I Start a New Adventure

I know it has been quite a while since my last blog. Sorry, I need to be inspired to write and I had nothing happening in my life. At least not much since my last post. That however has changed. As most of you who have read my blog before know, I followed the Lord to a Native American reservation in North Dakota to teach. I surrendered my life to God there for five years. Well May 26, 2014 was the last day of my fifth year teaching in Mandaree. On June 16, 2014 the Lord blessed me by answering my prayers for a job in Oregon. In September, I will begin teaching a Kindergarten, first, and second grade blend in Vernonia. I am super excited as it is a positive atmosphere with a team of teachers I have met and love. But that is not the wow factor.

When I learned I got the job, I began to pray for a house at the beach. This was what I asked God for:

A two bedroom house though three bedrooms would be awesome
A secondary heat source like a wood stove or fireplace
More than one bathroom
A window in the kitchen (I have had this in most of my homes and prefer it)
Close to the beach but anywhere near the ocean would be awesome (this is a life long dream of mine)

And I began thanking God for provision and the house and answered prayers. I have been living for the last five years in hiddenness which means I did not feel God's presents, I stopped going to church because I couldn't find one that when I left I felt refreshed and renewed. God was silent. I did not get any messages from Him at all. That did not worry me because as a teacher I know "teachers are always quiet during a test," and God is the ultimate teacher. I knew that God did not abandon me in North Dakota but I still felt that way. I learned to trust God and seek His peace without feeling the warmth of His presents. I knew He was there. I lived under His favor and He stilled answered my prayers. Its just when I worshiped I felt like I was singing a song not praising my God. I lived by faith not be sight or feel.

Then when God started bringing school interviews into my life, I started feeling His manifestation. I could feel His presence, His love and things were moving. But He wasn't content with just bringing me back to Oregon.

First the move, I called U-Haul they wanted $1550.00 for a 14' truck and car dolly for four days and limited mileage. I called Budget and got a 16' truck with a car dolly and unlimited mileage plus six days for $530.00. But I had no place to move to and it was very frustrating and difficult to find a place near Vernonia online. So I gave up and decided to let God do the work. I just packed up my house and with my youngest son, James, and cat, Binks, we moved in on our family. I was thinking I would have a place to live within two weeks. God had other plans.

I spent two weeks not finding a place. Nothing was available in my price range even though I was very willing to throw my list of wants right out the window. I kept getting messages from odd places  (life has taught me that is how God communicates with me). I got a couple of fortune cookie messages that were too specific to my situation to not be from God and they were saying take a vacation and rest in God. So I took my grandson and my son to Seaside for a day of play. We had an awesome time. On our way home we stopped at a Dairy Queen (which is in the middle of nowhere) on the way home. I was waiting outside the bathroom for Zander and started a conversation with a woman who was waiting as well. Anyone who knows me knows that that is not unusual but what happened next was totally God by design. I explained I was moving back from North Dakota going to teach in Vernonia and was looking for a rental preferably in Seaside. She said she had a rental that would not be open until December, however the present tenants were looking to buy a house so they might move out sooner. Later she found me at my table and gave me her contact information. I called the next day and they told me to go check it out on the outside and call them if I liked what I saw. They said they would tell the tenants, "who are never home," that I would be there so I could feel free to go in the back yard and everything.

I get there and the tenants are home and they show me the house! Inside and out! So now is the Wow. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, window in a giant kitchen, a fireplace and is four blocks from the beach in Seaside!!! But God was not content with answering my prayer as it was, He wanted to do so much more. He added whipped  cream with a cherry on top!!! It was fully furnished including linen and dishes. I wouldn't need to unpack unless I wanted to use my things. Then I would only have to pack their things in the attic. But God still wasn't finished.

When I called the next day to talk to my new landlords they had discussed the move-in fees. They asked me what would work for me and I wasn't sure how to respond except to say I would clean the house myself as I moved in so if could they take whatever they would normally pay to clean the rental off the deposits that would be great. The husband said "Here is what I am thinking. We will wave the cleaning deposit since you are going to clean it. We will wave the move-in fees and we will wave the requirement of first and last months rent." So when the tenants move out and I move in I only need to come up with the first month's rent! WOW!! Oh and the rent includes the utilities including internet, TV and electricity.

I found out two days later that the old tenants purchased a house and they thought they could move out September 1st. However, they soon learned that repairs to the house would push the move-out date back to October. But the landlords have offered their personal vacation home for rent to me for the month of September! The Lord never ceases to amaze me on how much He loves me and how generous He is. He is truly awesome and I am very excited to see what else He has planned for me.

I am truly blessed. Thank You Father for EVERYTHING!!!!! What tops that is that James is seeing with his eyes how good the Lord is. I think another prayer will be answered soon .

Sorry there are no pictures in this post. I am not using my computer because it is packed for now.