Protecting His faithful ones.

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. It will save you also from the adulteress, from the wayward wife with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life. Thus you will walk in the ways of good men and keep to the paths of the righteous. For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it."

[Proverbs 2]

Seeking the wisdom of the Lord is something I desire to do in all my life, in every season and stage of life I endure and transition into. I am sure some (if not all of us - at some point in your life) of you desire the same thing. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has been with me every step of the way; knowing that, I am blessed with a huge sense of peace and comfort understanding I am never alone wherever life may take me. I can always go to Him when I think no one is listening, when I don't know who else to talk to or if no one answers the phone or text. He's never too busy for me. He "...protects the way of his faithful ones."

I am astonished as I reflect on where the Lord blessed me to travel this summer: Oklahoma, Texas, Illinois (x3), northwest Iowa (x3), northeast Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska (x3). Many of these trips to these various states involved witnessing weddings of dear friends and family. May the Lord bless the beginnings of all the marriages that occurred this summer. As I think of the many miles I traveled on the highways and byways, I am beyond thankful for God's protection of everywhere I went.

This past weekend, marked my final wedding of the summer. I played piano for a friend's wedding and all went smoothly. After rehearsing the morning of her big day, I watched the bride and her party get ready and take pictures; I couldn't help but think of my life-long friend getting married this December. I am super excited for that because it's the next wedding I know of and will be the first one I am in as a bridesmaid! I was blessed to stay in Seward with a friend at the house I lived in last year. Then, I was doubly blessed to extend my weekend trip to last a week and babysat a very sweet little girl I watched during my senior year of college. We had some fun times playing together and it was so good to space out my time seeing people before I had to leave town.

Never would I have imagined preparing for graduate school by spending the week before I move in Seward. I couldn't think of a better place to spend my time! Now, it's time to hit the ground running as I normally do and finish details of packing/getting my ducks in a row for heading east to seminary.

I AM STOKED!