Friday, January 18, 2013

Family update...

I just wanted to give a little update on our little family!
This past year has brought many blessings in our lives and in our family...and though his goodness has overflowed our hearts, there are always valleys and lessons to be learned.  Praise God the Lord is never through with us.  Pruning and teaching and building us into the parents and individuals that he created us to be.  I am thankful for that. This year has been a year full of pruning.  It has not been easy.  We have been through heartache this year.  We have seen God transform relationships in our lives.  We have seen him use us in ways we never imagined.  We watched as he removed things in our lives that were not lining up with his will.  But, if I want nothing more than to be like Him, I have to be willing to let go...let go of the things I want.  Let go of the things I feel are best for me, and look to Him because HE alone will fill me heart with love, patience, contentment, and JOY.  That is what I/we desire.

Matt and I have pretty much spent our whole marriage driving.  Haha...seriously. Driving here and there and everywhere.  We have never lived in the town that we did "life" in.  We lived in Fay. for 5 years and drove back and forth to Lavaca for church for that entire time.  The last 2 years Matt drove back and forth daily for work in Fort Smith.  We got a brain, and decided to move a little closer!  We have been in Alma for 4 years and have loved every second of it....except the constant driving to work and church in Lavaca.  We have thought about moving to lavaca a few times, but we knew the Lord was not calling us to make that move just yet.  It's been tough.  It's been tiring.  It's cost a lot of money, but God would just say..."Not yet."  Until now...:)

The Lord has made it very clear he is calling us to put our house on the market next month and get our booties to Lavaca.  We know FBC Lavaca is the church we are called to serve in and we can't serve in the capacity we wish to serve from Alma.  We have land we will build on and we could not be more exited.  We will miss Alma.  It has been a great home for us.  We love our home and the memories that lie inside these walls. We love that my dad can just swing by our house at any given time to see the girls and to bring us goodies! We love that my mom and Mike can stop by on their many trips to Fay to watch the Hogs play!  We love that this is the place we brought home sweet Bella Grace and that we watched Alyssa grow from a baby to a little girl.  Our home...this house is where are little Alyssa got out of her bed and sat by her Christmas tree in her room and  prayed and asked Jesus to rule her life and live in her heart.  Memories...they flood over me as I type.  I am thankful for these memories and thankful they will continue.  Its true that Home is where the Heart is.

We are thankful for the Lord's calling on our life.  We are thankful that through this past year He has shown us time and time again that our lives are in Lavaca and that He is calling us to move our family.  We are blessed to serve Jesus and we are thankful he speaks to us and leads us.  We may not always get it right...we mess up..A LOT!  We jump ahead of God and try to do things on our own daily, but we are so confident in the Peace that has been given through the timing of this move.  A peace that can ONLY come from the Lord.

I started working this week.  It sounds so strange to even type that.  We have been incredibly blessed for me to stay home for the past 6 years.  It has been wonderful.  I have enjoyed every second.  It wasn't always easy and we didn't always have the things we wanted, but God has always supplied all of our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)  I always said, "Maybe I will do something a few days a week when the girls start school."  Well oddly enough, I am there.  It has flown by, but I am there.  Alyssa is in 1st grade (what?) and Bella Grace is in preschool 3 full days.  My days of having little ones running around all day long are over.  It can make me sad if I let it, but each and every phase of their life has been pure JOY!
I am loving being around a awesome group of ladies, I have a fabulous boss that I also get to call my Father-in-Law and I get to use my brain in new ways!  It has been an ADJUSTMENT.  I have been soooo tired.  You know 3 days will do that to ya:) It has taken a lot more organization and time on my days off to prepare for the days I work, but I am thankful for this opportunity to work a few days and also be home a few days with my people!:)

Please be in prayer for the timing of our home to sell.  We know it is in His hands and we are resting in that alone!
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

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