Refreshed!

Lucas and I LOVE living in Atlanta and we see reasons every day why God has moved us to this great city!! We have made some awesome friends through various avenues and we are so thankful for each of them.

One thing was missing.

We have been searching for over a year for a church body. I have mentioned our journey through this process and I am so thankful we have found a church to call home but now we know why it took us so long. God had very strong intentions for us to develop some of the close friendships that we have over the past year. In the past, all our most valued relationships have been with people who shared that same Christian values that we do. To mention the name of Jesus in every day conversation was/is normal. For the first time in my life we have more unchurched or nonchristian friends than we have ever before. I am not just talking about acquaintances but people that we are doing life with. I do believe that if we would have immediately got plugged into a church, we would have gravitated towards that community and easily become immersed in the kind of relationships that we have always been accustomed too. Thank God for his all important timing. He has totally rocked our world since moving us here and without a doubt, He has us exactly where He wants us. I believe that he has given us a great circle of influence and He is going to use of to be a blessing to this city.

In saying of all this....
We have also been CRAVING a Christian community. God created us to be relational and without a doubt I know I am a better person when people of speaking the things of Jesus over me. Now, we finally are coming to that place! We attended our first House Church meeting last night and we left there feeling so refreshed. Throughout the meeting, Lucas and I would just look at each other and smile. My heart was finally at home in this big city. Then, this morning was the first meeting of the mom's group and I had that same sense of refreshment.

I just feel like we are in the best place we have been in our lives. I believe that God's desire for us is to be trained and sharpened but what good is all of that if we are not invested in relationships in which we can be intentional of living out our calling??

So, Jesus we need your help. Help our relationships to be balanced in a way that we have the greatest impact on furthering your kingdom. Hold us accountable in holding on to your Truth without compromise but loving no matter what. Thank you for this diverse city in which you have called us and please continue to challenge us so that we know exactly who we are in You.