Big Dream, Wee Step - Blog Hop

So this week I am back with another Blog hop post for my Stressed Less Living Online Bible Study.  It is amazing to look at where our family was last year and where we are today.  This time last year, we knew we had orders to move from the western part of PA to the central Northern part of PA.  But it seems as though everything associated with this move has been difficult.  We encountered problems at every turn of one form or another.  But God has used those problems in an amazing way.  

Since the end of October life has been challenging.  To begin with Dennis' unit was activated to help with the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in New York City.  It was our very first activation and it was the very first time Army Reserve Soldiers and other full-time regular military forces were used for a national disaster (usually these are handled by National Guard units).  He was gone for over two weeks.  At the time we did not have a church or a support network in place yet.  

When he came back we were able to rent our home in Greensburg.  Then he received his 20 year letter, which technically allows him to retire (but most of the time is reserve time - not full-time).  So we could not draw benefits immediately.  This means God would need to provide us with some kind of income.  But we serve a mighty God who works in His own way and time.  

Dennis went to his battalion and was talking to someone there about his twenty year letter.  This person knowing that Dennis is an ordained minister and has been for around 19 1/2 years mentioned the Salvation Army.  Now we knew the Salvation Army was an organization that helped people and the Salvation Army does the signature red kettles at Christmas.  In fact as part of our Scout troop back in Greensburg, we rang the bells several times (our whole family went).  But beyond that, we didn't know a lot. However, we discovered they actually have a church and they have corp officers that run the corps on a daily basis.  

So we took the step and started attending the services at our local corps.  Then we took another step and started attending soldier classes.  Then we took another step and we attended a Marriage retreat.  Dennis and I have since become soldiers (members of the Salvation Army church - also known as Salvationists).  Now we are prayerfully considering if God may be calling us to become Corp officers sometime in the future.  So our several small steps have taken us into a world previously unknown to us, but that has provided many blessings to our family.

These blessings include us all participating in a Beginner Band at the corp, learning timbrels (for Rebecca and me), teaching a Sunday School class for Dennis and me), participating in a Youth Group for the three boys.  And who knows where the journey will end.  Some time in the future we may find ourselves serving as corp officers.  As Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, 

Jeremiah 29:11-13

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

So that is what we are doing.  We have stepped out in faith and are waiting to see where God leads.  We have been praying and calling out to God to show us what he would have us to do.  We also are waiting on Him to answer in His time.  For we know that God's ways are not our own.