From the mind of a 12 year old

So I've been back from Congo for a month now. I know I haven't fully updated that blog yet but I'm getting there. I've been pretty busy since I got back. I'm actually in Toronto for a friend's wedding right now. I realize that every time I'm back in Toronto, I clean a lot. I use to be a huge pack-rat. My room in Toronto is filled with stuff. Things that go way back to elementary school. So when I'm back, I usually just start tossing things out and re-organizing the room.

Tonight, I found an old diary from when I was a kid. I think it's the very first diary I got. My childhood best friend gave it to me for my 12th birthday. I never finish filling out all the pages. The diary is only half filled in. The last entry was on August 27, 2002. The dates jump quite a bit from 1998 to 2002. Funny how I never quite got the hang of this daily journaling thing since the beginning. It's interesting to read the things that went through my mind when I was younger. So idealistic, so naive but also so willing to grow and be changed by God. I might not have wrote everyday but the things that I did write about shows just how much the Lord has taught me.

A few days from now will mark my 3rd year anniversary in Seattle. When I think back to being 12 years old, I don't think I would have ever imagine myself moving away and working! There's been a few moments, especially when I'm traveling for work, where I find myself in a very sobering and humbling moment. Look at where I am! Who would have thought, little ol' me would be traveling to different cities for work!? Me?! Who would have thought that I would move across the continent and live a life of my own?! Me?!?! How did that happen?!

I might have dreamed of it happening but who knew that dreams could come true? Only one person knew :) My heavenly Father has known all along where he was going to take me. And he's the only one who knows where he's leading me next. If so much has happened these past 25 years, then I'm really excited to see where I'm heading. The Lord has truly blessed my life here in the Pacific Northwest. So I continue to look up and put my hope in the One who holds tomorrow :) Here's to 3 years!

*****side story*****
On the back cover of the diary, I wrote a pretty funny note to self.

"Dear Olwen, This is a note to yourself in case something terrible happens to you and you don't remember who you are. This was a gift from your best friend S------ Y- for your 12th birthday which is on November 25. Your favourite food for now are potatoes, your favourite colours are purple and yellow. You have a crush on a boy named E---. Your enemies are N---- and E---. You have two sisters - Big O and tiny o (November 20, 1994)."

I honestly laughed out loud when I read this. My favorite color was purple?!?! Below this was an entry I added a few years later.

"The mind of a 12 year old.. fascinating isn't it? It's 2002, you are 19 and the only thing still true from above is your birthday, your love of potatoes and your two sisters. Your favourite colour is blue now. The boy you had a crush was just a crush and you haven't seen him in years. But you are starting to believe you might be falling in love for the first time... and the world is your enemy. What will the future hold?"

Haha. A lot has changed since I was 12 and things have changed since I was 19 but some things still stay the same. I decided to add to this note-to-self.

"It's August 8, 2008. You are 25 years old. What has changed over the past six years? You still love blue and still love potatoes. At 19, you thought you were in love... now you can't even remember who it was you thought you were in love with... Did you even know what love was back then? At 25, you understand love and know you're in love... you're in love with Jesus and... in love with a boy who loves to draw ;)"