Some Changes...

Life is full of change right now. I actually have so much change going on that it is hard to write a simple post and give an update. I haven't been very good about blogging and almost always that means there is a lot going on both in my real life and in my heart. Things that sometimes seem hard to put into words, but I will give it a shot.

The Lord has been very active and pressing on our hearts in many, many ways. One of those things is to get out of debt. It sounds so wise and logical when I say that, but we are not particularly wise and logical people. I hear people talk about the freedom you can experience when you are debt free and as great as that sounds I have to say that the only reason I would ever make this choice is because of the work of the Lord. I love immediate gratification. In the past I have been known to decide I wanted something and be purchasing it soon afterward. I was not opposed to credit cards. I liked the idea of travel and fun and money to be able to do those things and buy the things I wanted. I am still very prone to fall into those habits at times and for my desires to be selfish, but this is something different. I have a desire to get out of debt so that I can more fully and strategically serve my Father. This time it isn't about me. God is leading us on a path to financial freedom all for His glory and I just pray He will give us the strength to be faithful to the path He has laid out before us. The funny thing is that if I had been one of those naturally wise and logical people I might have made better choices in the past and not have needed to get out of debt, at least not as much debt. That however, is not the way the Lord has chosen to act in my life.

So several months ago we decided that we should sell our house and move into one that is cheaper. With the interest rates as low as they are there was a great opportunity to save money on our monthly mortgage. We prayed about this and really felt like that is the direction the Lord was leading. We listed our house and it sold in 3 weeks, which was pretty amazing. We then spent several weeks trying to find a place to live. That proved to be much more difficult and stressful than we anticipated, but we now have a contract on a house and we will move in just a few short weeks.

It has been a journey and we have had our moments of doubt where we questioned the whole process and why we were moving out of our home, into something that needs a lot of work. I have shed tears and been full of doubt. I have needed to cling to His promises and remember that He has gone before us and has picked out the perfect home for our family. That He never doubted if we would have a place to sleep. It has been a trial and it isn't over yet, but He has provided us a home and we are looking forward to turning it into our home. Some things that I am especially excited about are the floor plan and the location. We will literally be 2 minutes away from Trace's office. He will have so much more time with us at home. He will be able to be a part of our morning routine and will have more time at home with all of us in the evenings. I know that will prove to be a great blessing to me and the kids.

I mentioned at the top of the post that we are going through many changes and this is one of the main ones that is on the forefront of our minds, but we have also decided that we are going to home school our children next year. Aidan will be in
1st grade and Rebecca will be doing preschool work at home. The Lord is providing clarity for our family about this decision and is leading us in regards to this decision also. This post has already gotten long enough so I think I will leave a more detailed post about homeschooling for another day, but I will say that the Lord has given me an eagerness and excitement about this decision that I did not have originally. More details to come soon...