I just had to come back and report today about the "Goodness of God"! Ed and I have been visiting different churches every week to find the church where we feel God wants us to be. After several weeks of searching, we have finally found a church we are going to visit for the 2nd time. We had already decided this when we left on last Sunday morning because we just "felt" the presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst and the preaching reminded us of our pastor "back home" - Pastor Mark. This pastor really preached/taught us from the word. At the end of the service, he came back and gave us some extremely profound words concerning the inauguration on Tuesday. This sealed the deal so to speak. Anyway, I say all of this to give you background on what happened yesterday. When Ed checked the mail, inside was a small thank you card from this church, Cedarcrest, and inside was a gas card for $5.00. The note said something like this, "Thank you for attending Cedarcrest. We hope that this $5.00 gas card will help you in returning to visit with us again." Not word for word, but something to that affect. Anyway...yesterday, we were on 1/4 of a tank of gas with $0 dollars to our name. When Ed showed me that card and the gas card, I started praising the Lord! I know it was only $5.00, but HALLELUJAH - GOD IS GOOD! Then, Ed told me that Cheryl (ISF Pres.) had given him a bag of change that was donated to ISF by some sweet ladies. She didn't know how much was in there, but it looked like quite a bit of change, and there were a couple of dollar bills in there also. Well, when Ed opened up the bag to take it into Kroger to get it "changed" there were larger bills underneath the 1s that equaled about $20...THEN, the actual change was about $30!!!!!!!!!! We went from having $0 to $5.00 gas card to $50 dollars total!!!!
Isn't God so GOOD! Just wanted to share how God is providing for our family!
HE IS FAITHFUL!!!!!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
4 months? Feels like it's been a YEAR!
My life has been a whirlwind since we moved to Georgia in September. There have been MAJOR highs and EXTREME lows...but through it all GOD has been in control. My most recent HIGH has been at an EXTREME low in our life. The HIGH news hasn't really HIT me yet if you know what I mean.
THE HIGH:
On January 9th, Ed and I found out that we are expecting Baby #3! We were definitely shocked, suprised, scared...all the things that come with finding out this news. We actually discovered on New Years that I was late, but didn't take a test until the 9th....we kept walking around like...if we don't SEE the positive test, then maybe it isn't so. Finally...I couldn't handle the not knowing...I was tired of having discussions about "if Im pregnant" then we will have to do this or that. So, I broke down and took a test. I was a little apprehensive to call family and friends because I knew that my family knew about our EXTREME low...I was afraid they wouldn't understand. I will say this however, Ed and I were not "planning" on this baby...meaning...I wasn't sitting at home each month counting down the days to ovulation. In September of 2007, Ed and I felt the Lord asking us to trust HIM fully and completely with our lives and this specifically included Birth Control. We felt the Lord was saying, "Trust me...I won't give you anything you can't handle. If you let me be in control, I will take care of you". So, I haven't been on any form of Birth Control since 09/07...so needless to say, it could have happenend at any time in these past months. But having it happen now, when we are experiencing an EXTREME low in our life is ONLY GOD!
LOW:
Let me give you a little background before I get into the "LOW". In Summer of 2007, Ed started feeling that God may be leading him to work for a non-profit organization called ISF (International Sports Federation). He had already spent 2 weeks in China with them in 2005, so he knew what they were about. ISF was based in the Atlanta area, and being that we lived in Texas, we didn't see how this could happen without a move. So, we started covering this in prayer. Time goes by...we give our lives to the complete trust of God in September, Ed goes to Kenya over Christmas with ISF to give Christmas to an orphanage, gets attacked in the political unrest after the elections, escapes Kenya with the rest of ISF team, comes back a different man (in an amazingly awesome way), while he was in Kenya, I felt the Lord calling us BOTH to ISF, in March of 08 we came to Atlanta to visit my BFF from college and met with executives of ISF and told them about the passion we felt in our hearts for this organization. They told us, we have a HUGE need for helpers, but unfortunately we can't offer you a salary at this time. We go back to Texas after spring break and really start covering this in prayer like never before. In May of 2008, we are both sitting on 2 separate couches praying during our "wall" time and we both have such a strong peace about God saying, "Go...Now" It was a scary decision from a "human" standpoint because we both had NO jobs and NO idea where we were going to live..just had to trust. Fast foward to September 1st...we head out to GA with our van and PENSKE truck packed full of our possessions (what was left that didn't sell) and start on this adventure of trusting God with our life.
So...now to the LOW...as you can read from my past posts...we have had many trials since we have arrived in GA as well as many amazing GOD moments. In December, after Timmy finished his 1st semester of Kindergarten, we moved to Acworth (we were living with my BFF in Newnan which is about 1hr from ISF) so Ed could be closer to the office. After living with my BFF for 4 months, it was SOOO nice to have a place to call our own. It was like Christmas unpacking those boxes! :) I have a job as an Admin Assistant at a local university in Marietta (about 15 miles from my house), but with my income...it isn't enough for us to live on. We barely make ends meet after rent, bills, car payment, car insurance, food and gas since we moved to Acworth. Ed really needs a paying job so that we can make it through the weeks where my paycheck goes to rent and there is no money for food/gas. He has applied at so many places...just like everyone else...and has found nothing. His HEART wants to be able to give the time to ISF and not another company because GOD moved us here for ISF...not so Ed could work for Quick Trip gas station.
So, now here we sit...Ed not having a paying job, my income barely covers expenses, and we have a 3rd baby on the way! Some people may throw up their hands and say, "I QUIT"...but not us...you know why.... way back in September of 2007 we GAVE OUR LIFE COMPLETELY TO GOD. We are trusting HIM with our life. We don't know how we are going to buy food and gas for the next 2 weeks, but we have the most indescribable PEACE that everything is going to be ok. We have exhausted all of our resources in family for financial help...we sent out support letters...got no response from anyone...which lead us to believe...we are just supposed to sit here and TRUST and WAIT ON THE LORD. Ed is putting time in at ISF while we "wait" on the Lord. I can NOT begin to tell you how much JOY is in Ed's life right now. He has his very own office space and he has his very own email address, he has "assignments" he has to work on, he is DOING what God CALLED him to do. I LOVE that!!!!
So, if you feel inclined to send a few prayers up for our family. We would be eternally grateful! I can't wait to report back on what God has done in our life!
May God bless all of my faithful followers!
THE HIGH:
On January 9th, Ed and I found out that we are expecting Baby #3! We were definitely shocked, suprised, scared...all the things that come with finding out this news. We actually discovered on New Years that I was late, but didn't take a test until the 9th....we kept walking around like...if we don't SEE the positive test, then maybe it isn't so. Finally...I couldn't handle the not knowing...I was tired of having discussions about "if Im pregnant" then we will have to do this or that. So, I broke down and took a test. I was a little apprehensive to call family and friends because I knew that my family knew about our EXTREME low...I was afraid they wouldn't understand. I will say this however, Ed and I were not "planning" on this baby...meaning...I wasn't sitting at home each month counting down the days to ovulation. In September of 2007, Ed and I felt the Lord asking us to trust HIM fully and completely with our lives and this specifically included Birth Control. We felt the Lord was saying, "Trust me...I won't give you anything you can't handle. If you let me be in control, I will take care of you". So, I haven't been on any form of Birth Control since 09/07...so needless to say, it could have happenend at any time in these past months. But having it happen now, when we are experiencing an EXTREME low in our life is ONLY GOD!
LOW:
Let me give you a little background before I get into the "LOW". In Summer of 2007, Ed started feeling that God may be leading him to work for a non-profit organization called ISF (International Sports Federation). He had already spent 2 weeks in China with them in 2005, so he knew what they were about. ISF was based in the Atlanta area, and being that we lived in Texas, we didn't see how this could happen without a move. So, we started covering this in prayer. Time goes by...we give our lives to the complete trust of God in September, Ed goes to Kenya over Christmas with ISF to give Christmas to an orphanage, gets attacked in the political unrest after the elections, escapes Kenya with the rest of ISF team, comes back a different man (in an amazingly awesome way), while he was in Kenya, I felt the Lord calling us BOTH to ISF, in March of 08 we came to Atlanta to visit my BFF from college and met with executives of ISF and told them about the passion we felt in our hearts for this organization. They told us, we have a HUGE need for helpers, but unfortunately we can't offer you a salary at this time. We go back to Texas after spring break and really start covering this in prayer like never before. In May of 2008, we are both sitting on 2 separate couches praying during our "wall" time and we both have such a strong peace about God saying, "Go...Now" It was a scary decision from a "human" standpoint because we both had NO jobs and NO idea where we were going to live..just had to trust. Fast foward to September 1st...we head out to GA with our van and PENSKE truck packed full of our possessions (what was left that didn't sell) and start on this adventure of trusting God with our life.
So...now to the LOW...as you can read from my past posts...we have had many trials since we have arrived in GA as well as many amazing GOD moments. In December, after Timmy finished his 1st semester of Kindergarten, we moved to Acworth (we were living with my BFF in Newnan which is about 1hr from ISF) so Ed could be closer to the office. After living with my BFF for 4 months, it was SOOO nice to have a place to call our own. It was like Christmas unpacking those boxes! :) I have a job as an Admin Assistant at a local university in Marietta (about 15 miles from my house), but with my income...it isn't enough for us to live on. We barely make ends meet after rent, bills, car payment, car insurance, food and gas since we moved to Acworth. Ed really needs a paying job so that we can make it through the weeks where my paycheck goes to rent and there is no money for food/gas. He has applied at so many places...just like everyone else...and has found nothing. His HEART wants to be able to give the time to ISF and not another company because GOD moved us here for ISF...not so Ed could work for Quick Trip gas station.
So, now here we sit...Ed not having a paying job, my income barely covers expenses, and we have a 3rd baby on the way! Some people may throw up their hands and say, "I QUIT"...but not us...you know why.... way back in September of 2007 we GAVE OUR LIFE COMPLETELY TO GOD. We are trusting HIM with our life. We don't know how we are going to buy food and gas for the next 2 weeks, but we have the most indescribable PEACE that everything is going to be ok. We have exhausted all of our resources in family for financial help...we sent out support letters...got no response from anyone...which lead us to believe...we are just supposed to sit here and TRUST and WAIT ON THE LORD. Ed is putting time in at ISF while we "wait" on the Lord. I can NOT begin to tell you how much JOY is in Ed's life right now. He has his very own office space and he has his very own email address, he has "assignments" he has to work on, he is DOING what God CALLED him to do. I LOVE that!!!!
So, if you feel inclined to send a few prayers up for our family. We would be eternally grateful! I can't wait to report back on what God has done in our life!
May God bless all of my faithful followers!
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