Being me, bravely.
Today was the last MOPS meeting before our summer break. I got to thinking yesterday about what it's meant to me and wanted to share.
The theme this year was: Be You, Bravely.
Last summer, I moved away from where I grew up, left my friends in sunny Arizona to move to Michigan. If that's not brave, what the heck is?! The summer was crazy with the move, living with my in-laws, adjusting to them being gone, Adam not having a job and getting close to running out of money, not knowing if I would find work. It was all very daunting. Moving to a new state without jobs lined up is pretty ballsy! We live in my in-laws house while they are changing lives teaching in rural Alaska, so the housing situation was at least taken care of.
This is where God lead us. I am certain of it. Adam applied for a parts manager job after applying at a few places and nothing really panning out. The job description didn't say where only that it was local and for parts. Adam sent his resume in and within 15 minutes (I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been sitting at the dining room table with him) he got a call regarding the job. It was for a TOYOTA dealership. Doing the same thing he was in AZ. What. a. miracle. So, he went in for an interview that same day. Had a meeting with the managers that afternoon. Monday, he had a phone interview with the owner, later that afternoon, he was hired. Trusting God to take care of us was brave but He did not let us down. It was such a blessing and the timing was perfect!
I had been applying for jobs and had a couple interviews that really didn't go anywhere. After discussion and prayer, we decided I should just stay home. I think Adam just didn't want to have to worry about me driving to work in the winter lol.
I'd heard of MOPS through my friend Danielle and was not really that interested. My luck with mom groups and mom friends just hadn't been great. Well, I decided what the heck, I'll give it a shot. Turns out they don't start meeting here until late September which seemed like forever for a lonely SAHM from AZ but I made it lol. We went to the block party I blogged about last September and I got some more info.
Going into that church, dropping Avi off with strangers, was a brave moment for me. My first meeting I sat next to this super quiet girl but I think I talked her ear off anyway. We bonded over being antisocial and not really wanting to be here in the first place but giving it a chance regardless. That girl was Chellie and our friendship has blossomed since then! I also had someone recognize me (Kristen) from being friends with Adam and my FIL on FB.
I decided to go again and the 2nd meeting this new girl sat next to me with one of her friends. She was lively, opinionated, loud and made fun of me for doing my nails. She just wasn't my kind of person. Each week, you get closer maybe without even realizing it. Come to find out, she didn't much care for me either! LOL. She thought there just wasn't enough room for the both of us because I'm loud and opinionated too! Now, she is one of my best friends here. That would be Tiffany. I think we both learned this year that first impressions are crap. She's been a great support to me also being a transplant. I would've never met her if I didn't go to MOPS. God knew what He was doing. I've enjoyed talking and getting to know EVERYONE in the group but you do tend to get closer to your tablemates.
So I think the bravest thing I've done this last year is let God take the lead in my life. HE makes me Brave. It's not something I want or can do on my own. I think I realized I'm not anti-social because I can talk to just about anyone, I'm insecure. I feel like my personality is you either love me or hate me (hate is a strong word so let's use dislike). There's no gray area with me because I'm not gray. I tell it like it is and some people don't want or like that and that's ok. The brave part came from being vulnerable enough to be myself whether people like me or not.
I'm not perfect but I'm learning to be me, bravely.
I encourage you to do the same :).
Thanks for reading!!
The theme this year was: Be You, Bravely.
Last summer, I moved away from where I grew up, left my friends in sunny Arizona to move to Michigan. If that's not brave, what the heck is?! The summer was crazy with the move, living with my in-laws, adjusting to them being gone, Adam not having a job and getting close to running out of money, not knowing if I would find work. It was all very daunting. Moving to a new state without jobs lined up is pretty ballsy! We live in my in-laws house while they are changing lives teaching in rural Alaska, so the housing situation was at least taken care of.
This is where God lead us. I am certain of it. Adam applied for a parts manager job after applying at a few places and nothing really panning out. The job description didn't say where only that it was local and for parts. Adam sent his resume in and within 15 minutes (I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been sitting at the dining room table with him) he got a call regarding the job. It was for a TOYOTA dealership. Doing the same thing he was in AZ. What. a. miracle. So, he went in for an interview that same day. Had a meeting with the managers that afternoon. Monday, he had a phone interview with the owner, later that afternoon, he was hired. Trusting God to take care of us was brave but He did not let us down. It was such a blessing and the timing was perfect!
I had been applying for jobs and had a couple interviews that really didn't go anywhere. After discussion and prayer, we decided I should just stay home. I think Adam just didn't want to have to worry about me driving to work in the winter lol.
I'd heard of MOPS through my friend Danielle and was not really that interested. My luck with mom groups and mom friends just hadn't been great. Well, I decided what the heck, I'll give it a shot. Turns out they don't start meeting here until late September which seemed like forever for a lonely SAHM from AZ but I made it lol. We went to the block party I blogged about last September and I got some more info.
Going into that church, dropping Avi off with strangers, was a brave moment for me. My first meeting I sat next to this super quiet girl but I think I talked her ear off anyway. We bonded over being antisocial and not really wanting to be here in the first place but giving it a chance regardless. That girl was Chellie and our friendship has blossomed since then! I also had someone recognize me (Kristen) from being friends with Adam and my FIL on FB.
I decided to go again and the 2nd meeting this new girl sat next to me with one of her friends. She was lively, opinionated, loud and made fun of me for doing my nails. She just wasn't my kind of person. Each week, you get closer maybe without even realizing it. Come to find out, she didn't much care for me either! LOL. She thought there just wasn't enough room for the both of us because I'm loud and opinionated too! Now, she is one of my best friends here. That would be Tiffany. I think we both learned this year that first impressions are crap. She's been a great support to me also being a transplant. I would've never met her if I didn't go to MOPS. God knew what He was doing. I've enjoyed talking and getting to know EVERYONE in the group but you do tend to get closer to your tablemates.
So I think the bravest thing I've done this last year is let God take the lead in my life. HE makes me Brave. It's not something I want or can do on my own. I think I realized I'm not anti-social because I can talk to just about anyone, I'm insecure. I feel like my personality is you either love me or hate me (hate is a strong word so let's use dislike). There's no gray area with me because I'm not gray. I tell it like it is and some people don't want or like that and that's ok. The brave part came from being vulnerable enough to be myself whether people like me or not.
I'm not perfect but I'm learning to be me, bravely.
I encourage you to do the same :).
Thanks for reading!!
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I always remember you tell everyone the same about me to everyone you could.
ReplyDelete"My mom has this personality, you like her or dislike her, there's no gray area in between. With that been said, I always think than more than looking like clons, we have a little of personality too. You're more straightforward than me.