Posts with the label mexico beach
2009 - The first year in my life without a public job.
Quitting my job was the last thing I envisioned for our lives. I loved my job and the people. Leaving employment without a backup plan was one of the scariest and most faithful things I've ever done. God had a plan. I followed it. His plans always work out.
2010 - I published a book and Sydnee graduated college.
I knew from an early age writing a book was to be written into my life. I just had no idea
Your relationship with God is yours. You own it. You possess it. You give it energy. Like everything in life, you treasure your relationship or trash it. You nurture and grow it by obeying what his spirit commands you to do. You, my friend, can be as close or far away from God as you want. You can use him as a "Get out of Jail free" card or you can surrender your life into his hands and wholly follow him. I'm opening with this thought to give God all the glory for the 1500 sf gray jewel pictured above, lovingly known as The Holiday House. Lisette gave it the sweet name and "it 'tuck" as Mil says! We enjoyed a glorious Summer 2018 at Mexico Beach. You might ask why I would give God the glory for our beach house? Does God fulfill our desires? I believe he does! |
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My grands: Milisende and Lisette.
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My relationship with God began at age 19 when I asked Jesus to be my Savior. I surrendered my life to him somewhere around the age of 35. Saved, I felt free. Surrendered, I feel empowered. Empowered means to give someone the authority or power to do something. 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Empowered also means to unshackle, liberate, set free; make stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. My God certainly empowers me! But does God fulfill our desires?
Many people will say God will not empower you to build a beach house. They just won't believe it. Oh, but he will and here's why. Psalm 37:4 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible and it goes like this; Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Now you're getting excited because you want some things too, right? Have you ever considered that scripture and asked yourself "Does God fulfill our desires?". I DIDN'T desire a beach house. Let me say that again. I didn't desire a beach house. Building that house is one of the scariest things I've done in my life, trusting God fully. I'm not talking about prosperity gospel here. My household of two people living on disability incomes went from zero debt to the largest debt responsibility we have ever carried! Let that sink in also. My husband and I were debt-free when we accepted the challenge God laid before us to build this house. I, personally, would be scared to death if I didn't have the power of God making me stronger.
The Lung Institute has a great article about The Health Benefits of Ocean Air. You see, I didn't desire a beach house. My toes, real or silicone, have never been stuck in the sand. The desire of my heart is to spend as much quality time as God will allow with my husband who has a serious lung disease. When Steve was diagnosed in 2012, we spent a month at the beach upon God's direction. We saw improvement in his lungs. I've been wrestling with building this God-ordained house for five years. The house is unimportant. God orchestrating our lives is priceless. I have no idea how this house will fully play into giving me my hearts desire to spend as much quality time with my husband as possible. I do know God fulfills our desires and this beach house is part of his answer to fulfill mine.
I wanted to build in our subdivision the first time I laid eyes on it. Steve did not. How can you go wrong with an address of Ocean Plantation Circle? We ended up buying a lot in Port St. Joe instead of Mexico Beach. I could not get comfortable with the lot. Everything about it was annoying, although it was .08 of a mile closer to the beach than the lot we built on. The HOA was pushy. The neighbors were rude and pushy. Yep, they bombarded us every time we simply walked onto the property. One lady, behind us in a different subdivision, sent us a letter stating we had a tree on our lot that was "leaning" toward her house and she'd appreciate it if we removed it. We removed the tiny sapling. This particular subdivision allowed weekly or monthly rentals until we submitted our house plans to the HOA whereupon they called a "special" meeting to deny all short-term rentals. Geez!!! Does God fulfill our desires? Not with an unreasonable HOA! We left that meeting and listed our lot. The lot sold profitable in two short months.
Now this monster is being built directly in front of that lot we sold in Port St. Joe. Our planned 1200 sf tiny home would have de-valued immediately in its shadow. God always knows best! |
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Last piece of God's orchestrated plan for our beach house. After selling the lot, we traveled back to Mexico Beach to look again. We rode all those small streets with a vengeance searching for our lot. I asked Steve to go back to Ocean Plantation to look one more time because that subdivision was my heart's desire. We were so disappointed and maybe a little devastated when no lots were for sell. I called Sally, our real estate professional. Sally was such a saint dealing with all my questions and indecisiveness for five years! This time, persistence paid off. Sally told us zero lots were available in OP. However, she knew a gentleman from New Jersey that might sell his. Our little piece of heaven sits on that lot. And I'll add, there are four lots for sale in OP now at 40%-50% higher than what we paid. God takes care of us in so many ways.....IF we surrender our life to his plan. I can hardly wait to share all the ways God will use his beach house!
Click this link to see pictures of our kitchen/dining room...
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Hello from Mexico Beach, Florida! We moved into our second home here May 17th. God has prospered me many things during my meager existence but I never ever imagined this. No, I've not turned into a prosperity believer but I do believe God entrusts us with things. His grace is amazing! We live in a physical world so a lot of the things God loans us is physical. The bank and Jesus owns this house. We make payments. I plan to share it with you through this newsletter in the days ahead.
One thing I love about God (among SO many) is he truly is everywhere. I'm sitting on the beach yesterday. BAM! Jesus speaks to my heart. I created this video as an illustration. Fingers crossed you can hear me in the video. Crank up your speakers!
Wow! Wow! Wow! WOW! Jesus is too cool! Did I say His grace is amazing? We are born with sin because we are human. Jesus died for us to take away our sin. The ocean changes the sand every time the waves push water to the shore. The reformation of the beach each day is amazing to watch. The reformation of an individual under Jesus' control is more astounding than the ocean. The definition of reform is to cause a person to abandon wrong or evil ways of life or conduct; put an end to. Grace is the one power causing permanent change in people; spiritual rebirth to an abundant life through Jesus.
Have you ever asked your mom and dad for something? Have you asked a friend to do something for you? Ask Jesus into your life the same way you asked anyone for anything! The words to repent are easy. Just say "Jesus, please forgive me. I accept your forgiveness". Getting yourself to say the words and really mean them in your heart is the difficult part. Let go of your pride. You have never felt relief like this before. The moment your soul is cleansed when Jesus washes over you, forgives you of your sin and makes you free of guilt and shame. Do it now! Just say the words...
Enjoy your summer. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your life enriched by the blessings of Jesus. When you visit the ocean, meditate upon his grace and goodness. The very hairs of your head are numbered as is every grain of sand. How miraculous to know the same God that controls the universe offers us his grace, mercy, forgiveness and blessings. The list of his gifts are too vast to count. The depth of his love is deeper than the sea. Please feel free to contact me via email at tammy.stafford@hotmail.com or leave a comment.
In continual praise 365,
