I Think I’ve Done This Before…
Reality check: I have done this before.
I could go on and on explaining how I’ve done quite a few blogs. I could explain that I had internal struggles thinking that blogging meant I was trying to be a lifestyle influencer. I could explain how being a lifestyle influencer wasn’t what I set out to do. I could explain my degree in writing and how I like stories and telling stories. I could go on and on about all the past attempts and how I am learning I don’t like writing books.
I won’t though, I’ll leave you in suspense because I’d much rather read books and I like getting to the point of things. I might ramble on with examples and analogies but I do have a point and I like making it. (Don’t worry, I know you probably don’t care anyway.)
I’m Ashleigh and for some reason, nobody ever says my name right. I am a desert girl who longs for some cold breezes but that hasn’t been in the plans. I married a desert dude who loves the heat, so it seems as though the desert is where I will stay.
I’m someone who loves learning. If I could make a career out of studying and taking classes, I would. I am always asking questions because I want to understand perspectives and thought processes. I want to know truth and understand the world around me. I am curious about everything, except for math. Numbers is not a language I could ever wrap my head around. I can’t handle other languages either if that helps. I took Spanish throughout my entire primary educational career. I even tried in college and had to take it a second time after failing the first time. This reality makes me laugh because I love words and I love talking. Perhaps that is God’s kindness to the world that I can only speak in one language.
I’m the mom to two totally different and completely wonderful boys. I’m the wife to a guy who puts up with all my questions, words, and discussion points. It’s actually something he loves about me, which was a nice change of pace from being called annoying. Thankfully, I’ve learned how to calm parts of it down. It’s one of those adulthood lessons that I had to work through. I’ve had a few different careers and I’ve done a lot of things on the side. I have experience in random things, like event planning, and will probably mention that I’m from Vegas in any conversation, if you didn’t already know. I might even mention it anyway even if you do know.
You might be wondering what’s the point here? If anything, you might be about to run off this page knowing that if we were talking in person you would be looking for a way out of the conversation. I told you, I’m chatty.
It turns out, learning is a lifelong endeavour that you don’t need to make a career in order to do. I’ve experienced traditional learning—you know, elementary school, middle school, and high school. I’ve experienced higher education with getting my bachelor’s degree. I even dabbled with a graduate program, getting 95% of the way through before quitting. I’m very familiar with traditional learning and the classroom setting. I used to teach in a classroom myself. The thing that traditional education gets wrong though is that there is never an end to learning. Learning is a process that we will always be going through.
Philippians 1:6 tells us— For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
God continues to work in us, to grow us, to sanctify us. We will never reach completion until the day of the final reward—glorification. That’s where this blog comes in. Welcome to Refinement.
The biggest lie I ever believed as a child was that adults had reached the end. The end of what, I cannot be sure. I believed that adults not only had it all figured out but I also believed that becoming an adult meant you were done.
I know, I want to ask “done with what” too. I wouldn’t ever be able to have an answer to that. Perhaps it was the idea of done, there wasn’t anything new to add or there was a system in place that didn’t need to be evaluated and improved on. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it comes to mind. The idea that you reached a point where everything was good and everything just worked the same until the credits rolled is one I clung to with a vicegrip.
I’ve had to loosen that vicegrip. In fact, I had to completely let go. There isn’t a status of done when it comes to life and adulthood. There is always something to do, something to learn, some area to grow in. Instead of a state of doneness, we’re in a state of refinement. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that there is a season for everything and we go through seasons like going through a mountain range, with hills and valleys. Life is full of ups and downs—what matters is your anchor. I can trust the seasons I go through, the refining process I am undergoing because I know that God is sovereign and He is in control.
This blog will be a place for me to share what I’ve learned. I’ll be sharing studies on topics I’ve heavily researched. (Did I mention I love research?) I’ll be sharing fun things that I pick up while reading books. I’ll share books that made an impact on me or made me think differently. I’ll be sharing experiences and tons of life things.
At the end of the day, I love stories and I love sharing. This blog is where I plan on doing both. I hope you’ll stay along for the ride.