Time flies...

"You're moving where?"
"Have you looked at a map?"
"Did you know it gets cold up there?"
"Northern Minnesota...are you crazy?"

Two years ago we announced that we would be moving a bit north. For the most part people just didn't quite know what to think of that one. Yes, we knew where we were moving, we knew that it could get cold and no we weren't crazy(or were we??).

I am pleased to announce that we have indeed survived not just one but two winters up here. Let's just say the cold sure makes you appreciate warmer weather and by warmer weather I mean anything above zero!

Two years ago, Brian and I pulled into the quaint little town of Roseau, MN. We had just said good-bye to one church family and were ready to say hello to a new one. We dove right into life up here, a 100 year celebration at our church, followed by a week of the Roseau County Fair; all the while trying to unpack and begin to feel at home.

We arrived in Roseau in ragged shape. We had not only uprooted our lives, we also had just entered a new phase of life...the empty nest. I was also struggling with some chronic health problems. Despite these things we did arrive here with eager anticipation. God was in this move from the beginning and because of that we knew we were exactly where we were supposed to be.

Our family has undergone some major changes in the past two years. We went from having one daughter married to all three of our children married. We have also added a granddaughter to the mix! There have been three college graduations to celebrate; two last May and one this May. I had surgery last year which marked the beginning of a positive health swing for me. I am no longer on any medicines! My digestive issues have eased up considerably; so much so that I can now eat food that is actually spicy. Two years ago, walking any distance wore me out; now Brian and I can bike more than 30 miles and enjoy it! I feel better than I have in years.I knew that I hadn't felt well in a long time, but now that I feel good I am amazed at how bad I truly did feel.

There have been some bumps along the way. That first year of the empty nest was hard. Hard because I went from being a homeschool mom to having nobody at home and being new in a community. There were days I would cry and felt so lonely. I knew that year would be hard, I knew I had to walk through the grieving of change. I was trying to figure out what God wanted next for me and for a season I needed that down time for Him to work in me. We also experienced another major loss. We went from the elation of expectancy of a second grandchild to the news that she would be miscarried. Faith's time was short, and we learned how much your arms can ache for someone you've never met. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her.

In the ups and downs and even in the normal days; God is faithful. He has carried us. We truly feel we are right where He wants us to be. We love our church family; in fact we don't really consider them church family, but just plain family. We rejoice with them as they rejoice; we grieve with them when the grieve and they do the same with us. God is truly good and we are surely blessed!!! We pray for many more years up here in the north. It is just what we needed!!!

My favorite verses are Jeremiah 29:1-13. I feel it is fitting for this particular time in my life. God's plans are amazing and I am so glad that Brian and I listened to Him when He whispered Roseau in our ears.  Had we not followed His plans for us we surely would have missed out on so much!

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah  29:11-13

Chivaree is not dead...

chivaree -n
1.	a discordant mock serenade to newlyweds, made with pans, kettles, etc
2.	a confused noise; din

 Brian and I are not newlyweds...yet we were the recipients of a chivaree on Thursday night! We arrived home after supper with some friends (some sneaky friends mind you!)...Brian went to open the window on our deck to let some fresh air in. As he was opening the window a loud noise began, and when I say loud noise, I mean LOUD noise. My first thought was glass was breaking, then I wondered if the deck was collapsing, were we being shot at? Brian turned the light on and we discovered a large group of our new church family in the back yard banging on pots and pans! To say we were surprised would be an understatement! What a fun way to feel welcomed and accepted into our new church family! We invited them in and enjoyed fellowship, ice cream, cookies and brownies!

So...here's a word of advice to you. Should you get invited over to someone's house and their children start saying how tired they are and that they should go to bed...be warned...its a set up!!! Especially if these people are night owls!!!

The way it was worded is that we have newly married this church family and therefore a chivaree was in order. Chivaree is not dead!!!

Reflections of our last Sunday...

June 24th was our last day of worship at Faith Baptist Church. Brian has been the Family Life Pastor there since May of 2005, so to say this was a bittersweet day is an understatement!

Worship songs have this way of ministering to me and Brian as well. There were three songs on Sunday that ministered extra to us. Each one is special in it's own way, and God used each one to calm our hearts and be able to truly enjoy our last Sunday.

The first song is Blessed Be Your Name by Matt Redman. There is a portion of this song that speaks right to my heart:

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

God has been using this song to remind us that He does indeed give and take away. As He is moving us to a new ministry my heart will choose to bless the Lord!! Also as our children are growing up and leaving home our hearts will choose to bless the Lord!!

The second song is The Stand by Hillsong. This song is what led me to my One Word for the year 2012. My one word is completely. When I chose this word I knew there were changes coming, so to remember to follow Him completely and trust Him completely is a good reminder for me! This entire song is amazing, but the part that gets me the most is this one:

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

As so much is changing in our lives (all at once), we need to cling completely to God! We offer our hearts completely to Him!!

The last song has been special to Brian and I for 15 years! It is called Step by Step by Rich Mullens. We have a history with this song. When we moved from Yankton, SD to Craig, Co it was the last worship song we sang at our farewell in Yankton. Then "coincidentally" it was the first song we sang in Craig; only God could orchestrate something that amazing. It was also the last song we sang in Craig, and now it was the last song we sang here in Hampton. It reminds us that we need to keep following God...Step by Step!!

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days 

Worship is so powerful. It really soothed our hearts on Sunday. I thank God for not allowing us to be too caught up in sadness, but to truly worship Him! 

Our amazing worship was followed by a time of fun and celebration. Our church family threw us an amazing party. There was too much fun for there to be too many tears (there were a few).  They had a program planned for us with a skit that had us really laughing. It was thoughtful and lighthearted. After a time of prayer for us, we did what all good Baptists do...have a potluck!! It was fun to just fellowship and laugh some more. But our party had even more! There was a photo booth going the whole time...I can't wait to see the pictures that come out of there. (Warning Faith Baptist...these pictures might be your new picture directory!!) We also had a clown making all sorts of interesting balloon creations. And as any good party should have, there was a pinata! Somehow it managed to stay intact until Brian's turn...hmmm...wonder how that happened!?!

All in all our hearts are full and now we must set forth with the task of moving. We are two weeks to spend some one on one time together and prepare our stuff to be moved. Soon we will be in Roseau, Minnesota making memories with a new church family. God is good, and we excited to follow His lead in our lives!!

Prayer...

Almost ten years ago our family set out on a great adventure that is still impacting us to this day. We began what we called The Goliath Project. We named it that because it was bigger than us and we felt like we were the five smooth stones setting off to make a difference. The Goliath Project was simply a prayer trip; our family traveled to the 48 continental states and prayed in or near the capitol of each state.

Soon after this trip began we encountered 9/11. We were in California at the time, it was a day we will never forget. The unknown of what this meant for our country and for us filled our minds. "What if there isn't enough gas for us to get home?" "What if there is another attack?" "Will we be safe on the road, in all these government buildings?"

These questions only lasted a day or two. It was then that a verse from Esther, "for such a time as this," took on new meaning to us. We needed to be praying for our country. Our country was hungry and desperate for prayer. So we continued on, praying through the fall of 2001 and then again the spring of 2002.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? 

Esther 4:14

Fast forward to 2011, our country still needs prayer, it is still a Goliath sized project. Lately God has put so many things on my heart to pray for; sometimes I get overwhelmed with the enormity of it all. But I just keep trusting God and praying to Him, that is what I am called to do.

I am called to pray for my husband, that he would be the man God wants him to be.

I pray for my children, that they would continue to follow God's will in their lives and make a difference in the lives of those around them.

I feel called to pray for the unborn, that they would be allowed to live. I pray for those in a crisis pregnancy, that they would not resort to abortion, but choose life.

I pray for the persecuted church, as I wrote in my last post, these brothers and sisters need us as intercessors for them.

I pray for all the hurting marriages and families out there, Satan is having his way right now, and it makes me mad. I pray for husbands and wives to lean on God and allow Him to heal their relationships.

I am called to pray not only for my church, but The Church. That we would be God's hands and feet, that we would be an Acts 1:8 church!

There are many more things I am called to pray for, but currently this is my top list. The enormity of the problems in this world can be overwhelming. It can seem like Satan is winning, but then I remember as Paul Harvey would say...the rest of the story...and God wins!!

I think we are all living now "for such a time as this." Will you join me in praying for the many needs in our world? of our country? of your town? of your church? of your neighborhood? of your family? Join me in praying that another Great Awakening would happen in this country. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? Join me in continuing the  Goliath Project!!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14