An All New Adventure

California

Joseph and I have been married for nearly 6 years! His career goal has been to be a police officer. He applied for countless cities, counties, and a few states. The whole time, we have prayed for God to open the right door; to provide Joseph with the job he dreamed about. He attended the Napa Police Academy for their 9 month program and even then was unable to obtain the job he desired. Still we prayed that a door would be opened wherever God wanted him. 

We lived in our first apartment, our second, our third, then moved in with my parents, up to Sac for our fourth apartment, and back to my parents' after they moved out. For as much as we've moved, you'd think we liked the process! Nope. 

In waiting on God to open doors and never knowing when that perfect job would come up and we would move, we never really felt settled. I always was looking for housing wherever he applied for jobs. It seemed like we moved in, unpacked, just to be ready to go again. After being back in my parents' house the last time, I told Joseph that I was DONE with apartment living. I'd rather live in a tiny house than deal with apartments again. We started looking at buying a house. That didn't work out! 

A few times over the years Joseph has applied with Idaho State Patrol. Nothing ever came of it, of course, but we'd tried to get to Idaho! It's such a pretty place and felt like home. Living in CA, I'd been feeling a little dependant on family and friends and too independent of God. I lived where I knew people. I was in my comfort zone physically and spiritually and wasn't moving out of it. I felt too close to everyone and we couldn't really be our own family unit; we couldn't really just do our own thing.

We needed to be out of the house by January for my parent's move back home. Instead of moving at Christmas, our birthday, Thanksgiving, or Blake's birthday, we decided to get an apartment (again) and plan to move the first week of November. We decided this the last week of September and I packed almost all our things except for what we'd need in a month's time.

Then, one day in the last week of September Joseph came home from work. This was after making the move plans. He informed me that someone in Idaho needed help with housing construction and that he'd been in communication with him for two weeks. We didn't have any information except that there was a job available. Still we prayed. We prayed that God would open the door for where He wanted Joseph to work. We prayed that he would open a door for where He wanted us to live. About a week later the new plan was made: we were moving to Idaho for a new job and we were leaving in two weeks!

We didn't know anyone except the man who asked for help, we didn't have a housing plan, we didn't know anything about churches in the area...
But we had faith that if God wanted us to live in Idaho, He would open the door and He would do it so that we KNEW He wanted us there.

Idaho

We arrived late on a snowy friday night. We stayed with "bossman" and his family. They said we  had rooms for as long as it took to find housing. Apparently, due to the difficulty of actually finding a house to rent long term, the family was expecting us be with them for a few weeks! The next morning we called a property manager, met him in town, and two hours later were signing a lease for a house practically on the lake! God had this house waiting just for us! Whatever discouragement I felt with moving in was quickly subdued as I started to see how perfect God's plan for us is in this house! Joseph thought God was calling him to be a Police Officer... really God was making us be patient for Him to bring us where we should be! In His timing and in His way!  Align yourself with God's plans for you, not just your plans for you!

The Adventures

We have been here about 5 weeks now. It's snowed a few times. We have a good foot of standing snow (more like ice now) on our deck and surrounding the house. We have to dig our car out when we want to go somewhere. We bought ice to throw in the driveway so it is easier to get out... or so we can actually GET out! haha! It's cold here, but not the type of California cold we're used to! The other day was 10 degrees when we left the house. All me and the kids needed was a long sleeve shirt and a light jacket! I don't think it's been long enough to get weather adapted, it's just a different type of cold! It surely isn't bone-chilling.... yet!

Joseph is doing well in his job and actually started his own one-man company. Blake does Awanas at the Baptist church in town. Everything -in town-  is right next to everything else -in town.-  From our house on the northwest side of town to the opposite end of town is a grand total of...3 miles. It's so small but at the same time doesn't feel that way! We found a church that we really like. I'm being recruited to help teach sunday school, but we'll see what happens with that! 

 We can see that God wants us here, not only because He paved the way to get us here, but because the peace He has given us about living here. I feel more settled than I have in years and we feel like we're able to do our own thing. No longer waiting for God to open the door to where we need to be, we're no longer searching for the next step. 

  

There are times I can forget that God brought us here, then I look out my window and see.  Everything that He has made; the simple and complex beauty of this place: and I remember that He is in charge and He is in control. He has brought me to this place. We came in faith, trusting that He would make a way and He would give us the best of Him. And He did. He has. And I know that He will.

I look out my window and my heart cries out: God, You are so good to me! You created all this beauty to remind me who You are. To remind me of all You've done and will do!
He reminds me how much He loves me not only by giving me all this beauty and contentment, but reminding me of the sacrifices He made for me. 

I live in this beautiful place... but one day I'll live in a place even more beautiful and I can't even imagine what He has in store! Jesus died so that I don't have to and instead will live with Him in Glory.

This place brings me back to Him.