So much to do, so little time

Looking at the next two days is overwhelming. If we were to try to do everything that we need and/or want to do (last minute details, last minute packing, focusing on saying goodbye well, we would be stressed for every minute of the next two days.

A quote from one of my (Timbrel's) favorite books helped me this morning as we prepared to leave Toccoa, GA (where we've been for the past week with my family). Being away from Minneola has been stressful in its own way, especially for the kids, but for us it has also been a break from all the crazy packing, details, and decisions. Now we're entering the packing zone again, and I feel the weight of "how will I get all this done?" returning.

Here's what Abba said:
"Your time and energy are limited; only I know how much of each you have...Instead of wasting so much energy longing for what is not, invest that energy into trusting Me...Trusting Me will draw you into My joyful Presence."

So, we have come to grips with the fact that not everything that "needs" to be done will get done, and we have already crossed a few things off of our list. We are asking Abba to help us accomplish the important things and to help us recognize and let go of the nonessential.

Because one day in His Presence is better than a thousand elsewhere.

Will you ask the Father to keep drawing us into His Presence, and to care for the details that need to happen? We continue to speak "Grace!" to the growing mountain of luggage that sits in our house - "Grace!" to its packing, "Grace!" to its transport to the airport, "Grace!" to its free passage to Costa Rica, "Grace!" to it's acceptance into Costa Rica, and "Grace!" to its unpacking in Costa Rica.

He is enough.

The Rest of the Story...

I find that there is so much I want to share in a monthly newsletter, but there is never enough space.

So here's the rest of what I wanted to put in this month's newsletter, but didn't because I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with information.

We had a great time with Jimbo's side of the family in November. If you're friends with us on Facebook, you can see some great photos from a photo shoot we did.

K is doing really well going to her "class" every day! We are so thankful for this. She is blossoming in the wonderful kids' program that they have here in CO. Baby M is actually the one having a rough time in the "nursery"; we're not sure why. He is also not sleeping well at night. Please lift up his security and rest! Our oldest is loving the program, as we knew she would. She is like a sponge, soaking up all she can. She is excited about school in Costa Rica, but nervous about learning a new language.

Jimbo and I continue to process, process, process. The training we're doing now is definitely set up for that, dragging things out where we can see them and learn from them. So it's an emotionally full time, and a joyous time as well.

Our bags at home are....mostly....packed. It will be an interesting 3 days between Christmas in Georgia and departure for Costa Rica.

We have seen pictures of our house in Costa Rica! How exciting! It looks great.

Thanks for walking with us on this journey, for praying for us, for believing in us, for supporting us. We value each one of you.
-T

Leaving Well

As we walk in our final weeks before making the great leap, we pack, and pack, and pack, and re-pack. Currently we have almost 20 suitcases! And yes, we're trying to narrow it down. We found out that the JetBlue agent who checks us in at the end of December will have the power to give us great favor with the baggage, but it is a case-by-case basis. Thank you for taking this to the Father for us!

In order to enter a new culture well, we need to leave well. One focus of our last weeks is communicating to our family and friends that we value our relationships with them. We are trying to help our kids through this process as well. Please, ask the Father that our relationships would be at a launching point - ending what has been and beginning what will be, and walking in wholeness. The enemy is already trying to keep us from leaving well in this way - will you stand against him with us?

Lessons from Fasting

Fasting is quite often the proverbial elephant in the room. Wanting to be sure that we don't make the mistake of the Pharisees, we don't talk about it very much, especially when we're actually participating in a fast. Could it be that we actually miss out on a lot by not sharing with each other the lessons that we learn during these times? Perhaps more of this invaluable practice would take place if we were more aware of its benefits?

We have been fasting in different ways, allowing the Father to lead us through a 40 day process where all 40 days don't look the same. It has been an amazing time (which isn't quite over yet! what else does He have in store?!?)

This year has been a year of healing - a year of strongholds being revealed and conquered. Fasting has revealed deeper layers of these strongholds, leading us to more complete victory over them. One by one, over the course of weeks, the Father continues His patient work.

One area (for Timbrel) has been dealing with EXPECTATIONS. Early in the fast, I attended a COP that brought a break-through for me. I am SAFE in my identity in Him. His other children are also SAFE in their identities in Him. Because of this, I don't have to live in awareness of what others think about me; neither do I have to waste time criticizing others - they're SAFE.

This area of EXPECTATIONS led straight to a battle with FRUSTRATION (this area was highlighted by my stint as a single parent for 3 1/2 weeks). The lesson here: Frustration comes when my Expectations for others aren't met. The solution: let go of my expectations. My Abba has no expectations for me - who am I to have them for others? Slowly, slowly, I am learning to be in CHARGE of my kids without being in CONTROL of my kids, releasing them from expectations, and disciplining them in love.

Jimbo, meanwhile, has experienced deeper levels of freedom from ANXIETY. He had a lot of time to read on his 3 1/2 week tour, and Steve Farrar's book Battle Ready was a great encouragement in this area. Giants come, battles have to happen, but, as John Wayne once said, "Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway" (a quote Jimbo saw a lot during his time out west).

Perhaps your Father is leading you to fast - from what? He'll let you know. For how long? He'll tell you. Why? to bring a sense of desperation for Him, a broken and contrite spirit. Because where there is brokenness, He is there. And when we give Him our brokenness, He will heal.

Rebuilding Painful Places - Visually

I (Timbrel) have always had a very vivid imagination. I grew up reading constantly; when I read, I am often so engaged that I truly cannot hear someone talking to me in a normal voice. I live in the book I'm reading, or the movie I'm watching. It's almost like it becomes part of me.

This gift has long been used against me. Our Enemy's desire is to suppress the good gifts in our lives, to make us passive instead of active. My vivid imagination has left me trapped in fear many, many times; an intense book or movie could give me nightmares for weeks - even months.

As the work of Redemption continues in my life, my vivid imagination is producing entirely different fruit. Jimbo helped me see it this past week. I have noticed for months that my Father is beginning to bless me with vivid visual pictures. As I encounter situations, often difficult ones, whether in my own life or others, Dad sends me an image that gives beautiful meaning to the situation.

One example of this was on the anniversary of my brother's death, which also happens to be my sister's birthday. This is obviously a difficult day. I have been asking my Father to redeem this day, and this year He gave me a redeeming picture. He showed me that, just as there is great anticipation on earth when a baby is about to be born, there is great anticipation in heaven when a son or daughter of the King is about to leave this world for that one. In reality, my brother's "real birthday" is now the same day as my sister's earthly birthday. What a redeeming picture!

I am learning that my Strength and my Song - my Refuge - wants to bring healing into every painful memory, in part by washing the old, painful memories with new, refreshing pictures of what was happening at that time from His perspective. Ask Him; see how He answers you.

Faith, Passion and Peace

Have you ever been disappointed? Have you ever looked forward to something with great anticipation, only to watch it vanish away before coming to fruition?
We have.
Have you ever tried again, nerves and emotions on pins and needles, "Surely it won't happen again..." But it might. And sometimes it does.
It did.
"Are you guys excited about going to Uruguay?" We've heard it many times, and of course we say "Yes." But deep down, we've held out the full measure of excitement, holding our internal breath so that, just in case something else happens to prevent us from going, we won't reel quite as deeply.

Last week our "yes" changed to "yes!" Constant disappointment had dampened the freshness of our calling, but last week changed that. "Just because your calling is attacked does not mean that your calling is invalid. In fact, it's usually quite the opposite" (from a conference we attended in Atlanta last week). We believe again - Dad's got everything under control. In His timing, we'll leave on December 29.

Interesting how faith, passion, and peace are intermingled. Because our faith was restored, our passion increased. True passion is accompanied by deep peace.
Thanks, Father, for the adjustment in perspective.

Let's Go!

One year ago today. . .

One year ago today my (Jimbo) world changed. Something happened to me that was very unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I lost sight of living in joy. I couldn't relax. I felt a deep inward pressure, as if I was having a heart attack. It was as if I was about to experience another trauma, and I was already living in it. The world, life in general, became very unsafe, even though nothing was really that different. This was my first anxiety attack, opening up a chapter of life that lasted several months. I had attacks every day for several weeks, before they spread out to a couple a week, then to happening sporadically every once in a while. I didn't know why, or what was happening. All I knew is that I hated what was happening. Life was no fun anymore.
Then, beginning last fall, God began a journey of understanding and healing in my life. God began to bring people in my life whom He gifted with insight, exhortation, prophecy, and wisdom. From then until now, these people, who are in many different walks of life, spoke life. As I began to open up and process my innermost thoughts and pains, God began to deal with the roots of my disfunction and began to bring life; not just any life, but life abundant. The journey has been humbling, but very gracious. The body of Christ is an amazing thing. I am so privileged to be a son of the King, part of His family.
My world today, compared to a year ago, is completely different. I am working out of overflow instead of undertow. Living as I truly am, in my true identity, is so freeing. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Another Step of Redemption

This time last year our lives were full of brokenness. We knew we had a Healer fully capable of bringing restoration, but we had no idea how or when He would bring that restoration to fruition. Step by step, through interactions with His Word and His people, through conferences and books done by those whose lives have been transformed, our Healer has brought restoration - new life, abundantly overflowing.

Today we experienced new life in a place that, like us, was previously "broken." For four years we had poured our lives into a ministry; watching that ministry come to an end was painful - a loss both for us and for others who had invested in it along with us.

To see the healthy model of ministry now thriving in a place that means so much to us - to see our dear friends adjusting and thriving as well as they catch the vision of kingdom work - this is another step of redemption. Today was a special day.

"He has rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate."

Naming uHull...

2 reasons:
1. We move a lot...
2. U-ruguay.

Pack. Travel. Unpack. Repeat.

As international workers preparing for long-term living in Uruguay, South America, our lives are full of transition - endings and beginnings.

Currently we are enjoying connecting with friends and family, and sharing with them much of the transformations of the past year. This has provided much opportunity for travel, causing our daughter to say, "Mom, we move like every day."

And so it goes....

We officially leave for language school in Costa Rica on December 29. We'll be there for 12 months. Upon arrival, our mental state will be like an out of range cell phone - constantly searching for a signal, and rapidly wearing out the battery. We trust that our Spanish will improve quickly as the year progresses.

Until departure, we'll continue to speak around the country, receive more training (in December), buy and pack what we'll need during the next four years (as well as get rid of the things we can't take with us).

Many have asked how to support us in Costa Rica and Uruguay,

To give toward our monthly support through the GCF, click here.

To support our outfit fund (which enables us to set up house), click here. You will need to enter our name (Jimmie Hull), and an account number (1-47300-35295). 


To support our vehicle fund, click here.