This week’s Blog is written by my daughter, Kacie Foos.  Like so may of you, she and her family have been through great struggles, pain, and suffering this past year.  She and her family know that the real purpose of pain in your life is to strengthen you and your resolve and commitment to achieving your goals in accomplishing your God given purpose.  So many people are looking at 2020 as the worst year of their lives. I agree that it’s been rough, tiring, painful and strange overcoming the many obstacles that have been put in all of our paths. I believe the thing to remember most is that we all have struggles in life, but when we come to a crossroads where we must make an important decision, we first must ask ourselves the important question: Do we overcome or do we give up? Those are your only two choices.  No decision,…is a decision…a decision to cave in, to fail.  That’s it. (1) You can sit around and wait for something to happen which most likely won’t because if you become a rock, most likely you will stay a rock or (2) you will make something happen. You need to live.  You need to passionately pursue your personal purpose. So please allow me to tell you: “Stop being a rock!”

My husband and I had been talking for a while about leaving California. The cost of living was becoming, quite honestly, a bit outrageous, and we wanted to give our daughter a childhood like we both had. However, he had a great job, we lived in a beautiful place, and we had amazing friends there. But when Covid hit and everything was shut down it really got us thinking and most importantly praying. We prayed every day as a family, and we were very specific with our prayers. The prayer we said the most, was “if you want us to move God, let us know, make this clear to us, give us a sign.”

Things were bad, my husband had been furloughed for six months from his job but we were staying positive and living our lives. I even took a job at a grocery store to help make ends meet. I pushed shopping carts one day in 114 degree weather. Trust me, I had some words with God. But, I knew he was teaching me something. He was preparing me to be stronger than I already was.

Then one day, a fire broke out in the Santa Monica Mountains across the street from our home. We had been through this so many times before.  We packed the car and waited for evacuation orders. I was standing in the parking area watching the hillside when my husband joined me. I looked at him and said, I want to leave LA. I can’t do this anymore. He looked at me and I knew we both felt the same way.

Two days later Tennessee called and we didn’t even know “she” had our number.

In 2020, we really talked about if we were to move anywhere, where would we go? Arizona was brought up a lot. We liked the idea because we had several friends that had moved there. We thought about the Pacific Northwest because that is where I had grown up and we talked a lot about moving back towards Illinois where my husband had grown up. We both agreed, too cold. We were Californians now. We had lived there for so long and we wanted the heat. My husband asked me: if I could decide where would I go, anywhere in the world no questions asked, where would it be?  I replied without hesitation, Nashville, Tennessee.

Nashville? Why Nashville? I replied with entire honesty, because I’ve never heard a single thing negative about it.

Tennessee…I had never been there. Before my Mother had passed away she had spoken with great passion about how she really would have liked to explore the South. This was an area I had never really experienced growing up. My Father had traveled there a ton for his business and knew it well. My husband hadn’t really experienced this part of America either.

Well, this is an important lesson, God is always listening. Even when you aren’t praying. This was months before we had had this conversation and here we are nearing the holidays and Tennessee was calling my husbands cell phone.

My husband picked up the phone and it was an offer. A HUGE offer in a place called Chattanooga, Tennessee. We knew nothing about the city but we were listening. He hadn’t even applied for this position. It became available through a mutual friend who spoke to the right person and that person reached out. That night we both prayed about it and started doing research. My husband made a list of what it would take for him to agree to this move. They agreed to everything and that was that.

We weren’t afraid. We knew that this was what God wanted. We bravely decided to pack up everything we have ever known or owned: our four year old daughter and dog with anxiety issues, and go straight to Nashville. Do you know why? Because we only have ONE LIFE and one divine purpose.  If you have a Pulse, you have a Purpose!

We could sit on our butts and wait for the sun to rise and set without action, or we could take this opportunity and take the road less traveled. When we got in the car, and got all packed up, and said goodbye to the house that we brought our baby girl home to, I thought I would be a wreck. I thought I would have a melt down and cry and let it all out. But instead, I was so calm. I felt peace and excitement knowing for certain that whatever God had planned it must be greater than I’ve ever imagined.

Well here I am, it’s December. I’m sitting next to our living room window that overlooks the Tennessee River. We are still working out the kinks as our home in California still hasn’t sold. However, we have a beautiful apartment and I just spent the entire day with my daughter playing at The Creative Discovery Museum. We laughed and played all day. I get messages from my friends all the time saying, “Aren’t you glad you moved?”

I always reply with some encouragement, but do you know what I really want to say to them? “SO CAN YOU!” If you aren’t happy with your situation you are the only person who can change it. I know you might feel helpless but you aren’t. Because if you ask for help, help will be provided. We could not have moved here without the help of our family and friends. Just know YOU ARE  NEVER ALONE. But you have to take action with your personal life and be willing to make sacrifices and change. The hardest part of moving to Tennessee was just giving the answer of YES.

Once we gave the answer “YES” all the rest fell into place.

When we first arrived we took our daughter to Coolidge park. It’s this gorgeous green park right on the riverbank. Frankie looked at us and said, “My dreams are coming true.”

Mike and I looked at each other in awe and disbelief that our four year old just said that out loud to us and it was the most incredible, positive, affirmation we could ever have heard.

Do I regret a moment of our decision? Never. Do I still struggle, sure. EVERYONE has struggles in life. But, we get through these struggles knowing that we will overcome anything that get’s thrown our way. So for many, 2020 was the worst year.  For us, it was the best year. I just hope whoever reads this finds some encouragement to be brave and know it only takes ONE DAY to change your whole life!

All success begins with a decision that you are not going to try to do something great, but rather you are going to do whatever it takes and will never give up!

All things are possible to him who believes!

Peace and Love to all of You…………………………..Poppa Bear