Out Into the Unknown | Thoughts on My Future

You know how sometimes you feel like you can only see a part of the road ahead of you (the next day or the next week), but you can't see a year from now or two years from now?

Photo taken at the Grand Canyon in Arizona
Rachel Shaw Photography

Well, trusting a known God for a unknown-to-me future is kinda like that. Like put your hand in front of you and picture a road but block half of it. That is similar to what every senior is feeling right now.
So, I wanted to quickly hop on the blog to share what I'm learning!

Proverbs 3:5-7 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil."

A friend shared and reminded me of Proverbs 3:5 and specifically applied it to the area of my future when I felt like it was unknown. Immediately I thought, "Oh, wow! I never thought about that verse pertaining to senior year! That's great!" and really it applies to every walk of life!

As a senior in high school, there are so many decisions ahead of me that can change the course of my life. Where to go to college and what to study are just a few of the huge decisions that we have to make! Fortunately, I'm not alone in making these decisions! I have wise leaders, parents, and grandparents to ask for their advice and wisdom!

With all this pressure (including a time crunch to apply, take a standardized test, etc.), it's easy to be bogged down by the worries of if I'll make the right choice. Fears and uncertainties about the future like:

What will my future look like? Who will I date and marry one day? What if I find out I don't like my future full-time work experience? What if I get the degree and I realize this is not what I want to do with my life? Would years, time, and money be wasted?

And honestly, time and money would not be wasted if I went down a career path I didn't like. Because God is sovereign, we know as Christians that nothing is wasted -- not even a changed major. So, even when we go down a path we regret, those hard things can be redeemed at the cross. A changed major could teach you and I some life-lessons that we needed to learn! There is hope; all is not lost if you decide to change your mind!
And if I choose not to go to college the first year, that's okay too!

I am choosing not to go down a trail of thoughts asking "What If?"
Because tomorrow is not promised. Because today needs to be lived. Because I need to trust God with my uncertainties and trust Him for today -- everyday. Remember "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil." (Proverbs 3:7)

Throughout the unknowns, I am known. I know for certain that whatever career path I choose (even a gap year), however I make a living for the rest of life, that God is sovereignly orchestrating every aspect of my life. If I go down one path and regret it, it's not a mistake.


So, as I make my way out into the unknown, I am filled with joy. I'm excited about the path ahead! I'm thankful I don't have to make these choices alone. By summer, I will be embarking on a brand new journey -- whether that includes college or work or not!

Seniors, let's make our years reflect our trust in our Savior!
Let's live remembering that we are known and loved and trust Him with our future ~ next week, next semester, next year, and the years ahead! After all, our days are not really ours; God gifts us each day to give back to Him!

~Rachel

My Albania Trip

Dear Family and Friends,

                                            

I'm excited to share that I will be going with my dad to Albania and Italy this November!
A church asked my dad (Mark Shaw) to teach some biblical counseling training in Albania. Along the way, we will visit a missionary family we know in Rome, Italy to encourage and serve them. It's not easy to be a missionary family; so we will be there to encourage and fellowship with them for a few days before we head to Albania.

A reason why I'm thrilled about this trip is that this is will be the first overseas trip my dad and I will take together. I have been praying for a few years about where Dad and I could go on a mission trip. A few places didn't work out but then, this opportunity popped up last March. And Dad invited me! What an answer to my prayers! I've seen God work out all the details of this trip before my eyes and I'm so thankful I get to go!

While we are overseas, Dad will teach 6 addiction sessions in Tirana, Albania and 6 sessions in Fier, Albania the following week. I will be assisting the churches with set-up and tear-down, videoing and journaling the trip. Our hosts in Albania will have lots of service projects for me to do to help their church with hosting this conference.

Of course, this trip would not be possible without help and support from you! My dad’s cost is covered by the church, but I am raising my own support. For the last two years, I have been saving money for this trip while working a part-time job. If you are willing to give towards this mission, I am grateful for any amount!

Donations can be made payable to Truth in Love Ministries with “Albania” in the “FOR” line on the check. 

Please mail your donation to: 

Truth in Love Ministries, Inc. 

P.O. Box 78133 

Indianapolis, IN 46278. 

You can also donate online at www.histruthinlove.org/donate. Please write “FOR ALBANIA” in the Comment Section online.

Lastly, Dad and I would appreciate your prayers.
You can pray for:

• safe flights there and back,
• strength for my dad during his 12 talks on addiction, 
• good health for Dad and me, and
• for this trip to be an encouragement to many churches around the world.

I’m excited about this short-term mission trip and can’t wait to share stories, photos, and videos afterward! I can't wait to serve others in Italy and Albania this fall!

Thank you for prayerfully considering this request.
Sincerely,
Rachel Shaw

3 Days in New Mexico

What do you do when you a chance to go see Santa Fe, New Mexico?

You tag along with a native, drive downtown, explore Native American markets, and stop for lunch at a local joint!

As you may recall, this is a multi-part blog series about our trip this February out west. If you missed the previous posts, catch up here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

MONDAY 2/19. My family and I arrived in Albuquerque, New Mexico and stayed with friends who live there. Dad knew our hosts from a ministry he supports. We are so thankful for all of the friends we stayed with during our travels. It helps to cut down costs when you stay with friends - plus you get to know people better!

TUESDAY 2/20. A local friend toured us around New Mexico. We loved his inside scoop, facts about the state, and personal stories when he took us on a tour through his home state. After enjoying a New Mexican meal with our friend, he showed us around the Paseo del Bosque Trail, which is right on the Rio Grande. It was very cool to actually see the Rio Grande after hearing so much about it from books and movies!

WEDNESDAY 2/21. On this day, our friend also offered to drive us a few hours to Santa Fe where we could explore the Native American markets, eat lunch, and stop in a few local shops.

The first shop was the Savory Spice Shop.

The Savory Spice Shop offers a variety of spices and seasonings.

We bought a few souvenirs home to my grandparents and sister, (who was unable to come):
peach habanero jelly and freeze-dried corn.

This hat is my favorite hat of all time!!! I love the color, style, and feel!

The next little shop was called Santa Fe Hat Company where my family and I tried on a few hats. This specific hat that I put on was out of my price range, but it was still fun to try on!

And it actually matched my outfit and scarf that day!

Lastly, we stopped in a shop called ArtfulTea and bought a few teabags for our enjoyment later!

Ending our time in Santa Fe, we ate lunch at a burger joint with our friend.
Of course, we had to visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque while we were in the state!

Overall, we highly enjoyed our three-day visit in New Mexico!

P.S. If you haven't noticed, we ate a variety of hamburgers on our trip. Surprisingly, we did not grow tired of them. Each burger uniquely tasted and represented the state we ate them in. For instance, in New Mexico, our burger tasted spicy, but the burger we ate in Arizona tasted savory. Who knew you couldn't get tired of burgers?! 🤣🤣

Until next time,
Rachel

A Billion Stars

"You light up the night with a billion stars, 

surely you'll light my way

when the road gets dark. 

I will walk by faith 

and not by sight. 

This I know, God is faithful."

Arizona Journeys

Hello, fellow blog-readers! I know I haven't written in a while, especially about this trip my family and I took in February! So, today, I will give you some details of what we did on our trip.

Our days in Arizona were jam-packed, but I wouldn't wanted it any other way! From college visits to science centers, we had a blast doing a variety of activities in Arizona! One of the main reasons we went out west was to visit churches, individuals, and addiction programs all across the nation. My dad had connections in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. It was fun to meet so many people from across the nation on this trip alone! Plus, I had never been to the Southwestern states before. 🙂

Take a peak at a few snippets of our week:

Spotted at Grand Canyon University

THURSDAY. We took a college visit to Grand Canyon University, which was fascinating! 

Michael and Dad, playing the Brain Game
at the science center.

FRIDAY. Fun for the whole family, the Arizona Science Center had engaging games for your mind to be active while learning a thing or two. All of us enjoyed our time there.

Red Rock Park, Sedona, Arizona

SATURDAY. On our way to the Grand Canyon, we drove through Red Rock Park in Sedona, AZ. It was incredible. I definitely recommend for everyone to go there. You look all round and there are some massive red rocks and pretty mountains ... It's nothing like I've ever seen before.

With a view like this, how could you NOT take a picture by this?

SUNDAY. Grand Canyon. Simply breath-taking. My first verbal reaction was "wow." I couldn't think of another word to describe it. Just beautiful. And to think, I know the God who made all of this. I know, love, and serve the God who spoke this beauty into being.
It was simply a worship-filled moment just driving through the Grand Canyon National Park.

Well, our trip is only just beginning, and we've already seen Red Rock Park, the Grand Canyon, and visited G.C.U..
How could it get any better?

Stay tuned because it does...in new states like New Mexico and Oklahoma!

Adventures Out West

Some of you may know that we got the awesome opportunity to travel to the west coast. Wanna know what we did and what we recommend? Find out below!

MONDAY. We flew to Mesa, Arizona on Monday evening and it was gorgeous to watch the streetlights out my window.
Watch my short video of what I saw:

After arriving at nearly 1am Indiana time, my family and I were quite exhausted but looking forward to the next day's adventures.

TUESDAY. Dad had a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona so we decided to make a fun day out of it. And that involved hiking Camelback Mountain! And I'm so glad we did. There were some amazing sights there.

For lunch, we bought burgers that were so juicy and fresh. If you're looking for food near Scottsdale, I recommend eating at SmashBurger!



Have YOU ever been out west before? Let me know in the comment section!