Hello?
Anyone out there?
Let me dust these cobwebs off of my little blog and explain how this place has become such a ghost town! If you have time, grab a cup of coffee or bottle of water and sit down and take a little journey with me! If it gets too lengthy, feel free to take an exit out of here but I just feel the need to share the highlights of the last 5 months of my life! It has truly been unbelievable!
As you probably remember, our lives turned upside down last September when our 16 year old, Logan had a car accident and spent a month in the hospital and 4 more months recovering at home & doing home bound school. Praise God, he is now completely healed and back to a normal life!
After those stressful months of being stretched to my limits, I felt like I had been isolated and going through a depression. I went from round the clock nurse, teacher, mom, cook, etc. to having my life back...no one needed me. I just felt lost! I knew God was doing something inside of me but I didn't know what. Little did I know, He was just preparing me to shake my life up a whole lot more!
You see, the wonderful man that I married 24 years ago grew up in Florida and has always wanted to move back. But before we knew what hit us, we were married, had good jobs, 3 little boys, a mortgage, and roots! We had planted our roots in the same hometown where I was born and raised and life was good! Just like I always dreamed of.
Now, fast
forward 24 years and you will find us getting close to
entering the "empty nest" stage of life. Our oldest has moved out to go to
college, the second son just graduated high school and the youngest is in middle
school. We have been blessed beyond measure!
Now the important part that
I left out is that over the last 10 years or so, the ocean has been calling to
my hubby and he has reminded me many, many, many times that he is ready to go back to Florida.
I’m not sure exactly how many years I have ignored his request but in the last
couple of years that request has become more of a desperate plea and longing.
To be completely honest, I truly worried that he would disappear one day and
head south without us. He never gave me any valid reason to believe that he
would but I began to prepare myself financially and emotionally to be a single
mom…“just in case”. Looking back I realize that was selfish on my part just to ignore
him and not even consider talking about it for so many years. I just didn’t
want to uproot our boys and take them (or myself) away from my family & life as we know it.
Well this past February, hubby was again saying he was ready to move and our youngest began crying saying he did not want to move. For some reason, this time it just irritated me and in frustration, these are the words I said....
“There is no reason to cry!
I don’t want to
move to Florida either so if that is what God has in His plan for us then He
will open our hearts & minds to the idea and He will change our desires. God
loves us and won’t take us kicking and screaming so there is no use in crying
about it.”
Why didn’t I just keep my
mouth shut?!?!
Within 1 short month, I had applied for and received a Florida teaching license, began preparing our home to sell, searching for a home in Florida, and applying for teaching positions! Now it is the beginning of July and I am packing the last few things and will be making the big move in just a few short days!
You might wonder how did so much change from February until July? The only answer...God! (Me and my big mouth!) He began changing my heart and answering my prayers literally within minutes and hours of praying! It was completely crazy and actually became quite comical at the number of answered prayers I received. My coworkers came in each morning asking what God had done to get my attention in the last 24 hours! Here are just a few examples...
Miracle #1- An open mind and change of heart in me was the first miracle but I'll spare you the details of how that happened! Lots of tears and tissues involved!
Miracle #2- Hubby went to "Sea School" and got his Charter Boat Captains license and has dreams about beginning his own chartering company. So one morning while praying, I asked God how could I let him follow his dream, but yet still give our family stability (his health insurance coverage is now a must for Logan's future complications from car wreck) and a steady income. When hubby woke up 15 minutes after my prayer, he told me that a coworker had told him that there was a job opening in Destin, FL doing his exact same job with his same company! No loss of benefits or financial security and he can begin the charter boat business on weekends and evenings until it grows and takes off!
Miracle #3- The following morning I was praying again & telling God that we can't move...we have a mortgage on a home that will be paid in full in just a few short years! We can't just walk away from that! Again, 15 minutes later, the hubs woke up & told me that a neighbor stopped by the night before and said "hey, if you ever think about selling your home just let me know because we need a bigger home & yours would be perfect." Ummm, we had told NO ONE we were even discussing a move AND he has never even been inside our home!
Miracle #4- I can't leave my oldest son! He will be a senior in college, will marry someday and have some grandchildren for me. I don't won't to live far from my future grandkids! This one took about 8 hours for an answer... that evening, our oldest sent me a text asking how to get in-state tuition for Florida State University! When I questioned why he was asking, he responded that he had been considering a change of scenery & fresh start somewhere & FSU had a great business department and a paintball team!
Now by this time it is getting pretty hard to convince myself that these are all just coincidences. Just for good measure (and to "test" God) I decided to write a wish list for what I wanted in a new house. I love my home so He is really going to have to show off to make me happy with a new home. Just to be difficult and a bit of a spoiled brat #1 on my wish list was to be close to the beach (for me!) and/or the bay (for the hubby's fishing pleasure). I'll post that wish list below...note the highlighted items...those are things our new home has! Looks like I will be putting up my own fence!
I have always doubted if I was hearing from God or not so He made it VERY clear to me that this is His will for our lives.
And the miracles continued!
Among some of the other answered prayers...
I got a job at my first choice school in my first choice grade (kindergarten) AND it is just 1 short mile to the beautiful beach and 1 mile from my new house!!! Did I mention that I found out that I have a 3rd cousin that works at this school?!? We haven't seen each other in 20 years & I had no idea she had moved to Florida! Small world!
My husband did interview for and received a job transfer with no loss of benefits and a few added perks.
My little one that always cried at the mention of moving... he now says he will be disappointed if we don't move!
BIG MIRACLE! We were able to pay our current home mortgage off IN FULL and also have money for a good down payment on our new home!
The new home was a model home and wasn't available for us to move into until end of November so we walked away without signing a contract and told them we would have to pray about it first. Twenty minutes later we got the call to name our closing date and they would make it happen!
The list can go on and on but I guess this peek into the last 5 months of my life explains my absence and slow responses to TPT feedback and questions. I am certainly not telling you all of these events to boast or brag...I give God ALL of the Glory! Trust me, I have asked God "why" many times. The only answer I hear is "watch and see". I can no longer doubt that this is just His plan for my life and my steps are ordered by Him!
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20
May I suggestion you write down your wish list for your life?!?
