I mentioned a couple posts ago that I was pondering our puzzle pieces. Basically God was giving us some information to ‘sit on’. His plans get revealed to us before hand but it is only when circumstances follow that the plan actually looks feasible! One of puzzle pieces had to do with John’s job. While his job is a tremendous blessing, one thing about being a corrections officer, the hours are harder on the body as you get older. Don’t get me wrong, 12 hour shifts have their advantages and can be an amazing blessing. Only working 15 days a month is very neat, however if on the other 15 that you do work, you are present only in body, but the brain should be categorized as the ‘walking dead’, this is not so great. Also when the off days are spent recovering from the working days, many times this results in permanently working with an intellect that is a few fries short of a happy meal!
A little history for you….. When my hubby and I married in 1998 he was already a corrections officer. He had a ‘specialty position’ though, working with inmates on the road crew. The reason why it is such a great position for most, is that it has normal hours of operation. Back then, he worked Tuesday through Saturday 7am-3pm. Being that I was raised by a police officer who was on rotating shiftwork, this schedule was a piece of cake! These hours meant that he still had a little energy left when he got home for us AND enough ‘spring in his step’ to maybe attend an evening service at church or go to a friends house for dinner. In all his years as a corrections officer THESE were probably the most care-free and fun for him. You see, my hubby has the gift of evangelism and when he worked this type of job, he had so many opportunities to witness to people. It wasn’t like he had a ‘captive audience’ either. He never abused his position as an officer to shove the gospel down someone’s throat. He would merely have his bible in his work van, read it during lunch breaks and just live out his relationship with Jesus in front of the people on his crew. Inmates are pretty much used to being treated with disrespect and when you do not fill this role with them, it makes a big difference. Many of them would strike up conversations about the bible. After a short while of conversation, the barriers that were standing in between them and the Lord was eradicated. Being that many of them are invariably at a pretty low point in their life, they are already ‘seeking’ something that makes a lasting change or difference in their life. Talk about my hubby being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, after a couple years of being a work crew officer, my hubby tested for a supervisor’s position. He always regretted making this move as it felt like ‘trading in’ his most effective ministry for career advancement. Although, God still used him in his new positions, it never felt as right as when he was really being used with his work crew. As a supervisor, he was grateful for the fact of KNOWING from experience, that career advancement isn’t all it is cracked up to be. With more responsibility, comes greater headaches that are not worth the pay increase! He never imagined that he would ever be presented with the opportunity to do this former job again until just recently.
A month ago, there were two work crew positions that came available in the department here. They seemed to take forever to post them all the while John was just chomping at the bit to apply! He figured that maybe they would have to cut the program, since budgets around here are very tight! What is very neat about the timing of the posting is that it was a month after John’s one year anniversary and annual evaluation. One of the requirements for being considered for the position was that you had to be there over a year. God is so good and His timing is always so perfect!
He put in a letter of interest for the position as soon as it was posted. There were many rumors flying around that they already had in mind who they wanted for the positions. While there were quite a few applicants, there were less than a dozen interviews. Everyone who was interviewed was sent an e-mail of when they needed to show up for their oral board interview. A few minutes after receiving the e-mail, John got a radio call from the Captain asking if he got the e-mail and was planning to make the interview. John felt his heart jump a bit but didn’t want to read too much into it. No one else on his crew received the same radio call to confirm.
The interviews were today. He called me RIGHT after his interview and said that he didn’t think he did well! He was pretty bummed thinking he must not have made it. An hour later he called me again stating that the Captain called him and offered him the job. So beginning on October 5th John will be running a work crew and working 4 ten hour shifts. Having a set schedule opens up many opportunities for ministry not only at work but for home fellowship too! This is just one more piece of the puzzle that has been revealed to us and we want to share with you all! More to come as God begins to reveal more of His plan for us here!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Noteable accomplishments
Last Friday the girls recieved their yellow belts in Karate. They were actually set to recieve their yellow belts before we went on vacation, however, our plane left before they could attend the 'moving up' ceremony. Getting them to smile was quite a challenge!
They test every 5 weeks and if they have worked hard and put forth effort at home and at the studio, they recieve a stripe on their belt. I debated on posting pictures everytime they recieved a stripe and figured it was a bigger deal when they actually have more the share! The instructor offered to give them their new belts right when we got back, but we all agreed that it would be more fun to be apart of the ceremony.
It is also great for the kids to see the other people, young and old, who have worked hard to their accomplishments. Here are some pictures of their ceremony/class!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Some new family members
We told the kids that once we returned from our trip to WA, we would look at getting another dog. This was not a new idea because the kids were told that once we got to Florida we would look at getting another dog, however, knowing that we were going to be gone for a month and not really finding what we were looking for before now, put that on hold. They had been asking for another dog for 2 reasons: 1) to give Hershey someone to play with and 2)So my younger ones will be able to snuggle with a dog. Abby and Ben are both allergic to dogs but, thankfully they are not so allergic that they can't take an allergy med. for it. I know that sounds horrible to put your kid on medications so they can have a pet, but I can't describe how relentless my kids are. For some crazy reason they got on the "I want a dog kick" a couple years ago, then got my hubby on board and despite my best arguements to say no (even threatening allergy shots) they agreed to whatever it took to get a dog in the house. Especially since where we used to live it seemed like those hypo-allergenic dogs would be very spendy! We prayed about Hershey before getting her and I am so glad that God just knew she wouldn't be hard on their allergies!
We did know that if we were to ADD to our family with animals they were going to HAVE to be a hypo-allergenic breed. I don't have the money to pay a puppy mill for a dog, nor do I care to keep them in business by buying a non-mut dog from a pet store that keeps these puppy mills in business. Since the economy is still not very good here, there are tons of animals that get surrendered for no other reason than they can no longer afford to feed them. I figured it might take a couple weeks to find what we were looking for. However, we visited all the shelters in town on Thursday and at the last one we saw these 2 sweet girls. Granted I only wanted ONE more dog, however, since this was a mom and daughter pair, the refuge didn't want to separate them. I guess their surrender was a very sad situation so they thought separating them would not go well for either of them unless they went with each other. They seemed a little scared on the first day so we went out with Hershey the next day to introduce them and see of they might click. They were a bit friendlier that day which was very neat.
Meet Curly Sue (on the bottom), she is the momma, and Permy (on the top), she is the daughter. They seem to be adjusting well, however it might take them some time to get adjusted to dog food. When they came into the shelter the people were having a hard time getting them to eat anything, so one of the employess brought some of the 'dog food' she cooks for her animals at home. This was consistent of greens, whole wheat pasta and ground beef so they got pretty used to this diet. Still not sold yet that I will cook for them so I am praying they will begin eating kibble soon? Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Pondering my puzzle pieces & God's plan
Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
For many reasons, I have been pondering these verses lately. What immediately caught my attention is the fact that our worldly definition of ‘prosper’ is so off base and opposite to the Lord’s. I looked up the word prosper, however in the KJV, the word that is used is Peace. When I dig deeper into that word peace, in Hebrew it means rest & safety. DUH, kinda sounds like another way of saying peace? After reading the first verse, I can see how awesome it is, that all I have to do is understand God has plans for us and all we need to do is rest in His plan. Seems simple enough right? He promises the end result of doing this is sweet intimate fellowship with Jesus and that He will hear our prayers which provide Him direct access to our hearts. (My paraphrase) With that kind of direct access, comes a yielding heart that is moldable to His plans over our own.
Then my mind slips into the realization of the second scripture. While God does have plans to give us peace and keep us from harm, He never promises that life will be easy. This is sometimes where my “heart to heart” kinship with the Lord gets tested. Many times, God’s plans have periods of refinement that do not FEEL like peace or safety. Dyeing to self through whatever circumstance is usually painful. Many times, those periods when dying is the only option that serves the greatest purpose, became so much harder because I got distracted with how I felt about dying. Just as a baby cries when they have a dirty diaper, we adults can kick against the Lord’s plan when the process gets uncomfortable. We question God’s process eventhough we KNOW He desires peace, rest and safety for our lives. Sadly, this is where kinship and the Lord’s direct access to MY heart gets muddled by self-loathing.
Hence the reason for this verse:
Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
If testing our faith produces a temper tantrum, isn’t is so awesome that God knows exactly what we need to do, to get right back on track. This verse functions a bit like the tazer/stun gun that cops use to disable a criminal. It jolts them out of their stupidity to get them to comply. This verse stings to the heart to get our eyes off our petty problems and onto the Lord. He is so faithful to keep it simple, for simple folks like myself. After all, God’s ultimate goal is very dis-similar to that of a police officer. He desires a heart that is more than just compliant. The ultimate goal of the Lord is not forced manipulation to achieve the task at hand but restoration. He wants that fellowship back that willingly offers Him humble obedience and that direct heart accessability again.
How come the knowledge that God HAS a perfect plan that suits our best interest, is not enough? How come that concept is not something we cling to while persevering through the refining process? Since not much has changed since the fall of man, I suppose it is much in the same manner by which Adam and Eve KNEW there was ONE tree they were not to eat from but ended up hanging out by that tree? Knowledge is not really good for anything unless it is preceeded by a trusting in, relying upon and clinging to, relationship with Christ.
As God begins to unfold His Plans to “prosper us and not to harm us” in whatever manner He choses to do this, I am praying for our family. That in the midst of His plan, to have yielding hearts that will hold fast through whatever refinement is necessary to achieve things He desires. Counting the cost of following Jesus in the times of comfort is never any challenge. However, when you begin walking according to the Lord’s plan you become a target for spiritual battle. Ergo the need to for this verse of which I am making my memory verse:
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
What are God’s plans for you this year? Do you think He is calling on you to count the cost, in ways that you don’t care to be stretched out of your comfort zone? What scriptures have helped you when you were being stretched persevering through refinement? Feel free to share if you have any words of wisdom!
11 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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Romans 5:1-5
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
For many reasons, I have been pondering these verses lately. What immediately caught my attention is the fact that our worldly definition of ‘prosper’ is so off base and opposite to the Lord’s. I looked up the word prosper, however in the KJV, the word that is used is Peace. When I dig deeper into that word peace, in Hebrew it means rest & safety. DUH, kinda sounds like another way of saying peace? After reading the first verse, I can see how awesome it is, that all I have to do is understand God has plans for us and all we need to do is rest in His plan. Seems simple enough right? He promises the end result of doing this is sweet intimate fellowship with Jesus and that He will hear our prayers which provide Him direct access to our hearts. (My paraphrase) With that kind of direct access, comes a yielding heart that is moldable to His plans over our own.
Then my mind slips into the realization of the second scripture. While God does have plans to give us peace and keep us from harm, He never promises that life will be easy. This is sometimes where my “heart to heart” kinship with the Lord gets tested. Many times, God’s plans have periods of refinement that do not FEEL like peace or safety. Dyeing to self through whatever circumstance is usually painful. Many times, those periods when dying is the only option that serves the greatest purpose, became so much harder because I got distracted with how I felt about dying. Just as a baby cries when they have a dirty diaper, we adults can kick against the Lord’s plan when the process gets uncomfortable. We question God’s process eventhough we KNOW He desires peace, rest and safety for our lives. Sadly, this is where kinship and the Lord’s direct access to MY heart gets muddled by self-loathing.
Hence the reason for this verse:
Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
If testing our faith produces a temper tantrum, isn’t is so awesome that God knows exactly what we need to do, to get right back on track. This verse functions a bit like the tazer/stun gun that cops use to disable a criminal. It jolts them out of their stupidity to get them to comply. This verse stings to the heart to get our eyes off our petty problems and onto the Lord. He is so faithful to keep it simple, for simple folks like myself. After all, God’s ultimate goal is very dis-similar to that of a police officer. He desires a heart that is more than just compliant. The ultimate goal of the Lord is not forced manipulation to achieve the task at hand but restoration. He wants that fellowship back that willingly offers Him humble obedience and that direct heart accessability again.
How come the knowledge that God HAS a perfect plan that suits our best interest, is not enough? How come that concept is not something we cling to while persevering through the refining process? Since not much has changed since the fall of man, I suppose it is much in the same manner by which Adam and Eve KNEW there was ONE tree they were not to eat from but ended up hanging out by that tree? Knowledge is not really good for anything unless it is preceeded by a trusting in, relying upon and clinging to, relationship with Christ.
As God begins to unfold His Plans to “prosper us and not to harm us” in whatever manner He choses to do this, I am praying for our family. That in the midst of His plan, to have yielding hearts that will hold fast through whatever refinement is necessary to achieve things He desires. Counting the cost of following Jesus in the times of comfort is never any challenge. However, when you begin walking according to the Lord’s plan you become a target for spiritual battle. Ergo the need to for this verse of which I am making my memory verse:
Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
What are God’s plans for you this year? Do you think He is calling on you to count the cost, in ways that you don’t care to be stretched out of your comfort zone? What scriptures have helped you when you were being stretched persevering through refinement? Feel free to share if you have any words of wisdom!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Going home again
I know I have been silent for a while and it has been due to a mixture of reasons. In July, I was finishing up school with the kids, getting yearly evaluations done, (state requirement for homeschoolers in Florida) and getting other things in place. I was also making preparations to come back to our family’s home city & state, to rest for a while.
We got to visit family members & close friends that we miss dearly. I have lived in that area since the age of 11 and the kids were all born there, so it is still considered ‘home’ to me. It was just the kids and I that got to go back and my hubby had to stay here in Florida and work since he didn’t have the vacation time available. Even the kids, when faced with the decision to do something fun like Disney World or come back and see family/friends, chose to come visit our former home. We planned to be away for the entire month of August to catch up with and spend quality time with the folks that have meant so much to us and are still a great encouragement. What an amazing blessing! It was so refreshing to see/hear the familiarity of cousins playing together, sharing family stories and old friends sharing their hearts about what the Lord is doing in their lives. It was very relaxing to be in our home church that holds fast to the boldness of the word. Where folks are encouraged to ask for prayer from the whole body, share praises of how God is working in their lives OR get answers from our pastor about where they are reading in the bible that isn’t making sense…….. It is one of the ways our very large church still gets that sense of community with one another as we share in each other’s questions, burdens and victories! Where if someone shares something they are going through, someone else who recently went through something similar can then come to them and share how God brought them through it.
One thing I have always admired about our pastor is his ability to keep it simple while challenging the more mature Christians to dig deeper and make sure he is right on. He is the first one to correct us when we think to highly of Him and gives all the glory to where it is due! You never even have to guess his sin areas as he is the first to point them out to show us he is no different than any of us. He is the first one to ask people to call him Steve rather than ‘pastor’. He says people get weird if you have to be called pastor and can’t be approached as a fellow believer. The title of a pastor is a grand responsibility but doesn’t make him better than anyone else who also loves Jesus and desires to be used by the Lord is less visible ways. Being humble enough to admit his failings puts everyone at ease knowing that no matter how much you grow as a Christian, there is always further growth to be attained! That we are all sinners saved by grace, no one more holy than anyone else! My hubby and I are so fortunate to have served under his leadership to get a great foundation in our own relationships with the Lord. (He would be pretty embarrassed to know I was blogging and telling the world about how awesome he is since not only is he pretty modest but he also knows that it is God that has accomplished these things through him. However this still doesn’t change the fact that I appreciate him so much that I think he may forgive me for expressing this appreciation? Maybe?) If you don’t have this kind of teaching at your home church, but want experience what I am ranting over, you can always listen to him at this site: http://www.calvary-tricities.org/studies.html and download his studies in MP3 format for free!
Anywho, back to our visit........... We were able to see my family and the many people we hold near and dear to us here in the Tri-cities. It wasn’t just blood family members that we looked so forward to visiting with, but many of our church friends that have adopted us and we consider to be family members. Many of these sweet folks were responsible for spiritually parenting me in my late teens and early to late 20’s. The days when I was ‘Too wise in my own eyes’ to listen to my parents. They were faithful to rebuke me when I needed it and show me the truth regardless of if I liked it at the time. In their wisdom, they knew that the truth was a far greater gift than making sure I felt good about what I heard.
I got to see some very special brothers in Christ, who came alongside a man that had no clue of his need for Jesus. However, once he was told of God’s great love for him by these faithful men, had a thirst for Him that was unquenchable! They put up with his un ending questions, hung out with him as he struggled to figure out what this new life in Christ meant, discipled him when he was faced with temptations. In doing so, they played a huge part in making him the man that I later married!
Saying goodbye to all the folks that we love so much was pretty painful and filled with tears for the kids and I. Cousins, adopted ones from church and related were really hard to let go of! However, it was a great reminder that no matter how many miles separate us from those wonderful people, the bonds that Jesus forms together will never be lost, regardless of time or distance! This was proven when relationships just picked up where they left off! For this reason, I am in AWE of how much we are so amazingly blessed by this fact!
There are many things about this place that are so near and dear to my heart, however, at the same time I know it is no longer my ‘home’. Don’t get me wrong, if God said we could move back, there would be NO hesitation! We would find our niches, re-join in all the places we were active and even find some new places to minister where God could stretch us. However, while I will never forget the people, the teaching we grew so fervently under and the standards through which God grew a body from 30 people to 3000, it was a chapter in our lives that is no longer what God has in store for us. While we are still uncertain of the reason why we continue to be in Florida I do know for a fact that we are suppose to be there. Comfort has never been a word used to describe this journey, however, God’s plans rarely have anything to do with our comfort. They mostly entail further purification and dying to self. While speaking with one of my friends back there I was trying to describe this strange place we find ourselves in. The best way I could describe what God was doing with us here was to tell her that this journey is basically much like a 1000 piece puzzle. Eventhough we only have maybe 10 pieces to the puzzle, there is still so much that God, in His divine wisdom, just has not revealed to us quite yet. So our task at hand is to be in His word, prayed up and seeking Him continually. If we are diligently doing this, we will be able to receive the next pieces of the puzzle to His will for us!
Instead of spilling the beans on what we do know and try filling in the blanks with possibilities of how these pieces fit into the grand plan, it is better just to remain silently steadfast in prayer to ask for direction. Some interesting things are on the horizon, that are both exciting, yet scary as we continue to seek the Lord and desire to be used by Him to accomplish His will and not our own. I thank the Lord every day that it is HIS burden to carry the WHY’s, WHEN’s and HOW’s, so that all we really need to do is rest in Him.
We got to visit family members & close friends that we miss dearly. I have lived in that area since the age of 11 and the kids were all born there, so it is still considered ‘home’ to me. It was just the kids and I that got to go back and my hubby had to stay here in Florida and work since he didn’t have the vacation time available. Even the kids, when faced with the decision to do something fun like Disney World or come back and see family/friends, chose to come visit our former home. We planned to be away for the entire month of August to catch up with and spend quality time with the folks that have meant so much to us and are still a great encouragement. What an amazing blessing! It was so refreshing to see/hear the familiarity of cousins playing together, sharing family stories and old friends sharing their hearts about what the Lord is doing in their lives. It was very relaxing to be in our home church that holds fast to the boldness of the word. Where folks are encouraged to ask for prayer from the whole body, share praises of how God is working in their lives OR get answers from our pastor about where they are reading in the bible that isn’t making sense…….. It is one of the ways our very large church still gets that sense of community with one another as we share in each other’s questions, burdens and victories! Where if someone shares something they are going through, someone else who recently went through something similar can then come to them and share how God brought them through it.
One thing I have always admired about our pastor is his ability to keep it simple while challenging the more mature Christians to dig deeper and make sure he is right on. He is the first one to correct us when we think to highly of Him and gives all the glory to where it is due! You never even have to guess his sin areas as he is the first to point them out to show us he is no different than any of us. He is the first one to ask people to call him Steve rather than ‘pastor’. He says people get weird if you have to be called pastor and can’t be approached as a fellow believer. The title of a pastor is a grand responsibility but doesn’t make him better than anyone else who also loves Jesus and desires to be used by the Lord is less visible ways. Being humble enough to admit his failings puts everyone at ease knowing that no matter how much you grow as a Christian, there is always further growth to be attained! That we are all sinners saved by grace, no one more holy than anyone else! My hubby and I are so fortunate to have served under his leadership to get a great foundation in our own relationships with the Lord. (He would be pretty embarrassed to know I was blogging and telling the world about how awesome he is since not only is he pretty modest but he also knows that it is God that has accomplished these things through him. However this still doesn’t change the fact that I appreciate him so much that I think he may forgive me for expressing this appreciation? Maybe?) If you don’t have this kind of teaching at your home church, but want experience what I am ranting over, you can always listen to him at this site: http://www.calvary-tricities.org/studies.html and download his studies in MP3 format for free!
Anywho, back to our visit........... We were able to see my family and the many people we hold near and dear to us here in the Tri-cities. It wasn’t just blood family members that we looked so forward to visiting with, but many of our church friends that have adopted us and we consider to be family members. Many of these sweet folks were responsible for spiritually parenting me in my late teens and early to late 20’s. The days when I was ‘Too wise in my own eyes’ to listen to my parents. They were faithful to rebuke me when I needed it and show me the truth regardless of if I liked it at the time. In their wisdom, they knew that the truth was a far greater gift than making sure I felt good about what I heard.
I got to see some very special brothers in Christ, who came alongside a man that had no clue of his need for Jesus. However, once he was told of God’s great love for him by these faithful men, had a thirst for Him that was unquenchable! They put up with his un ending questions, hung out with him as he struggled to figure out what this new life in Christ meant, discipled him when he was faced with temptations. In doing so, they played a huge part in making him the man that I later married!
Saying goodbye to all the folks that we love so much was pretty painful and filled with tears for the kids and I. Cousins, adopted ones from church and related were really hard to let go of! However, it was a great reminder that no matter how many miles separate us from those wonderful people, the bonds that Jesus forms together will never be lost, regardless of time or distance! This was proven when relationships just picked up where they left off! For this reason, I am in AWE of how much we are so amazingly blessed by this fact!
There are many things about this place that are so near and dear to my heart, however, at the same time I know it is no longer my ‘home’. Don’t get me wrong, if God said we could move back, there would be NO hesitation! We would find our niches, re-join in all the places we were active and even find some new places to minister where God could stretch us. However, while I will never forget the people, the teaching we grew so fervently under and the standards through which God grew a body from 30 people to 3000, it was a chapter in our lives that is no longer what God has in store for us. While we are still uncertain of the reason why we continue to be in Florida I do know for a fact that we are suppose to be there. Comfort has never been a word used to describe this journey, however, God’s plans rarely have anything to do with our comfort. They mostly entail further purification and dying to self. While speaking with one of my friends back there I was trying to describe this strange place we find ourselves in. The best way I could describe what God was doing with us here was to tell her that this journey is basically much like a 1000 piece puzzle. Eventhough we only have maybe 10 pieces to the puzzle, there is still so much that God, in His divine wisdom, just has not revealed to us quite yet. So our task at hand is to be in His word, prayed up and seeking Him continually. If we are diligently doing this, we will be able to receive the next pieces of the puzzle to His will for us!
Instead of spilling the beans on what we do know and try filling in the blanks with possibilities of how these pieces fit into the grand plan, it is better just to remain silently steadfast in prayer to ask for direction. Some interesting things are on the horizon, that are both exciting, yet scary as we continue to seek the Lord and desire to be used by Him to accomplish His will and not our own. I thank the Lord every day that it is HIS burden to carry the WHY’s, WHEN’s and HOW’s, so that all we really need to do is rest in Him.
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