I am AMAZED!

Bottom line: I am in amazement at my God! This is my SONG this morning...

Psalm 118:13-16  

¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall,

    but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has become my salvation.

¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
¹⁶     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”

God has Heard and Answered Our Prayers

On June 12th before we were let go from Converting Hearts, I prayed in my prayer journal for the Lord to help us because we were burdened and exhausted with the way our crazy life schedules were ruling our weeks! I wrote in my journal, "Lord, you know the desires of my heart...(I am exhausted) so my dream for us for the next five years or so (while finishing school) would be for me to work from home writing and managing (organizing) our home. I would write for magazines, finish my book, speak and teach, and counsel at the church. Dustin would work from home also as a furniture maker. We would do family and marriage counseling together. Lord, I love Converting Hearts, but I don't only want to focus on addictions. Help us to listen to you and trust you as we take some "next steps" with our future plans. Lord, please bless our marriage with many years and much service for your Kingdom. Please give us clear direction!"

Now, today on July 2nd...just a few weeks after that plea for help from the Lord to make changes for us and relieve burdens, He has amazed us with His provision!!

1. He took us out of our burdensome (but wonderful) job positions
2. He gave us a month to enjoy incredible time together and with "neglected" friends!
3. He is sending Dustin on a mission trip to Honduras (stress-free) to preach his first sermon!
4. He is allowing Dustin to begin a longtime passion to start a furniture making and handyman business (that wherever the Lord sends us for ministry could help financially)
5. He has delivered a PERFECT job to me*
6. He has shown Himself once again so REAL and Loving...He always provides and does what is best (though at times hard) for His children. 
7. Now because of our current financial situation, Dustin could qualify for a scholarship that pays his entire school tuition this next year!

*Why My New Job is Perfect...this is pretty GOD cool!

I will begin on August 7th as a teacher at Grace Christian School. Many of you know that I used to be a teacher in Charleston for 8th-12th grade for English, Bible, and Drama. I loved, loved it! Many of you also know that I am finishing a book called, The Beautification Process. It is written to young women, high school to 20 somethings, to prepare them for true intimacy and devotion with their Savior King! Dustin said to me the other day that he absolutely would want for me to find a teaching job if possible...first, because he says the Lord blessed me with that ability and I thrive in that role, and secondly, because I have become clouded with my book/passions and need to refocus by being around high schoolers. My desire is to be a preventative counselor too, not just counsel people already broken by sin and marriages/families falling apart (however that is awesome to be a part of too). I would love to share with them the message of flourishing in Christ BEFORE they run to worldly "pleasures." So, the Lord has given me a new job that perfectly fits the direction Dustin and I are heading in...preventive/equipping counseling and seeing God raise up Godly marriages and families. He also answered by previous prayer for both Dustin and my jobs...He is now a handyman/furniture maker and I am teaching, writing, and counseling!!! Also, Dustin is spending the next year in an internship under one of our pastor's at our church (he gets credit for school too). The awesome thing is that our church is very aware of our desire to do more in family/marriage preventive & crisis counseling so that is most likely going to be Dustin's internship project...bringing our passion alive at our church!

I am about to jump out of my skin I am so excited to be used as a leader, teacher, mentor in these 8th-11th graders lives I get to teach. And that the school will give me the honor of being the school's counselor too...I will get to have a front row seat to the Lord transforming young people's lives for His glory! I am amazed!

Let alone, I don't start until the 7th of August so I can use the next month to help market/organize Dustin's new business, take care of home managing/organizing, write in my book, and spend some time with my family in Hilton Head when our second niece is born (I'm praying a week early since her due date is August 5th). God has provided for us through this trial in more ways then I could ever have imagined. And that He has shown us His steps clearly has been so exciting. We are on the most incredible adventure and I can't wait to see what comes in the days ahead.

A Look into the Future...

Every year on our anniversary (Dec. 30th) Dustin and I have a year end recap, talking about our greatest failures/accomplishments, trials/gifts (both are blessings), and what we hope for in the year ahead. We also give the passing year a theme and come up with one for the next year. Last year (2011) was the Year of Suffering. We dubbed 2012 the Year of Anticipation. We had a feeling God was going to do some mighty work...though we had no idea He had all this in His plans! WOW!

I stand Amazed!