Another white chick blog

I know, I know... ANOTHER blog from a white chick, probably talking about pregnancy/babies, her amazing husband, how she decorates her house, and what makeup products she uses, am I right? 😝 (and hey, no judgment because I read a lot of those blogs and find immense satisfaction, encouragement, and wisdom in them)

 While I can't promise to NEVER blog about the usual topics, that is not why I have joined the blogging community.

I want to start this off with sharing who I am, why I'm here, and what you can expect from me in the future. 

First of all, I unfortunately AM a 26-year-old white chick. (although my husband swears I'm part mexican every summer. 😎

I have been married for 5 years to my best friend.  Cliché I know, but he really gets me. We spent 3 weeks traveling Thailand together last year and still liked each other after our trip, so I would say that's pretty much the test of true love and friendship right there! 👍

Some of our favorite pastimes are: hiking, weight lifting, traveling, and anything that involves good food and drinks. We still talk about that time we went to Portland City Grill and ate so much good food that we went back to our hotel room and slept for like 12 hours straight. Goals. 😆

By the way, I do hope that someday Justin graces you with a blog post or few because he truly has been gifted with wisdom that is uncommon for this generation.

 Along with being a wife, I am also a mom. That's pretty weird to type out- I'm not sure I've actually ever said that sentence. While we did plan to have babies in the near future, this pregnancy did take us by surprise. A positive pregnancy test that showed we were 7 weeks pregnant was one of the best shocks in life that we have ever had. I have been blessed with a very easy, healthy, and even enjoyable!, pregnancy and am humbled to carry this little life. We are due to have a January 2018 baby- our little snow angel.😍

I keep busy as a self-employed house cleaner, which has afforded me a flexible schedule in an attempt to match my husband's crazy, ever-changing one. As more of a hobby than a career, I have had the incredible opportunity to be a birth assistant at a local birth center. I have witnessed a number of births and participated in one of life's greatest moments for new parents. While I don't plan to continue with this hobby, it has played an important role in shaping my outlook on life. It is also where we plan to give birth to our firstborn, so it's been a positive preparation for me.

One of the most significant things about me is my faith in Jesus. While I grew up in a conservative, Christian home and have always chosen to follow in that same path, there is something about personal life experiences and tribulations that make you reconsider things you thought you were sure about. There was a season not too long ago when I fluctuated between intently studying the Bible/God, and just flat out apathy. Through that "desert" season, I learned more about God then I have ever learned in lush meadows. It brought me to a more mature and genuine faith, and my foundation became more secure in who God is, rather than the circumstantial and emotional responses our human heart can tend to lead us astray with. I could ramble on about this, but I think that over time, some of my future musings will reflect accurately where I'm at spiritually.

The focal point of this blog is going to be about my new life change that I'm excited to finally share about. In October of 2016, Justin and I traveled to Thailand and spent a week with Remember Nhu and then a couple weeks of traveling on our own. Remember Nhu works specifically in ending child sex slavery through prevention. (go to www.remembernhu.org to learn more, or stay tuned for the next post that will be specifically about Remember Nhu) 

Since returning home from Thailand, I had this nagging voice that was telling me it was time for a life change. So over the course of the next 6 months of praying and talking to the Remember Nhu board, I decided to quit my current job and go on staff with Remember Nhu.  I will be working 20-30 hours a week from home, and be using my organizational skills to facilitate better communication between sponsors and the children. Not only will this require a plethora of direct communication with sponsors, but also a lot of organization and behind-the-scenes work done on their online database. Remember Nhu has experienced a massive growth in the amount of homes/children/sponsors they are working with, so you can imagine how needed this role is for them.  

Sometimes it's pretty amazing how life works out. I made this decision to join Remember Nhu staff back in early May and I didn't find out I was pregnant until later that month. It will be perfect timing as I transition out of cleaning over the next few months and into this new role of being a mom and working from home doing something I truly feel called to. This summer and fall, Justin and I will be sharing more about what Remember Nhu does and how I am specifically involved.

My intent for this blog to be a channel for information about human trafficking, what Remember Nhu is doing, and how we can be involved and make a difference. (even outside of Remember Nhu)
We will include updates on our life as well, and what new things are going on.

 If you have specific questions that you would like answered (either publicly or privately), please comment or message me here or at breanna@remembernhu.org. 

Lastly, I want to share briefly about why I chose "against the ordinary" for my blog address. The short answer is that I had about a dozen other ideas and they were all taken. 😁 

But in the frustration of trying to find something that wasn't already in use, this phrase came to mind and it seemed appropriate because this sincerely describes Justin and my heart right now. This world and its fleeting pleasures can draw us in and distract us so much. We easily get caught up in thinking life is about a certain financial status or the perfect family or personal success in a career. But at the end of it all, what really lasts? For me, I know it's the connection and walk I had with Jesus and the impact I made on individual lives. The money, the success, the perfect 2 kids and a dog... it's all great, but it's not lasting and eternal. I want to do something that matters, something that's different, something that is against the ordinary. Will you join me?