The way things change

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I thought I would write about some random thoughts that you probably couldn't care less about. ;)
Last Friday, my husband and I celebrated our 5 yr anniversary. 5 years ago, on August 27th, we "tied the knot". I spend a lot of time reflecting on where we have been, and where we are now. My husband and I were two completely different people back then. 5 years ago, we were just two youngsters in love, working for the "American dream". Brian worked 2 jobs, and I worked one. We rarely went anywhere and did anything (mostly because Brian worked 2 jobs) and we loved spending all of our time together. We spent a LOT of time with my sister and my nephew. He was in many ways like a child to me. At least that is how I always looked at him and treated him. Brian and I had plans of what we wanted, and how we would get what we wanted. Sadly enough, God was never part of our plans. We got pregnant right away, bought a new car, and a new house. Brian quit one of his jobs, and I still worked. Life happened, and bonds that were once so tight with other people seemed to loosen, some are even non-existent now. We got pregnant again, and I finally stopped working. The greatest event, however, was my husband and I both being saved. This has been the biggest change, greatly effecting every other aspect of our lives. We are truly no longer who we used to be, who we started off as, and I am so very thankful for that. In Philippians it says "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead..."  How true that is! Everything that was so important to me before is rubbish, unimportant, and pales in comparison to knowing my Savior! Entertainment that I used to enjoy now disgusts me and saddens me that I once was so eager to profane the name of my God. Things that I never understood, God has opened my eyes and made me see. My life is no longer mine (not that it ever was). I was bought with a price, ransomed, and my sole purpose in life is to glorify God and build his kingdom. There is always so much drama surrounding my life, things that are beyond my control. Sometimes it seems hard to deal with everything and everyone, trying to make everyone happy is impossible. Then I remember my purpose in this life, and I remember the promises of what lies ahead. These things are but a moment compared to the eternity I will spend with my dear Savior. As God continues to convict me of my sin and give me a heart of repentance, as God continues to sanctify me, I am ever thankful. He alone is worthy of all of the glory, he alone is worthy of my every praise. I thank God for the work that he has done in my husband and I. Even though we had no desire for him, he always loved us, and held us together. I know that without him, there is no way we could have withstood all of the storms we have faced together. I pray that he continues to use us, sanctify us, and that we would glorify him through our marriage and our lives.