I'm a BiG girl ! ? ! ?

Titles can be deceiving.  Take the one above.  Even though I am fun-sized, I would not consider myself to be a BiG girl.  But my outward appearance isn't what I am talking about in this post.  It is my inward appearance, and how I am, without a reasonable doubt, not ever going to grow up.  For some circumstances, not growing up can be a good thing.  I am a free spirit and I will try anything once, even if it makes me look silly.  I love to be silly.  I love to make people laugh.  I find it a huge accomplishment when you can get an old grumpy Gus to laugh out loud, or to get someone you love very much to wet their pants...just a little bit :) 

I have had some experiences in my life that I feel made me who I am today.  At the age of 11, I lost my sister Kathy to leukemia.  She was 16 years old.  I didn't find out until years later, that one single event changed our family dynamic forever.  Having a child of my own, I cannot imagine the pain that my parents felt in losing that child.  Yet, they persevered.  They held tight to one another and held tight to God.

My teenage years were probably not the best years of my life.  I was a great athlete.  I ran track and played basketball and received many honors for both.  I was popular and was up for Homecoming Queen.  But as I transitioned into college, I was always looking for something else.  I turned to alcohol, drugs, sex and whatever else could numb the pain that I didn't realize was crippling me.  I turned away from God and I rarely went to church for 6 years.  But yet, during that time, God found the time to bless me with a young man that I would eventually marry.  My life took a turn and I felt alive and happy.

As my life has progressed thru the years, I have had some incredible highs and some incredible lows, but I have always tried to remain in my faith.  I know that God answers prayers because I have seen it myself.  My Mother, Father, Sister and Brother-In-Law have the most incredible faith and are not afraid to share it.  I am so grateful that the past 6 years I was able to attend a church called Risen Savior Lutheran and that I continued to grow my faith and love for God there.  I got to stand back and watch my daughter grow her faith at this church also and even though I want to remain humble, I did (we all did)  raise her up in the way that she should go and she has turned into a beautiful young woman.

  This online bible study has done wonders for me.  I am venturing into new ways to grow my faith and my knowledge of the bible and I have loved every minute of it. I am blogging, verse mapping, sharing personal stories with others, sharing music and fun quotes on face book.  This study has filled an empty hole in my heart,

and I am so grateful. 

 So the question is still posed, Am I a BiG Girl? Not even close, but when it comes to my faith...I'm getting there.