So, it's been a little while since I've posted. My only excuse, the moving process was very ugly. For me. I knew it would be hard, but I had no idea the emotional roller coaster I was in for. I really don't remember this much turmoil and heartache and excitement over a move before. Although, this move was a little bit different. Quite honestly, I didn't have much to say. Or write, in this case. My mama always said, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." Or, "If you can't blog anything nice (or positive, or uplifting...), the don't blog anything at all." Yup. That applies nicely. Trust me, the process wasn't pretty. And maybe someone out there needed to read my struggles, but I'm sure they'll all come out in the next few posts.
Where to begin over the last month? How about with vacation. We took a pause from packing and sorting and selling to enjoy some much needed family time in one of our favorite vacation spots in the U.S. Well, favorites so far. I'm sure at the end of our adventures, we will have tons more favorites! Anyway, we were able to get away and not think about "The Move." Then we come back and chaos hits. We have been blessed with the most amazing friends and neighbors who helped us clear out of our house in one evening. We moved most of our things into our little rental across the street. And then that's where the progress halted. And we are still here at the rental across the street. And now my in-laws have moved to the area and are living with us. That's 8 people sharing one bathroom, folks. That's all I'm going to say about that.
But... we do have our new home! We have slowly started moving and sorting things into our new 5th Wheel. Whew! I have waaaay to much stuff still. I need to part with more. And I think I'm finally ready to do that. With just a LITTLE more. As I sit here and type, my wonderful Hubby is outside on this crazy hot Kansas afternoon laying wire and installing electrical outlets so we can actually stand to stay in there for more than 15 minutes. At 96 degrees inside the camper, I'm pretty sure I might know what it might feel like to be in an oven. IF all goes well, and we don't hit anymore snags, we will be sleeping in our new AIR CONDITIONED home tonight!
So there's a quick update... there is too much to cover in the few minutes I have to sit and think and write. More to come, I promise.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Flashing lights, pointing arrows, and a slice of humble pie!
Things are happening faster than we thought they would. We accepted an offer on our house on Saturday, and on Wednesday morning, I was asked if I was leaving my job and moving. And then again later that afternoon. I'm calling that three days... In a small town, news certainly travels fast.
I should back track just a bit. When this whole "let's move into a camper" thing started, I needed a sign that this is truly what God was calling us to do. You know what I mean? I needed flashing lights and pointing arrows. I was bold enough to pray that things would happen quickly (I actually asked for a week), and I prayed that things would happen easily. The day after having a realtor walk through, we got a call that went something like this: "If you are serious about selling your house, I may have a couple interested." We thought, sure, why not? We can always say no and change our minds. We showed the house once and less than a week later the house is sold without it ever being officially on the market. That was certainly quick and easy. Flashing lights and pointing arrows? Almost! I can't deny the answered prayer there. And that is just one example!
I'm not going to lie, immediately panic set in. Not an "Oh no, what are we doing?!" panic, but more of an "Oh no! How do you get rid of a house full of stuff in a few weeks!?" panic. I have had sleepless nights since accepting the offer. I am overwhelmed. I can't help but lay in bed (both anxious and excited!) and mentally make my way through each room: that goes with us, store that, sell that, throw that away, give that away. I would really like to skip the next few weeks and the whole moving process and just be settled in our new "camper" home. But I am continually reminded (thanks to our precious friends and family) that God's got this. Several verses keep surfacing... one is 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." And Philippians 4:11 "...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Don't you love it when God gives you verses just when you need them? Friends, I have been claiming these verses during my sleepless nights as my mind meanders through each room in the house. I am convinced that this "pruning" of our stuff is part of what God is calling us to do.
This past week has been very humbling. As word gets around that we are moving, when we are asked why, as we try to explain God's calling into our lives, there have been all kinds of varied reactions. It has become obvious to me that some people are going to get what we are doing, and some people are just not. Many do not understand wanting to downsize, simplify, or our passion for spreading God's word on the road as our family tours the U.S. in a fifth wheel camper. Many do not understand that there is no other reason for this new plan other than we WANT to do this, we feel CALLED to do this. I have to remind myself that the things of this world and others opinions of my family should not matter. But hearing a few (and it has only been a few, so far) co-workers and friends make harsh, under-their-breath comments about our family's plan is hard. But, we will stand firm in our obedience to our calling, and take peace in knowing we are doing the right thing, and trust that He will be walking with us as we clear out and sort through the things we once thought we could not live without.
I should back track just a bit. When this whole "let's move into a camper" thing started, I needed a sign that this is truly what God was calling us to do. You know what I mean? I needed flashing lights and pointing arrows. I was bold enough to pray that things would happen quickly (I actually asked for a week), and I prayed that things would happen easily. The day after having a realtor walk through, we got a call that went something like this: "If you are serious about selling your house, I may have a couple interested." We thought, sure, why not? We can always say no and change our minds. We showed the house once and less than a week later the house is sold without it ever being officially on the market. That was certainly quick and easy. Flashing lights and pointing arrows? Almost! I can't deny the answered prayer there. And that is just one example!
I'm not going to lie, immediately panic set in. Not an "Oh no, what are we doing?!" panic, but more of an "Oh no! How do you get rid of a house full of stuff in a few weeks!?" panic. I have had sleepless nights since accepting the offer. I am overwhelmed. I can't help but lay in bed (both anxious and excited!) and mentally make my way through each room: that goes with us, store that, sell that, throw that away, give that away. I would really like to skip the next few weeks and the whole moving process and just be settled in our new "camper" home. But I am continually reminded (thanks to our precious friends and family) that God's got this. Several verses keep surfacing... one is 1 Timothy 6:6-8 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." And Philippians 4:11 "...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Don't you love it when God gives you verses just when you need them? Friends, I have been claiming these verses during my sleepless nights as my mind meanders through each room in the house. I am convinced that this "pruning" of our stuff is part of what God is calling us to do.
This past week has been very humbling. As word gets around that we are moving, when we are asked why, as we try to explain God's calling into our lives, there have been all kinds of varied reactions. It has become obvious to me that some people are going to get what we are doing, and some people are just not. Many do not understand wanting to downsize, simplify, or our passion for spreading God's word on the road as our family tours the U.S. in a fifth wheel camper. Many do not understand that there is no other reason for this new plan other than we WANT to do this, we feel CALLED to do this. I have to remind myself that the things of this world and others opinions of my family should not matter. But hearing a few (and it has only been a few, so far) co-workers and friends make harsh, under-their-breath comments about our family's plan is hard. But, we will stand firm in our obedience to our calling, and take peace in knowing we are doing the right thing, and trust that He will be walking with us as we clear out and sort through the things we once thought we could not live without.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
When God is Moving You...
And I do mean literally... moving. Sometimes our conviction is so strong, we have no choice but to say, okay... let's do this!!
That is where our family is. Life as the Kansas Guys is about to look a lot different, and that is a good thing! The Hubby is getting ready to change jobs. I am in the middle of coursework for my masters degree. And we are about to make some radical changes to the way we live.
It all began about a month ago with an hour break between 'Lil Guy soccer games. We didn't really want to make the 15 minute drive home, just to turn around and come right back. So we went to browse through campers at a local camper dealer. See, traveling and camping has always been a passion of ours, but we never have enough time off, nor the financial resources to travel the United States like we really dream of. A family member has a camper that we often borrow for a long weekend getaway during the summers. But, the camper is being sold. So we thought we would look through a few smaller ones to see if any were affordable enough to continue our little summer vacation getaway, but we were soon lured over to dream through the big daddy campers. The Hubby says, "Wouldn't this be great?" To which I then opened my big mouth and said "Sure! We could sell everything, buy one, and make it our home."
That's all it took. Hubby got a glazed-over, excited look on his face. I really was just joking when I made the comment, but the idea began to take root. The kids got excited. And the discussions of really doing this began.
We made lists of pros and cons, and quite honestly, we couldn't think of that many cons. We consulted all of our closest friends and family. We held our breath and half-cringed while waiting for their responses. Surprisingly, everyone supported what we want to do (at least to our faces!). We prayed and sought God. (My prayer went something like this, "Okay, God, if it's Your will... but really? Really? A family of six and two big dogs in a camper? Really??") The bottom line, everything, and everyone kept saying "GO."
And in the undercurrent of this craziness, God kept saying "Trust. Move. Grow." Every sermon we have heard, every conversation we have had, every time we sat to read the bible, God was whispering, well no, yelling really, "Do this. Trust me."
People, you must understand, I love my house! With our big family of six, each of the four kids have their own bedroom, we even have a guest room. We have recently gone through almost every room in the house and renovated and updated. We just finished our basement. I have my dream master bedroom and bathroom. We have a huge yard. We have the best neighbors in the world that have become like family to us. We bought this house as a bank repo and paid a crazy cheap price. We will probably never again find a house this size in our price range (I know, never say never, especially when God is involved...). This is our home, and we have certainly been blessed. We have hosted bible studies, had big family dinners and big gatherings and BBQ's with friends... many, many wonderfull memories have been made here.
But God is moving. We are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and convicted with how much stuff we have. And that's just it. It's just stuff. And God is slowly prying my fingers loose. This isn't home, this is just a wonderful place where we have been blessed to live for a time. The stuff is not what makes our life great. The kids' smiles, laughter, hugs and kisses, friendships, our marriage, and our relationship with our Creator God and Redeemer Christ Jesus is what makes life great. And these are the things we can have anywhere. Even in a 40-foot camper anywhere in the U.S.
That is where our family is. Life as the Kansas Guys is about to look a lot different, and that is a good thing! The Hubby is getting ready to change jobs. I am in the middle of coursework for my masters degree. And we are about to make some radical changes to the way we live.
It all began about a month ago with an hour break between 'Lil Guy soccer games. We didn't really want to make the 15 minute drive home, just to turn around and come right back. So we went to browse through campers at a local camper dealer. See, traveling and camping has always been a passion of ours, but we never have enough time off, nor the financial resources to travel the United States like we really dream of. A family member has a camper that we often borrow for a long weekend getaway during the summers. But, the camper is being sold. So we thought we would look through a few smaller ones to see if any were affordable enough to continue our little summer vacation getaway, but we were soon lured over to dream through the big daddy campers. The Hubby says, "Wouldn't this be great?" To which I then opened my big mouth and said "Sure! We could sell everything, buy one, and make it our home."
That's all it took. Hubby got a glazed-over, excited look on his face. I really was just joking when I made the comment, but the idea began to take root. The kids got excited. And the discussions of really doing this began.
We made lists of pros and cons, and quite honestly, we couldn't think of that many cons. We consulted all of our closest friends and family. We held our breath and half-cringed while waiting for their responses. Surprisingly, everyone supported what we want to do (at least to our faces!). We prayed and sought God. (My prayer went something like this, "Okay, God, if it's Your will... but really? Really? A family of six and two big dogs in a camper? Really??") The bottom line, everything, and everyone kept saying "GO."
And in the undercurrent of this craziness, God kept saying "Trust. Move. Grow." Every sermon we have heard, every conversation we have had, every time we sat to read the bible, God was whispering, well no, yelling really, "Do this. Trust me."
People, you must understand, I love my house! With our big family of six, each of the four kids have their own bedroom, we even have a guest room. We have recently gone through almost every room in the house and renovated and updated. We just finished our basement. I have my dream master bedroom and bathroom. We have a huge yard. We have the best neighbors in the world that have become like family to us. We bought this house as a bank repo and paid a crazy cheap price. We will probably never again find a house this size in our price range (I know, never say never, especially when God is involved...). This is our home, and we have certainly been blessed. We have hosted bible studies, had big family dinners and big gatherings and BBQ's with friends... many, many wonderfull memories have been made here.
But God is moving. We are becoming increasingly uncomfortable and convicted with how much stuff we have. And that's just it. It's just stuff. And God is slowly prying my fingers loose. This isn't home, this is just a wonderful place where we have been blessed to live for a time. The stuff is not what makes our life great. The kids' smiles, laughter, hugs and kisses, friendships, our marriage, and our relationship with our Creator God and Redeemer Christ Jesus is what makes life great. And these are the things we can have anywhere. Even in a 40-foot camper anywhere in the U.S.
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