Life As a Manning

so...another year. I think its time to look back on reflect on the 25th, quarter year of my life. Back in the day when we lived to be 100, 25 would really be just a quarter of life. But if you think about it..i did ALOT in my first 25.

Was born, learned my primary language, learned to walk, finished 18 years of school, learned what it means to be a friends, starting walking with the Lord, got married. I mean thats alot.

So year 25. What did I do year 25? Year 24 I moved and got married. I guess this year was rather uneventful in appearance.

But then I think...what happend in the 25 year of amanda.

I learned some good lesson. The biggest one would probably be to trust God. Now that sounds simple right? Trust God. Isn't that one of the basics?

But I learned what it means to DEPEND on him. Early on I did our "budget" and decided how much money I need to make to have enough money to make our budget. Simply put, we do not make enough. But EVERY MONTH this year, God has provided!!! Sometimes in random checks in the mail, sometimes surprise donations, sometime a random stranger handing me cash. I learned that scripture is true, it is real, and God knows. I have learned I can trust God with everything. Because he knows my needs, and he will provide my needs. It might not be the way I want, or the way I expect, but it will happend.

We heard a sermon on this earlier last year. And it has really challanged me. I put these verses over our cupboards where the food is.
²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[c]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In the year 25, I made a life in Wake Forest. I finally made real freinds here! I have grown to love our small group soo much. Our small group makes me never want to move. I love the community we have gotten to know here. I love feeling like family in some of the families here. I love having older woman I can be mentored by. God has answered my prayers:)

In the year 25 I have learned alot about marriage. The 1st year of marriage has not been easy. But its been so great. I am more in love with keith than ever. But the thing is, it not the butterflies, its not the overwhelming feeling, its the comfort. We have grown to trust eachother so much. My respect for him has grown so much as I watch him work so hard to provide for us, as I listen to what excites him, as he studies so hard in school, and serves me late at night and early in the morning. Ya we fight, we fight hard, but at the end of the night, we talk, we hug, we love and we forgive. We are best friends and challange eachother closer to Christ.

In my 25 year I've learned God is in control. Moving to NC was not my number 1 decision in life. I had finally my "dream job" just not getting paid (wink), and then it was time to move. I worked job after job here...just working to work. But the thing I always came back to is that God is the one that writes my life. I want him to write it. He sees the whole puzzle, I only see the piece. He sees the painting, I only see the stroke. My life, my story is not done and I have confidence that God is at work. I have loved being able to work at the Ice House, the Census, Grey Stone Kids Camp, and Pregnancy Support Services. I have grown alot in my manager skills and finally feel like I have grown up jobs:)

Here is 12 pictures of the last 12 months: starting with the most recent.