Out of the Ashes

"Choose to inhale. Do not breathe simply to exist." ~ Mattie Stepanek, 13 year old poet, in his final words to his mother before he died.

I'll never forget the close call we had with the California wildfire that destroyed our next door neighbor's home.  I could barely see the warped steel beams the following morning as I peered through the black smoke covering our mountain.

There is no way our home can still be standing, I thought as I climbed back into my brother-in-law's SUV and headed back to church to thank God for sparing my family.  Once our church service was over, I checked my voice mail and rejoiced when I learned from my neighbor our home had been spared.  God wanted me to stay in Ramona.

The journey out of the ashes was a long one.  The wildfire burned everything around our home except for the pine trees and it took months to finally get rid of the smell of smoke.  We remodeled our home and added 40% to it in order to accommodate our children.

Next month, our daughter will be graduating and heading to college.  We have decided to put our home on the market and downsize.  Just as God was with us when we made it through the firestorm, we are asking Him to guide us as we prepare for all He is planning.  A new adventure awaits us.  Please keep us in your prayers as we discern the next step.