Tag: holy

Moving Out, Moving On, Moving Up – Final

February 21, 2022

Last of storage unit items

Sorry to leave you all hanging. Maybe you surmised that my lack of writing about the end of this journey meant that we actually found a place and moved.

True story.

Another God move in moving us.

I saw a place on a site I hadn’t looked at for a while. One place that was actually reasonably priced in the midst of this current housing craziness caught my eye. Good location, decent price. I know it seems negative, but I figured it would already be rented.

Such has been the situation for so many people who are searching.

Interestingly enough, Brendan recognized the property management company as one a friend of his did work with. We attempted to apply online, but our application halted at the part that required proof of three times the monthly income. Since our current business is not yet producing that figure, we were stuck.

Apparently, money in the bank doesn’t speak in most cases.

But in this situation, Brendan put a call into his friend to ask about the situation and within two days, we had seen the place, applied and were accepted. Sometimes, it really is a matter of who you know! (Aside from God, who gets all the credit.)

Yet, we still had to be approved by the HOA.  

No problem, we were told. They usually respond within a couple of days.

Unless, of course, after you turn in the paperwork and money, they change HOA companies. We waited for three weeks without any word, praying about whether we should be looking for plan B. As the days clicked by, the waiting thing I thought I’d mastered by now, was sorely tested again.

Our Jesus friend, while not ready to kick us out, was ready to have us move on. It wasn’t like we’d outstayed our welcome, but we all felt that the season of God’s work for us there and his grace were running out. In faith, I started praying for those in our new neighborhood.

Approval came just a few days before the first of the month (February). We heaved a sigh of relief. (We also found out later that the approval had been given right away, but someone dropped the communication ball. Of course. Because God needed us to see how good we really were at waiting.)

Moving is hell. Pain, tears, exhaustion – next time we’re hiring professional movers. End of story. I’m sticking to that.

So here we are. Three weeks as of tomorrow.

What a crazy, ongoing season of testing, growth, challenges, and learning to think differently.

We sold, gave away, and left so much when we moved out. It seemed like I left half my life. And yet, in this greatly downsized rental, while we’ve had to buy new furniture, Brendan has already made about six trips to the local thrift store to give away more of our belongings.

Something about me – my attachment to things is completely sentimental. Some things I can say farewell to without too much grief, BUT other items I’ve cried over like I’ve lost the memories attached. It’s been a time of adjusting to more than just a new home.

And God made it clear that I was not to view this as temporary even if we’re only here a year. He said to make it home. Settle in. Be here. Interesting that Pastor Michael Todd is doing a series titled “Here is Holy.” I’m attempting to embrace that.

I’ve had to repent of a complaining spirit. I’m learning to ask God for strategies to make things fit where everything is – no lie – a quarter of an inch off. Praising him every day and being grateful even when I miss water views and big, bright spaces isn’t always easy in my dark home.

But that gives me all the more desire to praise God simply for who he is, not what he gives me or does for me. Not that he hasn’t done that too. He gave me love seats in miracle fashion, a new adjustable bed that helps me sleep better, and a lovely little chair from which I can write my novels.

I feel the squeeze of a smaller space, but in that I sense God pressing us closer to him and to each other. Our pastor, Matt Keller, is doing a series on Unity. (It’s all fitting together, isn’t it?) And the small group I started leading the day after we moved in (gotta love God’s timing), doesn’t mind how cozy we are in my little living room with two camping chairs making up for the dining chairs we’re still searching for. I’m learning so much in that Elijah study.

  • In everything, give thanks.
  • Lean not on my own understanding, but in all my ways trust God.
  • Hold onto the truth that God will renew my strength when I wait on him.
  • He cares about the details and wants me to see him working in them.
  • God is the one who sustains me.
  • Every situation, no matter how small or senseless to me, is preparation for what he has coming.

So, we’ve moved out, moved on, and…moved up? Maybe not in some sense of the phrase, but definitely to a higher plane of living from a spiritual perspective.

That’s what matters most. Always.

I want to see from God’s eyes. Function from his Spirit, not my reactive emotions and self-focused thoughts.

Because, HERE is HOLY.

Four-Letter Words

March 27, 2021

My husband and I watched a Disney movie recently and noticed how often in this PG rated film four-letter words were spoken. I’m not surprised, just saddened by the way we’ve lowered our standards over the years and especially these past few months.

The Bible says,

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

Using swear words is unwholesome.

Let’s be real, the world doesn’t care. And all of us are human. I’m sure we’ve all gone through a season of “unwholesome” or let a few words fly from our mouths that don’t benefit anyone. I know I have.

But maybe we could replace our thinking of four-letter words. There are plenty that would be more uplifting and would build people up. Here’s a few I’m learning to embrace.

REST – In this crazy, faster than the speed of light teched-out world, we’ve forgotten how to rest and what rest is for. God created rest. He worked to create the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Rest gives us time to process everything in our lives. It creates space for us to dream. We are refreshed when we take time to rest. What if that time of rest was not only for recuperation but for preparation? Beginning each week from a place of rest instead of thinking we need to catch up makes the dreaded Monday, a fun day. Snatches of rest during a day makes us more productive. According to Alex Pang, PhD., something he calls “deliberate rest” is a practice of highly successful people. Maybe God knew what he was talking about when he told us to rest on the Sabbath day and let the land rest every seven years.

LOVE – As the old song says, it’s what the world needs now. Hatred, violence, and fear run rampant in the absence of love. The Bible tells us that God’s perfect love casts out fear, and as followers of Jesus, we’ll be known by our love for others. Being truthful, kind, compassionate, and considerate in how we talk about and to each other as well as how we treat people shows love and changes our world. God IS love. Let’s embrace Him and show love.

MEEK – I’ll bet that’s not one you expected. Meek has gotten a bad rap as meaning weak, pathetic, or a doormat. But it’s true meaning is humble or gentle. Jesus chose humility when he came to earth. He didn’t answer accusations or defend himself when he faced betrayal and a mock trial. His meekness was actually him choosing to control the power he had, lay down his rights for something far more important (relationship with us – let your mind and heart grasp that), and treating people with kindness and gentleness when he had every right to mock or destroy them. If we choose meekness, we will be humble and gentle in our dealings with people.

HOLY – Set apart. Hallowed. Special. Everything of God is holy. He also calls us holy, because he created us in his image, and he calls us to hold holiness as something sacred. That means we honor God. Set him apart as the only God. There is none like him. He is to be praised. And we are to set ourselves apart from anything that doesn’t bring him glory and honor. We also need to honor ourselves and others in the way we speak and act.

HOPE – If one thing the world needs is love, the other is hope. I write and post about Jesus being our hope. He is our only hope, a living hope. No person, situation, government, money, circumstance, etc. can truly offer us hope. When we place our hope in things, we may be temporarily relieved, but eventually disappointed. People fail, things fall apart, circumstances change. God is faithful no matter what. Only Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

WAIT – We might feel like this could be a swear word. We’re used to everything from food to text replies happening in seconds. If our computer takes more than a few seconds to load, we fuss. Stop lights in my town are three to five minutes long (NOT exaggerating!) and people don’t want to wait. I’ve seen more people speed through red lights here than any other place I’ve lived. But learning to wait is good for us. It keeps us from making rash decisions, or saying something in a moment of anger. Waiting means we can let God secure better things for us in his timing than we could ever get for ourselves. We gain more patience as we wait and that makes us more pleasant to be around.

Those are just a few of my new four-letter words. Are there others you’ve been exploring lately?

Let’s change the narrative, as we say these days, and start using some new four-letter words that build up and benefit others as well as ourselves.