Vintage Grace

I remember the phone call like it was yesterday.

It came exactly 78 days ago this very morning.

My husband called from NYC to let me know that he had been released from his job, along with a group of others.

It wasn't the first time this had happened to us. Or the second. It is the nature of his business.

But it didn't make it any easier.

In one breath I was thanking God. I was rejoicing. I was celebrating. I was beside myself.

After two and half years almost, My husband was finally coming home.

And then in another breath, I was gripped with fear and felt panic strike at my heart.

I would see-saw between the two for weeks.

We did our best to dig deep into our faith and trust.  The kind of trusting and holding on that comes when the rug has been jerked out from underneath you so many times you don't even know what it feels like to stand on solid ground.

We clung to Him. And we prayed. We celebrated that Daddy was home and we fought fear and the "what-if's" and the "this is not really happening to us...again" thoughts.

And we pressed on. With faith and tears and learning how to trust on a new level.

I've walked a few years in my faith to know that anytime you want to do something for God- the enemy will do everything he can to stop it.

And I had just worked out all the details to host the next Pearl Event.


Just.

I can remember my husband standing in the middle of the room looking at me.....

A man who has fought for everything he's ever received. He knows how to fight.

And he said these words. "Honey, we are still going to do The Pearl Event."

I can't tell you how that ministered to me. How it breathed life into me. How my mind tried to reason that we simply could not and my heart fell head over heels in love with him all over again.

Because when your man believes in your dreams, to the point of sacrificing to make sure they come to pass. Well, you want to marry him all over again.

And making sure The Pearl Event happens and Pearls and Grace Ministries continues is my number one dream.

My husband had also just heard a wonderful teaching from a church through a podcast and the title was called "Burn The Ships."

It was life changing.

The teaching talked about how sometimes God will "burn our ships" so to speak, so that we have no way to turn around and go back, or leave, or give up. We have to continue moving forward in a new direction.

For the last 78 days God has made it very clear that we are to move forward in a new direction.

One being The Pearl Event.

In the midst of all of this some other dreams inside my heart began to stir.

And we felt the Lord's prompting to move forward with those.

So for the last couple of months we've been busy creating and planning and holding the Lord's hand asking for wisdom and guidance.

In the meantime, I have finally been able to sleep for more than just a few hours each night. And apparently, getting some sleep will help flood your creativity with lots of ideas.

Mama's been busy.

So tomorrow, this former retail girl and "all things home" obsessed girl, who changes her furniture around every week and who has done this for years girl, this former party planner girl, former flower designer girl and long time girly-girl who still twirls on occasion, is opening her own tiny vintage home goods business.

Now I know some of you may be scratching your head and may be thinking to yourself, well you never even write about home stuff!

And to answer that, all I can say is that from day one I have devoted this blog to Him.

Most of the time writing about whatever He prompts me to write about. I usually pray before I write each post,  and ask Him what He wants me to share.

And then together we write. I love writing with the Lord....

And I also have a few more dreams too....

Sometimes we have dreams and desires that just lie dormant for years.

Life gets in the way.

Circumstances and situations and marriage and babies and working 9 to 5 to pay the bills, takes priority above what we used to dream about doing.

Or sometimes we can even push our own dreams down deep inside our hearts, dismissing the very thing God has called us to do. Sometimes we can feel that since we do not have the certifications or degrees or someone's stamp of approval in whatever the field is, then we aren't really "qualified."

I have discovered that this is not always true.

I love this saying..."God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."

Here's hoping!


Last week I signed a contract for three months, to rent out the sweetest, little space inside a wonderful store. When I asked the Lord about the time frame of the contract, He spoke these words to my heart....

This is the first trimester of something new I'm birthing through you.

Honey words. Healing words. Hopeful words.

Grateful me.

I named it Vintage Grace.  In fact, it is that very thing, that has held me during this time. And so many other times in my life.


So the name is really significant to me.

And just as a side note, apparently taking your man to the lumbar department of Home Depot and hauling around 2 x4's on a cart while carrying around his sixth child on your hip is a man's love language all by itself!  Who knew?

I will also be launching, with lots of faith and my Canon 7D in tow, business and dream number two. I am leaping into photography as a business again, after closing that door years ago, to focus on growing our family. 

So starting two new businesses and planning and producing The Pearl Event, all within the first three months of this year.

Apparently I'm pregnant ...

Truly expectant with dreams and business ideas and a special ministry to women.

It only took my husband losing his job for me to see the two pink lines....

Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust Him and He will help you. - Psalm 37:5