't have something for me in Indiana- like maybe I should pray for opportunities here instead, or maybe i should really just stay and it's foolish to want to leave. BUT. i feel like he has showed me more about how he made me/wired me. he put such a HUGE desire in my heart to do anti-trafficking work and Psalm 103 says that the Lord will fulfill my desires with good things (which helps me be confident in this 'waiting' period as i am finishing school- finishing something in order to get someplace else...) i feel like he also wired me in such a way to love the city, to be in a fast paced environment, etc. even if boston is not the place, a city like it is where i feel like i should be. not that indiana isn't great- i just don't know if it is the place for me. not to say that the Lord doesn't have a sweet job here- i think i also am understanding that the Lord can use me anywhere and just to be open to being used by him. but i feel like boston could be a good place for me.
- girls inc.. i started co-facilitating a program called 'redefining beauty.' best part of my week. another realization that i want to work with teen girls doing this kind of stuff, doing outreach. or do human trafficking policy type work. the cool thing- if girls have positive role models who can invest in them and teach them the importance for having a high self-esteem and showing them that they can do big things, they will be less likely to fall prey the schemes of pimps and traffickers. prevention work. boom.
- finances. it's tough. working on a second job. bath and body works perhaps. :) money has always been the hardest thing to trust the Lord with. my buddy made me a budget- gotta love the math nerds. i'm attempting to follow it- save some money. plan a bit. i feel like this is good preparation if boston is to work out. it is expensive to live there- i will be doing a lot of trusting the Lord with finances. good time to practice now. :)
-music. i listened to some joshua radin last night on my drive home. some snow patrol, swell seasons and ryan adams. oh how i missed it. but, i listened to christian music every time i got in the car today. i want to listen to it actually. crazy little turn of events.
-90 challenge. started this 90 challenge with my church- i'm reading through the new testament in 90 days. it has been so great. and i can listen in the car on my iphone. the guy who reads the bible has this cra cra british accent. it felt like i was watching a movie or something when i listened to Acts. so dramatic.
the past month has been so good. i feel like i see how good it is the more i talk about it. the Lord is doing some crazy cool things. hopefully visiting boston in november with the bestie thuggies .
ps. i'm also making jewelry again these days. check out my etsy and buy something: http://www.etsy.com/shop/laurenj117
Got to see these beauties the weekend :) happy wedding weekend.
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