“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)
Hello! Or as any good Texas A&M graduate would say, “Howdy!”
I’m Catherine, a follower of Christ who stands amazed at how God has directed my life. I’m sure you feel the same; but, since you’re here, I’ll share a bit of my path with you.
For the first eighteen years of my life, I lived in the same house in which my mom was raised. Throughout those years, I attended a small Southern Baptist church with my grandparents, parents, and younger sisters; a church my grandparents helped establish. It was a simple, stable life in a small, tight-knit community.
When I graduated from Springlake-Earth High School, I went a few miles away to Texas Tech University and studied mathematics. My plan was to follow the career path I communicated to my mom when I was five years old: I wanted to teach math. While there, I also picked up a degree in Spanish and went on to get a master’s in mathematics.
Oh, and one other thing! I met this really cute fella while at Tech…who still makes me swoon a bit and smile a lot even after more than 35 years of marriage. Together, Johnny and I raised a son, Joshua, and a daughter, Rachel. Along the way, I also earned a doctorate degree from Texas A&M. And currently–but maybe most importantly (wink!)–Johnny and I are “Pops” and “Nana” to two sweet grandsons, courtesy of Joshua and his wife, Amanda.
It sounds well-planned and stable, doesn’t it? So, where do I see God directing my steps along a winding path?
Well, in those 35 years, my husband and I have moved more than a dozen times. Although job opportunities played a role, they were more the means God used to prompt us to follow Him than the reason for the move. We didn’t always understand, but we did our best to be obedient.
But now, I am beginning to see things come together–the experiences of living in different places and interacting with a variety of people, the years of relating to precious students and designing lessons for them, the doctorate degree with all its research and writing–all have led to this time when God could guide me to His newest bend in the road: writing. So I will write. Even though I’m far more comfortable with numbers, I will write.
And, as I look forward to these next steps, I claim in faith what I have experienced in the past. It hasn’t been easy–change never is–but truly, I have been blessed to be on this journey with God…to feel like I never know what new adventure He has planned…to recognize that my current address is just a pit stop on the way to my forever Home…to know that, in all the change, He has been, is now, and always will be constant. What joy!
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