uNpReDiCtAbLe

So, this week has been... a week. I was reminded this week that God is still in control. No matter how good we think we have it, how insane things may seem, OR IF WE THINK WE HAVE EVERYTHING TOGETHER.. God has ultimate control. I'm so thankful I don't have to know everything. I'm thankful that I can just live day by day. I am joyful because I know my God knows my tomorrows.  He has seen my tomorrows, He has created them, He has knit them perfectly together in His plan, of His Story. Oh, my God is great.
I am also thankful for His sense of humor... I know He laughs at me sometimes.  I am the queen of wanting to know what's going on. If I don't know what's going on... I become the Freak Out Queen.  I like to think I have God figured out sometimes, that I know what He's up to, and He likes to remind me that I HAVE NO CLUE! HaHa! I just wanted to share, first, 2 verses that have spoke to my heart this week:

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:25-26

That is my heart's cry... for my Savior to be my One, True Desire!! Oh... I try and try but the world creeps in constantly! I yearn for my Lord and know that He is the only thing that truly satisfies... Him and His crazy plans!!

Also, I wanted to share lyrics a great song from one of my favorite Christian artists, Francesca Battistelli.  My heart has been singing it ALL week:

Got my thoughts

I got my words
Got this head full of answers
Got You wrapped up
Got You under control
See my future like the past behind me
I think I know where You’re leading
Don’t need no questions
Don’t need no rocking the boat


But I just forget all the mystery
I just forget who You are

(Chorus)
When I know that I know
What You have down the road
When I’m sure that
I’ve figured You out
Help me see that I’m small
That I can’t know it all
‘Cause You’re so unpredictable
‘Cause You’re so unpredictable


You said the foolish
Would shame the wise
To put my faith
In what’s beyond my eyes
And to believe You
I have to come as a child


So help me to rest in the mystery
Of what I can’t understand


Be blessed and joyful because life isn't boring... it's an adventure, the greatest expedition of them all... to seek the heart of the King.

ServantCARE Servants

I praise Him because He has ordained each day. He has planned our future, a future full of hope.  He has given us desires and visions. He has led people into our lives to guide us to fulfill His calling in our lives. Two of those people we finally met Saturday.  Anita and Larry Parks from ServantCARE ministry, a missionary home coordinating/serving/praying ministry in Eufala, AL, drove one and a half hours to visit and talk with us about our dream.  We talked for about 3 hours, discussing our hearts, passions, and visions. God is incredible.

Anita and Larry had no idea who we were, what we looked like, or our ages. They arrived, we opened the door, and they both said, "...Wow, you are young." haha! But we ushered them in eager to tell them about everything in our heads! Once we started chatting, amazing miracle, one after one began to happen. His perfect plans began to be revealed. I can't name them all but I will try to recap a few amazing moments during the meeting.

First, Mrs. Anita begin to tell of an "Awakening" they had at their church a few months ago. A man from out of town came to preach. He explained that he felt that Alabama played a key role in starting revival in America, creating change. He also felt their were a few KEY cities within this state that would be catalyst in the revival, Troy being one of them. Mrs. Anita explained that as she was sitting there listening to the list of cities, she knew they had contacts/relationships with people from each city, EXCEPT TROY... the next week I e-mailed her! His ways are perfect!

They shared with us a vision God had given them for a missionary camp complete with a central dining area, multiple living quarters, and activities to do on campus... = OUR VISION!!! It was our plan exactly!! They even used Mark 6:31 as one of their foundational verses! Wow!! So, a few years ago, when God gave them this idea, they put those house on the market to sell.  It was for sell for 2 YEARS!! In that time only 2 people came and LOOKED AT IT!!  God had different plans! They told us about different stories and examples of how God had given them visions that were actually carried out by other couples.  Jacob and I are so willing and ready to take on this vision and make it reality. 

We showed them our rough draft for our written proposal.  Mrs. Anita looked at us and said, "This exact thing could be on our computer!" Crazy! God knew! The plan has been set. He brought the four of us together to make it happen!

We talked about everything related to the missionary home. Things we had never thought of before: counseling the families about the changes that have happened here since they left on mission, it's more about the listening to their stories and heartaches and triumphs, families could be as big as 9 people. etc. They opened our eyes.

We are so excited!!! We are excited God has placed Larry and Anita in our lives as our hopeful mentors in developing this home. We are excited that the Almighty God and Savior of the universe wants to use us in furthering His Kingdom! We are willing. He is able!

Please be praying for our new wonderful friend, Anita Parks. She has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery yesterday. The doctors findings show that the tumor is malignant, but Our God is Healer! Pray for healing, for peace, for comfort, for wisdom. How awesome is was to see a woman/couple with such a burden and battle ahead of them be willing to come and meet with us just days before her surgery. I thank God for TRUE servants like that.

BURNING BUSH!

So... I'm an awful blogger. I have been thinking about blogging, but it just hasn't happened! Ugh.. life..
And also, I wanted to continue my blogs about Africa, but I wanted to put my daily journal writings as the blog entries and that journal is in Birmingham. So, hold the phone on that... I will definitely finish the amazing God story of Africa!! Ahh... Africa... I love thee.

Okay... God stories in America, my life, my marriage, my family, my church... AMAZING! There are many, but I think we FINALLY found our burning bush! ~me and my BFF always joke about finding our burning bush to tell us what God REALLY wants us to do!~ This happened while me and Jacob were studying the Bible, Matthew chapter 10. WOW! This is when Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples. I absolutely LOVE this passage because Jesus is so hardcore. He isn't the sweet, glassy blue-eyed, pale skinned, painted Jesus we see now... He is the God of all, sending workers out into an unsure, dangerous world. So... Jesus is sending the disciples out, explaining who they are and their mission in the Kingdom work. Jesus then says:

11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.

Jesus is prepping His best friends and closest companions for the hardest adventures of their lives. He wants them to leave EVERYTHING and rely on Him provide housing accommodations along the way. Wow! That's what many missionaries are doing all around the world even today. Forsaking everything that's "NORMAL" and surrendering to ministry, to God's specific and radical calling on their lives. 

Jacob and I read the entire chapter and were floored with everything that Jesus was telling His followers. When we finished reading, we prayed, and then we were just talking. Jacob had to go the restroom and I continued just talking to God about everything. My heart kept going back to the verses above and verse 42, "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."  I felt connected to those verses. I wanted to offer a worthy home that a missionary could find rest at and a place where we could serve the servants. When Jacob came out of the bathroom he was just bursting at the seams to tell me something (you know, men do their best thinking in the bathroom, ha). He said... "ya know, I think we should offer missionaries a place to stay."  WHAT?? Wow! Definitely the Holy Spirit working in our two humbled hearts! How crazy! We both got giddy, like two middle school girls get over Justin Beiber! (haha) We talked for hours about God's plans for our lives and here is the preliminary goals:

We want to create a missionary home/camp with a central dining room and grand room and numerous rooms/cabins available for missionary families. This home is available for missionaries in transition, on furlough, or ministering here in America. It will be a family-oriented environment. We want to offer these missionary families a support system, daily meals, housing for LOW OR NO COST, babysitters for date nights, worship nights, Bible studies, REST! We want to call it.... RESTore Missionary Home!!! I'm so excited I can barely make complete sentences! How awesome is our God. It encompasses everything we love: MINISTRY, foreign missions, CAMP!, eating, worship, serving, loving, family! I love every facet of it. 

Now, how will that happen? Only God knows. Obviously, that takes alot of money, people, and resources. God is in control and we completely trust Him. We know it will require lots and lots of hardwork, but we are so willing! So ready! Please be in prayer over the process of getting it started, for us as we work together, for any future missionaries who will stay at our home, and that God will direct us CLEARLY and BLUNTLY!