Monday, July 28, 2008
Thank you for your prayers
Just a quick note to let you all know we are nearing the end of our journey. We have been averaging 500-600 miles per day which as many of you might guess, with potty stops, is a long day. We will be at our destination tomorrow after only a short 350 mile journey through 10 more miles of Georgia and the remainder being the long state of Florida..... I will give you the chronological journey play by play once I have some more time! Thanks to all of you who are covering us with your prayers!
Monday, July 14, 2008
God is so good!
Our yard sale fundraiser was a huge success with some much un-needed stuff going away. It is amazing, the statement about one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There were a couple things like this in our yard sale that you could just tell that God was in control because they are now someone else’s treasure. One of those things was some kitten food that we had from long ago. I think it was well over 2 years old. We put a price tag of 10 cents on it rather than let it go to the garbage. One young lady came to our yard sale and had a brand new kitten that she got from a previous yard sale. It was a perfect treasure to her, since she wasn’t expecting to take home a kitty!
We sold all of our big stuff quite well! Even got to sell John’s desk for the price we asked……. Something we never thought would go!!
Please continue to pray for our house to sell. We showed it the other day but it wasn’t a “no go’, so we continue to pack and ask the Lord for the people He wants to have our home! 10 days left for us here! God is so good and we are learning through the process that Romans 8:28 will be what we cling to until this process is completed!
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
After all He has been faithful in so many other areas in this process, I know He will continue to be faithful. Hugs to all!
We sold all of our big stuff quite well! Even got to sell John’s desk for the price we asked……. Something we never thought would go!!
Please continue to pray for our house to sell. We showed it the other day but it wasn’t a “no go’, so we continue to pack and ask the Lord for the people He wants to have our home! 10 days left for us here! God is so good and we are learning through the process that Romans 8:28 will be what we cling to until this process is completed!
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
After all He has been faithful in so many other areas in this process, I know He will continue to be faithful. Hugs to all!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sweetness of the Lord's provision
We all know that the Lord provides for our needs and that while we may not always see how He will provide, He always comes through. Today He used an anonymous fellow brother or sister in the Lord to send us some financial help through the mail. THANK YOU to whoever you are that sent us some gas gift certificates & cash! We are so appreciative of your support and generosity! Big hugs!
2 weeks notice
It dawns on John that in order to be a responsible employee his 2 weeks notice to the county was due yesterday. He had been working on his resignation in anticipation that this dayt would come but it was quite another thing to actually turn it in! He has been waiting for the letter that Lee county said they sent him in the hopes of turing in his resignation with proof "in writing" when his start date at Lee county and proof that God has provided him with another job. To his frustration he hadn't recieved this proof yet so when he prayed about if he should submit his resignation based on faith alone God told him to read Jonah 3.
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey[a]in extent.
In response to this, out of obedience, he put in his resignation last night when he went into work. So far we still do not have the house sold and are searching for a rental in Florida. We are not sure how God will be putting this all together but are "putting one foot in front of the other" till God shows us different.
1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey[a]in extent.
In response to this, out of obedience, he put in his resignation last night when he went into work. So far we still do not have the house sold and are searching for a rental in Florida. We are not sure how God will be putting this all together but are "putting one foot in front of the other" till God shows us different.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Things set in motion
Today we put a confirmation date in place to reserve a U~haul truck & trailer. The logistics of our move seem to be falling into place. We are going to go as a family taking the kids on this adventurous road trip. My Dad will accompany us along the journey to trade off driving with me. As we can tell, our departure date for scheduling the move will be on July the 24th.
As we begin to see people at church and at John's work we begin view events as "our last time" doing such and such.
John is reminiscent & sorrowful as he walks the halls at work contemplating the 13 years he has been there. After all it is the place where he has been both saved and unsaved. It was where he was first invited to church. It is a place where he too then went on to lead others to the Lord. It is the place where we first met each other (no I wasn't a former inmate). It is the place that has given him a sense of security and stability during the last decade of his life.
I drive around town reminiscent of what the Tri-cities used to look like when we moved here in 1985. What it will look like when we get the opportunity to come back and visit. As I was looking through some old photographs today God reminded me of the awesome things he did for our family when we moved here from California. He provided my dad with a good job, he provided us all with friends we could count on in a place where family was sparce & He just took care of all the details for us. As things begin to become more real and God's plan begins to unfold daily I am just so thankful that He has it all under control!
As we begin to see people at church and at John's work we begin view events as "our last time" doing such and such.
John is reminiscent & sorrowful as he walks the halls at work contemplating the 13 years he has been there. After all it is the place where he has been both saved and unsaved. It was where he was first invited to church. It is a place where he too then went on to lead others to the Lord. It is the place where we first met each other (no I wasn't a former inmate). It is the place that has given him a sense of security and stability during the last decade of his life.
I drive around town reminiscent of what the Tri-cities used to look like when we moved here in 1985. What it will look like when we get the opportunity to come back and visit. As I was looking through some old photographs today God reminded me of the awesome things he did for our family when we moved here from California. He provided my dad with a good job, he provided us all with friends we could count on in a place where family was sparce & He just took care of all the details for us. As things begin to become more real and God's plan begins to unfold daily I am just so thankful that He has it all under control!
He was offered a job
Just wanted to let you all in on the latest news about Florida. We were expecting a call last week (June 16 thru 20th) or this week (June 23-27) telling us when John's start date would be there is Lee County. Yesterday June 26the we heard from them and got his start date so, today John let his current employer plan out his departure date!
He needs to be in Florida by August 1st to pick up his uniforms and make sure they fit properly. His start date for Academy is August 7th. This means, from my feeble understanding, that we all must be moved to Florida by August 1st ? So, please be praying that the Lord would work out the details in His timing.
This news, to me, comes as a kind of 'bitter but sweet'. The bitter part……. Until we got the news of our departure date, it was quite nice to live in ignorance, not knowing what God was doing but also reveling in the possibility that there really was no finality and that MAYBE God could still 'change his mind'? He He! I know kind of silly! Now that it is really happening it has given us the ability to grieve for what we will be leaving behind which has been a bit tough.
The sweet part is that it does mean that the Lord is working out the plan He has set before us and He is confirming it through our situations. I am sure there will be many more sweet things to follow as things continue to unfold.
Some things to be praying about:
~ Our house to sell, as we can't afford to move without this going through.
~ God would give us clarity on the logistics of the move; if we should do it ourselves or hire a company.
~ How to get down there; if God would want me and the kids to fly or drive with the caravan.
~ We would be content and not anxious with the idea of NOT having all the details in place but would be able to rest in the Lord to provide answers in His time!
Just to let you all know, these are ALL the details we have at present. If you are wondering what we are going to do if our house doesn't sell……… well I am not quite sure and will begin to cross that bridge when we come to it. There are many logistical questions I have laid at the Lord's feet so please if you could just do this with me I would really appreciate the extra prayers!
He needs to be in Florida by August 1st to pick up his uniforms and make sure they fit properly. His start date for Academy is August 7th. This means, from my feeble understanding, that we all must be moved to Florida by August 1st ? So, please be praying that the Lord would work out the details in His timing.
This news, to me, comes as a kind of 'bitter but sweet'. The bitter part……. Until we got the news of our departure date, it was quite nice to live in ignorance, not knowing what God was doing but also reveling in the possibility that there really was no finality and that MAYBE God could still 'change his mind'? He He! I know kind of silly! Now that it is really happening it has given us the ability to grieve for what we will be leaving behind which has been a bit tough.
The sweet part is that it does mean that the Lord is working out the plan He has set before us and He is confirming it through our situations. I am sure there will be many more sweet things to follow as things continue to unfold.
Some things to be praying about:
~ Our house to sell, as we can't afford to move without this going through.
~ God would give us clarity on the logistics of the move; if we should do it ourselves or hire a company.
~ How to get down there; if God would want me and the kids to fly or drive with the caravan.
~ We would be content and not anxious with the idea of NOT having all the details in place but would be able to rest in the Lord to provide answers in His time!
Just to let you all know, these are ALL the details we have at present. If you are wondering what we are going to do if our house doesn't sell……… well I am not quite sure and will begin to cross that bridge when we come to it. There are many logistical questions I have laid at the Lord's feet so please if you could just do this with me I would really appreciate the extra prayers!
With much prayer, a plan unfolded
As many of you may have read in my last blog God had begun speaking to us about how content we were here in our home, our church and our lives…….. We knew coming back from our vacation God was going to ask us to move…….. We were just not really certain or receptive to where He wanted us to go until we got home and began seeking the Lord. It took me a long time to blog about our trip because one of the things I WAS SO GENUINLY GRATEFUL for was that we got to VISIT Florida but we didn’t have to live there. After all, if it is 80 degrees and 50% humidity in February, summer has got to be HORRIBLE for us who have for so long ENJOYED our DRY HEAT! I was all open to move and go where God wanted us to go until I heard the answer…….. Places I had in mind were anywhere out of the USA, Montana, Idaho, or some other rural northern hemisphere state where there are visibly 4 seasons……. Somewhere either so far that I couldn’t even fathom what an adventure God would have in store or moving so close that it wouldn’t feel like we had moved that far away at all. Ya know, so close I would still get to see the family a couple times a year and so on. It was when I began to blog how grateful I was to not live in the beautiful state of Florida, God began to change my heart. What this more had to do with was feeling like a ’fish out of water’ while there or that because of our income bracket we were not good enough to live in a place such as this. The people I thought were ’unreachable’ due to their worldly wealth & financial status were EXACTLY the people God wanted for us to reach out to! I would argue with the Lord and explain (as if I ever really explain anything to God) do you realize this would mean a huge cut in pay? DO you realize how long it has taken John to get to where he is at in his position at work? He is committing career suicide! Do you realize the cost of living is much higher there than it is here? How can we take a pay cut and do the higher cost of living? On and on went the list of endless reasons WHY the whole thing didn’t make sense, why we couldn’t/shouldn’t move to such a place! It was then that I had a bit of clarity. Remember back when you first became a Christian and you KNEW God spoke to you because it wasn’t something you could have dreamed up yourself and besides that it didn’t really make sense unless it WAS God? Remember the times where you were so broke that you HAD to depend on the Lord and PRAY HARD for His provision to come through because there was no plan B in the savings account? Light bulb moment! Then God gave me this scripture in Nehimiah 4. The first part goes like this:
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?"3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall."
What I learned from this part is DON’T MOCK, COMPLAIN, MUTTER about WHAT THE LORD IS DOING! Don’t question and already decide that His way will lead to failure. DO NOT assume circumstances should be logical and if they don’t add up, God will give you clarity! Don’t think that a lack of logic can hinder from doing the Lord’s business! There is a reason why God is called the hound of heaven!
Here is the second part:
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. 6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall." 11 And our adversaries said, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease." 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." 13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
I know it is long but it was meaningful……. God is merciful and although I was muttering and complaining about His plan he was going to forgive me and take care of us! Basically God was letting me know that while I didn’t need to know all the circumstances, HE was the one in charge of the details. This passage also came as a warning that was kinda scary. Following Him through this journey was not going to be easy. We were going to get attacked……. Not just attacked but that Satan was going to try to use every tool he had to divide our family and keep us from doing what the Lord wanted us to accomplish down there! It was quite descriptive here how heavily under fire these people were! Jesus commanded them to surround themselves with prayer and to be on guard with their swords by their sides. In this I was coming to grips that we needed to depend of God FAR MORE than we have in our comfy spot but to be completely covered in His spirit. Not being unified in our walks with the Lord, daily spending time in His word and filling ourselves with the Holy spirit constantly would lead us to falter in completing the task He has set before us. The Israelites had a plan and as long as the listened to the Lord HE would give them the man power to build the wall!
15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." 21 So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 22 At the same time I also said to the people, "Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day." 23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
God had multiple tasks He wants for us to accomplish down there; each person in the family will have a task. While the work will be hard, tiresome and maybe even seemingly impossible at first if it is designed by God He will give it purpose and see it through to fit His purpose. As one of our dear friends said when we were laying out the details of this journey "Even if only one person gets saved as a result of this move, will it be worth it?"
Some other scriptures God has been giving to John are as follows:
Matthew 9: 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Exodus 3: Basically Moses is arguing with God about leading the Isrealites out of Egypt and telling God it would be impossible…… cue burning bush!
John 4: 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ’There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ’One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
Acts 13-15…..
WE are not sure what our purpose will be down there besides that we are to be witnesses of Christ. You see, my God knows me too well! The moment HE begins to give me details I figure out way to MAKE IT happen rather than going with the flow and allowing GOD to do things through me! I tend to run a few steps ahead of the Lord when I have too much information so this lack of info makes me more reliant on Him and His will which is a VERY good thing. John has put in several applications down there. He would really like to go out on the road to be a cop….. This is something he has dreamed of doing for a long time now and each time he has asked God about it God has said no. So, if this is another no please pray that his heart can receive it. He knows that wherever God has for him to work, it will nothing more than a place of tent-making in an effort to lead people closer to the Lord and not for personal fulfillment/gain.
Timing…… well God has been telling us the time is NOW to put our house on the market so we are busy getting it prepared and we are excited to see what God will do. If it takes a perfect! while to sell at least I will get to enjoy all the hard work I put into painting! :o) We will not move down there until John has landed a job so until then if you could just be praying that God’s timing would be.
1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?"3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall."
What I learned from this part is DON’T MOCK, COMPLAIN, MUTTER about WHAT THE LORD IS DOING! Don’t question and already decide that His way will lead to failure. DO NOT assume circumstances should be logical and if they don’t add up, God will give you clarity! Don’t think that a lack of logic can hinder from doing the Lord’s business! There is a reason why God is called the hound of heaven!
Here is the second part:
4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. 6 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. 7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. 10 Then Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall." 11 And our adversaries said, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease." 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." 13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
I know it is long but it was meaningful……. God is merciful and although I was muttering and complaining about His plan he was going to forgive me and take care of us! Basically God was letting me know that while I didn’t need to know all the circumstances, HE was the one in charge of the details. This passage also came as a warning that was kinda scary. Following Him through this journey was not going to be easy. We were going to get attacked……. Not just attacked but that Satan was going to try to use every tool he had to divide our family and keep us from doing what the Lord wanted us to accomplish down there! It was quite descriptive here how heavily under fire these people were! Jesus commanded them to surround themselves with prayer and to be on guard with their swords by their sides. In this I was coming to grips that we needed to depend of God FAR MORE than we have in our comfy spot but to be completely covered in His spirit. Not being unified in our walks with the Lord, daily spending time in His word and filling ourselves with the Holy spirit constantly would lead us to falter in completing the task He has set before us. The Israelites had a plan and as long as the listened to the Lord HE would give them the man power to build the wall!
15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us." 21 So we labored in the work, and half of the men held the spears from daybreak until the stars appeared. 22 At the same time I also said to the people, "Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day." 23 So neither I, my brethren, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes, except that everyone took them off for washing.
God had multiple tasks He wants for us to accomplish down there; each person in the family will have a task. While the work will be hard, tiresome and maybe even seemingly impossible at first if it is designed by God He will give it purpose and see it through to fit His purpose. As one of our dear friends said when we were laying out the details of this journey "Even if only one person gets saved as a result of this move, will it be worth it?"
Some other scriptures God has been giving to John are as follows:
Matthew 9: 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Exodus 3: Basically Moses is arguing with God about leading the Isrealites out of Egypt and telling God it would be impossible…… cue burning bush!
John 4: 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, ’There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ’One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."
Acts 13-15…..
WE are not sure what our purpose will be down there besides that we are to be witnesses of Christ. You see, my God knows me too well! The moment HE begins to give me details I figure out way to MAKE IT happen rather than going with the flow and allowing GOD to do things through me! I tend to run a few steps ahead of the Lord when I have too much information so this lack of info makes me more reliant on Him and His will which is a VERY good thing. John has put in several applications down there. He would really like to go out on the road to be a cop….. This is something he has dreamed of doing for a long time now and each time he has asked God about it God has said no. So, if this is another no please pray that his heart can receive it. He knows that wherever God has for him to work, it will nothing more than a place of tent-making in an effort to lead people closer to the Lord and not for personal fulfillment/gain.
Timing…… well God has been telling us the time is NOW to put our house on the market so we are busy getting it prepared and we are excited to see what God will do. If it takes a perfect! while to sell at least I will get to enjoy all the hard work I put into painting! :o) We will not move down there until John has landed a job so until then if you could just be praying that God’s timing would be.
It all started with a simple vacation
Ok, I told you all I would blog what happened on our trip to Florida....... sorry it took me so long to get this far. The time spent relaxing and enjoying my family was amazing. Away from all obligations and responsibilities; just enjoying one another's company without the chaos was un-imaginably AWESOME! Being in temperatures consistently ABOVE 50 degrees in February was a welcome change as well. Swimming in the Ocean, collecting tons of shells, washing sand out of everyones britches, was loads of fun. There is just so much to tell so I will try to get it all in!
On to the important part....... the reunion went with John's daughter Sarah........ It was rather awkward and un-natural at first due to a bit of history that I will share. Many of you are not aware that when she met up with her birth mother it was a horrible, scary, manipulative, dangerous experience for Sarah and Matt (her fiancé, now husband). Sarah decided, after getting to know her BM, she desired a closer/deeper relationship with her. In an effort to accomplish this she accepted her BM invitation to come live with the BM and her family. While John and I were very surprised & scared about this decision we at least knew she wasn't 'leaving' her adoptive family to do this but was actually moving closer to them, since the BM and her adoptive parents live in the same town. She & Matt packed up her things and moved 4 hours away from Naples (where Matts family lives) to Gainesville. After some huge warning flags, deception and inconsistencies began rearing their ugly head, she and Matt moved out within 3 weeks. I will spare you the ugly details! We, at this time, lost contact with her since she was now at a loss of if we too were as unpredictable & crazy as her BM. She had to move several times within Gainesville in an effort to hide from her BM because her BM began to harass/stalk she & Matt. Finally after getting married they decided to move back to Naples where they knew they would be far enough away from the BM that she wouldn't bother them. We, unfortunately, heard all the scary details of what took place and it is by the grace of God and her adoptive parents wisdom, that kept them safe from harm.
SO meeting us she and Matt were understandably, a bit skeptical of what they would find. At first they were a bit reserved but after a day or 2 of hanging out she began to get more comfortable with us. I am sure the kids chatting her ear off and asking a bazillion questions put her at ease as well! Probably the biggest highlight of our trip for my kids was meeting their sister! Granted we spent a couple days at Disney world and a day at Seaworld but if you listen to what they talk about most, it is about their sister! We spent 4 days with Sarah. She came down to Orlando and met up with us at Seaworld and then we all drove back that evening to Naples. They pretty much spent all their waking hours with us. We saw all the sights and pretty beaches. On Sunday and Monday we took road trips where Sarah would jump into our car and we toured Miami/Hollywood. I think those are the times John and I will cherish most. When we were in the car it was like all the guards were off and they began to speak very frankly about their lives past and present. We got to hear about her childhood and how wonderful her adoptive parents are! This was such an amazing blessing to hear! She too got to hear about the timing of her birth, who John was back then and that he thanks God everyday that he didn't interfere with the adoption.
We visited the Calvary in Naples Florida. This was a very neat experience for several reasons! It was a small church body so this was neat & reminiscent of our intimate fellowship here in the Tri-cities, before we grew......... There probably only around 50 people there and we visited on the day when they had a special presentation. Potters field ministries from Troutdale, Montana was visiting and shared why, where & how God had molded and shaped their lives to get to the point on where they are now at in their ministry! If you have never seen them it is a very cool visual presentation of a potter at work with the clay. If you are a visual leraner your heart can't help but be moved! It was so neat to listen to all the work that the Lord had done in them in order for them to step out in their ministry! Some of their points that touched us the most I wanted to share with you all .
1. The clay never gets to tell the potter how to shape it or what to do. The clay is silent and pliable into whatever the Lord desires of it! Many times in our Christian walks we are still a freshly unmolded lump of clay. The reason this is so, is because we are so busy telling our Heavenly father how we should be shaped that there is no room to be molded. In doing this we stay stuck as that lump and our hearts can get hardened to the Lord's will for us. Since we are stuck we can't ever even begin to invision the finished product that God sees. HE doesn't look at us as we are right now, but instead he sees the amazingly beautiful finished product. The potter, in his minds eye, always knows what he will make before he begins to touch the clay. If we have our eyes on Jesus rather than ourselves or our situation, then we too begin to see glimpses of the finished product. Since we are no longer having our eyes on ourselves and they are focused on Jesus our hearts will not turn hard and brittle but will be ever molded & shaped into His image.
2. We are too comfortable/complacent! There are times in our lives that we get quite comfortable with where we are at. Comfortable with the friendships we have, comfortable with our worldly possessions, comfortable with our family size, comfortable with our home church, content in our job situations. Don't get me wrong, contentment is a great goal to strive for and it is what God calls us to on a daily basis. However, contentment in some ways, can also be a place of false security and complacency. For example, anyone who is not content with their job is more than willing for God to move them out of their discomfort/discontentment.......... In John and my life, despite our best efforts to acheive change, this has been the times when we are forced to stay right where we are at till God reaches our hearts and molds us into who He wants us to be in that situation. It is when we are content, that God can now challenge our walk and do a work in our heart by following His lead. Contentment can lead to a life that keeps us complacent in our walk with the Lord if we are relying our situation not changing. Nothing is really required in a life where our needs are clearly met. We do depend on God for the provision He gives to us, but when provision comes so easily and predictably I tend to rely on the predictability of that provision rather than the Lord who gave it to me! You see, there was no striving to trust that He would do so.
They talked a bit about Peter, when God called him out of the boat. His reaction was not to barder, argue or protest but to simply follow and let God take care of the rest. Again, the clay can't be shaped if it is telling God what to do or how to provide. A couple years ago, if John was called out of the boat (away fromt he jail) he would have signed his resignation papers the very same day. He was not content with his position there. Now that he is very content the Lord began to challenge him in this. What if I now told you to get out of the boat? Would you go WHEREVER I wanted to send you and not think twice about obeying me?
These 2 things really spoke to our hearts and so now we are praying about why they ministered so deeply! Please be praying for us as we are seeking the Lord for answers!!
On to the important part....... the reunion went with John's daughter Sarah........ It was rather awkward and un-natural at first due to a bit of history that I will share. Many of you are not aware that when she met up with her birth mother it was a horrible, scary, manipulative, dangerous experience for Sarah and Matt (her fiancé, now husband). Sarah decided, after getting to know her BM, she desired a closer/deeper relationship with her. In an effort to accomplish this she accepted her BM invitation to come live with the BM and her family. While John and I were very surprised & scared about this decision we at least knew she wasn't 'leaving' her adoptive family to do this but was actually moving closer to them, since the BM and her adoptive parents live in the same town. She & Matt packed up her things and moved 4 hours away from Naples (where Matts family lives) to Gainesville. After some huge warning flags, deception and inconsistencies began rearing their ugly head, she and Matt moved out within 3 weeks. I will spare you the ugly details! We, at this time, lost contact with her since she was now at a loss of if we too were as unpredictable & crazy as her BM. She had to move several times within Gainesville in an effort to hide from her BM because her BM began to harass/stalk she & Matt. Finally after getting married they decided to move back to Naples where they knew they would be far enough away from the BM that she wouldn't bother them. We, unfortunately, heard all the scary details of what took place and it is by the grace of God and her adoptive parents wisdom, that kept them safe from harm.
SO meeting us she and Matt were understandably, a bit skeptical of what they would find. At first they were a bit reserved but after a day or 2 of hanging out she began to get more comfortable with us. I am sure the kids chatting her ear off and asking a bazillion questions put her at ease as well! Probably the biggest highlight of our trip for my kids was meeting their sister! Granted we spent a couple days at Disney world and a day at Seaworld but if you listen to what they talk about most, it is about their sister! We spent 4 days with Sarah. She came down to Orlando and met up with us at Seaworld and then we all drove back that evening to Naples. They pretty much spent all their waking hours with us. We saw all the sights and pretty beaches. On Sunday and Monday we took road trips where Sarah would jump into our car and we toured Miami/Hollywood. I think those are the times John and I will cherish most. When we were in the car it was like all the guards were off and they began to speak very frankly about their lives past and present. We got to hear about her childhood and how wonderful her adoptive parents are! This was such an amazing blessing to hear! She too got to hear about the timing of her birth, who John was back then and that he thanks God everyday that he didn't interfere with the adoption.
We visited the Calvary in Naples Florida. This was a very neat experience for several reasons! It was a small church body so this was neat & reminiscent of our intimate fellowship here in the Tri-cities, before we grew......... There probably only around 50 people there and we visited on the day when they had a special presentation. Potters field ministries from Troutdale, Montana was visiting and shared why, where & how God had molded and shaped their lives to get to the point on where they are now at in their ministry! If you have never seen them it is a very cool visual presentation of a potter at work with the clay. If you are a visual leraner your heart can't help but be moved! It was so neat to listen to all the work that the Lord had done in them in order for them to step out in their ministry! Some of their points that touched us the most I wanted to share with you all .
1. The clay never gets to tell the potter how to shape it or what to do. The clay is silent and pliable into whatever the Lord desires of it! Many times in our Christian walks we are still a freshly unmolded lump of clay. The reason this is so, is because we are so busy telling our Heavenly father how we should be shaped that there is no room to be molded. In doing this we stay stuck as that lump and our hearts can get hardened to the Lord's will for us. Since we are stuck we can't ever even begin to invision the finished product that God sees. HE doesn't look at us as we are right now, but instead he sees the amazingly beautiful finished product. The potter, in his minds eye, always knows what he will make before he begins to touch the clay. If we have our eyes on Jesus rather than ourselves or our situation, then we too begin to see glimpses of the finished product. Since we are no longer having our eyes on ourselves and they are focused on Jesus our hearts will not turn hard and brittle but will be ever molded & shaped into His image.
2. We are too comfortable/complacent! There are times in our lives that we get quite comfortable with where we are at. Comfortable with the friendships we have, comfortable with our worldly possessions, comfortable with our family size, comfortable with our home church, content in our job situations. Don't get me wrong, contentment is a great goal to strive for and it is what God calls us to on a daily basis. However, contentment in some ways, can also be a place of false security and complacency. For example, anyone who is not content with their job is more than willing for God to move them out of their discomfort/discontentment.......... In John and my life, despite our best efforts to acheive change, this has been the times when we are forced to stay right where we are at till God reaches our hearts and molds us into who He wants us to be in that situation. It is when we are content, that God can now challenge our walk and do a work in our heart by following His lead. Contentment can lead to a life that keeps us complacent in our walk with the Lord if we are relying our situation not changing. Nothing is really required in a life where our needs are clearly met. We do depend on God for the provision He gives to us, but when provision comes so easily and predictably I tend to rely on the predictability of that provision rather than the Lord who gave it to me! You see, there was no striving to trust that He would do so.
They talked a bit about Peter, when God called him out of the boat. His reaction was not to barder, argue or protest but to simply follow and let God take care of the rest. Again, the clay can't be shaped if it is telling God what to do or how to provide. A couple years ago, if John was called out of the boat (away fromt he jail) he would have signed his resignation papers the very same day. He was not content with his position there. Now that he is very content the Lord began to challenge him in this. What if I now told you to get out of the boat? Would you go WHEREVER I wanted to send you and not think twice about obeying me?
These 2 things really spoke to our hearts and so now we are praying about why they ministered so deeply! Please be praying for us as we are seeking the Lord for answers!!
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