If the Lord wills...

"A man's heart plans his way,

but the Lord directs his steps."

~Proverbs 16:9

"There are many plans in a man's heart,

Nevertheless the Lord's counsel -- that will stand."

~Proverbs 19:21

And so our plans to spend a month away to start getting our Texas settled are no more.  Just like that.

Disappointing? yes.  Providential? yes.  Devastating? no.  Leaving us a bit wondering? yep.  But how we love and trust His ways.  

We were supposed to leave on Monday.  Basically packed up and mostly ready to go, I came down with a little hint of something that seemed relatively harmless and then proceeded to knock down me and my whole family.  When all is said and done (at this point anyway), my husband has pneumonia and we are on a boat load of antibiotics and canceling our trip.  So, we'll just have to suffer here in perfectly blissful Borrego Springs where it has been a temperate 80 degrees.  Our comfortable beds and home envelopes us and we are safe and cozy.  

Just a different kind of adventure.  

It has been four months since we were in Texas.  If we wait until summer, it will be another four months.  Though, it does seem a long time to wait - doubling our initial planned absence from Texas - it's all ok.  

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will of to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'" ~James 4:13-15

Ted Cruz's conversion to Christ

Last August I had the sweet privilege of hearing Pastor Rafael Cruz at an event where I was representing CWA.

The event organizer, Gina Gleason, invited me to attend a VIP luncheon. Much to my delight, I was assigned to sit at the same table as Rafael Cruz. When he came to the table, he took the seat beside me.

I was aware that his son, Ted Cruz, memorized the Constitution as a teen. As a mom who is trying to raise godly, patriotic heroes, I decided to ask Rafael what in Ted's upbringing inspired him to attempt such a feat at such a young age. Most teenagers I know have never read the Constitution or even care about it. How can I instill in my boys the pursuit of nobility?

Pastor Cruz told me that in 1980, he volunteered for the Ronald Reagan campaign and so the daily dinner table discussions often revolved around the campaign, Reagan, and the nation. He said that it lit a fire in Ted and he's been hard at loving and defending this nation ever since.

Enjoy this story about Rafael's conversion to Christ and the effect it had on the Cruz family.

"If your self-worth is defined by being an elected official - when that becomes their self-definition, their self-worth, they're terrified to lose it which means they will never rock the boat, they will never make the hard decisions, they will never do what we need to do to actually fix the problems because it might mean that they lose their job. 

My self-worth has nothing to do with being elected a senator or elected President of the United States. My self-worth comes from being a creation of God Almighty. Jesus Christ shed His blood for me. There can be no greater self-worth than God sent His only beloved Son to die for me." 

~Ted Cruz

Step-by-step, You lead me.

"A wise and wonderful Director will be with us to give us step-by-step instructions.  If we will listen, He will guide.  If we will follow, He will lead.  The result - a life well lived and a journey well taken." ~Priscilla Shirer 

This family has been on the edge of embarking on a new path, the full details yet unknown.  It is exciting and scary, heartbreaking and thrilling.

From our last instructed step.

I am asked so often what the big picture of our plans looks like.  I really don't know.  There is some fear in not knowing, but God is clearly asking us to just do the next thing.  And we are so glad to know what the next thing is.  I hope we will take great pleasure in the moment and not concern ourselves with the guessing game of what may or may not come.

"If our guide [in Israel] had looked us in the eyes on day one, given us a map with the major places circled, a rundown of each location's significance, and then sent us on our way, it would have been a catastrophe. It would have been far too much for us to absorb and would have resulted in confusion yielding a horrible tour.  Our amazing trip came as a direct result of following him from one destination to the next, leaning in and listening to each explanation, and engaging in his wisdom step-by-step.  This is what a good guide looks like."

~P. Shirer, Jonah: Navigating A Life Interrupted

The Holy Spirit is a good guide.

O God, You are my God,

And I will ever praise You.

I will seek You in the morning

And learn to walk in Your ways.

And step by step You lead me

And I will follow You all of my days.