Texas meets California and changes my life forever...

I was a little rebellious when I was young and through a series of miracles, I was accepted to join the Southwest Airlines flight attendant training program when I was twenty years old. It was an opportunity of a lifetime for me because it was really the only career that made me excited. And I had one shot.

I grew up being exposed to the gospel, but I never took hold of it as a way of living for myself. I just wanted a ticket to Heaven and I was ok with that. However I wasn't really. I knew something was missing in my life, but I thought being a christian just meant having a whole new set of rules to follow that quite frankly, I didn't really want to follow.

So here I am, away from everything familiar to me, in a hotel room in Dallas for six weeks to attend training. I had three different roommates over the course of the training, because believe it or not, it's actually pretty intense. My first two roommates got sent home because they were not able to make a ninety or above on all of their test scores. I'm not saying a ninety or above average. I'm saying a ninety or above on every test.

We learned everything from taking drink orders(ha), to evacuating an airplane in the event of an emergency, CPR, how to handle any medical emergency (diabetic coma, heart attack, birth of a child, injuries, seizures, and the list goes on...,)  how to handle hostage situations, how to put out a fire, and every airport code across the United States. SAT baby, that's home for me:) SAN is my favorite, LAS is fun, ABQ has the best soup ever, BNA used to have the best pasta ever, BOI is very homey and quaint, RNO was a fun overnight with a really cool swimming pool, and ORF had the most comfortable beds. One time...agh, never mind, that's another post...

My first roommate was from California. We bonded immediately and had so much in common. Within the first few days of being there, I realized that she did not know who Jesus was. She asked me because I was wearing a cross that my mom had given me. She had never heard the gospel.

She let me explain to her who Jesus was and she accepted Him as her personal Lord and Saviour one night when we were about to go to bed in our hotel room. Just her and I, down on our knees, talking to God. I can still picture it.

It was amazing. I had no idea that God could use dirty old me, to change someones life. I didn't know that He wanted to use me as His vessel. I was amazed and totally taken back.

I fumbled through the bible looking for the exact words to say if you wanted to be a christian. I had no idea that the specific words weren't what was important, but it was a confession and acknowledgment that we are sinners and that we believe Jesus is who He said He was. He lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the grave. It's by believing in Him and His grace that we are able to have a relationship with God. The relationship part is ongoing, it's a process that is very fulfilling, and my sub-title is what that's about. Somehow I led her to Christ and she got sent home the next day for getting an eighty something on one of her tests and I never talked to her again. I don't even remember her name.

God changed my life that night. He changed all the desires of my heart and I never looked back. It was the first and biggest miracle that I acknowledged in my life.  Looking back now, I know there were many more. That was just the point that my eyes were opened to them. Praise God.

For the entire six weeks of training, I could not get enough of my bible. I was "that" girl. I took my bible everywhere with me and instead of making new friends during breaks or bus rides to and from class, I read my bible. I was mesmerized by it. I led bible study classes in my hotel room and I had conversation after another with different people about why I was reading my bible so much. I simply could not get enough. I gave away two bibles and had to get new ones, because I wanted everyone to know about the Jesus who had just taken my heart captive.

God taught me so much over the next few years, and as I flew around the country, I had the opportunity to share God's word with so many people. From all different stages in life, cultures, and backgrounds. It was amazing.  Other flight attendants, pilots, and passengers were my mission field and God was opening so many doors. I also got to sit in the cockpit on many flights! Flight Attendants used to be able to hang out up there on long flights if the passengers were taken care of. It's an amazing view from up there. There's not much else like it. That was before 9/11. Everything got a lot more strict after that. I was in the air on 9/11 by the way. I had just left Baltimore and our plane got landed in Birmingham, Alabama. I rented a car and drove to San Antonio with three complete strangers. The airport was utter chaos. What a day.

I thought I would be a flight attendant forever and I looked forward to all the travel benefits that I would one day share with a family of my own.

Fast forward three years to the day I met Jason. I fell head over heels in love with him almost as quickly as I fell for Jesus. We had a very quick engagement and we got pregnant with Dylan a few months after we got married. He was a surprise and I was thrilled beyond words! Although everyone thought we were crazy, it wasn't the first time, and I am sure it won't be the last!

Jason would tell you that I quit working the day I got pregnant, but that's not completely true:) I just got rid of a lot of my trips because I didn't want to be away from Jason and I was soo tired all the time! Ha, I had no idea what tired was back then!

Then, we had Dylan and I knew there was no way possible that I could leave that sweet baby for three-four days a week. So bye bye Southwest Airlines!

They were so good to me and it was a job that left me with lots of fun memories and a picture in my head of so many places that I otherwise would have never seen. California is my favorite state in the United States as far as the beauty of it and the weather. Awww, I love it there. I also loved Seattle, but it's totally different. It's so lush and green there.

Most of all though, those years were the years that my faith blossomed. What an incredible season it was. And they just keep getting better!

Love,