The times has come...

Well this is the week Matt officially ends his career at Gallagher Benefits and begins his career as a full time seminary student while gaining experience in ministry! It is definitely a bitter sweet time for us. Matt's bosses have been more than just a couple of guys he works for, they have been great friends and a huge support for him. They have challenged him, believed in him, and supported him in every area of his work, and now his call to ministry! They have been a huge blessing to us and we could not be more thankful that the Lord led Matt to this job 6 years ago. This was a place Matt could see himself starting and ending his career. He loved his job, and he loved the people he worked with. God had other plans and we are just as thankful and just as excited about this new career path the Lord has led us on.

This week marks a new beginning. Probably the start of a lot of new beginnings for our family. We are fully aware that ministry doesn't always keep you where you want to be. It can mean moving from the comforts that we know so well to the unknown. We know God will bring new people in our lives and in our path, but the friendships we have will last longer than distance could ever take us.

We are seeking the Lord daily for direction for our family, and for our ministry. Matt was called to ministry as his career, but as a family we feel the call as a whole. We know God has created our children and prepared our children their whole lives, just like He has done for Matt and I. His sovereignty overwhelms me at times. Nothing is a coincidence. Everything happens and has happened according to His perfect will for our lives. For that we are thankful. For that we are blessed. For that we are overwhelmed.

At times I feel extremely inadequate. I find myself thinking God got me confused with someone else!!:) But then I am reminded that God does not called the equipped. He equips the called. I love that. It's just like the disciples. They were not highly known or highly educated men. They were just teachable. They had a desire. A desire to learn everything they could about Jesus and to spend their lives telling others about this Savior. In that, I find strength and comfort. As long as I am available, God can and will use me. That's all I want. To be used. For HIS kingdom. For HIS glory.

Deuteronomy 13:4

It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.

What a difference a year makes

I got to looking back at our pictures over the past year and couldn't believe the change in the girls. I am sooo very thankful for pictures that can capture the growth throughout the years. Just when I think I remember everything about them, I see pictures and can't believe the change that has taken place in just a year. A year that literally has FLOWN by. It really seems like we were just sitting by our Christmas tree reading the Christmas story to the girls and getting them in their Christmas jammies. I seriously think this was the quickest year ever!

2010 Christmas on the Square

2011 Christmas on the Square

Sure do love our sweet girls! What a fun tradition we have! It is one of my most favorite things to do with the girls. It doesn't hurt a bit that they now sell cotton candy, funnel cakes, AND kettle corn! Oh I can hardly wait for next year!!

They have stolen my heart...

Miss all these kids.

Sweet, sweet kids!

Breakfast time.

The kids before school

During school. I snuck over and got some picture!!:)

The sweet children of Haiti have forever stolen a piece of my heart. I love these kids. I think about ALL of them daily. I pray for them. I hurt for them. I can't get enough of them. I can't see them enough. They have changed me. They will never know the impact they have had in my life. I pray I have and will continue to have as much of an impact on them as they have had on me.

Trip #2 was amazing. It was fast and furious. Too fast, in fact. We took the all 120 of those precious kids Christmas gifts. They LOVED it. They sat patiently and quietly on the edge of their seat waiting to hear their name called for them to come and receive their gift. They were thankful. They were thrilled. They had a new light about them. This light did not come from the gift itself, but from the love that was shared through that gift. The kids know they are LOVED. To most of them, we (the people of first lavaca) are the only love they have ever known. We have truly shown them what love is. This breaks my heart and it makes me smile all at the same time.

I am thankful for the change the Lord has worked in these children. I am thankful that He has and is using us to teach these kids the love that comes from the Father. Though they may be fatherless on earth, they have a Heavenly Father that loves and adores them. A Father that loves them so much, that He sends His servants to love on them. To hug them. To play with them. To laugh with them. To talk to them. To take their picture (this is their favorite thing) and to tell them how beautiful they are. To feed them. To provide for them. To show them they are loved and they are important, and God has a future for them!

I can't wait to go back. I'm already praying for the opportunity for Matt and I to return to Haiti and to see these precious kiddos!

And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. Luke 14:23

I have been faced with a common question since the Lord clearly called our family into full time ministry. It goes something like this. "Sarah, How are you with all of this?" I can simply answer that question by saying, "It's not about me. It's about the Lord Jesus." Thank goodness it's not about me, or I could find myself in a panic at times. :)

I have had moments throughout this journey where I have felt extreme peace. Where I have trusted completely that the Lord almighty would take care of us. Take care of every "need" that we will have. That He would provide a friend when I need one. That He would allow our girls to adjust to his calling with ease and peace. I have trusted and know fully that He was/is walking before us laying out each and every step for us to simply follow.

Then there are the moments of fear. Fear of the unknown of what our once comfortable life will now look like. Anxiousness to know where we will be and what we will be doing. Moments where patience is a must but very hard to find. Times where I wonder how will we make it? Moments where I wonder how in the world we will we leave our family and friends? Times where the closeness we have with our family, our friends, and our church overwhelm me and I wonder what it will be like to be away from that each week! That thought alone can take my breath away....

BUT, God is so very good. He is worth putting every detail in his hand and letting him create in us what he wants us to be. Where he wants us to go. And what he wants us to do. After all, he is the potter and I am the clay. (Isaiah 29:16) "How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!"

God has been so faithful to show me his love, his grace, and his mercy each and every time I have needed it. His timing has been impeccable. Never slow. Never quick. Always on time. (2 Peter 3:9) The Lord is not slow about His promise.

As we wait on the Lord, we wait with a humble heart. A heart that is thankful that he has entrusted us with this call. A love for Jesus that we have never known before. A peace that passes all understanding.

Acts 20:24

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus. The work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

This is the deal.

Chicken Bacon Pasta

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want the heat)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 grilled chicken breast, sliced (I marinated the chicken in Lawry's Garlic & Herb marinade)


Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done (according to package instructions).

Place cream and cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and pepper and whisk until blended.

Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of hot water) and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in the bacon, and add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Top with grilled chicken.

This is a crowd pleaser. It is so yummy and easy! Pair it with a salad, veggie, and some garlic bread and you have yourself a killer dinner!!:)

A little catch up....

First of all...this whole post is to inform those who care (if that's any..hehe) , and for our remembrance! And...it might be a little long!!:)

To say the past couple of months have brought on a huge amount of change would be the understatement of the year! The phrase, "You never know what a day may bring" has been our life phrase for the past 2 months. God has orchestrated it all. For HIS glory. We are thankful to have seen HIS hand in it all. Through it all. Shepherding us into HIS perfect will.

So..a little background info. Matt has always loved his job. Really considered it a place where he would start...and finish. Over the past 2 years, we have purged our budget, got rid of ALL debt, and made it to where we could live on pretty much nothing. Matt was set to retire early. We had everything in line for our future. We have saved like CRAZY! Sometimes a little too crazy..hehe! All this, for our sweet little plan to build our dream home and live a comfortable life. Live the small town life. In our home. With our children. Entertaining and ministering to needs. Growing a small group. Pouring our lives into others for the kingdom. Going on mission for the Nations. All of which are great things. All of which was NOT God's plan. AT. ALL.

Long story short. God has called our family into full time ministry. It's something we can look back on and see God's preparation for this moment. He has taught us and prepared us all along the way and we can see that the things we were doing for "our" plan were not at all for "our" plan but for His. We thought we were saving money for a huge down payment on our dream house. We thought I had learned how to spend very little money a month on food and other things so we could save money for our house. We thought getting rid of our debt and living a free life financially was for us to benefit from. We have learned that ALL those things...were done in preparation for God to "Call us out" and for us to "Follow Him." God has prepared us spiritually. Growing in the Lord is a life long journey, but he has equipped Matt in specific areas of ministry and that has taken place over the past 2 years. God's hand has been working and leading us. We have seen God work quickly. Much faster than we had imagined. But, the timing of the call is just as important as the call itself.

Matt will start seminary in January. He will finish up his career with his current employer the first of January. We were not sure how and when Matt would exit the industry of which he is in. But God, once again, worked it all out. He has turned several bad situations in to times of testimony and times of great fellowship. He has gone before us EACH and EVERY step of the way. He has confirmed over and over again his call for us.

God uses 3 things to speak to us and show us his will. 1. His word. 2. Circumstances.

3. Others. He has used every single one of those things time and time again to confirm our call.

As for now, we are waiting. Waiting patiently on the Lord. This is not my best attribute. I am not always good with being patient. :) We are waiting to see what God has in store for our family while Matt is in school, and for the future. That part of the picture is still unclear. Very Foggy. And because it's foggy we are to be still and wait. When it is time for us to know, we will. "When God gives you instructions, trust that He has given you what you need for now. He will give more when the time is right." Priscilla Shirer

In my quiet time with the Lord God has spoken to me and has given me what I needed it just when I needed it. God has been faithful and here are some examples of His greatness!

As I am praying for and seeking direction for our future God answered with this...

"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." John 16:12

"He who enters by the door is a Shepard of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens. and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and they sheep follow him because they know his voice. " John 10:2-4

God is leading us out. It's is exciting. It is scary (at times). But it is good. He is the Shepard and He is leading. We aren't. We can't. If we aren't listening, how will we know what his voice sounds like? Life is full of chaos. It is loud. It is busy. We have been forced to slow down. To empty out the noise, and to sit still and listen for Him.

I encourage you to do the same. God may not be calling you out of your job into full time ministry (and he may be), but God is calling you to something. As a Child of God, we are not here on this earth to sit idle. We are here to work till He calls us home. If you are so busy, and life is too loud, you will miss the biggest blessings of your life because you simply will not hear him.

Please keep our family in your prayers. This is an exciting time for us. It is a time where we are having to live by faith. Not just talk about it!

Wonderful Wednesday...

Wednesdays are kind of just a day home for Bella and I! We typically never leave the house till time to get Alyssa from school. Then we head down to lavaca for church! Today I decided to do something different! You see, Bella loves to go and do, but she has always been a little more difficult to keep up with. So therefore, we don't do a whole lot of EXTRA things. We enjoy our Quality time together at home!!!:) Actually, it is more the fact that I don't want to make 2 trips to the Fort on Wednesdays so stay home!!

Today I took her to story time at the VB library! It was such a nice change from the normal routine of being home! They read stories, sang and danced to songs, did a craft, and had a snack. It was an hour and she LOVED it! I am already looking forward to next week! It was so fun and I loved seeing her interact! She is one silly girl that is for sure!

The teacher kept telling her, "Now get back...let someone else have a turn!" I had to laugh! Bella is always in the mix of things!!

So thankful for this high energy little girl. She loves people and loves to laugh and be silly! she is faster than lightening and keeps me on my toes! She is great for us! WE love her more than words can express and thank God each and every day he gives us with her!!