The Good Life
/For the past six months Matt and I have looked forward to the day we could visit Lincoln. So many people have asked us over the past few months “why Lincoln?” and our response has genuinely been because that is where we feel that the Lord is leading us.
That is true. However, I will admit that I had a little bit of nerves going into our trip to Lincoln.
What if we didn’t love it?
Worse than that what if we hated it?
We have been to Lincoln over the years but it’s always been dark and it has always been cold. So when we got to the city what we experienced was new to us.
As you know we have spent over 2,000 miles of car time as a family in the last 10 days and it hasn’t always been pretty, but the last two days driving around our new city couldn’t have even been ruined by the incessant whining and complaining from our four beautiful angels.
We. Love. Lincoln.
There were so many things to see and experience that we were limited in what we could do, but we did wander through Haymarket square
Visit the capitol building
Check out the stadium
Take in a movie and eat the
greatest burgers of our lives at Honest Abe’s Burgers and Freedom
and we also found a pretty great park to walk around and play in.
Lincoln very quickly grabbed a hold of our hearts and we are more excited than ever to plant roots down there. The tornado and ping-pong ball sized hail couldn’t even deter us from our plans to plant Mercy City Church in this city. I felt myself excited to meet people and talk to people. There were a few times I had to stop myself from asking folks if they wanted to be my friend....Maybe not the best approach?
As we were driving home we threatened the kids and forced them to go to sleep and I had a moment to think. I felt the Lord bring a verse to my spirit. It is a well known verse, but it really holds more meaning to me now than it ever has before…
“11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
14 I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
Everything in my life has led me to this point. This great adventure that the Lord is leading Matt and me on has brought us to the most exciting, most terrifying leap of faith thus far. I know that God is listening when I pray. I know that He is not hiding from me, but he is looking for me just as I look for him. He is gathering us from all the places he has sent us over the past 14 years and God is bringing us home. He is bringing us with a message of mercy and hope for people who need Jesus.
We are going on His behalf to link arms with the people of Lincoln who are already working for the kingdom and I can not wait to see what God is going to do over the next year of our lives.
For more info about Mercy City Church check out our website at
