Time will Tell

So I started writing this one last week, on Friday, March 30. Never finished it because of a crazy weekend!

Today, Friday, March 30, marks 1 year of our move to the Northwoods! I think back to what a year was and I'm blown away by what God has done and show BOTH of us. This post isn't going to be anything really inspirational, just inspirational for me and what God has done in a years time...and I like to say, that ONLY time WILL tell...and I'm starting to realize that more and more in life. Life isn't about a quick fix...nothing is a quick fix these days. You need TIME to heal, TIME to grow, and TIME to LET GOD WORK!

• 1 year ago, we left our comfortable duplex and nice neighborhood
• For a place that was TINY and (at first) seemed like a sketchy neighborhood
• We left our friendships that we have developed over the course of 8 years, and many that developed since we had gotten married
• For NO ONE, at least for a long time (it would seem)
• I left a job that I had for 5 years that I grew into and absolutely loved and took pride it what gifts God was giving me through this job!
• For absolutely NO JOB! and no prospects even in sight!
• A church that we loved, grew in and developed our relationship in and through.
• And traded that in for a small, quiet Northwoods church.
• We left the conveniences of life, the simplest of grocery shopping (we love Festival Foods), every day shopping, and many more that we would soon realize.
• For 2 MAIN stores, Walmart and Trigs. Both OK, but NOT what we have been use to.
• We left NOT knowing what sticker shock would soon feel like (prices in La Crosse area, are cheaper)
• For sticker shock the first couple nights we went to the grocery store!!! YIKES!
• A fitness place I grew into and really enjoyed who and what I was working out with.
• For the same place of fitness facility, but run down, and with equipment that was foreign to me and NOT updated whatsoever! And with NO ONE to push me at workout!
• The simplicity of doing laundry AT HOME.
• For our washer and dryer to NOT even CLOSE fit downstairs at our tiny house and to have our washer hooked up in our kitchen with the extra tubing going down the stairs and hooked up (worked for a few months aways) and had the clothes drying outside...and NOW to do laundry at the MAT every week for 2 hours.

I traded all of that, and this is what I gained~

• Rest. Time of refreshing during the months I searched for a job.
• God showed me "Enjoy this Time" and what it meant! (something He showed me in the first month we moved here).
• God showed me an appreciation for the Northwoods, for the nature that exists up here!
• The beautiful Spring
• The MANY Lakes
• The beautiful Rivers
• The amazing amounts of State and County Land that exists for everyone to enjoy!
• The interesting amounts of wildlife (my favorite...moose!), but I've gotta say, seeing bears in person, really a weird feeling and just neat!
• A wonderful neighborhood that has been a joy to walk our dog and going running to the park (that is only 3/4 mile away).
• A church that focuses on "Transforming Lives" and has welcomed us many times over from day one of stepping into that church.
• Men's Bible Study for my husband that has been very encouraging to him
• Accountability Men's groups for my husband that has challenged him and how I've seen him grow ridiculous amounts in only a short amount of time.
• A job that gave me my first "friends" in the Northwoods and has shown me my strengths and weaknesses with management. But has also given me the CHANCE to learn this!
• Another job that allowed me to meet more people and friends and the community better.
• And a job at a church (the one we attend) that has made me feel like "home" and gave me the opportunity all over again to use the gifts God has given me.
• Friends through our church that have reached out to us, encouraged us and want to know us!
• A fitness facility that I've LEARNED to like and now, have established great workout partners that have pushed me more in my workouts than ever before.
• The time at the Laundry Mat to read, to plan meals and THINK. (A hard one for me to admit that spending 2 hours at the laundry mat is actually a blessing).
• A deeper connection with husband than we've ever had before (because all we had for the first 4 months, was each other!)
• I've learned how to plan out meals (during those months of no job and time at the laundry mat) and how to shop WISELY in this crazy sticker shock I've had.
• A Pastor, and fellow co-worker, who has taught me so much about how to handle situations and how God views things about me. He has shown me more about self-worth than anyone I've known.
• The joy of true "winter" in the North
• The fun looking for a house...which turns to struggles, but through that, have learned so much about what God is showing both of us!
• A job my husband loves, appreciates and is growing so much in! He has really find his passion and love with this job and is able to USE it fully! He is HAPPY!
• And most importantly...a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ because these gains wouldn't have existed if I didn't put my trust in Jesus Christ each day we've had knowing that He will see us through it all. And that HE HAS and STILL IS!

I feel blessed to have moved and for how God has worked in our lives during this year! I'm in tears thinking about a year ago and how much pain I felt that day we pulled out with the Uhaul truck and then that first night in our new place. The tears aren't because it makes me sad again, its tears because of what we've gone through in the year and what we've gained because of it!!! How did we get so blessed to learn all of this and realize all of this stuff?!

Thank you SO MUCH Lord Jesus for bring us to where we are. Thank you for the pain I felt, for the loneliness, because in that loneliness, I had you! You are all I needed and that is exactly what you were showing me! Thank you! Thank you for a job my husband LOVES! thank you for providing us each and every day with what we've needed! I pray that you continue to show us and guide us on this adventure. For an adventure doesn't stop at 1 year, it continues. So i pray that even though we've hit that milestone of a year...it continues on in all that things you are doing in our lives!

I praise you Lord Jesus for this time!