supposed to be

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every time i visit branson (aka "Btown" or "hillbilly vegas"), i question my decision-making skills. that little ozark mountain town casts a spell on me and i wonder how i ever managed to leave in the first place. in case you don't remember, it was gut-wrenchingly hard. but i usually snap out of the spell and i'm overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord allowed me to stumble upon kanakuk and branson to become a local for 3 years. it's a special place for me. always a home.

i just got back from 5 days in missouri and i've returned to eastern standard time a much nicer person. i feel encouraged, refreshed, and like i can finally see a break in the clouds. grin. getting face time with some of my dearest friends and friends turned family is always a treat. i'm nothing short of amazed at how our relationships continue to thrive despite the 1000 mile separation.

[side note: i'm praying that God sees fit to give us the new earth now and rearrange the US geography to place MO next to NC. you've been warned.]

as i caught myself in that spell of wondering how i could ever have left in the first place, i was reminded of the truth that God has me right where He wants me for a reason. my time with kanakuk was a short season, but it was a tremendous blessing with a lifelong impact.

my high school english teacher asked us one simple question every day. i didn't recognize the wisdom in it at the time and typically rolled my eyes when she asked it, but now i just smile when i think of her. mrs. goffin would faithfully ask, "is there anywhere else you would rather be?" (like i said, i rolled my eyes. what high schooler wants to be in english class??) now, however, i realize she was helping foster an attitude of contentment with where the Lord has me in each season of life.

so, while there are days i wish i'd never left branson, i know i'm where i'm supposed to be. that town will always feel like home. i will always go back to visit my friends turned family there. part of my heart remains in the ozarks and always will, but i know i'm exactly where i need to be. and, in that, i rest with anticipation.

bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

board of directors

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everyone needs one. call it what you wish. but everyone needs one. one what, you may ask? a group of individuals who are in your world. who know you. who speak Truth into your life. who challenge you. who encourage you. who dream big dreams with and for you.

recently my roomie Becca also posted about this same topic on her blog. she just chose to call it a "tribe," whereas i call it my board of directors (all thanks to Trish Helsel's influence in my life).

i have been incredibly blessed to have a solid core of people around me for the past 5 years in particular. much credit to the Lord for using Kanakuk as a means for our lives to collide and friendships to grow. [side note: if i had $1 for every time i felt a twinge of gratitude for the K-world and everything it entails, i'd never work another day.]

i'd also love to build a city and have each of my BODs live there. we'd all be neighbors. and it would be awesome. i wouldn't be able to walk to the mailbox without being convicted and challenged about some part of my life. who i am today is due in large part to their willingness to offend me and put me in my place from time to time. their unconditional love and support is priceless to me and i'm incredibly blessed to have each one of them in my life.

"as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

-proverbs 27:17

"that is, that you and i may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." -romans 1:12

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.

good stuff

just wanted to share a few verses that I've come across in my recent studying that stuck with me and are an encouragement to me in this phase of life...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless." (proverbs 14:12, 15-16)

"In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge." (proverbs 14:26)

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." (proverbs 14:30)

Bekah

live unashamedly :: laugh uncontrollably :: love unconditionally.