Years ago I heard a pastor say he doesn’t believe God cares where we live — what area, what house, etc.
I respect his opinion but I tend to disagree.
I see God’s specificity throughout His Word, as well as our own home situations over the years.
Over twenty years ago, we built a home in our new little town. As relatively new believers, we knew nothing about the beauty of tithing, but it didn’t take long to realize our budget couldn’t handle that kind of mortgage if we were going to tithe fully.
So we sold the new house and moved into a 50 year-old two bedroom, one bath house. People thought we were crazy moving into such a small home with two little boys in tow but some of our happiest memories were made in that home. As a matter of fact, our oldest son and his wife bought the home years after we’d left because he had such good memories there.
Our 50 year-old home. Image Courtesy of Google.
After eight years of living in our “tiny” home, we felt the boys needed more space as teenagers so we went in search of a little larger home. We put a full price offer on a home across town but they denied it. {Whaaat?} We scratched our heads at the time but remained confident God closed the door for a reason bigger than we could understand. A few weeks later we landed in a home/area where our boys made life-long friends, and had room to play music.
When we decided to move a few years later, with the boys were entering their college years, God sent a buyer from NY who had one weekend to find a home. He gave us a full price offer because he didn’t want to squabble over price. We look back now at our own full price offer that was denied and thank God for it.
That closed door opened many others that would’ve never been opened otherwise.
The examples could continue but suffice it to say I’m convinced God does care about the details of our lives. He cares about the community where we’ll live, the people we will meet, the friends our children will make, the church we’ll belong to, the money we will spend. Why? Because He cares about you, me, our families, and those around us.
I believe our heavenly Father delights in leading us to places where we can flourish emotionally, physically, and spiritually — all for His glory! And because He cares, why wouldn’t we pray for His direction?
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8
So, what do you think? Do you believe God cares where you live? Please share below!
{You may be asking what this subject has to do with change. I’m asking myself the same thing but this is what the Lord laid on my heart to share.}
I marvel at the ways the internet has changed the way we do life.
At the touch of our fingertips we locate new recipes, learn how to cover popcorn ceilings in creative ways, spiff up our blogs, and countless other things.
Lately, I’ve started setting aside time to peruse a variety of blogs via Bloglovin ← (which I love!) Today, I’m sharing a handful of sites that are sparking changes in my life, both in small and positive ways. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do! They’re in no particular order.
Sarah shares simple, inexpensive ideas on decorating. Her ideas are easy on the eyes, as well as the budget.
Changing…how I tackle decorating. With Sarah’s creative penny pinching ideas, all things are possible. I’m hoping to use some of her Pinterest ideas in our next home.
With a mantra like, It Doesn’t Have To Be Perfect To Be Beautiful, how could you go wrong? Myquillyn Smith won me over with her book The Nesting Place and her blog never disappoints.
Changing…the way I see everything, not just my home. Imperfections hold their own kind of beauty.They’re to be embraced, not shunned⎯in our daily life, as well as our homes.
Inspiring DIY projects, decor ideas, and yummy recipes. {And it doesn’t hurt that she too has a big crush on buffalo checks.} She also uses a lot of white…my favorite color.
Changing…the way I spend my time. Her Project Gallery alone convinced me of the need for an allotted guilt-free perusing time. Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
Changing…the way I view house projects with my own hubby. Instead of calling my hubby Bob Vila (because he has to touch everything he sees in antique stores) I will bite my tongue pause, and thank God for Brian’s sense of humor. Oh, what I would give for a Chip and Joanna makeover!
Victoria is the real deal. She lives in a 80+ year-old log cabin, in the boonies with chickens and blueberry bushes. She blogs for GRIT and Mother Earth News and is a huge proponent for essential oils and self-reliant living.
Changing…this full-fledged city girl into a, dare I say, country girl? Okay, so you won’t see me relying fully on the land (how far is the nearest Starbucks anyway?) but you might just catch me picking blueberries and feeding chickens.
So, there it is! My list of favorite lifestyle blogs. Which blog do you think you’ll visit first? If you have a favorite lifestyle blog, please share it with us!
{If you like lists, stay tuned for more favorites in March! Hint: Blog/Photography, Foodies, Inspiring.}
““We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that
you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know
that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something
that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have
something better.”
– C. Joybell C.
The subject of change has been on my mind a lot lately, mainly due to the fact that we’re praying about leaving the town we’ve loved for the last 20+ years for a place out in the country. We wouldn’t be too far away, just far enough that I wouldn’t be able to meet nearby friends at the local Mom and Pop restaurant for grits at 7:45 am. Okay, maybe it is too far.
A lot of people ask how we can know when God is up to something in our lives. For me, one indicator is when God takes me out of my comfort zone and I don’t even realize it until I look back on the situation.
You see, I’ve never considered leaving this town I love. It’s a place where eternal friendships were forged. It’s where we raised our boys. It’s where I know people and they know me.
Is there any greater gift than to know…and be known?
When I consider moving to a place where familiar faces and places won’t surround me on a daily basis, there is an inkling of doubt, especially for this introverted soul of mine. And then God dots reminders of bigger pictures and plans at every turn, and doubt is swallowed whole because I know⎯and am known⎯by a God who is much more concerned about how I live rather than where I live.
To step out into unfamiliar places is an act of faith, especially for those of us who aren’t the most adventurous of the bunch, preferring to settle in with the known rather than wrestle with the unknown.
I plan to share more about our changes, this unknown journey, throughout the month of March, in addition to some practical ways we can all find change to be a good thing. A very good thing.
So, are you ready to venture out of the known pond into the unknown oceans that await, confident that with the sovereign One by our side nothing in life is really unknown? Maybe for you it’s not about changing a location. Maybe you’re venturing out into a new ministry? Entering a new role in life? Switching careers? The unknown will be different for us all but one question remains the same:
Will we step out in faith?
I’d love to hear from you! What is one recent change that has been a good thing in your life? Or is there a way I can pray for you as consider venturing out from your own little known pond into the unknown?
A favorite HGTV show (after Fixer Upper, of course) is Love It or List It.
The premise of the show? One spouse wants to stay put in their current home {LOVE IT} and the other wants to sell it {LIST IT}.
One host, David Visentin, tries to help their decision making process by showing the couple new homes. The other host, Hilary Farr, does her part by fixing up their home to the point in which they can’t help but choose to LOVE their home by the end of the show.
In recent months, Brian and I have experienced a little reality ourselves, minus the co-hosts. Truth is, we love our old house. We remodeled it a bit and the location is certainly prime for city dwellers, but sometimes there’s a tug on the heart that simply can’t be denied.
It’s that undeniable tugging in the spirit that says maybe…just maybe, God has a bigger and better plan.
I’ll share more about this tugging and how it’s playing out in next month’s posts {beginning this Wednesday!} when we focus on the subject of change, and how it can be a beautiful thing, even for us creatures of habit.
Whatever is decided with our old house, neither of the two banter-loving co-hosts of Love It or List It will be involved. Only one Host will lead and guide in our decision making process. And one thing’s for sure⎯when God is leading, it’s always an adventure, right?
I hope you enjoyed this month of L-O-V-E as much as I have. I pray others were blessed as we loved with the kind of love that far surpasses one day on a calendar. 🙂
One more thing! This is the last day to enter the Herbal Rose Tea Giveaway {See below}.
If you’ve not tasted Herbal Rose Tea, you’re in for a treat!
Imagine sipping tea in a rose garden. {No fancy gloves required!} This is one of my all-time favorite teas, so I had to share a canister with my peeps in this month’s giveaway.
To enter, simply leave a comment on today’s post sharing your favorite flavor of tea, or ways I can pray for you, or both.
{I’m assuming you’re a tea drinker if you’ve read this far.} This
Wednesday, March 2, I’ll announce the winner of the random drawing done
via Random Name Picker.
Thank you and good luck!
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by Cathy Baker @cathysbaker
