21 Years and 3 Days

So...I turned 21 on Saturday October 23. It's hard to believe that I'm 21 years old...I feel the need to have some deep meaningful reflection on what my life has looked like in those 21 years. It's crazy to me that it was 3 years ago that I was in high school, childhood memories seem farther away all the time, and it seems like just yesterday I was climbing up on my stool, clapping my hands, and saying "Everybody! Listen to me!" and then proceed to sing all of my Bible school songs while everyone watched.
I remember in high school, I was always so ready to grow up and get out of there. And I always heard people tell me not to grow up too fast, but to enjoy each segment in life as they come. In my life I have always looked forward to the next step with anticipation. Finally it was senior year and I was that much closer to getting out of there, and let me tell ya, I was so ready to leave high school and head to college. Then after only 2 years of college, I decided I needed something different, I didn't want to 'do school' anymore. So here I am, 21 years old and touring with Silver Ring Thing and seeing things I never thought I would see.
In reflecting on my 21 years of existence I can genuinely say that I have learned the most in the last 2 1/2 years. I will also say that decisions only get more important and more difficult as you get older. I like being older though, and being more responsible. I can feel myself being readied for the future and I can see the ways in which I have grown and matured in just the last 2 1/2 months with SRT. It's amazing what God will do in our lives when we decide to step out in faith, go against the grain, and follow Him into something you never thought possible. He has moved in powerful ways in my life already since I chose to leave college and my comfort zone.
So...21 years. I feel older, I feel more like an adult. Now, I cannot say they've been easy or perfect, but what can I say about my 21 years?
I can say that God was faithful even when I wasn't. God continues to pour out His love and grace even when I most certainly do not deserve it. I see God's blessings everyday in various ways: when looking at His creation, reading an encouraging note from a friend, talking to my parents on the phone, or when I think about how thankful I am that I'm not in college taking classes everyday but I'm on the road gaining real world experience ;-) But seriously, I serve an amazing God, and I would be incredibly lost and miserable without Him. To God be the all the glory! And I can definitely say that while I am enjoying this time in my life right now, but I am also looking forward, with anticipation, to whatever it is that God says is the next step in my life.

~Jeremiah 29:11~

Home

Ahhhh :-) It was so good to be home this weekend and now to be spending time with friends from college. I am so thankful for this time and that I was able to take off from work and join up with friends and family. This weekend was amazing, for a number of reasons.
My parents came down and picked me up on Thursday afternoon and took me home. Then Scott, Tiffany, and baby Colton arrived very late that night. I was then awakened the next morning by a strange noise coming in the door to my room. I kind of panicked because I didn't know where I was, and then I realized that sound was none other than the precious cooing of my nephew Colton Charles :-) Yep...best morning ever!
Friday evening I got to see my brothers play football at MHS; it was great to see them play!
Saturday was family day; and a perfect one at that. Sarah and Nate came down from Erie, my Gramma and Great Gramma came, my aunt, uncle, and cousin came as well. We ate great food, played a hard core game of wiffle ball in the back yard, rode the four-wheelers, had a campfire, played ping-pong, talked, laughed, and took pictures. It was a fabulous day...exactly what I needed.
Sunday morning I had to say goodbye to Scott, Tiffany, and Colton as they were headed back toward Maryland. I went to our show in Cranberry Twp, which was incredible! There were over 1100 people in attendance! Praise the Lord! It was a day I will never forget. God moved in BIG and amazing ways that night! :-D
When the show was over and everything was packed up, I left with my good friends Becca Yuhas and Rachel Perry for Grove City College. It was a weird feeling coming back on campus and not having anything to do but see people. Yesterday and today have been great to catch up with good friends, receive some warm welcomes and big hugs, and visit with a couple amazing professors. I have missed these people so much! Praise the Lord for good friends and good conversation! I have been blessed :-)

After being here for just this little bit, I feel even more confident in my decision to leave and head out with SRT. Although SRT has been difficult in a variety of ways, I still know that God brought me here, and I have already learned so much since being on tour. I miss the people of GCC and my friends very very much, but I am still confident that God led me out in order to lead me to SRT.
Now...as far as going back to school is concerned, I am still very undecided. I am trying very hard to be soft in God's hands and sensitive to His guidance and His call. Please join with me in my prayer to hear His voice on this matter. I want only to do what God calls me to do and in His timing as well. I know this is going to take some time and a lot of patience, but I want to be faithful to my Creator.

Again, I can't thank y'all enough for your prayers. God bless!

In Christ,
~Anna

Homeward Bound

That's right everyone! We are en route to Pittsburgh, PA after 2 months of being on the road! I can hardly believe it's been 2 months already...it flew by! It's been an up and down 2 months, and I sure have learned a lot, but I know that God has even more to teach me...and to fine tune it all too haha.
Soon I'll be with my family, meeting and holding my nephew for the first time, and getting some much needed R&R down on the farm :-) I am a mere 12 hours from Pittsburgh, and a couple of days before I see them all...I am so excited! :-D
We had a couple of shows this week, both were great successes! It's amazing how even when things seem to be going wrong, or stuff isn't working properly, God is still working and in big ways too. Sometimes we get lost in the small frustrations of life and forget to look past them at the big things God is doing. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't care, it just means that we have to trust that God really does have it all under control and will work out for His Glory :-)
Not gonna lie...there have been some seriously rough times during these last 2 months, and there were some days where I just didn't want to do it anymore. And I'm not going to sit here and act like I was faithful the entire time or fully trusted God the whole time, because there definitely days where I tried to do it on my own. At the end of those days, stuff never works out. But on the days when I really let it all go and gave it all to God, there was a sense of relief and victory.
Now...I know it's only been 2 months...I still have 8 more to go! And there are going to be good days and bad, smooth sailing and hitting rock bottom, but through it all, it's about reminding myself that I am here for a purpose. But to be honest, I do struggle with that...knowing my purpose. So, if anything, please pray that I stay confident and that I will be patient as God slowly reveals his plan.
Wow...that was a lot of honesty in one blog. haha

Thank you all for your prayers and for your support these last 2 months. Y'all are awesome! I guess I can only ask that you would continue to be as supportive for the next 8 :-)

Love in Christ
~Anna

Autumn :-)

Ahhh...my favorite time of year :-) The leaves are changing colors, the air is cool, the sun is warm. I love everything about it: sights, smells, food, everything. Honestly, I don't think there's one thing that I don't like about fall.
The changing of the seasons always intrigues me. Each season holds its own unique design. There are positives about every season, like there are certain activities that can only be done in specific seasons, and there are also negatives, usually about the weather. And everyone has a favorite season, too. Some people like a season because of the activities that are available, other people like a season because of the weather, and still others like it because of the kinds of clothing there is to wear. But...every season is necessary. Now here's an easy biology lesson for you ;-) In terms of plant life, every season is necessary in the growth process.
Ok, so most of you probably know where I'm going with this, so don't check out yet. Not only are there seasons in nature and in the physical that we experience year round, we have seasons in our lives just like the ones around us.
Now, please keep in mind, that all of this is not totally my own, I listened to a Midday Connection podcast with Mark Buchanon on his new book, which deals with the seasons of life. However, there are some of my own thoughts in here too haha. I'll do my best to give credit where it's due haha but here's the link to the podcast if you'd like to listen to it...it's excellent!
www.moodyradio.org/brd_ProgramDetail.aspx?id=58270

Alright so I just want to touch on a few things that really hit home with me. To start, Buchanon was talking about the winter season in our lives. He relates it, obviously, to the physical winter season. He talks about how he grows trees, and if he doesn't cut them way back right before winter, then they don't produce any fruit in the spring. He said that even though the tree looks so ugly during the winter, on the inside it's preparing for its new growth in the spring. Now, in life, Buchanon says it's pretty much the same thing. God takes our lives and prunes out what's dead and what needs gotten rid of, then it'll seem like a period of dormancy for us. A time when we question ourselves and wonder what happened to the person that used to be so strong and passionate. We wrestle with ourselves on the inside and try to understand who we are and where we are. But that time of being pruned and feeling dormant is necessary for growth in the future. God doesn't tell us that those times are going to be easy, but He does promise to be with us no matter what. In Buchanon's own words, "There's nothing like a winter to sober us up and bring us to our senses and bring us down to the things that are absolutely essential in our life with one another and our life with God." Seriously...there is nothing like a winter season. He also talks about how winter grows faith, and basically it's impossible to truly make it through the winter seasons with out faith.

Alright, so this is just a snippit of what Buchanon talks about in that podcast. He also goes into what causes winter, how to make it through the season, and basically breaks it down even more than what I just gave you. I definitely encourage you all to check out this podcast and open yourself to what's being said. We're all in different seasons in our lives, which season are you currently experiencing? I was able to take so much from this teaching, God really spoke to me. I sincerely hope that you, too, are able to apply this powerful teaching in your own life.
Isaiah 40:31

God bless! :-)
~Anna