So Thankful!

Psalm 107:1-16 (NIV)

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3 those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

9 for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains,

11 for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom and broke away their chains.

15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men,

16 for he breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.

What an encouraging Psalm!

I have been feeling like those wandering in the desert with no place to go.

But God found them a place and He has found us a place as well.

I would have put the whole thing in bold because it all spoke to me but the part I put in bold is especially true. We have been crying out to Him and He has answered our prayers, maybe not how we thought He would but He answered.

We are moving as you know but after this last weekend up in SLO county, we feel that God is leading us to the Central Coast. Eric's parents live there, that is where we met, I went to school there and we love it up there. I have been a bit frazzled about the decision because we have lived there before. I have been reluctant to tell people because I feel like we are being back and forth about it. However if I think about it we have moved each time following God's direction and then circumstances out of our hands change and we need to move.

Eric and I feel confident that we have everytime prayed and sought out God's will and have peace about that. But realize that things out of our control change and the plans change and then we have to seek His will again. So we are there again, at a crossroads and needing direction. We know with the way the economy is we are not able to live in Orange County with the cost of living. I mean if most people looked realistically at the cost of living in Orange County and the choice not to use credit to survive, they would realize that they can't afford to live here too. However I think people do not live realistically and spend unrealistically using debt, just to keep up with the Joneses. I know I used to do that. I acquried the debt that I had because I had a empty spot in my life and I tried to fill it up with things. As soon as I came back to the Lord, I stopped feeling the need to spend aimlessly. I definitely still struggle with spending but more out of habit not out an emptiness. God has filled that void in my heart and I am so thankful.

God has provided in so many ways for us and He is continuing to provide. We are blessed and excited for new opportunities. Thanks for your prayers too. We are still not quite sure when the moving date is but it will most likely be in a month or two.

Then you might be asking well how does this effect our move to New Zealand. Well, we have known for six years we are supposed to move there, but last year we actually started talking about it with family and friends. We started to pay of debt when we moved into my parents house. With the way the economy turned my income decreased about 30-40% and we were no longer paying off debt at a higher rate, we have been keeping a float. With all of the changes in our income we knew we needed to live in a more affordable area. So we have actually been praying about our living situation and jobs for over six months and God has answered with this new living situation and new opportunities.

Exciting times!