Expect the Unexpected

I have always believed that you are put in certain situations for a reason. I also believe that you are taken out of situations for a reason. Thus, I also believe about people being in your life for a reason, season or lifetime. I believe that when we are first put in a new situation that maybe we can't see the reasoning behind it, but eventually God shows us.



I received an e-mail from someone in my past from when I lived in Virginia. It was from a guy that I dated for a long time and it was not a pretty break up. We "found" each other again on Facebook through mutual friends. He is married with a little boy who was born three months after we had Luke. Anyways. We hadn't talked in at least 3 years. I thought that we were way past the break up by that point since we were both married in 2005. I know I was. (reason, season, lifetime kind of thing). We've had very little common conversation on facebook: you have a beautiful family! How's your mom and dad doing? That kind of conversation. But today I got a full message from him. He mentioned to begin with that this was possibly going to be looked at as stupid or silly but to just let him say it. He spoke of how after we broke up (8 years ago) that I had said I always belonged in Florida. He went on to say about how angry and upset that had made him and that he had held on to that for so long. He wanted to let me know that he was working on finding "the plank in his own eye" and that he needed to apologize for holding on to that anger and for being upset about it. I almost fell out of my chair when I read it. But I guess that I also owe him an explanation about what I meant by the fact that "I always belonged in Florida."

I believe that we moved to Virginia for a reason. There was purpose behind meeting all of the wonderful friends that I have from there. There is also purpose behind the relationship that I had with him while I was there. But all in all, none of those things were meant to be a lifetime event. Those were seasons. I met those people, had that relationship, and lived there for only a season and then God said it was time to move on to my lifetime. By saying that "I always belonged in Florida" was not meant to be hurtful...but looking back it was the truth. I have an amazing husband that I found here in Florida. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy here in Florida. I spent the last 8 years being close to my father here in Florida. I have a home, a great job and a wonderful church family here in Florida.

While yes, I believe that I belonged in Florida, I don't regret being in Virginia. What God has "put us through" or "brought us out of" is what makes us who we are today. So I feel very blessed that I was in that season because if not...I wouldn't be in my lifetime now.

Exciting News!!

Well...to me it is anyway!

My mom is going to be closing on her house in Callahan on March 27th! I can't believe how quickly it has gone up and how fast time has passed.

Some people have said "your mom is going to live across the street?!" I realize that might be hard for some people...but I believe it's going to be the best to help all of us through what has happened. We all live our own lives without interruption from each other.

Anyways...I'm really excited and I know that it is going to truly be a blessing in the long run. And there will be a baby sitter just a few steps away. :)

Love ya!

Bitter Sweet

That is the way I feel about the year 2008. We had an amazing, crazy, whirlwind of a year.

January: I was on bed rest so I did not get to go with our youth group to Myrtle Beach for Winter Rush. However, through that ministry 10 students came to know Christ, including a couple of adults...AWESOME!
February: On the first day of February Jeff and I, along with our families, welcomed our first child, Lukas Bona Walker, into the world. It was the sweetest point for me in the year and since it was at the beginning it allowed me to feel like the year would be great. I also ended up in the emergency room a week after Luke was born and diagnosed with Post Term Pre-eclampsia. However I also celebrated my 25th birthday in February!
I don't remember a whole lot of significance for March or April except that Luke's first girlfriend was born.
May: We started having church services in our fellowship hall because God was allowing us to extend and remodel our sanctuary. Being in the fellowship hall for services was an amazing experience!
June: We had youth camp at Blue Springs. It was also the first time I had left Luke...and it was hard! I didn't even sleep that well while I was gone... My parents celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary! They have been an amazing example for me. My brother also got married in June and I absolutely adore my new sister in law. Mom had major back surgery in June and would be recovering for the rest of the year.
July: Not much happened except we stayed with my parents for 2 weeks so that daddy could be at work and someone still take care of momma.
August: I started a wonderful new job...well, same job, new place. Jeff and I celebrated our 3rd year of wedded bliss! Jeff also had a birthday and turned the big 3 2.
September went by rather quickly without any major events. (That i can remember!)
October: Daddy lost his battle with Parkinsonisms MSA and Shy Draggers Disease. No, I changed my mind...he didn't lose a battle, God delivered him from his battle. It has been very difficult to accept that daddy is gone...It is a daily battle that I will struggle with for years to come.
November: My brother turned 29 on the 1st. Towards the end momma signed papers to build a house out here in Callahan down from us. It was something that she and daddy had planned on doing and she was going through with it.
December: Luke started crawling! ( I know, about time right!?) And we celebrated 2 firsts...Luke's first Christmas, and the first Christmas without daddy.

So, bitter sweet... I welcomed a new life into the world...and said goodbye to another life... I have hopes that 2009 will be great and I know that it will, because God's Sovreignty is an amazing thing...and He has shown me that greatly over this year...but that is a blog entry for another time.

3 years ago today

I was in Virginia with my mom visiting my brother, niece and nephew. My husband and I had been married only 4 months and it was our first time away from each other. The following day on our way home would be terrible...but that's another story. No, three years ago today something happened that brought joy and assurance to my heart.
When I was 9 years old I started going to church at FBC of Jacksonville and began praying for people in my life to come to know the Lord. Even though I wouldn't really accept Christ until I was 14 years old at a church in Callahan. One person in particular I began praying for, little did I know would take 13 years before God would answer that prayer.
Three years ago this evening I received a phone call from my husband that made me realize prayer works...no matter how many times you have to ask for it. From the mouth of my husband in Florida to my ears in Chester Virginia I heard the answer to my prayers of 13 years: My father, at the age of 49 accepted Christ as his Savior. It is because of this, that I knew when my daddy passed away on October 25th of this year that the verse: "to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of Jesus" would ring true. I was able to walk into my parents house and through tears say "I wonder what beauty he sees?"
For so many reasons I see now why God chose for me to marry Jeff. Among all of the wonderful qualities God has shown me about Jeff, God chose my husband to lead my daddy to his son Jesus. How amazing!
Three years ago today, I was blessed by God with the assurance that I would spend eternity in heaven surrounded by my family. And I know that if something was to happen to me today, my Heavenly Father and my daddy would be there to welcome me with open arms.