Feeling peace

This weekend Foothills Baptist Church had a staff conference in Townsend. There were 3 couples (no children) and lots of time to get to know eachother, plan, and have some fun!  

We had a strict schedule to follow with lots of time for praying and reading our bibles. I have to be honest and say that doing this is a little foreign to me. Daily, I spend time reading my bible and praying. I often do not get the time I wish I had to pray and read, but I am able to do it every day and I'm thankful for that. Sometimes, I pray as I'm laying down in bed with Elijah for his nap or I'm washing dishes, etc. Other days, less hectic days, I can find the time to enjoy sitting and just praying to God.  However, I must admit.. I REALLY enjoyed that uninterrupted time alone with my Savior! It was wonderful! I left this weekend feeling very refreshed, surrounded in the love of God, and renewed by His Spirit!! This week, I have found myself missing that uninterrupted time with Him!

Much planning went on this weekend! This was exciting to me as Jeremy has an awesome vision for this church and where God will take it. We have monthly dates planned to go out and share Jesus with our community, love on them, help them, & share with them who Jesus is! This is so very exciting! I really think we're sitting on the foundation of an awesome structure God is preparing for us! 

So, as I came in to FBC.. I only knew 2 people. I left this weekend feeling at peace that we had made 2 more friends (other staff members) and we're getting to know other members as well. I am feeling the peace of God.. I have surrendered to His will. In the beginning, I faced denial this would happen, fighting God in my heart, and crying for God to choose someone else.  Finally, it seems that this weekend I was able to fully surrender all of that. I am feeling a peace from God... and since I have surrendered I am able to feel God's love surrounding me!

We serve an awesome God! He is in control.. not me (even though I like to think I am so often!) He sees all of this from beginning to end. He knows the blessings He will pour out on FBC and He knows He wants me to be a part of it. He knows the hardships that will come our way and He knows the way He will protect us and grow us. We get to serve The King and I'm so thankful for the gift of peace that He gave me this weekend!

Making Progress

So, we've been at our new church, Foothills Baptist, since December 12th. We have been in four services, since one was cancelled because of snow. I must let you know the progress we've made!

The first Sunday, the 12th, I was honestly just mad that morning. I knew God was calling us to this new church and I love the pastor and his wife (Jeremy & Rachel) and that they have followed God's leading. I was thankful that Andy's ministry was finally opening up, but I was just honestly MAD that we were also being called away from a church and church family that I adored. With an ungrateful heart and a bitter spirit I walked around that Sunday morning (well, rushed around-- Sunday mornings seem to always be rushed to get us all ready and out the door on time.) I found myself getting short with our children and being irritated with Andy. Finally, Andy said, "Honey, what is wrong?!" and I said to him amidst many tears, "Don't you get it? I'm like Moses. I know we have to go. I know we're supposed to go, but I'm yelling, 'God, can you not send anyone else.. but me?'" I told him, "I'm just mad!" We got to the church and the kids were WILD! We are in a building which is called Music Row. So what do you think it holds? Many cool new musical instruments. The kids thought, I'm sure, "Wow! Are these all for us?" LOL! They ran around thumbing the bass, guitar, and banjo. Ran upon the church stage to bang on the keyboard, and they went in 10,000 circles around the church chairs. I honestly thought I might lose my mind! They were to sit in the service with us, and sadly, I was so unprepared for that. They were bored and kept talking loudly to eachother and us, and fighting (they're hobby), but we made it through.

Fast forward the four weeks we've been there. It's quite funny, really. Jeremy is teaching on, "A New Beginning" and boy that sure fits me! He talked this Sunday about Moses who complained to God and asked God, "Why me?" and God kept showing him why him! God kept telling Moses, I am here for you and here is why and here is how! That definitely spoke volumes to me. God keeps doing that to me in my life! haha

After 3 weeks in church we decided to "divide & conquer" with the kids. Lydia would become Andy's Buddy and Elijah would be my Buddy! I realized I need to teach and train Elijah. Lydia does well to sit and play quietly, read books, and color. That is in her personality. It's not in Elijah's, so I must teach him! He did great this week! In fact, he even fell asleep in my arms which I was honestly quite thrilled with! I was able to hear ALL of the sermon this week!! hehe.  Elijah is learning... he asked me before we left, "Mommy, can I run around in circles around church?" I couldn't help but laugh.. hey, atleast he asked this time!!

I miss the Sevier Heights church family more than many of you will ever know. I miss being apart of the choir so much, but I can still sing the songs I loved to Jesus. It may not be within the glorious, rich sounds of the beautiful SHBC choir, but I know it's pleasing before the Throne of God. God is growing me through this.. goodness knows He's stretched me beyond belief! I am grateful for Facebook to keep in contact with these people I love, for MOPs to still see my Mommy friends, and I'm thankful that I will get to keep my children in Awanas at SHBC and I will go to a small group to see many of the women I have come to know & love. 

I am also thankful for the new friends I am getting to know at FBC. There are some wonderful men and women there. I am a person who just honestly loves people. I am starting to stray away from the shyness that encompassed me when we first started attending there. It often takes a while to shed my "shy shell", but I'm getting there.. and in the process, I'm getting to know wonderful people!

God is moving.. I just know it. Sometimes, it's just scary to see where he's moving us to! I'm still a great work in progress, but Heaven knows I am atleast making progress!

A word from the Lord

Today, my heart has been very heavy. I woke up this morning with a very sad heart because choir practice at Sevier Heights starts back tonight. I have loved being apart of the SHBC choir and it has been one of the hardest things for me to leave as we have gone to Foothills Baptist Church. So, knowing that I couldn't be there tonight, really has brought alot of emotion for me. Many of my favorite songs have come to my mind this morning that I have loved singing with the beautiful people in the SHBC choir for the last year. 

So, I was in need of some time alone with God! Thankfully, Andy got off work early today and was already home to care for the kids so I wouldn't have to worry about them getting in to anything. So, I quietly got up and went in to my room. I am currently reading through the book of Isaiah and I prayed for God to somehow show me some encouragement and love this morning through this book. Through tears, I read these verses from exactly where I'm at in my study. Isaiah 41:9-10, "I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged for I am your God."  WOW! How great is that? 

Just when we feel so alone and so scared and are overcome with great sadness, God is here with us. He knows our pain and our struggles and He will bring us through this. As I've said throughout this journey, Some of the hardest things often are the greatest things. I know that I am reluctant to change and struggle deeply with it. I was reluctant to even join the choir in January 2010 when I did, but at the persistence of my sweet mentor I joined. Now, look here I am a year later and am grieving over the loss of not getting to go. I know God will take me on this journey at Foothills and it will be a huge blessing to me. I know that God has great plans for me there and now that I am renewed by His words.. I am kind of excited to see what He will do!

This prayer was also in my devotional bible and also really spoke to me. 

"O Lord God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being, open our eyes that we may behold your fatherly presence ever about us. Draw our hearts to you with the power of your love. Teach us to be careful for nothing, and when we have done what you have given us to do, help us, O God, our Saviour, to leave the issue to your wisdom. Take from us all doubt and distrust. Lift our thoughts up to thee in heaven, and make us to know that all things are possible to us through thy Son, our Redeemer." -Brooke Foss Westcott

"Lord, take my lips and speak through them, take my mind and think through it; take my heart and set it on fire." - W.H.H. Aitken

May God bless you today. I am still sad, but I definitely have more hope and definitely feel that my prayer for encouragement was answered! What a great & might God I get to serve!

A New Year!

We have started in a new church, Foothills Baptist Church, in Maryville, TN. It has been very difficult for us to leave our church family at Sevier Heights Baptist Church. However, we felt God's call to go to Foothills where Andy is Pastor of Bible Fellowships & Small Groups! While, this is a huge step for his ministry (which we have prayed for 8 years) and a great call to obedience, we also know that sometimes the hardest things in life can also be the best things in life!

It was in 2007 that we felt God's call to leave the church we were in and start attending Sevier Heights. I was not happy about that.. I loved the church we were at and the people there. My whole family was there! However, we obeyed and the 2nd Sunday there I realized I wasn't saved! It was devastating to me.. all these years I had been telling others about Jesus and His love. I had told them about His sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins, and yet I myself had never accepted that gift! I had been telling others that I had been saved since I was 8 years old (almost 15 years!) and here I was realizing that I wasn't saved at all! God saved me on February 22, 2007 and my sweet husband, Andy, was there with me and he led me in to the arms of our Savior. Had I not obeyed God I may not have gotten saved. God put a wonderful friend and mentor in my life who has walked with me through many dark valleys this year. She prayed for me and lifted me up, encouraged me, and loved me through it all! Had I not gone to Sevier Heights I may never have met her. I met so many wonderful people and made so many beautiful friends! It has been so hard for me to leave them! They have all be so wonderfully gracious to me, though, in extending our friendships beyond our church walls.

I say all of this to introduce the fact that.. God knows what He's doing. We are only to obey and allow Him to lead us. The year 2010 was a long journey for me, but also a year of great blessing! I look forward to seeing what 2011 holds for us! I know that because we were obedient to God's call to go to Foothills Baptist Church, God has wonderful blessings ahead! I know that the church holds some amazing people within it's walls and I look forward to getting to know them.. God knows how to stretch us and then bless us!