First Time Just Moved! Blog Giveaway!!

We are excited to announce the first ever Just Moved! blog giveaway!! We hope the response will be great and this will be the first of many giveaways!

Our prize is the Scripture Flip Book valued at $10.

Scripture Flip Book
Scriptures for Women Who Move Spiral-bound flip book features all the scriptures referenced in 'After the Boxes are Unpacked.' Smartly organized into 3 sections to provide women with encouragement as they learn to Let Go, Start Over, and Move Ahead after a move.
These scriptures will minister God's hope, comfort, and encouragement to you during a time of transition in your life or in the life of someone you care about. A wonderful way to read and memorize scriptures that will soothe your heart and bring peace to your soul.
5.5 x 4.25

• All entries must be submitted by May 15th 12 pm mountain time zone.


• Enter by leaving a comment on this blog post on why you would like to win

• For extra entries (1 extra entry for each that you do):


• become a "follower" of the just moved blog (see right-hand side bar)


• follow the link "Contribute to the Just Moved Blog" (found in the right-hand side bar under Resources) or click here AND share your moving story or testimony about your Moving On Class
  
• become a "fan" on the Just Moved! Facebook page AND leave a comment on our wall letting us know that you're a new "fan" and want to be entered into our giveaway Just Moved! Facebook Page


• join the Just Moved! Community by going to Just Moved! Community and visit the message board leaving a commment that you want to be entered in to the giveaway drawing! It's FREE!
  
• Mention our giveaway on your personal blog AND provide a link to this post. Please provide us with a link to your blog post in a separate comment

• One winner will be chosen by random drawing and notified by email


• Prize value $10 + free shipping


• Open to our readers Worldwide! Please note, that duties will not be included in the prize amount-you will be responsible for fees applied by your country.

Just Moved! Ministries holds all blog reader information collected for contests and giveaways in strict confidence. We do not sell or share email addresses with any other entities. Winners’ information such as name, mailing address and phone number is collected for the sole purpose of providing products winnings as described on this web site.

April Devotional- Bloom Wherever God Plants You!

"Many of us refuse to grow where we are put; consequently, we take root nowhere." - Oswald Chambers

We often "water our woes" instead of "fertilize our faith" when we can't see the big picture, or we can't see instant results during a time of change and transition. We choose not to put down roots in a new place, because we fear change will come again, all too soon. When our world turns upside down, it's not always clear what God is doing, or why He is doing it, so we distance ourselves from a relationship with Him and with others. We don't realize that God often works on a deeper level in our life that we can't see or understand.

Many times God will transplant us through a move, or a change in our lives, for us to grow deep roots in our relationship with Him. It is in the confusion and chaos of change that God teaches us about His faithfulness. It is through being uprooted and transplanted that we come to know Him and trust Him like never before. Once our roots grow deep in the soil of God's love, we begin to grow from within, seeds of hope begin to emerge, and then peace and contentment begin to break through the surface of our hearts. It is knowing God's faithfulness, trusting in Him, having hope, peace, and contentment, that we can begin to "bloom" again!

Scripture to Remember: I ask Him to strengthen you by His Spirit...that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite Him in. And I ask Him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 The Message

His mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness! Lamentations 3:21-23

"And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

Question to Consider: Have I been "watering my woes" or "fertilizing my faith?"

Prayer: Oh Lord, I want to be able to bloom wherever you plant me! Nurture my soul, renew my faith and trust in you, till the soil of my hardened heart so that I might receive the planting of your seed and then grow!

Thought for the Day: Today I will begin to grow deep roots in God's love by digging into scripture and allowing His word to fertilize my faith.

The Hands of Just Moved!

Just Moved! is a non-profit, world wide ministry and we could not do what God has called us to do without our many volunteers. Whether they are answering phones, planning fundraisers, assembling mailings, typing, praying or putting together the Just Moved garage sale they work with a smile on their face and joy in their heart. Thank you volunteers for all you do!

Quite Reflections- A Movers Prayer

Whether you will be moving, or you have recently moved, I encourage you to make this prayer your own:

Thank you, God, for the opportunities this move will bring. It is a comfort to know that you have gone before me and prepared this place for me. I am excited about my new beginnings; yet I am fearful about the unknown. Calm my fear, Lord. Help me to put my expectations in you and not in people or places. I give you the glory for the great things you will do through this transition in my life. Above all, Lord, use this move to draw me closer to you.
Amen.

© Copyright 2004, Just Moved!
April 2004 Devotional

Contribute to the Just Moved! Blog

We need YOUR input and contributions to the Just Moved! Blog. Email us your moving stories, testimonies from your Moving On Class, pictures and anything else you think would be an encouragement and support to our readers.

Your entries will be reviewed by our blog manager and posted after approval. Just Moved! reserves the right to use any submissions, in part or in whole, in future print, Web publications and on radio broadcasts. We do not pay for submissions.

Email your contributions to stephanie@verdoorn.com

Thank you!

The Just Moved! Ladies Luncheon

We at Just Moved are gearing up for our yearly spring ladies luncheon and silent auction. This is one of the fundraising hightlights of our year. It's not only a fun time, but monies are raise to continue the work of Just Moved! Minsitries. This years event is April 24th at Grayhawk Conuntry Club in Scottsdale AZ.

If you live in the area and would like to join us, we would love to have you. Please go to: http://www.justmoved.org/go2/spring09_luncheon_invitation.cfm

Raffle #1- 3 Night Stay in a One Bedroom Suite at the Roaring Fork Club in Basalt CO

The creators of the Roaring Fork Club wanted to create a distinctive golf and fishing experience in an environment that fostered family traditions and neighborly interaction. Unlike other private golf courses that focused heavily on real estate, this invitation-only club features only a limited number of well-crafted log cabins and lodge residences.

The Roaring Fork Club is a magical blend of rustic simplicity and refinement, spectacular wilderness and cultivated society set fifteen miles from Aspen in the charming mountain town of Basalt.

From Mountain Biking to Fly Fishing, from Golf to Culinary Arts the Roaring Fork Club offers visitors experiences to enrich, entertain, and educate.


Raffle #2- One Week Getaway in a Beachfront Condo in Ft. Myers FL

Beautiful, clean, white sandy beaches, outstanding restaurants ,and exciting Times Square Pier area are only a small part of what Ft. Myers Beach has to offer. While on your Fort Myers Beach vacation, you will find abundant access to water sports, golf, fishing, and boating that guarantees that you will run out of time before you run out of things to do - including just plain relaxing.

To learn more about these two raffle items and purchase tickets please go to: http://www.justmoved.org/modules/shopping_cart/Results.cfm?category=23

26 Moving Tips From Family Life Today

I hope you caught Susan Miller’s interview with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine on the radio program, Family Life Today, March 2-4. For years, Family Life has offered a "Moving On" group and has given Susan’s book, After the Boxes are Unpacked, to employees making the adjustment following a move. They surveyed their employees for their best ‘moving tips” and we would like to pass these valuable tips on to you! Here is a portion of the great ideas that they shared.

1…embrace the new things God provides for you in your move. Focus on what you can learn in your new culture. Cheer for the hometown football team, try a regional recipe, tour a local art museum, etc. You will miss the “old”, but you don’t have it anymore. Be content with today, and look for the gifts God has for you in your move.


2. Expect that God has gone there before you and be looking for evidence of His hand, particularly when things are tough.


3…don’t expect to “recreate” the life you had in your previous location. Accept that it will be different and enjoy the new adventure.


4. Make a master list, or obtain one from a moving company, of all the details that need to be taken care of. You will forget things; the list helps.


5. This too shall pass! Be proactive meeting people/getting involved at your new home…don’t wait for them to come to you.


6. When you get to where you’re going get involved with a small group whether it be an exercise, bible, or volunteer group. Involvement in a new community is key to resettling. Step out and make a friend.


7. Be organized. The better organized you are at packing (specifically label boxes by room and area that items belong), the easier it will be to find and unpack things.


8. Plan ahead, but go with the flow.


9. Take an honest look at your stuff while you’re packing. If you don’t use it, is it really worth packing, lifting, unpacking, and storing in your new home? For me, a clutter-free life takes a real load off---figuratively and literally!


10. Reach out and make new friends as quickly as possible. In our 26 years of marriage we have lived in 3 different countries, 7 different towns or cities, and have made some lifelong, wonderful friends along the way. We never knew how long we would be in a place, so we wanted to “sink our teeth in” as soon as possible. We now have friends that live all over the world! Awesome!


11. Don’t expect to completely “feel at home” for a year. It takes longer than you would think likely.


12. You are not leaving the only place in the world where you can be happy. Go into the move with an open mind, there are many people living in your new location who are happy there. Keep your attitude positive, if you look only for the negatives you will probably never be happy.


13. The Apostle Paul tells us that contentment is learned, you can learn to be happy anywhere God takes you.


14. Evaluate your expectations of this move, are they realistic or wishful thinking.


15. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6


16. Make up all the beds in the house first because by night you are too tired to do it. Also set up the children’s rooms with toys before any other and the children can begin to feel at home while you work on the rest of the house.


17. Find a good church home!


18. Fill each box with things from just one room and clearly mark that room on the outside of the box.


19. Initiate! Invite people over to your house to get to know them, rather than waiting for people to come to you.


20. Mother’s Day Out


21. Research where you are moving to so you can talk about positive things and places about your new area with your family. If you have a house-hunting trip, take pictures of everything to be able to show your children.


22. Be pro-active in making friends. Invite people over to your house and into your life.


23. Don’t sit and wait for people to come to you, the invitation may not come!


24. Be flexible with a sense of humor. Some things happen that you did not plan for and some things you planned don’t happen!


25. Start packing early the little things and the things you don’t use on a daily basis. Label every box and keep an inventory list of each. Organization is the key to a successful move.


26. Read the book “After the Boxes are Unpacked.”

Monthly Challenge- 39

The journey of a move is the process of learning how to Let Go, Start Over, and Move Ahead with your life. Our Monthly Challenge provides an inspiring quote and stepping stones to help encourage you during this journey.

Will you accept our challenge?

"Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to Thy cross I cling"
[Augustus M. Toplady, Hymn: Rock of Ages]

Let Go: Are you starting over? Do you feel as though you have nothing in your hand to bring to your new situation?

Start Today: Cling to Christ. When the familiar supports of friends, family, jobs, church, and favorite places have been removed from your life, cling to Christ.

Move Ahead: Memorize John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” and Isaiah 43:18,19; "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

Just Moved! Workshop

March 2009
Held by enthusiastic leaders at Christ Community Church in Hunstersville, NC

Just Moved Workshop Leadership Committee: Julie, Heather, Laddy, Janelle, and Mary Anne

Part 3 of 3- Susan Miller on FamilyLife Today

Helping Your Children Move

Series Title: After the Boxes Are Unpacked (Day 3 of 3)

Guests Include: Susan Miller

Children can feel like the silent victims of a family move. Today, Susan Miller, America’s Moving Coach, talks about her own moves and offers parents advice on making a relocation easier for their kids.
Program: FamilyLife Today (25 Minutes)
Airdate: 3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM

Listen - FamilyLife.com

Part 2 of 3- Susan Miller on FamilyLife Today

Susan had the wonderful opportunity to be interview on FamilyLife Today Radio by Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine for the program entitled, "After the Boxes are Unpacked". Click on the link below to listen to Part 2 of 3.

Becoming a Part of the Community

Series Title: After the Boxes Are Unpacked (Day 2 of 3)

Guests Include: Susan Miller

Fourteen moves found Susan Miller and her kids trying to adjust to their new surroundings while her husband, Bill, threw himself into his new job. Today, Susan gives helpful advice on becoming a part of your new community.
Program: FamilyLife Today (25 Minutes)
Airdate: 3/3/2009 12:00:00 AM

Click on link below:
Listen - FamilyLife.com

Part 1 of 3- Susan Miller on FamilyLife Today

Susan had the wonderful opportunity to be interview on FamilyLife Today Radio by Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine for the program entitled, "After the Boxes are Unpacked". Click on the link below to listen to Part 1 of 3.

Encouraging Your Wife Through a Move

Series Title: After the Boxes Are Unpacked (Day 1 of 3)

Guests Include: Susan Miller

Relocating your family can be stressful. Today, Susan Miller, founder of Just Moved, recalls her family’s moves as her husband, Bill, pursued his career in the hotel business, and Bill talks about why men need to support their wives during this transition.
Program: FamilyLife Today (25 Minutes)
Airdate: 3/2/2009 12:00:00 AM

Relocating your family can be stressful. Today, Susan Miller, founder of Just Moved, recalls her family’s moves as her husband, Bill, pursued his career in the hotel business, and Bill talks about why men need to support their wives during this transition.
Guests Include: Susan Miller

FamilyLife Today - FamilyLife.com

Heart Talk from Susan Miller

Dear Moving Friends,

Thanks for stopping by our website and reading Heart Talk. I like to imagine that you have a cup of coffee in hand and are taking a much needed break in your busy day as you read this. Although I can't see your face or hear your voice, I am grateful for this connection to you.

The weather is warming up in my corner of the world. Signs of spring are here! New growth is appearing on bare branches, flower buds are beginning to form on plants, and the grass is turning from a dismal brown to a brilliant green. Hallelujah!

It is at this time of the year that I am always reminded that we can have a "Spring" season in our own lives as well. New growth for us can come after a dormant winter, hope can be renewed, hearts can be refreshed. From the dark of winter, comes the dawn of spring. From the darkness of Christ being crucified, to the dawn of His resurrection--we have hope for tomorrow. We can lay our hurts, weariness, disappointments, and losses at the foot of the cross, leaving them at the feet of Jesus. We can start over, and move forward; renewed with hope because of Christ. Hallelujah!

Wouldn't it be great if we could all take a deep breath at the same time all over the world, as we breathe in Jesus, and breathe out our worries and concerns? Breathe in right now, and let Jesus permeate every part of your mind, body, and soul. Then breathe out and release your burdens, worries, and concerns to Him. Let the bare places in your life take on new growth from God's word. Begin to "bloom where you are planted" by growing deep roots in God's unconditional love. Lay your burdens down at the feet of Jesus and allow yourself to feel the warmth of the "son". Yes, spring has come! Hallelujah!

From My Heart to yours,
Susan