I guess we'll call this CHAPTER THREE. I had no idea i had so much to say. 8)

My Uncle Larry and Aunt Glada are wonderful people. I mean that. They immediately offered their home to us. It wasn't even a question.

Once, when i attempted to express my thanks to Uncle Larry, he calmly replied that "God gives us things so that we can share them with people."

That said, dependence on someone else is a very difficult place for your pride.

James and i told my aunt and uncle that we only needed to stay there for a couple months....tops.

Aunt Glada said she didn't want us to leave until we found just the right situation and we were really ready.

We both immediately started looking for work through temp agencies; that's pretty much the quickest way to start working somewhere while you look for something you actually want to do, but it can also be pretty difficult and sporadic.

God gave us a resting place there with Uncle Larry and Aunt Glada. We were uncomfortable, but God was working in our hearts.

In May, the Lord used my uncle to connect me to the great job i still have working for the county. James also found work. Then, as September approached (so much for a couple of months), through James' job, we became aware of a rental home, and the landlady liked James so much that she wanted us to move in right away--no money up front. So, September 1, 2001, we moved into a lovely two bedroom rental home with a fantastically large kitchen, and an agreement that James would remodel it.

Things are looking up! 8) We were both gainfully employed. Our car was still running. We had a lovely place to live.
And once we got moved in, i started looking again for a church.

Things looked really good at that point, but looking back, i think i shall call that house "The Purification House." Nothing is as smooth as it seems it should be when you haven't let God deal with your heart yet. So we had a pretty bumpy ride ahead.

More details to come...

I've never known what it meant to look for a church. My dad has been a pastor my entire life, so i never had to look. I just went to church. But finding a church you can call home is a huge challenge and a fantastic blessing from God when He leads you to the right place.

Our house happened to be less than five miles down the road from a church i'd seen with "CHRIST THE KING" in giant letters on the side of the building. I thought it looked like it might be the kind of church i would like, so after visiting a large popular church a little too far away (and with no response to my little card in the offering requesting information on cell groups), i thought i would check it out.

.....as always, to be continued.....