Dear friends, family, and readers,
Thank you for welcoming me back into your literary lives after two and a half years! I assure you, it's been an eventful sabbatical that will be well worth your patience as you read this blog.
Since my adventures in Australia, I have checked a few things off in my life list, including many things that I never knew were on my list. In no particular order, I adopted a 3-year-old cat who thinks he is a dog; furnished and took care of an adorable condo in Buckhead for 2 years; visited my sister and her boyfriend in Paris and Italy; ran a half marathon; lost 40 pounds; started a business; hired 50 tutors; created a full time job for my new business partner so she can stay home with her precious baby; flew to Monroe, LA 45 times for my day job; got promoted to Senior Consultant at my day job; became an East Cobb Snob by buying a 4-bedroom house in east Marietta, GA; married the love of my life; honeymooned for 10 days in Mexico; and changed my last name to that of my new husband's.
If things go as planned in the next few years, I can spend the rest of my life focusing on my children and writing.
But that's my plan. God's plan? We will see. Surely it's not all on my life list yet. I generally say my standard prayers, and looking back there was only one prayer that wasn't geared towards my plan. And wouldn't you know: He answered that one.
On May 15, 2009, after a year of limiting my prayers to ones in bed that ended with me drifting off to sleep or quick blessings before home-cooked meals, my fervent, sincere question to God was: am I making the right choices? I looked up and saw the most beautiful sunset, with perfect clouds and gorgeous colors. I laughed to myself. He was showing off, and there were two simple, beautiful answers sitting there in the clouds:
(1) Something has to change. You need to include me more in your life.
(2) I gave you free will to make your own choices. Whatever you decide, I'll still be here.
I knew these answers came from God because they were so vague, yet so full of truth. So commanding, yet loving and supportive. They made perfect sense, but I'm still trying to figure them out.
What I do know is that God is love. And my life list checkmarks will not yield any joy without love; otherwise I'm just the resounding gong of an upper middle class resume. My ambitions are hopeful and my confidence is full of faith, but the cymbal that I worked so hard to play will only become a clanging noise to your ears. If love is really the way, the truth, and the light, then we need to give God read/write permissions to our life lists.
