A Dream Fulfilled

 A dream fulfilled! 

When Anthony and I moved to Clever to take a ministry sabbatical I knew that it had to be balanced. 

We were starting to recover from a hard ministry experience and our boys were going into high school. I looked all over for a small community that had a great school. It had to have access to everything. I chose this small rental in Clever, MO. It was a 4 bed/2 bath in a developing area. I knew we were not going to be there that long. It was our goal to pastor our boys through high school, be a family, and heal. That was easier said than done.  The first 2 years there were about spending family time, traveling, and just resting.  I am naturally a peaceful, positive, healing kind of person. So, I automatically lean toward finding help, hope, and healing. Although, I am a Lion (type A in personality) I am also phlegmatic. My instinct is to heal those around me as I lead. That is where hospitality comes naturally to me. We were challenged! My goal-setting mind finds ways to set goals, succeed and achieve for the greater good.  In other words, I am solution-oriented.  There was a small season God had to bring me through to see he was right there with me. ( that's for another time) Anthony and I are both are movers and shakers. We don't post words like....Power couple...(eye roll) We have a whole history of it. We just do it. We still do it. He is a strong Lion! We were hurt from that last church. In his mind, he was going to live and retire at that church. He truly loved those people and wanted what was best for them. But he could not compete against the number of years of poison that church gathered in spirit. God did give us miracle after miracle and was with us the entire way. 

 Anthony had to go through counseling to overcome a form of ministry PTSD. So now fast forward,... a lot was accomplished in Clever. We learned so much about ourselves. 

The properties around our entire area of Springfield and Branson are a high selling/buying market and people can't keep land or houses. It is crazy!! I am a seeker, I knew that I would always build a retreat-like area for pastors and their wives to come and heal. We have had condos, equestrian estates, southern homes, cabins, and even the Precious Moments Wedding Island to host healing retreats.  What some people do not understand is your greatest pain is the source of your greatest victory if you let it. You can lead others through where you have gone in the healing process. However, these were other people's properties. I always knew God would lead us to our own someday. How he did it...I had no idea. I just believed. After dragging Anthony to 6 very amazing piece of land around our area including Branson that sold by the time we got there....It was crazy! Finally, I rested and God did the work. He sent me to an area I never ever thought we would live in, Ozark/Sparta.

I got up one morning checked my emails and I never check my emails....way too many. But this day I saw an email that stood out to me. I had the day off and just drove over there in total relaxed mode. I came upon this amazing country lane road that led to some land with the most beautiful lake. Come to find out, the land I was looking at was next to this property with a full view of the lake. It was private. Exactly what I was l looking for. I immediately called the real estate lady and secured it. I knew we could get out of it if needed to. I just did not want to drag my poor husband to another piece of land only for it to sell. God knows me and my strength of determined mind. I know, I know he often has to put up bumpers for me along the way. He allows it in his time. Finally, I told my husband about it and he said he was just in that area and felt something. He prayed that God would open up land for us. When he came out to see that land, he said, "I feel like this is it. Let's secure it for now. I still need a sign of peace." 

I am already moving and shaking on this land. LOL. That is Anthony. God leads him in his own way. It's often through a slowwww and hesitant way. He gets there, but I am a risk-taker so I have already been there. Yin and Yang... Although he often describes us as peanut butter and jelly. I am already sketching the design and how everything's going to layout. I am about vision with wisdom.  I do think it all through. But I also have the gift of going after something. Like a dog on a bone!  We usually accomplish it if we feel that is what God wants. I knew this was it! 

This is what God did for Anthony; He felt he needed to do an overview of the land from the satellite. He still needed a sign. I respect that. He pulls the land up and takes a look. The lake is in the shape of a dove. He said, that's all the peace he needs, so we bought it. We have a 5-year plan. Our first year was clearing and setting up the land. The second-year was building our first phase. A beautiful barn home with a wrap-around porch. The build was a challenge. We built through Covid.  Between that and college, teaching and getting the boys to college themselves...I have the extra lbs to prove it. LOL !!  Anthony did the general contracting. He has never, ever done anything like that before.  It was a stretch and it was crazy hard, but by God's grace, we did it! The whole family. I was the gopher, scrubber, and cleaner. My husband really worked hard. It was way out of his comfort zone.  I am proud of him for stepping up and doing yet another thing that stretched him. He is stronger and has a lot of great tools now because of it. To God be the glory!

http://www.touroflifeatwillowcove.org/