Thursday, March 10, 2011

Life in Gastonia ...Fun times and Friends

Brent and I dressed up for Tract and Treat with the youth group...cloud by day...fire by night !

Hannah, Me, and Sam dressed up for "Survivor" with the youth group


Brent and I were Mary and Joseph in the Christmas musical...and our little friend Bailey was "Baby Jesus"


Dressed up for Unmasked weekend !
AJ scored 1,000 points ( This is our family away from home)
This face....I will NEVER forget...Ole sambo!


More to come....We love our friends:)


The Count Down

Ok so usually I am not good with keeping up with stuff like this BUT I am going to do my best to keep this blog up!....A little background info first.....During college at Southeastern Brent and I decided that once we graduated and got married we would follow God's will no matter where it led us.  A few months before Brent graduated he got a call from Cramerton FWB Church/ school to come interview.  Of course both of us were excited that God was already beginning to open doors for our future so Brent went to Cramerton for the interview.  A few months later he accepted the job and would be moving shortly.  OH NO! A whole year without my significant other....we learned alot about life and each other over that year and although I can't say I would do it again, I am grateful that God gave Brent and I that personal time before we would begin married life.

A year later we got married and I moved to Cramerton.  My hearts desire has been to work in the ministry but during college I wasn't quite sure how or what I really wanted to do.  I changed majors from education to business and graduated with some ed credits and a business diploma.  Once I got to Gastonia I had passed out resumes and with the economy being horrible I figured ....NO CALLS...but I was already working at a bank in which my manager was awesome.  I talked with her about any openings around where I would be and she worked it out where I applied for a job at the bank near my house.  God opened the doors because the day I sent my resume in a woman in the position I was applying for resigned.  WOW...amazing...no training necessary!  I began my first day of work feeling uncomfortable as is normal for a new job....but as the months progressed I got more and more uncomfortable...I was grateful God provided a job, but why was I so unhappy....well I began to think maybe I am not supposed to be in business....I miss being around children,  maybe I was just making a big deal of my circumstances.  Well I prayed and well I was NOT happy....I began to contemplate going to finish my ed degree but Brent told me to hold tight and keep praying.  Well God opened the doors for me to start a new job with a real estate company....better hours...pay...ok maybe this is my answer.  I was definitely more content, but something still wasn't right...TRUST ME I do like my job much better than the bank... and I was so grateful to be feeling happy again...but still that nagging feeling of this is not what my life is meant for....I prayed for a few more months and started "school shopping". I told God I need something I can afford and feel able to accomplish. And well...He opened doors for me to finish my ed degree!  FINALLY I was on the road....but once again doubt came creeping in....the economy where will I get a teaching job?!?!?!?  

....To the point.... I have been working on school work fro almost a year now and as the road to being finished continued to creep closer each month all I could think is...Lord please open a door at CCA ( the Christian school here in Cramerton).  I began to pray and pray and Brent and I began talking over things when one day received a call from New Bern, NC asking us if we would be interested in Brent taking a position at the church.  Once Brent got off the phone we talked things over, but of course, as most people do we began to think of reasons why we should just stay put. "We have a nice house, great friends, good location.." We were definitely in our comfort zone....we love serving in our church so we kinda just said..."Ok we will think it over a little and pray about it.  As the months passed on God kept tugging at our hearts to keep an open heart and mind as the pastor continued to call us quite often.  The more we discussed the church and the opportunity we thought, "well Lord maybe you are trying to tell us something" so we decided we would meet with the pastor and visit the church and see where things would progress.  Once we had visited the church and met with the pastor we felt like God may be calling us to move to New Bern.  Of course, we had the normal emotions of wow leaving our church, friends, and home.  Once we prayed for a few weeks and discussed things, we decided that we should move.  Not only did God open doors for Brent but little did I know at the time the pastor called that there would also be a teaching job available for me! I am so thrilled at the opportunity that lies ahead.  God not only answered our prayers but He opened the exact doors to the desires of our hearts!  ...." Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart".  With ALL of that being said.  I am beginning this blog for all of our closest friends and relatives to keep up with us on our new journey! We love and appreciate all of the wonderful friends we have made here in Gastonia and praise God for the continued friendships and new ones to come!