Life in Jesus: Is Summer a Break?

So summer has begun, school is done till August and the sun is shinning :o) It seems impossible to think that a year ago on the 24th we moved to Arkansas. So much has happened in our little family unit that it seems like we have been here for much longer. I thought I would look back over this past year and show you what God has done in our lives.

April of 2008 we decided that God was leading us to Arkansas. After many months of prayer and some very big signs we felt God pushed us out here. So we did it! We made the jump! We closed our eyes and trusted God! And WOW what a ride it has been!

When we went to go get out moving truck, we got our first taste of what God was going to teach us. The truck was too small and it was the only one they had in the whole town that was that big. They had given ours away.... "OK.... now what?" God showed us what. We were forced to get rid of more than we thought we could live without. With the help of some amazing family in Christ we narrowed it down and packed and repacked it into the truck. We hitched up the Honda (at age 22 we decided it would make the trip), we rented a small SUV type car and the 5 of us and our little Docshound, Kiss, and we were off and going.

Day one of the trip brought us to a family reunion. It was a nice first part of this trip. The children and Brook met family they had never seen before. We stayed the night in Clear Lake, CA and the next day was Father's day. We left Clear Lake to go to Truckee for a couple of days. Now we lefts, Truck, Car, SUV, 5 people and now 2 dogs :o) Momma had fallen in love with a 6 week old Black Lab.

We spent a few days in Truckee at the family cabin and then left for the big drive. Everyday was about 8-10 hours in the car. With lots of "potty" breaks, for all the 3 kiddies and both pups. The kids and dogs were amazing!!!! Let me just say that again... The kids and dogs were amazing!!!! No complaining, no fights, no major spills :o) It was fun! We saw Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and then Arkansas. What a beautiful place God has made that we are blessed to live in.

We did have 2 major mis-haps through the trip, my credit card was stolen and used, and I drove off from the gas station with the gas pump still in the car.... oh well! God worked them both out! And we learned to trust our Lord for all that He will do.

The house and land in Arkansas was more than we thought. A house that was falling apart and the land filled with Locust and Ticks was a tad bit much for this California Momma :o) But we stuck it out for 3 months. No air conditioning when it was 115 degrees outside and 120 in the trailer, no TV, no land phone, bad cell service, and no internet for Brook to work. We found ourselves asking "God, why here, why now?"

Just as everything He knows why He moved us and He did it at the perfect time on our lives.

We had come to visit my Nana, 4 hours west of where we were in Oklahoma several times and decided maybe God brought us out here to get us to Oklahoma, which had been on my heart for years prior to this.

Come September we found a tiny 2 bedroom house in Pryor, Ok. So the 7 of us moved once again from Arkansas to Oklahoma. We squeezed into this little 800 sq. foot house and have been settling into the Oklahoma way of life ever since.

In September we started Homeschooling back up, and by October I joined a Homeschool group. We tried a few churches and fell in love with a sweet little church 3 miles from our house. And the minute we started going we were hooked and God started using us. We started going right after Thanksgiving and by Christmas I helped lead the children in singing a song in front of the church. Within the next few months we became members and both Brook and I are now in full time ministry. Brook helping with the video and sound for the Worship team and he picked back up the guitar and may be joining Scott up in front for leading worship. I am back working with the kids! After a long break I am back to serving where God loves to put me. We are going to be doing a 10 week Bible camp starting a few weeks.

So school is done till August, but that doesn't leave us idle around here. We are also moving once again. Here in town to a bigger house (almost twice the size in sq footage). Another blessing for out father.

here are a few favorite memories over this year :o)