June 1

Today is June 1. For many, this date may not seem like much. For me, this date has now become synonymous with new chapters in my life - or collectively, new chapters in the life of our family.
 
June 1, 2000 was the date C and I arrived in New Hampshire after eight days of driving across the country from where we were born in California. What happened along the way, would build our faith immeasurably more than most 8-day time chunks in our lives together. We witnessed many trials and miracles in our journey across that I can still picture vividly in my mind 14 years later as proof of God's greatness and grace. I still reflect on that journey east and draw strength from those eight days. Amazingly, an 8-day drive would reflect the highs and lows of an 8-year adventure of life in New England. We would grow in our marriage' we would turn thirty, we would buy our first (and second) home, we would become parents and would grieve not only the loss of loved ones in California, but grieve our inability to be there with our families as we all suffered loss. 

June 1, 2003 was the date I was passed over for promotion at work and effectively "demoted," culminating in hurt and jealousy that would change my attitude about the company and my work ethic. It would later become the beginning of the best new chapter in my life so far when I would realize that God was not preparing me to advance in my career, but to change my focus about what was to become my purpose in life. I had to learn more about how God's plan for my life was far greater than anything a company could offer me. It was a season of letting go and allowing The Lord to work in me.  Later that month, I would leave the company and stay at home to be a full-time foster parent to two young boys (we would later call them sons). 

June 1, 2006 we began the paperwork for adopting three of our foster children (official adoption finalization was August 3 that year). And more would come...

June 1, 2013 after years of trials and miracles that followed our adoption of five children, growing in faith, becoming a homeschool family, moving from New Hampshire to New Mexico, and officially raising our children to become bold in faith and adventurous in spirit, our oldest daughter began her next chapter as an adult on her own. Her departure was abrupt and jarring on our family and so while the event marked a new chapter in S's life, it certainly became the beginning of a new season in the lives of the six of us left in her wake as she sped away. 

We have once again spent the past year experiencing trials and miracles and have become fully aware of the words in the book of James in our lives. This was the book in the Bible The Lord knew I'd draw strength from in the hardest times and praise Him for on the best days and so he had our H direct me there in the early days of foster care. The Lord spoke to H in a dream when he was three and I got the message loud and clear. I am so grateful for the clarity The Lord has provided over the years by way of His Word and the lessons that have come from knowing and raising our children. 

So today, June 1, 2014, we wake in Texas. This is to be our new home while we wait on The Lord to return so that we might spend eternity in our true home with Him in heaven. Through a great number of ways, our God has led us here. We have come in obedience to Him. We are staying in a hotel waiting on The Lord to show us His might and our next steps while our home in New Mexico is on the market and we have yet to know where we will stay more long-term during our Texas chapter. We left the perceived safety of the boat long ago and we continue to walk towards our Lord who is calling to us. The storm and waves are less of a distraction these days, because we have traversed similar paths enough times to know that God will provide -- and IS providing. 

We are not afraid of the new chapter that begins this June 1. We are pretty clueless about what the details in this part of our story will be, but I'm pretty certain there will be plenty of trials and miracles to be seen. 

Hopefully, I'll do better at journaling our adventure here on the blog. I feel The Lord nudging me to reach more deeply into my creative side...the writer in me.  I know He is the best at filling in the interesting details. 

I just have to wait and watch and be willing...

(Currently, my victory verse. I love the hope it instills.)