life beyond the well…

Tag Archives: growth


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New Beginnings…

“Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.” – Ruth 1:16 (NKJV)

“…Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.” – Genesis 12:1 (NKJV)

On November 10, 2012; in the presence of God, my family and friends, I repeated the words above from the book of Ruth as a part of my marriage vows to Preacherman.  I knew that I was entering into a non-traditional life of someone called to be a pastor, and I knew that it would take us on a unique journey.  And while I knew about that, and was eagerly anticipating where this life would take us, I did not realize that it would take us to a new place so soon.

This past Saturday, Preacherman and I celebrated 9 months of marriage by unpacking our new home- in Jacksonville, Florida.

Yes, you read that right!  We have relocated to Jacksonville, Florida; leaving behind our family and friends, our church, and a ton of memories of a life well-spent in North Carolina.

And though we have left those things behind, we are so excited about what God has for us in Jacksonville!  The entire process has been a testimony of faith and provision, and we are overwhelmed with the love that God has for us.  We know that we have been called to Jacksonville to do a great work for the Lord and to build many disciples of the Lord.  We are excited about the people we will serve, and are praying earnestly for this city, its people, and to hear the voice of the Lord clearly so that we may be used as He desires to use us.

I cannot express enough gratitude to my family and friends who helped us with this huge undertaking of a move in such a short time period.  My aunts came to help me pack for several days, ensuring all of our earthly possessions were neatly organized into labeled boxes prior to the movers arriving.  They even came when we WEREN’T there, packing in our absence.  My mother flew in from Phoenix for a whirlwind weekend of helping us unpack and clean our home, so that we wouldn’t return from our new jobs with boxes upon boxes to unpack.  Thanks to her help, we are about 80% unpacked and our home is livable!  We are also incredibly grateful for our church family who has showered us with their love and prayers, sending us constant messages of encouragement.  Because of all of the love and support, we have been able to transition into this new beginning that God has provided for us with little stress.

Through it all, I am so incredibly blessed.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!


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The Things We Discard

I love watching my little one eat.  As with most things, she’s very particular about her food- not just the food that she’s eating, but it’s also important to her that it LOOKS a certain way.  We’ve gotten into a groove with feeding her food that she likes and getting her to gradually try new things.  It’s been a process, but we’ve seen growth and improvement.

Yesterday she was eating her dinner, and as normal, she saved her vegetables for last.  I watched as she methodically ate her peas and corn with her spoon, but I also noticed that there were some that were removed and placed on a napkin.  As I looked closer at those that were placed on a napkin, I noticed that they were the peas and corn that looked “different”.  Perhaps the pea wasn’t perfectly round or the kernel of corn was broken.  Although the taste was the same, and it was still the same on the inside, she had discarded these and deemed them “not good enough” because of how they looked.

I knew better to engage her 4 and  a half year old logic, and it wasn’t that big of a deal to me to try to force her to eat them (what’s 4 or 5 pieces of veggies in the scheme of a half-cup serving?).  But what it really made me do was think and reflect on how often I have discarded something (or someone) because of how they look.  It really tugged at my heart and made me realize that being a true member of God’s family means focusing on a person’s inner appearance more than their outer appearance.  If I can’t get past outer appearance, am I really concerned about their heart condition?  Our vision for people has to be greater than our sight of them.

I’m praying for the Lord to give me new eyes to see people, opportunities, and circumstances in the way that He would have me to.  As a person who has been overlooked, I don’t want to overlook others because they don’t look the way I think they should.  Lord, help me to see your people and care for your people in the way that you would.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height…. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)