Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord Unto Me!

It's hard to believe we've been in Texas a whole year, now. Just after dark one year ago tonight, our little caravan arrived at our new home. We moved just the mattresses into the house that night. Then we went to a New Year's Eve party at the home of one of Gary's friends.

God provided a few able-bodied friends to help us unload the truck the next day, January 1st, 2007. That was a huge blessing, too, because the whole time we were traveling down here we were wondering what to do about that! My key verse through the whole ordeal was Isaiah 40:11 - "...He gently leads those that have young." He did truly lead us gently and brought us safely here. We began 2007 by moving into our new home - how's that for timing?

God has provided in so many ways this year. Gary and I both grew up in Illinois, so our roots there were quite deep. But, when it was time for us to actually go, God "worked in us to will and to act according to His good purpose" and so neither of us had any reservations about leaving. We're both amazed at how joyful we were to come here, even though it was painful to say goodbye to so many beloved friends there.

From our old home in Illinois:


To our new home in Texas!



He has provided us with a nice new house to live in, with plenty of room. Well, okay, we might wish for one more bedroom, but we certainly aren't complaining! God provided for the house in Illinois to sell quickly so that we could purchase this one. It was really nice that we could rent it for a while, a "try-before-you-buy" kind of deal.

I have enjoyed getting to know our new surroundings. (Google Maps has been a huge help to that end!) The traffic patterns around here are quite different than Illinois, so that took some getting used to. I'd never seen a "turnaround" before we came here!

He also has provided us with a church home that doubles as a homeschool support group! We have been very much blessed this year, and we know without any doubt that it was His will to move us here. We're looking forward to what He has in store for us in 2008!

Happy New Year to you all! Or, as Amy says, the Texas State Word is "ya'll"!