Time in England flies by

It's almost been 5 months since our family stepped off the plane to a cold, wet, uncertain England from the wonderful home we knew in America. The only plans we had were to move in with my parents until we were able to take care of ourselves.

I'm now sitting here in our new home getting ready to have breakfast with my wonderful family and thinking it only feels like yesterday since we got here. I just said to Macie this morning I feel like this is the fastest my life has ever gone. Rediscovering a culture I had forgotten and a brand new one for Macie and Miriam to learn, playing football, living with family then moving to a new home, new church and ministry and in the middle of all this a wonderful new baby girl joined us. People say that life goes faster when you have more kids and it definitely feels that way but I never want to be a person that says, "Where did the time go? I should have done more."

I was praying in the car the other day and asking God to use me to do 'big things' by helping people and impacting the culture I live in to know who Christ really is. I was just getting done praying and about to go inside the house to watch the Man City game with my Dad and I felt like God told me to do these 'big things' now. How do I do this while watching football I thought? God reminded me he made us to make every moment a special one. How do we do this?

The other night Miriam shouted me whilst she was in bed that she needed to go potty. I went into her room and helped her get down from her new bunk bed and as her feet touched the floor she took off running as fast as she could to the toilet screaming, "I'm gonna win!!!". Kids have an amazing way of making normal mundane situations into special moments. Miriam has no idea that she made me smile and my heart leap in my chest but I'm sure those of you that have kids can recall a similar memory. I believe our heavenly Father smiles the same way at us when we simply embrace life in every moment with the heart of a child.

How do I make sure I don't look back over a life that flies by and wish I would have done more? Simple, I race my heavenly father to the toilet every time I need to go! We simply need to embrace today, this moment, this mundane task or job that is here now, in the present. Don't be waiting and hoping for that big moment to come along but instead make this moment into it.

Here we are outside our new house.

A New Path...

For several months now we have been feeling the call to go to England. However, with no timeline in place from God we simply waited and prayed and went on with life as usual. God is so gracious to us that when He calls us, He always lets us know when the time is to go. And that time for us has come...

So many doors that once miraculously opened for us here are now slowly swinging shut. We finish with our apartment ministry in November, Jo's job offered him fewer hours and reduced pay for the upcoming year, the inner city ministry is now being partnered with a church, and Jo's time at his soccer team here is winding down. God is closing doors so that we know for certain who controls the destiny of our lives. If we fight against Him, we only complicate things and make life more difficult. If we let His river take us where He wants it to lead, other doors will soon open and we will be taken to a new level of relationship with Him.

We are so excited about the amazing things God is going to do in England. There is a lost and spiritually dying culture that is simply waiting to be shown Love. Our prayer is that we become the vessels of this Love. That because of God's move in us, England will become a land for us that is "flowing with milk and honey".  God has taken us so far in just a few years. And our journey has only just begun...

Starting My Journey

Today I am beginning a journey.

This is a journey toward Love.  A journey where only love matters.  A journey that I will willing give my life, my possessions, my everything for. I want a record of where Love takes me.  I want to see where He will lead.  This will be my life.  This is all I want to become: Love's hands extended to a hurting and dying world. A world that yearns for a Love that is right at their back if only they would turn around.  I want to show them true Love.  Love without agenda or desire for anything in return. 

I am not sure what my journey will look like or where it will take me.  Maybe no farther than reaching out to a neighbor or friend, maybe to the other side of the world.  Wherever He leads me, I will follow.

Thus, my journey begins...

1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13