So while I am repentant for not blogging in quite some time, I am also hesitant to post an update in fear that another dynamic in our household would change again, forcing me to update with further corrections. Praise the Lord, our family is in Spring Hill. We've been able to bring families under our roof and share meals together. We've experienced the grace of having wonderful friends care for our children so we can have a few moments of rest. And we've met some great neighbors and watched scores of children roll down the hill of our home. We've said it so many times, and it rings true again and again; "we have been completely covered in grace during our recent more to Spring Hill."
We've been in this home for four weeks now, and we love the community, the drive, learning our neighbors, and are even getting to know the check out people at the grocery stores. Nathan still leaves between 8 and 10am and returns home after 11pm every night. We are looking for where we will live permanently, and we have yet to locate that place! Another little one (Noah's age) has blessed us with her sweet smile Mondays- Fridays so that her mom can work full time. So I am busy every day with four children, four and under, three of which are still in diapers. We will be working on that soon, though!
We are a weary people. Some nights you can catch me falling asleep on the laundry room floor, surrounded by piles waiting to be folded. We're working hard, learning much, trying to seek accountability and friendship, and trying to offer friendship and hope to those in our newly formed circles. It's a sweet time. The Lord is working something that we are still unclear on but excited about.
And one baby is awake from naptime. Soon another will follow. This is the extent of your update from us! Thank you for continued prayers.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Another story of His mercy, or maybe two!
Let's just proclaim His glory. Another story for today.
Things have been difficult in our home. Jesus is sending out a rescue, but he's also giving us the gift of trusting him through the suffering. He is coming through in every way.
An example.
Today, I began working on our medical bills, trying to plan out how we would pay them off. It was much more than we could pay at one time, today. There were about 4 providers in all that we owed quite a bit to. Along with the paperwork was a tax statement from a bank I had never heard of, stating that an old Health Savings Account from an old job that we were sure (absolutely sure!) we emptied out was worth "x" amount of money. I thought this was strange and called the bank. Sure enough, there was enough money in there to cover all 4 accounts except for 26.89. I think we can handle that!
So, no payment plan. No fretting over each month when the bills come up. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!" We are experiencing this in tangible ways today and we are thankful.
**Edited.
As I was writing this post, my husband came home from work and was telling me about the estimate for a car repair that is needed. It will cost "X" (a good amount) to repair, and that didn't even include the air conditioning (why we took it in the first place), which is 1,100 for a new compressor. What?! He jokingly said in his silly voice, "Better go ahead and delete that post!" (you know, this post, on how God provided for our medical bills??) I giggled and posted it anyway. A few minutes later, our mechanic called. He was tinkering with the compressor, and it suddenly started working again! More surprises every day. Thank you Jesus! He is so good to us.
Things have been difficult in our home. Jesus is sending out a rescue, but he's also giving us the gift of trusting him through the suffering. He is coming through in every way.
An example.
Today, I began working on our medical bills, trying to plan out how we would pay them off. It was much more than we could pay at one time, today. There were about 4 providers in all that we owed quite a bit to. Along with the paperwork was a tax statement from a bank I had never heard of, stating that an old Health Savings Account from an old job that we were sure (absolutely sure!) we emptied out was worth "x" amount of money. I thought this was strange and called the bank. Sure enough, there was enough money in there to cover all 4 accounts except for 26.89. I think we can handle that!
So, no payment plan. No fretting over each month when the bills come up. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!" We are experiencing this in tangible ways today and we are thankful.
**Edited.
As I was writing this post, my husband came home from work and was telling me about the estimate for a car repair that is needed. It will cost "X" (a good amount) to repair, and that didn't even include the air conditioning (why we took it in the first place), which is 1,100 for a new compressor. What?! He jokingly said in his silly voice, "Better go ahead and delete that post!" (you know, this post, on how God provided for our medical bills??) I giggled and posted it anyway. A few minutes later, our mechanic called. He was tinkering with the compressor, and it suddenly started working again! More surprises every day. Thank you Jesus! He is so good to us.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Life with Children
Benjamin jumped out of the bathtub this evening with gusto and walked with me into my bedroom.
Just one second before getting that diaper on you, mister.
And.
You guessed it.
All over the carpet.
And.
Back into the tub for you.
While Noah frantically crawls after me and towards "IT" because he's in "don't leave my sight for a milisecond mode".
Pick up Noah.
Put Ben on Potty.
Grab some towels to throw on "IT".
Grab a stool.
Set Ben on the potty.
"You wanna read a book while you go potty?".
"YEAH".
Get a book, sit down next to Ben, now on the potty.
Noah cries because I set him down next to me.
Open book.
(still naked from bath) Ben gets off potty and sits on his stool to hear the story.
Noah is in my lap now.
Put Ben back on potty.
Open book.
Ben returns to his stool to hear the story.
Try to talk through the process of what we're doing.
Back on the potty.
Open book.
Back on the stool.
Back on potty.
A little more explanation.
Open Book.
Back on the stool.
Back on the potty.
Phone rings.
I think we're done here.
And Grace stayed in the tub the whole time. Thank you Grace.
Just one second before getting that diaper on you, mister.
And.
You guessed it.
All over the carpet.
And.
Back into the tub for you.
While Noah frantically crawls after me and towards "IT" because he's in "don't leave my sight for a milisecond mode".
Pick up Noah.
Put Ben on Potty.
Grab some towels to throw on "IT".
Grab a stool.
Set Ben on the potty.
"You wanna read a book while you go potty?".
"YEAH".
Get a book, sit down next to Ben, now on the potty.
Noah cries because I set him down next to me.
Open book.
(still naked from bath) Ben gets off potty and sits on his stool to hear the story.
Noah is in my lap now.
Put Ben back on potty.
Open book.
Ben returns to his stool to hear the story.
Try to talk through the process of what we're doing.
Back on the potty.
Open book.
Back on the stool.
Back on potty.
A little more explanation.
Open Book.
Back on the stool.
Back on the potty.
Phone rings.
I think we're done here.
And Grace stayed in the tub the whole time. Thank you Grace.
Monday, June 22, 2009
A few things
Target is selling batteries for $1, all sizes. We got three 4packs of AA Batteries for $3 yesterday. With many small children with many electronic toys (and don't you know when the battery is low, they're even MORE lovely to listen to!), you can't have enough batteries on hand!
When I bought diapers at Target for $6.50 for a pack (used 2 coupons), I got a target coupon with my receipt for $3 off Enfamil. I must remember to try this again!
And on another subject, God is doing miraculous things with our immediate family and among our church body. We shouldn't be amazed, but we are... This is so cool!
When I bought diapers at Target for $6.50 for a pack (used 2 coupons), I got a target coupon with my receipt for $3 off Enfamil. I must remember to try this again!
And on another subject, God is doing miraculous things with our immediate family and among our church body. We shouldn't be amazed, but we are... This is so cool!
Friday, June 19, 2009
So not cool
My parents never let me watch the Simpsons when I was in middle school, and by the time I got to high school, I didn't really care too much. In high school, you spend so much time and energy outside of the house with your friends, jobs, and extracurriculars, you don't care as much about what you can and can not watch. Well, at least I didn't. I cared more about where I was and was not allowed to go! So today, when I was telling a gentleman at AT&T where our new residence would be, he said, "Spring Hill? You mean, like the Simpsons?" And I fumbled around and tried to imagine that I knew what on earth he was talking about. "Excuse me?" "uh, you know. The Simpsons. Bart. Homer..."And then I just had to admit that, "You know, I know this is weird, but I never really watched the Simpsons growing up." I felt like the uncool kid. I was the uncool kid way back! I had the glasses, the hair, the sweater that had a puffy animal head on the front and the puffy tail on the back, the polka dotted top to match a different polka dotted bottom. "Hey, polka dots are polka dots, right?" I was that girl. But I studied hard and was loyal to my friends and loved Jesus, and I made some sweet memories. It's good to be a kid. And it's good to grow up.
Today, I was thinking about how God uses the strangest things to grow our love for Him. He describes trials as a purification process, like the gilding of metal. Who would have known that fire causes metal to be purer and stronger? Fire tears things down and causes destruction to almost everything, but to metals, we see them strengthen and molded to the craftman's desired shape. I love that!
And it's okay to be so not cool today. We can love richly even when we receive little praise or recognition because Jesus proclaims our worth. We can give freely, even when we don't have pennies to our name, because, as Grace now says, "Everything we have belongs to God". And we can breathe without the weight of the world on our chest, even in dire circumstances, because God made a way for us to be free from the ultimate weight of death that we are all due and very much deserve. So, rejoicing in trial might not seem like the "cool" thing to do. But I actually think it's kinda fun, and I think the Lord rejoices with us!
Well, as is typical for me, a crying baby will shorten the length of this post. But I'll leave you with this, because His word is so sweet.
Romans 20: 2-5
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
*Edited. I just realized there is no Romans 20. It's actually from chapter 5, same verses.
That's totally embarassing
and
So not cool...
Today, I was thinking about how God uses the strangest things to grow our love for Him. He describes trials as a purification process, like the gilding of metal. Who would have known that fire causes metal to be purer and stronger? Fire tears things down and causes destruction to almost everything, but to metals, we see them strengthen and molded to the craftman's desired shape. I love that!
And it's okay to be so not cool today. We can love richly even when we receive little praise or recognition because Jesus proclaims our worth. We can give freely, even when we don't have pennies to our name, because, as Grace now says, "Everything we have belongs to God". And we can breathe without the weight of the world on our chest, even in dire circumstances, because God made a way for us to be free from the ultimate weight of death that we are all due and very much deserve. So, rejoicing in trial might not seem like the "cool" thing to do. But I actually think it's kinda fun, and I think the Lord rejoices with us!
Well, as is typical for me, a crying baby will shorten the length of this post. But I'll leave you with this, because His word is so sweet.
Romans 20: 2-5
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
*Edited. I just realized there is no Romans 20. It's actually from chapter 5, same verses.
That's totally embarassing
and
So not cool...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Cliff Notes of the Cliff Notes
I can't believe how easily life takes over. I get so distracted by all that is going on in the home that I've neglected updating the blog. Well I'll be! A bit of sarcasm there. I am SO okay with neglecting this blog in order to live life! God has given us three precious children who, Nathan reminded me the other day, regardless of how well I parent them, are destined for a life of sin and desolation without the Grace of our Lord! It is a great reminder that, if I do one thing as a parent, I need to pray for the Lord's mercy over my children and that He will give them Himself. I cannot save them from their sins.
I've only got a few moments before the children take over this room again, and there are some exciting things to share, so let's get started, shall we?
God is bringing a rescue to our family in a big way.
He is showing us how some of the puzzle fits together, and it is a beautiful sight.
He is doing things that would otherwise be impossible if done by our own hands.
We are learning what it means to walk in grace, and that our works cannot bring sanctification. Only the Lord can sanctify us.
The story is not finished yet.
I'll add that we've found a place to live in Spring Hill. That is part of the miracle. We're also working our tails off getting ready for this exciting move. Nathan is still working day and night at both jobs, and I am working hard too, packing and cleaning, and taking a faithful and frugal class to help the family. Sleep is not really something we're seeing much of, but I think we're both just so thrilled, we're not noticing it too much.
Short entry, but as you can see, (and you may just hear me shout this!) "WE'RE PREPARING FOR A MOVE!!!!"
So be patient. And stay tuned to some day hear the entire story, in more detail. You're getting the cliff notes of the cliff notes today.
Andrea
I've only got a few moments before the children take over this room again, and there are some exciting things to share, so let's get started, shall we?
God is bringing a rescue to our family in a big way.
He is showing us how some of the puzzle fits together, and it is a beautiful sight.
He is doing things that would otherwise be impossible if done by our own hands.
We are learning what it means to walk in grace, and that our works cannot bring sanctification. Only the Lord can sanctify us.
The story is not finished yet.
I'll add that we've found a place to live in Spring Hill. That is part of the miracle. We're also working our tails off getting ready for this exciting move. Nathan is still working day and night at both jobs, and I am working hard too, packing and cleaning, and taking a faithful and frugal class to help the family. Sleep is not really something we're seeing much of, but I think we're both just so thrilled, we're not noticing it too much.
Short entry, but as you can see, (and you may just hear me shout this!) "WE'RE PREPARING FOR A MOVE!!!!"
So be patient. And stay tuned to some day hear the entire story, in more detail. You're getting the cliff notes of the cliff notes today.
Andrea
Monday, June 8, 2009
Not Me Monday
A Blogger I know does something called Not Me Mondays. It's something I've come to enjoy every week, but I haven't been brave enough to write my own, until today. Here we go. If you'd like to contribute, go to her blog. She's awesome. She can get you started better than I can.
This past week Nathan started a second job. He's gone from early in the morning until about 11pm. It's been very busy at the homestead, and I've been trying to keep them - the children - entertained and have some teachable moments too. In the middle of "keeping up", I did NOT set my children in front of the TV so that I could take a shower. I would never do such a thing! And I did not put a bunch of toys and a baby (not a baby!) in a laundry basket so that said baby wouldn't get into anything crazy while I took said shower. That's just a crazy idea!
And I'm learning new things lately. Like yesterday, I did NOT get out my haircut kit and proceed to butcher my son's head. No, a nice mom wouldn't do that. And I did not do the same thing to my daughter's beautiful, long hair. Hey, she asked for it! My thoughts are, I'd better learn how to do it now while they're young and don't get embarrassed easily! The kids really look, okay. The cuts aren't great, but they're not awful either! Well, I'll get some pics up here and you can decide for yourself!
I also did not take all three to the playground by myself multiple times during the week, sometimes right smack dab in the middle of mealtimes. I did NOT pull some, maybe strawberry, waffles out of the toaster, grab some fruit, and let them eat their "dinner" at the playground. And I also did NOT keep them at the playground past their bedtime. That's just not me. I'm a schedule momma, and I am always on time, even for lunch time! However, with Daddy gone, I'm learning to flex and I'm just trying to enjoy time with these kids. It's much easier to let the little things frustrate me, so we're trying new things and some will stick, and some will NOT.
That was fun. Thanks for reading my Not Me Monday report. Stay tuned in for next week. I have a feeling this will be a regular thing. It's a nice release from some difficult seasons.
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