Here I am writing my first post! I will refrain from telling you how many times the delete button was used in the process of writing this short piece…
I’ve been wanting to start a blog for some time now. I read lots of blogs and find it interesting to read other people’s musings. I happened to mention this desire to my husband and moments later, I hear “check your messages.” I check and low and behold, a blog has been set up for me. He’s just awesome like that. And he’s crazy smart. And he’s encouraging. And he believes in people. And he makes me laugh. Hard. And he’s simply a really GOOD person. And he’s super handsome. And….Oh. This post wasn’t intended to be about him. 😉 Can you tell I really like him, though?
The feeling I get when I start a new journal never gets old. Pen to paper is my preference and I’ve filled over 20 journals in the past 10 years. With that said, it’s obvious I like to write, but I rarely share what I write. Therefore, this blog thing is new for me…and a bit scary for some reason!
Something else I find a bit unnerving is change. It’s inevitable, of course, but that doesn’t make it easier at times. Just six months ago, I said “I do,” went on the honeymoon of a lifetime, entered Canada with the estimated date of me being able to go freely in and out of this new country being 18 months[thankfully it didn’t take that long!], moved into a beautiful townhouse twenty minutes from the city (Ottawa), switched churches, moved 1.5 hours away from this church and family, 2 hours away from my American family, no job and not being able to work until I was a permanent resident, and feeling a slight tinge of loneliness when the husband left for work. Just a bit of change for this gal.
Of course, if you know me, I’m not complaining one bit and I truly couldn’t be happier living here in Ontario with this husband of mine. In fact, since I was a teen, I’ve had an inkling I’d live in another country someday – little did I know it’d be the one right across the boarder and my future husband was really only miles away.
I’m used to land and trees and forests and it taking me 2 hours to push mow my parent’s lawn…but I love living in this townhouse even though it’s practically surrounded by pavement and it takes 2 minutes to mow the “lawn” [and we don’t even mow it…someone else does it for us. City life is weird.]
I am thankful for this great church (hcfcornwall.ca) I now belong to and it’s powerful leadership. It’s so alive; you can feel it on any given Sunday. Jesus is touching people and changing lives and I’m blessed to be a part of what’s happening. But leaving the church I “grew up” in was not.easy.at.all. And still isn’t most days.
And not working? I’m really ok with this right now, to be honest. But when one has been on their own for a little while and then all of sudden not working at all and completely relying on someone [even if that someone is totally and thoroughly happy about it]? That’s a small adjustment, to say the least.
In all of this change, I’m learning a lot about myself. Maybe it’s the increased time alone or something, but nevertheless, you get to really evaluate the season you’re in when you are forced to slow down.
What I’m learning is I can easily torture myself with the “What am I supposed to DO?!?” mind-set. When this mind-set creeps up, it’s not a nice “Let’s evaluate and see where God’s leading me in this season” type of mind set. It’s a mean one. One that accuses me of being lazy and selfish and “you’re not doing anything of worth.” And what better time for this nasty thing to arise than when I am simply home every day. Yuck. I so quickly get down on myself because I am not “DOING SOMETHING” that looks valuable. But valuable to WHOM? Jesus? I’m finding the answer is no. It’s other people. And that’s the problem. I often care more about how I look to other people than to the One who holds the very blue prints of my life in front of Him. This cannot be. And that is what I’m ultimately learning in this season.
When I stop and go back to the basics of fixing my attention on Jesus, the One that intimately knows me, I often hear Him whisper: “Just be with me.” And then He usually focuses my attention to what’s directly in front of me in the season I’m in. Because, if you’re anything like me, I think what I’m supposed to do is somewhere “out there” and I have to figure out this great big mystery all on my own. I’m finding that’s never been the case in my 25 years of life and 10.5 years of following Jesus. Don’t get me wrong, I fully believe there are GREAT adventures ahead and the things God has in store for us are out of this world. My very own life is proof of Him having things prepared that are beyond our imaginations!! But I’m finding Jesus speaks in the day-to-day, sometimes the most simplest of things [yet not always easy to do] and doing these little things are what it means to obey Him. Yes, there’s big things. However, for me in this season of life, I’m hearing primarily small things, every day things, that I believe can be eternally impacting. Among the things I’m hearing in this season, I think the most important one is this:
What if this season is about learning to love –really well– this husband of mine?
Like I said, Jesus often points me to what’s right in front of me. Right now? It’s this husband of mine; this incredible gift and teammate in life that God’s given me. I get to learn to love him well. I get to learn to speak the language that makes him feel most loved and encouraged. I get to make our home nice for him. I get to be the one who roots for him and cheers him on in all of his endeavours. I get to be his biggest fan. I get to invest, uninterrupted by work and a busy schedule, into this relationship that God so loves us to invest into.
I get to have this season…and I will to be glad in it.
Soo, I guess this post did end up being about this husband of mine. Sorry about that. 🙂
I love your first post Brittany , and look forward to the next one ! Glad you started a blog 🙂
Thank you, Lesley!
Hey! I just finished reading your blog and I just wanted to say how refreshing that was for me! I’ve recently married my best friend, quit my job, moved 4 hours away from everything I’ve ever known and like you feel lonely at times. I still am in the process of completing the move from cornwall to Toronto including the sale of my home there… it’s a huge change in my life where I feel I am defined by “what I am doing” to see my worth and you’re so right about this season… learning to take a deep breath and going deeper still with Jesus and learning to really love love my husband is truly a gift! Thanks for reminding me that God does have our blue print!
Wow, Michelle…so you are definitely relating to this move-away-from-your-home thing! Hoping the sale of your house happens quickly and this move to Toronto proves to be a really great one. Thank you for reading!
Beautiful! Insightful! I look forward to reading more.
Thanks for reading!
So GOOD to “hear” your voice again! Great post!
Heeeeeey! Thanks for reading, Mr. Curry. 🙂
This is really good Brittany! I’ve always enjoyed hearing you’re take on things and I truly enjoy this post because it doesn’t just focus on one thing in particular it is very relatable to everyone in any season and learning to enjoy that season, thanks for the insight 🙂
Hey Nicole! Thanks! Learning to embrace and enjoy the season we’re on…hard but good lesson to learn.
Good insight, Brit. Good and TRUE. Tell Ryan I would like to subscribe and get you in my feed, but alas, no buttons for such things. Can that be added?
That means a lot coming from you, Mrs. Laramay! I chatted with Ryan about this…he said he’ll look into it.
Hi Michele! If you’re looking for an RSS feed you can get it from here: http://brittsandpieces.com/feed
Love your blog looking forward to more!!! I feel like your right hear next to me telling me your story!! Miss talking with you!
DEBBIE!! I miss you TOO! I miss laughing with you in the waitress station and trying not to make a scene in front of the our “guests” 😉 haha!!
You are a gifted and talented young lady. Thank you for sharing your heart so openly. Your voice is being heard, and that my dear, is all part of His plan and destiny for your life.
Thank you, Joh. You are such an encourager.
awesome post ,Brit! Good insights. It’s about loving the “one” in front of us, whoever that may be !
AMY! I miss you! I hear a get together here in Kanata may happen? Hope so and I hope you come!
That was beautiful and you are indeed a gifted writer! I’m so glad I took a moment to read your first entry. I have felt angst, more often than not, that I might not be doing enough to honor God with my life. He always brings me back to His Word and to prayer. Honoring and respecting my husband and training my children to love and obey The Lord is my greatest calling. It’s only taken me 30+ years or so to understand the worth of doing this well. The world says I’m not doing enough to be counted worthy, but the more I read the Word, He tells me how worthy I am, simply because I am His. Also, I am not loving my family well at all when I am wallowing in self pity and trying to come up with some great act that will really impress God. He doesn’t need me to impress Him, He is quite impressive without me! (: Thanks for writing this, I was starting to wallow and your reminder was perfectly timed in my life.
What a beautifully written comment – wha! Oh, how I wish our paths would cross again; I would love to chat with you…but for now, using facebook and blogging for communication and updates will have to suffice. 🙂 Thank you for so transparently using the word “wallow” – how true and really pathetic is that? And I do it so often! My favorite line – “I am not loving my family well at all when I am wallowing in self pity and trying to come up with some great act that will really impress God.” SOOO GOOD! Thank YOU for reading and commenting. Means a lot!
Love that you are doing a blog. I love looking and reading other’s blogs. We miss you! and your post reminds me so much of 1000 gifts blog. Embracing the moment. Love it and thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading more of your blog posts.
Thanks Heather! Is that the Ann Voskamp (sp??) blog? If so, I’ve read it here and there and it’s SO.GOOD. If I can write [and be honest and real in my writing] a little bit like her, then cool! 🙂
I’ve wanted to write a bog for sometime now, but have been fearful of the beginning!! You are such an incouragement and inspiration! So blessed with that husband of yours! Great post Britt and loved the title! Can’t wait to hear more!
Thank you, Barb! And I can certainly relate. I made this blog LAST WEEK. It took me days to write my first post. And I told Ryan in the middle of it “I’m not going to do this blog thing. It’s stupid.” Thankfully, he said “You’re not allowed to do anything today until you post something.” haha! Glad he pushed me. Shall I have him give you a call to do the same? 😉
Oh. My. Goodness. Its like you took every thought about sorting this new marriage, unemployment, what to DO out of my head and wrote about it. Except its all so very eloquent, logical and awesomely put. I know blogging is really a good way of journaling for you but reading this post just made my similar “previious” thinking do a total turn around, something I desperately needed. Thank you so much!!!
P.s.Congratulations on your permanent residency 🙂
Aw, I am sooo glad! We’re really in a very similar time in life. This marriage thing is AWESOME but wow…comes with a lot of changes, huh?
OMG Brittany I absolutely love it..I can’t wait for your next post. You’re such an amazing person and are such an inspiration to others. I’m so glad you are doing well..you deserve it!
Oh Brittany, I just loved your blog. It was such a touching and inspirational blog for me. You are truly right, take what God has in front of you and enjoy it and its your husband this season. Look forward to the next blog.
Thank you for reading, Jenny!
We love you and that husband of yours!
Thank you guys! (Took me long enough to finally post, huh?) Love you too.
Really enjoyed your first posting……looking forward to your next one! You are such an inspiration and a true blessing!!
Elaine, it was sooo good seeing you last weekend! I’ve missed chatting with you. Thank you for reading!!
Hey girl! What a great blog! Reminds me of a couple (well maybe more) years ago, as I embarked on motherhood. I kept looking for MORE. Wasn’t there something else I was supposed to be doing? I mean, in addition to working and being a mom? What was my destiny?? Was I on the right path? I felt like I needed to be doing more, that I was going to miss something huge that God had planned for me because I was simply being a mother. My focus in this moment is just that- learning the role of being a mom. God’s path for us is often right in front of us- the one we are actually on. I needed to stop looking for “more” and realize I was right where I was supposed to be!!!!
Keep on blogging, Britt! Love ya!
When you put something out there, you really see how you’re not the only one who experiences these sorts of things. Thanks for reading and commenting, Jackie! Can’t believe so many people actually read it! And P.S. – you’re an awesome mom.
Wonderful message Brittany! Thanks for sharing your writing…you have a wonderful gift!
Thanks, Renee! Good luck this year with your class!!
Hello Brittany: I have come across your blog through Facebook. I enjoyed reading every bit of it! And look forward to more. I met you quite a few years ago when you went to school and graduated with my son. (Don) it sounds to me that you are right on track with gods plan. Congratulations with your new life! I love the happiness that you are spreading to people out here through your blog! This world needs more positive thoughts and you are surely doing your part. Have you ever thought of writing a book?
Hello Ms. LaBarge! I unfortunately can’t remember meeting you (maybe at one of the musicals?) but I do remember your son. Small world! Thank you SO much for reading! To answer your question – Yes, writing a book is a big dream of mine. Maybe this blogging thing will help get the juices flowing, so to speak 🙂 Thanks, again!
Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.