from my journal - 8/23/12

I am so encouraged this morning.

I received a text from a life-long friend this morning saying that she was in tears as she read my blog. She said, "you are changing the world." The reality is though, that the only thing I am doing is being obedient. God is changing the world. And through the process, He is changing me.

I pray that the story the Lord is writing in my life is somehow changing lives of others for His name's sake.

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Every month I have a one-on-one meeting with my boss. We always find ourselves talking about the future, what's next here at Fossil or in life. We actually talk about Kenya and my faith quite a bit. I am so blessed to have a boss who cares about me as a person and not just about what I can do for this company, that he is willing to help me get where I want to go even if it means leaving, and that I can be open and honest with him throughout this whole "figuring out" process.

This morning we were going over the individual development plan that I recently filled out, talking about what steps to take in order to get where I want to go in my career. Honestly, I don't know where it is that I want to go. My boss knows I need more design at work and that I have a passion to create. He has been working diligently trying to get me more design opportunities, but it's been a slow-moving process. Although he isn't a believer, he said, "above all else, your passion is your faith and then your creativity." I am so encouraged to get words of affirmation that what I believe is my ultimate passion, the Lord, is actually coming across in how I live my life. What a sweet blessing from the Lord!

My boss totally gets that I need this time in Kenya to really figure out what's next. He knows I have a desire to move to Africa or to work for an organization that supports Africa in some way. He knows that I don't know exactly what I'm doing or how it will play out. He also knows that I'm trying to figure out how my gift of creativity, my heart for Africa, and my passion for the Lord all fit together. He gets that I need to do something more meaningful - he even said he wants that for himself. But, he also knows that I will work hard to succeed here at Fossil if that's where the Lord keeps me for a while longer.

I pray that the Lord reveals Himself as He softens the heart of my boss as we walk through this process together. I pray that the Lord clearly reveals His plan for me for the next steps of my life through this trip to Kenya. Ultimately, I pray that the Lord is glorified in everything that I do, in all aspects of my life.

love,
jules