My blog. Hello, dear friend. My last post was in March of this year! I haven’t visited here in so long and have so many thoughts while driving down the road, but I can never form the sentences or blog-worthiness to write them down. Part of me thought of taking down my blog altogether, but I cannot bring myself to do that. We have been through too much together over the years. So much growth has happened, along with so many miracles.

Life has been so busy since I last posted, and it will probably take a few linked posts to get through it all.

Alexa play ‘Johnny Cash I’ve been everywhere man!’ Sike. Keep Alexa away from me!

Ryan and I survived our first year of marriage WHILE team driving! We always talk about how thankful we are for this opportunity, and I love seeing this beautiful country. I’ve even fallen in love with California. I know, I know. But it is so beautiful that it is impossible not to. Granted, I love God’s work and not Gavin Newsom’s. ha

I’ve driven through mountains, deserts, blizzards, and heavy rain along the coast, seen a proper Autumn and seen the northern lights—all while in an 18-wheeler.

There have also been so many life changes in here as well. We had to drive to Georgia the week of our first wedding anniversary (we left the day after… yes…) as they switched us to an expedited account. This means the truck never stops. One drives while one sleeps. Rinse and repeat. Talk about a crash course in driving! The good news about this account is that we are running coast to coast, which means we stay on the same interstate for two days, making it a longer trip and a bit more difficult (not impossible) to get lost. You either go east or west and if you get off the road “you done made a mistake!”. The prior account was filled with much shorter trips, meaning less rest and lots of city driving.

Being out here on the road truly makes me realize what I’ve taken for granted, such as being home. I spent so much time wanting to run away, and now I cannot wait to get home to cook and visit family and friends. The truck has me identifying as an extrovert.

Amid the chaos of this job, there were God’s lessons, which also motivated me to write again. I remembered how much I blogged during so much life confusion before meeting Ryan and before having everything “come together.” A few months ago, I was reminded to hold loved ones close but not too close as they’re not ours to keep. Life can change so quickly, and I learned that in such a sobering way through the life of one of my best friends. My last post was in March. We went to her wedding at the end of March, and in June, her new husband suddenly passed away. I’ve wrestled with God a bit and stopped praying because I was so confused and hurt for my friend. Why would God give her an incredible man only to take him away so quickly?

The first question I had was, “Why?!?” immediately followed with grief and anger for her. I spent the next three days immersed in God’s word because what else is there to do?! My go-to scripture is in Job:
“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” – Job 38:4. … and the gospel of John when Jesus asks Peter if he will also leave him. Peter responds “where else would I go? You are the Christ.” So, in our grief and questions, there is nowhere else to go, and we are to wait and pray.

In short, we may never know why specific trials hit our lives. Life isn’t fair, and it isn’t meant to be. The only answer I could come up with to make any sense of it at all was knowing that nothing in this life matters or is certain except knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known. That’s it. He is the sole purpose of this life and our existence because otherwise, it makes no sense. This life would just exist without a real purpose. As Christians, we are the church and the body of Christ. We are to take care of one another and encourage one another.

While we are not promised a life without trials, He does promise to always be there with us through them. He says He will never leave or forsake us. He is our blessed hope and redemption. The only thing sure in this life is Him. He is the beginning and the end. He is near to the brokenhearted, and what a wonderful thought to be loved and held by the Creator and Savior of the world.

I kind of stayed away from God since then and put our relationship on hold. I finally confessed this to Ryan recently because I realized being angry with God was not helping me. Just because something tragic happens does not change who He is. Just because I was too ashamed to confess that I was upset with God didn’t change the fact that I was upset with God. He already knows our hearts and our feelings, so I was only confessing and confronting it for myself to move forward. A few days ago, I decided to talk with Him while driving and let him know my feelings. I asked Him to help me, and the good news is nothing surprises Him, and He continues to love and pursue us. I made myself listen to some videos on YouTube and came across a Christian debate with a Muslim, and it was incredible and much needed for my own heart. The next debate was between the same guy and an atheist professor. The professor asked him about Noah’s nakedness in Genesis, which was an ongoing conversation with Ryan. “What was it about Noah’s nakedness that would curse his son”. This will require its own blog post, but it sparked me cold calling a cousin in seminary school and then emailing Richard from Where Living Begins, who graciously responded. haha. I will post the debate at the bottom of this blog. Also, I am subscribed to Richard at Where Living Begins on YouTube and am grateful to be able to listen to his sermons, which I will post the first one God had me listen to for such a time as this. They were wonderful.

Anyway, that is a little bit of a life update from the road. We are staying out through the end of October and hoping to take two weeks off. I am very much looking forward to that. I will post some pictures since a picture is worth 1,000 words.

While I don’t have much time for blogging anymore I do spend a lot of time on Instagram as it is one of the few things I can do in the truck. ha

https://www.instagram.com/the_other_aimee/?next=%2F

Richard’s Sermon:

Christian- Muslim debate: