Category: Life Foundations

Travelers2…Again?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations
Church House
Church House

Have you ever daydreamed about something, mentioned something to someone, or even had a conversation about a particular dream you may have, and then had some immediate next step options put in front of you?  It is rather exciting to get a few confirmations here and there from those you may have talked with about it.  But, that isn’t where the confirmation needs to come from.  Anyway, that is kind of what happened to me this week.  Let me back track a little to catch you up.

Church House
Church House

One of my dreams I shared with you in my last post was to be able to live in the country.  But another dream I have always had is to find a church that is abandoned and see if we could buy it, or buying one that is for sale, and then live in it.  I wanted to continue to have the chapel part of the church, and use the other areas to make a home in.  I dreamed of small weddings and small receptions that could be held there for a reasonable amount of money rather than the prices some are having to pay for weddings now.  I wanted to offer it as a retreat for leaders or pastors to get-a-way and have a time of refreshing, to someplace they could afford.  Maybe even have a RV hook up or two, and a covered area for a picnic or small gathering.  And my one joy would be to see a church continue to be used as a church.  So there.  Now I have shared yet another of my dreams.

Church House
Church House

Now to catch you up…last week as I was looking for homes around my hometown of Stanwood, Washington for some reason all these other listings were coming into my list of homes for sale.  What did I come across?  I came across a log house church for sale in our price range!  First thought?  Wow!!  I’m IN!!  I just talked about dreams in the last week or so, and now this comes up unexpectedly where it shouldn’t even show up.  It would be country like.  Oh boy!  My mind starts going, prayers go up asking what God has in mind, and my decorating genes kick in!  Vrooooomm!!!!  There are SO many of the details that have come into play with this opportunity.  The kicker?  My family is here.  My friends are here.  BIG one…my grandson is here.  What do I do with that? I have done it before a couple of times, but it wasn’t fun being away from them and Ethan wasn’t in the picture.  I missed them all when I was away.  But as I thought about it, I am also not in the same place as I was at that time either.  I have changed.  However, my heart has also calculated the miles in terms of hours…about 5 hours or so.  That doesn’t seem like that much to me.  I traveled 4 hours to come up through traffic to see everyone when we lived in Aberdeen, Washington.  Have car will travel.

So what do I do with this opportunity?  We talk about it.  We put it in our circle of prayer and pray about it.  My sweetie thinks and contemplates about it.  He is no hurry.  We look at all the pros and cons, and then we pray some more.  Questions like, if something happened to either of us, would we want to continue to live that far from family?  (More my question that his.)  The HARD questions we have to ask.  And, we ask God to open doors that He wants opened, and close those doors He wants closed.  Maybe this opportunity is nothing more than God letting me know He is listening and He doesn’t forget our heart’s desires.  Or, maybe it is another opportunity for us to trust Him completely.  Or, we are to come away for a season of time to do something new that He has in mind.  I can see some great ministry from this sweet spot.  However, I don’t know.  BUT, I know the One Who does.

Church House
Church House

I am the type that has the thing decorated before we even see it.  That’s my personality.  So you can imagine how I have to temper the engines inside me to wait and see.  But God knows that about me too.  Isn’t it great that He understands all about us?  He knows the end from the beginning.  There may be a road trip in our very near future!  If you have a big decision coming in your future, do the work, pray it out, but above all, leave it in God’s hands and let Him work out ALL the details.  He is so good.  It will be just in time, with just the right details.

Walking the journey with you…

~JoAnn

Dreaming Again?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Life Foundations
Vintage Country
Vintage Country

 

The Scale
The Scale

 

Today is a raining and cloudy day in the Pacific Northwest but those clouds are also amazing!  They come down off the mountains and joined the land below like wispy curtains over a window.  On top of a wonderful IMG_2240view, I’m headed up to farmland country where there are mountains and barns galore!  Something about that touches something deep inside of me, and not for the first time, my soul longs for country living.

Have you ever dreamed about something and felt like its ok to dream, but it probably won’t ever happen?  I used to feel THAT was as far as it would ever go.  But not anymore.  I have seen God do some amazing things in this life time of mine and I want to keep expecting he can do it again with my desire to move to the country.  But what will that look like to me, and what does that look like for God?  Yes…two different things possibly.  It may also mean not getting to live in the country at all!  There is a reason and purpose for where we are.  However, one of the lessons I am learning is, as in this case, I may not be living in the country as I would like, but I can make where I AM, more country.  I have an environment in my home that speaks to that.  I have things around me that give me pleasure and speak to a lifetime of memories.  I’m kind of old-fashioned gal anyway, so my home environment has always had a vintage feel or country farm-house feel to it.  I grew up on a small farm and loved the freedom of it as a child.  I learned a lot working alongside my dad taking care of animals, feeding calves and milking cows, and slopping the hogs of which we had two.  My house is home to the lantern and scale that hung in our barn for as long as I can remember.  I have made it work in my home and it is just a little more of that “little bit of country” that is so calming for me.

View for Dreaming
View for Dreaming

I can remember in school always looking out the window.  It helped me think.  Clarified somethings for me.  But I’m sure my teacher thought that I was day dreaming.  But these days I would say, whatever your dream is, pray over it.  Talk to God about it.  Be open for the changes He may desire to make in how that might look.  I remember telling God that I would be willing to expand myIMG_3255 territory and prayed that every day.  He sent me to Missouri, which I would never have considered on my own! It meant leaving everything and everyone I knew!   So be ready for whatever He has for you and remember it may not look like you are thinking it should.  In fact, it probably won’t!  A piece of advice about dreams that I have found:  I came to the realization that I am not the center of the universe.  Whoohooo!!!  Revelation time!  God is the one that has a plan for me from the beginning and often times the plan He has for me is something I might even be ignoring for whatever reasons.  So, when you think of dreams, think of what you are passionate about and when you do that thing, times flies by and you don’t even realize it.  Pray for God to give you a view of THAT kind of dream and He will guide you to it.  It may seem like you are jumping off a cliff, but His arms are there to catch you.  If your dream seems bigger that you?  Then you know it’s God because we can’t do what we do without Him, or the gifts and talents He has given us.  Dreams do not have to be about a house, where you live, or what you own.  It may be that your family lives for God.  Start praying for those dreams. Don’t give up!  There is always something to learn.  For me right now, that is in being content.  Contentment is peace and that is what I’m seeking EVEN IF I never get to the country.  🙂

I’m learning to be content with where I am.  That means:

  • DSC_0732I DO have a home that is my own, SO THAT, I can and should be thankful for that
  • I live on a noisy corner, BUT I have a view of the tip of Mt. Baker
  • I have to often trade cars around to use them, BUT we have two cars
  • I hear horns honking and squealing of tires in the middle of the night or sirens, BUT I can say a few quick prayers before going to sleep again and we are close to help
  • I live with a kitchen that is not for set up for someone who likes to cook and bake, BUT I do have great appliances that I can use and I can re-organize
  • I may have disappointments, BUT I can pray more about what God DOES have for me yet to do
  • I can have gratitude no matter what

See the pattern?  We can learn gratitude in everything and live in contentment.  Take time to learn what God has for you to learn during your waiting time.  Pray and listen as the Lord speaks to you and allow the words that you hear to bring you into a deeper relationship with the One who can teach us what only He can teach us.

Be prepared.  Be ready.  Something great could be about to happen!

Walking the journey with you…

~JoAnn

Where Do You Go?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Legacy, Life Foundations

If you could choose a place where you can go when you need to be refreshed, where would it be? Where can you go, that when you get there, you can dial down, hear God’s voice, and actually feel your spiritual tank getting filled back up? In Romans 15:32, it says “… so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.”

My place?  Anywhere near the water. That’s a beach, ocean, river, stream; it doesn’t matter. I love to sit and look out on the water. When I am there, I can feel my body calming down, I can breathe deep of the fresh air and feel the relaxation that the water brings to my soul. The ocean is one of my most favorites but I will take what I can get where I am, which is usually the bay, a lake or river. I can think and create there, and it is there that often times God places special things in my heart. If we know our place of replenishment, then why don’t we go there more often? We know what it can do for us, we know it gets our creative juices flowing again, and that our spirit is renewed. So, what is the problem?

I think it has to do with what we tell ourselves. What do you tell yourself that keeps you from being in that spot where you can be lifted up? Is it the time? You might have to do somethings differently to make it happen, but you can. Is it children? It may mean taking kids along with you. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and milk with you. GO! Even if it is cold, you can go with the kids and have a car picnic and enjoy the view and talk about all things fun with your kids while you look out, see the beauty, and let God speak into your heart. Even a ride through the country can change a mood pretty quickly when you see the beauty all around you. Maybe it isn’t the water at all but a country farm, or a hike. Whatever it may be, find it. Search it out. If it is just you and your sweetheart, then pack a love basket, bundle up and go for a walk on the beach, and look for shells, or just go for a drive. If you are a camera bug like me, make some memories with your camera. BUT DO SOMETHING!

What if you can’t get to a beach or to your special place outside the home? Ladies, our home is our sanctuary. Find that place in your home that can give you that same kind of lift! It may be a corner of a room with a chair and light next to it. Make it your corner. Add your favorite reading materials, your bible and maybe get a candle to place there when you are sitting there. The man’s spot may be in front of the fireplace, out fishing, or in his work shop. For me? I have my office. I love it there and it is the first place I set when we  have moved. Why? Because I know I need that in my life. It’s my creative space. In my office, I have a little fountain that I run that also helps me feel close to the water. I love the sound. I have candles to light up my life. I have music that makes my heart sing. Key word: do SOMETHING!

God wants some time with you, when you aren’t distracted. When you can hear His voice, and it is quiet enough in your spirit to be refreshed. Let’s go to that place! Know where it is! Let’s get refreshed! Let’s ask God to help us arrange it. Let’s ask Him to speak specifically in that place of renewal. I’m ready! My car is packed. My camera is in the back seat! I want to hear what He will give me next! How about you? Let’s go!

God bless you as you find the “sweet spot” where you can be refreshed with Him. Walking the journey with you….

What’s Your Foundation Made Of?

by Journeys of My Heart, posted in Legacy, Life Foundations

Thoughts of my friend kept coming to mind all week-long. Now I have been walking the journey with God long enough to know when that happens, He is taking me to prayer. When my life-long friend’s name shows up on my phone, I knew why God had been bringing her to mind.

Flash back… I was blessed as a little girl to have parents who believed in having a commitment to God and attending church every Sunday. When I was about seven and a half years old, a great pastor came into my life. I remember the first day they came and she taught the children the song “Thank You Lord, For Saving My Soul”. She was tall and beautiful, and he had a big voice and a big smile as he told us to call them “Mom and Pop B.T”. There began my journey. He was pastor to me all my growing up years. They became family and I spent countless hours in their company as I played with their grand daughters, sang in her choir, went to confirmation and gained great insight into the Word of God and its value in my life. We spent life together.

Back to the present… As it happens in life, the day came for me when both of them went to be with Jesus. But God knew what I needed, and he orchestrated events which led to me attending their son’s church. I was home once again. He taught the truth of scripture. When I went through rough times, he was there to minister to me and he helped me in ways that only God, he and his wife, and I know. I often reflect on the great foundation that I received as a Christ follower from that family. I thank God for it everyday. That’s the foundation that has kept me strong. I can still vividly see the pointing figure both he and his dad would use as they made a point. It’s a legacy.

However, now I have to face the difficulty of my pastor and “other dad” as he struggles with severe pain of a broken bone. They are unable to use pain management because of his dialysis. So, in order to manage his pain, they have chosen to discontinue dialysis. That’s not a good thing for someone who uses dialysis three times a week. But he has faced many battles, and I know he will face this one with courage and resolve. I can do no less.

So, I ask you today, who built your foundation? What IS your foundation? As you see your relationship foundation crumble a bit as the years go by and you lose someone in that process, I hope you have the assurance as I have. God knows our needs and those divine connections are for a purpose. I know God put that family in my life at an early age and because of that, my spiritual foundation is sure! There is no better time than this week to begin to build a legacy and sure foundation! Don’t wait… “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”