He makes ALL things new!

     There is SO MUCH to tell... I am trying to figure out where to go from here...
I guess one of the first things you need to know is why I chose my background picture for the blog. I wonder how many people will recognize one of the hallways in the old Mount Sterling High School (the old Miller building)? If you need help, check out the drawing of KY on the wall... does that help?
      This is a picture Michael and I took when we went in (with permission) to explore the old building in its worst state. We had the key from the owner and we were not just curious; we felt led to go and do a prayer walk. Needless to say it was fairly dangerous and we had to walk very carefully around broken glass and climb crumbling stairs. We went in the gym (which is gone now) and the auditorium. The floors everywhere were covered in trash and debris. The basement was flooded, but the classrooms still had their old chalkboards and even some desks. Awful things had been done there in secret by people who had broken in... we didn't want to take too many pics because of the graffiti!
      As we explored, we prayed quietly for this place to be restored one day. We wanted God to take over the destiny of this building and for it to be used for His glory. I heard His gentle reminder as we walked the halls - "You will possess the land wherever your foot treads..."
     That year we took our Christmas picture in front of the gym wall - that lovely red brick! And when I would drop Lucy off at preschool I just could not turn out of that parking lot across the street at MCELC without going up the hill to pray at the Miller Building. I prayed for A LOT of things that year... but mostly I would just go there to declare God's will over that property.
      I LOVE that old place! I only went to school there a couple of years, kindergarten and 7th grade, but I have very fond memories of it. Mapleton was also special to me. I taught in the Old Del Gross building in Winchester one year when Clark County Christian used it. And of course one of my other favorite old schools is Irish Acres in Nonesuch, KY. It houses an antique bazaar and the amazing restaurant, The Glitz!
     It came to mean more to me than just an abandoned, neglected piece of property. When I looked at it I saw what others might see - a hopeless situation! Most people would want to tear something like that down, just give up and start over again... but I saw potential! I would pray for it to be RENOVATED, not destroyed.  Restored, brought back to life again. Just like people, it had been abused and broken, used, and torn. I wanted to see the "dry bones" come to life! I truly believed it was what GOD wanted.
    Right after that time we found out that there were other people concerned with the condition and destiny of that property. We had our first ever "Small Town America Festival" in Mt. Sterling, and it was celebrated with a special football game at the high school. The Montgomery County Indians wore Trojan jerseys and the Trojan alumni of Mt. Sterling High were honored at halftime. There was even a song written about it and recorded in the old building and gym! In the extras of the video, several alumni were interviewed and they talked about their feelings about the building, our sweet little town, and when the three high schools were consolidated. Watch it here -  Small Town America - song about Mt. Sterling and the high school.
      There was spotlight for a moment on the whole situation, and then before long we heard that the building had been sold and there were plans in the works to do something!
     Before long, work started and we were hopeful! (The pictures below were taken during that first phase of just cleaning up and gutting it out.) And then...suddenly, it stopped. Zoning laws? I honestly don't know and I need to do some research, but for some reason the plans were abandoned. It must not have been God's purpose. And so, the building sat. Somewhat gutted, open to the weather, an ugly shell. I honestly put it in the back of my mind. I still hoped. I still believed. I just didn't think much about it. Life took over and I was busy running my kids to therapy or teaching home school, or doing the prayer walks at the county schools, or whatever. LIFE.

     Earlier this year I heard a buzz and read something about new plans for using the building! I got excited, thinking about how faithful God is and that nothing He asks us to do is in vain. Then it got moved to the back of my brain. (Okay, stay with me people... there is a reason for this story!)
Fast forward to earlier this week...
     I finally sit down and set up this blog. I had been dragging my feet since May! I chose the design, the color, the font, and decided on this because I like the fact that I can upload my own picture. I started looking through the hundreds of pics on this computer and I chose a current one of our family - it doesn't upload. I chose another of our house - it doesn't upload. So, I start scrolling through and land on these that were taken all those years ago. I try this one and whalla! It worked.
I liked the look and I liked what it represents to me - SOMETHING THAT LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE - LIFELESS - HOPELESS - (something that is precious, but no body knows what to do with it, or how to help it)- WITH GOD, IT CAN BE REVIVED, CHANGED, HEALED, RESTORED!!!
     I was thinking about all this yesterday morning. It was a Tuesday and our routine includes Speech and Occupational Therapy for the kids and I get my one hour break for the week while they are seen. I didn't know what I should do since I didn't have my normal errands to run, but as soon as I stepped out of the waiting room I knew I should go the Miller Building to pray. I got so excited! I had not been there in forever. I expected to pull in and see the normal sight - an empty shell of a building in need to help... BOY WAS I SURPRISED!
     The first thing I noticed was all the men and equipment everywhere. Then, as I pulled into my regular parking space, I saw the lot was repaved, there were new sidewalks, and landscaping everywhere! The gym had been torn down, but right next to that was a sign that read "Sterling Health Care"! I could see that the back part of the building where the cafeteria used to be was restored and was the part housing the clinic! I was stunned! I grabbed my phone and keys and headed into the building to ask questions.

     There was a receptionist and another young lady sitting at the desk. I approached them and tried to hide my excitement. It was beautiful! I told them I just wanted to know info about the clinic and what was to be done with the rest of the building. It is a clinic for people with or without health insurance and Dr. Hall was already there and seeing patients. There will be more expansion and more people who will practice with him. The front of the building will be an assisted living facility! HOW EXCITING! GOD had answered prayer! He was using the building to HEAL and CARE for those who needed it! I was about to burst so I told the ladies that I knew I was the strangest customer they would see today, but that I truly cared about the building and what happened. I said, "I don't know if you know God, but I have been praying for years that the building would be restored and used for His GLORY." I told them thank you for their time and that I wanted to take some pictures before I left. I went out the door and took a pic.
      As I went around the side of the building to see what was going on, I heard someone call out my name. The mother of one of the kids I taught at CTS came out to talk to me. She said she heard me talking and was helping with the development of the building. She wanted to answer any questions I might have and give me a tour! So, I shared with her openly about why I even cared about what was going on. I told her what it represented to me. She said she was excited about what was happening too, and that instead of art on the walls, they wanted to put inspiring words and pictures of the building to give people hope. AMAZING! The rest of the clinic should be done by Dec. 22 and they want to have an open house in January. Then work will begin on the rest.

      The first picture is looking down a hallway at examination rooms and the second is an opening where you can see the old paint and brick walls stripped down and you can look down into the basement where the girl's gym and old locker room used to be. The third pic is of the back of the building where the gym used to be. A lot of people were very sad to find out that the gym was being torn down and someone salvaged some of the wood and made key chains and pins out of it that are available for purchase at the local art center! COOL! That might be the only thing I care about getting for Christmas!
     There have not been any plans made for the separate Harrison Avenue building (pictured below) where I attended kindergarten. She asked me to pray and let her know if anyone had any ideas about what should be done with it... no problem! :) I know God has something GREAT in mind for it too. The exciting thing is that the landscaping is already done around it! That to me is a sign of things to come!

    I promised you a REASON for sharing this story, and here it is...
 Any parent of a child with special needs with tell you this - the first time they were told about their child's disability it felt as if the wind was knocked out of them. As it starts to sink in, it feels as if something has died. Satan wants you to feel hopeless and without answers or direction. Something is "broken" in your child and you cannot do a thing about it. There is NO CURE. You and your child are doomed to live with these problems for the rest of your life. The dreams you dreamed before the diagnosis are gone. BUT, I am here to tell you that is a LIE!!! THERE IS HOPE!!! With God ALL ALL ALL ALL ALL things are possible! I am speaking from experience, not just from faith. I have seen the mighty hand of God do amazing things for our family and God is no respecter of persons... He loves you and yours just as much!
     My prayer for this blog is that God will open your eyes to see that He is busy, right now, doing great things on your behalf! I drove past that building for the last couple of years, thinking it must look the same as it always has - hopeless and empty. This is what I saw...

However, when I let Him take me up the hill to get a different perspective, I got to see that not only was there A LOT going on, but He had already accomplished a lot of work to restore and redeem the building. I pray that when you look at your situation, (no matter what it is) instead of seeing what satan has been up to, all the destruction and havoc that he has caused, that you will see WHAT GOD IS UP TO and that you will have HOPE!!! We have only just begun...