i love weekends; thoroughly love weekends. i especially love weekends when the weather is lovely. i usually am a fan of winter; well, not necessarily a big fan, but i usually don't mind it. but this year, i just need to say; i. was. SOOO. over. winter. dreary days, unsafe roads, freezing temperatures, wet boots--over it all.

and then this weekend happened. sunshine abounded, temperatures soared, and i was refreshed. simply marvelous. and i'm going to go ahead and choose to not acknowledge the fact right now that it's not going to be as warm this week and that rain is coming. but, now that i've had a taste of the goodness of summer again, i'm anxiously anticipating its arrival more than ever.

beyond the weather, though, this week continued to challenge me in ways i never could have imagined; i also think i was reminded of a couple important lessons.

the first being: i am eternally grateful for the parents i was given, and i am blessed to be so close with them to this day. my parents taught me a lot of things, instilled a lot of great morals in me, encouraged me to be whatever i wanted to be, but what my parents helped develop in me that stood out to me this week was my work ethic. from a very young age i can remember helping my dad in the grain set up, riding in the tractor with him, and going to help out in the veal barn. i remember sunday afternoons were the days that my sister and i were required to pick up our bedroom no matter how much we hated it, and as i look back helping out around the farm and having to do chores around the house truly taught me motivation and responsibility. now that i am 24 years old and have a full time job, those small lessons my parents took the time to teach me, have made the w.o.r.l.d of difference in the way i do my job now. and i am so thankful for that. working hard at my job is legitimately draining, but i know it's worth it.

and i know it's worth it because of the second lesson that i was reminded of this week. that being, i work for God and not for man. that truth can be so easily forgotten and probably has been forgotten by me for a number of weeks.

the reality is, i don't work by my own strength. the other reality is, He is the one who has given me the gifts to do what i do. people often say to me, "there is no way i could do what you do," or "it takes a special person to do your job," or "i just don't know how you do it." truth be told, i couldn't do it without Jesus walking with me side by side every day, i'm no more special than anyone else who He has created, and i don't know how i do what i do besides He works through my weaknesses.

so, despite the frustrating (extremely frustrating) week i had (again), God still was faithful in the lessons He taught me and the encouragement He gave me. i'm hopeful that this week won't be as frustrating, but i know even in the midst of the frustrating moments my God is still moving and helping to shape me into the woman He desires. so i'm here to say: whatever it takes, Lord, to make me fully Yours. thank You for Your faithfulness now and for the fact that i know You will be faithful in the years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds to come.