The MOVE: His Timing

After putting our house on the market for only 2 weeks in a stagnant real estate market that favors BUYERS and in an area where short sale homes are going for 60-100K we weren't sure if our house would sell.  I even had close friends who were concerned about the sale and that the price was possibly too high.  Whenever the tears would come (Kristin) and whenever the doubts would creep, we would seek the Lord.  We would pray and ask for the faith to trust Him.  We spent MANY late nights talking about options, discussing fears, and praying.

The day came when we would go BACK for another visit to Ohio.  This time with some very excited kids! They were so excited which is ANOTHER testimony of a move of God because what little kid is excited about leaving ALL their friends and their school and everything that is familiar?  I feel like this part goes back to a statement that Lucas (11 years old) made when he said, "Mommy, if those [people] need to hear about Jesus, I suppose we can let them have daddy for a while so he can tell them about Him."   This sentiment was in regards to going to India, but kids are perceptive and understand more than we give them credit for sometimes. 

After touching down in Columbus, the overwhelming feeling of being out of control begins to take over when you realize what is ahead in the next few days.  We got to stay with an adoring family, "The Hills" and they IMMEDIATELY proceeded to make us feel a part of the family and to welcome us though we had only previously met them only once prior.   They gave up beds and bedrooms (Thanks Olivia), Don even shared his birthday and cake with us as well.  (Now that's some love!)

The parent meeting on Friday consisted of sharing the vision of how to utilize students and parents in the youth programs and directions on integrating students from different schools and social backgrounds.  All in all there was a distinct air of support and care.  

It was on Friday that we got the news that we had received an offer on our house from a young couple looking to buy their first home.  We were elated and humbled that God had moved so quickly.  Our search for homes could resume finally! The difficulty was that we were going to be moving there in just a little over a week.  We waded through hundreds of listings online and even visited several gems in the Newark/Heath area. 

The subsequent youth meet and greet went well and we got news that there was a  lady neighbor of the Hills who was willing to rent her home to us indefinitely while we looked for a more permanent residence.  The Saturday night service went well and we made presentation to the congregation and they made the first of three votes. 

Sunday morning after making the presentation during the morning services (2) we found out that the rental had fallen through. We had a contract on the Florida home, but nowhere to move to and no leads on any other rentals. 

Arlene Hill and Jennifer Hill (not related, in fact I JUST realized that they have the same last name) pulled some folks out of the service whom they heard owned rentals and while they were talking to them, people, not being aware really of what was going on began to share about their OWN rental properties.  We walked away with no less than 5 or 6 different names of people owning rentals.  Information that we had previously not been able to procure.  This is the evidence that God's timing is perfect, that when HE is ready, you will know those things that you need.  His timing, perfect, His provision, JUST you're looking for.

The Move: The Call

What an incredible ride we have been on lately. Here is the back story:

There is a buzz. It is true in case you MAY Have heard that Kristin and I have a move planned for our family. The date: September 1st. But why???

So, after Kristin's deal with the pregnancy Center second location unexpectedly fell through I began to ask God "Whassup?"

It was strange that something that seemed like such a slam dunk deal would fall through at the 11th hour. It seemed to me that it may be because there was a move in store for us. One of the things that I told Kristin was that if she DID make the move to open an additional pregnancy counseling center that we would plant our roots much deeper into the community and church.

So we began a process of prayer in which we asked God what He had in store. We prayed for months before sending out several applications to different churches looking for youth directors/student pastors. We got a few from churches similar to CPC but turned them down because the issue wasn't that we are unhappy with CPC but that we felt like God was desiring fro us to GROW by putting us into a more challenging opportunity. We LOVE CPC and it's people and over the past 7 1/2 years or so I have grown closer to Bryan and learned to get along cooperatively.

When we got a call from a church in Ohio, I was pretty surprised because I didn't really remember even applying with that church. I prayerfully considered the callback I got from them and the subsequent questionnaire that they were asking to be filled. I prayerfully considered and sent it back. 

When I got a call from Executive Pastor Tom Pound at Spring Hills Church in Granville, OH I wasn't sure that I was even interested because, OH? I grew up in Oh. (NEVER tell God you don't want to go back to your home state.) But the more I talked to him I began to hear the vision and purpose that they have for the church and the ministry being done on a local level in the community!! They support 19 different missionaries and projects!  It is a church of vision and passion and the leadership is driven by relationships in a community desperate for hope and the message of Christ. 

Moreover upon meeting the pastors and staff it was a brotherhood. A concept that I have desperately longed for in ministry. I have had this with several of the men at CPC but have not been able to have this as a staff, not Bryan's fault there is just only 2 of us on staff so this hasn't been possible per se. 

It is a great move for Kristin and I because of the purposes that the church is heading and the clear direction for getting there. It is here: http://www.springhillschurch.org/who-we-are/why-we-exist/

As a part of the salary they are allowing our kids to attend their Christian School, Granville Christian Academy. It is a great opportunity for my family and kids and we will be closer to my parents and sister and Kristin's family will be a mere 7 hours away as opposed to 12 hours. 

The BIGGEST deciding factor...the Holy Spirit. It has been clear that along the way, each decision and step has been guided by an omniscient God whose desires have been made evident through prayer and searching. Kristin and I are in prayer for CPC and it's ministries and are thankful for the 7 1/2 years that we have been able to serve it's families and ministry. 

Our Hurts, His Healing

We often go through things that we don’t understand. Sometimes rather than trusting God, we go searching for our own meaning, our own way out, our own desires can make us turn our backs on God.

With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. --Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Whether it is desire for ambition, money, popularity, gossip, stealing, or lust. He says its at this moment that God becomes unreal to us. Only desire for that creature exists as we try to satisfy it. We try to appease an appetite that is quite unquenchable.

Satan doesn’t fill us with a hatred towards God, only a forgetfulness of God. There is not a person on this earth who has not faced temptation. There is not a single person except Christ who has at one time or another given into that temptation and who suffers from its consequences.

What were the consequences of Joseph’s temptation towards Potiphar’s wife? Genesis 39:7 She says to him, “Lie with me?” Kids, she ain’t talking about stretching the truth…or taking a nap.

We all have different things that have happened to us in our past. What happens is, what we desire versus what God desires to give us are world’s apart.

But WAIT, Joseph did what was right, he did the right thing and God PUNISHED him? What’s up with that?!

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The way that we do things and the way that God chooses to do things is entirely different. Yet we doubt Him. Yet when tough times come, we would rather do things our way. Why is it that we keep trying to do things our way?

• Charles Edison tells a story about when his dad’s factory caught on fire. As Charles made his way out of the building he looked to make sure that his father, Thomas Edison had made it out okay. He knew that at the age of 67 that surely his dad would be heartbroken because all of his assets were going up on smoke.  After looking for a short time he saw his father running towards him. “Where’s mom?” he shouted. “Go tell her! Tell her to get her friends! They’ll never see a fire like this again!”   Most of us would have been like, Oh, God!! Why me?!” He says, go get your mother this is one doozy of a fire! But Charles Edison continues:    At 5:30 the next morning with the fire barely under control, he called the employees together and announced, “We’re rebuilding!” “We’ll build bigger and better on these ruins.”

We should be doing the same. “But you don’t understand my situation is different. You don’t understand what I have struggled with. You don’t know what I have been through. I have been through more than what anyone can take! NO one understands."

1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NIV) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Ah, but God DOES understand. You see, Jesus Christ has gone through what we are going through. He urges us to surrender our past to Him so that out of the ruins of our lives, He can build bigger, he can build better.

Out of the smoky ruins of your past He desires to resurrect a life that would glorify Him, a life that would give Him praise regardless of our circumstances. That’s what Joseph did. As far as what we have heard he didn’t really do anything that deserved being imprisoned, banished sold into slavery, etc. Yet, through Genesis it says that Joseph continued to serve God and to be faithful.

With God, He doesn’t care what your qualifications are. He just wants your heart. He doesn’t care what has gone on in your past, He just wants to give you peace. He doesn’t want success, He wants submissiveness. He wants hearts ready for a God change.

God gave us a perfect world but we blew it in the garden and the consequence was, is, pain and suffering. Those things are inevitable what God wants is our faithfulness during those times. He wants us to overcome temptation and to use those things to bring us closer to Himself.