Different Paths

I've been thinking a lot the past couple of days about where I am vs. where I thought I would be. It has been amazing to look back and see the Lord's hand in my life. The path that He has led me down has been so much better than the path I would have chosen for myself. Here's just a quick glimpse at the path I have been directed down:

SUU
I had no intentions of going to SUU. I wanted to go to Utah State, where my cousins were and where I could be a little closer to home. I applied for every Utah State and independent scholarship that I could qualify for, and got nothing. While I attended Girls State at SUU, the leaders passed out scholarship applications, and I filled it out. I was awarded one of the two full-tuition scholarships to SUU. WHAT? It made no sense to pass up the free money. And I am so glad I didn't. Because of that decision, I was blessed with fabulous friends, HOPE Choir, and leadership opportunities. My 4 years at SUU were some of the best of my life.


Armenia
Growing up, my grandma would always ask me, "are you going on a mission?" To which I would always reply with, "You bet!" I always knew I would go. However, when I got my mission call to serve in the Armenia Yerevan mission, I had no clue that Armenia even existed. Who knew that within 18 short months I would have an experience in a country that would change me forever. I learned lessons I never thought I needed, grew to love a country and people more than I ever thought possible, and grew into a totally different person than I ever thought I could be.



Marriage
It was a long, bumpy road, but I finally found my prince charming! It happened on a blind date, of all things. It only took one date for us to become fast friends, and we've been having fun together ever since. I can't believe I got so lucky as to find someone like Mark to spend eternity with. He is so thoughtful and caring. Many times, I come home from work to find him making dinner after his long day. He always pitches in around the house, and I know he's going to be a great daddy to our kids. He is one of my biggest blessings, and I am so glad that the Lord led me to him.


Houston
My list of places to live: London, Maine, New York (state), Hawaii, Utah, Idaho (the last two for family reasons). See Texas on my list? Me neither. But, when Mark put his resume in to ExxonMobil, our lives changed - again - forever. Houston was not our first choice, but other doors started closing, and the Houston door kept opening wider. So, we walked on through. The Lord guided us through our housing trip and helped us find a good apartment in a great area of town, with the best ward ever. We've had a grand adventure being here, and when I didn't put Texas on my list of places to live, I had no idea what I was missing.


I don't know exactly why I have been so blessed. But the Lord has blessed me with a wonderful family, great friends, and a life better than I could have imagined for myself. The road has not been without bumps, but they have made the journey that much more meaningful. I sometimes find myself wondering what else the Lord has in store for us, but for now, I will enjoy blooming where the Lord has planted us.