I've been on sort of a high for about a month now. [No, I'm not a crackhead though I may act a little neurotic at times]
The trip to Calgary in mid-July was simply amazing. I never, ever imagined that I would feel the way I did upon leaving. You see, honestly, I didn't want to go. [As in, I did not want to pack, get on the plane, move my body in the direction of Calgary - nada, nope, no way...did not want to go.] In my eyes, being 3000 miles from home and from my 4 children did not appeal to me at all. But you see, this is where God begins to laugh...because I told Him it wasn't MY plan to be away for a week and serve others. [Stacy K. said this on his facebook status the other night: If you want to hear God laugh then tell him your plans.] Yet, after the service with Southwinds church on Sunday, with people I didn't really know, God touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain. The people that serve in this church and reach out to these communities in Calgary do not have a church of their own...but that doesn't mean they aren't a church. You see, they have to bring the church to the community each week by setting up the entire sanctuary and children's Sunday School classes. From music, to lights, to chairs, to bulletins, to the pulpit, the church sets it up and takes it down....EVERY SUNDAY. I was amazed because there is SO MUCH I take for granted in regards to my own worship experience. I just have to show up...and sometimes I do that only physically. The people of Southwinds church love the Lord that much that they are willing to, in the snow, rain, sleet, freezing temperatures [As in -18...as in 18 below zero...as in freeze the snot on yo face cold] set up a place for worship every Sunday. The church isn't the building [or lack of one] but the people that gather to praise God. So God knew what He was doing by sending me to Calgary...He showed me that He has a plan for my life.
I had such an amazing week. I made some great new friends [Apparently Craig got closer to some than anyone would have imagined....see picture below....what happens in Calgary stays in Calgary. You might be glad when you see the picture.] I realized what it means, for the first time in my entire life, to just follow God. Once I realized that I was in Calgary, then my anxiety disappeared and I began to just enjoy the glory of God's plan for me. I learned that cotton candy opens up a line of communication with lots of people, that water relays with cones on your head are fun, and that simply laughing at dumb things [Grown men in the same bathtub, Michael in the trunk, and Tim's "sock" ankles] are just what the heart needs. Not to mention that I saw some of the MOST spectacular and amazing wonders of God's creation...I stood on a glacier and saw a caribou walking down the street.
The trip to Calgary in mid-July was simply amazing. I never, ever imagined that I would feel the way I did upon leaving. You see, honestly, I didn't want to go. [As in, I did not want to pack, get on the plane, move my body in the direction of Calgary - nada, nope, no way...did not want to go.] In my eyes, being 3000 miles from home and from my 4 children did not appeal to me at all. But you see, this is where God begins to laugh...because I told Him it wasn't MY plan to be away for a week and serve others. [Stacy K. said this on his facebook status the other night: If you want to hear God laugh then tell him your plans.] Yet, after the service with Southwinds church on Sunday, with people I didn't really know, God touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain. The people that serve in this church and reach out to these communities in Calgary do not have a church of their own...but that doesn't mean they aren't a church. You see, they have to bring the church to the community each week by setting up the entire sanctuary and children's Sunday School classes. From music, to lights, to chairs, to bulletins, to the pulpit, the church sets it up and takes it down....EVERY SUNDAY. I was amazed because there is SO MUCH I take for granted in regards to my own worship experience. I just have to show up...and sometimes I do that only physically. The people of Southwinds church love the Lord that much that they are willing to, in the snow, rain, sleet, freezing temperatures [As in -18...as in 18 below zero...as in freeze the snot on yo face cold] set up a place for worship every Sunday. The church isn't the building [or lack of one] but the people that gather to praise God. So God knew what He was doing by sending me to Calgary...He showed me that He has a plan for my life.
I had such an amazing week. I made some great new friends [Apparently Craig got closer to some than anyone would have imagined....see picture below....what happens in Calgary stays in Calgary. You might be glad when you see the picture.] I realized what it means, for the first time in my entire life, to just follow God. Once I realized that I was in Calgary, then my anxiety disappeared and I began to just enjoy the glory of God's plan for me. I learned that cotton candy opens up a line of communication with lots of people, that water relays with cones on your head are fun, and that simply laughing at dumb things [Grown men in the same bathtub, Michael in the trunk, and Tim's "sock" ankles] are just what the heart needs. Not to mention that I saw some of the MOST spectacular and amazing wonders of God's creation...I stood on a glacier and saw a caribou walking down the street.
God is alive and moving in Calgary. I pray every night for the people I met [Joe, Deanne, Duane, Bo, Marni, Cyndi], for the children at the camp and block parties, for my fellow travelers [Eddie, Cheryl, Coach, Michael, Sharon, Bruce, and Craig] and for Tim and Andrea, our gracious host, church planters, and two of the most amazing people I've ever met.
[Small sidenote about traveling on an airplane: Bought Coop a sick slingshot in Banff, forgot it was in Craig's carry-on, got majorly searched leaving Canda, and now some TSA agent is thoroughly enjoying my son's slingshot. Yes, we are rookie travelers and a bit on the redneck side...oh well.]
When we returned to NC we faced a dilemma: where were we going to live? I mean, we could have signed a new lease for another six months living with the cast of Deliverance. [Really? Was there even a choice to make?] Or we could wait it out and hope that the loan we'd applied for before leaving for Canada would work out and we'd get the house in KM. During the entire house hunting process I really had a great peace about the situation. No, I did not want to spend another six months wondering about new Super Weird Guys and the new freaky man that moved in upstairs but if it meant that we had a place to live then we would stay. But I knew that God was not going to leave or forsake us and that He had a plan....
Fast forward to Friday, July 30 @ 1:30pm...you are approved and the house is yours! [I will not divulge all the details but will say that it wasn't as easy as going to the bank and getting a new mortgage...it was a God thing for sure.] So....now what do we do? You see, our lease was up on July 31. [Yes, that would be the very next day....] That decision came easily when Craig and Coop returned from the ABC store that evening [No, not for the Wild Turkey] with boxes for moving and found 5 cops, guns drawn at the top building of the papartments. When our good friend Robin dropped off Molly and saw the commotion she called her husband, Brad, and he showed up: Ya'll are getting out of here tonight!
The next thing I know we have managed to amass a small army of movers. Summer [my sister for those of you that don't know] and Sophie, Brad and Robin and their kids, Brad's parents Ronnie and Mary, and good friends Eddie and Cheryl all came to help us move. We didn't call any of them to ask for help with packing or vehicles or moving yet they came, out of the goodness of their hearts and willingly, to help us move. My best girl, Stacy, drove all the way from Boiling Springs to my house to pick up the smallest Shorties and keep them for the night. Overwhelmed does not cover how we felt. With all these hands, we managed to get almost everything from our apartment to our new house by around 12 midnight on Friday, July 30. [All during our move, several hoodlums, thugs, and idiots were out in the parking lots yelling about popping caps and fighting...only made us move faster.] We slept in our new house that night...
The next day more help showed up....Stacy came with his truck and trailer, mom and dad came down, plus Eddie, Cheryl, Marty, Ronnie, Mary, Brad, Robin, and Summer. Stacy [that would be her...they are both named Stacy] brought the babies home and stayed to help. Carpet was put down, the washer and dryer stacked, every bed put together and made up, and the kitchen completely put together - all thanks to these people. I spent most of the day crying to myself as I was so overwhelmed at the generosity of so many just for us. I did nothing to deserve any of this help yet they stayed and gave of their time...all for us. Wow...that's all I can say...and of course, thanks :)
I have learned many things over the last several weeks:
[Small sidenote about traveling on an airplane: Bought Coop a sick slingshot in Banff, forgot it was in Craig's carry-on, got majorly searched leaving Canda, and now some TSA agent is thoroughly enjoying my son's slingshot. Yes, we are rookie travelers and a bit on the redneck side...oh well.]
When we returned to NC we faced a dilemma: where were we going to live? I mean, we could have signed a new lease for another six months living with the cast of Deliverance. [Really? Was there even a choice to make?] Or we could wait it out and hope that the loan we'd applied for before leaving for Canada would work out and we'd get the house in KM. During the entire house hunting process I really had a great peace about the situation. No, I did not want to spend another six months wondering about new Super Weird Guys and the new freaky man that moved in upstairs but if it meant that we had a place to live then we would stay. But I knew that God was not going to leave or forsake us and that He had a plan....
Fast forward to Friday, July 30 @ 1:30pm...you are approved and the house is yours! [I will not divulge all the details but will say that it wasn't as easy as going to the bank and getting a new mortgage...it was a God thing for sure.] So....now what do we do? You see, our lease was up on July 31. [Yes, that would be the very next day....] That decision came easily when Craig and Coop returned from the ABC store that evening [No, not for the Wild Turkey] with boxes for moving and found 5 cops, guns drawn at the top building of the papartments. When our good friend Robin dropped off Molly and saw the commotion she called her husband, Brad, and he showed up: Ya'll are getting out of here tonight!
The next thing I know we have managed to amass a small army of movers. Summer [my sister for those of you that don't know] and Sophie, Brad and Robin and their kids, Brad's parents Ronnie and Mary, and good friends Eddie and Cheryl all came to help us move. We didn't call any of them to ask for help with packing or vehicles or moving yet they came, out of the goodness of their hearts and willingly, to help us move. My best girl, Stacy, drove all the way from Boiling Springs to my house to pick up the smallest Shorties and keep them for the night. Overwhelmed does not cover how we felt. With all these hands, we managed to get almost everything from our apartment to our new house by around 12 midnight on Friday, July 30. [All during our move, several hoodlums, thugs, and idiots were out in the parking lots yelling about popping caps and fighting...only made us move faster.] We slept in our new house that night...
The next day more help showed up....Stacy came with his truck and trailer, mom and dad came down, plus Eddie, Cheryl, Marty, Ronnie, Mary, Brad, Robin, and Summer. Stacy [that would be her...they are both named Stacy] brought the babies home and stayed to help. Carpet was put down, the washer and dryer stacked, every bed put together and made up, and the kitchen completely put together - all thanks to these people. I spent most of the day crying to myself as I was so overwhelmed at the generosity of so many just for us. I did nothing to deserve any of this help yet they stayed and gave of their time...all for us. Wow...that's all I can say...and of course, thanks :)
I have learned many things over the last several weeks:
1. God has a plan.
2. If you're ever not sure, refer to #1.
3. Pay it forward...always.
4. Kings Mountain is a great place to live and raise a family.
2. If you're ever not sure, refer to #1.
3. Pay it forward...always.
4. Kings Mountain is a great place to live and raise a family.
Life is good :)
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