Faith

This morning, my devotional (Beth Moore) spoke about the faith of our spiritual fathers in Hebrews 11.   Her question was...does your life, your walk by faith, draw others to want to know this Jesus you serve?    My answer...I hope so!

In one month, Tori will head to Turkey.   Because Jesus told her to.   And she's usually pretty right on to what Jesus tells her.   We have two younger sisters in this home that Jesus spoke to and through Tori about.   People tell me...it's so dangerous.   Aren't you worried?   Honestly, there are those voices.   But Gods voice is louder.  His voice tells me to trust what He is doing in my daughter.   I serve an amazing God who has done things in me.  Not always an easy process, but a beautiful outcome.   I'm loving seeing what God is doing in Tori.   Things I cannot do.  Only Jesus.  

Last night, I did a couple of things out of my normal comfort zone.   I went to a launch for a newTV show that my friend is doing.  Then rushed back and led my Net group discussing the marriage sermon a couple weeks ago.   I wasn't nervous and felt like everything flowed and there was good discussion.  In the past, these things would have been trying for me.   I told Lee I can see how much more confident I have grown but also just truly so much more reliance on the Holy Spirit.  

Two Sundays ago, I joined Lee, up front, to minister on marriage.  And again, I was pretty peaceful.   I was nervous standing in front of everyone, yet loved sharing practical things that we have learned in our 23 years of marriage.  Like, if I could save some of them some pain, I'm so happy to share from things we have walked through.  It was a joy to minister with my best friend.  But more than that, I had faith that the Lord wanted me to be obedient and trust Him.  

I think over the hard things I've walked through in this journey we call life.   And I see how the Lord has grown, built, strengthened my faith during the hardest of times.   So I just know like I know that He will continue to cover me...and my children.   Even if He calls them all the way across the world to love on some people who desperately need to know Him too!

"Now faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Hebrews11:1

Five Years in Belize

This past week, we celebrated five years of living in Belize.   We have reminisced our first days here. Moving to an apartment, then our house.  Buying a car.  Everything was so new.  The Lord gave us so many divine appointments in those early days.  Many relationships that have grown over the past years.  The Lord sent us here with dreams and a vision.  We are still walking it out.  

We are in the process of applying for nationalization.  We have been busy with medical exams, getting background checks, you name it.   It's been busy but we think we have everything ready to turn in March 1st.  

Our kids have grown up so much since we moved here five years ago.   Lee and I have grown and changed too.  We have experienced things here we never had before.  We've learned that pastoring in another country is very different.  Culture affects so many things.   Gods Word is the same everywhere but there are definitely different ways of seeing things when you are ministering outside the Bile belt.  

In five years, I have learned how to cook, learned to appreciate saving electricity by hanging some things on the line, learned that it is actually possible to live without AC and learned to appreciate things I used to take for granted.  I have stepped out of my comfort box, allowed God to stretch me and use me in ways I never would have imagined.  

Five years is a big deal.  A large portion of our lives.   Wonder what He will do in the next five years?

Recovering and Jumping back into Life

Tomorrow marks ten weeks since my surgery.  I have more energy than I have had in a long time.  Hind sight, going to the states and taking care of my health was definitely the right decision.

The new year brings back our schedules, things we are involved in and some new things.

School is going great.  The girls are finished with their third 9 weeks this Friday.   Meaning they only have nine more weeks.  It is hard to believe.  Tori has only about 7 weeks left, as she prepares to go to Turkey for the month of April.  I am at peace about her going, yet, pray about it constantly.  God has truly provided the finances for the trip through our family and friends.  It is one confirmation that He is in this.  It is hard to believe next year is her last year of school here at home.  Get ready for some weepy blogs over the next year.

Two of the girls are in ballet and are doing a beautiful job.  This year, we will stay an extra week here in Belize so they can perform in their recital.  I am excited because I missed it at Christmas.  Tori is flourishing with her art lessons.  I am so proud of her talent.  And two of the girls are taking Spanish.  It is fun for them to get out of the house one morning a week and they have the sweetest teacher.  I am glad they have had some outlets, because it has been so long since we have gone swimming or anything like that.  The routine of school and their activities is nice, but we are also ready for a little break in May.

I brought back a Bible study on Mothering that I am teaching on Wednesdays at Hope for Life.  I have a small group, but they are each dear to my heart.  And so much more open than they were in the fall.  One of the moms is coming to church with me now and I'm so blessed to get to pray with and encourage her.  Her sweet little five month old fell asleep in my lap at church on Sunday.  I feel so blessed to get to be a part of seeing the Lord do new things in her life.  I have seen her go from dark, deep sadness, to lots of smiles.  Her whole countenance is changing...and it is changing her baby too.  One of the other moms, who is older, told me she takes home the notes and goes over them with her husband each week.  That was pretty cool to me.  And I was able to meet her older children last week.  I love their hunger to be Christian moms.

The Net that meets at our house has been booming with young people.  Every week, the living room seems so full.  Maybe around 40 kids.  Kailey, our daughter, is taking the LLT, which is 23 weeks long, and shared how much she loves it.  How much she is learning.  It blesses me that even though Lee and I are rotating around to other Nets, the leaders are still discipling strongly here, even with our own daughters.

Something new and different is that this Sunday, I will share with Lee, in our Sunday morning service.   I don't say "preach", because I will simply "speak".  At first, I was not wanting to do it, of course, but now I am kind of excited.  I feel like we have been married for 23 years, and we have some things we can share about a healthy marriage.  And not only that, just in the last few months, the Lord has given us such a new appreciation for each other.  So, if you think of us on Sunday, please pray for us as we minister to LifeNet together.  That we will be unified in our message and be an encouragement to the body.

Life is good.  I feel strong and healthy.  I am happy to be home with my sweet family.