Rarely does God ever take someone to the destiny He has for them without taking them on a detour or two, or ten, or even a hundred.

So much has happened since my last post, and every time I went to write again, I had way too much to say and no clue where to start. But this morning is a quiet morning, any my thoughts are clear, and I just thought that today might be a great day to catch you up on my crazy journey.

Since my last post, I got married. Let me just tell you, when you marry the man God has for you, it will be the most beautiful experience you will ever have. It was the most beautiful week. Filled with so much love and laughter and happiness from both sides of our families. The way it should be. (I’ll do a blog post strictly about the wedding soon.)

After the honeymoon, we arrived in our new waterfront apartment here in beautiful Tiburon, California. Talk about a culture shock for this Kentucky girl, to say the least. These past few weeks have finally provided an opportunity for me to slow down enough to actually realize what all I’ve put my body/mind through in 2018. It was an amazing year. I got engaged, quit my job, sold my house, got married, and moved away from the state I’ve called home the last 30 years. People here look at me like I’m crazy. And when they ask me how I did all that I’ve done this past year I simply smile and say, “Jesus.” It’s truly all I can say. Jesus. He is the reason I was able to do it. He is where my soul finds rest. He is always there for me. I feel his presence in my life every single day.

For the past four years I have chosen a word to focus on at the beginning of each year. It’s my own version of a new year resolution. I focus on this word each day and try to live it out to the best of my ability. Last year my word was BRAVE. I would like to think that I lived it out, and then some. So what is my word for 2019? After spending hours praying and asking God to lay a word on my heart, one word stands out more than any other. EMBRACE.

I have so many things to embrace in 2019. A new home. A healthy marriage. Trying to find my way in a new place where I stick out like ‘Buddy, The Elf’! The list goes on and on. But just like the grapes that get crushed and pressed to make beautiful wine, my character and faith for the Lord puts me through a similar process of refinement. He comes into my stormy life and says, "I'll walk with you if you let me." All I have to do is simply EMBRACE his presence.

It’s through adversity that you come to know God in ways you could never know Him otherwise. It’s living on the boundary of what’s comfortable that helps you to grow, adapt, and learn. I’ve learned over and over again that the best way to grow closer in relationship with God is to follow Him, wholeheartedly, somewhere new.

So, what does 2019 have in store for me? Who knows… but I know He’s there. I’m excited to embrace it all.

xo

Brittany

Embrace