Wow...has it been a year already?!

Well, today officially marks my one year anniversary here at North Pointe (yesterday was the day of the week, today is the actual date). It also means that my nephew Canthen turns one today! Happy Birthday Canthen!

This past year has been a great year full of changes and surprises! When I started here a year ago, I was so excited because God had so carefully laid the path down for me to come here. I was absolutely certain that I was where God wanted me to be.

But along with that excitement was a lot of fear and a little bit of sadness. FBC Temple had been my church home for about 8 years...even the 2 years I was serving as music intern at another church, FBC Temple was home. I had served in the children's ministry for a little over 5 years at that point. My "family" was there. My mentors Doug and Terri Young who God so carefully placed there only a few months after my call to children's ministry were in Temple. They taught me so much and were my biggest supporters. Would I be able to step out from under all that guidance and support?

I loved the kids that I worked with! I had built such great relationships with so many of them and couldn't imagine not being around to see them continue to grow in the Lord (especially the ones that I had the privilege of praying with when they became Christians). As I looked through all their homemade cards and pictures, I cried and cried over how much I would miss them!

I had a great staff to work with, including a secretary who was so very talented and helpful! I had a childcare coordinator who was a joy to work with because of how hard she worked and how good she was with the children, and a CDC director who did all she could to work with us on difficult issues like sharing space. I loved my co-workers, especially the ministerial staff, that I was able to serve with.

I had a Bible Study group who supported and loved and prayed with me through a lot of difficult family stuff and relationship stuff. These ladies were my prayer warriors and I depended on them so much. I wasn't a minister to them...I was a person who needed love and support just like everyone else.

After having almost all my friends move away after college, and the ones who hadn't moved were married, God had finally brought me some single girl friends (Cindy and Andrea). The three of us are so different, yet we worked so well together as friends. They saw me through some difficult times. We even shared a love of music and sang trios together. I love singing with people, so this always was a blessing! I was even kind of seeing someone.

There were so many families--the Knoxs, Dinah Jones and her family--who really took care of me...how could I possibly leave all of that??

Yet, I knew that if I obeyed what God was leading me to do and stepped out in faith, then He would take care of my worries. I have also had to remember that the closeness and fellowship that I had with that staff and with those friends and family came over the course of 5-8 years of getting to know them and serve and worship with them.

This past year God has blessed me in so many unique ways.

I may not have my girlfriends that I can sing with...but now I sing with our pastor and worship pastor! That has been more fun than I can tell you! (I don't know that I've ever known a pastor who could sing). These two men have such hearts for God and for worship, so getting to worship alongside them is a joy!

Although I don't have my mentor walking me through every step of the way, I have a staff that is always willing to help and who value my opinion and my judgement. We plan worship together as a ministerial staff, so I'm able to give my input on helping the children to engage in worship. I've also starting writing a Kids' Worship guide (for 3 age groups) each week to help them connect to the pastor's message.

Being closer to DBU has certainly been a blessing! After years of wondering if I would ever finish, I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and know plan to graduate in May 2008!

Being in the DFW area has been a plus because of all the different shows and musicals and just everything that there is to do! I've mentioned all of the things that I've been able to do and am going to get to do, so I won't list those things out again, but I LOVE getting to do those things!

The biggest way that God has blessed me has happened over the past several months. I spent the first 5 months here loving my job, but not really having anyone to do anything with socially. I prayed that God would send me some friends...and He answered this prayer over and above my wildest dreams!

I've had some great friends over the years--from my childhood friends, to my church friends, college friends and then my single gals--and there's no way I would replace a single one of them! They have all been a blessing and what I needed at that stage of my life. But this group of friends has been unlike any other! I have never connected so quickly with a group of people before...and never have I felt more comfortable to be myself!

It started with Meagan, the girl I wasn't sure I'd have much in common with, because all I knew about her was that she worked with the youth, was a little younger than me, and had a nose ring. But Pastor John said that he thought that the two of us would get along, so I asked her if we could meet for lunch. It turns out that we have so much in common that it is scary sometimes!! We love the same books, the same obscure musicans, the same food, the same TV shows...and we're great big dorks! We even share the same negative sense of direction...we've gotten lost several times together!

Little did I know that being a dork was going to bring more friends my way...

"Wow! I just realized something. Nissa's a dork!" With those words, more friendships were born, and for the first time in several years, God has brought some truly amazing guy friends into my life.

There's Adam, who can turn anything into a reference to the show Lost (which we all get together and watch during the season). His home is where we all hang out a lot of the time (my place is the other place we gather) He hosts the best movie nights because he knows so much about movies and how they are made. We don't just see the movie, we get to analyze it and hear why certain things happened or the history behind it.

Then there's Jay...who shares my birthday and has become like a brother to me. He's probably my best guy friend here and has been there for me whenever I needed him. He also likes to pester me! (Like hiding a pillow from my couch where I couldn't reach it!) We have fun movie nights where we each pick out a movie the other one hasn't seen and get together and watch them both. Because of me, Jay has now seen Newsies, The Sting, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Because of Jay, I have now seen Say Anything, Rocky, and Tremors.

More recently Kyle has been added to the mix. Kyle is a fellow dork! He loves most of the dorky stuff the rest of us do (and brought Battlestar into my life), and shares my love for music (He got my other Nickel Creek ticket). Kyle and Jay can get me laughing like no one else! You add Adam to that mix and it's just a mess!!!

And Meagan...Meagan has become my best friend here. I've never had a friend who "got" me like this. We're so much alike, so we really can understand each other. It's definitely a two-way friendship. Spending time with her is always so much fun and always brings me a lot of joy! Some of that connection comes from a shared love of the ministries we've been called to. And because of that connection, we are moving into a town house together tomorrow!! I can hardly wait!! I have loved living alone over the past 2 years and wouldn't give that up for just anyone.

So a year ago, I wondered what in the world God was doing...now I am so thankful that His plans are always so much better than we could ever imagine!