Guess what? We're different.

     

   Hello beautiful friends and family and welcome to a new blog post. Thanks again for all of you who read this blog and really keep up with our family, stand with us, laugh and cry with us, and most importantly PRAY for and BELIEVE in us. You are a treasure to our journey and we love you. 

Every time I go to update this blog I think, why should I write an update? There is nothing special going on, I don't have time, I don't have anything exciting to say, I don't have energy for witty speech or eloquent phrases, and I definitely have not come up with any life altering revelations to share with the rest of the world weather its from my own mouth or from this little e-blogger page. 

But, alas, those are all lies.

The truth is, I have a lot to say. I have awesome things to share because I live for an awesome God. I DO have life altering revelations because God my Father alters my life and my heart and my character on a regular basis. And about the witty and eloquent lines, well the Bible says I don't need those because God uses the foolish things to confound the wise, and love is better than any greatness I could speak or show off anyway. 

Here's whats happening with us...

We are living in Indian Land South Carolina. I guess Indian Land would be considered a township of Fort Mill? 

We have moved in with an awesome family called the Kost's (pronounced coast) and they have a sweet little one year old girlie named Olivia and another little girl on the way! The Kost's offered to share their home with us months before we knew we were moving back here for sure. And we are SO grateful. We are learning a lot more about community living. And I feel we are more mature at this point in our life so we can allow the experience to give to us and us give to it as much as possible and enjoy it while its happening. You see our past experiences of living with people we didn't take full advantage of the insta-community. We were bitter towards God for not giving us our own space and our own little private world behind the walls of our home. Now we are finally beginning to see that its not about us. Whatever God gives us is good. We should always take what we can from it, and give what we can to it. We should search high and low for a way to be a blessing and receive the blessing. So today, this is where we find ourselves. Our house mates (Lyn,Katie,Olivia, and bean) are wonderful. They are fun, FUNNY, outgoing, laid back, and SO so generous. We are already learning so much from them and looking forward to all God will show us through this time however long or short it may be. 

^^ See how different I was in that paragraph up there!? And the best part is, its real! I'm not just saying this stuff to make us feel or look better, we really believe it. God has changed us so much. THANKS GOD.

Scott is working in the IT department for MorningStar ministries and he is learning a TON of really useful knowledge/skills. He's being trained in stuff that he has always wondered about and felt like it would be fun to know about. And he loves all of his co-workers. Its so refreshing to see him being challenged and just loving going to work everyday. Along with working at MorningStar he is still studying for his Masters of Theology in their ministry school as well and really being awakened in his studies. Scott loves God so much:) its so beautiful. He loves knowledge, he loves growth, he loves theology, and he loves LOVES reading and studying. Some days it seems like somewhere in heaven there was a box full of Scotts heart cries just waiting to be opened up and poured out over his days here on earth and we are witnessing a lot of his dreams and prayers coming forth in this season. God is so faithful. He knows, He sees, He is. Don't give up! 

I have been spending my days doing some growing and learning myself at home with the kiddos. God has really changed me in my ideals of what a stay at home mom has to look like and I feel like I have been given a renewed sense of purpose for not just being a Mom but also for being Tabitha. I'm grateful for a husband that always encourages me to remain myself while learning to take on new roles as a wife and mother, he never asks me to leave Tabitha behind and step into a new identity, he only encourages me to learn how ALL of me fits together and lives and breathes in harmony with each part:) I've got a long way to go, but I'm feeling a lot more freedom in my work place. Freedom to just let my days happen and trust that God is with me leading me and guiding me and to not fear who I am or if I am enough in any way but to just walk and live. I'm also getting really inspired to dance again and vigorously looking for work in the dance arena. I spend lots of time day dreaming of choreographing and dancing more and I'm really longing and aching for that part of my life to blossom again. Its coming, I really know that, opportunities are coming, doors are flinging open, and I just hope I am prepared for all that God is about to release. Its like I can see future Tabitha in all her glory, literally "dancing through life" watching God release one great dream after another. But today is great too and not necessarily better or worse than tomorrow or yesterday, today has its own place in my history. 

Many people ask us how it feels to be back? And all we can say is, "It feels normal" it kind of feels like we never left! It also feels very right. We have no idea how long God has called us to this place, but in this moment in time, it feels so right. It feels like our spirits could reach outside of us into every area of our life and surroundings right now and just say YES this is it. We are grateful. We prayed so hard to be here and it seemed just as God released us, and our hearts were free to be anywhere He would take us, he brought us back to where we wanted to be. 

Its an amazing existence to exist with God. Its a journey like no other. 

Our kids are doing really well too:) Selah is so happy to be back with her buddies, she often refers to her "best friend Judah" or her "best friend Mary Ella" some days I wonder if she remembers everyone because she became so comfortable with everyone so quickly. She asks to go to our friends houses on a regular basis and has even been planning her Birthday party and talking about how excited she is that all of her friends will be there. It makes my heart SO happy to be in a thriving community again. 

We are so different.

We are so grateful for who we are today. We have grown so much. It seems like many times just this week Scott has said to me in regards to how we handle a certain situation "we handled that SO WELL, so much better than we used to!" The best part is we will continue to do it! We will continue to change and grow and only get better:) There is so much we want to learn so many ways we want to grow in God and in our roles/careers/talents/character etc...And its happening. All the time. In God, we are always getting better stronger faster smarter more beautiful than the day before. He refines us and makes us more like Him. This life is glorious. Can you imagine how much better when we will be with Him face to face!? 

Thanks again for reading. As usual. We need your support, your words of encouragement, your prayers, your counsel. Its all encouraged us and helped bring us up to where we are today. We LOVE YOU. Be blessed! no really, BE BLESSED. Experience, the blessings in today!