Cruisin’ to Stormin’ to Soarin’

I actually skipped the month of May for a blog. This blogging is really new to me and I don’t necessarily like writing stuff down other than tidbits here and there on Facebook. Terry has been so busy, and he is the talented writer, but here I go again updating everyone. I’m sure I’ll get better.

May was one of the best months of my life and ended on a pretty bad note. We were cruising and then storming in our lives and naturally. We got to go on a cruise, which was one of my lifelong dreams. We made plans last year after my birthday that for my 50th, we would go on a cruise and I thank Jesus that he allowed me to do that and kept me protected from what was about to happen. We had an awesome time on the cruise. It was everything I ever imagined and more. We went to Jamaica and rode the sky lift over Magic Mountain. We climbed Dunns River Falls. On another day, we went to the Cayman Islands and relaxed in the ocean. To see photos of our cruise you can go to my Facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=177129&id=1324766022&l=5589adc8fd.  You don’t have to have FB to see the photos.

As most everyone knows, we moved to Oologah, OK last November to take a position at a church as pastor after pastoring for 17 years in Sullivan, MO. We have been in a period of rest, since the church was small and no one needed us that much. We cleaned out a lot of closets, a shed, an attic, etc. So it was a time of organizing for me. Terry taught the Word on Wednesdays and Sundays. We made some new friends, which was awesome. About 2 months ago we began to feel that something wasn’t right. I thought it was homesickness, but it was actually my spirit telling me it was about over.  Right before the cruise I had the worst sick feeling in my stomach and during the cruise for one day, Terry had that some feeling. I remember him telling me that it feels like “the other shoe is about to drop”, a phrase we have heard several times from our dear friend, Kathy, in Missouri. 

As soon as we got home, we had a business meeting at church on a Wed. evening. We knew then that it would never work. By Friday the church and us had made a mutual agreement that it wouldn’t work.

The most awesome thing happened after that day. On Friday Terry felt that we should go to a church that we have seen every day as we pass by it in Owasso, called DestinyLife Church.  We went on Sunday morning and walked in and met the pastor. He was so friendly and made us feel so welcome. After church he introduced us to some people, who also gave us their phone numbers. He introduced us to several people later that night when we attended again. We felt so refreshed and free in the service. It was awesome! What we didn’t know was that we were walking right into an ATI Conference they were just beginning. We went every night through Wed. We got some direction and some awesome Word that was straight to us. On Tuesday, the pastor gave us a special offering that just put us over top in realizing our blessings in the hardest time of our life.

We decided that we needed some healing in our lives. Some situations have happened over the last 3 years with our children and we need to refocus our lives right now to getting those things worked out. We also could use the rest from the stress of ministry. We are moving to Claremore, which is only 20 minutes away from Oologah. We are down sizing quite a bit from what we are used to, but I know God will provide the place for our extra “things” or maybe he would like for us to get rid of a lot for some reason that we have no idea of.

Also Terry started a new job in May with the Oologah Post Office as a rural carrier sub. Soon that job will become more permanent and with more pay. I am working part time with the potential of adding more hours as soon as I can handle it with the move.

We are going to take it slow with entering back into the ministry and let this church minister to us and hopefully we can be a blessing to this church too. It is definitely a great church to connect with and for a great launching pad to the next phase of our lives. I have been reading a book by Joyce Meyer that really encourages me, “Never Give Up.” She speaks a about eagles in the book. I love the analogy of an eagle. A minister friend of ours, Chuck Balsamo, encouraged us by telling us about the eagle going through the molting season, where it’s feathers fall off, it’s beak falls off, and it doesn’t know if it will make it through the season. I know we are going through that season of molting and soon we will be soaring high above the storm and come out on the other side!

So who would have thought this year we would be resting, cruising, storming and about to soar higher than ever. There are some things God wants to do in our hearts and lives over the next few months. Please continue to pray for us and to pray for our children, Alex and Kyle, and for some decisions that will affect their lives. We are believing for some supernatural wisdom concerning them. You can find our contact info here. One last blessing. I have been diligently losing weight since January. I have lost 25 pounds!! I feel so good and I love to exercise, which is a miracle for me. LOL

Isa 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.”

Excited about what God has in store for our future.  Until next month, love you all,

Sherry