Expanding Boundaries: Our Move to Paradise

Josh and I have been married for going on 22 years and many conversations surround the idea of "Would you ever...." or "Wouldn't it be awesome to move to (blank) and live there for a few years?" For years, we have desired to make a big move and take an adventure living on the beach or in the mountains. But for many reasons, we never did. We just dreamed it. Maybe ultimately it just wasn't time yet. Occasionally throughout the years, we would go look at new developments or Open Houses but each time, it never felt right. But God was stirring in us "a move." As much as we wanted to, we didn't want to. We are comfy people who like to be comfy!
Over 10 years ago, Josh applied for a youth ministry job in New Braunfels and that was a daring move in our minds, but by faith we went. The thought of moving out of town seemed too big for Mr & Mrs Comfortable. Then, over the past 2 years specifically, we have been looking for property in a nearby town but nothing ever felt right. It would have been a small move with little change to our lives other than new schools for the kids which we were hoping for. A year or so later, our church announced a new church plant up north from us in another town we like to visit, on the lake. That would be a little bit bigger of a move north but we weren't sure and yet we began looking at houses, seriously this time, not curiously. 
There are 3 other places we always tease about one day, packing it up and moving big. Back in the day (as recent as July 4th of this year) our hearts raced thinking about, dreaming about, "Wouldn't it be awesome to...move to New Braunfels!?" The other place is a small town in New Mexico, or maybe even Colorado! To experience 4 real seasons sounds dreamy! We love the mountains in any season and we love the water- river, lake and beach. Another location we love is the Florida, but that is soooo far and a much bigger move and would be a long shot.
Unlike the younger years when we didn't have kids to think about, that would have been a perfect time to travel, but neither of us had money to do that and at the time, we were young marrieds actively involved in youth ministry at our church and were excited to just start living life at home as the new Mr and Mrs. Now, every decision is first covered in prayer, of course and then we have to consider the family of 6. What about a local church, schooling, the finances, the environment, the distance from medical help, etc.
Our life seemed to shift over this past year and it's almost like crashing waves before the flood. We continuously felt "hit" and felt like the sands under our feet were sinking, and we no longer could get out, and the waters began to rise. We were taking on water. It was then our hearts began to stir at the end of June this year and we felt like God was about to step in and something big was about to happen. And He did. He said, "pack it up and go." We didn't know where or when or if really we would. We prayed fervently for God to show us and give us clarity either way. Practically, it made sense that it would be now, because we have a Senior in the house and it was literally our last chance as a family of 6 to take this family adventure together before we are a family of 5 living together. Spiritually, it made sense cuz we were sinking.
So we prayed (and I began the purging the closets...just incase). We already had a vacation planned for the July 4th weekend in New Braunfels and we "figured" "THAT MUST BE IT!!!" HOW EXCITING!!!! For over 10 years we have served alongside a church there and "figured" that's where we will go. We began looking for houses and made an appointment for 1 tour during our visit. Everyone was eager to get there and we discussed (and prayed) what life would be like there, which church would we join, how it would affect work, our business, our family, our friends, schooling for the kids, cost of living, etc. It would be a bigger move than staying local, but it wasn't too big of a move only being a 3 hour drive away from Houston life, work, family, friends.
The Sunday before we left, Josh woke up and said, "I think we are supposed to move to The Keys." I seriously rolled my eyes and said, "Whatever." He looked at me and and I realized he wasn't joking. I still said, "No Way!" Churches? Hurricanes? Flooding? Sharks? Distance from mainland? Distance from family and friends? NO WAY!!!! He told me to at least pray about it and there was a part of me that wondered if he was just going for one of his dramatic moments and kidding around with me cuz he knew I would be freaked out only to come back with his "just kidding Babe." Ha. Ha...not funny. But I said I would pray, and I did. God, we know You are calling us to pack up and go but we want to be very clear about where. We want to follow where YOU want us to go and not Josh's plan, or mine. Show us and make it crystal clear, give us unity and give me peace especially, that I may not fear this change. We choose to follow You and trust You. Believing You will provide, amen.
I woke up Monday morning and had an excitement in my spirit, about moving...further than 20 min away...further than 2 hours north, further than 3 hours west...further than 16 hours away....all the way to The Keys...24 hours away (driving straight thru!). I was shocked. I shocked myself. I was shocked by God...."really God? The Keys?!? Soooooo far away?!?" We already had the plans for that upcoming July 4th weekend, so we eagerly anticipated some type of closure or clarity. We called and confirmed our appointment with the house the following day and all was good to go. I was hoping God would indeed confirm this was our place. 
The next morning, we loaded up the car and about an hour into the drive there, the realtor called and cancelled our appointment. The owners decided not to move. Wow....okay. Bummer. The drive only got worse when the freeway was shut down and we sat rolling at 10mph for hours only to detour and our 3 hour drive became a 6 hour drive. Everyone was grumpy and tired and yet, we still had our original plans to hang with our wonderful friends! We also couldn't wait to attend "our church" and wouldn't ya know, the Pastor was on vacation, guest Preacher was there, and he spoke about being brave and making moves that God calls you to. Alrighty, 3 strikes, we were out and a word of encouragement to make a big move. God was very clear. While sitting there on their gorgeous porch sipping coffee, in a town we'd love to have called our new home, we booked airline tickets to The Keys, to get our feet and hearts on the ground to pray and confirm what we felt was already set in stone. Surprisingly to me, The Keys didn't seem so terrifying that morning. COUld it really be Paradise over Panic?!? 
The very next week, the kids already had planned a vacation with family in Austin and would be gone, so we flew for our 48 hour confirmation time with the Lord. We flew into Key West and began our search. I will blog next time about God's "more than"  and all His confirmations from the moment we landed, but for now, where we are. Our first stop was Sugarloaf Baptist Church which the Pastor happened to be there and he blessed us with prayer and encouragement to keep moving forward by faith. Bless my heart! Thankfully, joy and anticipation overcame my fear and anxiety. I know most people won't understand that, this is The Keys and Paradise, however, it can also be a huge sense of anxiety for the above mentioned reasons. But there was peace, like a river...or a Key's Beach!!!
We fell in love with this place and Islamorada is now our new home for the year. We thought we would be in the lower keys, but this is it! We had a hard time finding a place which I will blog that part of the journey next time, and we wondered what God would do, and we were fine living in a campground if that's what He was calling us to humble ourselves to do. But, God has "more than" and we are beyond blessed to call this place our home. It's half the size of our last house but it has been perfect for us!! 
We skyped the kids and told them this was it, and they were excited! There was much to do in such a short period of time since the schools here began Aug 18th, a week earlier than Houston schools and they would need to all be registered! Josh met with his boss and explained that we would be moving for the year and was asking for approval to keep his job, we met with church leaders and let them know we would not be able to lead this coming year, and we told family members, friends and our LifeGroup. We are charter members at our church (going on 12 years there) and love every person. We would have loved to have hugged each one good bye (see ya later) but there wasn't a way to do that and we also didn't want to make a big deal about our move. We also didn't want to risk a bragging perception that we were "living the dream and moving to Paradise." Yes, it is true, but it's not exactly this grand adventure of fun. We are not growing a crazy wild hair and picking up to go do something crazy!! This comes with much prayer and concern. That being said, of course...It is a grand move. It is going to be an adventure. It is going to be fun. But it is also coming with a big price...leaving our comfort zones, missing our family, church family and friends, a comfortable life, a safe life, a familiar life, adjusting to a new life, a new culture, new schools, etc. The main thing we have to change which is not a price to pay in a negative way, is renewing our walk with the Lord. We have been uprooted, taken out of our comfort zones and placed in this remote place to seek a near God, to be more desperate on the shores of faith, seeking our faithful God and Father!
We must use this time to reprioritize our priorities. We recognize we must put God back as our first love and do intentional discipleship within each of our own hearts and souls. We must break old habits and well-oiled tendencies and give God all our hearts, our souls and our minds, and walk in such a way that pleases Him, and not negotiates with Him. We must focus on ministering to our own family. That doesn't mean we won't be ministering to others. We have a great love for ministering to others but we need to keep our priorities right: God, family, others. 
We had found ourselves depleting ourselves to others and not having anything left to minister to our own family. This year we know God will be teaching us how to do this right. It's going to be work as we have to break old habits. It's hard to make changes and yet it's necessary. Pruning hurts for the moment but in the end, it's fruitful. We want to be fruitful!
We must first love Him as our personal Lord with all our hearts. We must train up our children in the way they should go. We must not forsake fellowship of The Body and we must serve and love others. Mom and Dad must lead in this example. If we don't share, the kids won't share. If we don't serve, the kids won't serve. If we don't worship, the kids won't worship. As parents, our first mission field is our family. Second is the church. Third is the world. But it must start with us loving God, as our personal Lord and Savior just as He has called us to.  "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God,to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?." Deuteronomy 10:12-13. 
Our journey starts with Love. Continues with Love. Ends with Love.
We serve a very patient and loving God who meets us right where we are!! He knew I needed baby steps and He has patiently and faithfully and tenderly walked with me through each one. And here I am, yes, surrounded by Peace and Paradise and not by panic, praise the Lord Almighty, moving to a place I didn't think I would or could ever truly live. Wow. To see how He has laid out a foundation for us in which we are able to courageously walk it's length and depth where He has parted our waters for us to walk through to solid ground.
I don't know how long we will be there, I just know this is where He has led us. Our Home will always and forever be in a place called Paradise.
What are your boundaries? Your can'ts or wont's? Your wishes and dreams? Where in your life is God giving you opportunities to expand your boundaries? Where in your own life is He stretching you outside your comfort zone? Are you living practically or faithfully? 
Trust me, there is peace when you trust. If we live a practical life, we will have practical results. If we live a faithful life, we will have GREATER faith! That doesn't mean it will be easy. It does means you will have peace. I could go on about the faithfulness of God but I will stop here and say, "Love Him first!! Seek first, the kingdom of God...and remember that He works all things for good!" 

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Why are you moving? What's your story?

We all have a story to tell. Do you ever think about "your story?" I know I don't find it a common thing to sit around and think about my life, who I am, why I do what I do, think the way I think...until someone asks me.
Our family recently moved, and without fail, every person we meet asks us the same question, "So, why did you move here? What brought you here?" In the beginning of this journey, it was overwhelming and there were so many things that led up to our move across the states, out to the middle of the ocean (as my Mom says.) As we look back now, we can see the many ways God was preparing us for such a time as this. But when God first said, "Go", it was overwhelming and hard to explain all the circumstances and "signs" and affirmations we were given to go. 
In those first few weeks when people would ask us "why are you moving?" we explained the best we could put our own words to, the how of our move, and some of our why. It was overwhelming equally for us yet there was such an urgency (aka:time crunch) to go that there wasn't a lot of time to sit and doubt, question, second guess or fear (which we often tend to do). The call was clear to both of us and to our 4 kids. That in itself is a miracle!! It's not too often you get everyone on board with something, especially something so "radical." We would fumble through trying to explain this crazy "idea" and found "the story" thrilling and daring, exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time. All we knew was that we knew we had to go.
After explaining it time after time to family and friends the best we could, the story got shorter and shorter. We realized how crazy it must sound to others, and yet the reality of it to us, made sense...kind of. It's often hard to express the ways and whys of God's moving in our hearts and spirits, but ya know that ya know what He is telling you to do when you are intentionally and desperately asking Him. Ask, Seek, Knock!! Each time we shared, we were hearing it for ourselves too. It's almost like God wanted us to really hear what was happening in our own lives, in our own words, so that it could sink in. 
The story we told began to take less time to tell because we realized the bottom line was that we didn't fully understand why God was asking us to make such a big move (in our little world anyway). And yet, we did. He knew that for many years it was our heart's desire to take a family adventure and live for a short period of time somewhere we loved to travel to. And here we were, headed out on such an Adventure! We didn't know how God was going to move and provide for us, but we knew He would. Bottom line, God was saying "Now is the time. Go."
Within a few short weeks, we were packed up and on the road with a moving truck, 4 kids and 2 dogs, and tons of snacks, and even more prayers (and might I add amazing prayers and encouragements from soooo many we love!!!!)! After 3 days of travel, we arrived! 
When locals greet us, it is same question, "Why?" The answer is easy, short and sweet...God moved us here. It is a time of adventure and a time of healing/rebuilding/reconnecting. He has graced us over time and revealed to us some of the whys in each of our lives individually and as a family unit why we needed such an uprooting. We were comfortable and in control and a bit lazy and neglectful in our first calling of ministry which was to our own family, in our own strength (warning flag), to walk according to what we knew was right, only to find that we were on sinking sand (a term I now understand...)
We knew from the beginning that God was calling us to a harvest pruning and we needed new soil to regenerate new, healthier roots. Much like an addict who sometimes needs to leave where they are at, refocus, relearn, break old habits and establish new ones before they can return back home, clean and strong, we felt we had gotten to the same point that we were self destructing on the inside and God drew a line in the sand and said "Let's go. Follow Me."
No, I don't think that you have to literally move to reconnect and refocus on the Lord. We all face seasons of pruning and planting and harvesting right where we are, and we have been doing this for almost 30 years in Texas. This is also a time of Adventure, yes, but it comes at a time of necessary pruning. God certainly has our attention as He answers an old heart's desire while rebuilding another which is to more glorify and honor Him in all we say, think and do. Again, I could go on and on, and maybe another blog later, but for hundreds of reasons we surely can't fully know, He said, "Get up and go."
So where did we go? I will share in the next blog how God revealed to us where we needed to go, and we are humbled and grateful to be spending our year here in a land far, far away!
So why am I sharing this with you? I share all of this to get you to consider your own story. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why are you where you are at? Why do you do what you do? Is there anything in your life or family you know you should be doing but aren't? Are you intentionally asking God, who created your life plan in the first place, to lead you or are you trying to make it your own? The answer seems so simple until you stop and consider the answers physically, emotionally and spiritually of who and what you are. You are living out "your story." How would you explain it? 
I am one of those people who absolutely love to hear other people's stories and why they are where they are in each of those areas. Moving to a new place and meeting new people certainly gives you that opportunity! But, it's a whole other thing to have to share your own. I am so thankful for each time someone asks me now, "why are you here?" because I get to tell them the wonderful story of grace that God has written. 
You know, someone needs to hear your story too! You were created specifically for now, where you are physically, emotionally and spiritually, to live today reflecting His Way! If we don't take the time to check out the fruit on our own land, how will we know when it's time to prune, replant, resoil?! If we don't "dream" how will we ever live a "dream?" God knows our desires and you never know why those desires may be there. Once day, you may live it! And when it's harvest time, and if you don't take notice, trust me, God will let you know!!!
May we live each day before our Lord and in the company and accountability of those He has placed around us, humbly, faithfully, honestly and lovingly as we reflect His Amazing Grace!

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:12-17