In the last few weeks, I’ve been sobered by many different moving pieces in my wife’s and my life.  We have a business down in what we Californians call the Valley, specifically Merced, CA.  And, we live up in what we call the Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically Twain Harte, CA.  Admittedly, besides the commute, it’s been pretty dreamy to live this way and be involved in lay ministry activities around the county where I was born while contributing to the California job market and economy and people’s personal financial wellness through my business.  The more we pray over things, however, the more it appears we need to at least be willing to move back down to the Valley at some point.  Things truly are still in the air, and we could easily end up staying in the hills and continuing to be able to contribute and tie in up here, but what the LORD is making plain is that we need to be ready and willing to move back as He leads, move back to the plains.  We had an amazing talk yesterday and agreed we feel very content about either option.  We are in God’s hands and so grateful for how He has always provided.

Hopefully this dispels any need to whisper about the Moes and what might happen with our living arrangement.  We are here as long as God makes staying a reality, and we are so much enjoying our friendships and ministry opportunities amongst friends and neighbors.  Reading Joshua this morning reminded me of the health and value of consecrating ourselves before the LORD and being ready for HIS will instead of spending too much of our time rationalizing our own preferences.

We must consecrate ourselves, set our lives out on the Master’s pottery wheel, aware that He has us there already, but may we be ready and willing for His kind hands to fashion us and shape us as He desires.  We are His to be made and used for His good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13 – my life verses).  His Spirit and His Word run through our spiritual veins and His good pleasure comes alive in us more and more as we grow in readiness and willingness, growing in FAITH AND LOVE IN OUR GOD.(

Thank you, friends, for your prayers and counsel and wisdom.  If you have thoughts or would like to send us your questions or concerns for our lives, please email me at torreymoe@gmail.com.  We are so grateful for God’s wisdom to shape and fashion not only us but our friends and neighbors.  We’ve been so blessed to realize that our life is not defined by any one decision but rather by the identity we have as children of God no matter our location or activities.  He shapes and fashions.  We simply follow and enjoy Him and His people along the way.

Your friends,

– The Moes

(The image posted here is of Kenya, one of my friend Miles & Joyce’s favorite countries in Africa in honor of their recent travels and missions work there… I noticed lately that God seems to bring His people into land and stability in the narrative of the Old Testament… Whereas He seems to bring us down and out ; ) from stability and comfort to being stretched and reaching out to show God’s love to a hurting and dying world in the New Testament era.  Any thoughts on this?  It’s not to say we don’t have comforts from Him and that He doesn’t still give plenty of Christians pretty plush lifestyles, but predominately the New Testament narrative seems to have plenty of difficulty and lots of sending and multiplying of God’s people, making disciples and pressing into His will no matter the cost and with true comfort being His presence and pleasure.)