Carmageddon 2014

Having been born and raised in the South, I am no stranger to city/state-crippling ice storms. However, yesterday will go down in my book as one of the most remarkable storms I've ever seen in my 34 years. We all heard the meteorologist reports for the last few days warning us of the possible winter weather. Unfortunately we've all heard "wolf" cried in Atlanta so many times we often don't take Glenn Burns and his cohorts very seriously. Plus, the storm was predicted to hit further south so we were even more sure it wouldn't affect us.

And then it hit......I am so thankful that my employers had the foresight to close our offices at 1:00. I headed home (north) without any delays. My friend working downtown Atlanta was not so lucky. Here's a view from his office. I'm pretty sure he, and several other people I know, spent the night in their offices.

My dad fell prey to the storm as well. He was headed home from a job in Atlanta and left there around 12:50 pm. He walked in the door at home (an 18 mile trip) at 1:00 am.  12 hours to go 18 miles. Unreal.

So as I lay in bed last night, trying to unwind from an exciting day, I was praying for many of my friends who had loved ones stranded on the highways. Children who were stranded at their schools and on buses overnight. Husbands who had not been heard from for hours. For the couple who had to deliver a baby on the side of I-285 with the help of a police officer. My mind felt like we were in the middle of complete and utter chaos. Totally out of control. And then I heard Him say..."Even in this seeming chaos, I'm still in control". When fear and anxiety strike us during stressful situations, do we really believe that God is in control? If not, we are guilty of the sin of unbelief. So many times we actually believe that the circumstances of this world and the plans of the evil one are more powerful than the God we call Abba, Father. The Maker and Creator of the universe has got it all under control.  We should remind ourselves of this more often.  As I sit here and look out the windows of my home today at the beauty of the fallen snow I can't help but be awed by God's creation. Maybe we should all remember that song we used to sing when we were kids..."He's got the whole world in His hands, He's got the whole world in His hands, He's got the whole world in His hands, He's got the whole world in His hands."

The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. - Psalm 19:1

Where do we even begin?????

So after much prayer and seeking wise counsel, we have decided to answer "YES" to God's call on our lives into full-time ministry. Our family of four is embarking on a new adventure into full-time missions in Jaco', Costa Rica. Many people we tell often smirk and chuckle thinking we're going to be living the high life in a tropical paradise. The reality is quite different. We'll be selling everything we own, packing our few belongings and uprooting our quiet suburban life for a land, culture, and language virtually unknown to us. We will be transplanting our family into an area of the world that is full of darkness and despair. A town that many are now calling the sex-tourism capital of the western hemisphere...where children and women are quietly bought and sold in the shadows. A place where the only hope of light and life is Jesus.

Sounds exciting doesn't it?

The truth is I'm really excited about the ministry part. What I'm dreading is the moving part. And the "sellingeverythingweownsowecanpackeverythinginsuitcases" part. Or maybe we'll just pack a small crate. I don't know. All I do know is that we have a lovely suburban home with tons of stuff. Not much of it is very fancy...but there's a lot of it. We anticipate moving by the end of this year.

So my question is.....where do we start? I've done a little googling of blogs and articles to read up on "How to sell everything you own and move". It's quite surprising the number of related articles you'll find. So I will begin by taking an inventory of each room and making a list of "Sell Now" and "Sell Later".  Stay tuned for information on how to buy our "stuff" if you're local.