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Home.

What does it mean to you?

If you'd have told me a year ago that home would look like it does today, I honestly wouldn't have believed you!

A year ago, we had had conversations about a potential job offer for Rick in Chattanooga, TN. We were trying to figure out when we could visit Chattanooga so he could have an in person interview and we could visit the area, seeking potential housing and all of the "things" that would be necessary for a complete life change ...

Fast forward a few days to February 17, when the job was offered to Rick without having to go through the in person interview process. This meant no chance to visit, no chance to look for housing, no chance to decide if this move was what *I* wanted ... Rick texted me the afternoon of February 17, 2019 and said "I just accepted the job at Soccer Shots Chattanooga". After my initial shock and probably less than excited "huh?" that I texted back, I realized that I should congratulate him and ask when the job started ... which I did and to which he replied that they wanted him to start at the beginning of March!

Without going into all the details that quickly followed, I'll just say that we pulled into Chattanooga on March 1, 2019! The whirlwind of the 11 days that transpired between February 17 and March 1 is a blog post all its own!

But now, nearly a year later, I can say this crazy, life changing, kind of spontaneous, completely off the wall move has been a sweet, sweet thing!

We and our pets have acclimated to our new home amazingly well!

I have now transitioned from an all out die-hard country girl to an I love my city girl! I love being within 3 miles from Target, Kohl's, Chick fil A, Walmart and a fairly good sized mall and almost any other store or restaurant you can imagine!

I can now find my way most places without the help of my GPS! I usually use the terms y'all and bless your heart in the right context! I know that to put something up means to put it away, having your picture made is the same as having your picture taken and that when you grocery shop, your groceries go in a buggy! I know that if someone tells me someplace is in Bumble, it means the same as in the boonies! I know that BBQ doesn't mean doused with BBQ sauce and that when they say this is the Bible Belt, they weren't kidding! I know what it's like to look in almost any direction and see mountains, and I've survived a snowstorm of 3" of snow and lived to tell about it! I've loved to wear shorts and flip flops every month of the year and getting a suntan in February!

I realize that though short, our time at Northland Scholars Academy was such a blessing because though it was still close to home, it moved me from my comfort zone, and prepared me for this bigger move that God already had in store for us!

We have been blessed beyond measure by the true Southern hospitality that has greeted us at every turn! We have had awesome jobs & co-workers, met some of the most amazing people we've ever known and made some very dear friends! We found a church that has not only welcomed us but honestly made us feel like we have been worshiping with them for much longer than the ten months or so since we started attending! We have friends who have played for all of the local professional soccer teams and have enjoyed babysitting some of their children!

This has also been a sweet season for our marriage as we truly have become each other's best friend and have walked through the good times and the challenging times of this year holding God and each other tightly and appreciating each other more with each passing day! I have learned that I can honestly say to Rick that wherever I am with him is home! 

Our year has not been all perfection, we have faced some challenges; some small, some big. I had a fairly serious car accident in September that totaled my jeep, Libby and gave me a pretty good bump on the head and some lingering concussion symptoms. My mom and dad have had some health issues that caused me to wonder if I should be here or back in Michigan with them and we've had some work related challenges.

Through it all, this crazy, spontaneous, life changing move has been more than I could have imagined! There honestly is no place I'd rather be tonight than in our cozy little apartment relaxing with my best friend and our sweet pets! 

God is good, and He has seen us more than faithfully through this year! We've enjoyed more soccer games than I could ever have imagined seeing, we've become a part of a Liverpool football club (which Rick loves) and the Chattanooga Packer Backers (which I love)! We've attended some amazing concerts and enjoyed downtown Chattanooga and all that it has to offer! We've visited the mountains and the girls! We've welcomed another precious grandbaby and have another due any day! We have discovered that a quiet Christmas at home with just the two of us can be just as precious as a house full on Christmas (though we did miss seeing and spending it with family)!

We have lived and loved and laughed and cried, but through it all, God has drawn us close to each other and Himself. We have seen more blessings than sadness and we now feel completely at home in our sweet new city! 

Home.

It really is where your heart is ... and for now, my heart is right here in Chattanooga!

how organized are you?

How organized are you?

I try so hard to be and every year I say I'll do better, but it seems I don't keep up with it very well. This year with many things on our plates that we will be juggling, I felt the need even more than I have in the past to be organized, so I went ahead and sprung for a really nice planner hoping that would inspire me!

After much research, I chose the Christian Planner.I really do like it as It has a beautiful red vegan leather hard backed cover - it is available in other colors as well. It opens nice and flat for ease in writing in it and it is nice and roomy! 

We are almost half way into February and though I'm not utilizing it as well as I could be, I'm using it and trying to make sure that it's a daily in my life!

There is a double page spread at the beginning of each week ... the first page is for sermon notes and the second page is for devotional notes during the week! Since I love to write, and like to "doodle" I'm really enjoying this portion! Plus we really love our new church and I like to take notes as Pastor Danny preaches so I can look back over the scriptures  and main points and remind myself of the sermon during the week!

At the beginning of the planner, there is a "vision board" which I really like as well! I did not complete mine as I am thinking I want to add things during the year as God lays them on my heart! I did add my "Word of the Year" on these pages which is actually three words that all hoed significant meaning to me as I approached 2020. 

My word is "BIG" with each letter having special meaning:

B = Be a BLESSING - I want to bless Rick, my family, friends and others I come into contact with, coworkers, store clerks ... everyone and anyone possible!

I = Be INTENTIONAL - I want to intentionally pray and serve and love others! One small way I have been working on that is to notice a worker's name tag if they are wearing one and to either thank them or wish them a good day by name at least once during our interaction! I want to intentionally show kindness to others ... nobody is a stranger ... only friends we have yet to meet and what a way to show friendship and love than by calling someone by name?

G = Be GRATEFUL - in all things and for all things! It starts each morning, being grateful for another day of life, for waking up to a wonderful husband and 2 sweet pets in our new home which has been such a blessing! It's being thankful for loving parents and amazing children and their spouses and the grandchildren we have been blessed with! For a job and food on the table and a beautiful city that we loved and oh, so much more! Even on difficult days, there is always something to be grateful for, and this reminds me to always look for that! 

Another nice feature in this planner is that it contains monthly and weekly calendars and on the weekly calendar there is a section where you can track "healthy habits".The lines are blank so you can choose to fill them as you wish - you can also change them each week depending on life circumstances! For now, I'm including gym & tanning time, getting enough water & watching my spending habits. I'm also including my devotions and writing time as those are related to my emotional/mental/spiritual health which is as important as physical health - if not more!

So there you have it .... my goal of the year, become a little more organized, a little more structured, and hopefully focus more on God and less on me. Trust more in God and less on me. Bless others, intentionally serve others and be grateful ... always be grateful! 

Are you a planner person? Are you organized or could you, like me, use some work in this area? If you are intrigued about the planner/journal I'm loving, you can find them at

christianplanner.com*

*This is my personal review of this product. Christian Planner has not paid me for this endorsement, and I do not receive any benefit if you purchase one - I'm just so pleased with it, I wanted to share a review and let you know how you can purchase one for yourself if you, like me are a little organizationally challenged!

an old comfy sweatshirt

It’s a slip into an old comfy sweatshirt kind of day!

You know those days, nothing you must do except fix lunch, finish up some laundry, get ready for the week and relax with your best friend watching the new XFL football league – have you watched? Do you have a favorite team?

This old comfy sweatshirt kind of day is a favorite kind of day for me!

I’ve not officially blogged in a long time, though I’ve posted some pretty long posts over on my Facebook page! I do want to get back to blogging and not post such long posts on Facebook! I’m going to try my best to keep up with it! Please, stick with me if you’d like! You can sign up to receive a notification by entering your email address in the *get notified when I post* section in the sidebar to the right! I PROMISE that I won’t EVER abuse or sell or share your e-mail address!

Now, back to that old comfy sweatshirt … while I love my comfy sweatshirt, it got me to thinking how easy it is to revert to old comfy ways of living, especially if life isn’t going exactly as I think it should be! Those times when my future is uncertain or I’ve been hurt by someone or I’m worried about someone I love.

Even though God is shaping me and molding me more and more into His likeness, when I’m squeezed because things haven’t gone my way or I just don’t understand life it’s so easy to fall back into old comfy ways of living or thinking or reacting. 

I find that these are the times I:

*overreact

*become grumpy

*become judgmental

*think negative thoughts

*look to others for answers instead of God

*forget Who is in control

*doubt His constant love for me

*become irritable

*snap at Rick

Can you relate? While resorting to my old comfy sweatshirt for a cozy afternoon at home is not a bad thing, resorting to old bad habits of *stinkin’ thinkin’* is not a good thing!

When we resort to those old comfy ways, we are forgetting that in we are new creations; no matter how long ago we became Christians!

When I find myself in a place of sliding into old comfy thought patterns, I need to renew my mind, I need to realize what I’m doing, I need to ask Rick to pray for me, I need to immerse myself in scripture, inspirational music and prayer!

I’ve been focusing lately on quieting my mind, trying to find a nothing box ... for real? Guys claim there is such a place, I'm still working on finding it! It’s been a challenging practice, to be still and know, and to listen to what God is saying to me. I find it pretty easy to have a dialogue with God, but usually it’s pretty one sided … I do all the talking and expect Him to do all the listening! Learning to be quiet and listen to Him is something that has challenged me and stretched me and grown me!

Do you do this? Do you have any tips for doing this? How do you quiet your noisy thoughts? How do you still your mind, how do you avoid resorting to your old comfy ways that unlike a comfy sweatshirt are better left in the past?

Share in the comments ways you quiet your mind and focus on Him, I’d love to hear how God has worked in you and helped you in this way!

He knew. . .

As I sit here on my comfortable couch in our cute little air conditioned apartment in Chattanooga, I'm again amazed at how God works in our lives.

Several years ago when Rick mentioned that he would like to check out the church at the local homeless shelter in Menominee, Michigan, I'll admit I was hesitant.

No, that is not accurate.

I was opposed to it. 

There, I said it. I.did.not.want.to.go.there. I was open to attending another church, just not that one. Let's go to Faith, I said, or maybe New Life. Rick was fairly insistent, he wanted to go and check out the church that was affiliated with the shelter. I.did.not.

But, God.

There's always a "but God" in a story like this it seems.

But, God.

He had a different plan, He could see to the future.  He could see to today, May 27, 2019. I could not.

We went to church at Abundant Life Church & Mission. We met a homeless man and his cute little dog who were traveling through town that first Sunday we were there. The man was pleasant, his dog was adorable. That's about all I remember from that first visit. That and the fact that I felt I'd done my duty, I attended church there and next week, we could attend a church of MY choosing.  We did not do that. We continued to visit Abundant Life, me still feeling like it wasn't home, going because it was where Rick wanted to go. 

But, God.

Slowly, very slowly, I began to feel like it was our church. Like the people were our family. I began to allow myself to get to know Pastor Dave - who by the way is a great guy - in no means your normal, run of the mill pastor; in fact, I dare say, not like any other pastor you have ever or will ever meet. Yet, he is a man of God, firm in his beliefs and convictions and with a heart of gold and a desire to serve God and others! On the outside, he is a big, bold, gruff former Marine turned pastor. Some may even say he is intimidating which he can be until you get to know him, or if you cross him or those he loves and is called to protect. He is truly one in a million - in every good way! We also met some good people who became dear friends while there and have enjoyed walking a road of loving them through foster parenting, the birth of a baby, adoption, divorce and a pending new marriage with a beautiful blended family of eight, yes EIGHT children! God is good, He is faithful. He led us to Abundant Life. He loved me through my stubbornness about not wanting to attend Abundant life. He brought me full circle to loving Abundant Life. He gave me a church family where I least expected it. Even when we moved out to Dunbar which was an hour away from Menominee, we made the drive at least twice a month to worship there. He allowed Abundant Life to be one of the hardest things for me to say good bye to when we moved to Chattanooga.

But, God.

He allowed all those things; no He blessed me with all those things for more than just the obvious ... He was preparing me for bigger things. He was preparing me for Chattanooga, and for Brielle, and for the Community Kitchen here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Brielle, my sweet new friend who God brought into our lives through Soccer Shots. Brielle who has experienced loss, Brielle who shares having had to say goodbye to someone she loved way too early in our earthly way of thinking. Brielle who is living to give back to others, and has invited me to join her on her journey of being a blessing to others!

A few weeks back, she asked me to help in the evening at a local elementary school as she and her mom brought books for children while helping to feed them pizza and playing games with them. That was fairly easy, I play soccer with children every day; I relate well to children, I enjoy children! Pastor Robert was great with the kids, the kids had fun and so cute; we had a blast!

This time Brielle asked if I wanted to help serve breakfast, at 6:45 in the morning, in the not so nice area of downtown Chattanooga ... and on a holiday no less! A day I could sleep in, and get up and enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee with Rick She wanted to know if I wanted to help serve breakfast at the downtown Community Kitchen ... the local homeless shelter. I wanted to tell her thanks but no thanks, maybe some other time ... but, God! This shelter is unlike the one in Menominee, it's a day shelter only. These folks are truly homeless, as in living on the streets, under the bridges, not being temporarily housed in a shelter setting while being given help and instruction and direction while they get back on their feet and secure jobs and eventually housing. This is not said to diminish the work of Abundant Life, but to compare the difference of the people utilizing the services being offered. The people utilizing the Community Kitchen in Chattanooga are truly carrying everything.they.own with them. They come with backpacks, or black garbage bags. They come hungry, hot and probably tired. They come possibly hungover or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They come with a myriad of problems, that truly I cannot imagine.

They come.

By the dozens.

For a hot meal.

Maybe for a kind word spoken to them.

Maybe for a smile given to them.

Maybe in hopes that today will be better than yesterday.

Maybe in hopes that today will be cooler than yesterday.

They come.

They come, homeless, helpless and maybe hopeful.

But, God.

He sees past the homelessness.

Past the tattered clothes.

Past the obvious signs of drug and alcohol abuse.

Past the mental and emotional struggles these precious souls face daily.

God sees them.

Every.Single.One.Of.Them.

He sees them as He sees me, as He sees you.

He sees them as His precious, blood bought child.

He sees them as His own.

He loves them as He loves me, as He loves you.

He died for them, as he died for me and for you.

He sees them. He loves them.

To us they may be like the woman at the well, or the man with leprosy, or the blind man beside the pool..

To Him, they are the forgiven woman at the well, the man cured of his leprosy and the man with sight returned to him.

God began preparing my heart for these people of the streets of Chattanooga years ago when I met the pleasant man and his dog at Abundant Life Church and Mission. He began preparing me for them when I had no idea I'd ever be living in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He began preparing me for them before I ever knew how important it would be for me to be able to look each one of these precious human beings in the eye, give them a sincere smile and offer them all I could offer them today ... a warm bowl of oatmeal, a day old bagel, a carton of milk and/or a cup of coffee. He began preparing me to love on those who the world may look on as unlovable in a very small way. 

Today, He showed me why He brought me to Abundant Life church. 

Today, He taught me yet again that His hand on my life knits my days together in ways I may get a glimpse of here on earth and may not fully understand until I get to heaven.

Today, He showed me again His precious guiding hand in my life; He reminded me that He has written every chapter of my life up until today and that He has also written all the chapters that will follow. He reminded me He is always there orchestrating things greater than I can ever imagine.

Tonight, I will fall asleep thanking Him for teaching me yet again that we are all precious in His sight, praying that I may have been a blessing to just one person this morning, and asking that I will be a blessing again ...

Yes, again!

Tomorrow, Brielle and I will be going back to serve breakfast at the Community Kitchen. We will be offering a hot meal, hopefully an encouraging word, a smile, and hopefully being a good reflection of Jesus as we may be be the only Jesus they see tomorrow; and I want to reflect Him well!

Brielle, my sweet friend, thank you for inviting me to join you on your journey of giving back to others ... you may never know this side of Heaven just how much you have blessed me in the few short months I have known you! 

I can't wait to serve breakfast tomorrow!

Last night as we walked in to the Red Wolves soccer game, a lady asked “are you a mom?”When I replied yes, she handed me this carnation and wished me a Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m not sure why but it struck a chord with me, and touched me deeply! Strangers blessing strangers ... we’ve actually seen much of that here in Chattanooga! Maybe it’s simply a Southern phrase but when my Starbucks barista or the checkout girl at Walmart or the guy at the downtown outdoor market says “have a blessed day” I am touched, I am blessed and I am reminded to be a blessing to others ...

When this sweet lady at the game handed me this pretty little long stemmed carnation and said Happy Mother’s Day, I instinctively hugged her. I hugged her, a total stranger! She looked at me and smiled and said, “well, I didn’t expect a hug, thank you!” If you aren’t a “hugger” I hear you and know this makes you uncomfortable, thankfully, she appreciated it 😊

All of this to say, take a moment today and love on people!

Today we honor moms especially but be tender, love on everyone you see! Last night a simple act of kindness, a single flower and a thank you hug, brightened my day and hers and cost both of us nothing ...

You never know, your small kindness could be just what that person needs today, and it won’t cost you a thing!

Let‘s start a kindness revolution ... try it this week, do at least one random act of kindness each day! I think you’ll find that in addition to brightening someone else’s day, it will brighten yours too!

chattanooga living ♥️

since visiting chattanooga in december 2017, rick talking about wanting to live here since i met him and actually moving here i’ve discovered some things i didn’t expect and some things i anticipated! 

i anticipated:

traffic

i didn’t anticipate:

i wouldn’t mind driving in it and actually like the challenge! 

i ’m just thankful for lola my gps !

i anticipated:

a wide variety of grocery stores nearby, all of which were larger than gary’s & the pembine grocery!

i didn’t anticipate:

grocery delivery and how much i would love it!

i anticipated:

lots of restaurant choices & food delivery

i didn’t anticipate:

how many choices we would have and that i actually prefer to go out to eat as opposed to having it delivered!

i anticipated:

lots of shopping options!

i didn’t anticipate:

how many would be within 2 miles of me!

i anticipated:

mega churches 

i didn’t anticipate:

how many churches there would be!

i anticipated:

nice weather

i didn’t anticipate:

how nice the weather would be!

i anticipated:

mountains 

i didn’t anticipate:

seeing them in almost every direction!

i anticipated:

apartment (almost tiny home) life

i didn’t anticipate: 

how tiny our apartment would be, how easy 3 rooms are to keep clean and how much i love it!

i anticipated:

needing to find a job

i didn’t anticipate:

how much i would love the job that God had obviously already lined up for me!

i anticipated:

missing everyone back home

i didn’t anticipate:

though i  miss everyone, technology makes staying in touch so easy, the separation isn’t as bad as i thought it might be.

i anticipated:

rick & i would grow closer to each other because it’s just the 2 of us.

i didn’t anticipate:

how much our relationship would grow even in this short time and how much fun we would have!

i anticipated:

things to do!

i didn’t anticipate:

how many things there are to do, many of them free or very low cost.

i anticipated:

southern hospitality 

i didn’t anticipate:

how true that phrase is! we have encounters so many kind, helpful, friendly strangers that we do truly feel at home here!

i anticipated:

southern drawl.

i didn’t anticipate:

children don’t have one, but, ya’ll, i have a hard time understanding some adults!

😊

i anticipated:

an adventure and hoped it would be an enjoyable one.

i didn’t anticipate:

how much of an adventure it has been, how much i’d enjoy it and how much fun we would have! honestly, i think rick is tiring of me saying to him:

“honey, i  love our new city!”

here are a few more random pictures:

so much change!

i always say i am going to be better at this blog thing and then i get busy and it’s one of the first things to go, even though it’s relaxing for me to write out thoughts, so i’ll try again!

here we are, settled in to our cute apartment in chattanooga...it’s not a “tiny home” but it’s close! we have three rooms! a combination kitchen, dining, living room space, a bedroom and a bathroom ... and we love it! 

i never dreamed i would love city life, and life away from “home” but i have to say, i love it here!

here are a few pictures of our new home and my weekend project, repurposing an old butcher block table into a rolling kitchen island! i posted from my phone and they posted in kind of random order! sorry, i’ll have to try and figure that out! :)

if you care to follow our adventures, i plan to try and share more re here on a regular basis, you can sign up to be jotiwhen i post if you want, and if you’re not interested, i completely understand!