Plot Twists...

Sunset on Vacation in Louisiana

Most days I wake up with sunlight shining through my white curtains, grab a cup of coffee and sit in the living room and type my blog post. Then I put on my paint stained work clothes and Mom and I start working on Wounded Wood Creations. We make beautiful reclaimed wood signs, chalkboards and caddies. Then in the afternoons I work on my children's fiction book about a boy named Jack. Jack gets sent to England for the summer to stay with his great Auntie Eloise. And that's all you get. Maybe someday I'll put up some snippets. Anyhow, this is not what I imagined my life would be like when I was younger. From the ages of eight to fourteen I spent three hours a day training on the ice rink. The yells of my coaches ringing out, "Faster," "higher!" I was determined to become a professional ice skater. One day however that changed. I was in practice for my first competition. I was skating through my routine, my music blasting through the loud speakers of the rink, everyone watching, coaches standing by. I landed my first jump and headed towards the other end of the rink and went into a spiral. Now a spiral is where one leg goes up behind you really high, arms out and you glide on one leg. I had executed them a thousand times. But today a chunk of ice was there and it made contact with my toe pick. When I slammed into the ice, I knew that I was done. I never regained my confidence after that fall, and when the competitions began to press my Sabbath day convictions I knew it was time to go. My head coach died not long after I quit, and that sealed it for me. For years I had no idea what I wanted to do. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that God showed me. I wanted to teach, and through crazy providence, I was able too. For two years I taught at a small private school and I was sure that that was what I was supposed to do. Then again God made it clear that was not His plan for me. Once again  had no idea what I was going to do. Then God showed me writing and Wounded Wood Creations. It's amazing how God writes our stories. I have spent many nights worried about my future, when all along God had a beautiful plan for my life. I know that Wounded Wood Creations and writing won't always be what He has for me. Yet, today it is and I am grateful for it. I encourage all of you to trust in His story writing and to enjoy where He has you today. Glorify him in whatever you are doing. If you don't know what you are doing pray that He will show you. Each day He gives you an opportunity to live on His stage and in His story. So live in it, and dance in the grace of His providence and trust that he loves you and your part is the perfect part He has written for you.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says,

 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

² a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
³ a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴ a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵ a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶ a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷ a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸ a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.