Are You Willing to Follow God's Lead?

If God asked you to leave your hometown and your family to join Him on the road of life, would you be willing to follow His lead?

As many of you know, in 2008, God asked my husband and I to do exactly that. We'd been struggling financially for years. Until one day, Vic made one phone call that changed our lives. Thankfully, we said, "Here we are, Lord. Send us."

Maybe a career isn't the call one would expect to receive from God. Naturally,our first thoughts turn toward ministry, missions, or the like. But what if your career was your ministry?

Over the course of the past year, my husband has had numerous opportunities to speak into the lives of the men (and occasionally the women) he works with. If he hadn't said yes to God in 2008, the opportunity to reach these particular people may not have happened.

How does one walk in faith when the call of God takes you down roads you'd never imagine on your own? Here are a few pointers:

1. Trust God with all of your heart. There will be bumps and potholes along the way. When we put our trust in people or in our vehicles, we will always find someone who could care less if we reach our destination or a gas tank will fall off at the most inopportune time. Trusting God above all else is the only answer. He will provide for our needs as we focus on His will.

2. Don't depend on understanding everything. Sometimes, God is at work when the tunnel is dark and you're not sure where you're going. Or if there will be light again. Sometimes, patience is required while you wait for an answer to arrive. Jesus promised us that if we seek, we will find. If we knock, a door will open. Our own understanding is limited, but with God, all things are possible.

3. Acknowledge the Lord in everything. When that gas tank falls off and someone blesses you with a free or cheaper-than-usual vehicle, bless the Lord. When one church snubs you and another welcomes you in like you're family, praise God. When your tax return is smaller than you expected, and the company offers you an increase in pay, thank Jehovah Jireh, your provider.

4. Let God direct your path. We never know where we're going next. Until it's time to go. Like, "Hey, we're sending you to New Mexico in two weeks." Praise God. He knows exactly where He wants us to be at all times. When we trust His guidance, we have no need to worry or be anxious. Instead, we make our requests known to God and trust that His will is better than our own. So far, we've never been disappointed. Even if we don't see why He sent us in a particular direction until after the fact.

(Almost) Settled In

Photo Courtesy of Onda

We made it. After three crazy hectic days and a flared head cold, I've (almost) unpacked.

We are now residents of the third state (fourth for hubby) in our adventures on the road with hubby's career. Welcome to Georgia.
 
The kids are enrolled in their first day at a new school. The house is tiny, but we're snuggled in. And, Daddy's on his way home Friday!

I will be picking my blogging back up over the course of the next week. I now have cable internet (So long, satellite!) and am loving the high speed connection. Since the kiddos are all enrolled in school, I have my days back for working on my writing.

I can breathe a sigh of relief now...aaahhh...and maybe take a nap.

Clearing Clutter by Moving Mama

I've been packing for my family's third move in four years. My kitchen looks like this:

When one moves as much as I do, you learn a few things along the way. I found myself considering starting a third blog entitled "Moving Mama" as I shuffled boxes and totes, cleared out closets and threw away useless items.

As I think back, I've moved a total of twenty-five times since I was born. This will make move number twenty-six. I've lived in five states, going on six. I started in Indiana, where I was born. My parents moved us to Kentucky when I was two, and my sister and brother were born there. When my grandparents' health started failing, my parents decided to move back to New York, where they were from. We moved around New York for awhile, settling in the Catskill Mountains when I was in third grade. I grew up there, and I moved another nine times during my college years. Once I married, we remained in the Catskills until Vic found salaried employment with a concrete company. We moved six times before that date, and they put us on the road, going from job site to job site. We've lived in Alabama and South Carolina. We are facing our third move with them (Vic's fourth - he's been in Indiana for six months), which is taking us to Georgia. That's a lot of packing, moving and unpacking.

In the process, I've discovered that "stuff" isn't as important as family. We don't have a bunch of furniture, decorative items or clothing. Most of those boxes you see contain books and DVDs. The rest of it is a few boxes of bathroom items, kitchenware and the kids' toys. Why? Because what's most important to us is keeping our family together. It isn't about how many things we can acquire. It's about keeping God in our midst, keeping our marriage solid on the Rock and giving our children a secure foundation to grow on and live by.

Do I tire of moving around? Every now and then I pray Vic could find a job that would pay as well and keep us in one location for more than eighteen months. But where is the adventure in that? We love seeing new places, experiencing new things and making new friends. The kids have adjusted to the point where they start getting antsy after that year and a half goes by. "Is it time to move again?" my middle son asks. He senses it just as his father and I do. We remember to make it the experience of a lifetime for them. We remind them to find God in the midst of the moving. What new aspect of Him and His glory can they seek out in the new places we travel to?

So, as I clean out the closets another time, I look forward to what God has in store for us in the next town, state or maybe - one day - another country. I throw away the junk and remember to keep the memories.

Watch for more from me concerning frequent moves. I may have found a niche. ;) In the meantime, if you're moving or not, Glynnis Whitwer of  Proverbs 31 Ministries has been running a series about cleaning out the clutter on her blog. Stop on over and discover ways to clean out the "junk" in your home. And check out her book, I Used to Be So Organized. She can help you reorganize your home and your life in 2012.

Seeing the Light

Photo Courtesy of Ricardo Chahad

"Why is it that I can see a spot of sunlight up ahead, and by the time we get there, it's dark again?" My twelve year old inquired as we drove beneath a cloud-covered sky.

So often, I want to ask God a very similar question. Why does the light get clouded out as we get closer to it? Are we too slow to get there? Are we missing something? What's going on, God?

Yet, there is always that next break in the clouds, where the sun shines through, and the skies clear into the beautiful blue.

The light is shining here today, after a seemingly endless season of cloudiness in our lives. I have managed to secure our next home in the peachy state of Georgia. My dear hubby has received notification he'll be back our way February 18th. Our family will be reunited, and all will be right in our world again.

The kids are excited about this next move. They sense when it's about time for some new adventure, which I thank God for. There aren't tears and stress as they say goodbye to their most recent friends to meet new ones. They've adapted to life on the road quite well.

So, if my blog posts become spotty over the next couple of weeks, please bear with me as we head toward the light. Our next season is in sight, and we're on the road again! It's not a huge move, only over the river, but I have much to do to get there. Thanks for your patience, and hang in there - the light will break through your clouds, too!