Abundantly Beyond...

Ephesians 3:20-21 has been our theme since our last Home Fellowship Group meeting in our home in December, was on our minds at the COV/CORE retreat in January, was on our hearts as we packed and Brian preached at CBC for the last time, energized us through the CBC goodbyes, the weeks of travel and visiting family, filled us with expectant hope upon our arrival here and the settling in that followed, and now sums up how we feel after our first month in Florida:

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

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A Comforting Thought

I heard someone say once that one of the martyrs of the faith was crucified upside down when he was killed, and that some of his last words to his wife, who was standing by helplessly watching his murder, were simply, "Remember Jesus Christ!"

Those three little words have comforted me on so many down days! Yes, Jesus is alive. He is ruling and reigning in love and wisdom over all the affairs of men. And one day He will return as the mighty, unstoppable, conquering King of Kings, who will make every wrong right, and wipe every tear away from the eyes of His beloved. We belong to HIM! Put your heart to rest on that great truth.

Psalm 42:5:

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

For the help of His presence."

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Three Weeks Here Already

It is hard to believe that we have been here three weeks now! The days are flying by. That is partly because we started homeschooling again four days after our arrival, and that is enough to fill our days even if we weren't also trying to do all the necessary things to start a new life in a new city/state/ministry. Whew!!! Will I ever get away from our "rest when we're dead" motto??!!! Not likely!

We joined the YMCA this week, which is right down the road from our house, and are excited about having a way for us and our kids to work out, swim, take other classes, play sports, but most of all, meet people in the community! Pray that we could meet new friends that need to know Christ.

Our older kids got lots of job applications filled out and submitted all over the place this week. No news of any jobs yet, but pray with us that the Lord will provide work for them soon.

I got my Florida driver's license this week. Going to the DMV is never something I look forward to, but the man at the front desk who greeted people and moved them to the appropriate station was a believer and was so kind and gracious in the way he spoke to everyone. That totally set the tone for the hour we spent there.

We are thankful for the youth in our church here. They are busy working to raise the funds necessary to go to summer youth camp. Last Sunday they held a chili cookoff, and this morning they all got up bright and early at 6 AM to set out all the stuff collected from members of the church for a huge yard sale. It is a blessing to get to know them!

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Answered Prayers On A Happy Day

It is Sunday night, and we are feeling so happy and blessed! After weeks of looking at many cars, we have become a Honda family! We now own two Honda Odyssey minivans, a gold 2007 Touring edition, that came with all the perks, and a 1999 blueish-gray simpler model, but clean and sturdy. We were also able to purchase a black 1999 Accord, and with 5 drivers and two more in the next year or so, it is nice to have at least 3 vehicles. We are so thankful for God's faithful provision through selling our other cars before we moved, and making it possible to get these after we arrived.

Another happy note today, Brian started preaching a new series in Revelation! I am so blessed to be under his teaching full-time again, and love watching how God is already using him. If any of you want to hear his sermons, you can click here to go to the sermon download page at the website for our church, Fellowship Bible Church.

Tonight we returned a borrowed car to the older couple who have been loaning it to us since we got here. It was so wonderful to be invited into their home, and hear the testimony of how God saved them both. The husband has been battling cancer for a long time and it was invigorating to listen to him describe with joy how wonderful it is to know that he is accepted by Jesus Christ and has no fear of dying, but is looking forward to heaven. It was so encouraging!!

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Our First Week

Today is Saturday, and we are hopefully making our first trip to the beach today!

We are going to Fort DeSoto, and it is beautiful!

Wanna see? Click below:

http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm

We have had a wonderful first week here. Our arrival was met with so many acts of kindness by our new church family. A team of ladies cleaned the place we are staying, which is usually a mission house, then they stocked the fridge and pantry with tons of food for us. The church secretary had contacted Savannah via FB and found out what our favorite foods and snacks were, then they provided meals for us through the first weekend. Also a team of men came to unload our container on that first Friday, then some of them helped set up beds and get things in place and also helped take the things that we don't have room for down the street to the storage unit we are using.

There was fellowship right away when we arrived. The very first night was a family roller skating night that some of the families go to, and we stopped by there and our children were able to meet some friends and break the ice. Then people stopped in at different times over the first weekend to drop off food, etc, and we went to one family's home on Saturday, so by the first Sunday, our kids were all sitting with new friends during the worship service, smiling and talking and connecting. So by the first Sunday night we had some high school and college aged students around our dinner table laughing loud and playing games until about midnight. What a huge answered prayer!!!

Monday came and we had to start homeschool back, since we had taken so many days off in December and January. Brian went to the church for his first days at work, and came home the very first day praising God for the godly men that he gets to work with here. God has been so kind to provide a church that already has three other elders in place, an associate pastor, a building, and for the first time ever, Brian has a secretary!!! They have given him a large office and are busy painting it and outfitting it with shelves for his library.

The people here are warm and welcoming, and so expressive in their joy that we are finally here. Another blessing!! They also hug people. That makes us feel at home. :-D Still more blessings from the Lord!

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Whew!

I have learned something about myself. I am not very good at blogging when my mind and time is consumed with something that I have to do. Take the last 6 months for example. From the time we made our first visit to Florida last August, the wheels were set in motion for a half year process that resulted in leaving our home, making a cross-country move, visiting family, and now preparing our hearts to settle into a new life in a new place. Whew! To say that it was all-consuming- (oh yeah, and homeschooling needed to go on as normal) would not do justice to how fixed my mind was on what was happening. So, there was little time to sit down and do any creative writing here.

But today is a new day.

I woke up today and had nothing that I had to do. That put me in a fog. When is that ever the
case with my crazy, busy life? We are staying with grandparents, and their home is warm and relaxing and restful. It only took me a few minutes to realize that a day to rest was the perfect gift for God to give me today. All the changes we’ve been through lately, (though they are an incredible answer to our prayers of many years,) have made us physically and emotionally tired. It is a very satisfying, joyful exhaustion, probably like the way a farmer feels when the crop is all safely gathered in, but exhaustion nonetheless. So we are resting.

Ahhhhhh! Thank you, Lord!

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Long Way Home

This is fast becoming one of my all-time favorite songs from Steven Curtis Chapman, and I have been loving his music for a long, long time.

Long Way Home

by Steven Curtis Chapman

I set out on a great adventure

The day my father started leading me home

He said there gonna be some mountains to climb

And some valleys we’re gonna go thorough

But I had no way of knowing

Just how hard this journey could be

Cause the mountains are steeper and the valleys are deeper

Than I ever would have dreamed

But I know we’re gonna make it

And I know we’re gonna get there soon

And I know some times it seems like were

Going the wrong way

But it’s just a long way home

I've got some rocks in my shoes

Fears I wish I could lose

They make the mountain so hard to climb

And my heart gets so heavy

With the weight of the world some times

And there’s a bag of regrets

my "should have beens" and "not yets"

I keep on dragging around

And I can hardly can wait till the day I can lay them all down

Well I know that day is coming

And I know it’s gonna be here soon

And I know I won’t turn back even if the whole world

Says I’m going the wrong way

Cause it’s just a long way home

And when we can’t take another step

The Father will pick us up and carry us in his arms

And even on the best days

He says to remember we’re not home yet

So don’t get too comfortable

Cause all we really are is just pilgrims passing through

Well I know that day is coming

And I know it’s gonna be here soon

I’ll keep on singing and believing

What all of my songs say

Cause our God has made a promise

And I know that everything he says it’s true

And he promised he would never ever leave us

He’s gonna lead us, He’ll lead us home

Every single step of the long way home

So keep on we’re gonna make it

We’re just taking the long way home

Keep on we’re gonna make it

I know we’re gonna make it

It’s just a long way home

You can listen to it by clicking here.

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