Do you ever wonder, “How did I get here?”

It’s been two and a half weeks since I officially opened my space at the antique mall.

I’ve been busy cleaning, pricing, painting, researching, arranging and sorting. The funny thing…it doesn’t feel like work. I’ve enjoyed each moment of the process.

If you asked me a few months ago, I would have said, yeah the idea sounds fun but I’m not sure I’d be good at that.

Have you ever found yourself in a place or doing something and wonder – how did I get here?

Flash back (imagine dream sequence music and lasers or something)

2003 – We lived in the Chicagoland south suburbs. We just built a house in a new community. My son Evan was 3 and my daughter was 10 months old. My husband worked for K-LOVE radio. He receives a call one day from his boss asking him if he’d be interested in a promotion. YES! But it would require moving to California. NO!

I still remember where we were when he got the call. Eating funnel cake at Great America. On the way home we talked about it and agreed – there’s no way we’re moving to California. That’s just crazy talk.

Two weeks later – we’re on a plane to California. 3 months later we moved to California.

We lived in what we thought was our forever home for only 14 months. The paint was still “curing” when we left.

We knew no one in California. We were leaving all of our family behind (the grandma’s were supportive but not so excited since we were taking their grandbabies across the country).

This was a moment when I said – how did we get here?

Two weeks after the call, we agreed to take the promotion and move. That’s nuts. How did this happen?

I blame God. Seriously, I do.

We were opposed to the idea but knew we should at least pray about it before we tell them no.

Weird thing happened. Our hearts and minds starting having a peace about accepting this promotion and move. And not just my husband, both of us felt the exact same way.

We knew we were supposed to do it. Not sure why but had a peace that the Lord was leading us.

And now a hindsight moment by “Father knows best”.

It’s true, your heavenly Father knows best. We see our present circumstances, He sees around the next bend and directs accordingly. You just have to trust and let Him lead.

Looking back it was one of the best decisions we ever made as a married couple. We both grew in so many ways and experienced things that otherwise never would have happened. (those are future blog posts!)

Now returning to the present……

It started as a blog. A blog designed to share how God renews and repurposes our lives when submitted to Him.

I wanted to share other women’s stories of how God has moved in their lives to bring hope and encouragement to other women. Because whatever you’re going through…..someone has gone before you. You are not alone (click on the stories tab to read some!).

But I also love antiquing and painting……God merged the two to form Renewandrepurpose.com.

Just like old furniture that has good bones and a potential to be amazing – You have good bones and the potential to be amazing in the hands of the ultimate craftsman, Jesus.

My heart is for others to know how much Jesus loves them and longs to connect with them – My hands love to be busy…hence renewandrepurpose.com – the blog and now the store.

Till the next time,
Julie b.