God moments!!

So God's presence was very obvious during my last trip to ATL, and it all started with my flight down.

My flight:
I always bring a book to read while I'm on a plane, and I was finishing "Love and Respect" (an excellent source for basing your marriage on God's design!) this trip. I'd been reading for a few minutes when I felt God leading me to talk to the lady beside me (whose name was Maggie). So I put my book down and asked her if she was from Atlanta or just visiting. She told me that she was going down for her grandson's graduation. We made small talk, and eventually she started sharing stories about some things that God had done in her life. She is charismatic catholic (I didn't know there was such a thing before that flight), and she is part of a healing ministry at her church. She told me some stories about how she had seen miracles done.

One story that I thought was particularly cool was about her son. When he was born, he was having trouble breathing, so the doctors started doing X-rays and running test on him. They discovered the valves in his heart were misformed (or maybe were not there altogether... I can't remember), and he would need surgery and might die before he was strong enough for them to perform the surgery. Maggie told me that she had felt so angry at God for allowing this to happen to her that she told her husband that he could pray if he wanted to but that she was done praying. Then that night, she said the darkness that had filled her soul was lifted as light and peace filled her hospital room and her heart. She told God that she would accept his will even if it meant that He was going to take her son back to heaven. The next day, the doctor came to talk to her and explained that he had ordered two X-rays, and both had shown the problem, so they would be having a cardiologist come to look at her baby. When the cardiologist arrived, he listened to the baby's heart, and said, "No, I want to hear the baby with the bad heart. This baby's heart is perfect." PRAISE GOD! This was the first miracle she experienced.

While we were talking, Maggie would periodically grab her ear and wince. I offered gum to her and she said that she had a bad ear that didn't adjust well to pressure changes and gum didn't usually help. Then, I felt God prompting me to pray for her, so I asked her if I could and proceeded to ask for relief from her pain and pressure. A few minutes later, she told me that her ear felt much better, and almost immediately when we landed her ears cleared out, and she told me that it usually takes them several minutes. What an encouragement! God does want to use me to heal sometimes! We talked until the plane docked, hugged and said goodbye, each edified by having shared time with a fellow sister in Christ! It was so awesome!!

Graduation:
So the plane trip was my first really cool God thing. The other God moments happened at graduation. Before graduation, I had written about 20-25 cards for old students hoping that I could sneak back stage and pass them out. I prayed that if it would be an encouragement to my students to get a card from me that God would help me to get in without any problems. When it was time to show up, I was able to slip in with Janell and several other teachers who were carrying their robes on their arm (I of course didn't have one) without being stopped. I walked up and down the tunnel (at the Gwinnett Arena) and found all but 5 of my students, gave them their cards and wished them good luck. Before I could find the other 5, I had to head out to find a seat.

During graduation, I was able to find a seat in the middle so I was fairly close, and praise God that my camera didn't die even though the battery was already low at the beginning of graduation!! (I had prayed that it would last, and it did!!)

When it was over, everyone poured out into the lobby and front sidewalk. It was crazy! I still had 2 girls that I REALLY wanted to find and give cards to and another 3 students that I had cards for and hoped to see as well. I waited (wth 2000 of my closest friends...lol) as some of the graduates began pouring out a side door. I prayed that God would help me to fnd my two girls in the crowd and after just about two minutes, I spotted the first one, hugged her, gave her her card and thanked God for helping me to find her. Then I waited for a few more minutes, and suddenly bumped into Khushnuma Irani (a special student from my first year at Grayson and the main reason I was at graduation) and got to meet her family!

Afterward there were no more graduates exiting, I started filing through the crowd looking for the other girl (Breanna) that I had a card for. I couldn't find her, so I headed outside so that I wouldn't keep Janell waiting too long. As I walked through the crowd of people outside, I prayed that if she was out there, God would help me to find the way through the crowd that would take me straight to her. At one point, I was about to go left around a group of people, and something told me to go right, so I did. I bumped into two other former students who are friends with Breanna, and as I was talking to them, I looked over one of their shoulders and there stood Breanna! It was so funny because she was all by herself with pockets of people around... almost like God had parted the crowd and was shining a spotlight on her saying, "Here she is!" (I was thinking, "NO WAY!!") So I gave her her card, thanked God again for another unexpected blessing and headed to the car to meet Janell.

I almost left the other three cards in the car, but I thought that surely as I did that I would see one of them at the restaurant we were walking over to, so I slipped them in my purse. We got to the restaurant and had a great time hanging out with several of the teachers that I taught with at Grayson last year. Then just before we left, we went to the restroom (I know... big surprise, huh?) While I was... umm... indisposed, one of my friends was talking to a lady who was washing her hands. When Janell and I came out, she wanted to know if we had graduated, and we told her that we were actually teachers. So she asked if one of us had taught Joanna ----. I said that I had, and she told me that she was her mom. (Joanna was one of the last three students whose cards were in my purse!!!) I asked her if she could give Joanna the card, and she told me that she was in the restaurant, and I could give it to her myself if I wanted to. WOW! What a God thing! I had totally forgotten about the rest of my cards by that point, but God hadn't!!!

In my last post, I explained about the house that God has provided. Overall it was such an amazing, encouraging trip! It is so uplifting to see God move in tangible ways that seem like they would be small to him, but if it's important to us, it's important to him! SO.... be encouraged! Ask God to show himself in real ways in your life, and then hang on to your hat because HE WILL!!!

For HIS GLORY alone,
Ally

OUR HOUSE!!!

I just got back yesterday from an exhausting (but wonderful) trip to Atlanta for graduation and house hunting. I have sooooo many awesome "God moments" to share about the trip, but I'll do that in a separate post.

My mom and sister were able to come up for this house hunting trip, which was nice, and we all stayed with a friend of mine (that I taught with at Grayson), who graciously opened her home up to us! It was so good for all three of them to have faces to put with names since I talk about them to each other all the time! haha!

We looked at houses Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I think we saw 18+ houses, and let me tell you we were beat by the end! BUT.......... we found one!

I had decided that I would not post pictures this time until we offered and knew that it had been accepted, and after many offers and counter offers (over just one day!!), we are finally under contract! (Yes, already! Things work much faster when you are working with real people instead of a bank!!)

The house was built in 1986, so it's a little older, but it has been very well maintained. It has four bedrooms, two and half baths, a large back yard, and almost everything else we wanted!

Please pray that the inspections and closing will go well (if this is indeed the house God has picked for us.) Check out the pictures below and let me know what you think!

Ally

Here's a view from the street.

Here I'm in the formal living room/ office/photography studio. ;) You can see through the foyer into the formal dining room. If you walked out and went directly left, you would walk into the den. (I thought this photo would help give you perspective.)



This is the formal dining room. It's already the color that I wanted to paint mine! Just to the right you can see the doorway into the kitchen.


The kitchen is pretty small, but you can't have everything!


This is the doorway from the kitchen into the hallway that connects it to the den. To give you perspective if you walked into the kitchen from the formal dining room, this doorway would be on your right and the breakfast room (which I some how didn't get a photo of) would be directly in front of you.






If you walk down the hallway above, the doorway on your left is this half bath.


Here's the den. I love the fireplace!

If we went back into the foyer and walked upstairs, the master bedroom would be to the left at the top of the stairs.

I didn't get very good photos of the master bathroom. Just know that it's HUGE! And has his and her sinks and a large walk-in closet!

If you went back out to the hallway, the washer/dryer closet would be immediately on your left (across from the stairs) and the first guest room (above) would be on your right shortly thereafter.

If you continue down the hallway this full bath is on your left.

Past the bathroom, on the left is the bedroom above and on the right is the bedroom below.

If you go back downstairs to the hallway between the kitchen and den, the half bath is on the left and on the right are stairs leading down the the partial basement (below) to the right at the bottom of the stairs and the garage (above) to the left at the bottom of the stairs .

If you walk out the garage doors, you would see this little building (with an window air conditioning unit). Look at the awesome cabinet space inside (below). This litte house would make an awesome school room!

Back inside, if you walk through the kitchen into the breakfast room, the door to this large screened porch would be on your right.

The back yard is huge compared to everything else we looked at! And we didn't really want a pool, but when the rest of the house was perfect, we decided that we could deal with it. (Plus it might be nice since this neighborhood doesn't have a pool.)

View from the back yard. (I'm standing about halfway back.) I love the back yard, and I know that Jim will spend hours there!

Back from Nicaragua again

So I just got home from another wonderful trip to my second homeland- Nicaragua, Central America. (Check out photos on my photography blog http://thejourneybyally.blogspot.com/) It was such a great trip on so many levels and for so many reasons!

First it was awesome to see Melissa again. God is so good to us. Since we became close friends, we've not gone more than 10 months without seeing each other, which is a big deal since we live in different countries... separated by LOTS of other countries! Every time we get together, it's like we never left. We are right back to being goofy and laughing 'til we cry and also sharing our deepest hopes, dreams, fears, failures, etc.

We had such an awesome time at a beach near Chinandega the first weekend that I was in town. There were seven of us that went, and we all had a blast swimming, exploring, cooking, and laughing together, but more importantly, it was like a spiritual retreat. Both nights I spent and hour+ walking up and down the beach praying, singing, and sometimes crying to God. And he met me! What a wonderful communion experience! Like every time I visit, I struggled a little with the desire to be there full-time at first, but God quickly began showing me why he had me in the states, and confirming to me that I was there by his purpose and plan. I still have family and friends here who need to know him personally and others who need encouragement to grow in their faith. I returned on FIRE to be the light that HE wants me to be here in my country. A country whose heritage I am so proud of, but whose current moral state grieves me beyond words. I want to be Jesus to those around me. I want to be a better wife, daughter, sister and friend, and I want to make an eternal difference in the lives of everyone that I know! Please pray for me as I seek to find and follow God leading in my life.

This trip was also a planning trip for my Dad's church in Tallahassee, FL. A small team of four people came down the last 4 days that I was there, and we planned like crazy. We wanted to set up a 3-5 year plan that we could strive for so that every time we plan a trip, we have a pre-determined vision as a guide. I am very exciting about the goals that God has laid on our hearts, and I pray that we will be faithful to trust Him to fulfil each of them!

Unfortunately Jim was not able to accompany me on this trip, as he had to remain here working diligently on the plant. I am so proud of the work that he has done and all that he has worked so hard to learn since he's been here. He has impressed both his boss in Atlanta and the one here, as well as many of the men that he works with on-site, with his eagerness to learn, confidence and determination! I am also very grateful to our Father for providing Jim with job security during this tumultuous economic time, and for giving me a husband who provides so well for our needs.

I'll wrap this post up by asking for your prayers as we continue looking for a house in Atlanta and beging the process of moving back. It is bitter-sweet. We are so excited about moving back close to family and friends and owning our first home, but we are so sad to leave behind many special friends who have made our time here a blessing. Love to ALL of you, and may God fill your cup to the top until it is overflowing.

Living for HIS glory until he comes again,
Jim and Ally