Well, I know that it has been quite a while since my last post. We have been in a whirl-wind of crazy! I am sitting in Wyoming at the moment…staring out the window at a field covered in snow…and I am counting over and over how blessed I am! Let me see if I can re-cap a bit and get you caught up to speed on where this little family is at!
We began our travel across country on January 21st…but really our little journey began 6 months prior to that. Travis has been in the service now for 11 years, as a trumpet player in the Army band. His time in has taken us many places…and our travels have been such a wild and glorious ride! But, my husband’s passion was never really in the music field…he was born to fly! HE came into the army with the intention of getting his college degree so he could transfer over to the air force and fly airplanes! Well, 5 yrs, a new wife, 2 babies and a degree later, the air force wasn’t taking any prior enlisted soldiers. So, he applied to the Coast Guard. Again, No. He resigned to the fact that he would stay in the army as a trumpet player but would get his private pilot's license. He did. And he loved it! But he still felt antsy…like something was missing.
Side-note: During the past few years, Travis has had horrible back problems. So bad, in fact, that he was on a permanent profile. (all non-army people, all that means is that he had a doctor’s note stating that he couldn’t do certain strenuous activities) It was a permanent fixture on his record.
Okay, back to the story…one day Trav came home from work with a notion that he wanted to fly helicopters with the army. Now, this was a shocker b/c he had always said he would NEVER EVER fly helicopters for the army! It is one of the most dangerous jobs in the army! So, hearing this change of heart, I knew God was up too something…BIG! We have some very very dear friends who fly in the army and God used them as huge encouragements to us through this time in our lives! But, we faced a problem…a BIG problem! There was no way Travis would be approved to fly with the profile on his record…no way! So we started praying…and God started working His wonders! God told Travis to “Trust Me”. He said it’s time to step out in faith and obey. Travis started working out again…and to both of our amazement, he wasn’t experiencing any pain! For the first time in years. He went back to the doctor and explained that his back wasn’t an issue anymore…and the doctor actually removed his profile! This is huge b/c once you have a permanent profile, it stays with you for your whole career. But God was working…and nothing can stop the power of the Creator!
Travis submitted his packet to fly helicopters as a warrant officer and was accepted! There were so many odds against him…life stated that it was impossible…but God stated that through Him anything is possible. We were trusting and leaning 100% on His guidance and grace…and He granted us our heart’s desire! Funny though, how He changed our heart’s desire first…and then His will began to unfold. Travis is 100% healed of back pain. God has healed him. Travis obeyed, he trusted, he placed all faith in the One who moves mountains, and his mountain was moved!
We can’t begin to express our excitement for what God is doing in our little family right now…so much is changing for us…but we are clinging to the promises of God! Travis reports for Warrant Officer School on March 10th and then his flight training will begin after he graduates.
Yes, we are nervous…there are so many “unknowns” ahead of us…so many challenges we aren’t even aware of yet…but we have seen with our eyes the power of God and we have felt and experienced His awe-inspiring miracles…there is nothing our God can’t do! We know He is leading…so we will trust His hand and keep leaping blindly into the life-giving world of faith!
