Changes

Wow! It's been months since I've blogged! Life has been pretty busy. Life is changing - fast! When I posted my blog last Fall, I had no idea how different my life would be today! God is doing some amazing things and I am blessed to be a part of it. I would not be honest if I said it wasn't scary, because it is. But I know Who I am following and that He wants good for me. "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. "Called according to His purpose." I've had to come to terms with that in these past few weeks and months. As believers, I know that God has a plan for each of our lives. And we are all called for His purposes. It's easy to follow that calling when it is your vocation (or the vocation of your husband, as in my case). With that calling comes a secure job, a nice paycheck, health insurance, retirement benefits, etc. But when that call changes, and it becomes a call on your life -- your whole life, well, that's another story all together! And when that call says step out in faith and follow me -- even without the secure job, paycheck, benefits, etc., well that is a little more difficult. Well, for me it was, anyway. As Jeff has put it recently, "It's easy to say we have big faith when we are secure in our livelihood, income, health insurance or whatever." The real test of faith comes when we are asked to leave that all behind and follow Him, no matter where He leads. And that is what He has asked of us. Leaving our last church was difficult, on many levels. We had fallen in love with the people at Hibernia. We had some amazing college students that we were blessed to minister to and with. And we had a comfortable life. Too comfortable, I think now. Watch out when you get too comfortable, God is probably going to change things! I love His sense of humor! But God did call us away from there. He called us to reach out to an area of Jacksonville where there are churches on every corner, but the parking lots are almost empty on any given Sunday morning. Ministry is not happening. The gospel is not going out to the masses. That became a burden on our hearts over a year ago. It was strange how both Jeff and I, and even Bethany felt drawn to that area of town. We would find ourselves driving down there, for no apparent reason. We began frequenting the local business establishments and dining in the area restaurants. It began to feel like home, long before it was. And so it was that our journey began. We wanted to serve and minister there, but could not continue to be at Hibernia, too. So we had to take that leap of faith. Jeff left his ministry position and began the search for secular employment. (Something he has not had to do in 30 years). Bethany found a roommate and an apartment downtown. Jeff and I packed up all our worldly possessions, of which we have way too many, and either gave away, threw away or stored away. We moved our few remaining personal possessions into our 35 foot 5th wheel travel trailer and parked it in an RV lot in our new neighborhood. We are meeting on Sunday mornings at Murray Hill Theater for worship at our brand new church plant, The Point Community Church, along with about 50 others. God has placed some amazing people in our lives over the years and some of them are here, along for the journey with us. For them, we are most grateful! For all God's provisions so far, we are grateful. I'm learning many new life lessons along the way. That's not necessarily an easy thing at age 53, but I'm getting it! I've learned that less is more! I've learned that stuff is just that -- stuff! I've learned that family and time spent together is really important. I've learned that following Christ and His plan for our lives is number one! I'm sure there will be more lessons along this path. I think I will be ready. Please pray for us on our journey. Please pray for The Point Community Church and those people that God wants to bring into His kingdom through it. Please pray that we be a shining light for Christ in the Ortega, Murray Hill, Riverside and Avondale areas of Jacksonville, and far beyond! Please pray for me that I will be content in whatever circumstances Christ places me -- even if my view is no longer from "the third floor deck." "I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:12-13