life without tv

it's so crazy how God answers prayers.

i have whined for months about how much tv my kids have watched all summer.

but, i really didn't ever actually just turn the thing off for more than a day.

our recent move back to georgia has been God moment after God moment,

so it makes perfect sense that we got here and realized this house doesn't have tv service.

{ummm..didn't really ask for it, Lord, but thanks for knowing what we need better than we do.}

we aren't one of those families that don't watch tv, 

so don't get any ideas that things are "little house on the prairie" over here.

we're super inconsistent in this area.

we start out strong in the beginning of each school year.

the tv doesn't get turned on until at least 4pm, and we usually stick to about two shows.

but, somewhere around January, we get lazy and two shows become four shows.

by the time summer hits, i'm too embarrassed to tell you how many shows they watch a day.
just know that it's too much.

we went about five days here without tv or computer.
it was amazing and awful all at the same time, if that makes sense.
our kids finally asked us if we could download netflix onto the computer, and we caved.

we love it because there aren't near the ridiculous shows offered, and we feel a little more in control.

my kids are playing outside more.
they're drawing together more at the kitchen table.
they're playing more board games.
they're throwing football.
they're collecting caterpillars by the 1/2 dozens.

and PRAISE BE TO GOD, they are getting along with each other for the most part.

I'd say we're committing to never getting cable again, but how would watch college football?

8. Seth enjoying reading his book on Abe Lincoln.
9. Luke & me enjoying working together on his English and Writing this year.
10. sweet texts from my husband everyday this week telling me that he is praying for me.
11. our real estate agent texting us today to tell us that he is showing our house tomorrow.
12. our real estate agent telling us that he is joining us in praying for the sell of our home.
13. lydia playing with two sweet girls that live across the street.
14. my one coffee cup that I didn't pack in boxes...makes me feel at home.

Starting Over.

We moved to Orlando three years ago,
and we had a house in North Georgia that we put on the market to sell.
It was April of 2008, and the market seemed good.
"Seemed" is the operative word.

We were able to take the job opportunity in Orlando because the job came with a house.
Awesome.
Awesome...except when the job gives you a house with no utilities, the paychecks are much smaller.
Which would have been fine, if we hadn't had our house in Georgia on the market to sell.

We paid for that thing for a full twelve months until finally, we realized we were sinking.
Sinking is a very scary feeling, whether you're in water or not. 

It took us a few months to find a family to rent it, but we did, and it was such a relief.
We spent the next year working hard to replenish our savings.
And, it's a good thing we did, because our great renters decided to buy a house in their price range.

Again, we paid the mortgage and the utilities until we found another awesome renter.
The lease is up in November, and our renter has informed us that she is moving out.
She's found something smaller and more affordable.
And, we totally get it.
Everyone is fighting hard to make it in this economy.

We thought and prayed long and hard and decided to put it back on the market.
Only this time, we got a very realistic picture from our real estate agent
about what the price needed to be.

I'll spare you the nitty-gritty details, but just know that we'll be joining the ranks of others in this great country who are losing their shirts and maybe their pants in the sale of our home.

Thousands of our hard earned pennies will be lost, which means that we'll be starting over.
Instead of buying a home, we'll be renting, indefinitely.

I wonder if Nester knows how many times I've thought about her journey with renting their home?
Will she ever know how many of her ideas will come in handy when I'm making a rental our home?

Thanks to her, I'll say over and over to myself, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful."

I wonder if Edie will ever know how the loss of their home has reminded me of the truest truths?
...that our earthly possessions are here today and can be gone tomorrow.
...that our family relationships are the most important.
...that contentment comes from knowing God deeply and receiving the grace of his unconditional love.

It's just a house.
Home is...
 my husband, my three amazing kids, and our most spoiled family member, Max, the dog-child.

Isaiah 43:1-2
But now, this is what the Lord says-
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

God is with us.
He knows our names.
He never leaves us.
In all things, he acts on his behalf for our good and his glory.
He loves us.

Nothing is wasted, ever.

I have loved reading what Becky is thankful for at the end of each of her inspiring and authentic posts.
I think this new season calls for me to do the same.
It is good to be grateful.

1. the long walk I took with my husband tonight after dinner.
2. my kids drawing together at the kitchen table this morning.
3. Athens Church
4. living near my mom, dad, brother and his family.
5. seeing redemption in the life of a friend who sat with me at Barnes and Noble.
6. this house that we're living in until November.
7. sweet tea with lemon that made my day better at 4 pm today.

God moments.

So, we're finally in Athens and I feel like my head might be above water.

I have been dying to share the story of where we're living, temporarily.

We took a trip to Georgia to look for housing a couple of weeks ago.

We spent eight hours in record high temperatures and looked at over twenty houses in one day.

God bless Justin, our real estate agent.

At the end of that looooong day, we decided that we would rent something for a while.

We were explaining our day and our decision to my parents over dinner when we got a call.

Our pastor called to tell us that a family in the church needed someone to live in their home.

They work with a mission sending agency here in Athens, and they've been in Africa since May.

Did I mention that they were in Africa with their three kids?

...their three kids under the age of 5?

Anyway, there has been a sweet exchange student living in their house for them since May, 

but she needed to move out at the end of August.

...pretty much the week we needed to move, she needed to move out.

God moments.

Our pastor gave us a number to reach the family in Africa, and we called them to talk details.

Ends up, they offered us the opportunity to live in their home until they return around Thanksgiving.

God moments.

You'll never guess what happened next....

We found out their first and last names and realized that the names were strangely familiar.

Hold onto your socks!

They lived right next door to us when we lived in married family housing in Seminary!!!

...in Wilmore, Kentucky.

We haven't talked to them since we all graduated and moved nearly twelve years ago.

God moments.

So, here we are, living in their house with their stuff for the next 3 months.

Everything we own, except for our clothes and homeschool stuff, is in storage.

This kind of generosity turns you inside out.

It is grace undeserved.

These God moments change you forever.

I'll be back to share with you what it's been like to have no tv in this house.

Here's a hint....not sure I'll ever pay for cable again.

Georgia on my mind...

I have some significant news to share with you...

Our family is moving back to Georgia!!!

In July, my husband interviewed for a position with a church in Athens, Georgia.

We were thrilled when they offered the job a couple of weeks ago, and we are moving this Saturday.

Our heads are spinning as we are saying our goodbyes here in Orlando

and packing up fifteen years worth of stuff in our home.

We are surrounded by boxes, and we're battling a stomach bug.

But, we're moving home, so we could care less. 

*smile*

Honestly, I don't feel like I can even formulate complete sentences, 

so I'm gonna give you the shortened version.

Athens is home of the University of Georgia.

It's where we met and fell in love...
If we could pick anywhere to live, this would be it!

It's one of the coolest college towns in the South.

Two of my college roommates are there with their families.

Several other dear friends from college are there and we can't wait to do life with them.

Many of our youth from the last church that we served in are at the University.

...can't wait to reconnect with them!

Athens Church is beyond any of our dreams for a church to serve.

The position fits my husband to a tee.

I love that his greatest strengths will be used.

And, I can't wait to serve with him!

If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, then you know that I love Fall.

love, love, love, love.

We have loved our time in Orlando, but I have missed the seasons!

I can hardly believe that we'll be moving back just in time for Fall weather and Georgia football.

{imagine me squealing}

I don't even have words for how special our time in Orlando has been.

It's been such a sweet time to connect as a family.

There aren't words for how important this season has been for us.

We've grown so much!!!

The college students have been amazing in this transition.

They will miss us, but they are fully celebrating what God is doing in our lives.

They also know that even though we are leaving Orlando, God isn't.

Their hope is in Him.

Praise Jesus!

I'm excited about connecting with old friends and being part of a truly amazing church,

but I'm also honored that God is allowing us to be closer to my family.

We'll be about 45 minutes from them!!

My mom has a lung disease...it's been scary and hard to see her struggle and me not be there to help.

All of us look forward to loving her and serving her well for as long as we can.

If you would, pray this sickness leaves as quickly as it came in.

We need our health and our strength to get us through this weekend.

I'll be back soon with the story of where we'll be living until Thanksgiving....

It's such a God story....can't wait to tell you.

Thought I'd leave you with another picture of our chaos....

junior high besties and awesome hamburgers

It's Saturday morning, and I am worthless.

We just got back from a whirlwind trip to Georgia, which I'll tell you about later this week.

What I can say is that we stayed with my friend Stephanie and her family.

We met when we cheered together in the third grade for a little league football team..the rangers.
Later, we became best friends in seventh grade when we got to junior high.

I know it's called middle school now, but it'll kind of always be junior high to me.

We cheered together from 7th grade until we graduated.

We lived together in college, and we were both in one another's weddings.

Our husbands are cut from the same cloth.

We stayed up late both nights laughing about nothing, which can sometimes be the best laughter.

She is ummmmmmm...lets just say, technologically challenged.

We taught her what some of the texting acronyms mean.

For instance, she thought LOL meant "lots of luck."

We somehow laughed about it for three days.

She now says LOL in a very southern gangsta voice, and it makes me love her more.

Did I tell you that I'm worthless today?

It's 11:45 and I'm still in what I wore to bed last night.

I'm not at all comfortable with lazy days like this, which makes me a little mad at myself.

Geez.  I need to learn better how to give myself a break.

In other randomness....

We grilled hamburgers last night when we got home from the trip, and they rocked my world.

I haven't enjoyed a meal like that in a long while.  

Since at least last week. 

Do you ever do that?

I put sauteed mushrooms on mine with some Marie's blue cheese dressing.

It was so good that I went to bed excited about having a leftover one for lunch today.

Have you read any great posts today from other bloggers?

You should read Lissa's....

She talks about a book that she's read this week and she shares some delicious recipes!

That girl can cook and take pictures of said food.  

I personally think she should write a cookbook.

You should also read Edie's.....

She gives a great reason why she still homeschools her girls.

I've got a few friends and family members who question why we homeschool.

I have found myself trying to over-explain my reasons so that they can feel better about it.

But the truth is, they aren't gonna feel good about it, and it's okay.

My reasons for homeschooling are the exact same as Edie's...I couldn't have said it one bit better.

You should also read Shannan's.....

She took a road trip with her kiddos with one change of clothes and ended up staying 4 days longer.

I love that she rolled with it.

I love that she let her plans change without getting stressed about the details.

She's hilarious.

At the end of her post, she mentions wondering who Ashley chose since she hasn't watched tv on her trip.

I love that we share the love for watching a few dumb tv shows.

For the record, I love who Ashley chose, and I pray they make it in the real world.

That's it for me today...going to attempt to accomplish something before I go to dinner with my friend Kourtney tonight....Winter Park, here we come!!!