I worked for quite a while yesterday on writing out what I’m calling “our story” (that’s what Holly called it, and it stuck for now) of what God has been doing in our lives in the past year. I’m on page 7 and have barely scratched the surface; there are three or four months I haven’t even touched on yet. Yeah, this should be quite a document when it’s finished. If it ever is.

One thing I find peeking through virtually every page is the way God has used certain people in our lives to breathe life, hope, encouragement into us. God keeps confirming and re-confirming His message of calling on our lives through these people–the same general message coming from several unrelated people to remind us that His hand is on us every moment, even when we don’t fully understand what He is doing. There have been many moments like that, I admit.

I’m pretty sure this month’s Heartbeat article will be born out of pieces of what we’re walking through right now.

I miss my Bree and her Batman. And Laurabelle and Jimbob. And Brent Inez and Christy. And C-4.

She taught me to be strong, but to let the tears come sometimes, too. She taught me not to be vain or self-centered. She taught me self-sacrifice. She taught me what the word “fickle” meant, and how not to be it. She taught me to respect others. She taught me forbearance. She taught me to laugh at myself, and when others laugh at me, to laugh along with them. She taught me that love is the most important thing in the world. She taught me to love words. She taught me a gazillion silly little games that can be played with nothing but a good imagination. She taught me that I didn’t have to (and shouldn’t) repeat her mistakes. She taught me that I had worth, and that I mattered to her. She taught me that there’s nothing with quite the same value as family. She taught me that bad habits and unhealthy family chain behaviors can be broken. She taught me to reach for Heaven my whole life, and to look her up when I get there.

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

I love my computer. I take it so for granted, but every now and then I stop and think about how much I appreciate it. Just thought I’d mention that.

So we called and turned off our home phone and cable TV today. Just doing what we can to cut back on the non-essentials as we prepare for packing and moving. I try not to think too long about how hard the whole moving thing is; I saw this going a bit differently in my mind. Alas, sometimes we aren’t allowed to see the whole picture–which is a good thing I suppose, since I wouldn’t have been highly enamored with the knowledge that we’d be moving so soon. God is good, all the time, and He is in control.

My friend Mandie has a friend named Valerie who is fighting for her life after a car accident broke her spine in two places. My long-time friend Valerie is preparing to give birth to her first child, who is fighting to stay put as long as he can. Prayers are appreciated for both of our sweet Valeries.

I think most if not all of my family (besides me) is going to be out for a while tonight. It’s been a while since I spent an evening completely alone. I don’t mind solitude, but I do miss my family. I will continue reading my book, doing some journaling of our “story” that I’ve been working hard at, work on my Beth Moore Bible study, and as always talk to my Lord as much as possible.

I’ve discovered something interesting about myself. It’s no big deal, really, just interesting. When faced with major change, I instinctively rally my family inward so that our team pulls together and fully understands the direction we are heading. I tend to cut back on anything extra and simplify as much as possible within the parameters of holding onto anything the kids really want to maintain. We tend to convene often during such times, which keeps us all on the same page and functioning as one unit. Might not work for everyone, but it’s the way we roll.

It’s a relatively new concept to us, but only in terminology.

The truth is, it goes back to a deep desire God planted in our hearts some 20+ years ago when we helped birth The Refuge, a young adult Sunday School class we started in our small church in a suburb of Tampa. It was amazing, and extremely Acts Church in nature. We prayed together, we loved on each other, we listened to one another’s needs. We brainstormed answers to our questions through various resources but always with the Bible as our absolute Truth. We hung out together during the week, praying for and with each other, calling one another with helpful Scripture verses or just a friendly hello. We did life together.

The church elders got wind of the growth of our class and the way we were running it, and sadly our “success” was viewed as something counter to the church’s traditional Sunday School style. We were told there would be an elder put in charge of our class to ensure that we didn’t deviate from the model the elders had set, that things we were rumored to have done (things like ditching our lesson one Sunday to lay hands on and pray fervently for the entire class time over a young woman whose husband had suddenly left her and their two toddlers) would not be repeated. The Refuge was no longer a refuge, and slowly the life was squeezed out. Eventually everyone scattered, including us.

This past Saturday evening we received breathtakingly profound confirmation in the form of a Godly couple sitting us down to talk, dusting off that desire, putting a name to it, and telling us they believe in us. It’s incredible what that kind of encouragement can do. We aren’t sure exactly what God is going to do with this, but we are open and willing. And scared and excited. And amazed.

Ever had butterflies in your tummy simply because you could FEEL God doing something?

The bird in the photo I posted yesterday is courtesy of God, I assume, because I prayed one or two would fly by while I sat near the water yesterday listening to the waves, my Bible in my lap and my Nikon close at hand. I’m always game for a good panned bird-in-flight shot.

Last night I printed out several emails that have gone between a very good friend and myself (the aforementioned coffee-blessing friend) over the past few days. This isn’t the first time she has blessed me with encouragement, and I feel pretty sure it won’t be the last. My family and I are going over for a visit with her and her family tonight. I’m really looking forward to the time of fellowship with such like-minded people.

And so begins the transitioning of our family to move from this lovely place back home to where God is calling us to embark on yet another journey for His cause. We are learning that the journey, combined with what we are willing to allow God to accomplish through us (and in us) along the way, is what matters in the grand scheme of things. He is doing some pretty deep and serious work in the hearts of our family. I am getting the impression that this is the beginning of something way bigger and more serious than any of us can even begin to imagine. Ever made a statement and wondered if it would later stand almost as something engraved on a stone to be read and re-read for years after it’s made? Well, it could be that one was just made.

It shouldn’t surprise me any more when God uses my personal Bible study time to speak directly into my heart regarding my exact current circumstances. This wouldn’t be so impressive if it weren’t for the fact that it has happened countless times, keeps happening, and has now started happening when I skip over parts of a lesson and go back to it later, only to find it speaking to my here-and-now anyway. Sometimes it makes me smile, and sometimes it freaks me out a little, but it always reminds me that regardless of my circumstances, my God has me and my family in the palm of His hand.

I had coffee with an amazing lady this morning. I’ll write more about it later, but for now I will say God must really love me to send me such a friend.