I remember Scot telling me not so long ago that it was his turn to be the stay-at-home mom and my turn to go find a job. I'm glad it didn't come to that even though I did apply for a job at a few places in Belding. I guess no one wants to hire a person who's only work experience for the last five years is cleaning and changing diapers :-)
The beginning of this month I actually did get a job working on my computer from home. The great thing about it is that I get to set my own hours and work anytime of the day, so it is ideal for our family's complicated schedule. Speaking of schedules, Scot and I finally sat down and wrote up a 'work week' plan. I was starting to go crazy not knowing what to expect from Scot and what he was expecting of me.
It feels like we are finally starting to settle into a new routine after two crazy months of total and complete chaos. I'm sure glad Scot has this new job as a Youth Pastor, I haven't seen him this focused and motivated since our missionary days in Bosnia. I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity the Lord has provided for us.
I can't help but think to myself, "You did it again, God! You came through even though we didn't know how you were going to do it!" But why does He always wait till I've bitten off all of my nails before He saves the day? Maybe it's His way of showing me that I shouldn't worry so much. Well, I guess it's a good thing we're going through a book about worry and fear in our ladies' Bible study group :-)
Until next time,
Karisia
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
New Year, New Things
Well, we had our first youth group meeting on Wednesday. It went well! We only had three teens show up, but we had a good time. I taught a lesson about loving God with all your heart, and what that really means. The lesson went well (even though some of our teens do have some attention issues :-) and I felt the presence of God with us. I'm very excited about what He is going to do in our little church here in Belding.
On a different note, my eldest son Logan started playing on a soccer team this month. This is his first time playing sports, and I enjoy watching him practice and be a part of the team. I'm so proud of my little guy, I can't believe he will be 6 this year!
Anyway, it's getting late so this journal entry will be short and sweet. Please pray for the youth group and for God to work in our church and bring more people to Himself. Also please pray for my best friend's mom whose cancer has spread to her brain. Pray that God will heal her and work in the hearts of her unsaved family members.
In His Hands, Karisia
On a different note, my eldest son Logan started playing on a soccer team this month. This is his first time playing sports, and I enjoy watching him practice and be a part of the team. I'm so proud of my little guy, I can't believe he will be 6 this year!
Anyway, it's getting late so this journal entry will be short and sweet. Please pray for the youth group and for God to work in our church and bring more people to Himself. Also please pray for my best friend's mom whose cancer has spread to her brain. Pray that God will heal her and work in the hearts of her unsaved family members.
In His Hands, Karisia
Thursday, January 14, 2010
He made our path straight.
I'm still in overwhelmed mode, but loving it.
I typed up a prayer letter today to send to our old supporters. It's been a while since we sent out one of those, kind of brings back a lot of memories. In it I used this picture of a bible verse that really applies to our situation. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
I wish I could say that the whole time we were searching and waiting on God I was trusting him with all my heart. Well, I could say that, but I would be a lair :-) On paper it sounds so good, but in real life we always want to be in control of the course our lives take. Maybe it's fear that something bad will happen, or pride in thinking we know what's best for us. I've definitely learned that a life fueled by fear or pride is an unhappy life indeed.
I can't help but think to myself, "How many times is God going to teach me this lesson of trust?" I guess as many times as it takes :-) My mom said that sometimes we are much like the Israelites in the wilderness awaiting the promise land. It's easy to criticize them for complaining and questioning God even though He was right there with them providing for their needs in many different miraculous ways. But are we so much better?
How many times has He provided for my needs, and come through for me when I couldn't handle things alone? During my time as a missionary there were numerous occasions when God proved Himself to be trust worthy, yet why do I still struggle to trust Him with everything? Just like the Israeli people suffering in the dessert, when the going gets tough I want to take the reigns in my own hands, as if I could do better.
When Scot's step-dad suddenly died right after we made the decision to return to Bosnia, our faith took quite a blow. We had thought it might be God's will that we return to Bosnia and serve there for another few years, but everything changed when we got the news. That day forever altered the course of our lives, but God was working through it all.
It became hard for Scot and I to trust God, knowing that He could let things like Doug's death happen at anytime. "What's next?" I wondered, now thinking about all the terrible things that could go wrong, and trying to figure out what to do, now that we were back in the US. I went through a long struggle of fighting to regain my faith, but the words of Job helped me put things back into perspective.
Now Job was a man who suffered all that you could in this world. He lost his family, all his earthly possessions, and even his own body. But this is what he said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) Job was willing to give up all the rights that we think we have and completely submit to God's sovereignty. What a great example he is to us!
It took me a while to let go of the idea that I deserve good things in life, and it is still a daily struggle, but when I did I became so free of worry and doubt. I knew that it didn't matter what happened in my life, all that matters is that my reaction brings glory to God, and through it all He will always be there to comfort me and help me get back on my feet. So I guess what I want to say to you is if you are going through a hard time, the best way to handle it is to submit to God's sovereignty, trust that He is still in control, and above all, stay connected to Him so that you will have all you need to get through it.
Oh, and one more thing to remember is that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." (Romans 8:28) Because we know God loves us we can always believe that He WILL do good things for us and bring good things into our lives, even if it just means making us better people. So be optimistic, after all, Job did end up better off than when he started :-)
I typed up a prayer letter today to send to our old supporters. It's been a while since we sent out one of those, kind of brings back a lot of memories. In it I used this picture of a bible verse that really applies to our situation. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
I wish I could say that the whole time we were searching and waiting on God I was trusting him with all my heart. Well, I could say that, but I would be a lair :-) On paper it sounds so good, but in real life we always want to be in control of the course our lives take. Maybe it's fear that something bad will happen, or pride in thinking we know what's best for us. I've definitely learned that a life fueled by fear or pride is an unhappy life indeed.
I can't help but think to myself, "How many times is God going to teach me this lesson of trust?" I guess as many times as it takes :-) My mom said that sometimes we are much like the Israelites in the wilderness awaiting the promise land. It's easy to criticize them for complaining and questioning God even though He was right there with them providing for their needs in many different miraculous ways. But are we so much better?
How many times has He provided for my needs, and come through for me when I couldn't handle things alone? During my time as a missionary there were numerous occasions when God proved Himself to be trust worthy, yet why do I still struggle to trust Him with everything? Just like the Israeli people suffering in the dessert, when the going gets tough I want to take the reigns in my own hands, as if I could do better.
When Scot's step-dad suddenly died right after we made the decision to return to Bosnia, our faith took quite a blow. We had thought it might be God's will that we return to Bosnia and serve there for another few years, but everything changed when we got the news. That day forever altered the course of our lives, but God was working through it all.
It became hard for Scot and I to trust God, knowing that He could let things like Doug's death happen at anytime. "What's next?" I wondered, now thinking about all the terrible things that could go wrong, and trying to figure out what to do, now that we were back in the US. I went through a long struggle of fighting to regain my faith, but the words of Job helped me put things back into perspective.
Now Job was a man who suffered all that you could in this world. He lost his family, all his earthly possessions, and even his own body. But this is what he said: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21) Job was willing to give up all the rights that we think we have and completely submit to God's sovereignty. What a great example he is to us!
It took me a while to let go of the idea that I deserve good things in life, and it is still a daily struggle, but when I did I became so free of worry and doubt. I knew that it didn't matter what happened in my life, all that matters is that my reaction brings glory to God, and through it all He will always be there to comfort me and help me get back on my feet. So I guess what I want to say to you is if you are going through a hard time, the best way to handle it is to submit to God's sovereignty, trust that He is still in control, and above all, stay connected to Him so that you will have all you need to get through it.
Oh, and one more thing to remember is that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." (Romans 8:28) Because we know God loves us we can always believe that He WILL do good things for us and bring good things into our lives, even if it just means making us better people. So be optimistic, after all, Job did end up better off than when he started :-)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Overwhelmed
It all happened so fast. Last week Scot was unemployed with no hope of any kind of job opportunity. I just didn't understand what God wanted us to do. So many times I prayed and asked why He wasn't giving us opportunities to serve Him when He knew that was our heart's desire. I started wondering if we should be doing something more. Maybe God wanted us to pursue a new direction.
It broke my heart everyday to see Scot unhappy and unfulfilled. I didn't know how to help. Every option and possibility I suggested only frustrated him more. I told him that I thought loosing his job was a good opportunity to pursue a a more fulfilling new career, even if it meant getting more schooling. I asked him, "If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?" With a distant look in his eyes he simply replied, "I don't know."
Why God? Why did you bring us here? Why to this small church in this small town? Why did you give Scot a good job only to take it away a year later? So many questions, so many feelings and so many doubts. Then all of a sudden everything changed.
A lot of times we don't get the privilege of seeing the big picture or understanding why God let certain things happen in our lives. But this week Scot and I see the hand of God so very clearly, and sometimes it's almost more then I care bare. Tears of thankfulness flowed down my face the day we found out about this possibility of full-time ministry. Now that it's a reality, I can't help but be overwhelmed.
All I can do is tell you that God is a God of fulfilled promises. Even when it feels like He has left you out to dry, it's only until He's got your next chapter ready for you, or you ready for it :-) So if you're confused and don't know what to do, or if you feel like God kind of forgot about you, keep trusting Him and seeking Him first because it's only a matter of time before He gives you your next assignment. Oh, and it's gonna be a good one :-)
It broke my heart everyday to see Scot unhappy and unfulfilled. I didn't know how to help. Every option and possibility I suggested only frustrated him more. I told him that I thought loosing his job was a good opportunity to pursue a a more fulfilling new career, even if it meant getting more schooling. I asked him, "If you could have any job that you wanted, what would it be?" With a distant look in his eyes he simply replied, "I don't know."
Why God? Why did you bring us here? Why to this small church in this small town? Why did you give Scot a good job only to take it away a year later? So many questions, so many feelings and so many doubts. Then all of a sudden everything changed.
A lot of times we don't get the privilege of seeing the big picture or understanding why God let certain things happen in our lives. But this week Scot and I see the hand of God so very clearly, and sometimes it's almost more then I care bare. Tears of thankfulness flowed down my face the day we found out about this possibility of full-time ministry. Now that it's a reality, I can't help but be overwhelmed.
All I can do is tell you that God is a God of fulfilled promises. Even when it feels like He has left you out to dry, it's only until He's got your next chapter ready for you, or you ready for it :-) So if you're confused and don't know what to do, or if you feel like God kind of forgot about you, keep trusting Him and seeking Him first because it's only a matter of time before He gives you your next assignment. Oh, and it's gonna be a good one :-)
Saturday, January 09, 2010
A New Direction
Full-time ministry, here we come! That's right friend, God has given us a new direction! YAY! Being in full-time ministry is what Scot and I have both wanted to do, even before we were married, and now God has given us the opportunity to be the youth directors at our local church! Thank you Jesus!!!
We met with a successful business man today who is looking for ministries to support. We shared with him our past ministry experience and our future plans for the youth group at our church, and he has decided we are a worthy cause! We only need to raise a little more financial support to help cover all of our expenses and then we can become our church's full-time youth directors!
So, now what? Scot and I looked at each other after everything settled down, and realized that everything just changed. We've been somewhat involved in our church's tiny youth group, but being full-time youth directors is a whole new responsibility. So what do we do first? Time to start brainstorming.
Our existing youth group only meets once a month and we only have about 3-4 teens that consistently attend our church. We are basically going to be building our youth ministry from scratch, so we definitely have a lot of brainstorming to do :)
I'm somewhat of a realist, or some may even label me a pessimist :) I know that the road ahead of us will be a bumpy road, complete with obstacles and discouragement. After all, we know the devil doesn't like us doing God's work. So in light of this new path that we are about to venture forth upon, I have decided to make a vow:
I, Karisia Hoskins, vow to persevere when the going gets tough,
To meet failure with optimism,
To face discouragement with resolve,
To be supportive of Scot and submissive to his leadership.
And when I feel like giving up,
I vow to remember that God called me to serve Him,
and He is pleased with my service not my success.
Thank you all who prayed for us. Please continue to pray for us as we contact our past supports, and try to sort out all the details of our new life :-) God is good!
We met with a successful business man today who is looking for ministries to support. We shared with him our past ministry experience and our future plans for the youth group at our church, and he has decided we are a worthy cause! We only need to raise a little more financial support to help cover all of our expenses and then we can become our church's full-time youth directors!
So, now what? Scot and I looked at each other after everything settled down, and realized that everything just changed. We've been somewhat involved in our church's tiny youth group, but being full-time youth directors is a whole new responsibility. So what do we do first? Time to start brainstorming.
Our existing youth group only meets once a month and we only have about 3-4 teens that consistently attend our church. We are basically going to be building our youth ministry from scratch, so we definitely have a lot of brainstorming to do :)
I'm somewhat of a realist, or some may even label me a pessimist :) I know that the road ahead of us will be a bumpy road, complete with obstacles and discouragement. After all, we know the devil doesn't like us doing God's work. So in light of this new path that we are about to venture forth upon, I have decided to make a vow:
I, Karisia Hoskins, vow to persevere when the going gets tough,
To meet failure with optimism,
To face discouragement with resolve,
To be supportive of Scot and submissive to his leadership.
And when I feel like giving up,
I vow to remember that God called me to serve Him,
and He is pleased with my service not my success.
Thank you all who prayed for us. Please continue to pray for us as we contact our past supports, and try to sort out all the details of our new life :-) God is good!
Friday, January 08, 2010
A not-so-typical Friday morning
It started as a lazy Friday morning. The kids actually let us sleep in, which was delightful. Today marks the end of my first week of my first job since 2004. My sister-in-law got me a job working from home on the computer, and it's just what we needed. It's been a little over a month since Scot got the shocking news that he was being laid off. What a nice Christmas bonus.
Since that day it's been an emotional roller coaster ride for both Scot and I, wondering what God had planned for us. We've barely been able to pay the bills with his unemployment check, but my new job will help a lot. Still, unemployment checks only come for so long, and Scot needs something to do besides clean the house and collect firewood :-)
Like I said before, it started as a lazy Friday morning. Neither of us had anywhere to go or anything to do, and a quick glance outside confirmed my suspicion that it had snowed all night. We had breakfast and warm cup of coffee and were getting ready to play Mario Cart with the boys. I turned my cell phone on and noticed I had a voice mail. It was from our Pastor asking Scot to call him.
"Hmmm..." I wondered, "What could this be about?" Scot called him right away. While he was talking to Pastor, I got the kids set up to play the Wii. I couldn't help but notice the serious look in Scot's eyes, now I was very curious to what was going on. After Scot hung up, he told me that someone from the church was upset that he denied their friend request on Facebook. Gasp! "Are you serious?" "No! Just kidding!" Scot said with a mischievous laugh. "But we do have to talk."
We went to our room and I eagerly waited to hear what was going on. "Pastor wants to pay me to be a full-time Youth Pastor at our church, and a friend of his is considering helping to support us." Wow! I couldn't believe it! This is an answer to the prayer I have prayed for so many years! "God, show us what you want us to do, where you want us to serve!" It's like all the random twists and turns that have lead us here were all part of the plan, as crazy as it seems.
Scot continued to explain that this mystery supporter wanted to meet with us tomorrow and conduct a sort of 'interview.' Now I was nervous. Will he like us? Will he think we're worthy of his support? We're just a couple of amateurs! Well, I guess it's time to pray! I'm going to ask you to pray for us too. Just for today, that this opportunity will work out for us.
Dear Lord,
Please let this work out, and thank you SO much for this opportunity! Being in full-time ministry with Scot is the life I have always dreamed of! Please, please PLEASE let this work out.
Since that day it's been an emotional roller coaster ride for both Scot and I, wondering what God had planned for us. We've barely been able to pay the bills with his unemployment check, but my new job will help a lot. Still, unemployment checks only come for so long, and Scot needs something to do besides clean the house and collect firewood :-)
Like I said before, it started as a lazy Friday morning. Neither of us had anywhere to go or anything to do, and a quick glance outside confirmed my suspicion that it had snowed all night. We had breakfast and warm cup of coffee and were getting ready to play Mario Cart with the boys. I turned my cell phone on and noticed I had a voice mail. It was from our Pastor asking Scot to call him.
"Hmmm..." I wondered, "What could this be about?" Scot called him right away. While he was talking to Pastor, I got the kids set up to play the Wii. I couldn't help but notice the serious look in Scot's eyes, now I was very curious to what was going on. After Scot hung up, he told me that someone from the church was upset that he denied their friend request on Facebook. Gasp! "Are you serious?" "No! Just kidding!" Scot said with a mischievous laugh. "But we do have to talk."
We went to our room and I eagerly waited to hear what was going on. "Pastor wants to pay me to be a full-time Youth Pastor at our church, and a friend of his is considering helping to support us." Wow! I couldn't believe it! This is an answer to the prayer I have prayed for so many years! "God, show us what you want us to do, where you want us to serve!" It's like all the random twists and turns that have lead us here were all part of the plan, as crazy as it seems.
Scot continued to explain that this mystery supporter wanted to meet with us tomorrow and conduct a sort of 'interview.' Now I was nervous. Will he like us? Will he think we're worthy of his support? We're just a couple of amateurs! Well, I guess it's time to pray! I'm going to ask you to pray for us too. Just for today, that this opportunity will work out for us.
Dear Lord,
Please let this work out, and thank you SO much for this opportunity! Being in full-time ministry with Scot is the life I have always dreamed of! Please, please PLEASE let this work out.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Beyond Facebook
Hi whoever you are. I've decided to stop wasting time on Facebook and start writing about who I am for real. I'm going to record my life for the whole of 2010 and share with you the joys, laughs, pain and trails God has in store for me. I'm calling it my journal because I plan on looking back, beyond my latest Facebook status, and taking a real glance at the path that has lead me to...here. Thanks for taking an interest in who I am, I hope you enjoy walking with me through this new year.
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