Following the Star

Today we met with Pastor Brian and his wife Leah from Calvary Chapel Roanoke. They were very encouraging. We laughed and talked about faith. Pastor Brian talked about Abraham after he left hit a famine and went down to Egypt. Not to the Lord and the Lord never spoke to him there. How he is an example, when we set off in faith we too will hit a famine. It will test us and we must chose to seek the Lord and walk through it or turn to Egypt. It was very encouraging we are so thankful for them.

We then went to Mill Mountain. In the Blue Ridge mountains. They run along the area we live. There is something special about them to me. I find myself just staring at their beauty. I have seen in my time many mountains. The Cascades in Oregon, Rockies of Colorado and so many others. I have always lived near the mountains or at least been able to see them. Why these are so drawing to me I do not know. On the top of Mill Mountain is a star. A BIG STAR. Like, you can see it for miles. Everyone in Roanoke can see it. Well, unless a tree is in the way! Anyway, I told Don we like the Wise Men have followed the Star until it came to rest and here we are. Except we aren't that wise and there is a guy, girl and a beagle! We have had and are in a journey. Not what I expected. It never is-is it. Yet there is a decision to make. Are we going down to Egypt or are we going to allow HIm to be our guide. The Wise Men didn't go too far wrong. Did they?

God of the City

I just got finished watching one of my favorite Youtube videos, Chris Tomlin's God of the City. It was a video I watched on a day when I was down wondering if we were coming here or what was going on in our lives. As I watched it I began to cry for Blacksburg and all that had happen here. I began to believe that though great things had happened here in the past in the Lord; that greater things were yet to come. That God had a plan to reach this city anew and hopefully we would be a small part of that.

Friday we had our first meeting of Calvary Chapel Blacksburg. No famous band played, no free food, no big name speaker to introduce us to the community. Just an out of work man and his wife that sold much of what they had to come to a community and try to share the gospel. In a day where everything the church seems to do is Big. We weren't. You wouldn't have even known we were there unless you of the half a dozen people we spoke with to ask them to come. We had 2 that did. It is a start. We constantly question ourselves about coming. We love this city and we want so much to see the Lord heal and move here is this beautiful area. Our job is to be faithful - His job is to make it grow. We pray for Blacksburg. We ask that you that read this will to.

"Greater thing have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in the city."

Memorial

Today Don and I went to the Memorial for the shooting victims at Virginia Tech. It was the first time we actually walked the campus. Coming up to the memorial you begin to realize that what we saw on t.v. can never begin to allow you to understand the reality of what happened that day. As I approached the memorial it began to hit me - how many died that day. The are 32 stones that replicate the stones in the buildings of the campus. On each stone is the name of each victim. One by one you walk a half circle and read the names of each one that died that day. Some of the stones have a note, flower or some other item someone placed on it. These were real people the brightest and the best our nation had. It was a day that began like all our days began, but ended with such sorrow. There are at least 8 christians I counted. Those whose day began with such violence ushered into the presence of the Lord where now they have the peace that we so long for on this earth.

Oh, Lord how long? The sorrow of this world begs you come Lord Jesus. Come, but yet we know there is a reason you tarry- that more may be saved. For that I am thankful today. Though I long to see you Jesus, I want to see those in Blacksburg that have been through so much pain have the gospel preached another time from another person. Yes, there are others that have been there doing His work. We are not the first nor the last, but I pray the harvest is ready and the hope of souls yet to be saved will not be in vain.

Burr it's cold!

The warm days of autumn have turned into the cold days of near winter. The weather report calls for snow! I feel the weather has reflected to a certain extent my journey. Just when you sit back and enjoy the warm fall day with it's leaves dazzling in all the beautiful brilliance of the season; a cold wintery chill hits the air. A frozen blast that hits you and you wonder if you'll flaw out and feel the warmth and security of the sun. We had a set back of sorts. One of the kind that is of the nature of our human nature of forgetfulness. A financial set back. How I love to have more than enough, but I guess sometimes God allows us to be like Gideon and He allows a subtraction that makes us more reliant on Him. I shed a few tears and did the fear thing of what does this mean. Then I realized I must go on. Oh Gideon, I am so like you. My faith is weak at times and oh how I long to be the Daniel, Paul or Samuel.

We walk by faith and not by sight. Easy words to memorize- hard words to walk out. I am on a journey to live that out. Blacksburg needs to know this and I must learn it if I ever hope to bring the light of those words to a community that has journeyed down a road of tears.

Don's Job

Yesterday we found out that Don was asked to come in for a interview with Shelor Motors. They have already interviewed him once on the phone. So hopefully this is a good sign that he may have a job soon. Please pray for him on Monday at 1:30. That is the time of his appointment.

We had dinner with Gary and Berkeley; the couple from Lynchburg on thursday. They live in a little town called Pilot. It is about 20 minutes from the area we are staying, but it feels like a million miles away. It is so beautiful there. Funny thing- Don and Gary were out front of their house and a lady rode by on a horse. They said hi and talked to her and found out she was from Los Angeles. She had recently moved to Pilot and gotten married to a man from the area. It is a small world!

Gary and Berkeley are very excited about the new church. It is so fun to talk to them. They have been going to a church that has had students from Liberty University going to it. So they are well aware of the needs of the college student. We also met a woman at the vet yesterday. Lucy was under the weather and we had to take her in. She and her husband are looking for a church and she said she liked what we told her about Calvary.

Life is so much slower here. I am feeling the change. I am trying to remind myself why I am here and the need to use this time for drawing nearer to the Lord. Don't we always say we'd just love to have some time to just sit at His feet and listen o His voice. Then when we get it- we want something to keep us busy. I do have a need to spend time with Him, besides the obvious; I have been asked to speak at a Calvary Chapel in New Jersey for their women's Christmas gathering. I have had something on my heart that I think will be great for a Christmas message. So pray the Lord will guide me to what He wants me to teach.

Time to go. The Hokies won today. VT's football team. The road will be congested and the city will be full of joy. How much more do we have to celebrate our Lord.

Tent Dwellers

We have moved again. We are in the Foursquare Conference Center here in Christiansburg. My brother in law knows the guy in charge here and worked it out for us to stay. It was originally a Foursquare college. They renovated it and turned it into a conference / vacation / pastor refreshment center. It is like a 4 star hotel. We have three bedrooms and 1& 1/2 bathrooms,plus a full kitchen. Only one problem they don't allow dogs. Poor Lucy had to "camp" last night in our car. Don couldn't sleep worrying about her. She did fine. I am sure we are more upset than she is.

So we moved again. I am reminded of Abraham and how he was a tent dweller. It is a temporary dwelling. I remember a few weeks ago when we were in Palm Springs; looking out from our hotel balcony how beautiful it was. All the grass, palm trees, flower and water in the middle of this desert. Then the thought came to me " this is all a facade.' It is not real. What is real is the desert. Everything else is man made. To appear as one woman I overheard at the pool say "paradise." But, it is not. Take away the grass, palm tress, water, flowers and what is left - desert. Some times I think the same way. I am looking at what is man made. I want a home I am tired of living out of a suitcase. I am tired of packing up the tent. What does the Bible say. He was waiting for the city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God. Heb. 11:10. He realized what was real and it isn't here. How hard that is for me sometimes. I think my security is in the job and house. Paradise isn't here it is to come and that is what I need to remember. I look at the faces of the young people of Blacksburg and know that is why we are here. Keep my focus on the real thing Lord.

A Beautiful Day

Today began with a beautiful sunrise. The sky was clear and there was bit of fog around the mountains and the sun rose through the mountains and the fog. It was breathtaking. The rest of the day has been sunny with blue skies. So refreshing. It is so like the Lord to send the sun through the fog. Just when we think we have lost our way the sun breaks through. The skies become clear and we see.

We haven't seen any changes in our situation yet. Don applied at a car dealership in Christiansburg. This dealer owns several different dealerships Ford, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, etc. They start you and keep you on a salary plus commission. Great thing is they are closed on Sundays. It's not exactly what Don would like, but it would be a job and right now that is what we need. He will continue to contact other companies as well.

We also met Pastor Brian at the Calvary Roanoke Church. He and his wife were extremely friendly and we hope this is the beginning of a great friendship. Pastor Troy in Lynchburg has already offered to print flyers and help in any way he can. We haven't yet decided when to have an initial meeting yet. We will meet with a couple who moved here from Lynchburg this week.

Yesterday we drove through the Virginia Tech campus. It is a beautiful place. The older section is made up of stone buildings that are arranged around a large grassy tree lined open area. It is spectacular I will try to get a picture and find a way for everyone to see it. The campus is huge to say the least. It has, as I said thousands and thousands of students. There is so much opportunity for the gospel. We pray everyday for the wisdom and plan of how to reach these young people. I believe the teaching of the word along with the contemporary worship with be somewhat unique in this area.

We have received many phone calls and emails from friends encouraging us. Many have had a scripture, song or just a word that brought us hope and joy. I love that about the body of Christ. There is a song by Audio Adrenaline that has a phrase that goes "there were times when things were dark and I was known to miss the mark, but someone fixed my aim." Sometimes that is the Lord. In Archery when you learn to shoot someone comes along and helps you steady the bow and arrow so you can hit the target. The Lord will wrap His arms around us place His hands on the bow then with His hands on ours- pull back on the string and we hit the bullseye. Other times we have a brother or sister in Christ do the same. Either way, Jesus is with us and without Him we would certainly miss our target. Thank you for helping me "hit the mark."

Disappointments - HIs appointments

Today was a disappointing day. Don did not get the Kenworth job he had hoped for. There are no jobs in sight as of today. I cannot tell you the feeling of having no job,no home, and no church yet. It is scary to say the least. We are trying to understand the will of the Lord and not panic. The comforting thing is knowing how many people are praying for us. That is so wonderful. So I am learning to try to not only not look back, but not look too far ahead. Funny isn't it. That is so hard for us humans.

On the positive side we have spent alot of time cruising Blacksburg. Our hearts are so full as we watch the students. This is a huge college. So much to harvest oh Lord, please help us! There doesn't seem to be alot of churches. Mostly older ones, but hard to say as it is hard to find your way around. You can definitely get lost very easily here. Every road goes up and down and around and around. I love the downtown area. We walked it tonight and prayed for the city and the college. The weather is cold and a bit of a wind so we didn't last long in our California wear. All our thing are in a storage unit and I can't get at some of our clothes. Burrrrr!

We hope to meet with a couple from Lynchburg this week. They attended a Calvary Chapel there. We are seeing interest and hope that it will continue. We aren't sure when we will begin. We are talking about praying first. We also hope to attend Calvary Roanoke or Lynchburg this week and see what those churches are like.

One fun thing is here in Radford where we are staying with Don's brother there are all these hay bales, scarecrows, and pumpkins on the traffic islands on the road. I can't believe no on takes them or destroys them. So different from California.

Thank you all for your continued prayers. It has been a tough day. I am praying I will wake up tomorrow and trust Him because He is always faithful. Even when I am not.

A Tough Time

We have arrived. I don't think I have arrived mentally. The last two days have been extremely hard. My stomach has been in knots. All the thoughts of Chattanooga and my time there have come flooding back. I have prayed and cried out to the Lord. On Sat. I called a friend who prayed for me. It has been hard. I read a devotion from "My Upmost for His Highest'" and it talked about giving "big" things up. That many times we are so confident and feel good that we are giving some big thing up. But, then Oswald Chambers says that then as we do that we find a small area where we are not willing to give it up and that is the thing the Lord is really after. I may be in that camp or maybe I am not in the camp at all! I only know this has been one tough road and I am praying and believing He will help me and give me strength. I miss all of you. God bless.

Snapshots from the raod

It has been four days since we began this journey. I feel like I could sing "God bless America." From the mountains to the prairies to the oceans white with foam. I have seen America and all the beauty that the Lord put into her.

Snapshot 1- Entering New Mexico. It felt like home. We lived there nearly 10 years. It's so beautiful. God took a canvas and painted a picture I never get tired of. How I wish I could capture it on film, but like the Lord who painted it- it is too big. It's desert set against the crystal blue sky. There is no sky bluer. Then He painted His deserts with brush strokes of red on the rocks. So we would always remember the blood of Christ our rock. I will miss it so.

Snapshot 2- Friends. Some full of joy. Some full of sorrow. Some suffering and some hurting. Yet no matter how long it has been since seeing each one, it felt like we have never been apart. I am so thankful for each person God has place in my life.

Snapshot 3 Along the way I have seen signs like the Jesus Christ Truck Stop. Lifting up his name in bold colors for truckers to come and be refreshed. The largest cross in the western hemisphere with the stations of the cross at the base. Wow! Then the truck I passed and looked into my rear view mirror to return to my lane and on the front of the trucks' bumper was attached a large cross. He goes before me and behind me. Smile!

Snapshot 4 Looking back. I made a decision to not look back when I left California and New Mexico. I didn't look in my mirror or turn my head to look one more time. However today it was tough to not mentally look back. Reality is setting in. We are going to Virginia and not returning to California. I am praying and reminding myself of His promises. It is easy to begin a journey, harder to continue the journey. I pray I will be faithful to complete this one.

Building on a new Foundation

It is Sat. morning and I woke up with that pit of the stomach feeling - like "what are we doing!" This journey is off to a emotional start. I never thought it would be this difficult. I was reading in Romans 15 this morning a passage that has been coming to my attention several times. Paul says "For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed., in the power of signs and wonder , in the power of the Spirit: so that form Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named that I might not build upon another man's foundation ; but as it is written "they who had no news of him shall see and they who have not heard shall understand."

This morning as I begin this new journey I want to be like Paul. I want to tell others of the things He has done in my life. I want the power of the Spirit not for myself, but so others can see we serve a powerful God. I like Paul want to build on a new foundation. In America it is hard to find a place where we have not heard the gospel. We can however find a place where there seems to be a void of some kind. I hope we have found that in Blacksburg. I also hope for you whose journey is more planted, that you like Paul will see the Lord's call on your life and find a place to build on a new foundation and tell others of all Christ has done in your life.

This is a test

Hey guys! This a new for me. So I am doing a test to see if I can get this thing off the ground. I plan on using this to update all of you that want to follow our journey to Virginia. I have a lot to learn so be patient with me. Jul