Entering a New Chapter

Dear Friends and Family,

I think it is finally time to share what is going on in our family these days since pictures of our home will be shared on Facebook soon. This is something I have struggled with sharing and have been in denial at times because, well, quite frankly, I'm comfortable where I'm at and it is not always fun or easy to say 'yes' to what God asks us to do sometimes.

A brief background... We built our dream home 4 years ago in west Fayetteville and were ready to finally make this our home place for many years to come.   But, like Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails."  We had a plan, but He has revealed to us that He has a greater purpose for our family. A purpose that He has confirmed to us over and over, so much that we can't deny that this is what the Lord is asking us to do.

Back in the Fall, through a series of events in our personal lives, God gave us a vision for a future ministry.  The vision is to one day open a retreat place here in NW Arkansas for men's/women's retreats, marriage conferences, family retreats, etc. A peaceful place where those can come and draw nearer to the Lord and be restored, refreshed, and reunited with the Savior.

The Lord has given us this calling through scripture, songs, devotions, timely sermons that spoke about having courage to step out in faith, etc.  The verse of the day in my Bible app, on the day He gave us this vision for the ministry, was Ephesians 1:8, "With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ..."  And that same day my mom sent me a devotion that said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?  No, nothing is too difficult when we believe in Him enough to go forward, doing His will and letting Him do the impossible for us. Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve."  ...It was hard to deny that it was His voice speaking to us.

God has continued to confirm this calling to us since that time.  I believe when He gives you an assignment, He also gives you an excitement and joy, too.  We are very excited about this future ministry and look forward to watching it unfold.

So, we have taken the first step of obedience and put our home and 10.5 acres on the market.   We aren't exactly sure yet when this will happen or what all the details will look like yet, but, we are trusting God to give us that wisdom as it is time. Land isn't getting any cheaper or more plentiful, so purchasing the land would be the next step of the process.

  Again, this has not been easy for me. It has been a stretching process as I have had to slowly loosen my grip on this home place. It holds much sentimental value with all of my dad's woodwork.. the cabinets, trim, staircase, mantles, etc.
But, we know that everything that this world has to offer is temporary, and how we use our time and resources we have on earth has an eternal impact.  We are ready to say, 'Yes', to this calling, let go of what may be holding us back, and let God do what seems like the impossible.

My prayer is that God will continue to use our home place for His purposes. It has been a wonderful place to host special birthdays, holidays, baby showers, and welcome guests in. Already so many memories have been made here and this will forever be a sweet chapter of the story God is orchestrating in our lives.  And now, we trust that God will bring just the right family to this home when it's time.

I know I can tend to be "long-winded" and thank you to those who have read this til the end!  We would like to ask for your prayer support as we step out in faith, believing God will bring to completion the work He has began in us. Please pray for protection against the enemy's attacks as he tries to do what he can to stop us. And for God to open and close the right doors as we move forward.

To God be the glory!