Change Is Comin' Our Way...

Well I am finally able to publicly share what's really been going on in my life for a little over a month now. God has been greatly working in our family's life; so I will start at the beginning...(sorry for such a lengthy post)

For those that do not know, here is a little background on our family. I was born and raised in Kingsport, TN. Will was born in Spartanburg, SC and lived there until his Dad was transferred to Kingsport when he was 13 years old. We started dating when Will was 15, I was 14. We got married December of 2006 and both graduated from East Tennessee State University May of 2007. Will had already felt the call to ministry so we moved to Fort Worth, Texas July of '07 for him to attend graduate school at Southwestern Theological Baptist Seminary. While there, we lived in two different apartments and eventually built our first home. Will served as the part time children's minister at a church during seminary and Emma was born in Texas November of '09. God called us away from Texas in July of '10 and we moved to Greenville, MS where Will served as a full time children's minister. So in our four years of marriage we have moved 4 times and we are now again following God's will for our lives and are moving a 5th time :).

So here is how this all started...this past Christmas, we were in TN and a friend of my Dad's told him about a local church that was losing their youth minister and didn't know if Will may be interested. He had overheard this information at work but Dad told him that Will did children's ministry and never thought another thing about it. Well a few days later, this same friend had further looked into this particular church and found out it was in fact the children's minister they were losing. He told my Dad and my Dad told us about it. We didn't really think a whole lot about it because we had just recently moved to MS and felt this was where God wanted us to be. So Will and I discussed the situation driving home from TN but still were going back and forth on whether or not we should send our resume. Some things happened over the next few days that made us feel we should send our resume to the church in TN to see if God really may have further plans for our lives.

About a month later, we got a surprising phone call from the pastor at the church in TN. He told us that the staff had looked over about 50 resumes and Will's was the only one that all the staff had put a yes on. Over the next couple weeks, Will interviewed with the staff and the committee and they agreed to only pursue Will. Our prayer throughout the whole process was that if this was God's will for our family then he would open the doors in TN and if not He would close them. The doors were opened wide. We felt strongly that this was God's plan but didn't want to be swayed because the church was near family. But after our visit in TN, seeing the church, meeting the staff, we absolutely knew this was our future. We went in view of a call Sunday March 13th and the church overwhelmingly welcomed us in.

The entire process has moved very quickly. We are moving to TN the week of March 20th and Will starts as the new preschool and children's pastor at Boone Trail Baptist Church March 27. As excited as we are to be moving back home, our hearts are very heavy for our church in MS. It is never an easy thing to leave a church as a minister despite what many may feel. Our intentions were never to come to MS and leave so soon but we serve a God that is bigger than any of us can understand. There are several things about all this that we don't have answers for. But all we can say is we know without a doubt that it was definitely God's plan for us to be in MS and definitely His plan for us to now move on to TN. We cannot run from this no matter how difficult the road getting there may be. We know that God has great things in store for our future ministry as well as our church in MS. So as we move on towards this new phase of our lives, we are so excited to see what God has in store for us and so excited to be coming back home after four years! I would ask that you please pray for our family during this transition as there are many emotions involved, please pray for our future ministry at Boone Trail Baptist Church, and please pray for First Baptist Church Greenville, MS

Here are a few pics from our soon to be home...

I Will Rise

Two years ago today, one of the most wonderful people in my life passed away. I had never lost anyone close to me until this day and it is a day that is still very much fresh in my mind...

Will and I moved to Texas July of '07 and we found out that September that my Grandaddy had lung cancer. I tried to be so positive but statistically lung cancer is terminal. My Grandaddy was determined to beat the odds though and fought long and hard until he could not fight any longer. The cancer eventually spread to his brain as well as other parts of his body and it was more than he could overcome. With us living 1000 miles away, it was so hard. Some my say it was easier because I didn't have to witness the confusion set in, the weight gain from the steroids, the days of him sleeping constantly, and all the doctors visits yet for me, I wasn't there. I missed out on the last years of his life. And most importantly to me, I wasn't there when he took his last breath. I truly don't know that I will ever forgive myself for this. The couple weeks before he passed away, we thought it may be getting close but you never can know with these things and I was working full-time so I battled back and forth with going on to TN but decided not to and then it was too late. He made me feel like I was the most wonderful person and I know how much he loved me and I was not there for him in that moment. I thought as time went by that I would feel as if I did the right thing, the only thing I knew to do at that time, and yet I do not....I do remember the last time I saw my Grandaddy very vividly. Will's Grandmother had passed away the January before Grandaddy did so we were in TN for the funeral. Grandma and Grandaddy came and he was all dressed up in his navy sports coat with gold buttons, his red tie, and khaki dress slacks. And not matter how horrible he felt, he always had a smile on his face. I can still see it :). When he was leaving the church that night (and we were headed back to TX the next morning), there was just something that I think both of us felt when we said goodbye. We both knew that would be the last time we saw each other. Selfishly, I'm glad that is the last image I have of him and not him taking his last breath in such agony but more than anything, I wish I could go back and been there by his side.

There are many days, that I question why he was taken so soon, why my Grandma is now alone, why he never got to meet my precious baby girl. But I can rejoice in the fact that he is in heaven, praising Jesus and free of all his pain. And one day, I will see him again. There is a song by Chris Tomlin, 'I Will Rise,' that brings me such comfort when I think about Grandaddy and where he is today...

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Follower...

My precious little girl is growing up so much and developing this awesome little personality. She will do things and Will and I just look at each other with the look of "we are going to have our hands full with this one!" But we LOVE it! She is so much fun :).  Now that Emma is fully walking, in fact almost running, she is always on the go! I have been doing a lot around the house this past week (more on that in a few days...) and today I noticed that every step I took, those little feet were right behind me. I used to watch her crawl around and wonder what it would be like to have her walking with me everywhere I went. And I just love it that she loves me enough to stay right with me, is so curious to see what I'm doing and wants to be such a part of it! Not only is she following me around as fast as those little legs can take her but she is also following things that I am saying and doing and trying to do it herself.  Her new thing is "whoa!" Everything is whoa! It is so cute...we were riding in the car the other day and over and over she would say, "whoa, whoa, wwhhooaa!" And now I have noticed how much I actually say whoa myself! She has learned to fold her ams with this little sass to it, which right now is adorable but in a few years won't be so much :).  And we just can't figure out where she learned that!! If I open my mouth to put a bite of food in, brush our teeth , or yawn, she opens her mouth as wide as she can and if you even do it back once to her it becomes a game! And anytime I am brushing my teeth, she HAS to brush hers too. When I'm holding her and I pat her back, she pats mine right along with me.  Needless to say, my daughter is picking up on every little thing I say and do. I only hope that as the years go by I can always be someone in her life she strives to emulate.

Loss...

This morning I had two messages from my friends in Texas sharing with me some very sad news. A very close friend of mine that I worked with in Texas at the hospital there was killed in a motorcycle accident last night. Rob and I both started working in the CVICU at the same time as brand new nurses so we kinda "grew-up" together. He taught me so much and was such a fun person to be around. We kinda had a joke on the night shift that we all had work spouses, someone that we always counted on to help us out during our shifts. Rob was mine. We always helped each other no matter what when we worked together. I remember telling him that I was pregnant with Emma and he was so excited for me. Will and I even spent the weekend with him and another friend of mine in Austin when a friend of ours got married.

Rob ended up leaving the unit we worked at to work at Children's in Dallas while I was on maternity leave with Emma so I never really got to tell him bye but I did talk to him a couple times in those following months. It's been awhile since I've heard from him since we moved to Mississippi but even so I still consider him to be a great friend. And so today the news I received broke my heart.

I've been thinking back on conversations I had with him and how I asked him about his religious beliefs several times but I honestly cannot say for sure if I know that he is heaven right now. And this tears me up more than anything. I tried to witness to him through my own actions but was it enough? Should I have done more? Should I have pushed it further? I've been beating myself up all day but two very important people in my life told me that it is God who saves people and we are just the instruments He uses. So always remember to let God shine in all you do. You never know when that someone you love may be taken away.

Blog Party!!

Thoughts of Spring...I love spring! I love the feel in the air, I love the energy the sunshine gives, and I love all the colors that begin to paint the earth. Another thing I love about spring is how people start to gather together for cookouts, games, and being outdoors! And what better way to kick off spring then with a blog party! Now I'll have to say, being new at the blogging world, I had no idea what a blog party was but the concept is quite neat! I've already been greatly inspired by getting to know the host of this party and reading about her incredible strength and faith. So I hope you enjoy reading some fun facts about me below and click on the party invite above to find out how you can join the party!


How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?
When taking a poll for this one word the response was that there were too many words to describe my personality with just one word so here is what I got...Compassionate, Sweet, Tender-Hearted, Good, Caring, Kind, Genuine...and I sure hope I hold true to these words about me!


What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?
Julia Roberts - I LOVE her! I have been a fan of hers for years, and I own almost every movie she has ever starred in. She seems like such a fun person! Meeting her would be amazing :)


Who is your favorite blogger? Why?
Confessions of a Chosen One - This blog is one of my dearest friends and I love it because she inspires me more than anyone I have ever known. I love reading her posts because they all come from her heart and her faith and sweet spirit shine through. She is an amazing mother and one of the best friends I have ever had :) 


What is your comfort food/drink?
Dr. Pepper by far is my favorite drink but not just any - a Dr. Pepper from Chick-fil-A is the BEST and can make any day better for me with the first sip :) I don't know what it is about their Dr. Pepper but it honestly is the greatest. 
A comfort food for me would have to be beef stew the way my mom always cooked it growing up. She made a pot when she was staying with me after Emma was born and now every time I eat that beef stew, it takes me back to the most wonderful time in my life.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?
If I could ever get the nerve to do it, I would like to bungee jump but honestly I don't know where I will find the courage to actually follow thru with it :)


Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?
This is a tough one because I LOVE movies. There are many action and drama movies that Will and I love to watch but if I had to pick, a romantic comedy hits the spot any day! My very favorite...The Holiday!! 


Music: What are your favorite types?
Again, I love so many different types of music, some country, oldies, jazz, R&B, pop, and yes even some hip hop, but the one I listen to the most is Contemporary Christian. I love the scripture references and how it is such a worshipful experience for me to hear it. My favorite...Casting Crowns!


Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).
I worry way too much about what others think of me...


If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?
East Tennessee...Rocky Top you'll always be, home sweet home to me! I love to travel and there are SO many places I enjoy visiting but there is no better place in my mind to live than in the mountains of East Tennessee. The beauty is breathtaking! 


What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).
I consider myself to be a good friend. I have had many friendships in the past where I have not been truly cared for and it has taught me about the kind of friend I want to be. I hope that my friends today know how much I treasure their friendship!


What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?
A fresh cut Frasier fur. The absolute best :)


When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?
Absolutely talked more! I am working on this though...


If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?
I would still shop at my favorites, just buy more...Target and Hobby Lobby! But there are a few places I don't get to shop at often and if money was not a factor I would buy all of Gymboree and Pottery Barn Kids!!


What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?
BEES! Yes I've even attempted jumping out of a moving vehicle going  50mph because there was one sitting on Will's shoulder!!! 


What are your favorite animals?
Doggies!! and I'm hugely fond of polar bears. I've always wanted one of my own :)