So, I'm starting a BLOG

Just a little bit about me...I have always hated to read, I don't think I am very good at writing, I certainly have no real training that qualifies me to teach, but God has been teaching me and I wouldn't be a good steward if I don't share the lessons with others. (That was the last lesson he taught me, so here I am...)

My Story: I accepted Christ on a retreat in high school and they couldn't keep me out of the church from then on.  I "accepted a call to ministry" about a year later.  For real, I walked down the aisle of my church, the one they couldn't keep me out of anymore, and told them I felt like God wanted me to do this sort of thing for the rest of my life. They prayed for me, put my picture on the wall, and it was official! I helped out with the student ministry, constantly invited my friends to church and by the time I was 18 was on staff - Children's Ministry Intern.
I met my husband, PT, at 18, got engaged 8 months later, and we got married almost 2 years later.  (That's a whole different blog post.) We have been married for almost 12 years now and have 2 precious boys. I started school in MS, but I ended up graduating from Texas Christian University with a business degree, focused on Entrepreneurial Management. (Which I still can't spell without spell check.) PT and I began working at Fellowship Church about the time we each finished school, him from Seminary and me from TCU. We have loved being a part of Fellowship Church. Out of the almost 12 years that we have been married 9 of them have been as part of the family of Fellowship Church. We have become who we are because of our time there.

So where are we now? That is a great question..we aren't sure.  God began working in our hearts around August of last year.  Quietly, He asked us to get ready for a new journey. Over time that nudge became louder and more persistent, so we began to look for direction on where this new journey would go. After months of keeping our eyes open we still saw no new path. I continued to pray and ask God to show us where we were going, but no direction. I began to read scripture more diligently for the answers. I studied people, how God led them, how he communicated with them, how they responded and what happened afterwards. You start talking about God calling you to move and you instantly think of  Abraham. I can tell you after searching through the scripture from Abraham to Moses, then all of the New Testament, there are FAR MORE stories of God showing his people where to go before they move than the popular story of Abraham who just goes, with no direction at all. SO, I waited some more for God to show us where he wanted us to go.  Surely he would open a door, drop something in our laps if he wanted us to change jobs.

Then there was that morning that I cried out to God for direction. I can clearly recall driving in to work that morning listening to worship music just begging God to give us some answers. We were no longer content to just keep doing the same old thing when the creator of the universe says he has something different for you. I told God that morning that we wanted what he has for us, that we were willing to step out like Abraham if that was what he wanted us to do, but I didn't think that is what he was asking of us.  If it was, then he needed to make that clear. I don't think I have seen God answer prayer requests so fast in all of my life. He made if very clear that morning that he was asking us to step out in faith not knowing what was next, and the wheels were all in motion before I could even stop and say, "You want us to both quit our jobs?" Although that is probably best, because had we had much time to stop and think about it we probably would not have done it...I mean, who does that? Who chooses to up and quit your job in this economy with no idea of what is next? Things are going fine.  We love Fellowship Church.  We have a nice little house. The kids are doing good in their school. There are so many reasons not to take that step, but I have no doubt in my mind that is the step that God directed. From August when God began this particular part of our journey he spoke to me when I read Isaiah 42:16 "I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way. I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them." As clearly as if he were speaking audibly to me he said that he is taking us on a new path, he will show us what we need to know when we need to know it and that he has all the details covered. 

No Really - Where are we? So, that step of faith was about 2 months ago.  We have had several interviews for jobs with other churches, that we felt God say "that's not it, wait for me." We have enough left in our savings to make it to the end of June and I am continually going back to that verse. I usually just recite it to myself from memory, but I opened it up and read it from the Bible to discover that it doesn't end there. The last part of verse 16 actually says, "Yes, I indeed will do these things; I will not forsake them." I know that God has a plan.  I would really love to know what it is, but God continues to teach me to trust him one step at a time.  The farther we go, them more I have to rely on him. I think that is what he is truly trying to teach me. I was at the Flavour Conference last week and Julie Richard (LOVE HER!!) was talking about how God's ability really comes out when you are in need of a miracle...that is his sweet spot...he's kinda good at that.  :) God took that moment to remind me that I may miss out on a chance to really see him do a miracle in my life if I am not in need of one. I know he has brought us out here to this place and that he has a plan for us.  I continue to learn like I have never learned before and I wake up in the morning with the thought, "I can't make it through today without you."

God, keep me here long enough to never forget that no matter my circumstances, I can't make it through today without you.
Bonnie Lee