Taxes, Normalcy, and Prophecies

We finally got all our W2's yesterday.
I did our taxes last night...and was SO excited with the results! We are getting a good chunk of change back this year. So good that we are able to pay off two credit cards, pay for our Disneyland trip, buy a new radiator for Josh's car, pay for the rest of the cost for the women's retreat for me, pay for the two of us to go on the 20 Somethings/College Group Retreat, pay my car registration, and STILL have money left over. We are planning on doing something very exciting with it...but I will let that one be a surprise.
It's just so fitting that all this happened now...as I was just complaining two days ago about the fact that we had all these things coming up we had to pay for...and no money to pay for them. Oh, ye of little faith...


On another note, I am SUPER excited, as I have mentioned before, about the things coming up in the near future. It feels weird to feel this way, as I feel like this time last year, I was so focused on getting pregnant that I couldn't even function normally. Now, I feel like I've finally gotten my life back...and it's such a good feeling. Of course, I would still love to get pregnant soon...but it's not consuming my life the way it did last year. It's such a healthier place to be.


I also think I am finally starting to get over my nerves with singing...which is weird for me because I have been singing my whole life. I sang my very first solo at the first church service my old church had in their own building...and I was almost 8. I sang on my dad's worship team when I was in high school, and on my youth group's worship team. I have been singing on the worship team at church for almost a year now...but it's only been more recently that I've been asked to lead songs or parts of songs...and that I've agreed to and not freaked out. I don't know why it's so nerve wracking to do, when I used to dance in front of a much larger group of people...and never got nervous. I guess it's a little different...since I never did a dance by myself. But, tonight I lead two songs for worship...and barely felt nervous. I just worshiped God and forgot about everyone else in the room...and it felt wonderful.
There were a couple of prophecies that were spoken within the first year of my life. The first being when my mom found out she was pregnant with me. She had been trying and trying with no luck, and was on a business trip with my dad when she turned on the TV, and started watching the 700 Club. For those that have never seen the 700 Club, Pat Robertson and some of the other hosts of the show have a time of prayer where they pray for specific situations that God brings to their minds. I always used to think it was kind of fake until my mom told me about the one that had to do with my arrival into the world. Anyway...Pat Robertson said there was a woman out there that had been trying to get pregnant and hadn't been able to...and that she needed to go see her doctor because she was finally pregnant. My mom knew it was for her, and went to the doctor when they arrived home...and sure enough, she was pregnant with me!
The other prophecy spoken over me was said when my parents had me dedicated. The pastor said that music was going to be one of the biggest parts of my life...my ministry even. My mom and dad used to always tell me that growing up, encouraging me in my singing...and when I started piano lessons...and guitar lessons. But, I never felt it was a call on my life. I love music and everything about it. I love just listening to music, singing it, playing it (well, at least I did when I actually picked up my guitar or plucked out some notes on the piano)...because it speaks to my soul in such a powerful way. Some songs have brought me to tears because of the powerful message behind them. Yet, I've never thought it was supposed to be that big of a part of my life...but maybe I was wrong. I have had a strong desire lately to learn chords on the piano, to be able to play and sing at the same time. Maybe God has bigger plans in store for me than I can see in this moment. But, whatever the case may be, I am very happy to be more comfortable leading songs.


Goodbye, weekend...hello Monday.