Team Bly Update
HOW THE HECK DID YOU GUYS JUST UP AND MOVE TO MAUI?!
To be honest, we are asking ourselves the same question haha!
But, here's the story that I can share. I pray that this testimony builds your faith and encourages you to believe in God for GOOD things, to not give up in the waiting seasons, and to always be ready for what God is doing!!!
IT'S A LONG STORY SO BUCKLE UPPPP
JULY 2019-
We moved to Phoenix from Sydney to help start a college campus there.
OCTOBER 2020-
We move back to Texas after graduating from college. I am 7 months pregnant. I never imagined growing my family in Texas, but we needed a soft place to land after college, and my parents welcomed us in. Our church was also in Dallas so we were ready for a smooth transition back to Dtown even though we weren't expecting to be there.
DECEMBER 2020-
I got sick with Ellis and had to have him prematurely. Thankfully he was healthy after a few days in the nicu. I was praising God that we were near family at that moment. My sweet boy was brave from the beginning!
JANUARY 2021-
Our church closed and so much unravelled. It was painful, disheartening, and completely isolating. Because Ellis was premature, I was afraid to take him to church with COVID, so we stayed home for ... let's say too long.
APRIL 2021-
We went on a family vacation to Maui. My parents told us they were in love with it and they wanted to move there someday. We weren't over the top in love with it, but we loved the ocean and our family, so we thought why not! If they go, we will go! (They didn't go... yet ;)
MAY 2021-
We found a church community we loved, and we started a business that we loved. Both were perfect for the season of life that we were in. We loved and were loved by so many incredible people at our church there. There was a lot of time and space for us to heal broken pieces of our hearts. Our business allowed us to both be incredibly present parents, it was such a gift.
MARCH 2023-
Had our sweet baby girl!!!! She was and is such a dream come true.
OCTOBER 2023-DECEMBER 2023-
We heard the Lord ask us to lay everything down (work wise) and trust Him for provision. This didn't make any sense, we barely had any income at all... And at the end of December we were going to have to move because our lovely home owner was selling the house we lived in. By no means did this look wise, but we knew that the Lord was inviting us into a season of trust and dependence on him. In this time we were able to reorient our family. We healed more, we rested more, we trusted God more, we had moments of confusion and what the heck, how is this gonna work out God?! But more than anything, we found HIM. He brought comfort, he provided hope, and dreams... He provided $15k through the generosity of people who believed in the God calling on our lives.He truly took care of our EVERY need. It was miraculous in every way, and we thought we knew what the next miracle would be... We thought surely He was preparing us for something... A job in vocational ministry, but little did we know what was next... oh we also had to move in with my parents haha. thanks for having us mama and dad!!!!
JANUARY 2024-MAY 2024
We believed God for clarity and didn't get anything. We felt so expectant for what was to come, but in the midst of that began to dread what was. Our hearts longed to be "doing what we felt called to." And that began a year long journey of believing for doors to open so that we could work in the world of ministry, and being met with closed door after closed door. This was incredibly painful as we were rounding out our business contract, and we truly didn't know what else we wanted to pursue after it. We knew we loved people, loved His house, and wanted to be a change agent for good in it. In the midst of no's, one yes came. Jacoby had the opportunity to walk closely with a friend as their life and accountability coach, and it blessed us more than this couple will ever know.
EARLY MAY 2024-
Our business contract ended, and we found ourselves wondering what was next. We began the process of wondering if our time in Dallas could be coming to an end. We had no home, no job, no open doors, and no vision for what it would look like to live there long term. We weren't pumped about being in Dallas, and longed for the ocean. Our friends invited us to see them in California, and while we were there, we had an epiphany. One morning we were on the porch watching surfers and we saw a family of four, two kids and two parents playing in the sand and water. I looked at Jacoby and said, "if this is what we long for, no one can make this happen but us. Our kids can't move us. Only we can."
VERY LATE MAY 2024-
Jacoby and I went out for pizza and allowed ourselves to dream... For some reason we said, let's dream about moving to the ocean. And as we did, we felt this overwhelming peace about Maui. So much so that we wrote it down on paper and said, "The Bly's will move to Maui Jan 2025." and I texted my friend, Sam, who lives on the island and told her we were coming!!!!
JUNE 2024-
I kid you not, as soon as we said what our hope and dream was, to move to Maui, Jacoby finally got a job offer in Dallas. LOL
I was SO hesitant for him to take it because I knew that we had just committed our hearts to Maui, and I couldn't bear the thought of taking a job knowing we were going to leave. (Not to mention, we didn't have any reason to believe we were going to be able to move here, other than a dream in our heart haha.)
JULY 2024
Jacoby told me that we couldn't live in the future, we had to take the job as daily bread, and if we aren't supposed to be there in Jan, we have to believe that God will close that door and open a new one. He took the job, and that began the start of me being home with the babies full time solo, for the first time ever. SOOO FUN and SOOO tiring haha! Summer was the best!!!
JULY 2024-SEPTEMBER 2024
For the first time ever, I started to experience the deepest peace and contentment in my heart. I felt so much peace about being in TX, about Jacoby's job, about where we were at, so much so, that I honestly kinda forgot about what we wrote down... That we wanted to move to Maui. I loved our family routines, our rhythms, the first stable paycheck in forever, the community we had at our church, the serving opportunities we were able to be a part of... ALL OF IT! I loved it all, for the first time! It was so odd because I had never felt that way before about Texas, but I thought hey, why not embrace it.
OCTOBER 2024-
Jacoby had a review at work, and his boss told him that he couldn't keep him on at the salary he had agreed to, and if he wanted to stay on the team he *HAD* to become a real estate agent. Within a month everything went from loving everything about our new to not even having a job again. Jacoby and I knew clearly that he was not supposed to step into real estate, so we took another giant leap of faith and trusted God for a new job. In the midst of trusting God and looking for jobs, and having NO luck in Dallas, Jacoby got a few bites from people in San Diego and Maui. We started to wonder... Is it time? Did God really just close that door for a new one to open up? It felt scary and impossible to even think about it because our "dream" to move was coming up so soon and we had nothing, and I mean nothing but our family haha.
NOVEMBER 2024-
Jacoby continued the job search, and worked at a local coffee shop in the meantime. He applied to everything and everywhere - nothing was too small or too far haha.
This is where the details start to reeeallly matter. My parents wanted to go with the fam to Maui for Christmas but flights were over 1000 a person and stays were RIDICULOUS- so we said not happening haha.
NOVEMBER 18TH 2024-
A girl posts on instagram, "Looking for someone to dog sit on Maui. Dm me if interested" My friend who lives on Maui is friends with this gal, so I ask her if she thinks she would be okay with us coming out or if she's looking for someone local. She's good with us coming, but honestly we have so little money I have no clue how we can even make it happen. I tell Jacoby that if his boss at the coffee shop says it's okay then we can go depending on the price of flights, but if he will lose his coffee job we can't go because we literally have nothing else but that.
NOVEMBER 19TH 2024-
We didn't know if it was a wise decision to go, but we knew that we wanted to potentially move to Maui, and we had made moves before where we didn't necessarily feel God's grace behind it, and it bit us in the butt. We knew that if we were going to move it would HAVE to be a God thing. Not just because "we wanted to move to Maui." Jacoby goes to work that day and his boss says he would never say no to a free stay in Maui haha. Checked prices... Only $400 a person. We confirmed with the girl if it was okay for us to really come to watch their dog, she said yes, and we booked the tickets in faith. We didn't know what was on the other side of these flights, but we knew we would at the very least we would have a fun free stay in Maui while Jacoby kept applying and interviewing virtually for jobs, and at best find clarity regarding *IF* we felt a peace about Maui and moving our whole family there.
NOVEMBER 20TH 2024-
Jacoby applies for a sales role in Maui, and didn't hear back from them.
NOVEMBER 25TH 2024-
Jacoby applies for a different role at the same company to hopefully connect with the hiring manager. His goal was that sales position, but because he lacked experience he knew that the easiest option was to apply for the receptionist position, and hope that he could pivot in the interview and ask to be interviewed for the sales role instead. He gets the interview, but the hiring manager says they are only doing in person interviews. Jacoby tells him that he will be in town Dec 2nd and would love to interview then. The manager said yes!
NOVEMBER 30TH2024-
We flew out of Phoenix to make it to Maui, and I clearly heard the Lord whisper, "You are exiting your desert season." (The past five years had been a desert season, which all began when we moved to Phoenix in 2019) It felt too good to be true, because we had been in it for so long. I held what I heard close to my heart, and told Jacoby as we took off.
DECEMBER 3RD 2024-
Jacoby goes in for the receptionist role interview. Jacoby tells them right off the bat that he would like to apply for the sales position. It just so happened that the sales manager was in office, and agreed to set up a time for another interview.
DECEMBER 3RD 2024-
On the way home from the interview, the recruiter called Jacoby and asked if he could be available for an interview with the Sales Director the next morning.
DECEMBER 3RD 2024-
I found a listing on zillow for a home that literally made my jaw drop. The price was perfect and the amount of space was even better. I was in SHOCK!
DECEMBER 4TH 2024-
Jacoby has an interview and it goes great! They ask for a follow up in person interview that same day.
DECEMBER 4TH 2024-
The interview was with the sales manager and it went great! They asked for a follow up coming shortly.
DECEMBER 4TH 2024-
We go to tour the house from Zillow. JAW DROPPING + PERFECT LOCATION. Fully furnished!!! We applied for the house and prayed our little booties off that we would get the home!
DECEMBER 5TH 2024-
The homeowner contacts us with questions and concerns regarding our income LOL. We decided to wait to reply until the next day as we had a good feeling he would get a job offer then.
DECEMBER 6TH 2024-
Jacoby has a final interview with the CEO of the company. It went great, and Jacoby was told that he should expect an offer letter!!!!
DECEMBER 6TH 2024-
The recruiter calls Jacoby and gives him a verbal offer of a job!
DECEMBER 6TH 2024-
We scheduled a call that afternoon to talk with the homeowner, and by that call Jacoby had two job offers come in. Praise GOD!
DECEMBER 8TH 2024-
We were on our way to church and I told Jacoby I couldn't believe how fast things were just happening. There was no striving. ONLY open doors. One after another. Everytime there was an obstacle, a way was made forward. I expressed to Jacoby that the only thing that was worrying me was the thought of having to rent a car while we waited for ours to ship here. I knew that would be a massive expense. We said a short prayer of, "Jesus, we pray that you'll provide us with a vehicle to use while we wait for ours to get here."
DECEMBER 8TH 2024-
Just an hour or so later, after church, a guy came up to Jacoby, introduced himself, we shared a bit of our story, and let him know we were debating on moving here. He then asked if he could pray over Jacoby for this decision and transition. After he prayed, he looked at Jacoby and said, "I very clearly heard the Lord ask me to ask you if you guys will need a car while yall are here?" He then went on to offer us use of his second car for free while we waited for ours. When I say I was beyond shocked... We couldn't believe it.
DECEMBER 8TH 2024-
We did a final tour of the home and they accepted our application to rent the home! At this point I was in awe.
DECEMBER 10TH 2024-
Jacoby receives the final offer for the sales position, and the salary was top of the range AND the offered a relocation bonus.
DECEMBER 11TH 2024-
Jacoby signs the offer and books a one way ticket back to Maui to start December 17th.
DECEMBER 11TH 2024-
We sign the lease and agree to move in on the day they leave, December 17th. Coincidence with Jacoby's job starting that day?! I think not!
DECEMBER 11TH 2024-
Headed back to Dallas for a quick turn around to say see ya later, sell our belongings and gather our necessities to bring!
DECEMBER 12TH 2024-
We prepped all day for a garage sale! We were praying to make $3000.
DECEMBER 13+14TH-
We had a garage sale / see you later come and go during it!! We made just over $3000 praise God!!!
DECEMBER 15TH-
We threw Ellis a last minute 4th birthday party so he could have a party with all of his Texas friends before we left... so special and so thankful!
DECEMBER 15TH PM-
Packed our lives up in 6 suitcases!
DECEMBER 16TH-
MADE THE MOVE TO MAUI!!!
DECEMBER 16TH-
We stayed the night at a local pastors home, who welcomed us in after meeting us weeks prior while we were dogsitting. Major financial miracle as hotels/airbnb's were ranging minimum $400 a night!
DECEMBER 17TH-
Jacoby started his new job- he works monday through friday, 7:30-3:00 so much time for family time still!
We moved into our new house!
We celebrated 7 years of marriage!!
This leads us to now.
When I say it has been a whirlwind, I hope you can see why now, haha! This has been the craziest time of open doors, after the longest season of doors SLAMMING in our faces. I couldn't and still cannot believe that we are here right now. From the moment Jacoby and I found out we would be coming to Maui to dogsit, we prayed this simple prayer- That if we were supposed to be here, God would make a way where we couldn't see a way forward.
Every time we came to a place of need, He met it. Before we could ask, God connected us with the right people, places, and miracles.
I say all of this with awe. I say all of this knowing that His goodness and faithfulness has poured itself out over us. The gratitude we feel in our hearts is unmatched. I cannot believe it, but it's real and it's here. It feels like we are living in the long awaited promise.
He FLUNG every door open, and we stepped right into each one.
I am praying that YOUR 2025 will be a year for open doors. A year marked by his favor. By His faithfulness. By His ONLY GOD movements. By His WAY MAKING! By HIS PROMISE KEEPING! By HIS miracle working power!!!
Believing your promises are closer than you could ever imagine. Keep hoping, trusting, and waiting. His timing is perfect.
LOVE YOU SO MUCH,
Team Bly!!!!!