simply homemaker

Hi friends,

I had a “big” week this week! 🙂

I attended my first ministry conference, bought a car (!), and went to Disney World for the first time. And if you count it, I went to two barre classes in a row.

I just ended the week cooking Vietnamese food all day. Currently burning Blair’s lavender honey candle that she gave to me for Christmas, sitting at my desk writing this blog, with my little taper candle burning by my bed ready for me to cozy up next to.

Life seems so slow at the moment, but I know I’m getting to live a life I spent so much time wondering about. It seems to me like the grass is always greener on the other side. I get bored when things are slow like this, but when I’m on the move, I miss the routine, the predictability, and the quietness.

A praise report for this week is that after two pretty stressful weeks of prayer and car shopping, I found a car that is two streets down from me and paid what would have been the down payment for a new car (which I really would like to not pay, given that I’d like to save up more for Christmas traveling and gifts for my friends and family).

I’ve been grateful to see that some fruit has come out of my time being in graduate school – I am much better with my money than I was when I was fresh out of college. After college, I was making more money than I ever had and spent it on everything and anything I wanted: clothes, eating out, traveling, and just random things that I totally don’t need at the farmers’ market (which is still a weak spot of mine). But now, I am content with the clothes in my closet, the books and trinkets I own, and all of my experiences traveling the world. I rest in the fact that God has brought me to this place and He has already made it a land of milk and honey.

I feel very content with what I have, even blessed, as the Lord has not let me lack anything that I truly needed. I love this safe and comfortable house, this green neighborhood, the fact that I’m 30 minutes away from Disney World but also lakes I can kayak on. I’m grateful that my friend Haydeliz from work brought me a bottle of homemade lavender syrup for my coffee (praise the Lord for friends who also like coffee). I’m grateful for my first adventure to Bravos supermarket, a Hispanic store near my house, for the best produce I’ve seen in Orlando so far at a really good price.

I also decided on a church and am starting to get plugged in! I have been slowly but steadily attending a small Calvary Chapel church where everyone knows each other’s name and it’s been the sweetest. I have been attending the young adults and women’s Bible studies and am preparing my heart to begin serving there. It’s been super sweet to get to know the people from this little church and I’m very thankful for this community.

I am also studying to take a certification exam in August. I feel a little behind, so that would be my prayer request for the upcoming weeks. I am also witnessing to my roommates who are not believers, which has been something that I also need major prayers for.

Did you realize how many “I’s” I was using? Me too. So here are a couple sentences that do not start with “I.”

The Lord is faithful. He heals hearts. He cares. He knows every little detail. He strengthens the weak and humbles the strong. He desires to be known but also wants to know us as children. He pardons sinners who repent and come back to Him.

As I move forward in this chapter of life, the Lord continues to unveil deep things in my heart that I need to repent to Him about or change. Is He doing the same thing with you?

Let him, friend, for He promises that what He has for us is better than what we are leaving behind.

May He help us come closer to Him.

Love,

Tram