"The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places."  A reminder to be content with where I am at. 

"When we trust our Savior-Shepherd, we will always be right where we need to be.

The biggest decision you face today isn't what you'll do next. It is who you will trust."
Pov. 3:5-6

The bible is full of stories of men and women who wanted a plan for the next steps of life. But God wanted their hearts. He was after their trust. 

When we trust God, we will always be right where we need to be." 

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away

Live in God's Economy

 Be obedient to Him

Honor God in all You do.

"Those who hope in me will not be disappointed." Isaiah 49:23

Love Jesus first!

"See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland." -- Isaiah 43:19

God, open and close the doors as you guide us.

Eyes on Jesus... Keep your eyes on him! 

Waves... Peter ... burn the ships.... 

"The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith." 

"Take the first step.

Sometimes we’re waiting on God to show us the plan, to show us every step, to give us complete clarity about the future, but what God would often say is: “Take the first step and watch what I do.”

“Take the first step and when you move you will see me move.”

In the book of Joshua, when they come to the river Jordan, God says: Put your foot in the river and then the water upstream will stop flowing.”

If it had been me, I would have said: “Why don’t you stop the water and then I’ll put my foot on the dry riverbed?”

But God says - that’s not the way it works.

When you take action, when you show faith, when you demonstrate that you want to move forward, God will come in behind you and He will light the way before you. He will open things up.

But if you’re sitting passively waiting on Him to do something, you will stay stuck where you are.

I have found that action brings clarity. Action brings clarity.

And action moves the hand and heart of God.

Because faith moves the hand and heart of God.

So if you are feeling stuck today, take the next step.

It might not be a big step.

It might not be a momentous step.

It may seem like an insignificant step to you or others.

But take a step.
Put your foot in the river.
And see what God opens up before you."

 Today, our home will go on the market... and it will be official. I am praying that You meet the price for us, Lord.  I feel emotional. Today, I asked my husband, "Are you ready to list our home?" Our home. The home that You gave us in 2011-2012. Our first home. The home that shaped me. The home that housed my family. The home that I brought my babies to. The home I made memories in. 

But I know deep down inside it is the right thing to do. God, lead us to the next home. Lead us and guide us. Heal my marriage. Heal my kids. Heal our family. Lord, may our new home be a place of love, health, and joy. May it be Your dwelling place. May we sense Your presence there. Show us, Lord. Guide us. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

Not moving to Nashville! High crime, over priced, hot and humid, culture shock.
I should consider another area in CA - but where? 

Or perhaps I need to reconsider another place in TN. 

We desire a place where the yard is bigger, a place where David can get an office, more space for kids... 

** Elijah prayed for rain and God sent a cloud. It was evidence that the answer was coming. Right now, you might not be seeing the answer you long for, but don't miss the signs around you that God is moving things.

** Genesis 11:31-32
Often we get stuck because we stopped too long in a place we were never meant to stay. 
Inertia sets in. We begin to settle. We overthink everything. We become passive and procrastinate. 
The only way to get unstuck is to start moving again. 
Do something different. Disrupt the pattern. Break the cycle. 
The first step is usually the hardest part. 
Even a fumbling, imperfect step is better than staying where you are. 
Once you get started, movement will create momentum. 

 Reason to leave CA: 
LA riots are insane. Crowds, crazy immigration issues, Homelessness, lawlessness
Hit & run accidents in CA 
Crowded, overwhelming

 Leave Long Beach -

* Prices could go down more. Sell now before the prices drop.
* Buyers' market so you can get something better. There could be something better for your family.
* Move somewhere where labor is not "cheap" and David and the boys can build and work with their hands. Healthy masculinity.

Is TN a good place? 
Someone wrote: 
"My children hate it in TN also from the west coast my son has been here 4 years he came out for college. We have been here 3 years. We moved when my youngest was 12, I think it depends where you land, rural areas will be harder to transition. We put in sports right away, thinking that would help but there was a lot of bullying from coaches. We ended up homeschooling after public school due to the same, a lot of hate being from CA. We are currently working on a plan to leave. There are a lot of people who love it though, I’ve met 50/50. A few families already moved back others flourished. I think the younger the kids you have the easier the move. But we landed very rural, keep to larger cities and would be easier. I miss the close proximity to the ocean, and great camping areas. Yes they have out here just not the same. Humidity and bugs drive me nuts. Cheaper cost of living as in taxes, registration etc. but real estate is insane. Hard to find a good Mexican restaurant. The state is overall very poor, low paying wages, but if you own your own business and there is a need you will do great! Really research before committing or even long vacation would be helpful. Not running back to CA but a neighboring state, that would make travel to CA much easier."


Tennessee has high crime rates and the prices have exploded on homes.

"Let the dead bury the dead..." 

Reasons to Stay in Long Beach: 
- Pay off mortgage 
- Routines, consistency, relationships, roots
- High paying job market 
- Good for our nervous system (VERY stressful to move; STRESS = high cortisol, health issues!)
- Diversity, good food, good weather, good access to nature (intentional) 
- Focus on Baby #6
Be faithful where you are at... be content.... 

Mother-in-law stuff ------- TN would be closer, CA my mom is gone -- feels more free to be, less traumatic

CRIME in TN vs CRIME IN CA

 God, I pray that if it's Your will that we sell our home, that we would get at least $900,000 for it. God, if this is Your plan, the home will sell quickly and without any issues. Please lead the right future owners for this home, if it is Your will that we sell and move. 

Outside! More nature!

 

I'd love a place where the kids can just play outside all the time. Recently I've been feeling overwhelmed when they want to play outside with their bikes. I have to run outside to supervise. Reason: cars, people with dogs, and lack of private space. 

Also,  this morning, I'm reminded of how much I would love another baby. Asa is 7 months now. He has a tooth! A tooth!!! How time flies. 

 

Run away from VS Run towards

 Are you running away from something?

TN is not so attractive to me; I am concerned about radon, I see fat people everywhere, smoking, and the weather can be unpleasant (with ticks, humidity, tornadoes)

                                                     BUT JESUS IS ATTRACTIVE. And I cannot help but see Jesus there. 

CA is more attractive to me; it's got pleasant weather,  the beach, familiarity (culture, doctors, etc.)

But I often feel like the culture here does not embrace Jesus. People can get lost in fun, material wealth, and fight for things that ultimately do not matter (people tend to be really opinionated and political).  It is also not very family-friendly here.

I often struggle with finding Jesus here, and I often fault myself for it. Life here is flashy, exciting, and the draw is to the next "fun" thing. 

But shouldn't the draw be Jesus? Simple as that?

Sometimes I find myself not trusting Jesus and convincing myself that if I stayed here, I could pay the home off and have security here. I could grow old here. My kids could have a place here if needed. We would always have one foot in California, just in case. 

But what if we were meant to walk by faith and not by sight and trust God for the outcome, no matter what? 

Then sometimes I tell myself, that if I build out, I can "keep" my kids here... but I know that my children do not belong to me. They belong to God.

Cheryl reminded me today that it is not my job to provide housing for my kids. It is not my job to keep them safe. Her strong advice, without hesitation was: Do what's best for you David. Do what's best for your marriage. Immediately, I thought of how it's been hard for David to do anything on this property, in this house. It's been hard. But I don't want to run away from hard things. I'm just saying, it's been hard. 

Sometimes I ask myself, if I stay, would my kids afford a home someday? What would the culture teach my kids?

I am encouraged by this song by For King and Country: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOVrOuKVBuY

Just some thoughts....