Merry Christmas

I pray that your Christmas was wonderful and full of love. Thank you to so many for doing so much. God is good!

Porcupine

My Favorite NEW tradition that we started this year is one just for hubby and me. We decided that we would buy each other an ornament that represented the past year. Here is mine to him. A Porcupine. (Look closely. It is brown glass.)

My card to him read...... I know that there are many things that stick out over the past year that were painful, but at least I got to go through them with you.

2008- It's been a year of GREAT lessons.

Ok, you are not seeing double and NO I didn't mess up and re-post a blog. I wanted to re-post and add a little. I wanted to show how God was so amazing in all of the craziness of the past year. It is pretty cool!

*January*
-Diagnosed with Crohns God taught me to live instead of plan to live
-Missed our mission trip to Guatemala. Thank God I got sick before we left
-Spent a week in the hospital. Family was already planned to be in our home to take care of the kids due to the fact that we were supposed to be out of the country.
-Resigned from church because there wasn't enough money for the entire staff. Stepped out on faith that God would meet our needs. And "our daily bread" is always on time :-)
*February*
-Moved from a house that we could no longer afford. God dropped a job in my lap that we could not pass up. So we moved to Hubby's hometown.
-Moved into Hubby's childhood home. God's timing is incredible! Hubby's childhood home was empty and his parents willing for us to move in.
-I went to work full-time outside the home. Again, the job was just dropped in our lap. A christian bookstore.
-Hubby went to work full-time in side the home. (homeschooling, housing dealing, family sanity maintainer.) The opportunity for our children to see a man (my hubby, their daddy) fantastically step up to the incredible task of homeschooling 2 while and taking care of our home, is absolutely a gift from God.
March-August
- were a little calm. We spent many days at the pool. Trying to drown our $$ problems. Or at least having so much fun that we just forgot about the problems. Rest! even if it was small and/or delusional, it was rest.
*June* Slowly beginning to see the inevitable with my health. We knew that surgery was around the corner. God, gave me a brother who has gone down this road before me. And though my brother may not see it as something SO great, I sure do. His experience and willingness to share have given me so much.
*July* I got a new store manager, and then found out we had a date scheduled for my colon surgery. My new store manager has Crohn's. (Are you serious GOD??) This one was huge. A job dropped in my lap. And at the time that I need surgery, I get a new store manager who has the same disease as me.
*August*
-Surgery at a hospital 1 hour away. Hubby's parents keeping the kiddos. And my stay was shortened because my recovery was great.
-Removed 10inches of my colon. 10 inches must weigh something Right?? So this one we will call weight loss. :-)
-Out of work for 6 weeks. (This was good because it was paid) Hmmm, paid 6 weeks off. With my favorite 5 people on the planet. I'LL take IT! Thanks God.
*September*
-Returned to work. A job that welcomed me back.
-Began to prepare for Christmas at my store.
*October*
-Received foreclosure papers for our home in Maryland.
-Began to prepare for a weekend trip to visit a church for a potential job. A church who knows and understands all of our financial woes, and still wants us to visit.
*November*
-Visited potential church. God opening doors.
-Filed for Bankruptcy. Relief someway, somehow.
-House auctioned off (we think) Closure one step at a time.
-Dental bill that made us poorerererer. Money from amazing places has shown up to help.
*December*
-I turned 30. WOW! I'm still alive.
-IRS is trying to make us pay an INSANE amount of money for taxes that we DON"T owe. I am not sure where God is in the IRS, but I know that he is there somewhere. ;-)
-I had a woman yell at me because I wished her Merry Christmas. I learned that Christmas is not about what we say, but about how we live.

Bottom line.... No matter how many troubles we have.... no matter how many battles we fight.... God remains the same. He is the same this year as he was last year. I am thankful for the lessons that have been learned and the lessons that are yet to be taught.

Merry Christmas.

2008- It's been a helluva year.

*January*
-Diagnosed with Crohns
-Spent a week in the Hospital
-Missed our mission trip to Guetamala.
-Resigned from church because there wasn't enough money for the entire staff.
*February*
-Moved from a house that we could no longer afford.
-Moved into Hubby's childhood home.
-I went to work full-time outside the home.
-Hubby went to work full-time in side the home. (homeschooling, housing dealing, family sanity maintainer.)
March-August- were a little calm. We spent many days at the pool. Trying to drown our $$ problems. Or at least having so much fun that we just forgot about the problems.
*June* Slowly beginning to see the inevitable with my health. We knew that surgery was around the corner.
*July* I got a new store manager, and then found out we had a date scheduled for my colon surgery.
*August*
-Surgery at a hospital 1 hour away.
-Removed 10inches of my colon.
-Out of work for 6 weeks. (This was good because it was paid)
*September*
-Returned to work.
-Began to prepare for Christmas at my store.
*October*
-Received foreclosure papers for our home in Maryland.
-Began to prepare for a weekend trip to visit a church for a potential job.
*November*
-Visited potential church.
-Filed for Bankruptcy.
-House auctioned off (we think)
-Dental bill the made us poorerererer.
*December*
-I turned 30.
-IRS is trying to make us pay an INSANE amount of money for taxes that we DON"T owe.
-I had a woman yell at me because I wished her Merry Christmas.


BUT.

I have my health,we all have our health,we have each other, and I have a God who promises to walk with us through all of the crap we go through. I recently heard this song on another blog. I couldn't help but to see how it paints us and our emotions so well.



Whatever your doing inside of me, it feels like chaos but some how there's peace.....

Time to face up. Clean this old house. Time to breathe in, and let everything out.

I believe that you are up to something bigger than me, larger than life, something heavenly.


God, Thank you for 2008. Thanks for not killing us ;-) Thank you for the lessons that we have learned. God I pray that we have shown ourselves faithful to you. I know that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, but, thank you for 2009. And if we don't make it to 2009, then I thank you for heaven because I know that either one has to be better than 2008.

Much love.

This is what made me laugh tonight!

 

Complete plan

Do you ever think crazy things like:

What would have happened if Jesus wouldn't have made it to the cross?

What if Mary had tripped and fallen when she was pregnant?

What if Joseph would have refused to take Mary as his wife?

What if Caesar had found Jesus before Mary and Joseph left for Egypt?

What if Jesus hadn't walked on water?

Call me a little crazy but I was thinking about this stuff the other day. And then I caught myself and said,"Duh! OF course none of these things could have happened." It couldn't have happened because God had this great plan for Jesus. Most of us couldn't even fathom what life would be like if God's plan had failed. (I seems so insane to even try to wrap my mind around God's plan for Jesus failing.)
I know all of this seems crazy. But I began to realize that we think these kinds of things all of the time. Each time I worry about my children or my husband. Each time I worry, I am also not trusting God. I am not trusting that HE wrote and finished our story a long time ago, just like He wrote and finished Jesus' story.

My lesson for this week..... Trust God in the same way that He LOVES us. Completely.

Great lines

Here are some funny lines that I have heard in my world over the past couple of weeks.

- Jesus is coming back in 2012. * A middle schooler at church this morning.

-I asked Pey Pey who is coming to our house on Christmas morning? She said," Baby Jesus. Because he is coming to see Santa."

-"I was reincarnated 4 times." * A customer. (and she was serious)

-"Mommy, you are not nice. I am going to spank your hiney." (then I got tickled at how serious she was and I started to laugh. I tried very hard not to but I couldn't help it.) Then she said, "Mommy I am NOT kiddin' ."
"I know you are very serious," I told her. (But I was still giggling)
"Mommy, did you hear me. I am not kiddin' . And you are making me very upset."

I went out shopping last night with Pey and Little Bear. After we came back home little bear ran up to Hubby and said, "Daddy, Daddy we went shopping and got you a new tool, but it is a secret that I can't tell you." (Hmm, I wonder if darling Daddy knows what his wonderful son got him for Christmas??)

Hope you all have a great week. Take it easy and enjoy the season. Much love.

Isaac Questions?

After my last post I thought I would follow up with some answers to the comments:

My brother wrote:
Great post - I think the real question is - if you knew that it would cost you everything you hold dear in your life, would you say yes?

Truthfully I don't know. I feel like we have laid down so much at this point. I know what the right answer is, but the human answer is a little different. I know that many have gone before us and laid down much more than I could ever imagine. I just pray that when that day comes, I will be strong enough to recognize it and not so stupid that I miss it.

My Hubby's Sister asked:
So, how does this apply to you?

I felt like the story just kind of describes our life up until this point. When we left Texas it was an easy YES. Maryland was full of Great people, nice church, new house, new babies, new beginnings. (though some of those things changed DRAMATICALLY. It was all good when we went there.)
But then we were faced with leaving 1st Maryland Church (1MC) it was hard to stay but harder to leave. So we stayed. For a while.And then almost 8 months later we were faced with leaving again. We felt like the timing was right and now it was time to go. So we prayed that God would move us out of 1MC. We didn't know where and at that point I don't think we cared to much. We were open to go anywhere the God took us. It felt like just as we said the words anywhere, God opened up the opportunity for us to go to 2nd Maryland Church (2MC). What started off as a hard decision to say "YES God , we will go anywhere." Turned out to be a crazy ,"Ok guys if you'll go anywhere, then I will send you down the street."

The other night as I read through the story of Abraham and Isaac something just hit home for me. I feel like life is anyways a roller coaster for us. We are constantly being jerked from one place to another emotionally, but our faith stays true. We know that know matter where we end up next week, next year, 10 years from now, God will use what and who we are to glorify himself. I pray that I will always be tested and show that I am faithful. I pray that I will always be strong enough to so what is asked.

Luv Yall!

Isaac

Do you ever wonder what Abraham thought when God told him to sacrifice his son? I am sure Abraham thought "Uh! You want me to do what?"

But then I think about what went through Abraham's mind when God told him not to sacrifice Isaac. I have a feeling that Abraham felt a little jerked around. Maybe like an emotional rag doll.

He tells God "yes". He says that he will obey. He lays his selfish desires down and trusts. Then just at the moment when all seems lost. He is ready and prepared to kill his beautiful boy, God says STOP! I was just testing you to see if you trusted me.

Genesis 22

It sometimes seems like the very moment that you give in and say ok, is the very moment God changes the plan.

I just thought that I would share what I was thinking about tonight.

Much luv!