GOD TEACHING US THROUGH OUR HOUSE NOT SELLING...

Wow, its been a long road, this last year and a half, trying to sell our house. We can't help but be amazed by God's grace and provision in our lives.
God has taken what we thought to be something that would quickly sell and pay off our debt and our school bill to a whole new level. He has taken it to His level and has used His plans to teach us so much of who He is.
Is it crazy to say that we are glad (maybe content would be a better way to say it) we haven't sold the house????? Sure if we had it our way we would love to sell it or have sold it a year ago, but we would have really missed out on the blessings of trials and tribulations. Learning the character and faithfulness, of our Lord Jesus Christ, has been something I (personally) wouldn't ever change.

Seeing God work has truly been remarkable! I have seen God show us so much through the course of not selling our house. In fact, I can't or forgot to write down all the ways. Here is a couple of the most recent insights I've gleaned from STILL owning our house in Toledo :)
God has really challenged and changed Aaron! Its so beautiful the things He is doing in His life! #1 He has really been pushed to work very hard, to make deadlines,to plan and to correspond with individuals much more. #2 God has grown A to understand that God alone is our only source and our only control over any and all circumstance in our lives. #3 I have seen him let go of making all A's in the classes and really look at the bigger picture of putting what we are learning into his every day walk. It has truly been rewarding and I feel honored and privileged to see God work so much in his life!
In my life, God has used not selling the house to show me His ultimate and ever present faithfulness...no matter where you go or where you are. Just this last weekend, before our trip to Toledo, Aaron woke up with really bad lower back pain. Ok, severe back pain. Then Brayden went to the doctor and was given, at 3 months of age, steroids and breathing treatments. We hadn't had time to change the brakes on our van; which were grinding so bad its only by God's grace that were alive :) . We just had gotten to Toledo, I took one bite of a soft english muffin and the crown on my tooth fell out.
Ok, this is were it gets good! God never healed Aaron's back but gave him the strength to work some 26 hours on the house! God laid it on our neighbor's heart, thanks Troy!, to come over and offer to replace our brakes on the van while Aaron was working! Finally, late Friday afternoon, I was able to make contact with my dentist who I haven't seen in 2 1/2 years (by his emergency number) and was able to have my tooth problem fixed within 1 hour of the incident at no charge. Are you kidding me??? :)
I also was really anxious of the severe pain I would have (again) while getting the crown sat. He changed the cement to something else and it barley hurt at all :) !!!!!!! Praise God!


One last thing, before driving away last night in Toledo I took a look back at this nice looking house that is completely cleaned, fixed and ready to sell. It hit me how much time we have invested, how much money(God's many provisions) , the sacrifices, the many people that helped and how hard we have worked both mentally and physically. All for this material thing that has no eternal value. We started to pull away and A and I felt proud of what God enabled us to accomplish with this house. It felt good!

But even beyond that...
God gave me a beautiful picture, that I shared with Aaron, about this
(feeling of good job, well done, pride,) maybe being a very tiny glimpse of what it is like seeing a tribal church planted and seeing people who never would have heard the Good News of Jesus Christ reached. After all the illnesses, sacrafices, hard hours and laborious days ~ seeing our tribal brothers and sisters know Jesus and begin to share who He is with neighboring villages. What a privileg! Being a part of impacting the eternal destination of these brothers and sisters has to be the most fulfilling reward known to mankind. Realizing this was a moment that we both will not be quick to forget.


You see, this is how its been for the last year and a half. I wouldn't trade all the long hours of hard work and stress for anything! God has taught me so much that I can't wait to see how MUCH MORE He has already done or is planning to do in our lives!

2nd last thing, Aaron purchased curriculum for the boys (the children's Firm Foundations - Chronological teaching of the Bible) and He is really excited to dive into it with the boys (at least Austin!). Time is a HUGE factor here so we have to wait a bit longer to get started with that. In the mean time we have been talking with Austin about some of the simplest truths we are learning about. Who we are in Christ and what exactly He did for us on the Cross. It has truly been/has become such an honor and privilege to talk with him about Jesus Christ! He knows we are ALL sinners. He knows that we are not sinners because we sin but because we are born that way. He also knows why we are born sinners and who committed the first sin. He seems to be very open in talking about who God is. I can see his eyes really light up when we try and use illustrations in his life ( like disobedience) to drive home the main points of the Cross/Bible stories. These truths are so simple but I am just now beginning to REALLY understand these truths.
Please, pray for us as we seek wisdom in trying the best we can to grow the boys up with reading, hearing and obeying the Word of God.! Its such a blessing!

Thank you for reading this far and staying up to date with all God is doing in our lives!