When I think about the event of Monday, March 12, 2012, I am in awe of Yahweh's protection and power.  So many times we take for granted the moment by moment plan He has for each of us as his children.

That day, Kevin and I had gone to work. We both were leaving a little early, around 3PM, to head out to Arrow for a church-wide community project. And we decided as part of our spring break, our home group would work for a few hours on Monday night.

Kevin headed to Arrow and  I headed home to change clothes. While at home, I met up with my friend and neighbor, April, so we could ride together. Jerod, her hubby, was meeting us after he got off work around 5-5:30PM.

Our two youngest were a part of the “Serve” project with our church and had been at Arrow all day.

Our oldest, was planning to babysit the Talbott kiddos so they could join us at the project site. The time was around 4:30PM.

Kevin received a call from Kristen to get directions on how to get to our friend’s house. AND, around 5:30PM …the call…

I feel as though time was moving slowly and our Heavenly Father was moving everything and everyone in HIS timing!

Here is why…Kristen hit her brake just at the “right” time to miss a car hitting her in the door. Jerod, our neighbor, was just getting home and was able to be with her before we arrived at the scene. Both drivers walked away from the accident.

So blessed and so thankful for the moment by moment plan!!!!

Moving…

I have only moved a few times in my marriage. TWICE!!!! Once to move out of my parent’s home and into our new adventures together. That was in 1990!!! Then in 1993 we moved into our log home. It was empty at the time…and 18 years later, we have filled it with family, friends and wonderful memories! We have several adventures in being in a non-conventional home…

Waterfalls down the logs during a heavy rainstorm;

Honeybees finding their way INSIDE;

Woodpeckers mistaking our home for a tree;

Birds crashing into windows thinking there was no house and some even visiting inside;

Then there were the lizards and squirrels…

and of course, there are all the moments of the girls growing up…bikes through the house, mattress surfing down the stairs, finger painting the playhouse and everything in between!!!

But now, I sit here at my laptop, REMEMBERING the past and wondering what the future memories will be…

There has been a lot going through the month of June. Kevin has been living in Texas working at his new job at Hillside Christian Church. He has been searching and has finally found our family a house that we can call our new “home.” And just last week, he was able to fly back to Georgia to help in the details of our big move.

Me, well, I have been working my last few weeks at Stonecreek. It has been strange to think that I only have one more day as a staff person. It has been a place that has pulled me out of my shell and helped me find my true passions and gifts.

At home, it has been somewhat freeing as I have been forced to re-evaluate the reasons we have kept so many boxes and bags of stuff. And I have been asking myself the question: What things are truly important? I have cleaned out so much that we have filled a dumpster, taken three trips to Goodwill (so far), and there are two large piles of things for a quick yard sale this weekend.

As I look at this journey, I visualize…well, that is just what I do…so, here is my visual of ME!

I think of a tree (maybe a water oak-they are my favorite). I think a tree with roots that run very deep. A tree that needs to be moved to another location. But before it can move, the soil must be loosened away from the deep root system. At that point, it can be moved easily…but, leaving just enough soil to keep it from going into shock…

That has been my basement. It has been filled with the things that I would someday sort through. Things that I would one day possibly give away…but the truth is, do I truly need it? And why did I keep it this long?

Now, don’t think that I trashed and gave away EVERYTHING…cause, I didn’t! But I did remove a lot…and it has been so freeing!!! Just knowing that the things are finding a new home makes it easier. I have loved seeing other little girls enjoy the dolls and toys…just like Toy Story 3…

Ahhhh…

Next week, the movers will be here packing up our living space and putting all in a big truck to head west…

My roots are out of the dirt…and I think I am ready to be “re-planted.”

…I wonder what the soil will be like?

 

CHANGE…yes, it was talked about back a few month ago. And yes, it continues to happen in surprising ways with our family.

See this earlier post or just start at the beginning of my blogging journey: Winter Rest...

But for now, here is the latest…

Job searching adventures…It is now the beginning of the Summer months and we have been blessed over and over by of the mighty hand of God guiding us through the hardship of unemployment. There have been so many WOW God moments through this journey and many moments of spiritual attacks on each of us as a family. I hate that part!!

The road has been very difficult at times to say the least. Do I like this FAITH walk? Not always. Do I see God every day? YES! Do I feel alone? Yes. Do I want to hide from everyone? Most of the time. Do I cry? ALL THE TIME! Am I scared? YES!

Do I feel my Father holding me through the difficulty? Most definitely!

CHANGE…are you okay with change?

You know, I say that I don’t really mind little changes along the way…and, for the most part accepting change is good for us…you know, we grow along the way! Right?

BUT, I am now being TESTED!!!

After many, many, many job applications and many “no thank you”  e-mails, Kevin has been offered an opportunity to use his gifts and talents in a TOTALLY different area…one that he uses every week at our church. And it has NOT been a part of the job search!

So let’s rewind, shall we? Since April of 2000, just a few months after Stonecreek Church started in the Alpharetta Community Center, we jumped into an adventure of a church plant. We became a part of the “road crew.” A team that helped to create the gym into an amazing church environment each week. Kevin got involved with the student ministry running tech for the band. He helped with a ministry discovery program which helped attenders understand their passions, life story and spiritual gifts. Together…it was a great way to see how you fit into your love job (volunteering position at church or anywhere). So this is where we found some of our church passions and reactivated some old loves. Kevin got involved with tech and students, teaching in the children’s ministry and even leading adult small groups. Me, well…I jumped into the children’s ministry leading small groups, teaching and hosting in large group, leading worship, and helping at camps…stretching me way out of my quiet, “shy” self!!!

If you know us and sees at church today…eleven years later, what are we doing?

We continue to do a lot of the same things…well, my role has changed over the past year. But Kevin is still working with the tech team in students. The environment has grown and changed but Kevin has been the glue in the ministry of students and has assisted in so many ways. He continues to teach in the children’s ministry as well.

So, WHAT IS THE CHANGE?

Our dear friend, Bryan was one of the band members  from the beginning of Stonecreek days. He has a job position open for Kevin to join the tech team.

Yay!! That is wonderful news to us! Kevin has been sought after, needed and wanted! And it something he totally loves! He is great at it.

But here is the CHANGE!!!!! TEXAS!!!!!!

Today, I was just thinking about my years at home…and how Mom helped me through the difficulty of spelling and being Dyslexic, the creations of science projects, comforted my scraped knees and broken arms, supported all my singing competitions, and art projects…

She waited for me as I jumped off the school bus, taught me the love of flowers gardening, let me lick the brownie bowl, laughed as I melted tupperware in the microwave. Mom sat through every ball game that I cheered at, and truly didn’t like being in the passenger seat as I learned how to drive, let me talk all the way home from college…every weekend.

She gave Kevin many questions to answer to make sure he was okay to marry, and helped clean, organize and sweep our house as we built it…

Mom was with me at every baby shower and the deliveries of her first grand daughters…She babysat them and laughed at all the funny things they did along the way, she  helped me through medical problems and stood with me as we saw our son for the first time.

She continues to be my inspiration. She is a wonderful example as a mom and friend.

Thank you for everything you do!

MOM, I LOVE YOU!!!

 

Cindy

10.10.10
Today has been a great day of celebrations. So many people made a declaration to do something new, make a change, stand up for something...and DECLARATION Day.

Life is always changing. And for the most part, I like change. I think it helps us grow and build our faith in God's guiding hand in our lives.

Well, over the past year, my life as changed a lot. Just adding an additional family member that is the age of 12 was a MAJOR change for all of us. But just as I thought things had settled down...more changes took place.

Now, I will not go into play by play events that have taken place over the past three months...but, they all were MAJOR! And I haven't really liked these difficulties or changes...And at times I felt I was holding a skyscraper on my shoulders. NOT fun!

But here is what I have been learning.

When God tells you "NO", He is really telling you "YES" to something so much better.

Now, believe me, I am still working through the "no" from God. But what has excited me along the way...is through this journey, I have been able to step across the raging river of my life on to the next wobbly rock and I am trusting Him for each step of the way to get to the other side. And I know He has a GREAT adventure right around the corner.

And through changes...God always speaks to me through wonderful songs. And this one has become a theme song for us right now...

Here are a few lyrics that I love...from Chris Tomlin:

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.

…just looking through my photos today…and found this.

The journey…

My life is full of change…a lot of change lately! There is a lot going on and I am sure it will just keep moving forward…

And when I think about it, the journey of this life is too big to really comprehend. Sometimes we don’t even know where we are going. But with each step, God has a plan!

Do you get up each morning wondering what you are going to be doing each day? Do you think through a checklist in your head before you hit the floor? Well, I live off a checklist, but it is on my phone and if I don't have reminders on my calendar, it just might get forgotten...

The past few months have been busy for the Tuttle house. Kristen is now a Sophomore and she made it through Algebra I! Rachel has moved into the 7th grade with writing creative stories along the way. They both worked so hard to finish school early this year and they succeeded! I am very proud of them! Aleks has successfully completed a year of school in America...and he did great! We played catchup with a lot of language, reading and phonics. He has moved out of the "easy" stuff and now moving it the "it is not fun" stages of school...hummm! He now sounds like an American tween!

The girls completed a wonderful year at a local dance studio where we all made new friends that we will treasure forever...and the concert was an amazing tribute to our Savior! And I saw the girls dance like never before and felt the emotion of each turn! They were beautiful!

Aleks has worked to earn several belts in karate through the school year and seems to really focus more with each class he takes...I have loved to see the positive influence karate has as he is pushed to have more respect and discipline for others and authority!

The events of the school year have come to an end for 2010! And we all are doing the "happy dance!"

So, on to the details of our summer calendar...

Early mornings...

up at 5:45 || Kristen and myself at church by 7:15 a.m. so we can work with a fun team at Highland Day Camp...

and the rest of the gang...Rach helping as a junior counselor, traveling to the Carolinas with dad, Aleks working through summer language and phonics, karate...humm, and maybe even a sleepover or two!

I have missed writing my short thoughts...maybe I should put blogging on my calendar too!

Thursday, September 17, we headed south to Savannah. We packed our bags and were out the door at 8:55 a.m. A family vacation…all FIVE of us!

Our friends Jamie and Chris worked on getting us a “surprise” vacation spot…and only Kevin knew what the details were.

As we got into town, Kevin had a few stops with clients. So the kids and I headed out to a small mall close by…then it was off to downtown. As we arrive, we spotted Chris on the corner of Bay Street.

We drove through a valet parking entrance…and into a parking spot specific to us…Apartment #1. We were blessed with an apartment for the weekend on Bay Street. It is amazing and lots of space with windows along the street (to people watch)!!! WOW, what a wonderful surprise!

This city is one with life and activity. It has many old buildings much like the ones Liepaja. The cobblestone down River Street, the doors and the alleys all have the old feel of days that have pasted by. There is just one major difference…HOPE and Happiness. It seems we have brought the two cities together in our hearts this weekend and pray that one day…hope will be restored to the city so far away!

We have walked around some and checked out many shops… we have had fun dinners – so far pizza and lo country boil…yummm.

Today, we have lunch at Lady and Sons then off to the pool on the roof!!!

Our time away is such a blessing…our time together, but this time it is all five of us, …and it is changing us! God is good!

Today I woke up thinking about dad. Yesterday marked two years that his life here on earth ended and he began a new journey in heaven.

I was also thinking about all the changes that have taken place over these two years. So many things…in the lives of his children. A new grand daughter and pregnancy, a new pacemaker-health restored, a new grand son from Latvia.

There are times that I really think it would be fun to celebrate with a chocolate dipped cone!!!