A quick update :)

So...last night, I hate to admit, but I had a "doubt" session ...

***The only reason I am sharing the following information is because it is crucial to the rest of the story... :) ***

You see, I LOVE my job. I have liked jobs I have had before this, and have sincerely enjoyed some of them. But I LOVE this one.

I started work on February 28th, as a cashier.

In March I received "Employee of the Month" for the Front End - cashier, guest services, cart attendants, food service department

In April they started training me for "Food Avenue" - which is our little cafe type thing, where we do breakfast, lunch and dinner - very basic, but soooooooooooooo much fun!!! :D

In June I received "Employee of the Month" for the Front End again.

At the end of July, they began training me for Clerical - the payroll, scheduling, paperwork side of things

August 28th marked my "Six Month Anniversary" :)

The week before last they trained me for Price Accuracy - this is the "markdown/clearance" team.

Last week they started training me for the Service Desk - Marcia's favorite place in any store, cause that's where you return things! :D (I love you, Marcia! :D )

And then yesterday, while I was working in the Clerical department, Joann (the HR Director, and the supervisor over the Clerical department) informed me that the ETL (Executive Team Leads-there are 5 of them) had met earlier in the week to talk about who would be the "Great Team Hero" for the month of September, and then in the Team Lead meeting on Friday, they had opened up the floor for the Team Leads (there are 15 of them) to nominate people from their departments they thought should get the award. She said that one of the team leads mentioned my name, and it was a unanimous decision around the table that it would go to me. Needless to say, as I sat there listening to her, tears were pooling in my eyes, and then they began to pour down my face. She said, "Vanessa! Are you crying?!?!" And I told her yes. I was completely overwhelmed. I don't do anything I do at the store because I want to be recognized, or because I want to "win points" with the ETLs and the TLs. I do it simply because I absolutely LOVE my job. She said, "I know. And that is what makes it even greater! And if you don't stop crying, I'm gonna be crying with you!" She walked over and gave me a hug, and Jerry (another of the ETLs) was sitting in the room, and he said, "Let's just make it a group hug!" It was an awesome moment! I sat in awe at how God had orchestrated the entire thing from the beginning, and how he had brought so much fruit out of it in such a short time! :) It's incredible what happens when we really listen to him...huh? :)

So...back to the story...

After all that, I came home last night questioning God. Basically, all I was saying was, "God...did I really hear you say that I was to go back to Georgia the last weekend in January, or was I just wanting to go back so badly I made it all up myself?" I asked it. I prayed it. I cried it out. I begged for an answer. I reread journal entries from that time. I reread blog entries. I reread emails I had gotten from all of you. I searched and I searched and I searched, but I still went to sleep with a heavy heart. I kept telling Him that I just didn't understand why He would put me in such an incredible place in my job, only to take it away less than a year from when I started. And furthermore, I didn't understand why He would put me in a job that I was head over heels for, and then yank it away from me. (Not that I'm just dying to be in a job that makes me miserable or anything, right now, but I was just telling Him that if I had indeed heard Him correctly on the end of January thing, then it would have been nice if He wouldn't have put me in such an incredible place now... :P lol)

So...I finally shut up trying to tell God how to run things, and I went to sleep.

I woke up this morning, and while I was getting ready for church, a friend of mine had called and left me a message. She said that God had put me on her heart all morning, and that during the service (she goes to the 8:30 with her family - she's 40 with two children and I love her entire family dearly!) she felt like God was giving her something to tell me. She said, "You know I don't do too well with these 'words' and all, but since it's for you, I'm gonna go ahead and give it to you, and if it is totally off base, I know you'll tell me and forgive me. But God wants you to know that you just need to stay on the path He set before you. Don't doubt and don't be worried. Just follow the path in front of you, and keep going where He told you to go. He loves you and has many great plans for your future. Just keep going forward. I love you girl!"

Yeah...anyone else smiling right now? :) Isn't it incredible how quickly God answers prayers and sends us confirmation?!?! :)

But that's not all! (And now I feel like I sound like an infomercial...lol)

I got another message on my phone from another close friend passing on another word, basically telling me that God said that everything is on His timetable, and it will all happen exactly when it is supposed to happen! :D

Yeah...once again...that's not all! :D

Got into the service, and the song set was INCREDIBLE!!! I was bawling like a baby, with the entire top of my shirt soaked in tears by the end of the first song, and it continued until the end of the service. I was so completely overwhelmed by God's love for me! The songs went straight to the bottom of my heart, and He just sat there and held me, rocked me and loved on me. It was awesome.

But there's still one last thing... :)

Then Jimmy got up and brought the message. He talked about how God has much for our lives, but that we have to give up our whole life to receive the whole life of Jesus. That He wants to give it all to us, but we have to let go of the "treasures" we store up. Whether it be people, or hobbies, or entertainment, or even our jobs... ("Vanessa....are you listening to me down there...? :) )

So...there you have it. I'm coming home the last weekend of January. God said it. And I'm obeying. I'm not willing to disobey and take 100 steps back. So...I'll say my goodbyes to these beautiful children, the friends I've made, and the job I love so much when the time comes. But God will be right by my side through it all. And when I get upset, He'll give me some extra love and affection, hold me tight, pick me up and carry me through it. We'll drive back to Georgia together, and when I arrive, I'll be able to see, at least a little, what all He has in store for me! I feel it in my heart - there are big things coming! In some ways, it absolutely scares me to death. And in other ways, it makes me so excited I can hardly sleep at night! The unknown is terrifying, but completely exhilarating!

One other thing I'll mention (cause I don't think I have before...) before I sign off for the evening.

A couple of weeks ago...we'll it's probably been about a month ago now...I felt like God was telling me that I was supposed to get a journal, and I was supposed to write entries to the Future Husband. I thought it was one of the crazier things God had told me to do, because I don't even know this man, and God wants me writing to him?!?!? So we had to have a long sit down talk, and He explained to me that this was to be something that I poured my heart into, was raw, emotional and real. Share my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams, my desires, my anxious thoughts, my fears... That this would be a journal for my FH, God and me. That this would be my gift to him, the day after we become engaged. This will allow him to see me, my heart, and the growth that God is orchestrating in me. And it will be something we can go back to in the years ahead, to see how God paved the way. After He got me straightened out on all that, I was onboard. :D

I bought the journal a few weeks ago, but didn't begin writing in it until September 1st - which by the way, was also the day that I realized I had exactly one month left until I'd be 24...I know those of you that are older than that are probably groaning, but man...when I realized that I'd soon be halfway to 50, it made me stop for a moment. Then I looked back and realized how far I had come in such a short amount of time, thanked God that He had seen fit to figure me all out before the beginning of the world, shook it off and got on with my day! :) I have filled up 8-10 pages this week, and each time I write in it, it is completely indescribable what God does in that time. The things He softly whispers to me. The way He draws my heart nearer to this man I've never met. The way He builds up and encourages the dreams for the future that are in His will for my life, and the way He gently helps me to loosen my fingers on the ones that aren't in His plan. Amazing. Incredible. Awesome. God. :)

So. I think you're all caught up now. :)

Happy Labor Day - tomorrow! :D I work 8-12, and then get to come to the house and be with the family. Samantha wants to french braid my hair...I can't wait to see what comes of this, since it doesn't even reach my shoulders, and is stacked in the back. But hey - I'm all for having someone play with my hair, so let her have at it! :D Then they want to go on a bike ride tomorrow evening...I'm trying to figure out how safe Spooky would be inside a backpack (with it unzipped and on backwards so he'd be in front, of course! :D )...I hate to leave him behind, but the pink carrier that I use when we walk isn't supportive enough for me to steer my bicycle and hold onto him too...we'll just have to see, I guess... :) I'll let you know what comes of it! :)

One more thing. I've got a few "little bits" that I'd like to ask you to pray for. Not things I want to list here on the web for the whole world to see, but things I'd like to have all of my faithful prayer warriors lifting up on my behalf. There are 4 things. God knows them well, because I've been hounding Him about all of it for a month or so now - but He doesn't mind! :) Cause He loves me like CRAZY, and He delights in me. And He made me, and my quirks, so He gets me! :D

Love you all! :)