Below is a blog by the brand new Assistant Events Director, Sarah Houde. Take a look!
God’s Perfect Plan
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11). This Scripture verse has always been one of my favorites, as I tend to need the constant reminder of God’s love and perfect plan for my life. As I reflect on the past several months of my life, it is so evident that once again the Lord has proven His faithfulness and held true to the promise He makes in this passage.
Why would a small town girl from Maine uproot everything and move far away to the great big city of Atlanta in the deep south? You know, I’ve sort of been asking myself the same question during the moving process. But the answer is simple: in response to the Lord’s invitation. In a lot of ways I feel like Abraham, venturing out into the great unknown, leaving all that is known and familiar, to follow God’s plan for my life. But here’s the beautiful thing: the Lord knows me and my desires so well that His invitation to be a part of the mission of Life Teen by serving on the Events Team made my heart come alive. My heart knew from the first moment the opportunity surfaced that this is exactly where God is calling me to be. In fact, when I was graduating from high school and was asked the ever-so-frequent question, “What do you want to do with your life?” my response every single time was, “Coordinate the Steubenville conferences or coordinate Life Teen events.” And now here I am, not even 10 years later, being invited by the Lord to do both of those things in my new position as Assistant Events Director. It blows my mind to see how faithful He is in fulfilling the desires He places on our hearts! So how could I not say yes to the plan God designed for me? How could I not trust in the plan of the One who knows my heart so intimately? And that is why this small town Maine girl is here in Georgia excited to begin a new chapter serving with Life Teen.
So who is this small town Maine girl anyway? I grew up a cradle Catholic, very blessed to have authentically Catholic parents who loved Christ and His Church and taught me to do the same. Being the only girl with four brothers, I’ll admit I have a bit of the “princess gene” and enjoy the finer things of life like dinner at a fancy restaurant, mansions on the ocean, and a good cup of coffee. I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville and graduated with degrees in Catechetics, Theology, & Child Development in 2009. After working for a year as campus minister and music minister at a large state college in Illinois, I returned to my home Diocese in Portland, Maine, to work as Events Coordinator for the Diocesan Office of Lifelong Faith Formation where for the past several years I found much joy coordinating Diocesan-wide faith formation events for all ages. On my desk, spreadsheets, detailed lists, and color-coded calendars abound. My multi-colored gel pen set is quite possibly my most valued possession. The ocean, mountains, and other places of natural beauty make my heart rejoice. I’ve paraglided in the Swiss Alps, swam in the Mediterranean, spelunked in Austria, ridden a camel in Israel, eaten octopus in Spain, windsurfed in the Bahamas, and ever since studying abroad in Europe, can’t seem to shake the travel bug. My life has been blessed and I’m excited to see what the Lord has planned in this new adventure!
Join me in welcoming Sarah Houde to the Events Team. We are excited!
- Chris Turner