Hi, my name is Raychel and I'm a time hoarder.

"Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

I left last night for house church expecting there to not be a teaching since it was the last time we met before the new year. Pulling up to the church, I envisioned everyone inside sharing in conversation, eating good food and talking about how to focus on Jesus this holiday season. Well it was just that until Derek asked us all to sit down so Tony could teach us on 1 Timothy 4:10-16.. What I didn't expect was how close Tony's teaching would hit my heart.

It always seems this time of year that Satan tries to do as much as possible to make us forget what we toil and strive for. What we LIVE for. Now I know this can happen year-round but for me around Christmas is when I feel a need to be fighting for my faith the most. At the Bozich house we have been caught up in lots of decision making. Between figuring out job situations, working overtime, my awesome immune system/back pain, having an "almost" break in and now packing up to move next month, its been busy. Well kind of. Busy in the aspect of everyday things, but have we been busy in our faith? The answer for me is, no. Im not sure about you, whoever you are that is reading this, but for me when things go wild I tend to just shut down. I pray for God's provision but I don't seek it. Never fully letting all my barriers down in my heart and just giving it all up to him.

Now i'll try to make sense of this post, I swear I have a point. The verse that i put up there I have read before. Tons of times. But just as Tony said last night, when we read verses over again in different periods of our faith they can hit us in a totally new way. Because God is awesome and faithful like that. Always keeping his word alive to us thousands of years later. What it used to mean to me was that age should not matter. Thats what I would focus on. Now this time its the second part of the verse that hit me like a truck. "...but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." How does my life look to the people who are actually looking at it? I'm sure its not a mirror of what these words truly mean.

I have been convicted. I'm guilty. I am a time hoarder. A selfish girl who wants everything to be written right where she wants it in her schedule. And I am so sorry. Im sorry for not pursuing my God the way that I need to and not showing him in my life as i should. Im sorry for not pursuing your friendship.

I know now that I need to get my focus back on how I am spending my time for me to work on this part of the verse. Is it for myself always, or for the Lord? I encourage you to look at your time and how your spending it. Are you working on the things listed in that verse or are you hoarding your time for you and you alone. Only allowing a few moments in each day for something other than yourself. Did you know there is 160 hours in a week! How amazing would our faith be if we gave just 10% of our time everyday to God. To serving each other! Oh, Im going to find out.

LOVE

Today i just wanted to share something from my quiet time that i had.

"Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death, its jealousy (passion), as enduring as the grave."
Song of Songs 8:6

I have been reading Song of Songs in my New Living Translation study Bible and its been really encouraging to see love come alive again in my heart! The commentaries in the passages have been spot in with whats been going on in my life and that is so comforting to read something and have it move you so. Song of Songs has had a bad rap for its "uncomfortable" verses about two lovers and their passion towards each other. What a load of trash! It has been so inspiring to me to read about the love between Solomon and his bride, their passion and their trials. To see them love one another within the guidelines that God had provided for them. It has been very refreshing and i would encourage you to re-kindle the love in your life! In every aspect.

Where does the time go?

I always forget about this thing. But then i remember how fun it is to write down everything that's been going on in life for random people to read, or not. Either way its a lovely way to filter my brain.

I left you last with some heavy news on my part.......school. Yes, i have been enrolled in the Sheffield School for Wedding and Event Planning for the past three months. These months have been a struggle i wont lie. I'm finding it harder than i thought to find the determination and will power to put down the laptop, turn the t.v off and stop napping so i can get some work done. I am on a work at your own pace schedule but i set some goals that i am a little disappointed in myself for not sticking to. Out of six units i will be finishing unit two today. I should be finishing unit three by now. YIKES. That is awful to write down. But with all of this struggle i believe that God will be constantly teaching me so many things about how to be more diligent with my time, with him and with school.

I have recently been pursued by several couples at our church who are getting married this summer. My planning services were offered and sad to say, shut down. This can be very discouraging. My husband keeps reminding me that i must look at all of this as business and not helping friends out. I need to be helping my future career and not botching it by letting my feelings get involved. I've been looking at a lot of planners websites and the way they run their show. A lot of ideas have been cookin in this brain of mine.

I think i will look to the proverbs 31 woman for my encouragement.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come."

Proverbs 31:25

five months later.

welp, we made it. i bet your a bit confused. let me refresh your memory.

five months ago my beloved husband left to tour with miss miley. it was long and treacherous but we pulled through and he has been home for a soild three weeks now. which might i add how quite strange those three weeks have been! more on that later. back to the long haul. so kenny is now home. home sweet home. looking back on what we just did is pretty much crazy to think about. its almost a laughing matter. really. i am astonished that we spent that much time apart. but then i am reminded of this verse.

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

1 corinthians 10:13

how great is our god! he provided just what we needed to stick it to the tour! so now that things are s l o w l y but surely becoming "normal" again, we have added a few things to spice up our days. (and by spice i mean school) yes, you heard it right my dear friend. i am currently enrolled to get my certification as a wedding and event planner from the sheffield academy. soon i will be on my way to hopefully having somewhat of a career. wow, never thought id say that one about myself. a career. i think i like the sound of that. enough about me, ill fill you in on the husband. now that he is home and i pray staying home forevvvvver, we were so fortunate enough as to receive a few presents from his mother and her new soon to be husband craig.

present number one: a 2005 scion xb paid and in the clear

present number two: school paid for kenny (when he decides what to go for ha!)

present number three: a new macbook and a printer, sadly which i am not writing you from but will be soon.

so it seems this year is already off to a crazy start. you called it honey. i cant think of anyone id rather share all of these adventures with than the man i married. whom without i would have no adventure in my life. well i have laundry to tend too. its been fun catching up.

sleep tight.