Sunday, April 28, 2013

Guided Steps

This post has been in my mind for over a year now, and I have been waiting for the appropriate time to share with you the excitement that our Family is experiencing right now! 

Sometime early last spring, we were approached with an incredible opportunity to serve our Lord and Savior.  Some good friends of ours, the Moore Family, felt God's leading to start a new Church in an area where many are far from God.  To put it simply, we were asked to pray for God's leading in our lives and to consider joining this mission to reach the lost.  After weeks of prayer and thinking over how our lives would change, Steve and I felt the Lord guiding us down a new path in life.  After praying and asking God for guidance, the pastor - our friends mentioned above - felt that the Indianapolis area was where God was asking him to start this new church.  By September of 2012, they accepted a position at Heartland Church working as a pastor there with the intentions to start a new church in the near future. 

Now is where the excitement begins.  Two weeks ago, Steve and I put our home up for sale.  Last weekend, we went to Noblesville, IN (just north of Indy).  Steve had an interview at a new company with very exciting opportunities and we looked at some apartments in the area.  On Monday, the company that Steve interviewed with offered him a job and on Tuesday, he accepted the new position!  We are moving in just under a week!  Looking back at the past two weeks, I am in utter awe of how God is working out the pieces for this move.  6 months ago, we had no idea how everything would work, but we were committed to moving and trusting that God would make a way. 

We are stepping out in faith that our home in Michigan will sell, in his timing.  This is probably the scariest step that we have ever taken, but we know that 'In all things, God works for the good of those who Love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.' (Rom. 8:28). 

This morning in church, our worship team sang Hillsong's "The Stand".  The lyrics are beautiful and completely captured my heart's song this morning:

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all

So I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours


As we embark on this new journey of life, we are so incredibly excited to see how God works out the remaining details.  We are confident that he will provide what we need.  So we will Stand with our hearts abandoned in absolute awe of who Jesus is!  Please keep us in your prayers during these next few weeks.  It will be a stressful time for us, but we know God is in control! 

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!  The next time you hear from me, we will be Indiana residents! 

Monday, April 1, 2013

April is here!

It is officially spring time and it is wonderful to see the green grass growing and hear the birds singing!  Jonas has been begging me to go outside every day, even though some days it barely reaches 40 degrees!  I do enjoy seeing him run around outside, though.  I can't wait for the weather to be nice enough to bring Joelle outside with Jonas so we can all enjoy the outdoors! 

Joelle is nearly 12 weeks old, and is growing like a weed!  She is getting some chubby little cheeks and has the most beautiful smile that I have ever seen.  I think I may be a bit biased, though!  Hopefully in the next few weeks, she will start rolling over. 

Jonas is talking like crazy and starting to put 3 and 4 words into sentences.  I love to hear him babble about everything!  He does tend to be on the loud side, though, so we are working on volume control with him lately!  He loves to play with blocks and build towers.  He is also developing into quite a little artist!  Markers are his favorite, even though sometimes he colors with crayons.  Books are a favorite for Jonas as well.  Lately, he has really enjoyed Dr. Seuss! 

Steve and I have been spring cleaning our house lately.  Definitely not something that I enjoy doing, but it is necessary, just like it is every year.  Every time we do a deep cleaning like this, it reminds me of my spiritual life in Christ.  We all have dirt in our lives, but if we cleanse ourselves in the Spirit daily, spring cleaning isn't too bad after all!  After remembering Easter this past weekend, I was reminded of what a precious gift Jesus gave to us all the day that he died and rose again to defeat death.  All praise and glory to him forevermore! 

Here are some pictures of our little ones!  I hope you enjoy them!