One Year Ago Today

It's hard to believe, but one year ago today we drove into Washington State and made Seattle our new home! I can still remember our thoughts are we drove into the city: "We're really doing it!" It has been an amazing year, and we have not looked back one bit. We still miss those we have left behind, but God has made it SO clear that this was (and still is) His plan for us! We have been blessed by Him in so many ways this past year and are so thankful for His continual guidance and provision.
The last month has been crazy..as our Pastor would say, we both feel like "a kite in God's hurricane!" A few of the major things that have happened within the last month: David's older sister, Kristin, and her family, have moved from California (aka 16+ hour drive) to Yakima, Wa (aka= 2 hour drive! :). Watching God work through their situation has been an amazing encouragement to us, and we are thrilled that they will only be a short drive away! Also, we sold our VW Bug! We had originally bought it for David's computer business, and now that he's working for the church, it was an unnesessary expense. With the lackluster economy and high gas prices, we were not sure if we'd be able to sell it, but we were trusting God to provide, and He did! We were able to sell it at a great price, and David even had a chance to share Jesus with the new owner! Our last big event of the month is currently in the works: we are buying a house! We are amazed at how God orchestrated the events of the last month to provide us with the perfect house, at a great price (well, for Seattle that is)! Long story short, we submitted an offer on this house a month ago, only to be outbid. We kept looking, but nothing was meeting our criteria...and then, last week, we got the call that the other offer had fallen through! So, we submitted a new offer, and they've accepted it! So, we are thrilled to finally know where we'll be "planting" for a few years! The house is in West Seattle, which is where we currently live (and have grown to love), and is only 5 blocks from work (for me)! God is so faithful, and we are standing before Him humbled and thankful. But we're also aware that, although these things are wonderful gifts from God, we have been given far more "intangible" blessings. To name just a few: We have an amazing church, where David has been blessed with a "job" that is allowing him to disciple and be discipled; we've met some great friends and mentors who are an encouragement and inspiration; we've been able to share the love of Jesus with neighbors and clients; and God has used this move to stretch and grow both of us in our walk with Him. We now realize that our identity doesn't lie in: friends, jobs, family, money, performance, or acceptance...our identity is in Christ, and Him alone!
So, here we are a year later, thankful for God's provision, encouraged by His faithfulness, and excited to see what God will do in the future! Thanks for all your support and prayers!