Surviving and Flourishing

I know most of you tune into my blog for the precious photos of our boy, but you're in for some honesty now too...

We've been in Tyler for 5 months. It's as hard as we thought it would be. But I didn't expect to experience God's provision, joy and love in so many ways just 5 months after moving. In Houston, while we were plugged into a great church and serving the Lord and our church in ministries, my faith had reach a stall. I was confident in my faith, but nothing was challenging it, encouraging it or stretching it. Life was great but predictable and rarely out of the norm.

Tyler has taken our life's predictability and turned it on its head. Our dependence on God is being tested and tried. Every day, I again turn our greatest trial, being our finances, over to God. The blessing of God being in control is producing a closer family for the three of us and from someone who used to loudly declare "I hate money" actually has found peace in our situation. Even more than peace, I have found joy and gratitude in our financial situation - thankful that our lives have been purged of many distractions and rejoice that we are filthy rich!

Just 5 months after moving here, God's work in our lives is obvious. He has made it apparent that our move was obeying His will for our family. We know that only He could have opened the door for us to move to Tyler and given us the comfort to leave our families behind. Dash is amazing at his job, and even more importantly, he loves it. I am so proud of him. He gets compliments from coaching veterans on the job he is doing as a newbie. He works so hard to provide for Mason and I, and I am so thankful that he shows his love for us in this way.

My faith that was stalled in Houston has been given a kick in the rear. I have to admit that I'm scared about what this means for me. I've always been fearful and shy when it comes to talking about my faith but as God  overwhelms me with His relentless love and desire for me, I am gaining confidence. I want my love for and seeking after our Lord to be very apparent to Mason as he grows.

Tyler has blessed me with a worshipful (making up words?) attitude. In part, this is due to the worship team at our new church where they do a great job of tackling the not so easy task of leading worship instead of performing. One song that they have sung many times has become my song for this season of our life in Tyler. I listen to it several times a day while I'm doing housework or playing with Mason. Listen to the lyrics...


Just 5 months after moving to Tyler, I'm anxiously waiting to see what God is doing in our lives and how our family has been transformed 5 months and 5 years from today. I'm praying that my time of offering my leftovers and weak efforts to God is behind me. From the book our small group is studying, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, "True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on eternity." 

And now this blog will resume its normal programming, but I can't promise it won't happen again.