Living the Good Life <3

I have officially been home one month! Time has flown as I have worked back into the family schedule and have been savoring this special time in my life. While I was in China, God made it clear to me that He was calling me to serve my family with all my heart and with no distractions. For me, this meant no college classes and no job. I told God that I didn't see my parents being ok with that, so if it was really His plan, then I needed Him to "prove" it to me through them bringing it up. Literally within two days my mom was emailing me asking me what I thought about staying home this semester. After explaining to her how God had really been turning my heart towards my family, we agreed that I would not take any classes this semester or seek after work. During the last few weeks in China, when I knew what God had for me at home, I looked forward to going back to my family with eager expectation of the blessings I saw in my near future. It was an incredible feeling to be so content with my life in China while still being able to smile at my future at home. But in the back of my mind I was a little afraid that my life would not turn out as perfectly and I was imagining it.... Thank the Lord; there was really nothing to fear.
It took me a couple weeks to catch up on my sleep and figure out my role in the home after so long of an absence, but now a month into my new life everything is going even BETTER than I could have ever hoped for! I have taken over homeschooling Sofia (6), Joshua (7), and Elisa (8) and am having a blast! Some of our recent activities have included baking bread, writing/performing a skit (Check out my mom's blog for pics!), and leaf walks. In honor of my mom's motto to "inspire not require," I have had so much fun finding ways to make even math and grammar exciting. All their sweet comments about how I am their favorite teacher [besides Mom, of course ;-)] make my heart smile! It is such an incredible feeling to know that I am building memories with my siblings that I will have forever.
Some of the other jobs I set out to do upon arriving home were meals and laundry. In preparation for the days when I will have my own home to run, I have been experimenting with different recipes and been learning a lot about time management ;-) In a home where it is abnormal to do less than 3-4 loads of laundry a day, you can't get behind! My mom has been very gracious as I have made my share of mistakes in this lengthy process of homemaker growth. On the days where I am running around trying to juggle math worksheets, Elijah duty, and the dryer's beeping, I can't help but think of how blessed I am that God has put me in a home where I get hands on experience at being a mom every day!
Another awesome part about being home is all the time I have been spending with my mom. She is truly my best friend! Though I have been foolish in the past and not always respected her wisdom, she continually forgives me and is there for me. She welcomed me to do a Bible study with her, so now we get up at 5:30 to do a Beth Moore study on the fruit of the spirit. I have been so challenged by the Holy Spirit during this time, and it is so incredible to feel God working in my heart! On top of that, it was so special to me that my mom invited me to do this with her as those early hours are really the only "alone-time" she gets during the day. I am also studying speaking, debate, and some classic books under her tutelage with Candice and two of my good friends, Bethany and Kristen. It is very enjoyable to learn how to be a strong communicator for Christ, and I love sipping my favorite chai tea as we discuss some of my most beloved classics!
These days I am constantly amazed at how much God has blessed me! Tuesday was my 17th birthday and I got to go to Disneyland with my mom, Luke, Noah, Gabriel, Veronica, Joshua, and Sofia. While we were eating lunch at Denny's my mom asked me if there was anything in my life that I would change if I could. Without hesitation I gave an adamant, "Nope!" and smiled at her. The Holy Spirit has given me the joy of the Lord, and I feel as if my cup is overflowing! I have no idea what the future holds for me, but I am blessed with such supernatural contentement that it is easy for me to completely trust God. If there is one thing that God has been showing me over the past few months of my life, it is that nothing surpasses the joy of Lord when you follow His plan. Please be praying that I be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and continue to walk in His ways!

"Godliness with contentement is great gain." ~ 1 Timothy 6:6

P.S. I will be updating my blog each Tuesday (God willing...) from now on, so stay tuned! :-)