On The Road Again

We've traveled over 1,600 miles in the last 3 days and so far the trip has really been great. The kids are all doing better than I hoped. Our plan is to arrive at the Grand Canyon tomorrow late afternoon to join some friends for trick or treating festivities. Then on to Ajo on Saturday. Yay!

It was pretty cool because we prayed before we left and asked God to watch over us, protect us and go before us. Shortly after that, a HUGE falling star shot across the sky along the side of our van. It was the lowest falling star I've ever seen and it was flying the same direction we were driving, parallel to us. Caleb and I were amazed because it was like God was showing that He was indeed going before us. I felt like that shooting star was just for us.

After our first night of travel, we stayed in Alabama at a decent Holiday Inn Express. Last night's spot wasn't so nice. We couldn't find anything in a tiny town in Oklahoma except a Super 8 motel, decorated with leftovers from 1982 and inconveniently located near a noisy railroad track. If I weren't so exhausted, I don't think I would have slept a wink. Tonight we're staying at a really nice Hilton in a sweet part of Albuquerque. I cracked up because when we pulled up, Bryant said, "I think millionaires stay here!" After last night's experience, I can understand why he'd think that.

We have only encountered 1 small stretch of construction and very little traffic. We're thankful for safe travels and good times together. We passed through the hometown of Carrie Underwood and Garth Brooks. We passed a dinosaur museum, countless rolling hills, lots of cows and even a field of elk. Great family times. Good laughs, dancing, singing and some sleeping here and there. Thanks for all your prayers and for checking in on us.

Holding On Tight

DJ was telling me about all the people and things she was going to miss about SC. Then we started talking about all the things we were excited about in AZ. She mentioned she was excited to live by Marla so she could see her horses and other animals. This is where the conversation went from there...

Me: Maybe Marla can teach you how to ride horses. She knows how to ride English style and even shows horses.

DJ: No, I already know how to ride horses. (in that 4 year old "I already know, Mom" way)

Me: Oh, you do, hu?

DJ: Yes, you just always hold on tight.

Well, I guess she has a point. If you don't really know what you're doing, you can always just hold on tight for the ride and act like you do.

Opened, Closed, Answered... Part 3

There's one final thing I've been reminded of while reflecting on our season here in SC. We prayed specifically for neighbors with children for our kids, particularly Bry, to befriend. I don't usually pray so specifically but felt a huge longing for this when we moved. So I handed it over to God, according to His will. Then we arrived to our new neighborhood to find there weren't any kids near our house for Bry to play with at all. Bummer! Oh well, it wasn't meant to be, right?

Then, in February life changed for our household. A wonderful family moved in directly across the street from our backyard. God is so strategic! Their house is set up slightly higher so both me and their mom can watch them play in our backyard from our kitchen windows. It couldn't be a better arrangement! This delightful family is more than we could have asked for, truly. Our kids probably play about 4+ hours on most days. To top it off, they are really great kids who I'm happy to be a part of my kids' daily life.

I have watched Bry & Claire (both 8) develop a deep and meaningful friendship through pretend games full of imagination. They have sat happily on the trampoline sharing stories and forgetting the rest of the world around them as they get caught up in their hours of creative thinking. I've gotten to watch Bry and Bennett (12)wrestle and run in the yard, shooting & swording, getting muddy and sometimes wet. Abby (5) and Delainey (4) are usually just happy to be somewhere in the mix of all the action, both independent but enjoying the company of the others. Sometimes Elle (2)gets to go out and join them. She runs and tries to sort of skip with excitement to get be outside with the big kids. Abby is usually only a step or two behind Elle and watches her with great care. Claire also delights in Elle but not as much as she delights in Bry (she's like a blinking cartoon character with the long eye lashes, "CRUSH" written all over her unsuspecting face and hearts practically dancing around her head). Bennett, although older than the rest, treats each of the younger kids with such respect and goodness. He is a great example for all of them.

I share all of these details to show that God didn't just give us a family with kids for neighbors, He gave us the BEST family we could have asked for as neighbors. Their ages and personalities have meshed perfectly with our children. They have been such a blessing to our family. Saying good-bye will not be easy for our kids and I know our children will never forget them. They have plans to be penpals and keep in touch, thankfully.

How richly God gave us that desire of our heart! He gave more than we hoped for with these neighbors. I am overwhelmed at how God hears us when we pray. He loves and cares for us. I am motivated to pray more, to trust Him more, to love Him more. He truly is the Opener of doors, the Closer of doors and the One who answers when we call out to Him.

"What is man, that you take thought of him
And the son of man, that you care for him?"
Psalm 8:4

Opened, Closed, Answered... continued

I was recently reading the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel as part of an awesome study I'm doing right now called "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter . I was very surprised to find that it says God Himself closed Hannah's womb! He also, however, opened her womb later and she gave birth to Samuel (thus 1st and 2nd Samuel) and even several other children! She put her faith in God alone, not in a "Hagar" like Sarai did. And the blessings came forth! I want to put my faith in God like Hannah did, even when He closes doors and opportunities. Even when He hasn't sold our home miraculously, like I know He is capable of doing. He is still at work. His timing is perfect. His ways perfect and refine us. This too is for our benefit, somehow.

God is so good to me in reminding me of His faithfulness during seasons of waiting on Him and struggling. Seasons, that I am tempted to question Him or feel like He's not there for us. He keeps me focused by reminding me of what He's already done for me in the past so I can trust Him with my future. One way God has been so faithful is through Riverbluff, our church here. We were starving for a church that would disciple us when we moved here. We asked for it and God was so faithful to give it to us. We have learned and grown so much in our world view and understanding of many things. God is so much better than we hope for!

When I can see that answered prayer, looking back, I can look forward with optimism and trust. I'm thankful that God is revealing these things to me, giving me fuel to press on into the unknown.

I will finish this little 3 part series with one final reflection on God's faithfulness, tomorrow. Stay tuned...

Opened, Closed, Answered

I've been reflecting on our time in this wonderful state of SC. I'm remembering a couple of very specific prayers we prayed when we first arrived here. The first was that God would open and close doors that no man could open or close for us. I think we focused far more on the first part of that prayer in anticipation of all God would open up here in SC and I don't think we really imagined that doors would actually be closed. God is so faithful though and He knows what we need and what is right, even when it involves closing doors.

God truly has done both opening and closing doors on our behalf. He has closed doors for Caleb's career here. Since two weeks into the job when Caleb's original position was dissolved and he was moved to a different location within the company. Next, he was offered a promotion within the company that never came to fruition. In fact, the man never even contacted him again after making the offer to him. Very strange! After much frustration and Caleb even confronting the man, we found out the funding wasn't there after all. I've come to the conclusion God simply closed that door.

God now has opened doors for us to return to the NPS and to AZ. We are so excited to be near my family again (yay grandparents!) and Caleb has a promising and exciting career waiting for him. Caleb also never really got rangering out of his blood. Even when we first arrived here in SC, there was a sadness everytime he spoke of being a ranger. It was almost like he couldn't talk about it because he missed it so badly. We're so thankful that the NPS has welcomed us back so open-armed. They have been better to us than necessary, to be sure.

So far God hasn't opened the door for our home to sell but I am absolutely trusting this too is from God to somehow bring something good. Perhaps to grow our faith and glorify Him? Perhaps to keep us close and dependent on Him? Perhaps to strip us of putting our hope in material possessions? Perhaps to keep us from being prideful? Perhaps all of the above and more? He is for us. He is faithful. He continues to reveal His presence in our lives and even when it's a closed door, I will trust Him.

I will continue this post over the next couple of days on how God has answered prayer in our life during our time in SC. This was Part 1 of 3. Stay tuned...

Trophies

Bryant has taken up widdling.. you know like carving wood or in this case, soap. Recently, he presented me with this trophy that he created without me knowing it. I thought he was outside widdling a stick but instead he was creating this "Best Mom Award" from a bar of Zest. How sweet is that? (On a side note, I am such a believer in the 5 Love Languages and clearly one of Bry's top languages is "Gift Giving". For an 8 year-old, this is quite a gift, even if it did come out of a box in the linen closet.)

As much as I appreciated his shower-fresh token and the lofty title he gave me, I appreciated even more a conversation that happened between us earlier this week. It went something like this:

Bry: Mom, I think you mispelled that word. 'Sign' is spelled, S-I-G-H-N
Me: I think you might be thinking of the word 'sight'.
Bry: No Mom, when I learned how to spell 'sign' in 2nd grade, it had an 'H' in it.

At this point we began to teeter on arguing because he was pretty certain he had learned to spell it with an 'H'. As I was reaching for Webster's Dictionary, I was getting a little irritated but still kept my cool. I remembered this too could be a teachable moment. Then, the neatest thing happened. He completey stopped himself in his tracks and changed his entire demeanor. This is what he said...

Bry: I'm sorry, Mom. I'm not going to argue with an adult. You've completed all the grades and I'm just in 3rd grade. I believe you.

That's it? I didn't even have to talk with him about this first. He showed such maturity and completely made my day. If you know how strong-willed Bry can be, you know what a big step this is for him.

I couldn't have been more proud of that kid! That, to me was a trophy of a moment.

Overwhelmed

By the title of this post and the amount of stress factors that are a current reality in my life, one might assume that I'm overwhelmed with the pressures of this upcoming move. Actually, strangely enough, I'm at peace, at least for tonight, with all of the (uncertain) details in our life. No, we haven't sold the house and I'm not sure how the next months will play out as we begin our life out West, but I am trusting that it will be good and good will come from even our struggles. So then, what am I overwhelmed about?

I'm overwhelmed with emotion because of the friends I've quickly come to love here in the Charleston area. We had a wonderful get together tonight with some of these people. I stayed somewhat shallow in my conversations because there was a deep pool of emotion that could have easily gushed forth if I even began to acknowledge the truth about how I was feeling. I didn't want to turn even slightly in that direction, for fear that it would be a downhill fall landing right in a puddle of the hidden things in my heart. Things that would cause me to get on a gratitude soapbox and cry an ugly cry. -You know the kind when you risk snorting, looking really ugly and inevitably regret later because somethings are just too tender to speak.

I'm reflecting tonight on my first fearful MOPS meeting and how April made me feel so welcome. How Robin can make anyone laugh and lets everyone know off the bat that they are part of "the group" and she wants them there. How Marca gave me her number and took the initiative to start a meaningful friendship with me. How Karie invited me over for a play date and from then on, her southern voice became a sound of comfort for me. How the Magners became such kind friends, sharing even their own families with us, inviting us over for countless meals and even letting us be a part of their Christmas Eve festivities. Meeting Angela and spending afternoons with good talks and good books. Kathy, the crazy and fun friend who inspires me to help more, give more and simply do more. Time with our old small group and looking forward to Monday nights with them. Our GKGW class that was an 18 week commitment but took our group more like 22 weeks and honestly, it was so worth it! Dear friends like the Young's whose house feels like home because everyone is welcome there. Craft day at my house last Fall and having Cassie stay all afternoon, until hers was finished because the time together was valuable to both of us. I will always laugh out loud when I think of Theresa that night on the pier and also when she took off in a sprint on the bridge- that girl can move!

Other things I will never forget... Tailgating at the Clemson game with the Magners, the Murder Mystery Party, dancing on the pier, Deeper Still weekend (Celeste, Roxie, Randi, Marca, Michelle & Jen you know my whole story- thanks for letting me be me and loving me just the same), walking the bridge late at night with a bunch of fun women that I love so much. Special, special times in my memory bank. Special, special people to share it all with.

Simply put, THANK YOU friends! You have meant so much to me. I don't have adequate words to say what I would like to say, I hope you understand. I love you all so much. I will miss seeing you on a regular basis. I will miss being a part of your wonderful lives! Thanks for letting me be a part of it all for a season.