Home Is Where the Lord Is

This week Chris and I did something for the first time in our 10 years of marriage - we bought a house!  During those 10 years we have moved 4 times to 3 different states while preparing, training, and serving in ministry, and the Lord has finally led us to Lindale, Texas, where, Lord willing, we hope to serve for many, many years to come.

Honestly, there have been many times where we have been discouraged at the thought that we may never be homeowners, but the Lord graciously reminded us that Jesus was never one either.  In Matthew 8, Jesus said, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  Jesus was not concerned with home-ownership as much as he was leading people to his Father.

In Matthew 6, verses 19-21 says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."  While owning a home is a wonderful blessing, it is not a God-given right or necessity.  Homes break. They burn. They are easily destroyed, but the Kingdom of God is forever!

Yet, God, is his graciousness, still provides for our earthly needs!  He doesn't stop in verse 21, but anticipates that we, as weak sinners, will be anxious about what we will eat and wear and drink and assures us by telling us, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Verses 31-33).  Even though we look to eternity, God will still provide for our earthly needs.  It may not always be in the ways we are expecting, but he always provides for His people.  We have seen this so evidently in our lives over the last 10 years of our marriage.  There has never been a time where the Lord has not provided for our physical needs.

As we reflect on this weekend and celebrate the closing of our first home, we are so thankful for this earthly blessing the Lord has given to our family.  James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  This new home is certainly a good gift.  Even more so, we are thankful for our eternal home with Jesus that will never spoil, perish, nor be destroyed - what an even better and more perfect gift.

Merry Christmas from The Dilleys!






 

Settling In

The end of May will mark five months since we moved to Lindale, Texas, and those past five months have been busy, to say the least!  It was an interesting process, but we are officially licensed, registered, and voting Texans, and are settling into our new life here.

Papa & Eli, trying on cowboy hats!

 

 Learning how to shoot a bow and arrow at our women's retreat - I loved it!

Eli riding a four-wheeler with his toy shotgun - very Texas!

Enjoying the afternoon at the park.

Chris began his job at First Baptist Church of Lindale in January, and he loves it!  We are so thankful for our new church family and for the love and care we have received from the moment we pulled in the driveway.  It is such a blessing to be part of a church that is committed to preaching the Gospel and also to loving the members of the body and community.  They even had a welcome night for us called "Chili with the Dilleys" where everyone dressed in a Western theme and had a chili cook-off.  For dessert they presented us with Dilly Bars!

 

 Loved our welcome sign!

Chili with the Dilleys!

 Giddy-up, Ethan!

Our cowboys and cowgirl

 The Cook-Off Contestants

 The Whole Crowd

 Mrs. Leah & Eli - Best Buds!

The kids began school in January after winter break and never really missed a beat!  We did have to adjust to some changes in curriculum and the way the schools here in Lindale are structured.  Since Lindale has had so much growth in such a short period of time, they do not have a traditional K-5 elementary.  Rather, Ethan is at his own school, which consists on 15 (yes, 15!) Kindergarten classes as well as Pre-K, and Emma is at another school which is only First through Third Grade.  Next year, Emma will go to a school that is only Fourth - Sixth.  It was an adjustment for us to have to pick them up from two different schools every day, but we are very thankful for the schools here.  Lindale Schools are one of the top rated schools in Texas, and it is a great place for them to be!  Emma and Ethan were also blessed with wonderful and kind teachers who made their transition to Texas as easy as they possibly could.

 Ethan's "Tribute to the Movies" Night

 

 Ethan & I before the Mother/Son Dance at his school.

 Emma enjoying Field Day at her new school!

 Field Day Fun

Some day-to-day living changes that are different from Michigan is adjusting to the local flora and fauna.  We quickly learned boots in Texas are not just for fashion and that, unless you want to get bit by fire ants or other creature, you want to be wearing those boots - even in your own backyard.  Eli was the first to discover fire ants (of course), and it was not pleasant.  Snakes are also part of life down here, although I refuse for them to be a part of mine.  I have not run into a live one personally, but let's just say you don't want to be without a shovel or a hoe close by when you're outside.  We also have lizards, wild hogs, and other new wildlife that the kids have really been enjoying for the first time.  And, of course, there is no shortage of farm animals (cattle, horses, donkeys, goats, chickens, etc) for the kids to endlessly watch.  We live in the city, but you don't have to go far before you run across a pasture full of grazing cattle, which I personally love!

 Fire ant bites - ouch!!

 

 I stopped to take this picture on the way home from a friend's house because I thought it was beautiful!

 

 Farm fresh eggs from a sweet couple at church - there was even a pink one!

 

 One of our lizard friends that hangs around the house that Ethan has affectionately nicknamed, "Hulk" because of his green color.

The weather, obviously, has also been one of the biggest changes from Michigan, but I'm not complaining.  I personally have loved the warm Winter and the hot Spring we've had so far and I'm really looking forward to an even hotter summer!  We have, however, experienced our first tornado, which was scary.  I was two hours south at a women's retreat when it hit, but, by God's grace, Chris and the kids remained unharmed, which was a blessing, because a lot of Lindale was damaged.  Thankfully, no major injuries occurred.

 

Two of the businesses here that were totally destroyed by the tornado last month.

 I love living somewhere that has palm trees!

Finally, a few months ago we discovered Ethan had an inguinal hernia, and when we took him to the Children's Hospital of Dallas, they saw that he actually had two.  About a week and a half ago, we traveled back to Dallas for his surgery, and Ethan did great.  We are so thankful for his doctor, nurses, and everyone else who treated him there.  He is recovering well, and should be back to 100% very shortly.  We go back for our post-op in about two weeks.

 Ethan's first appointment, where he was diagnosed.

 Checking out part of the enormous train room at Children's Hospital in Dallas.

 

On our way home, enjoying his second set of Popsicles.

We are so thankful that the Lord has led us to such a wonderful place to live and serve, and we are looking forward to many years, Lord willing, of ministry in Lindale!