Inside the Whirlwind.

In January a few days before my 25th birthday, Nate was asking how I felt about this particular mile-stone. Without hesitation I remarked, "I want this to be a year that things happen." Days later I recieved notification that I had won a writting contest from Zondervan publishing house propelling me into the ranks of a bonafied author. In the mean time I merely had to get married, meet my new in laws, survive a grueling string of gorgeous receptions all over the country, move in with a man ( its the first time for both of us to cohabitate with a member of the opposite sex) and set up household all before returning to my "day-job" as a director at a local non-profit. Oh and did I mention I am reformating my manuscript before August?

If you didn't find that sentance exhausting please drop me a line and tell me how you manage it?
I am not asking for sympathy. I confess I asked for this . I am starting to get used answered prayer. Its more shocking than unanswered prayer in many ways. Some days it feels like a little bell on a timer rang somewhere and I was suddenly EXCUSED from my time in the deepest valley of my life. Since then the steel curtain that seemed to be between me and God magically evaporated and my prayers are raining down around me with a vengance. I'd like to think I "earned it" but I think it has more to do with GOD's goodness than my own. There was nothing else to do but get up from my trash heap, take of my sack cloth and step into my wedding clothes. Have you ever stopped to wonder how it felt to be Job when his life was suddenly "restored" Talk about living in extremes.

For the last three years I have had one heck of a sob story. I was accustomed to people looking at me with pity, muttering "I can't imagine how it must feel to be you." It was tough to be in my company, tough to know what to say, like someone had flipped you inside out but everyone was trying to be polite not comment that they could see your kidneys.

Today just as quickly as my life fell to pieces now suddenly all these wonderfull thing have happened. Now people look at me like "wow I wonder how it must feel to be you." Just getting married alone insights an odd "rock star" satus that is sort of creepy. But I still feel like I am trying to catch my breath and that life is spinning faster than I can keep up with.

Obscurity and sarcasm are old friends of the hurting, for me they give me perspective and insight. Thanks to God, I have a chance to turn that all into a voice that I pray will minsiter to others in the valley. This site is an invitation for others to join my process. Over the next few months alot of prayful VOICEWORK needs to be done on my part. For those of you familiar with the creative process please feel free to participate with me as we piece together this manuscript. My voice is the collective compilation of so many people's lives and thank you for letting me tell "our story."