Well friends, it looks like it is finally happening! After over 10 weeks of being in SC, but without a home of our own, we are finally closing on our new house TOMORROW! We are so thankful and oh so excited to get settled and become official SC residents. Now we can get library cards, and SC license plates, and have lower taxes! Woot woot! I am so glad to be in a home before my big 3-0 birthday this Friday (more thoughts to come on that fact soon!). I am just so happy, and excited, and thankful! I want to thank our sweet, wonderful, gracious, hospitable friends, the Styles, for hosting us these past weeks. Your basement has been a wonderful home for us, and I will really miss being here! Thank you so much friends!
The biggest thanks goes out to my daddy. My sweet, wonderful, generous daddy made this day happen. In midst of moving from NC and being in this time of transition, my dad stepped up, has taken a leap of faith, and co-signed the loan with us. His trust and faith in us is so apparent, and so appreciated! Again, tomorrow would not be happening without his and my step-mom's generosity. After countless forms, lots of Fed-Ex trips, and tons of phone calls, we are all done daddy! (though they now know the number of hairs on your head!) Thank you for being inconvenienced for our good, and all the while being nothing less than 100% supportive and willing to do whatever needed to be done! I don't think we can say thank you enough, but thank you (thank you, thank you, thank you!).
We cannot wait to get our home settled (and decorated for fall!), host friends and family, and enjoy this wonderful blessing! We will get some pictures up as soon as we can!
Believing it is all from His hand,
~Heather
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
God is so Good
I am so thankful for all the kind words about my last post. Sometimes things are hard, and life can seem just awful (especially when a lot of things come all at once!). We are never promised an easy road in this life, but we are promised that God will work all things together for our good! And, what a good God we have! He has done great things!
Every night as we lay the kids down for bed we sing a few songs, and one of those is the little chorus, "God is so Good."
God is so good, God is so good.
Every night as we lay the kids down for bed we sing a few songs, and one of those is the little chorus, "God is so Good."
God is so good, God is so good.
God is so good, He's so good to me.
My last post was a little whiny in nature, and I am so thankful that I have a God who will listen and be patient with me when my flesh is weak and I need to just vent! Boy, is that convicting to me when my kids whine. God responds to me and my whining with perfect patience, and wow! My response to my kids is not with anything close to perfect patience! Most times, it has nothing to do with patience at all! But, I digress...
Though there are a lot of things going on my life right now that are less than desirable, I have so much to be thankful for! God has done such great things in my life, and I want to be sure to focus on those things as well, if not more, than the other side. Trials shape us, form us, and sanctify us. Trying to focus on how good God is and what He has done and will do for us helps us walk with faith through every season of our lives (good and bad).
Here are some of the good things that God is doing now...
1. Blake sort of has a job! (He is just not working right now) He was hired to be an adjunct professor at a university nearby. I am so proud of him and I know he will do a great job with this! (I 100% believe my husband would be stellar at ANY job given the opportunity to learn and work. He is just that awesome!) He was hired later in the semester, so he will have to wait until the spring semester to pick up some classes. I am thankful for this provision!
2. Momma got a good report today! PRAISE THE LORD!
3. We should be closing on our new house in the next few days! So thankful for the Lord's provision with this home, and really looking forward to settling in and being a SC resident!
4. I'm still alive and kickin'! 30 is only a week and a half away, and I'm okay with that!
Sometimes it is easier to look at all that is "wrong" in our lives, but with eyes of faith we can strive to see all the good and the good God that is there. And, we can be thankful. In the words of those wise and wonderful veggie tales characters, "A thankful heart is a happy heart!" I am thankful for all that God has done, and thankful that He is so good to me!
~Believing that it is all from His hand,
Heather
Here are some of the good things that God is doing now...
1. Blake sort of has a job! (He is just not working right now) He was hired to be an adjunct professor at a university nearby. I am so proud of him and I know he will do a great job with this! (I 100% believe my husband would be stellar at ANY job given the opportunity to learn and work. He is just that awesome!) He was hired later in the semester, so he will have to wait until the spring semester to pick up some classes. I am thankful for this provision!
2. Momma got a good report today! PRAISE THE LORD!
3. We should be closing on our new house in the next few days! So thankful for the Lord's provision with this home, and really looking forward to settling in and being a SC resident!
4. I'm still alive and kickin'! 30 is only a week and a half away, and I'm okay with that!
Sometimes it is easier to look at all that is "wrong" in our lives, but with eyes of faith we can strive to see all the good and the good God that is there. And, we can be thankful. In the words of those wise and wonderful veggie tales characters, "A thankful heart is a happy heart!" I am thankful for all that God has done, and thankful that He is so good to me!
~Believing that it is all from His hand,
Heather
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Are We There Yet?
One perk of where we are staying right now is cable tv! This is something that we have not had for about 4 years, and I am loving it! I am even loving commercials! Crazy, I know. There have been commercials that have made me laugh out loud, commercials that have made me cry, and commercials that have made me think about my life. One such commercial I just saw.
This commercial (not even sure what it was advertising exactly) showed clips of all kinds of children saying, "Are we there yet?" How many times have we said that on trips, or heard that from the little ones in the back seat? Are we there yet...are we there yet...are we there yet???
The past few weeks have been a little challenging for me. I have felt a heaviness unlike I have felt in a long time. My momma may be pretty sick. My husband has yet to find a job. There is uncertainty about our future living situation. I am about to turn 30 (and I don't know if I am handling it all that well). There are so many things that are in a limbo state, so many things that are uncertain (well, 30 is certain if the Lord allows me to live for 18 more days!). As I watched that little commercial tonight I realized that I am just like one of those kids, crying out, well, more like whining, "Are we there yet God?" I am struggling to have patience. I am struggling to believe that He is in control and knows exactly where we are going and how long it will take us to get there. My "are we there yet" thoughts are dangerously close to becoming, "Have you forgotten about us?"
I have had some wonderful friends remind me of truth during this time, and please keep it coming! God is certainly in control over every single moment (the marvelous to the mundane), but when I have to put feet to this belief I become this little child who just wants to cry out, "Ughhh....ARE WE THERE YET? DO I HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH UNKNOWNS? WHY WON'T YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND REVEAL YOUR PLAN ALREADY! THIS IS HARD!" I don't think I know best, not at all. I don't want to have control. I like being a child of God's and following the good shepherd. I just don't like having to endure and wait on Him! (Ohhh...sinful sinful self!)
The best place for me right now is the gospel. Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despised it's shame, and then was seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Jesus did not like the cross. It was hard! It was painful! But, He endured knowing what was to come. He, the good shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep so that we could be with Him for eternity. He trusted the Father's plan, whatever it looked like, and knew the joy that was before Him. And now, the punishment for my sin, the death that I deserved, was taken away at the cross. There is now no condemnation, but Christ's perfection is credited to my account. Scandalous, and beautiful!
I don't know what is going to happen in the days to come. Maybe things will get easier. Maybe they won't. Maybe God's plan will be revealed with absolute certainty, but, maybe it won't. What I do know is that God will work all things together for my good and His glory (no matter what may come). I know that He will provide everything I need according to His glorious riches in Jesus (so I can face whatever comes my way). And I know that I have a good shepherd that loves me and laid down His life for me (so I have hope). My joy cannot be shaken and my hope cannot be taken away due to my circumstances because it is grounded on something that can never ever be taken away. Jesus! I am His and He is mine! That is where I will seek to rest in midst of this uncertain time. And, I am quite thankful that even when my faith wavers, He is ever steady in the storm!
There will always be things that come up in this life. There will be new difficulties to face, new trials to bear, new uncertainties around every corner. I am sure we will all have plenty of moments in this life when we ask God the question of "Are we there yet?" And, I am also sure that it won't be answered in the affirmative until we reach heaven. Until then, I will bring my feeble, faint heart before the Lord, and pray for faith to trust Him always.
This commercial (not even sure what it was advertising exactly) showed clips of all kinds of children saying, "Are we there yet?" How many times have we said that on trips, or heard that from the little ones in the back seat? Are we there yet...are we there yet...are we there yet???
The past few weeks have been a little challenging for me. I have felt a heaviness unlike I have felt in a long time. My momma may be pretty sick. My husband has yet to find a job. There is uncertainty about our future living situation. I am about to turn 30 (and I don't know if I am handling it all that well). There are so many things that are in a limbo state, so many things that are uncertain (well, 30 is certain if the Lord allows me to live for 18 more days!). As I watched that little commercial tonight I realized that I am just like one of those kids, crying out, well, more like whining, "Are we there yet God?" I am struggling to have patience. I am struggling to believe that He is in control and knows exactly where we are going and how long it will take us to get there. My "are we there yet" thoughts are dangerously close to becoming, "Have you forgotten about us?"
I have had some wonderful friends remind me of truth during this time, and please keep it coming! God is certainly in control over every single moment (the marvelous to the mundane), but when I have to put feet to this belief I become this little child who just wants to cry out, "Ughhh....ARE WE THERE YET? DO I HAVE TO KEEP DEALING WITH UNKNOWNS? WHY WON'T YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND REVEAL YOUR PLAN ALREADY! THIS IS HARD!" I don't think I know best, not at all. I don't want to have control. I like being a child of God's and following the good shepherd. I just don't like having to endure and wait on Him! (Ohhh...sinful sinful self!)
The best place for me right now is the gospel. Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despised it's shame, and then was seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Jesus did not like the cross. It was hard! It was painful! But, He endured knowing what was to come. He, the good shepherd, laid down His life for His sheep so that we could be with Him for eternity. He trusted the Father's plan, whatever it looked like, and knew the joy that was before Him. And now, the punishment for my sin, the death that I deserved, was taken away at the cross. There is now no condemnation, but Christ's perfection is credited to my account. Scandalous, and beautiful!
I don't know what is going to happen in the days to come. Maybe things will get easier. Maybe they won't. Maybe God's plan will be revealed with absolute certainty, but, maybe it won't. What I do know is that God will work all things together for my good and His glory (no matter what may come). I know that He will provide everything I need according to His glorious riches in Jesus (so I can face whatever comes my way). And I know that I have a good shepherd that loves me and laid down His life for me (so I have hope). My joy cannot be shaken and my hope cannot be taken away due to my circumstances because it is grounded on something that can never ever be taken away. Jesus! I am His and He is mine! That is where I will seek to rest in midst of this uncertain time. And, I am quite thankful that even when my faith wavers, He is ever steady in the storm!
There will always be things that come up in this life. There will be new difficulties to face, new trials to bear, new uncertainties around every corner. I am sure we will all have plenty of moments in this life when we ask God the question of "Are we there yet?" And, I am also sure that it won't be answered in the affirmative until we reach heaven. Until then, I will bring my feeble, faint heart before the Lord, and pray for faith to trust Him always.
Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!
Psalm 61:1-4
Believing that it is all from His hand,
~Heather
~Heather
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