The Day after Jesus's Crucifixion

Can you imagine living over 2000 years ago and seeing Jesus crucified on the cross?  All his friends, family and disciples thought he was the savior of the world.  Now he is dead.  For those early Christians the day after the crucifixion must have been awful.  I'm sure they were sad.  Hurt.  Disappointed.  Confused.  Wondering why it happened.  Wondering what was going to happen next.  Questioning God.

Have you ever been there? I have.  Sometimes life is hard and disappoints come.  Sometimes our plans in life do not turn out like we thought they would.  Just like those disciples did not see or understand the whole story, we do not always get to see or understand our whole story either.  But there IS HOPE! The disciples did not know the resurrection was coming but God knew.  He knew all along.  The grave was not going to hold Jesus down.  The death of Jesus on the cross was not the end of the story.  These difficult times in our lives are not the end of the story for us either.  

I'm not going to lie... some days it is hard for me to cling to that hope when all you want is a problem fixed or pain to go away.  But I'm learning we have to hold firm to Jesus.  Look to the cross.  Yes it was heartbreaking for his friends and family to see Jesus die.  It was disappointing and confusing.  So is life! But the resurrection is coming.  Joy is coming.  Sunday is coming.  It may not come tomorrow for us or next week or next year.  We may not see the good in our pain right now but God can see it.   God loves us and he has a perfect and good plan for our lives.  

So when life gets hard and confusing, always remember Jesus's tomb is empty!  He is seated on his throne!  The story of Jesus does not end at the cross in despair!  Sunday is coming! 

On The Road Like Never Before

On January 2nd David and I said goodbye to the team at the Tulsa Promenade Mall and sayonara to the Interim Manager Program.  On January 3rd we packed up and headed to Moline, IL... our soon-to-be new home!  We had two days to find a place to live before we headed to North Carolina with a quick stop in Kentucky on the way.  Thankfully we found a cute little house to rent just 5 minutes from David's restaurant.  We signed the lease and hit the road again.



After a few days in North Carolina spending time with David's family and friends in RDU, we boarded a plane to St. Croix.  We spent three wonderful days just laying on the beach.  It had been over 2 years since we were able to get away, and we enjoyed every minute listening to the waves and eating good food.  We left feeling rejuvenated and realized this vacation thing needed to happen every January.  Any friends or family are welcome to join next year.


Once we returned from vacation, we had just a few more days in Raleigh before we packed up the moving truck for Moline.  Wednesday January 20th, we loaded up the truck from the storage unit and then drove to Greensboro where we picked up more stuff from David's dad's house.  Thursday we made the long drive to my parent's house in Kentucky where again we had more stuff to pick up.  (Thanks to our parents for allowing us to store some things over the past 2 years!)  About a foot of snow and ice was predicted for Friday morning at my parent's in Franklin so at 7pm Thursday night we decided we needed to leave town now to get out of the way of the storm.  We drove almost to St. Louis where we stopped for the night.  It was definitely a good decision as Franklin was hit with 12 inches of snow on Friday.  We finished the drive to Moline Friday morning and then proceeded to unload the truck that evening.  We were all so thankful to make it to Moline without any trouble and no snow to slow us down.  Let me just say it felt so good to have our stuff out of storage and all in one place again! And nothing was broken or destroyed after 2 years in a non-climate controlled storage unit! YAY!  

We had one week to unpack before David left for training in Atlanta and I drove to Kentucky.  I spent a little time in Lexington catching up with friends and checking out all the changes at the University of Kentucky.  My old dorm is torn down :-( So much has changed in six years.

David spent two weeks in Atlanta, then three days in Houston, TX for operator coaching, and then both traveled to Orlando for Chick-fil-A Seminar.  I couldn't come to Orlando and not go to Disney, so we spent Saturday walking around Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.  I loved every minute!      

After Disney we spent the next four days with Chick-fil-A operators and corporate staff.  We heard inspiring speakers on leadership, the future of Chick-fil-A and lots of other interesting topics.    Lysa Terkeurst was one of the speakers and I loved hearing her talk! She is one of my favorite authors! (Maybe next year I will meet her)  The amazing Need To Breathe performance was quite a surprise!   We tasted some of the new products coming out this year...they are going to awesome!! Y'all just wait!! Some are coming next week!!  What made this trip even more spectacular was my birthday on the 23rd.  That night we sat front row at the Blue Man Group show and ate dinner at Universal City Walk.  It was a wonderful way to spend my birthday!

We arrived back in Moline on February 24th and started preparing for our next big adventure...operator and operator spouse.  On March 1st David took over as the Owner/Operator at Chick-fil-A at SouthPark Mall.  Here is the only picture I got that day so hopefully we can look back in 50 or so years at his career with Chick-fil-A and rememberer where it all started.  We are so humbled and blessed to be here and excited to support and love the community in Moline.

So after living out of a car for 2 years and living out of a suitcase for 2 month, we are done traveling....kinda.  I'll be going home again soon to meet my friend Sarah's little one, Anderson and my niece Aubrey when she finally graces us with her presence.

Overflowing with Abundance

Looking back on 2015, it has been a blur of awesomeness and excitement with some disappointments and challenges thrown in.  All year long God has blessed us with new friends and with seeing new parts of the United States (and Europe for me).  We have been on 3 assignments, traveled over 3000 miles and lived in one apartment and two hotels.









Some of the top highlights of the year

• Test driving a Ferrari
• Going to Harry Potter World for the first time
• Running in my 2nd half marathon at Disney
• Seeing the St. Petersburg Grand Prix
• Traveling to Berlin and Prague for sure
• Being the cow at Chick-fil-A for the first time
• And the biggest excitement of all is David being selected as an operator

In the fall, I was really struggling with wanting control of our future and wanting answers for what the future would hold.  My prayers to God were fix this situation and make this happen and make that happen.  One day I was reading through Psalms 95 and 96 and the Holy Spirit opened my eyes.  I was missing so much from my prayers.  God wants to work in my life and make things happen but it may be different from how I want it.  And how could I praise God like those two psalms when all my thoughts were on me.  Because of the Holy Spirit, my thoughts and prayers are changing.  I'm learning to lay down my plans, my dreams, my desires and trusting God with our future.  His plans, his ways, and his thoughts are higher than mine, and I'm trusting they are better than anything I could hope or dream.  

While the year has not been an easy one, it absolutely as overflowed with abundance.  God has been so gracious and taught he is good, he is always with us, and he has not forgotten us.  He has lavishly loved us and generously blessed us. Hard and uncertain times are never easy or fun, but they are pointing us to Jesus and making us more like him.  And for that I can be thankful.

The Day David Rang the Bell

On Sunday December 13th, David and I flew to Atlanta for David's final interview.  When we arrived at Chick-fil-A's Corporate Office the next day, I was a nervous wreck.  It must have shown because everyone I talked to told me to relax.   The road to this moment has been pretty crazy and challenging at times.  There have been several potential opportunities, many interviews in Atlanta and Tulsa, and lots of prayer for guidance, wisdom and peace.  All of David's hard work has been leading up to this day.  

I quickly and quietly snagged this picture of David waiting on the blue couch.  I must say...that's one good lookin' operator right there in the suit.

At the end of all the interviews, the selection consultant asked me pin David's new name tag to his jacket.  My hands were shaking and my eyes were watering at this point.  All of David's hard work, long hours, and determination were paid off at that moment.  The big moment we have been waiting for.... David was selected to be the owner/operator at the Chick-fil-A at South Park Mall in Moline, IL.  

Then it was time for David to ring the bell! All newly selected operators ring this bell and staff from home office come around to congratulate him/her.  David's powerful bell ringing was too much for me so I backed off and let him have the pleasure.  

The last stop was signing this board.  These are all the signatures of selected operators in 2015. David was one of the last ones of the year.  

Overall it was an awesome day, full of nerves for me mixed with lots of excitement.  This means the Interim Manager program and traveling chapter of our lives is coming to an end and an entire new operator chapter is beginning.  We are thrilled to be moving to the Quad Cities, and look forward to serving delicious Chick-fil-A sandwiches to the people in Moline.    

Assignment #6

We have been living in Tulsa, OK for three month now.  If I had one word to describe Tulsa it would be...HOT!!!  One night it was still 100 degrees at 7pm.  We are experiencing a current cold front right now where its only in the upper 70s in the day.  I love the warm sunshine but even I am hot here!

David's assignment is at the Tulsa Promenade Mall.  The awesome team is rockin' and rollin' serving guest delicious chicken sandwiches!  It has been a joy getting to know and working with   everyone here.

On August 5th, a brand spankin' new Chick-fil-A opened across the street from the mall.  With the new restaurant, there were five Grand Opening Supervisors (GOS) in town for about eight weeks.  Their role is similar to David's in that they also travel all over the US.  However, they work with grand openings and David works at established restaurants.  David and I have enjoyed spending time with the GOSs, their wives and the operator of the new restaurant and his family.  It was so nice to have new CFA friends in the area! Sadly they have all moved on to new assignments.

I'm a little behind on updates, so here are some fun things we have done since coming to Tulsa.

Our hotel is located on top of a hill that over looks Tulsa in a town called Broken Arrow.  It's a beautiful view from the front of the hotel, and we have seen some amazing sunsets.  On the Fourth of July we saw the whole town of Tulsa light up with fireworks.  While they weren't high, it was a spectacular sight.  Our room actually faces the back of the hotel and we could see the local fireworks in Broken Arrow from our couch!  We watched two great shows in our PJs! Happy Birthday America!

We have found a church to attend while in Tulsa, and one hot Sunday afternoon we watched Big Hero 6 on the church lawn.  Dinner at some local food trucks, friends, and a movie is great night even in the heat!

Wanting and Waiting

I'm writing this post for me to read again and again, but I thought it might be helpful for someone else too.

There are so many unknowns in our life right now.  I am constantly imagining what the future might look like.  A house, kids, family and friends around my table.  I want to not be living in a hotel.  I want my pharmacy job back.  I want, I want, I want.  As I wallow in what I don't have and covet the lives of my friends on Facebook, I realize there is a deeper issue at hand.  I am not content with the life God has given me right now.  I'm telling God that what I have is not enough.

And let's not forget how impatience I am at waiting for our "real life to begin."  Waiting for Chick-fil-A to call...waiting to start a family...I'm not so good at waiting.

Here is what I have decided to constantly remind myself...daily...hourly...every minute!

This journey may be hard, but I have SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR!  New friends we never would have met except in the IM program.  The cool places we have seen.  Eight months we lived at the beach.  The fun adventures on the road.  This wonderful company that has provided for us.  No house to worry about or fix.  No kids waking me up in the wee hours.  And so much more.  

I don't want to just be thankful for the gifts, but I want to be thankful for the giver himself.  Thankful for a God that is loving and caring.  Mighty.  A defender of the weak.  Righteous and holy.  Thankful that Jesus died on the cross to save me.  

This discontentment and impatience ultimately lead me to Jesus.  I was not created for this world.  I was created to sit and worship at the feet of Jesus.  That day is coming and that is why I will rejoice in these hard times.  Jesus' death on the cross has made a way for me to be reunited with God. I put my hope in him and look forward to the day of no more wanting and no more waiting.  I'll be with my heavenly Father and OH THE JOY THAT WILL BE!

My Get Away to Europe

Our friends Adam and Stephanie moved to Germany with their kids in January, so when flights went on sale and I had some free time, I made the jump over the pond.  I want to share all my pictures and all my stories from my trip to Berlin, but I figured that would take awhile and you probably wouldn't read it all. Therefore, I will stick with four big highlights because picking three was not possible.  

1.  The old buildings and monuments were awesome.  There is so much history in Berlin and it was cool to see it in person.  The family and I took a boat ride down the Spree River to see some of the important and historical buildings of Berlin. While the weather was chilly, it was a great way to see a lots of the city.  Another day, Steph and I spent a few hours sightseeing while Adam watched the kids.  Over my entire trip I saw the Berlin Parliament building, the world clock, the TV tower, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin Wall.  Now I need to read up on all the history of Berlin.  

2.  I would highly recommend 36 hours in Prague.  Stephanie, her friend Rosie and I took a 4.5 hour train to Prague on Friday morning and returned to Berlin Saturday night. Prague was absolutely amazing with its architecture, historic buildings, cobblestone streets, and the largest ancient castle in the world. The highlights of Prague were spontaneously renting a paddle boat to see the city, eating trdelnik (a circular pastry covered with cinnamon and sugar) and touring the castle.  Saturday morning we made the uphill trek to see the castle.  There are so many buildings and courtyards and things to see on the castle grounds.  We bought a $10 ticket that allowed us to visit St. Vitus Cathedral, the old royal palace, and the Golden Lane.  The Cathedral of St. Vitus is breathtaking with its stained glassed windows and it's hard to describe its beauty and grandeur.  The old royal palace contains handwritten books of Prague history that are hundreds of years old.  Along the golden lane are small shops with handcrafted souvenirs.  The cathedral, the architecture, the old town square - it's still crazy that I saw these beautiful places in person.    

And when you visit Prague, I recommend you stay at this Airbnb.  Sweet Helen is one of a few Christians in Prague! Its amazing how God orchestrates meeting people in unexpected ways and places.   As I was brushing my teeth Friday night, Helen and I started talking.  Come to find out, she has lived in Atlanta and RALEIGH, NC! Seriously only God could bring us together! She attended a church close to where we used to live.  Helen opened up to us about some struggles in her life, so we prayed with her before we left.  So Amazing!!    

3.  While I'm not a fan of bikes or heavy city traffic, I thoroughly enjoyed our bike ride to the Tiergarten. Stephanie, Rosie and I maneuvered our way through cars, college students, and parking lots. I am thankful Berlin has a dedicated red bike lane otherwise I would have been freaking out next to the cars.  Saw some cool stuff along the way.  Thanks Steph and Rosie for the tour and thanks Adam for taking the subway so I could use your bike!

One funny story.  There is a place called Mustafa's, and it's known for the best doner kebab in Berlin.  Doner kebab is a Turkish dish made from meat roasted vertically usually served as street food   Steph and I stopped by one evening to grab a quick dinner. When we arrived at the little building we got in a line of about 60ish people. Thinking it would go fast, we waited in line and chatted. An hour later we had moved about half way. Two hours later we were touching the building. While in line, we slowly watch as all the meat was disappearing.  Panic was starting to set in - we had waited 2 hours for this and there is no more meat!  At the window we watched as they replaced the old chunk of meat with a new one. And it was going to take 30 minutes for the meat to cook. After 2 hours of waiting, what's 30 more minutes. So we waited. We met some nice Austrian people behind us in line and we got a good laugh and story out of it. Now the sandwich and wrap were delicious! Would I wait 2.5 hours again...probably not. 

And I loved the time with these precious kiddos! I am so thankful for this family and for them opening up there home again for me to visit!