X Marks the Spot...

Had you asked me just a few months ago if I thought we'd be moving, my answer would have been a strong NO. But God had other plans for our family. Here I sit in our new home watching the snow fall softly upon the front yard. Everything outside is white. It reminds me of the verse in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool". 

It's been several years since we've lived in the midwest.  It's been several years since we've had snow.  Funny, everyone in Savannah who heard we were moving west was worried about the snow

and cold but I have to say, seeing it now just makes me feel loved by God.  To think that God is
creating each snowflake and knows precisely where it will land, well, isn't that like our lives?  He created each of us and knows exactly where we will go, who we will be, and knows exactly where we will land?  I am a firm believer that God uses all things to His glory.  He promises us that in the scriptures.  Romans 8:28 to be exact...

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

It's strange but I feel as if my family was brought here specifically to be reminded of just how great our God is.  To be reminded of how He works for the good of His children.  To be reminded that I am white as snow because I belong to the Kingdom of God.  I can look back over every single move our family  has made, and I can see God's handiwork throughout the entire process.  Each move was scripted by God in an effort to bring us to our knees in thankfulness to Him.  More importantly, each move has brought us closer to God and each other.  This family is no stranger to moves and new places.  Personally, I like the thrill and adventure of discovery a new place.  Finding the hidden gems in a new area.  And I love that my son is getting his eyes opened to new opportunities and places.  How boring life can get when you allow yourself to become stagnet in one spot due to fear of ever leaving what you know. 

I've said it before and I still stand behind it...I had absolutely no idea that when I said "I do" to my husband, we would have so many adventures together all because he is a trash man.  He has no idea how proud I am of him.  How proud it makes me that he works so hard for his family.  How proud I am that he trusts in God to lead him.  How proud I am in all that he does everyday and the sacrifices he makes.  He is truly a gift from God and my best friend.  There is no one in this world I would rather go on these adventures with.

So, Sartell, Minnesota is the new stop on the Evoy path.  X marks the spot for Sartell.  Sartell is a city in Benton and Stearns counties in Minnesota that straddles both sides of the Mississippi River. It is part of the St. Cloud Area.  Yep, this gal is living back on the Mississippi River which makes me giggle to no end.  I grew up on it and here I am living upon its shores once again.  The population of Sartell is 16,183 people, and it just grew by 3!  It's a small town with lots of potential and only minutes away from the hustle and bustle of St. Cloud.  A quaint little area with big plans.  And of course, there is ice hockey for Matt.  He is VERY excited to get back on the ice after his 4 year hiatus.  The Sartell-St. Stephens school district is one of the top school districts in the nation.  AND, if you can believe it, they have an ice hockey team...imagine that, right?  It would appear that Sartell has opportunities for all of us!  They even have a BSF class so that I can continue my study of Moses AND they have a men's class that Chris is going to get involved with.  Sartell is going to be a wonderful place to be because God is using this new home to His glory.

So yes, Sartell is going to be a little colder than Savannah.  Average winter temps are cold....usually low teens at night and high upper 20's during the day.  Summer temps are mild with highs reaching the mid 80s.  As you would guess, Sartell does receive a generous amount of snowfall each year. 

Average snowfall is 10 inches but you never know just what will happen once it starts to snow! 

The City of Sartell was named for Joseph B. Sartell, who arrived in 1854 who worked as a millwright at a local sawmill. In 1877 Joseph B. Sartell opened a flour mill on the Watab River, and in 1884 he and his sons started the Sartell Brothers Lumber Company.  Incorporated in 1907, Sartell began as a small river town relying on lumber and a paper company for its existence. The present site of the City of Sartell was first known as "The Third Rapids", this name was given by the French fur traders because it was the third "rapids" they would encounter as they traveled north up the Mississippi River from St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.

The more I find out about this little spot of the world, the more I am assured, God has a purpose for us being here.  God has a plan for us to accomplish.  God is going to glorify His kingdom with this move.  And me, well I'm just going to savor the sweet moments that are yet to come as we begin to explore this new place.  It's still snowing outside...just a daily reminder that God loves me.