Spring Forward...

I can't believe the time has come for the clocks to turn ahead, the flowers to bloom, the birds to sing and the Easter Bunny to hop on over to our house and leave eggs and candy ( whose idea was that anyway?). Spring is not usually my favorite season. I am a fall and winter girl. I love fall colors and cool days. I look forward to pumpkins and long sleeves and the Dixie Classic Fair. I love snow! and pray every year for enough of it for my children to play in. I love to be snowed in and drinking hot chocolate in front of the fire. This year I learned to be careful what you pray for because winter hit like a cinder block to the head and didn't let up until about 3 weeks ago. We had more snow than I can remember in a long time and I knew it was bad when Emma, who took great joy in the first, second, and third snowfall, began to complain about the snow and started to pray for God to let it go away. This year Spring is the season of joy for us. I have taken a new appreciation in the songs of birds, the blooming of daffodils, the planting of my garden. I am so happy that I live in a state that has four distinct seasons. The older I get the more I appreciate each one for what it is and enjoy all the changes with my family.
It is hard to believe that at this time last year we were preparing our house to go on the market. We were painting, remodeling, boxing- up and throwing out. I wasn't really looking forward to moving. I had a lot of mixed feelings about packing up the only home my girl's had known and, as an only child, I had a lot of reservations about leaving my family. The girl's were stressed and full of questions. Jason wasn't sure he wanted to take his family away from all of our family and friends. I prayed and prayed and prayed some more. God really began to lay on my heart that there are lost, hurting people everywhere and that maybe getting out of my comfort zone would open up some new opportunities to not just talk about serving him but actually do it! It was a very stressful time for our whole family and yet it is so hard to believe that it has been almost a year since Jason and I made the decision that we would never know what God may have planned for us if we never put our trust in him and let him work it out. I truly believe God has led us to this place. I believe he has a plan for us here although I don't know exactly what that plan is right now. I pray everyday that he will open up opportunities for serving him here in this place. I still miss a lot of things from home. Family, friends, shopping, church, picnics at Tanglewood, The Hero House, Hanes Mall, Ketchie Creek, did I mention shopping..... oh enough already! I also have a lot of new things that I love about here... the beauty of the mountains, gorgeous sunsets, a nice new house that doesn't need a ton of work, a wonderful neighborhood with a lot of nice people, a great church here that has welcomed us and made us feel at home, a great school for Emma, etc.
I know that there is a purpose God has for us. Pray that God will show us where we can be of service to him here in Lenoir. In this season of new beginnings I am looking forward to what God has planned for us as we seek to serve him.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11