Being still and waiting....

Hey Friends,
I (Ash) decided it was time to update this blog on what God is teaching us in these early days of this church planting adventure. We just recently hung a chalkboard in our home that we call our "Scripture Board" where we post a verse that the Lord gives us to memorize for the week. The kids are enjoying memorizing and then placing a star on their "scripture charts" daily when they are able to recite it to us. Through this, God has given us a verse this week that is before us EVERY day so that we cannot forget what He is requiring us to do...The verse is Psalm 37:7a which says..."Be still in the presence of the Lord and WAIT PATIENTLY for Him to act..." (NLT). The Lord is teaching us to wait on Him....in all areas of our lives...to Ally, this is waiting for God to reveal to her the purpose of this move in her life..she questions how she is going to find a friend here...for her this journey has been a little more difficult in that she didn't have a friend that moved with her like Caleb and Anna Kate did. It seems that each move we have made it always is the most difficult for her. I keep telling her that God has an AWESOME plan for her here in Wilmington and God called her just as he did each of us to step out in faith. To Caleb and Anna Kate this verse is teaching them to wait patiently in their daily lives and in their eyes their interpretation is that God is teaching them to be patient... to them they say "patient with each other and when we tell them as their parents they need to WAIT". I chuckle when I think of each of their interpretations but nonetheless each one is a lesson God is teaching them....For Chris and I..it is learning to BE STILL in His Presence and wait for HIM to show us what direction HE would have Crosswinds to go....We only want God's fingerprints all over this new church and there is SO much planning and preparation ahead of us....we don't want it to be us at ALL....we only want God's leading and His direction. Please pray for us that we will continually be in constant prayer for His leading and for us to be able to have much wisdom and discernment in the days ahead. God is SO good and we have been in awe at what He is teaching each of us who are a part of this launch team. God is up to something BIG and we are humbled to be on this journey with Him. Thank you to our friends and family for your love and for your prayers. We so appreciate each of you.

Recent Photo

Hey everybody, just wanted to share a recent photo we took of our family out near the battleship here in wilmington. I can't believe how quick the kids are growing up. 

Getting Settled

We are beginning to settle into our new Wilmington lifestyle and are enjoying it more and more each day.  We love being near the beach and having access to a pool whenever we want. More than that we are being amazed by God's faithfulness everyday. A couple of things that God has done over the past few weeks is to work out the details with the kids schooling and also provided Ash with a great job. I can't say it enough how awesome it has been to see God working through all the details. 

As far as church planting goes we are loving more and more everyday that God called us with such wonderful people to plant Crosswinds Church. They are such good friends and I look forward to what God has in store for all of us as we journey together. We have just recently started meeting every Sunday after attending a local church. We have had two meetings that we have been able to get to know each other a little more but more importantly pray together as a team.  We have been praying for each other and praying for what God wants to do through Crosswinds in the days ahead.  Please keep praying for us that God will continue to use us to make a difference for the kingdom.

Chris

District Conference

Our family along with the Pratts attended our first official district conference of the NC East District on Thursday in Thomasville NC.  This was my first district conference not being a youth pastor.  What a different feeling that was now that i am the lead pastor of Crosswinds Church.  It was good to be back in NC and get to see a lot of good friends that I had not seen in a few years. The highlight for me was the Evangelism and Church Growth portion of conference. They highlighted the 4 church plants in the district and shared what God had been doing through the other church plants over the last 4 years. What excited me the most was the fact that a large portion of the salvation's had come from church plants. May God help us as we do life with unchurched people and grant us favor with them. I really look forward to what God has for the future of our family and the future of Crosswinds Church. Thanks for your prayers!!

Here is the NEW Blog for Crosswinds Church. We will be posting periodical updates on how things are going.

www.crosswindschurch.blogspot.com

Families doing the Journey with us

Trying out this "blog thing"!

Hi Friends.....I (Ash) decided to give this blogging a try...I love to journal and do that often on paper so I am sure I will come to love this journaling on the blog... :)  

We are finally out of boxes here in the apartment and are able to sit and enjoy our new home.  I actually think I am going to like living in this smaller space on ONE level.... simple living...that's what I am all about these days.  The kids are adjusting well so far.  The only difficulty has been not being able to go outside and play when they want to.  We have to go out with them and that has been a challenge in the midst of  unpacking.  We really miss our neighborhood and the friends we made there.  

I got a call yesterday for a job interview on Monday at 4.  It is for a Public Health Nurse and it would be an 8-5 job M-F.  We are praying for God to go before me in this and that if this job is the one for our family, then He will allow it.  If not,  then He will make it very clear His will for us.  I am learning daily to surrender my fears and concerns to Him and I do know that He has gone before us on this journey and He will provide for our every need.  It is a daily and sometimes  minute by minute surrender for me.  I am one that likes to have everything planned out and God is teaching me that this living by faith is not always going to work out in MY timeline.  I have learned from the past that God's timing is perfect and He will work out ALL things for our good.  This journey for us is exciting.  

We had the core team over to our home the other night for dinner and we were all able to share our stories of how God has called us here.  It was so humbling to sit and hear how God is moving in all of our lives. We were able to see how He has already answered prayer and to also share requests for people we already know the Lord has placed in our path to reach for Him.  Thank you all for your love and prayers.  We will keep you updated!  

(Today is Chris' birthday, the big 36!!! :)  The kids are excited to celebrate!)

Arrived, the beginning of a NEW JOURNEY

I cannot believe it. We have actually arrived in Wilmington. We left on Sunday, our last Sunday at Victory. What an emotional day, finally having to say SEE YA LATER to everyone. It seems so surreal. Like a dream. I cannot believe we are actually living in Wilmington. I sat in the parking lot last night at food lion while Ashley ran in to get some food for the apartment and I sat there for about 10 - 15 min.  trying to convince myself that i was finally living in Wilmington.  So here I am and the Journey into church planting really begins.  Ready or not here we go. 

Until next time!!