NATE & JENNY est. 5.25.08: An Update and Dreams

Hi all! I'm not even going to apologize for the long delay because I've been living life and that's okay :)

I have had it in my heart to update everyone on the happenings in our life lately. I was reflecting this morning or middle of the night or sometime I was awake with some quiet in the house that this seems to be our season (or year) of transition. And I just LOVE that we can trust God to lead us as His children.

Photo credit Thomas Hacquard (Sister's fiance)

Last night, we had some time alone with God during our Bible Study. As I laid on the blanket in the yard at Julie's house, I was resting with Katelyn on my chest. I put my hands up in the air, fingers open, and had this thought: God's hands hold that sky. My hands are so tiny, they are mere flecks in the vastness of it. But He holds all of it. Every single bit of that sky, the earth, the heavens, all of it. He even holds us. I think I'll let His much bigger hands handle ALL things in my life. He's definitely BIG enough, capable enough, and loving enough. Psalm 8:3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

Katelyn Grace has been a wonderful and dear addition to our family. For every reason I was terrified to have a baby girl, she has given me hundreds more to enjoy having a baby girl. Those fears are (mostly) gone. I have been enjoying being a mommy to two and I laugh often at the fact I thought one was hard but two doesn't seem as difficult. I guess the transition to two has been easier than the transition to one.

Photo credit: Kimberly Sanderson of Sanderson Images

I think the biggest reason for that is I'm not working from home anymore! I'm so blessed to be able to attempt to do my job in 10 hours a week at the office (you can pray for me as I try to accomplish this calling and do it with excellence). I think I'll be a better wife, mom, worker this way. I was a stressed out mess last year feeling like I was failing Benson for working from home and not solely focusing on him. I trust that was God's plan, though, so I trust He'll protect Benson from long lasting effects...

The ministry continues to be fruitful and the multiplication is intense - sometimes so much so I get nervous! Ha. The number of programs in the Alliance continues to grow and grow and grow... We're over 250 now. That's pretty incredible when I think of the fact there were 25 just six years ago. Which, PRAISE GOD, I've been here SIX + years! That's six years of God's children selflessly supporting this ministry so I can work here. It STILL amazes me that God blesses me to do this. And that He uses His body of believers to "send" me so I can.

We are blessed to have Nate's mom who will help us out with our babes on Thursdays so I can come in to work. We're praying and looking for help on Mondays for a couple hours in the mornings... Nate has been able to fill that slot for the past couple of years, but won't be able to anymore in July... Which leads us to a really big transition!

Nate's going to be switching jobs in July! This has been a really neat God-story in our lives and I want to share it with you.

On January 6-7 I prayed for Nate to have a different job, or not travel as often. I wasn't really looking forward to being a working mommy of two with a hubby traveling. I knew Katelyn Grace wasn't coming until April, but early prayers are good. :) Ha. I didn't pray long and laboriously, just asked God to do it if it was His will and best plan. And even though God knew it was the desire of my heart, asking Him for it was freeing for me :)
On January 8, Nate received two emails for possible jobs (he didn't know at this point that I had prayed what I did)
On January 9, we had a date and I confessed to him I'd prayed for a new job for him (I figured it was only fair as it was a possible BIG change for him if God so chose to answer that prayer). He didn't say anything to me about the emails (Stinker)
Sometime mid-January Nate told me he was meeting with an old high school friend about a possible position with a local bank. He met with his friend a couple of times, then met with the supervisor in the Agricultural lending department. All these meetings were happening as some instability was happening at his current job (there were some layoffs, but he wasn't one of them).
In March, after much prayer and me telling him I really wanted him to choose what was best, he accepted the position at the bank.

So here we are, in the middle of June, preparing for a big change for us in July. I know Nate will do a great job at the bank, his degree is a business ag one, so this will fit. Can you please pray for him? It's always so tough making big transitions like this! We are really excited and I'm already so grateful to God for this opportunity. From what I can tell, the friend from high school he'll be working at is a really solid guy (we also met his really wonderful wife). It also seems like there's a great work environment there. I have so much hope in my heart for Nate's life as he moves to this new role!

Another big, BIG transition is that we made an offer on a house the other day! We find out tomorrow if it's a go! We have been so blessed in our current home, so it's not like we're feeling tortured or anything and we weren't really actively looking. We walked through a house last year and then this one. Just kind of getting a feel for what was out there, asking God to do whatever He wanted and what's best - we haven't really been pining over it, either, just trusting God for His plans and waiting for His leading. It's a bit surreal to me as it's a lot more stability than I've ever known. It's surreal, not in a bad way, just in a really, really different way. One of my favorite things about the house is the potential to bless others with it. It's on .85 acres, has a daylight basement already plumbed, wired, and set for an apartment (the apartment was finished in the 70's so needs to be updated). We have dreams of turning it into space for ministry or blessings someone who needs a place to live (or both - depending on the season and what is needed). God has kept us with open hearts to this process and neither of us are so tied to it that we'll be devastated if if doesn't work. We trust it's in His hands! I've gotten to talk to the really cute 92 year old woman who owns it now. She's a treasure of a woman and really wants the house to bless whoever is blessed by it next. Nate sensed in worship last week at church that God wants to bless us. So whether it's this or something else, I'm excited!

My friend Julie and I have been leading a women's Bible study together. We did an inductive study on Philippians first, now we are reading Crazy Love and next up is an intensive study on the book of Acts. There's so much I don't understand about God's heart for His church. I'm looking forward to learning more! The women God has blessed us to minister to are more incredible than I could have asked for. So many weeks I feel like we hit on such intense stuff that I can't believe it! Most weeks I leave asking God to continue to refine me. For a newer group who doesn't know each other really well, it's incredible.

My heart is full - I feel like there's been a lot of healing in my life recently and I can see so much of God's plan for my life unfolding. Having a girl has been healing, as well as enjoying Benson and all the fun he brings to the mix!

I continue to learn and grow in my heart towards God, towards Nate, the kids, and the ministries He's blessed me with. I'm hung up on the verse in Philippians 2 that says, "do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves..." I've found that focusing my heart on that verse daily, I've been a lot more apt to give than to expect to receive. It's hard not being selfish :) and looking at what YOU want and "deserve". There's so much more freedom and joy this way! I'm so grateful for a really patient and selfless husband who models this lifestyle to me :)

How about you? What has God been showing you, answering for you, or challenging you with?