INTRODUCTION
Well, here I am. After making a blog sometime in high school and then hardly ever returning to it, and after firmly believing that blogging is for either funny, witty, professional blogger people or for bored people who think they are more important than they are, I am starting a blog. To be honest, I've returned a handful of times to my high school blog to express myself in drastic moments when needing to express myself but having too much to say to hand-write in a journal. But, with my husband's deployment coming up, I want to log my experiences and be intentional about articulating what's going on with me and letting it out.
So, here we go!
My name is Erin, and coming up this summer, I will be juggling my last year of a 3 1/2 year graduate program for Clinical Mental Health Counseling including practicum and internship while my husband deploys to the Middle East. He has been deployed once, but before I knew him, so this will be our first deployment as a married couple.
I am incredibly proud of my amazing husband, and though I have my anxieties about deployment, and I know there will be ups and downs, I am excited to conquer this challenge.
The title of this blog is meaningful to me for a few reasons. First, my high school blog was called "Make Me a Crisis," as a reminder of a quote from Jim Elliot: "Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me." It is my highest purpose and aspiration to glorify my Lord and savior Jesus Christ in everything that I do, and though I constantly fail in this endeavor, He is always faithful. To this end, some of what I write about will be what I am learning in my relationship with Jesus. I will write when I need to vent, and the next day may clarify my perspective after I have thought about it for a day and realized I'm a little bit crazy when I have to start processing stress in the 30-second span after it happens.
Secondly, as a counselor in training, "crisis" means something unique to me. It's an exaggeration in use here, in perspective. The happenings in my life so far have sometimes been stressful, and sometimes extremely stressful, but not necessarily at a crisis level. Life is messy, and the Bible promises that life will be messy. We are told to expect it, prepare for it, and we are promised that God will be faithful through it.
I am excited about this journey. Nervous, scared, and sometimes an absolute basketcase, but excited. I've already had a few meltdowns just thinking about it. But I know our relationship will be strengthened and refined through our own unique little fire. Our fire is not nearly as firy in comparison to other people...but it's our fire. And fire refines precious things. So if you're reading, thanks for following along! Here's to the adventure.
*All photos by Blue Barn Photography
All engagement and wedding photos are done by the wonderful Blue Barn Photography! Check them out at www.bluebarnphotography.com