Here we go ...

AGAIN!! We have signed another contract on our house. We are supposed to close on or before October 31. I’m not holding my breath! I am very nervous about having to go through this again, especially in such a short amount of time. Our home inspection is Saturday at 10:00. Please be in prayer for this. We are assuming that since we already had one home inspection go well that this one will too, but you never can be too sure! Have you heard the saying about what happens when you assume?
Anyway, it is exciting, but I think I had gotten used to the fact that we might be here awhile and so now I am wondering if I am really ready for this move!!! I know that God knows what He’s doing, even when I don’t so I have to trust Him fully, completely. Have you ever tried that? It’s not the easiest thing to do. If you don’t believe me, try it sometime!
He has been so good to us. I can’t even imagine why in the world He has been, especially when I don’t always give Him His due praise and thanks. It’s so amazing that we serve a God who loves us no matter what. I was thinking the other day about how frustrated He must get with us. You know how when you ask your kids to do something and they ask “why” or give you a reason they can’t or they simply get mad, whatever it is, they don’t immediately do what you’ve asked. You know how that makes you feel, right? Think about that from God’s perspective! He daily asks us to surrender to Him completely, and we come up with excuses. It makes me stop and think. What about you?
Anyway, that’s not really what I was going to say – maybe God just took over!!
We continue to ask for your prayers through this time in our lives, and we greatly appreciate all your prayers, thoughts, cards, and well wishes. We have great family and friends, and a wonderful church. We love you all.

FRUSTRATED!

Frustrated, disappointed, sad ... just a few of the emotions I felt as I came home today and saw the "sold" sign at my neighbors.  I knew the time would come, but I guess it is bittersweet knowing that our house was "sold" only to have the deal fall through.  Of course I guess it does help our neighborhood look better - now there are only 4 houses for sell on a street of 17!  It's funny that there are so many houses for sell on Kelly Lane.  Haven't been any for sell I think since we've moved here - or maybe just one or two, and now there are 5!  It's crazy.  Maybe God wants us to meet the new couple who will be moving in next door.  I don't know.  Only He does!

I guess I feel a little lost right now - like I am trying to get home but can't.  Maybe a little like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  Oh well, I guess I can't complain too much.  We are having some GORGEOUS weather here and I am enjoying being outside!

And congratulations to my friend Becki who is on her way to California with her husband Travis for the birth of Tanner, whom they are adopting.

Thankful, Waiting, and all the rest!

I am thankful to say that God has opened a door for me to work at BCBC MMO & Preschool as a teacher assistant for Alison Crawford.  I am so excited about it!  Briggs will be going to MMO again too, so I am also excited that he will be back in a routine.

Waiting, waiting, waiting .... in the mean time, we are waiting for our house to sell.  I have faith that God will sell it in His time, but to hear the media, I don't think it's going anywhere soon!  We were so excited about our move to Louisville, and now here we are again with it seeming so far off in the future.  It really feels like we never had plans to move there at all.

Oh well - get off of this pity party!!  I must remind myself that: 1. My focus should be on God, and God alone! 2. There are people worse off than me, who are facing much more unbearable circumstances, 3. God has blessed me beyond measure, with much more than I could ever ask for!

Wow!

It is so GREAT to go to church!  Having worked at BCBC for several years, Aaron and I worked in Kid's Church on Sundays or nursery or something, so we had very little opportunity to go out into the service for worship.  Now that I am not working at the church anymore, we are experiencing worship like it's the first time ever!  I had forgotten how wonderful it is!!!  Please don't ever take for granted that as Americans we can go to church and worship freely.  God has definitely given me a new understanding for going to church.  Just in the last two weeks I have felt so alive by worshiping Him!  I pray that we will not become complacent and just go to church b/c "it is the thing to do," but rather b/c we have a passion for Christ and a passion to reach others for Him.

Many Thanks!

Just wanted to say a word of thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement, cards, calls, gifts, and mostly your prayers.  Aaron, Briggs, and I are so grateful and privileged to have each of you in our lives!  God Bless. :)

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Next ...

So after going forward and surprising EVERYONE with the news that we felt called to missions, we contacted the International Mission Board.  

We put our house on the market in February and Aaron graduated from North Greenville University in May.  Our original plans were to move in July so that we would be in Louisville for the start of the fall semester.  When our house had not sold, we decided that Aaron would take online classes for the fall semester and then we would hopefully move for the spring semester.

Then out of the blue, we got on offer on our house.  We accepted, and made plans to move to Louisville.  We were in Louisville the week of Labor day looking for housing and jobs.

We were just sure that this was what God wanted.  Then on our way home from Louisville, we got the terrible call from our realtor that the deal had fallen through.  That was only a week away from our closing date.  We thought everything was okay, and we were very surprised.

Yes, we had already packed half our stuff.  It is still sitting in the spare room waiting on our move!

We changed realtors to see if a fresh approach might work.  So, we are back to square one.  And you know, it really makes sense when we look at it now. 

I had two deaths last week on my mom's side of the family, one being my grandfather on the day we were supposed to move.  Hurricane Ike also turned and the remnants slammed Louisville and left over 200,000 people without power.  So if for no other reasons than these, God did not want us in Louisville last week!

At first, we were angry, then hurt, then shocked.  Then we experienced a sense of God's peace like never before.  He is an awesome God, and He will sell this house when He wants to.  Yes, we still get angry, and we are still hurt, and we still say, "we should have done this," and "we should have done that," but ultimately we know that God will provide a way for us to move in His perfect timing.

So for now, we are in the process of looking for jobs.  Aaron works part time so he needs to find something full time.  I had already quit my job at the church to prepare for the move so I am looking for something too.  We know that God will provide for us during this time. He has already done so through a gift from someone special.  Thank you - you know who you are!

And we wait ... we wait for the Lord to move in His time.  We wait to see the wonderful things He is going to do.  And while we wait, we enjoy some MUCH needed time in church, with family, and with friends!

It all started when ...

It all started when....

Several years ago, Brushy Creek had a tent revival out at the fair grounds.  That night at the service, the preacher (i don't even remember who it was, but I think it was Johnny Hunt) said something about missionaries and someone being called, blah, blah, blah.  I felt a sudden tug at my heart, really felt like I was supposed to go forward and commit to being a missionary, but I ignored the feeling and went on my way.  After all, I was newly married, and what in the world would Aaron think about that?  He wasn't even there that night b/c he had to work.

I guess I should actually say it all started when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Anyway, back to the rest of the story!  Fast forward many years to the day that Aaron told me he felt called to the ministry.  Many people started referring to "us" as being called to ministry, and I quickly told them, "Aaron is called to ministry.  I'm not."

Fast forward again to September 2004 when I felt called to go on a mission trip with BCBC to Brazil.  That was an awesome experience.  One of the ladies there, sweet Mary Smith, who was once a missionary herself, kept saying she felt someone there was called to be a missionary.  She thought it was Candace.  She was wrong.  I knew in my heart that it was me all along, but I never said anything for fear that I might have to accept the calling!

Aaron was pursuing his degree in Media Ministry from North Greenville University in the mean time.  I was working at the church in the children's ministry with Tammy Lee.  I found out I was pregnant, decided to work part time, and Aaron continued schooling and working.  

I became involved with the Beth Moore Bible Studies (awesome stuff!) that our church offers and it was during one of those studies - Believing God - that I FINALLY agreed that God was definitely calling me to missions and I FINALLY SURRENDERED to Him.  That Bible study just so "happened" to coincide with Aaron being on a mission trip to California with North Greenville.  I was wondering how in the world I was going to tell him that God was calling me to missions.  I think God was working on him that week while he was away in California.  I did what I do best - write.  I wrote Aaron this long note that explained everything to him.  He agreed that he felt called to missions to.

We still didn't do anything about it.  We told a few people that we "thought" we might go into missions one day, but that was as far as it got.

In September 2007, my dad had the opportunity to go to Brazil on a mission trip.  At the service at BCBC where the team was telling about their experience, I felt God tugging and tugging at my heart.  Preacher Jim said something (that I had heard him say once before) about hoping God would call a young person or a couple from our church to missions.  During the invitation, I practically ran down to the front to tell Jim that I knew that he was talking about me and Aaron.  No one had any idea that I was going down front that night - I didn't even know.  But sometimes we reach a point where we can't tell God "no" any longer.  And for me that night was it.