Proud Wife and Mom

{Disclaimer: I am about to brag on my husband. Please know that I realize that all the good in Jarrell comes from God}.

Some of you who have spent a decent amount of time around Jarrell probably already know this, but he is kind of a big deal. I know that I am a little biased but it is true. I have seen God use him in so many peoples' lives and he is one of the most consistent people that I have ever met. He has taught Moses two major lessons this week and neither of them had to do with words. Moses learned both through Jarrell's actions.

Earlier in the week we stopped at the gas station to get gas. Jarrell ran into someone that he knew and began talking to him while he pumped gas. The next thing I knew, Jarrell had his arm around him and was praying for him. Moses asked me what daddy was doing. I explained that some people go through difficult things in life and they need to be lifted up and encouraged through prayer. That small situation really expanded Moses' idea of prayer. He knows that we pray in church, before meals, at night to thank God for all the good things we have, etc. but he never realized that people pray to God about their troubles. Now every time Jarrell starts talking to someone, Moses asks if daddy is going to pray with them.

The next thing he taught him seriously brings tears to my eyes whenever I think about it. Earlier today we met a father and son who had been handed a rough set of circumstances. The little boy looked like he was about the same age as Moses. Jarrell talked with the dad and met some needs that he had. As Moses watched the situation from the car, he started rummaging through some things in the car. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was looking through his toys. He handed me a power ranger that he had and told me that he wanted to give it to the little boy. Talk about a proud parent moment. When Jarrell got back into the car, I explained to him what Moses wanted to do, so we drove back to the father and son. I will never forget the look on the little boy's face as we handed him the toy. His face lit up and he smiled so big. The kid was so blessed and I know that he will remember that moment for a long time.

I am so thankful that our kids have such a great role model to look up too. On the other hand, it breaks my heart for the kids that don't and God has reminded me to pray for them.

The Ending of a Chapter

In life, some choices aren't easy. You all probably know the ones that I am talking about, right? The ones the play over and over again in your mind and consume every thought. I had to make one of those decisions recently and it was one of the toughest decisions I have made in a really long time.

Picture of Forest Home

I absolutely love Forest Home and my role there. My role encompasses so many different areas of my passions such as coffee, apparel purchasing, and people. In so many ways, this job almost feels like it was written for me. With that being said, my job is huge. There are so many details and aspects that go into it, and it is a lot of work. I have never minded the pace of it until recently. So what changed?

First and foremost, Jarrell accepted a part-time youth pastor position at our church. He is really excited about it, as am I. I know that God is going to use him in incredible ways and has already given him so many different ideas. You can check out what he is doing here, it is super cool. With that being said, I felt like I was on the outside looking in and desired to support him more and be more apart of what he is doing.

The next thing, is my kids. While I was on maternity leave my heart broke. I love my kids so much and they are growing so fast. I started talking with different people and a lot of them expressed regret over working too much when their kids were young. I didn't want that to be me. Financially we were never in a place where I could stay home, but with Jarrell working at the church, that became an option for me. I will eventually need to find something part time, but that is very manageable.

I knew that I was supposed to resign from my position, but it was so hard. God continued to work on my heart and confirmed it time and time again. On Tuesday of this week, I turned in my resignation with tears streaming down my face. I will finish out our Winter Camp season, which ends in March and then I will be done.

I can't even begin to express how much the people at Forest Home mean to me. I have met such amazing people there, co-workers and people that have worked for me, and I feel truly blessed. If you are one of those people, thank you. The great thing is, Jarrell still works there, so I will still be surrounded by such an amazing community. While I am sad this season of my life is ending, I am really excited for the new season that I will be entering. I am sure I will keep you all updated as this new season unfolds.