His Heart’s Desire News – May 2022

I was hoping to publish this newsletter in April, but time got away from me.

Or maybe it “blew” away from me.

This spring has been one of the driest and windiest the Texas Panhandle has seen in quite some time.

And interestingly, the weather seems to be the theme of what’s been happening in my life over the past year.

The phrase “winds of change” would describe it well.

If you’ve been keeping up with our ministry news, you know that my husband, Steven, left his long-time management job at the feed yard in March 2021 and went to work for the City of Perryton’s water department the following month.

Then, after being out of public education for fifteen years, I went to work part-time teaching a math lab at our local community college in August.

I spent a lot of time poring over the College Algebra textbook, working problems and relearning concepts I hadn’t seen in over thirty years—in addition to learning new ones.

And the spring semester held even more change.

I taught an Intermediate College Algebra class that met for two hours and forty-five minutes on Thursday nights.

The rest of the week I spent creating class notes, reviews, and exams and uploading lectures to YouTube—which included learning how to use a document camera and finding one that worked well.

At the end of January, we received some really good news that we had been waiting to hear back from.

A couple of months earlier, Steven had applied for the position of gas superintendent for the City of Perryton—which would mean higher salary, a city vehicle to drive, and of course, a lot of new things to learn.

He got the job, and we were so grateful for God’s provision!

At the end of February, however, we received some really sad news—news that actually made me grateful for my mind being occupied by all the “busy.”

Then, the first week in April, I received a completely unexpected phone call from someone in our local school system, letting me know about a full-time math teaching position that was about to become available at our alternative high school.

When these winds of change first started blowing, I told the Lord I had zero desire to go back to teaching in the regular high school (or junior high) classroom setting after being out for fifteen years.

I just felt like if He was directing me to either campus, there would be at least a smidgeon of “want to” in my “wanter” (Thanks to my dear friend, Penny, for that phrase!)

I knew that I needed to make a decision pretty quickly about whether or not to pursue this job opportunity, so I asked the Lord to make it clear to me if this was a door that He had opened for me.

And He did just that!

My devotional and another book that “I just happened to be reading” both had the same theme: “Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father” (Matt. 5:16 TLB).

Plus, there was more than a smidgeon of desire—and an added peace—in me to pursue this opportunity (Col. 3:15).

He also gave me a dream that held the answer to a question that had been lurking in the back of my mind: “Do I really have what it takes to do this job after being out of public education for a decade and a half?”

You will probably find the dream a bit silly, but it spoke volumes to me.

I was taking care of young kids in a church nursery, when a toddler came up to me and wanted me to breastfeed him.

Weird, huh?

I was thinking in my dream that I was way too old for that, but he was hungry, so I wanted to at least give it a try.

Much to my surprise, I was able to give him the nourishment he needed.

That’s when I woke up.

I immediately felt like God wanted to speak to me through the dream.

It took a little while, along with a few sips of strong, black coffee, for His message to come into clear focus: “You still have what it takes—and most importantly—you have Me in you 24/7/365. We’re in this together!”

God is so good to confirm His leading!

Exactly two weeks from the day I received the phone call, I was interviewed for the position, and, a week later got a call from the principal letting me know that she was recommending me for the job.

And on May 5, 2022, our local school board voted to hire me, and I turned in my signed contract the next day.

Sometimes, God works at lightning speed.

All I can say is, “Thank You, Jesus, for Your provision!”

It will be nice to receive a full-time teacher’s salary and the benefits of group health insurance.

Can I be honest with you, though?

While I have been trusting His guidance through all of these changes, I don’t understand His timing. (Trust often requires unanswered questions.)

I was hoping to complete the remaining five books in my seven-book Song of Solomon series before going back to work full-time, but He obviously had a different plan.

I’m resting in the truth that He knows what is best for me and Steven and thankful that He is in charge.

So, here it is, the end of the first week of May 2022, and I will be starting a full-time teaching job in three months.

I’m also planning to continue teaching the College Algebra Lab and Intermediate College Algebra one night a week at the college since the majority of the prep work is done for both classes.

Within the next couple of months, my goal is to finish writing and publish His Banner over Me Is Sustaining Love: An Intimate, Interactive Study of the Song of Solomon, Chapters 3–5.

If God leads you to do so, I would appreciate your prayers as I wrap up this writing project and prepare for more change.

Just so you know, I’m not laying down my pen—it’s just that the ink will flow more frequently in the summer months.

Even though the series won’t be completed according to my plan, I believe it will be accomplished in His perfect timing.

And I strongly suspect that the groundwork for the last four books in my series will be laid in the life experiences just up ahead.

That’s what He did with the first three, anyway.

Before closing this newsletter, I invite you to check out my Living Loved archives and my books to read more about your new heart union with Christ.

You can also follow me on social media.

If His Heart’s Desire Ministries has blessed you in any way, would you prayerfully consider giving a one-time donation or becoming a regular donor?

We are trusting in His provision to keep this writing ministry going!

Regardless of whether or not you are able to give financially, we would appreciate your prayers for the ministry.

We would also love to pray for your needs, so please contact us.

Together, we can reach many with the best news ever and help others live loved in Christ through understanding their flawless identity in Him!

Living Loved in Christ,

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