A Twist In Our Story....aka a U-Turn

Hiya Friends! We have QUITE the update for your reading enjoyment :)

Soo...I'm(Kelly) gonna be an open book for a minute and share what I have been going thru this last month. Brad and I moved out to KC at the end of July and were so super stoked about this new journey. We had spent lots of time in prayer and felt this was where we were supposed to be. Things were great! We explored the new city, got settled in at our new home, and were enjoying this new place. Then life happened (see Brad's previous post for a glimpse into that fun stuff). During this time, I found that I was crying a whole heck of a lot - but I would do it when nobody was around. I had a 20-30 minute drive to and from work and this was my best hide-out! I would shed tears and question why we were here, why I was feeling this way, how we were going to pay bills, what would happen next. I was frustrated with God. I didn't understand why I felt this way and why nothing was happening to make me feel better. I started to not feel like myself. I was a bit more snappy with Brad and on the verge of extreme melt-down at any moment! Brad likes to tell people about the time he jokingly said something about having kids and I burst into tears at the dinner table - not subtle, quiet tears - but the can't-breathe-snot running-down-your-face-hyperventilating kind; quite attractive, I know.

Sooo all this was going on, and I kept it in. I didn't want to disappoint anyone or hurt anyones feelings. I didn't want to tell Brad that I wanted to move back to FL and ruin some ministry opportunities for him. I was just lost and confused. And, about this time I made a trip back home to see my mom for her birthday. It was a great trip! I had sooo much fun seeing mi familia again. But it was shadowed with the fact that I knew in 2 days I had to leave them. And that was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thought. While at lunch with my mom and sisters, I burst into that ugly crying again. I finally said all of my feelings out loud and it was sooooooo great! It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders! I felt terrible for what I was saying, actually admitting that I wanted to move back, but it felt SO good to get it out in the open!

Fast forward time - I got back and shared everything with Brad. We spent A LOT of time in prayer asking God to show us clearly where our next step should be. We were okay with staying here or moving back as long as God was in control and we were doing His will. Now, here comes the great part - I hope you're ready to be as shocked and amazed with God as we are!

After being back for a week, Brad got a message from a Pastor at the church we came from in FL about a job opportunity. He woke me up (NEVER a good idea!!) and told me I had to read it. At first I was SO crabby that he woke me up...until I read the message. We looked at each other and just said 'Whaaaaaaat?!'. Immediately we prayed. We prayed asking God for clear direction, asking that if this was indeed where He wanted us that we would know. Brad talked to the Pastor that day about the job and it was right up Brad's alley. We were confused about staying here or going; torn about hurting some very close friends if we left. Again, we prayed. And prayed and prayed and prayed. (Like Brad shared last time, we are super strong believers in the power of prayer! But not weenie prayers, oh no! You pray EXPECTING God to do things, and oh He will! Be ready to be blown away!)

After seeking some wise counsel and some more praying and spending time in His word, we made our decision. We are so super excited about this next chapter in our lives. Brad and I are moving back to South Florida tomorrow (yikes!) and Brad is the new Children's Director at our awesome church!! Yep, go ahead and re-read that again. You better believe we have said it over and over and still can't believe it sometimes! Take a moment and let it sink in :)

Now onto the lessons because I am so sure some of you are asking something along the lines of, 'Well why did God move you all the way out there to only move you back 2 months later?'. Okay, I am not God and I am not going to pretend to be, but we have asked this question many times ourselves too. We came to the conclusion that we learned some invaluable lessons and are beyond grateful that God did move us out here and put us through the fire because we came out that much stronger! We learned that it is only Brad and I - we MUST put each other first, communicate with each other first, rely on each other. Yes, we are newlyweds but man, we've got a kickin' relationship going now with God's help! We also learned that we must rely on God daily to meet our needs daily. We would pray every day for God to help us get through that one specific day and not focus on the tomorrows. Looking back, we don't know how we paid some bills, we aren't sure how we bought those groceries, but God is. He provided for us and met our daily needs just like His word says He will! Finally - prayer. I can't stress how much I believe in the power of prayer! But, like I said before - don't put God in a box with your prayers. Pray in faith that He will do the impossible! We prayed knowing that God would show us where to go and boy did He! After we prayed for the job, we started praying for a home - the perfect home. God moved again and and knocked our socks off again and opened the door for our perfect home! We are going to rent a townhouse from our friends right across the street from the church and right around the corner from my mom. You see, this townhouse was rented thru next August, and one week after I jokingly said to our friends, 'Wouldn't it be great if your tenants moved out so we could move in?!', they got a letter in the mail from their tenants saying they were moving out THE WEEKEND WE MOVED BACK!! Yep, go ahead and read that one again too! God is SO good all of the time. We have to pray in faith and expect Him to move the mountains He promised He would. He is still the same God that performed miracles in the Bible and you better believe He is still doing them today!

We are SO excited (I think I've said this a few times already (: ) about this move and job and everything that comes with it! We ask that you would keep us in prayer as we make this transition.

One last thing - I want to challenge you to go to God with something you think is impossible. Ask Him to do it, I dare ya! But - you have to really believe that He will. Be ready to be blown away :)

Much Love,

Brad and Kelly

The Valley, The Storm, The Desert, or as I've learned-Right where God wants us.

Tough times are moments, which actually seem like decades, which everyone experiences and struggles through. During these moments, you start to wonder, question, stir with anger, demand answers from God, pray for deliverance, maybe even stop talking to God. Our natural tendency in these moments is to ask God to quickly run in like superman and sweep us out of the dangerous situation and tell us everything is ok. How cool would that be? God comes in blue tights and rescues us from pain, isolation, hurt, loneliness, financial trouble, or whatever struggle. I'd love that! But the reality is-these moments are FOR us. Let that sink in for a moment. These moments are FOR us.

God has allowed these moments of intense pain and struggle into our lives to do something FOR us. I know it seems absolutely contradictory that an all-loving God would use pain to do something FOR us. We don't like pain when it affects us, but we're completely happy and actually we sing songs of joy and celebration about an event that caused Jesus great pain-His death on the cross. Through his death came His resurrection which brings power and hope and life to people who have no hope or life! Through pain we find hope, power, and life.

In the recent month and a few days, Kelly and I have experienced our painful moments through finances, living in Missouri, and most recently my health. We have been non-stop dealing with all the emotions and pain that comes with these tough times. We got on our knees crying out to God asking Him to rescue us right away. "Rescue us God. Ok, I mean rescue us now God not later. Please? How bout now?" Kelly and I began to realize as we prayed that will rescue us but not on our time. God impressed upon me that He wants us to pray and ask Him daily to provide for what we need for that day. It's a tough thing to know that every painful step we're going through can only be overcome by trusting God one day at a time. I'm so used to the quick fix thinking our society has taught us to value. Instead, God calls us to live one day at a time. That's what Kelly and I are doing these days. Not perfectly. Jesus set an example in the Lord's prayer. He said, "Give us this day our daily bread..." In other words, God provide for us today emotionally, physically, financially, and mentally.

We encourage you to seek God one day at a time when facing a tough moment. We've been hit in many areas since getting married and moving to Missouri. Just yesterday, I was diagnosed with mono after being sick for a month. Financial struggles, no insurance, and two trips to the ER over the weekend. What a bummer! I work at UPS and if I don't show up for work I don't get paid. WOW! We have bills to pay and I have to work but I have mono which requires rest and not work which means no money to pay for bills. Scary for sure. But this I know, my God knows. My God cares. My God loves us. And I will take Jesus at His word and ask God daily for our daily bread. So far, God has provided for our needs. We have been able to pay bills. We asked God to take away those painful things but those things are what we need now to make us trust Him more. The apostle Paul had a painful medical condition he asked God to take away three times. Each time he asked God said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." That has been our motto: God you are all we need and we need your power in our weakness. That's our journey update for now. We thank everyone for your prayers and your love. May God bless you on your dreams!

Love,

Brad and Kelly

Hiya Friends! Wanted to give a quick update on our journey.

We are in Mississippi after two long days of traveling. My sister, Lindsey, is along for the ride and we are having tons of fun! Don't get me wrong though - driving 7-10 hours a day is not something I would like to do all the time, and I know Brad (who is by himself ): ) is not having a blast. Anyway, here is a brief (as best as I can!) summary of our trip so far....

We left later than planned (yes, Dad, you were right!) because the packing never ends! I never thought we would get out of our apartment! But we did (yaaay!!!) and got on the road. I guess all the cool kids are doing construction now and it is NOT fun to drive through! We sat in plenty of traffic in Florida and couldn't wait to get out! Until we got to Georgia. You see, Georgia is doing even more traffic than Florida and it took waaaaaay long to get to our hotel. But we finally made it and I got to see my bff Noel :))) We got all settled and ready for bed. As soon as the lights went out, Brad and I noticed the ceiling above us was glowing! Somebody had put a whole bunch of those neon stars on the ceiling - it looked like we were outside! Random!

We made our way through Georgia (sooo happy to be out of there!!) and into Alabama. Thank you, Alabama for being so kind to us! Sweet roads, very little traffic, good times! Then came Mississippi, and well...we can't say much. The views were very pretty though! We got to our hotel and got all settled. Lindsey went into the bathroom to find a bug (ahhhh!!!). Luckily, my prince charming was there to help us get rid of it :))) We went to dinner in 'Las Vegas' (I felt like I was in Vegas! Even though I have never been there, these casinos and such are exactly how I imagine it!). Got back, getting ready for bed, when we found quite a few surprises...our sheets were nicely stained and there was a...wait for it...dead BUG in Lindseys bed!!! We were very quick to get out of there and into a new, pretty, clean hotel and are quite happy now!!

Thank you soooo much for all of your prayers, well wishes, kind words, and support. They mean more to us than you could know! You all are the best!!

Much Love,

Brad and Kelly

PS - have to include this cool story - while cleaning under the bed, Brad came across an envelope with money in it! (Sharing a deep, dark secret now - I tend to put money in places and forget its there! When cleaning out bags and such, I almost always find money! Hot mess, I know!) We put the money together and realized that the money we found is enough to cover our hotel rooms for both nights! How cool is that?! Totally a God thing! He is showing Himself to us already :)

Why oh why do I do this alllllll the time?!

Hello again friends! Hope all is well with everyone! Just wanted to give a quick update and ask for your prayers please!

We have been painfully looking for someplace to call home for months now! We thought we had a nice, cheap place lined up when we started hitting some walls. Frustration began to set in....we were waiting and waiting and waaaaiiiiiiting for a call back from the manager on Monday, and come to think of it - we are still waiting!! Basically, they wanted stuff that we don't have before we could move in so we had to go back to looking. Our next best option was $200 more a month, which seemed pretty sweet seeing as it is still cheaper than here, but when we listed everything we would have to pay for each month, it got to be overwhelming. So what did I do? Take a deep breath and trust that God would provide? Of course not! I threw my hands in the air (literally!) and began to cry - we are moving in a week and a half and don't have jobs or a place to live. What are we thinking? How can we do this? Where is God when you need Him? I began to look at the future, which as I was told last week at church is too much for me to handle, and I started to question God - yep, the God who created the earth and everything in it, the God who has provided for all of my needs over the last 24 years, the God who gave me the most amazing husband ever, the God who takes care of the birds and flowers, the God who promises to give me all that I need, the God who has me in the palm of His hand...yep, I started to doubt. Why oh why do I do this allllll the time?! Lucky for me, as I mentioned above, God gave me an amazing husband who held me, calmed me down, and prayed. That night I went to sleep praying as hard as I could with everything in me that God would show us what is best for us - that HIS will be done and NOT mine. That we would get the jobs that HE wanted us to have, not what WE think are perfect. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

Well, the next morning God showed up! We got a call from Matt (our friend who is already out there) telling us about this great place he has come across for us to live - for $85 cheaper than the great place we thought we found! And it is much nicer, much bigger, and much better! We hung up the phone, had a few minutes of thinking, and Brad finally said, "Well, I'm at peace. I'm going to take a shower." And I closed the computer and didn't look at apartments anymore! What a stress lifted! We are still praying for the details to all fall into place, but we feel that this is definitely a God-thing!

Then, I got an email from a woman I have been talking to for about a week now about a job. It is a nonprofit organization that works with families with children who have autism. I stumbled across it on Craigs List and immediately became interested! I contacted her and we have been going back and forth since. She asked for my resume and after reading it said she wants to interview me! So, once again God showed how He really does have me in His hands and how He really will provide - I have an interview tomorrow via skype at 3! I am SO excited about this opportunity! Please pray that if this is God's will, I will get the job, and that if it's not, I will be okay and know that He has something better. Please pray for my nerves - my stomach is already twisting just thinking about it! This would be something new with plenty new challenges and I can already hear the enemy whispering in my ear that I won't be able to do it. I know it is a lie - but at times, it seems like a yell and is soooo hard to ignore!

Brad could use some prayers too - he has an interview on August 3 at 12:30 with UPS. We are both very excited about this opportunity for him! He will start off part time, but there is the possibility of moving up which would result in a sweet paycheck and sweet benefits! Brad used to work at UPS and really enjoys it, so we are prayerful that this will work out as well.

Woooaaaahhhh! This is a pretty long one, and if you made it this far - kudos to you! We love you all and really want to thank you all for your support, love, and prayers. We wouldn't be able to do any of this without you! We will keep you posted :)

Much Love,

Brad & Kelly

An Open Door?!

Hi Friends! Kelly here...taking a shot at this thing called 'blogging.' Let's see how it goes!

Well...as you know, we have just begun a HUGE journey in our lives. We are newlyweds and will be moving sooner than later. Yesterday was a bit rough for me - just thinking about moving and the financial pressures of getting out there, getting settled, starting a life without jobs yet. At times, I have a peace about it, even when people ask that scary question : "So do you guys have jobs lined up?" I try to play it off cooly and say, "Nah, but we know something will come up..." And I was okay...til yesterday. Lucky for me, God has blessed me with an amazing man who knows what to say to bring me back to earth and calm down. Just like his previous blog, he talked about new beginnings and how, in the Bible, with every new beginning came challenges. Just like the peeps from the Word, we are having our share of 'em as well. But we had a great convo, and I got back to that exciting feeling thinking about our life, house, and family we will created in KC. We prayed for a while and then continued on.

Now to the point - I am asking for prayers from you guys PLEASE!! Brad contacted UPS today about a possible job opportunity when we get out there - he sent an email and called someone and left a message explaining our situation. We prayed that God would open this door if it was meant to be and next thing you know, his phone rang! And it was the UPS lady about a job! They talked for a few and she told him to call back a week before we move and she will set up an interview and a private tour of the hub when we get out there! Well excuse me! Needless to say we are both SUPER pumped about this possible open door. So, if you would please join us in our prayer that if this is God's will then He will open the doors and make it happen. Please pray for peace and comfort as we undertake this big, exciting, scary, unknown journey out west.

Thank you all for your love and support! We will keep you posted :)

Much Love,

"In the Beginning"

"In the beginning God...". These four words reveal to us that every new beginning originates with God. Throughout Scripture God calls people to begin a journey that only they can complete. From faithful Abraham to reluctant Moses, God inspired His people to take a journey that changed them forever. Kelly and I have just begun our God-given journey together and know that we will forever be transformed by the experience. Here is how our journey began "in the beginning God...".

Kelly and I met this past school year teaching together at the same Christian school. God directed both of our lives to that institution where we would work close together on a chapel team. Through the chapel team meetings, we got to know each other and started talking about everything. Not to much longer, Kelly and I went on our first date on October 18, 2009.

The date was absolutely perfect. It was the kind of date that you never want it to end. By the end of that night, I knew that God had brought our paths together and that Kelly was a special girl; the kind of girl that you don't let go. Needless to say that was the first of many dates.

During this time, Kelly and I had the privilege of planning chapels together and doing ministry together as a couple. It was during these times that God revealed to us the awesome teamwork we have together and the impact we could make for God's kingdom. From creating lessons, to developing creative engaging chapel moments, we loved serving God together. Because we were faithful with chapels, God decided He would give us a new journey in the future. A future that requires ultimate trust in Him.

Kelly's student ministry leader asked Kelly and I to move out to Kansas City to help plant a new church. God was leading us to do ministry in a new city, a new state, a new community, and a new climate. This moment would also bring Kelly and I to make a decision to make a new beginning together as a couple.

Before we moved to Kansas City, we decided to take the next step in our journey. We decided to get married! I proposed to Kelly on April 2, 2010 and then it was planning time! There is no doubt God brought this marriage together. Things just fell into place perfectly from Kelly's wedding dress to the perfect reception hall. God's hand was upon the whole planning process and the wedding.

June 18, 2010 was the day Kelly and I began our new beginning created by God just for us. He has given an awesome opportunity to bring the life changing words of Jesus to people who are hurting, struggling, and without hope. We are excited about this journey and know that the road will be filled with many obstacles. But we know and trust that God is going before us to prepare the way for us. As you look in the Bible, every new beginning has its ups and downs but God is always working right in the middle bringing about the victory at just the right time. Every life that we can touch with Jesus' love will overcome all the risks, failures, struggles, and trials we will face.

As our journey continues, we will continue to share what God is doing in our lives and the lives around us. Our prayer is that for everyone we know that you would chase after the journey that God has given you. Only you can complete that journey so take it with pride. God bless you.

Love,

Brad and Kelly Creviston