Moving Day

 Well, technically it is “load the truck” day. But I still can’t believe it is finally here. We have known this day was coming for some time now, and there always seemed to be a few more months, a few more weeks, a few more days. I have spent the 5 weeks slowly packing so it wouldn’t be overwhelming. Last time we moved, I was staying up till 11 each night after work to get it done. Even though I took longer this time to not be overwhelmed, I am still exhausted trying to get as much as I could done myself. 

I know people move all the time. I know military families do this more often than we do. Though, spending 4 years in Shreveport, then 5 years in Little Rock, and 4 years here in Manhattan makes people ask if we are military. Yes, I could have asked for help. Yes, we could have looked into hiring people to load the truck. But we both are frugal and like things done a certain way, so we only have ourselves to blame.

We have had several good bye parties, and as much as I love seeing friends, I hate each time I have to say goodbye. God put these amazing people in my life for a reason, and I am so blessed to have met them. Friends have let me cry to them about the pains of moving. They have done park dates with my kids so I could get a break from packing. My neighbors are letting us stay with them tonight so we can get the house cleaned and not dirty it again, and will let my husband stay with them when he comes back to finish his work contract.

Moving is hard. Physically, emotionally, mentally, I am exhausted. We have had many highs on this path and few lows, and I continue to put God in front for both. For joys, I give praise. For pain, I give faith. I know that He is with me, and is guiding us to our new chapter in Hattiesburg. There are so many good memories here, as there were with each previous move. I will always carry a piece of each place with me. I wish I was half as good at scrapbooking as my friend so I could have the memories in print. Maybe that will be my goal after we get settled. That and finally finishing baby books... 

I am looking forward to our new adventures in Hattiesburg and being closer to family. Having been 13.5 hours away these last four years has been tough for us and for my family. I will miss my Little Apple friends, but those who are true will still be in my life. Thanks to finally getting the hang of Zoom and FaceTime (something positive from Corona??), we can continue wine nights. 😁

I love you, Manhattan, KS. You have helped me grow into the believer I am. I am so grateful for finding God through you. 

Our redeemer (Isaiah 43)

Isaiah 43:1b Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; the flames shall not consume you.

God is the one who created us. He freed us from our captor, Satan. We are precious in his eyes. No matter the challenges we come up against, and there may be many, we need to know God is by our side. 

I read this after receiving some potentially not good news in relation to our house selling. I had already decided I was not going to let Satan in by worrying about what might be. And then to read this chapter, I am reinforcing my beliefs that no matter what may come, God is with me. He has guided us through this process thus far, and will not leave us now. 

Lord, you are my redeemer. You have a path for me to take, and I know you are guiding me always. I praise you for all that you have given me, and I have faith that you will continue to guide us on this path you have set us upon. Glory be your name.

Foretelling the future (Isaiah 42)

Isaiah 42:1Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

This chapter is a great prophecy for the Israelites future, and we know this because we know it came true. In this chapter, Isaiah talks about the one to come who 

*I am pleased: in Matthew 17, as Jesus is baptized in the Jordan, a voice from heaven says, “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

*Upon whose I have put my spirit...To open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon those who live in darkness.: in Luke 4, Jesus is reading from the scroll on the sabbath, and proclaims that the scripture of Isaiah was fulfilled, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free...” In John 9, he does make the blind man see. 

Jesus did not cry out in the streets, drawing attention to himself by being boisterous. His mercy was abundant, so he would never turn his back on someone in need. 

The final verse, “the earlier things have come to pass, the new ones I foretell,” should really shake us. At the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, the people had no idea to truly believe. But we know God’s prophecy of Jesus came true. We have the history books to tell us of the falls of the kingdoms. So if all the other things Isaiah prophesied came true, why would we believe that other things God promised wouldn’t happen?

God wants to heal our pain, he wants us to draw near. He wants us to truly accept him as our Father, Jesus as our Lord and Savior, so that we can be with him in our eternity. It’s never too late to let him heal you. 

Lord, I pray for those who are broken, who are hurting. I pray that they can find you in their weakest hours, to see that you are the way out. I pray they seek you first, and not fill their needs with things that will not save them. I thank you for your blessings. Amen. 

Fear Not (Isaiah 41)

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice. 

God is not asking us to not fear. He is pretty much commanding it. Fear can lead to anxiety which can lead to sin. We do not need to let fear overwhelm us, and lead us to not trust in the word of God. There are so many references in the Bible to not worrying. In the gospel of Matthew chapter 6:25 tells us not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink, or about clothing. It goes on to say we can’t an hour to our life by worrying. The gospel of Luke chapter 12:27 says the same, including that God dresses the lilies, so surely he would take care of us as well. Philippians 4:6 tells us to be anxious for nothing and turn our fears over to God. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to give our anxiety to God because he cares for us. 

Our God is a loving God. Why would he take the time to create this world and you and me in it, just to throw us here without any help? God is with us, and we need to trust in his word. In this time we live now, still wrecked with this pandemic, it is very easy to worry about something. We all do. When we begin to feel the tug of worry, we need to turn to God and ask him to take whatever the worry is from our mind. If we continue to dwell on a worry, that’s when the devil can come in and make that worry grow. 

I’ve had worry and fear about this move, and I found I haven’t been sleeping well because of it. I had a few bad dreams about the new house, this house, the move itself, etc. And I realized that at my weakest moment, when I have the least control, in my sleep is when the devil was trying to attack me. I am strong during the day because I pray out loud. But in my sleep, the devil was taking my fears and making them bigger. So before bed, now I make sure to pray to God about the move, saying I am putting it in his hands. I find that has been helpful in that I don’t remember having bad dreams at least.

Lord thank you for taking the fears from my mind. I know they will only lead me down a road I do not want to be. You are such a good father, and as I tell my children, you ARE bigger than the bogeyman. 

Find Your Strength in God (Isaiah 40)

Isaiah 40:6b, 8 All flesh is grass, and all loyalty like the flower of the field... The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of our God stands forever. 

Isaiah 40:31 They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.

These verses are reminders to the frailty of humans and life. We are like the grass, come the end of our time, we will wither like the meadows in winter. The things we have done and said will be gone. But God’s word will carry on. Like a grandfather telling stories to his grandchildren, God’s word will continue to live on in the hearts of his believers. It has been passed down for generations already.  If we want to be so caught on making a difference for our children’s children in their future world, the best way to start is by living and passing on the word of God. If we want to keep his light burning, we must strengthen the fire. 

In our current time when we become tired and weary, God will renew our strength. He is always with us, ready to help us back up. Those who wait for God for his strength will receive it. Of course, this doesn’t really mean sitting around, letting the world go on, waiting on God to fix it. This means taking up our place in the world and actively trying to make it better. God will multiply our gifts and actions as we seek him and rely on him.

Lord, I praise you for always being near. I will actively seek you until my days become like the winter grass, and I will be ready for you to take me home. Until then, I will spread your fire so future generations will always called you Father.

Do You Value Others (Isaiah 39)

Isaiah 39:8b For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

Oh Hezekiah. In chapter 38, we read that when Hezekiah was ill and prayed to God, God gave him 15 more years of life. This must have changed Hezekiah internally, because when messengers from the king of Babylon came to visit, he felt the need to brag and show him all the treasures and finery in his house. Isaiah then informed Hezekiah that God was going to take everything away from him and give it to Babylon.

Hezekiah’s bragging of all the treasures in his kingdom was an act of pride. His showing of all the things he built up under God’s protection was like a slap in the face for God, and we are to understand that Hezekiah never once gave praise as to HOW he came about all the treasures. He certainly was not being a humble man, giving thanks to God for all he was blessed with. And so God told him it would be taken away. But the Lord said it as, “the day shall come,” and Hezekiah assumed those days wouldn’t be during his lifetime, as God had given him 15 more years to live. Hezekiah showed no concern for his children’s children when he replied, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.”

Are we just as selfish and lack humility as Hezekiah? Do we care only about ourselves, hoarding our treasures, instead of offering things up to others in need? Do we only focus on our future success instead of what God has already blessed us with?

As I am packing up the house, I can see that we are truly blessed. And with that, I am going through and giving away lots of clothes, household items, etc that are excessive to what we truly need. I know someone else can benefit from these gifts, whereas they are just sitting in the closet or cabinet, not being worn or used here. And I feel truly selfish in that I haven’t taken the time to do this with my own stuff before. I make the kids do it each year before Christmas, but I haven’t charged myself with the same task until now. And it feels really good to be letting go of things. 

Lord, thank you for all that you have blessed us with. I pray my offerings will bless another as I have been. Thank you for continuing to give me grace, even when I may not be worthy.