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