Monday, February 1, 2010

About 20 Years Ago


(me today)



















Twenty years ago I was ten years old.

At 10 years old
I was in 5th grade,
read voraciously,
and had 2 "best friends" who were arch rivals.

At 10 years old
I had my own bedroom,
a four poster bed with white eyelet canopy
pale pink walls and Rose colored carpet I chose myself.

At 10 years old
I loved Bunny Rabbits,
collected porcelain dolls,
and perfected the art of stacking clutter
(which is a skill I utilize almost daily 20 years later).

At 10 years old
I began to fall in love with creating art;
my mom and I took a college Water Color class together,
and I had my first really difficult and most helpful critique.

At 10 years old
my dad would take me to work with him,
my brother and I spent hours exploring the creek together,
my little sister would sit quiet as a mouse in my room,
and my mom would sit on my bed and listen to me talk.

At 10 years old
I knew I wanted to be a mom someday,
I practiced on my brother and sister,
and would pray for my future husband.

At 10 years old
I never imagined
that my husband would be so handsome,
so gracious, kind, firm, and full of integrity,
and that I would love him more than life.

At 10 years old
I never imagined
that 30 would find me in Idaho,
raising six children,
and sprouting gray hair.

At 10 years old
I never imagined
the children that would bless my life;
3 boys, 3 girls, and smiles times a million.

At 10 years old I was a young and innocent girl.
I loved life and was full of the stuff life is made of.
I played hard;
I learned to appreciate work;
and I knew how to dream.

At 10 I knew little about the world,
but thought the world of home.


At 10 I didn't know what the future would hold,
but was full of hope for the unknown.

At 10 I didn't know much doctrine or theology,
but I knew Jesus loved me.



In fact, as I look back 20 years ago and then come back to the present, I realize that many things have changed.
The girl is now a woman, a wife, and mother.
Some hobbies (such as collecting dolls) I have disposed of,
while other hobbies have blossomed into cherished creative outlet and even skill.
I don't have Rose colored carpet anymore, but I do still read.
I don't have a bunny rabbit, but I still stack my clutter.
I imagine, work, and dream, and love; I smile a lot, but could do to laugh more often.

Slowly I'm learning about doctrine and theology, but in my learning I have come realize that no matter whether 20 years pass, or 25; 40, 80, or 100, there is something I grasped at age 10 that is a timeless truth worth holding onto forever.

A snippet of glory that bathes me head to toe in the light of HIM from the time before there was time, to the day when time shall come to an end.
And that light casts its wondrous ray out into the After-time when all will be made perfect.

This thing I know for sure:



Jesus loves me.



Be HIS, beloved, for He loves you too.




Romans 5: 7-11

"7For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

11And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

MckLinky Blog Hop

8 comments:

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

I really enjoyed reading your post :o) What a difference 20 years makes :o)

And oh how very, very adorable your little ones are!

Blessings & Aloha!

pinamarie said...

beautiful! And just so you know, I started sprouting grey hairs at 21...and I have sooooo many now at 25! It is my crown of glory :)

Momma Bug said...

YAY Pina!
I could be plucking them out but I'm with you. I thought they had better be embraced as a crown! They're bound to keep showing up regardless;-)

Pam... said...

If I could give a word that describes your heart, it would be "embrace", for you are one who embraces and cherishes all that God gives. You live in the day, and you look at the good. You breathe and life in a contentment and joy in your home and family. I dub you "the embracer of life" Analene, my sister! My you wear the crown well!

Valondra said...

I agree, what a difference 20 years makes...this makes me want to reflect and see the things that have changed in the past 20 years for me.

Thank you for sharing! =)

RavenM said...

Beautiful post Analene :)

Concord Carpenter said...

That was an awesome post! Best one yet!! I'm visiting from the blog hop! I look forward to reading your blog.

LC said...

First time visitor and love your posts. The retrospective of the 10-year-old you was so good. Evidently you are an artist with words as well as creating wonderful images. God bless loving, creative moms.