Amazing the things we hear when we listen!

Rob and I got a note today from a lovely lady from the new Church we found. It really touched my heart. When we first moved here there was an article in the paper about the new publisher and his family(us). When her husband read it when called Rob at the paper inviting us to Church... he left a message on Rob's voice mail. Rob mentioned that he got a few calls like that. In this note she goes on to say that her husband unexpectantly died October 20th. She said that she is sure our deciding to come had nothing to do with the call, the joy she felt she saw us. She said it touched her heart when she saw our names on the registry for the service. I think that our GOD is amazing and he knew exactly what he was doing doing when we got lost Sunday morning and decided to turn into that parking lot to check out this Church. And so many times we forget He is bigger than us... His plan involves more than just ME! I am so excited to go back to Church this Sunday and I have not felt that in months... I am excited to hear his word on Life Church(an online Church... check it out it is awesome!). I feel like He is talking to me again, but really it is more like I am listening again. And boy did I miss my confidant. God is Good... All the Time!

God Planting people in our path

Just wanted to share another family God has put in our path. After being in Arkansas for awhile we were wondering why here. We had left the most awesome Church and Church family one could every ask for... Westover you are forever in our hearts!! We knew that God brought us to Arkansas for a reason and we are still waiting to see more reasons. But one I know was to meet the Jacksons. They are a military family and just passing through as well. It was such a blessing to meet them. I had forgotten how hard it was to find family friends. Where 2 families could hang out together and everyone be happy with a playmate! Having 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl at just the right ages. I love being able to share my family adventures with Emilie and her share theirs with me. Not very often you find a family with a similiar adventure streak. I am better for knowing them and cherish the adventures we have shared together and the ones we get to share in the future. They are heading to Japan this month and have been on my heart and in my prayers. Just remember that great friends are hard to come by and I cherish all mine.

Hope the picture posts! learning as I go along :)

How has God Blessed your socks off

I know cannot believe I am writing twice in one day. I know it amazes me too. The last few months when we moved to Vincennes we very quickly got involved in our community, but did not find a Church we loved. WE settled on one the kids liked, but we really weren't connected. I believe that God places people, places and events in our lives on purpose and sometimes just picks us up literally and puts us on His track. So many times in my life when I have wondered why the most... He has blessed us the most. See my last post to see the most recent time, but there have been many!!!! So I thought that I would start sharing them with you. I will start with 3 that happened in Lincoln, IL and share others as God places them on my heart. One was the First home we found to rent in Lincoln... I was soooo against renting a house, it was just the 3 of us and I thought that an apartment would do. With Caleb not yet born some of the house responsibilities scared me. But as usual Rob talked me into it. Little did I know that God had great plans for us in that house. We met lifelong friends because of that house. Some were our neighbors and other because our neighbors took us to Church with them. Amazing how a simple house selection impacted not only my life, but my kids have some of their most cherished friends from the people we met by living there. And to come full circle one of the same neighbors moved near us when we lived in Arkansas and we got to reconnect with them there.

Another time I did something crazy while we were still in Lincoln and answered an ad for someone wanting part time child care. I thought sure some extra money and it would not hurt to meet them. But who really answers an ad like that and who places an add, those things are done by word of mouth right?!? Again God brought another life friend into my life.

Lastly I want to share another life Friend I met through God's hand. WE moved into a house we were planning to buy before closing... I know big mistake. It had some huge sewer problem, that we paid a lot to fix, we were going to buy this house!!! SO we went to close and there was a huge lien on the house... so we did not buy it, but put lots of $$$ into it :( Why I asked, but I knew the answer. God blessed us with some awesome friends that we met that lived across the street.

Every time we head home we try to connect with each one of these friends and I know that we will always keep in touch one way or another. God is amazing and just when you want to ask WHY??? look around and you will probably have your answer. Check back for more ways that God has blessed us and feel free to share how he has blessed you :)

I think we finally found an awesome Church

Ok I have not been good about writing. I am so excited!!! I think we found our Church in Vincennes. It is the The First Church of God in Vincennes. It seems to have the perfect combination for us. Great Children's programs, a preacher who will step on your toes a little, contemporary worship, alter prayer, the Lord's Prayer and Doxology(been missing some litergy). We felt more welcome in a day, than the months we have been at a much larger Church. I just think we are not big Church people. Since we live farther from family, we like to have an intimate Church family. Love how they introduced Communion with scripture. Right now we are going through a story form of the Bible. We have parts we are to read at home and then we discuss them in small groups, the kids classes and the sermon is preached on it. We did the Ten Commandment this past week. I love knowing that my kids are learning the same things we are... great family discussions. They have children's Church, but yet include the children in the beginning part of the Reg service. They have many youth and children's programs. I really feel that it was a God thing. HE has always blessed our sock off when we ask. We have not been great about going to Church which is not normal for us, but we were not excited about the Church we were attending. I really started praying about and that God would either help us find something else or give me peace about where we were at because the kids like it there(it is fun for them, but not sure what they are getting out of it spiritually)So we decided to look around again... we were actually looking for a different Church and could not find it! It was in our GPS but the spot the GPS took us to... nothing! So we drove around looking for awhile and then just decided to head toward the 11 o'clock service of the Church we had been attending. On the way we saw that this Church(the First Church of God in Vincennes) started at 11 as well, so we just turned into the parking lot saying why not! we met so many people and were invited to lunch and ended up going tot he Superbowl party at the Church that night. Everyone had a good time and met new friends. I just have to say God is Good... All the time!!!!