So...
Y'all know that ALOT has been happening in the Birchwood Blog household these days. (See button below to get caught up)
Well, well well.
Oh come on, you remember!? Remember when I told y'all that we'd sold our Taylor's Wood home and we were in a big transition? It was kind of a serious post, I must say. However, I bear good news. The transition is over. Did y'all hear that?!? The TRANSITION IS OVER! Praise the Lord. Thank you, Jesus.
The details are very special to our family. I write this now, with tears in my eyes. God has always, always watched over us. We have been blessed beyond measure. But when HE goes above and beyond, and takes the tiniest details you barely remember, and ties them together. Well. That's when grace gets crazy. Crazy grace. Friends this is real.
My loves, you cannot make this stuff up. I couldn't orchestrate our transition if I had all the resources in the world.
So we are moving.
YUP. This Pennsylvania girl, who absolutely loves The South, and has lived in Georgia for all these years, is moving.
I'm moving back up north.
TO NEW YORK. NEW YORK I tell you!
GASPPPPPPPPPP.
You know why, sweet readers? Well let me tell ya.
Because Jesus means more. Jesus means more to me then my deep love of the south. Jesus means more to me then a warm climate. And magnolia trees. And 80 degree days in March. Jesus means more then smocked dresses, and human hospitality. Jesus means more then flower-filled cities, English architecture, and muscadines. Jesus means more then friends, and people you love, and neighbors (though I have lots of special prayers asking if I can live near my southern family again in heaven). Jesus means MORE.
It happened on our first date. He busted out the P word. My husband is a Pastor. And that night, sitting in Macaroni Grill, he told me that he was going to pastor a church that did crazy things for Jesus. To which I replied: "oh good!"
That was 10 years of ministry ago.
He knew, since he was 16, that God had called him NOT to do what everyone else in his family did (his entire family owns a third generation multi-site successful insurance business). God had called him to NOT do what he was really good at naturally (he had a division 1 full ride scholarship for basketball). God had called him to preach the gospel and be a full time pastor.
So about a year ago, the Lord started whispering to us. It was time for Drew to become a lead pastor and finish his days in all his other ministries. So we listened.
Well. God usually calls us to trust him before things make actual sense. Do you trust your heavenly Father? That is the scary part. Trusting when things don't make any sense. Trusting when there isn't enough money to support your decision. Trusting when there is no longer a house to live in. Trusting when there is no longer a husband-paycheck. Trusting when you move into a tiny cottage you don't own. Trusting when your husband now stays at home with your baby and you continue to work two jobs. Trusting, as you journal and pray, that the whispers you heard, actually were The Lord.
But now, we are moving to New York. And Drew will be the lead pastor at Northridge Church in Rochester. My loves, I am blown away. The orchestration of THIS church in THIS city with our God-given gift set, couldn't be more perfect. It's crazy. For such a time as this. That he has picked us.
Have you ever felt unqualified? Well guess what. There is this beautiful worn book that I love to read and it's filled with amazing stories about unqualified people. Murderers, prostitutes, wicked kings and poor teenagers who were TOTALLY unqualified. The ones that were overlooked or under-appreciated, seemed to be the people God used to reach many.
We may be unqualified, but God wants to use us. I've never felt more humbled in my life.
So you may be asking...
How does THIS effect the blog?
Well. For one, I'll probably blog more! Life will be crazy different. In lots of good ways. But one thing is for sure, I'll be inside a bit more when I live in New York! They get a lot of this crazy white fluffy stuff called SNOW. So you can be sure, I'll be more committed to bringing all of my readers juicy good posts!
I'll have a new perspective and a new city. New architecture, new sights. I'll have new friends to design for. I'll have a new church to which I plan to use my gift-set at as well. What's better then decorating God's house?
So please, dear friends. Don't loose touch. I have promised our Georgia-family that we will be back every year for hugs and kisses and design and muscadines and Lake Martin weekends.
I love my Georgia friends and family. These next few weeks will be, perhaps, one of the hardest things we have ever done.
But please know, that Jesus is worth it all. And I gave him my heart a long time ago.
XOXOXO
Ashley