The Best Laid Plans.....

Before I even married Marty, he told me that his plans were to not live in California forever. In 2010 while waiting for transplant, he decided he wanted to move to Peachtree City,GA. We had friends there and loved the area. We planned to move as soon as he was well enough and free from Stanford.

We had a list of plans to accomplish before that move could happen. We traveled to see the area, see friends and family last fall. We loved it and couldn't wait to move. After our trip several things happened and we pushed back our move date until this coming fall. Mainly because Marty loves me so much and I had plans with friends!

After my trip to Hershey it was time to buckle down and start looking for jobs. I got home from Hershey and Marty dropped a bomb on me. He had been researching Tennessee and really thought it was a better fit for us. More value for our money in home buying, more rural areas to buy in and I have family in the state. I was floored, not very happy and kind of ticked. What about all that planning? Where were we supposed to look?    What about our friends in Georgia looking forward to us coming?

He asked me to pray about it, make a list of pro's and con's and talk to people I knew in Tennessee. So I did that and still was uneasy.  During this same time, some doors in the blogging social media world have been opening for me and it seems like a career is coming out of this. I've known this for quite some time but not quite been sure of how to make it work.

Last Tuesday morning, I was getting ready for work and prayed while I was in the shower. My two prayers were "God if social media is the  job for me? show me" and " If Tennessee is your will, open doors there and show us where to go"

I got out of the shower and immediately got a phone call regarding a blog I set up. This was on top of the work I am already doing for a friend. It is so clear I am already doing this job, I just need a way to get paid for it.

I got off work a bit early and noticed a message on my phone. It was from my high school best friend Lee aka Liviu to some of you. He lives in Knoxville,TN and wanted to talk to me about something. I called him and what happened next floored me.

He and his wife Flavia have opened a beautiful furniture store Fig and Company in Knoxville. It is taking off and doing really well. They are really needing help with their blogging and social media. When Lee saw my message he couldn't believe it! He and his wife had been praying for help in this area for the last month. They only opened the store ten weeks ago. No wonder for the sudden change.

I am very excited for this opportunity. Very excited to be able to go work with such dear friend's and especially excited because I believe in their vision for the store. I was blown away to hear these two answers to prayer in ONE day. 

Of course, my heart was anxious to break this news to all of our Georgia friends and our family in Tennessee. At least we will be closer than before and still living within driving distance. 

It's scary making this huge change. Now it is all very real and time to make it happen. We would love your prayers and good thoughts. We've been encouraged by the response we have received so far from family and friends.

We still have some things that need to happen. Our original November/December move date is still in tact. We are praying for a job for Marty, housing and the funds to make it all happen. We know that God will provide all those things if this is meant to be. We are excited for this new, grand adventure in life and can't wait to see what the future holds. We know who holds it, that's for sure!

Isaiah 55:8 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

Now be sure to go follow them on all these pages and see where I am headed.
Fig and Company website www.figandcompany.com
Fig and Company Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fig-and-Company/424483324270270
Fig and Company Twitter https://twitter.com/figandcompany

Happy Birthday my Friend

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. 

My friend Staci, often calls me "my friend" as a tear of endearment. It was her birthday on March 1st and I fully intended writing her a birthday blog like I have done for a few other friends. Then the day before her birthday, we got the call from Debbie, our donor's mother and that took precedence. It was okay because I was helping Staci's husband Wayne plan a surprise party for her the next day.

Two weeks later, I am finally sitting down to write this blog. I think of all the birthday blogs, this will be the hardest to write. Staci and I met when she gave me a baby shower gift for Elizabeth. Our churches had recently merged, she was a member of one church and I was a member of another. Two of our kids were very close in age and her daughter Maddie was just a few years older.

We became friends on a shaky foundation. It's hard to explain without going into major detail but basically we were ill suited to be friends. We both had issues that prevented us from being a really good friend to each other and our surroundings didn't help. Because of this issue, I actually went to biblical counseling that changed my life and the way I am as a friend. I am a better person for knowing Staci.

We had years where our contact was almost non existent. We had a friend in common and that line of communication was often cloudy at best. In fact, once that commonality was removed from our lives, things became much clearer.

She is actually the friend, who helped Marty find the new doctor who diagnosed him with renal failure. We slowly started on a beautiful journey of prayer and change that makes us the friends we are today. We spent months and years praying together for different things in our lives. As we reconnected our kids were older and became friends. Her daughters are precious gifts to me, I adore those girls as my own. It's such a blessing to be friends with her and the girls.

We have often said, its a miracle. A true miracle that we are friends and our bond is so strong now. We have been through some ugly things together and the end result is beauty. We forged our common faults and truly know the ugliest parts of each other. That's what makes this such a special friendship. When you know all of someone's "ugly" they can't hide from you or really let you down.

She truly is my sister of the heart. In fact, last week at her party, people kept asking if I really was her sister because we do resemble each other.  Our times now are spent in laughter, prayer and joy. We have survived the odds and overcome. I am so grateful that we kept pressing on and not giving in to ourselves. Our love for each other, keeps us from giving up. We were meant to be friends, the kind of friend who changes your life and truly makes you a better person.

I love you "Foxy Mama", thanks for everything you have done for me throughout these last 12 years. Can't wait to see what the future holds for us. Happy big birthday, I am not far behind you.

Camping Pismo 2002

Just last week, a few years older but much wiser.