So here I am...blogging about life here in Kalamazoo again and eating frosted animal crackers. I'm sitting here thinking about our life in the last year. Luke and I will be celebrating our 1yr Anniversary in a month. Life sure has gone by fast. Okay, bear with here as I get a little nostalgic. I'm stressed; or at least I was. I was until I started thinking about faith and the last year.
A year ago, Luke and I didn't know what life was going to be like for us. I had just started a new job (not in my field) and we had our apartment, but that was it. I didn't know if I would get into graduate school, we didn't know if we could afford classes in the fall. We didn't know how long we were going to be living in our cozy 600sq. foot apartment. Yet, we got married anyway. We got married because we loved each other and because we had faith that it was part of God's plan for us.
The fall came, and we were able to sign up for classes. Learning how to take classes, take out loans for classes and balance 50hours of work, a new marriage and classes was a huge learning experience for us. Life was crazy, money was tight, deadlines for applications grew closer and we, again, had no idea if we were shooting in the dark or working toward an end goal. We continue to encourage each other, even when it got hard, and had faith that it was part of God's plan for us.
The new year came. We had taken the GRE (costing us about $300.00 for both of us to take), filled out applications (again, cost us more money) and signed up for more classes (costing us more money and more time). We were rejected from graduate programs again, again and again. I still had one more application out there that I was waiting on, but things were looking pretty slim. Yet, we held onto faith. We knew this was all apart of God's plan for us. We began praying, instead for thing to happen our way, to change our will to God's Will and let things happen the way they are supposed to. This did wonders for our sanity. Regardless of what was working out. We were holding the "title deed" and just waiting to cash it in on our dreams.
Come March, we decided we needed to start being proactive about our futures. While we were still waiting to hear from Western Michigan, we were preparing ourselves for a "no" as we were told to expect that, we were looking for jobs in college cities that offered our programs. We needed to move forward. Then it came - my acceptance letter! Uncharted territory, but so excited for what was in store! So we put in our notices at work, signed a new lease on our apartment and moved to Kalamazoo. Just like that. And entirely on faith that this was part of God's plan for us.
So here we are...or I should say, here I am. Luke is working at his old job during the week back home. However, he has been offered a job up here as of yesterday and will start in two weeks. (Moving forward again!) I am still hunting for a job and as the bills start to roll in and the money keeps going out...I'm reminded to keep the faith. The truth is, when I look at the past year - we are SO blessed! We have been given so many opportunities and blessings! How can I start to worry now and doubt this move now!? So it is with complete faith that I say the Lord will provide and His plan for us is greater than our own.
Thanks for checking in with us periodically - we miss family and friends, but all is well. Everyday something new and exciting happens. By the way; I have an interview Tuesday morning at WMU Medical Records. Please keep us in your prayers!
<3 The Butters
