WFW - Psalm 27:13

WFW - Psalm 27:13
Originally uploaded by chelled.

Psalm 27:13:
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD -- In the land of the living.

This verse is so indicative of the last few months. As we were selling our house and waiting on God to bring us a buyer, we were challenged, in many ways. There were moments doubt began to creep in, fear began walking to our door, and frustration shouted. Did we believe God would move us? Yes. Did we believe it was the right decision? Yes. Did we know how and when it would happen? Absolutely not. Yet, we prayed, we believed that God would answer the desire of our hearts.

For the vast majority of the time our house was on the market, I met with a friend to pray. We agreed that if we were going to get together, we would be bold in our prayers, we would ask what others thought was impossible, and more importantly, we would ask God to show himself off. There were few Fridays we did not get together, and if we failed to meet, we called or emailed our prayers. Those weekly prayer times with my friend were so much more than just praying to move. In those moments, God showed off the beauty of our friendship as well as the importance of accountability and community.

We told people we were selling our house in hopes of moving, and more often than not we heard, "In this market, it's not easy to sell a house. It could be a while." Although I understood why they responded as they did, the notion of "don't get your hopes up because it may not happen sweetie," it also bothered me. What happened to walking in boldness? Where was the believing God could and would do this very thing? We found ourselves battling negativity more from fellow believers than anywhere else, but that's ok. We asked God to show himself off, to bring himself glory, and He did. And to those who truly believed there was no way, I pray their belief has increased.

Do I believe God always answers the way we see fit? Of course not. I believe God answers according to His will and purposes. It is in the knowing He answers that I have hope. If I did not know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the Lord's goodness would be shown, I would have despaired (and would remain so). We have come to a place in our lives that we want God more than anything else. We have grown to want His will for our lives more than our own, and it is a glorious place to be. We have come so far, yet have so far still to go. But my God? He is good friends, very good indeed.

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church would agree that God is enough, that He is amazing, and that desiring His will is far greater than desiring our own.  Matt just underwent surgery for a mass on his frontal lobe.  Go here to watch a message he recorded prior to going into surgery.  It will challenge you, it will delight you, it will glorify our Father.

Be blessed today, and for more, wonderful Word Filled Wednesday posts visit Lori.

Breathe again

Last week month was a whirlwind of activity and craziness.  Moving, as many of you know, is no simple task, especially when there is a child involved!  Around the time I really needed to get moving with packing, all of my friends or their kids got sick, so there was no care available for our girl.  Well, that just made things all the more interesting.  We made it here safely, unloaded our belongings, and spent last week unpacking, arranging, organizing, and decorating.  My husband claims I became a blur for the week, and now that things are more settled, he's happy I am back to being a real person.  Funny man that one is. 

This has been the easiest of any move for me.  The transition has felt the most natural, and I already feel at home.  We do need to find a church home, and friends outside of our family members, but aside from that, things are running smoothly.  Our house is even decorated for Christmas!  We'll see if any outside lights get put up, that's the question of the week.

This moving process has been, as anything of value in life, a learning experience.  Here are some things I have learned:

1. I like order.  When my physical environment is out of order, everything becomes out of balance.  I don't like that.
2. Hell, I believe, involves endless packing and unpacking.  I will load and unload a truck any old day, it's the packing I hate (enter amazing friends who helped, or rather, packed, my entire kitchen!)!!!
3. God's timing is truly perfect.
4. *During our time in TN, we learned and grew more than I realized.  Our time there was definitely for a specific purpose, at a specific time.
5. *Praying boldly changes things, from the inside out.
6. Regardless of what you may think about the multitude of your belongings, it's always more than you thought when you move.
7. 19-21 year olds load a truck quickly, but they do not pay much attention to how things are packed or how items may be affected during transportation based on their relation to one another.
8. Old college friends can still be counted on when needed.  Even if they aren't in the 19-21 year old range, they help willingly, and get the job done...well.
9. *We are right where we need to be.

More explanations later.  For now, I must take advantage of the fact my husband now works from home and my daughter is napping....I have errands to run y'all!

1Chron16:34-WFW

1Chron16:34-WFW
Originally uploaded by chelled.

1 Chronicles 16:34
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving kindness endure forever.

I am thankful for our family, for our friends, for the house God has provided, for the moments, the laughter, the love, the joy, for this life. I am thankful for so much, for what has been and what is to come. Taste and see friends, our God is good.

Be blessed today, and for more, wonderful Word Filled Wednesday posts visit PennyRaine.

The End

NaBloPoMo is now over. Done, finished, the end.

Wipe the sweat from the brow, we have made it. Whew. Packing, moving, NaBloPoMo-ing...no wonder November went so quickly.

By the way go see Blindside, excellent movie.

Don't want the world

What I've done today

Gotta love preparing a new house for move in.

What a tease

We have a house, it's waiting for us to enter in.  Our belongings arrive Tuesday.  What.a.tease.  We're ready for our own space, ready for our own beds, but no, it is not to be for another few days.  Until then, we will be cleaning, which is considerably easier without any furniture in the way.  The house will shine, then we'll move it in and track in dirt as we do.  And so it goes with living.