19 days

Wow, I will be back on American soil in 19days, this is almost impossible for me to fathom. 

It truly does feel like just yesterday that I found out I was placed in Portugal for a semester and now the semester is almost over?! Are you kiddig me?!!?

 I knew that it would go by fast, but just had no idea how quickly time would actually fly.  

I have so many mixed emotions about leaving; Porto has become my home away from home and the people here are like my second family now. I never would have imagined God would place me here and I am extremely blessed and grateful  to have had this opportunity. 

While here, I have been molded and stretched in so many ways and ultimately changed for the better. To be humbled and chiseled by the Savior is never an easy process to go through , however,  it's what must be done to draw nearer to Him.I now am aware of  things I needed to change about my walk with the Father, the sin that was clouding my vision of His holiness, and I am  very aware of a kind of person I never want to be.

 I want to be genuine, approachable,real, compassionate, understanding, caring, truthful, optimistic,giving,... the list goes on.... and I do not desire to be any of the opposites, EVER. 

 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 

God has  done a work within me and in the lives around me here in Porto,and that is very evident. Leaving will be very difficult and I know that I will be going to Mobile, Alabama and it will be very exciting to see my loved ones, however, half of my heart will be  lingering in Porto, Portugal for a while.

But I am getting ahead of myself... 

This chapter is not over yet and I can not focus my mind anywhere else but here. It would be so very easy for me to begin packing my bags and thinking about what's to come and who I will see when I return. Yes, I sometimes find myself thinking about the 'what's next', when I have yet to complete the here and now. God is asking me to trust Him with my future and commit my entire heart to Porto for now. I am here, not there and I need to still ask the Savior what His desire and will is for the remainder of the time I have. I refuse to shut off my obedience and I will remain ready and willing to serve in any way. God is good and if He didn't want me here, I wouldn't be here, but I am and He is whispering to me, "Jenn, what now? What will you do with this time you have been given?" 

"Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off." Proverbs 23:18

So are you feeling future focused lately? Has the King placed you somewhere to serve, but you are wondering where to next? I encourage you to look around and make the most of the time you have been given. No one is promised tomorrow. 

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34