Home is Where The Heart Is

Today was great. My body feels tired, and I've been taking naps daily, but my spirit is so full and refreshed even despite the ache that comes from leaving mostly everything you know. Haha I just read that over and laughed. I have a knack for sounding dramatic... Almost everything I know? I'm still in the U.S. for goodness sake! But you understand...

I'm sitting in my bed right now just enjoying the fact that I can't see a single piece of cardboard in sight. Of course if I got up and walked across the apartment to the spare bedroom with all of its boxes I would be reminded of the work I have left to do, but we're not talking about that right now. We're talking about Fayetteville, Arkansas and the vast amount of color this place is bringing into my life.

I've been trying to immerse myself in this place, and in less than a week I've learned a little bit about how to get around and a little more about all the best places to go in town. The key is having all the locals take you around. And oh, the locals! Never have I met a more generous and kind group of people! This church is really being the church. They have poured their time and resources into us and welcomed us as if we were long lost family. The town has so many facets to it that I feel certain I will not fully grasp it for some time.

Well, it's officially past my bedtime and I am getting sleepy. My husband is also doing something possibly destructive in the kitchen and I feel the need to look into it. I love that guy.

Goodnight all!

5 States in One Day

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and finally on to Arkansas. That is what today consists of. Right now I'm sitting in the passenger seat of our Durango riding through Mississippi listening to Jonny Lang while David drives. I did try to drive myself, but ended up missing a turn and taking the "scenic route" through Birmingham. Needless to say David has resumed his post and here I am typing away on David's iPad. I don't think he minds anyway because the passenger seat is all scrunched up close to the dashboard due to the two propane tanks, suitcases, house plants, and the meat cooler in the back that holds all of our venison and beef on dry ice.

Moving halfway across the country is pretty intense I have to admit. It's definitely easier when you look at it in small chunks. When I look at the whole picture at one time my heart rate starts rising. Haha are we crazy?!? Crazy or not I am fully confident that this is what the Lord has called us to do. Tomorrow we get to move into our new apartment. We were just informed yesterday that it is actually brand new- no one has ever lived in it before. That got me pretty excited. 

I wonder what life is going to look like in a few weeks. I'm really excited to find out. When we do get settled I'll try to upload some pictures so this isn't so boring. Haha I know too many words and no colors isn't the most attention grabbing. Well... Here comes Memphis! I'll write more later.

Moving On

Well, the first leg of our journey has begun. The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of events, and I haven't even had time to write about them. For 18 months we have been waiting, searching, and preparing for what God has called us to do. David and I both knew that we were called to serve in the local church. We had no idea where we would be or what that would look like, but in obedience to the call, we gave Liberty University an 18 month notice. We committed to the Lord that in May, 2011 we would move on from Liberty and step into the next phase of our lives together.

January, 2011 arrived... we still knew nothing. February blew by... still, no words of clarity from the Lord. March swept in and out without our permission, April was just as rude, and before we knew it May was upon us. Still we waited. We fasted, we prayed, and we actively searched, but we both felt a calm over our spirits.

"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way..." (Psalm 37:7).

"Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 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 40:30-31)

We waited and we rested in the promise of our God. He always takes care of His children. We committed our plans to Him, and let Him take care of the rest. In the middle of May we visited Cross Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They had a need for a University Pastor. The goal was to hire someone who would build a bridge between Cross Church and the University of Arkansas. They wanted David to do the job. As David and I spent four days with the staff in the church, excitement grew. We both felt God confirming that this was the place.

But Arkansas?

Fayetteville, AR is 24 hours from Worcester, MA where my family is from and 12 hours from Auburn, GA where David's family lives. The goal was to move closer to family, wasn't it? We wrestled with this for a week, asking God to shut the door if He did not want us to walk through it. At the end of the week, we both knew that this was not only what God wanted us to do, but it was what we wanted to do. We walked through the open door God provided, and here we are in Georgia saying our final goodbye's, all of our belongings being somewhere between Lynchburg, VA and Fayetteville, AR.

God does some amazing things when you allow Him to. What is He calling you to do? Have you answered His call? Are you willing to wait patiently for the Lord regardless of the agonizing desire to take control yourself? This weak and insignificant girl is encouraging you to try.