So much to say....

There really probably is no way to capture all that has happened since my last post, so I won't even try. What I want to get down on 'paper' now is how much I am thankful for a new church home. Since May 2012, our lives were pretty much turned upside-down...something I definitely was not prepared for....as I guess no one can really prepare for what happened to us. Was it the end of the world? No. But it did change our lives forever. Had to sell our home....in fact one of the most difficult nights of my life was July 26th, the night before I left to lead a team of 19 to Ecuador. It was the last night I would ever spend in our home in Decatur. The circumstances were almost unbearable and I barely slept 2 hours before our trip. It was almost too much to think that when I left for the airport the next morning, I would never return to that home. Our first home-home. We had an apartment in Texas and a townhouse in Maryland. I loved that house....so many incredible memories there....many, MANY, many prayers prayed throughout that home; all three of our girls professed faith in Jesus Christ in that home; they all started their school careers in that home; our marriage was saved in that home; we brought Emma back from China in that home; and so much more. There is no way I could ever write down the seven years of memories I had tied to our family in that home, so it was hard to leave; very hard. Since we drove out of the driveway July 27th to go to the HSV airport, bound for Ecuador, I have never been back. I thought I would at some point, but I just couldn't bring myself to it. It was too emotional. Perhaps one day I will be able to drive by. But until then, today I rejoice over all of the places in my heart that the Spirit of the Lord has filled in, since May 17, 2012. The Lord gave me a vision the other night of my 'body' with many holes, many open spaces. And over those open spaces at one time existed hopelessness, anger, despair, bitterness, hurt, depression, anxiety, fear, and much more. But since September 2012 when we started attending Shoal Creek, until we finally joined Church of the Highlands, He has slowly filled in those holes with peace, strength, faith, and things I really cannot even describe. My healing begin as we visited different churches: The Rock, Epic, and Lifepoint. The wonderful congregation at Shoal Creek gave Matthew the opportunity to work part-time and more healing took place there for me as well. Even though past circumstances were incredibly difficult and painful, I am so THANKFUL for where He has us today. If we were still at Parkview, I would not KNOW the healing and redemption He had for me. I wouldn't know it and I would be missing so much. There was a time when I thought I would NEVER, ever feel whole again...feel alive spiritually. I even almost gave up and thought, I would never know it again as long as I lived and almost resigned myself to accepting just getting by. But deep down I knew there was something more. I knew the Lord did not want me to settle and just accept the time in the valley as a permanent place to stay. So, we continued to attend church and I went because I felt like I had to go. And every time I went it was just almost overwhelming emotionally. I sensed He was doing something in my life and didn't really know what. We had a new business; something that I was so excited for and I was miserable. I truly hated it....and was despairing thinking we were stuck because we'd signed a 10 year agreement. And then it happened....stay tuned.