Exposing Major Blind Spots

A friend of mine recently pointed my attention to this article.  WOW!  It's good!  If you are a home-schooling your kids you NEED to take the time to read this!

If you are a parent, you NEED to read this!

If you are a Christian, you NEED to read this!

Exposing Major Blind Spots of Homeschoolers by Reb Bradley

"Fruit is born from the inside -- not applied to the outside."  (Just one of the many, many points to ponder!)

Our Last Goodbye

Dean and Dee, 2010

When I was 4 he got married.  I was not a happy camper.  I really was mad at his new wife because I was going to grow up and marry my big brother!  How dare she!!!  But, reluctantly, I hugged him goodbye as he left for his honeymoon.


When I was 8 I stood proudly beside him as he in his full dress U.S. Army uniform led my class in the Pledge of Allegiance.  I had brought him in for show and tell.  Then, I went out with him to his car and hugged him goodbye as he left for the airport heading to Germany where he was stationed for four years.


When I was 10 I watched our lane for hours waiting for him to get there!  Two years without seeing him was torture!  He was coming home from Germany for Christmas!!!  I enjoyed watching him wallop my other older brother for all the mean things he'd done to me while he was away.  Then the New Year came and he and his family had to head back.  Once again I hugged him goodbye and watched the airplane leave Dover Air Force Base.


When I was 14 I spent a whole month with him on the Army base in Massachusetts.  I had so much fun being "Aunt Stacey" to his 4 children.  He introduced me to the music of Steven Curtis Chapman.  He took me to see all the historical sights he could.  We got to watch the fireworks on the 4th of July from a special viewing area reserved for soldiers and their families.  It was AWESOME!  Not just the fireworks, but being the only single girl on an Army base full of very lonely young men.  It helped that at 14 I looked like I was much older. ;)  Of course, my big brother had to be just that...my big brother and protect me from all those handsome young guys in uniform.  I forgave him...eventually.  My parents came to pick me up at the end of that month.  Another goodbye hug without knowing when I'd get to see him again.


When I was 16 he was discharged from the Army with military honors.  I was so happy!  HE WAS COMING HOME FOR GOOD!!!  He became a pastor of a church about 30 minutes from where I lived.  I'd go to his house and babysit sometimes.  Sometimes I'd play the piano for their VBS or revival meetings.  Each time as I'd leave we'd hug goodbye.  Only now it wasn't with the "when will I see him again" feeling.


As I stood giving my Valedictorian speech at graduation he was there.  This time I could see the proud look on his face.  Then he gave me a great "I'm so proud of my little sister" goodbye hug.  That was an awesome night.


A few months later I was packing for college.  I was just about ready to leave when he showed up with a huge box for me.  I opened it up to find a computer and printer.  My brother...the computer whiz kid had built me a computer to take with me to college.  Of course, in 1990 it was HUGE and heavy.  We put it in the van with the rest of my stuff and hugged goodbye once more.


Later I ended up transferring to another college that was closer to home, and I met a young man at church.  He was an obnoxious jerk.  He got saved and was then a saved obnoxious jerk.  He set his mind on the fact that he was going to marry me.  We ended up at the same college.  He told my big brother, "You know I intend to marry your sister.  One day she'll be my wife."  My big brother just laughed.  A few years later on our wedding day my brother shared that story just before officiating our vow ceremony.  It was now my turn to leave for my honeymoon, and as I did so he hugged me goodbye.  (By the way, my new hubby was no longer an obnoxious jerk.)


Peter & I bought a small trailer to live in while we saved up to build our dream house.  (We didn't know at the time that God had other plans.)  I came home one day from work and found big brother building me a small front porch.  He said, "I know this isn't your dream house, but we can sure make it a great home for you in the meantime."  I cried.  When he was finished, I gave him the biggest hug goodbye.


After our baby girl was born I'd take her to work with me.  I set up a nursery in my office.  In the afternoons I'd teach piano and she'd sit in her baby swing.  I can't tell you how many times my brother (who happened to live next door to my office) would come steal her.  I'd have to go to his place after lessons were over and steal her back.  He said, "You've been the cool aunt to my kids for years, now it's my turn to be the cool uncle."  And he was.  My daughter loved when he'd kidnap her.  Each time I'd just laugh as we hugged him goodbye.


Fast forward to February, 2011.  Now my family is moving to Illinois.  We know we are doing what God wants us to do.  The day we left I spent the afternoon with him.  We made plans for him to come visit next spring.  We reminisced about all of these things I've just written about.  We laughed and cried.  Then it was time for me to leave.  We hugged goodbye once more.


I wish I had known that it was going to be the last hug goodbye.


Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011, he left his 53-year-old earthly body behind for a heavenly one.  I didn't get to hug him goodbye because I'm in Illinois and he was in Pennsylvania. 

Dear Dean,
     I know you aren't into the whole "blog thing" and all, and that you feel strongly that we shouldn't put anything on the internet because the government is watching every word... but I'm going to do it anyway.
     I didn't get to say goodbye this time, but I'm so glad that I'll get another "hello"!!!  Until we meet again, big brother, I'm going to trust that our Savior is giving you those hugs that I so want to give you.
     I'm very thankful that you are no longer in pain and that you are finally cancer free FOREVER.  I'm jealous that you are with Dad, but I am confident that you are both taking notes on what our idiot brother is doing wrong so you can both tell him when he gets there.
     I love you.  I wish I could have said that to you one more time before you left, but I do think you knew it in your heart.  Until we meet again know that you are in my heart forever.  I won't be able to look at chocolate covered cherries this Christmas without thinking of the many boxes I snuck to you through the years without your wife seeing.

Love you so much!                   

"We can cry with hope

We can say goodbye with hope

'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no

And we can grieve with hope

'Cause we believe with hope

(There's a place by God's grace)

There's a place where we'll see your face again

We'll see your face again..."

~ Steven Curtis Chapman

Sunday Sing-Along

This has just been a crazy week...er...few weeks actually.  This song just keeps coming to my mind, so I thought I'd post it.  Sure would like to see one of those miracles just happen!

I haven't been around to visit my blogging friends lately.  In fact, I feel like a pretty terrible blogger when I look and see that DENISE has written 18 posts since I last visted her blog (insert fake sneeze that sounds more like "show off" than "a-choo").  No, I still haven't read the posts.  I know they exist, though, and I plan to visit...eventually.  (Denise is such a great friend!!  She's the kind of friend who you know actually prays for you when she says she will.)

Please keep praying for my brother.  He has a blood clot in his right arm and they can't give him any thinners because he still has an opening in his skull from his brain surgery as well as other places on his body where they removed tumors.  He's still in ICU and I still don't know how I'm going to get there to see him.

Waiting

The time on the clock ticks by ever so slowly when you are awaiting news, doesn't it?  For instance, I got a mammogram last week.  The doctor's office called me Monday and left a message to call them back.  So I called them right back...and got told that I'd have to wait until she was free to call me.  I waited for six hours.  SIX HOURS.  I was so nervous and I couldn't seem to get anything done.  When I finally did get a call, it didn't even last 30 seconds.  "Your mammogram came back normal.  I recommend you get another one next year."  That was it.  Yet, it was a complete relief.

Now I find myself again waiting.  My brother has been in and out of the hospital for weeks now.  He's been battling skin cancer for years.  After this last round of radiation they said he was all clear, only he found himself back in the hospital a week later from an adverse reaction to a medication...so they thought.  Then, they thought that was under control & sent him home again...only to have him come back in that night because the x-ray showed pneumonia in his lungs.  After another week in the hospital, he was sent home again with the "all clear" message.  Then the next day he was rushed back in an ambulance.

After multiple scans and tests they said that the tumors on his lungs were growing at an alarmingly rapid rate. 

Wait.

Tumors on his lungs?

It was skin cancer, not lung cancer!

They did a biopsy of the tumors and said it wasn't cancerous...but they don't know what it is.  Then, he became non-responsive.  He doesn't seem to recognize anyone in his family.  Oh, and by the way, we found "something" on his brain.  We'll have to run some tests.

And this is the good hospital!

So, tonight he was rushed into emergency surgery because his brain was so swollen they had to go in to relieve pressure.  And I find myself waiting again.  Waiting for a phone call or an email or something to let me know my big brother is okay.

It's these times that make having moved away from home so hard.  Knowing we're where God wants us is priceless.  I wouldn't trade that.  Yet, tonight...I'd kind of like to be in Pennsylvania.

Please pray for my brother.

I Remember Her...

...that woman who would have 5 decadent desserts and 3-5 side dishes (all made from scratch, of course) prepared for the church picnic.  Not only would she have all of that ready, she'd be in charge of making sure that the kids had lots of fun games and prizes to enjoy.  She'd have all her family's clothes for the picnic washed and ready to go, plus Sunday's clothes laid out and ready.  The problem is that when thoughts of her flood my mind, the tears flood my eyes to the point that I can't get anything done.  I try so very hard to put her memory out of my mind -- and I often succeed at it.  Not today, though.

Today as I was struggling for hours with making 1 decadent (albeit very easy) dessert and 1 side dish, my mind rushed to thinking of her... the "me of the past" and I just got so angry with myself.  The more I thought of her, the more I decided that I could do it all.  So, I'd get in over my head more and more.  Before I knew it, 7 hours were just gone and I still hadn't finished just the 2 simple items.

I went to get the laundry out of the dryer and sat down and just cried.  I was so mad at myself for not being able to do all that I used to do.  I was frustrated and then I began to have a full blown pity party.  It wasn't pretty, let me tell ya!

Then I realized that the only one who was upset about my not doing all that I used to be able to do before the MS was me!  So, as I'm sitting in front of the dryer completely covered in tears I began to change my thinking.  Instead of thinking of all the things that I can't do, I started thinking of all the things that I can do right now that I couldn't do a year ago or even a few months ago for that matter!  For instance, I played the piano at a VBS at a friend's church last night.  Couldn't have done that a few months ago!  Sure, I hit some sour notes, but a few sour ones after years of not being able to hit any come out sweet in the end.  Well, maybe not to the other people listening, but to me anyway. ;) 

I also thought about the 13 steps I have to do to get down to the basement to do the laundry.  I couldn't have done that either.  Now I do them probably 15 times or more a week!  That's so cool! 

Yep, I served myself up a big ole piece of perspective pie.  I am ashamed of myself when I fall into those pity party modes, but I'm working on it. 

So, tomorrow I'll be taking 1 strawberry dessert and 1 bowl of macaroni salad with me to the picnic.  The people in my new church family didn't know her and they aren't going to be expecting her to show up.  They are expecting me to show, though, so I should probably get to bed!

The Battle in My Brain

So, my newest ministry as a PW (that's Pastor's Wife for those of you not "in the know") is teaching a ladies' Bible study.  Now, I have to tell you.  When I was asked I thought, "HA!  That's funny!  I am sooooo not qualified for that!"  But, I gave that great answer that always buys you more time and makes you sound good and spiritual, "Um... let me pray about it and get back to you."  So that's what I did.

Now here's where God's sense of humor comes in -- He made it pretty clear that this was EXACTLY what He wanted me to do!  I'm thinking, "Really?  What am I going to say?  I'm not gifted at speaking."  I refer to that as my Moses Moment.  So, I started praying more that God would show me what He wanted me to do.  I was thinking, "Okay.  I'll borrow/buy one of those DVD courses taught by someone like Beth Moore or Elizabeth George and then just do the discussion part with them."  God said, "No, that's not what I want you to do."

Then I thought, "Well, I'll have my Mom send me all of the lessons she's done with the ladies over the years.  She's such a gifted Bible teacher.  Her lessons are always so good.  Maybe I can pull that off."  God said, "No, that's not what I want you to do."

I thought, "Okay.  So, You don't want me to use something from someone who is more gifted than I am and has done this for years.  What do You want me to do?  Come up with something all on my own?"

God said, "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do.  Now, when you're done having your little panic attack and are ready to ask Me for help, I'll be here waiting to guide you."

So, I couldn't sleep (I know, SHOCKER... right, DENISE??)  For those of you who don't know, Denise and I have chosen the path of living our lives in the state of sleep deprivation.  Some nights we are lucky enough to find each other alive and well (albeit in a comma-like state) on FaceBook.  I began to pray as I lay there in bed and I drifted off which was a true blessing.  I'd been praying for sleep for so many nights!

You know, I've always heard, "God has a sense of humor."  I've even said it when it seemed like the thing to say.  Now, I HAVE PROOF!  Guess what time I woke up?  FIVE A.M.  Yep.  And on a Saturday to boot!  So, I made my, "I cannot believe I'm awake already" trip down the hall to the bathroom, then my "I'm totally going back to bed" trip back to my bedroom.  Only, as I was lying there my mind was just racing.  All these ideas for what to do with the women were flooding it.  I was like, "Now?  Really?  Can't I just go back to sleep and I'll work on this at, oh, say 8?"  God said, "No.  You should get up and work on it now."

But, I thought for sure that I misunderstood what He was telling me.  So, I rolled over and tried sleeping on my left side instead of my right.  And just extra "proof" of God's sense of humor:  my hubby's alarm clock goes off -- and HE SLEEPS THROUGH IT!  So, I get up and make the, "I'm so gonna kill him" walk over to his side of the bed and turn off his alarm, give him a very gentle (okay, not so gentle) shove and say, "How on earth did you sleep through your alarm?  You turned the volume up to it's max?  Get up!"  (Yea, we've been married that long.)

You know what he has the nerve to say?  "Oh, I forgot to shut that off.  I don't have to get up for another hour."  Then, he goes right back to sleep while I'm standing there with my "I am so annoyed at you right now" look on my face!  THE NERVE!  I have spent the last 14 years working on that look and have just perfected it!

And God said in His still small voice: "I told you to get up."

Okay.  Now I'm up!  So, I grab a pen and a tablet and my Bible and head out to the living room.  That's where OBJECTIVITY was born.  He gave me the idea to use all these different objects that would be very recognizable to women and teach a practical Christian living application with each object.

So, we had our very first OBJECTIVITY night this past Thursday.  My lesson was called, "What's Weighing You Down" and I used weights as my object.  My DH (redeeming himself from the whole alarm thing) made weights for me out of wood, painted them black, and then put the writing on them.  They look so real!  On each weight, we put E-Motion as the weight "brand" and then on the opposite side, a different emotional weight with which women struggle.  I focused mainly on worry, regret, and bitterness, but also touched on fear, anger, pride, and guilt.  I wrapped myself up in a chain at one point and hung all these weights on it to show how satan wants to keep us bound by our emotions so that we are of no use to God.  (Yep, I felt like I was crazy...but it felt good to be doing what God wanted me to do.)

I do plan to post some of the lesson on here at a different time... right now we are getting ready for our trip to MN for hubby's grandma's memorial service.  Not looking forward to it due to how dysfunctional his family is, but praying that Peter will get the opportunity to share the Gospel with them.  We're heading into hostile territory, and that's probably an understatement!  This will be the first time since our wedding day (14 years ago) that we have been with any of his side of the family other than his folks.  He's especially anxious to spend some time with his sister and her family.  Pray for us! :)

Blessings

"What if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?"

This song just hits me right in the heart!!!

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my WONDERFUL husband!!! I love you so much!

We didn't do anything amazing... just went to Ikea and got a dresser so we can get our clothes out of the bins. (Exciting, I know! That's how we roll! lol.) Monday when we actually get the dresser assembled and the clothes out of the bins and into said assembled dresser -- THAT will be amazing!!! :) We've been looking at garage sales and auctions, but the drawers are always too heavy. We left our dresser back in PA because it was very, very old (60-70 years) and the drawers were so heavy. When I'm having a bad MS day I can't open them. We finally decided to get the one from Ikea because it was (a) in our extremely low price range and (b) has very easy to open drawers.

I'm such a slacker this year. I've always been into baking cakes for birthdays, but my husband would rather eat ice cream. So, I got him an ice cream cake. Sure, I've made them myself before for him, but you have to understand that I found a coupon for $3.00 off an 8" round cake from Dairy Queen. I mean, we're talking a THREE BUCK savings on a way overpriced half gallon of ice cream!!! I may not be one of those extreme coupon chicks (who I think maybe are on the wrong show...I mean, why would you buy 100 bottles of Excedrin just because you have 100 coupons for it? It will expire before you can use it. Well, unless you take, like, 20 of them each day... in which case you'll end up with some kind of major organ failure and there are NO coupons for that!), but I know a deal when I see one! ;) (Where do they get all those coupons anyway? The only reason I've watched that show is to find out where they get the coupons, but they only brag about their "stock piles" and how much $$ they saved. They NEVER share their secret coupon sources!)

Where was I? Oh, yes. I saved $3, but the real savings was in the time area. I have just been so busy the past few weeks! So, yes...I'm a slacker. I admit it! "Hello, my name is Stacey and I'm a slacker." But, he was very happy with his DQ ice cream cake. :)

I should mention on here that I've made a new friend! Well, we haven't actually gotten together or anything, but she's a pastor's wife here as well. We both moved from another state. Both moves were quick moves. We have a lot in common. Our churches even have the same name. Hers is about 40 min. from ours (I think). It's going to be nice to have someone to chat with who isn't in our congregation.

Better get to bed! I have to get up early and get Gidget to the library to sign up for their summer reading program. Apparently last year they brought in miniature crocodiles and let the kids pet them...which immediately meant to her that she HAD to become a member...and immediately meant to me that I need to pray more!

Humbled

So, today was an AMAZING day for me! For the first time in over, wow, 6 or so years I played the piano for church!!! It was totally indescribable how God helped me with it.

I was really terrified when I was asked to fill the spot for the lady who usually plays. She's an amazing pianist and such a sweetheart! But ya know...I promised God that I'd serve Him where He gave me opportunity. I didn't ever think I'd play the piano again for church, but He opened the door and I knew He wanted me to do it. I figured, "Well, I'm either going to crash & burn and be totally embarrassed by doing this OR God is going to take over and let me use my fingers again." Once I accepted that, an amazing sense of peace came over me and I knew that God was in control.

Yes, I played the piano today and it was an amazing feeling. I have missed it so, so much. It's hard to explain how much you miss something like that. It was just a part of me. But, God in His infinite mercy gave me it back for today. I don't know if I'll be able to do it tomorrow. I just know that He used me today and it felt really, really good. (And, yes, I hit quite a few sour notes. lol.)


"Indescribable, Uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are AMAZING God!
All Powerful, Untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim:
You are AMAZING God!"
(Chris Tomlin)
It's AWESOME to serve such an AMAZING GOD!!!!! I'm feeling just totally humbled and grateful and just plain amazed.

As Time Goes By...

"Tick-Tock; Tick-Tock. Where did the time go on the clock?"

Do you remember that rhyme from school? Maybe it was just a thing from the elementary school I attended. I do find myself asking, "Where did all this time go?"

It seems like it was just yesterday that we were in our Pennsylvania home listening to Christmas music and decorating our tree. That was Thanksgiving night. Somewhere in the middle of that night, someone clicked the fast-forward button and now, here we are...less than 2 weeks from Memorial Day!

After posting THIS BLOG POST in January, life just got so busy so fast. My world became surrounded by cardboard boxes to which I had to surrender. They are still holding much of our belongings hostage, but I believe they will eventually agree to releasing them. I would truly appreciate it if the box that is holding my iron hostage would kindly set it free. I'm happy to exchange one of the many cake pans I've discovered for the iron. I'd like to have some wrinkle-free clothes.

Life here in IL is very different from life back in PA. We are in a town that actually has a Wal-Mart, too many fast food places, too many pizza joints, an Amtrak station, and lots of people. Yet, it's a much simpler place. The kids here aren't all attached to the end of the newest electronic gizmo beginning with a lowercase "i". Their parents expect them to (GASP!) get their driver's licenses and jobs and pay for those gizmos themselves if they want them! People in this town are "lifers" -- what they call themselves since they were born here and intend to stay her until they die.

We got here and were met by a band of people from our new church home. They had the moving truck unpacked quicker than my brain could comprehend. I thought maybe 2-3 guys would turn up to help. NOPE. There were men, women, teens, & children -- whole families who gave up their Saturday to help us get unloaded. The women immediately jumped in and began to help me unpack the kitchen stuff. It was amazing how quickly they worked! They were just so happy we were here. It made me feel really good... and humbled. It doesn't matter to me that I still can't find some things and that they have a very different idea of where things should go in a kitchen. They are just such kind, loving people!

I remember thinking, "Well, this ain't gonna last long!" We'd been hurt before, so I have a tendency to expect it. These people are the real deal, though. I'm enjoying getting to know them all more and more.

Life has been crazy busy! We have been running full steam ahead and I'm getting tired. I love it, though. It's pretty sad when you are looking forward to taking a trip out to MN for a memorial service in June because you are expecting to get a little rest. (Pathetic... I know.)

I love our house! We hadn't seen it except for an outside shot before we got here. I got to walk through it for maybe 2 minutes before the church folks got here to unload us, so it was just too much to take in all at once. We have a garage attached to the house! It's so cool! I don't get wet now when it's raining and I need to get in and out of our Jeep! And, there's another garage that sits behind the house. Right now it's holding all those boxes that need unpacked, but my husband is looking forward to turning it into...something. His man cave I suppose.

I have a basement. That's where the laundry room is. My physical therapy so far has been doing those steps a few times each day. Do you know how AMAZING it feels to be able to do steps after being in a wheelchair for so long??? God is so AWESOME! Sure, I have my own quirky way of doing them, but the point is that I do them! :) Oh, and there is a laundry chute in the bathroom. That's really convenient!

I'll post pictures when I have more time. I guess I'm just still in awe of things. You see, I've never lived in a house that had a garage or a basement. I really feel truly blessed. I was terrified at the thought of leasing a house for 2 years that I hadn't even seen. But, we had to have a place to live and this is what God provided in our price range. Our landlord is considering doing a lease-to-own deal with us. That would be nice. This was a "blind move" for us, but God saw it and knew this was just what we needed. It's not a big house, but it's big enough. It's not a new house, but it has all we need. I think it's perfect. Do I like all the decor? No. I'm not really into all the granny-ish prints. I don't like the drape choices, and the landlord's wife wants them to stay put while we are leasing in case we decide to move...but that's just something that provides privacy. No sense in letting my particular taste get in the way of enjoying a true blessing from the Lord! In all honesty, it would take me the 2 years on our lease to figure out what drapes and wall paper and such that I'd want...let alone the time it would take to get it all put up! We moved in and it's all in place. YAY!

I have to laugh because a lifetime ago I dated an older man. I was 22. He was 38. Nice guy, just not the man God wanted me to marry. The laughter comes in when I think back to the way he had his kitchen decorated. It was all done in fruit, and I just wasn't the fruit decor kind of gal. I'd tease him about it. Guess what my kitchen boarder is??? LOL. Yep! Fruit. Mostly clusters of grapes.

Anyway, I should get to bed. No, I still don't sleep much. I did go for a week or so sleeping. Now my mind is too busy to let me sleep. UGH. Some things never change.

My husband is so happy to be serving full time in the ministry. It's not as lucrative as his former job, but his retirement plan is out of this world! :) He loves serving God, and I love that he is so happy. I'd rather be dirt poor and happy because we are in God's will than be rich and out of His will. God is meeting every need. He's even providing some wants. What a MIGHTY GOD we serve!

Yes, that fast-forward button got pressed Thanksgiving night... but it's nice to be moving forward for a change. :)

Sorry this is so discombobulated...but it is 4:42 a.m. here in IL and I haven't been to sleep yet. I'm going to try to keep this blog more updated. I need to do it. I love blogging. Time just slipped away...

"Tick-Tock; Tick-Tock. Where did the time go on the clock?"

Coming Soon...

...an actual blog post! But first I think I should do our taxes...don't want to do them, but I must. I just thought I'd put myself back into the cyber world to say "hello" and "thanks" to those who have been praying for me and my family! I so appreciate it and have a lot to tell... But first, I really should do my taxes...

Reconnecting

It's funny how as soon as people hear through the grapevine of your imminent move, all of the sudden they contact you and feel the need to get together. Some of these people I haven't even heard from in 20+ years!

However, there's one friend I've been trying to make plans with for several years... only something ALWAYS happened and the plans got postponed. When she found out we were moving, she sent me a very sweet message that simply said, "I would love to see you before you leave, but I know you will be way too busy. Just know that I'm very happy for you and will be praying for you."

So I sent her a message back, "Linda, you're right. I am way too busy. That's why I'm going to do whatever I can to get us together before I move and become way to busy somewhere else."

We went back and forth trying to find a time that worked for both of us. I finally said let's just shoot for Friday night and meet for a cup of coffee somewhere in between our homes. So, that's what we did. We met at Starbucks at 7:15 and talked until after 10 p.m. It was WONDERFUL!

Linda and I taught Sunday School together for years. I first met her when I was 19. She was married with 2 daughters. We became instant friends. I always wanted to be the kind of mom she was/is. I taught her youngest daughter piano, and had both her daughters in my children's choir/drama club. They are both married now. I remember them walking down the aisle at my wedding as Junior Bridesmaids! Time flies! Linda was one of my bridesmaids, too. She was so supportive of me and always helped me with anything I needed help with.

So, tonight we chatted about her girls and her husband and my girl and my husband. We talked about our moms who both became widows at about the same time. We laughed and cried... and kept getting free packets of ground coffee from the workers who were obviously wanting us to leave so they could close up early. lol.

Reconnecting with old acquaintances is nice. I've done a lot of that on FaceBook. But reconnecting with a true friend... there's just nothing like it!

And, yes, I had DECAF and still cannot sleep! UGH! lol.

Take time and reconnect with someone who at one time was a special part of your life. You may be surprised to find that you just pick right up where you last left off.

Well...

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited to now have an address! Thank you so much to those who were praying along with us!

I have to be honest here and tell you that it's very weird having other people find a house for you... and then getting excited about it even though you've never seen it! It sounds really great and I can't wait for someone to email me pictures of it! I'll have to post some when I get some.

It has a full basement. I've never had a basement before! It has not 1, not 2, but 3 garages (or so I've been told)!! I've never had a garage before! I'm not sure what to do with 3 of them! We only have one vehicle! It's funny because it isn't what they (the people who have seen it) consider a big house, but it sounds pretty big to me! It has 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, 2 bathrooms upstairs & 1 downstairs, a living room... sounds perfect to me! It even has a laundry chute! That means the washer/dryer hookup is in the basement. That's okay, though. Maybe I'll fit down the chute. ;) If not, I'll be able to perfect the "sit & scoot" stair method. It should be good exercise.

I do have to say that I'm still in awe of the way God is doing things! He's just going right down the list & checking things off! All these mountains to us are nothing to Him! Thank You, God, for being so AWESOME!!!!!

There is so much packing to do. I just keep trying to force myself to start. lol. Once I start then I'm fine. It's just getting started... Okay. I'm going to start now. Really. I'm going right now to fill a box. Right now... just as soon as I check my email I'm going to start! Really! I am!

Looking for an Address...

...for my family! LOL.

Seriously, PLEASE keep this in your prayers. God has answered so many prayers in such amazing ways! I know that nothing is too big for Him.

I also know that He knows which house would be the best for my family. We kind of have our hopes up for this one in particular. The landlord has narrowed the applicants down to 2 families. We are one of them. We will be given an answer by Saturday.

PLEASE, PLEASE pray! I know God's got this under control. I lay this need at His feet and then go and pick it up again. How pathetic am I??? If it's a "no" then I must trust that God has a very good reason for it!

On another note, we are only about 1/3 of the way packed. All of the snow has slowed things down substantially. Don't get me wrong -- I absolutely LOVE snow! However, when you are supposed to be moving in only 2-1/2 weeks...you kind of need to be able to get everything out of storage so that you can determine what goes, what gets trashed, and what gets donated. With about 2 feet of heavy, wet snow between you and the storage shed... well, you can see how this makes things difficult. Again, God knows what He's doing when He sends the snow. It sure is pretty to look at.

I'm finally feeling better -- PTL!!! Gidget got an antibiotic yesterday and is beginning to feel better -- PTL!!! Now let's just pray we all stay healthy!

My Mom is NOT handling this move very well at all. She's trying to put on a happy face and be supportive, but she's hurting inside. Please keep her in your prayers. I truly wish she'd come with us, but she feels her ministry is here.

I should head back to bed. So much is running through my mind. I need to follow my own advice from a while back and just "Be Still" and know that He is God!!!! What an awesome, mighty God He is!

Until my next moment of insane rambling...

I Stand in Awe of You!

Do you remember that song from, oh, 2 decades ago or so? Well, that sums up how I feel right now! I truly am just in complete and total awe of God! I don't know why I get so amazed when He does awesome things... I've seen Him do awesome things before. But each time I just get this feeling of, well, awe!

"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." (Prov. 13:12)

Have you ever prayed for something for so long (or at least what seems like a long time to you), and then when He answers the prayer get so humbly amazed that you are speechless? This is why I haven't blogged this until now. I needed to wait for God to give me the words!

My hubby is a sweetheart of a man. He truly is. I know none of you know him, but he's as good as they come. He loves me... not the ordinary, "I love you" kind of love, but he truly, deeply loves me and shows me that in a different way every day. I never realized how much until I had this last MS attack that left me completely helpless and at his mercy. He never once complained. He picked me up when I collapsed and realized I couldn't move anything from the waist down. He dried my tears. He made me laugh when there was nothing to laugh about. He cooked horrible meals and shrunk all my clothes, but he did it all out of love because he knew I couldn't do those things. He truly loves me, and I truly love him.

He is a caring man. He loves people. God has given him a compassionate heart -- a true pastor's heart. That's why it's been so hard to watch him these past 2 years get up each day and go to sell jewelry. He did it to take care of his family, but his heart stayed fixed on searching for where God wanted him to serve. Each time a door would open and we'd get excited, it would suddenly shut and we'd have to start the whole candidate process over again. He got narrowed down to the final 2 candidates out of over 200-300 I don't know how many times at this point only to find out they had gone with the other guy. But, after being disappointed we would remember that we only wanted to be where God wanted us. So, we'd begin again.

This time was different. It's a church that we'd never have really given a second glance had the door not been opened and closed so many times over the past almost 2 years. It's several states away from our home. But we'd told God, "Anywhere you want us, that's where we want to be."

Well, Illinois is where He wants us. He made it abundantly clear! He answered so many specific prayers that it is undeniably His will! In fact, when we got there on Jan. 8th, He began answering those prayers almost immediately! The church was having their annual beginning of the year fellowship and we immediately began getting to know the people. It was easy to see from the very start that these were people who were real. They are mostly hard working, blue collar types who work hard, play hard, and love God. They have a desire to serve Him and learn more of Him. It was so refreshing to see this in a group of people!

One of our specific prayers was for our daughter. She needs a friend. A good friend who will encourage her when she needs it and whom she can encourage as well. I have a friend like this. We've been friends since I was 12 and we are still very close. I could see that Gidget needed this. She's been so lonely... especially since her cousins moved. She hasn't really connected with anyone in the church we have been attending here. Every night we would pray together that God would send her a special friend. That night at the fellowship she just clicked with the kids who were there. It was so good to see her playing and laughing! But the true "WOW" moment came the next morning in church. After Sunday School, she sat down beside me in the pew. Then, this bubbly little blonde... cute as button... just came and squished herself in between Gidget & me. She had this beautiful smile and my daughter was just glowing. They both said at the same time, "GUESS WHAT???" I knew something good was coming. They proceeded to tell me that they shared the same birthday. Not just the same date, but the same year! What are the odds of that? I just was speechless. I felt in my heart like that was a real God thing! I just had a peace that God was answering that prayer.

We were praying that the church would be disability friendly. They have a chair lift to get you to the downstairs classrooms and fellowship area and an elevator to get you to the auditorium! The elevator was pretty cool. My husband was meeting with the pastor and I was waiting for him to help me upstairs. A very nice gentleman came over and offered his help. I was nervous, but accepted his offer because I didn't want to be late for the morning service. He pushed my wheelchair into a corner facing a wall. I thought, "Okay. This is odd." Then, he closed a gate behind me and pressed a button and the floor lifted! I'd never seen an elevator like that before! It was way cool! He said, "Just make sure that the elevator is at the top before you take your wheelchair off the edge here." lol. Yeah, I see the importance in that.

My husband had taught one of the adult Sunday School classes and then preached the morning service. After that, we went out to lunch with the Senior Pastor and his wife. Then, we went to the local nursing home and spent some time with the people there. I have to admit, after the long drive there (over 400 miles of it was in snow/sleet) and the Saturday night fellowship after we'd only been there for an hour... then the full Sunday we'd had so far, I was wiped out! I went over to the parsonage and laid down for about an hour while my husband met with the pulpit committee and Senior Pastor. He came back to the parsonage and we spoke for a while. We both had peace that this was where God wanted us. There was just this little issue of whether or not the church would vote us in. He had to have 75% majority vote. So, we headed over for the evening service.

That night the Senior Pastor did a short devotion and then they had their annual business meeting. After the other business was taken care of, they brought us up front and allowed the church members to ask us questions. Talk about being nervous! They asked good questions, too! After all the questioning was over, we were sent into one of the offices to wait for the church to discuss and vote. When the lady came and got us we couldn't tell anything from her expression. When we entered the back of the church, everyone was standing and the Senior Pastor had us come forward. He told us that the church had voted to extend a pastoral position offer to my husband and asked if he'd accept their call. He looked at me and we didn't have to say a word to each other. We knew God wanted us there. He accepted the position of Pastor of Outreach and Family. Then the Senior Pastor said, "I'm not sure how to feel about this, but you got a higher % vote than I did! You got 96%!" We were so excited to know that that many people voted for him!

That was such a HUGE BLESSING! We are still so thankful to God for putting us back to work!

You know, I've served in a church since I was a teenager. I served because I was a good girl and I knew it would please my parents and I knew it would please my pastor. I did the right things, but for the wrong reasons. Pleasing your parents and a godly pastor are certainly not bad things, but pleasing God is so much more important. That's what I want to do with the rest of my life. I want to serve Him however He lets me, and I want to do it to please Him. I don't want to get to Heaven and realize I haven't earned any rewards to lay at His feet! He has been so faithful to me and shown me such grace and mercy... I can't even begin to tell you and I'd be so ashamed to tell you of many things. I just know that I don't want to mess up this time. I want so desperately to get to Heaven and hear Him say, "Well done!" This is my desire and my prayer.

I know this is a LONG post, but I have more to tell.

So, where are we going to live? That was the question on our minds on the long drive back to PA. It's hard to search for a home when you are several states away! The day after we got home the Senior Pastor called and had already found a house for us! Then, two days later he said to hold off on that one because he'd found a better one! This is where I'm asking for you to specifically pray. We have 2 cats and a dog. They are well trained. The cats are old, declawed, and fixed. They are more like floor rugs than anything else. None of the animals are destructive in any way. The owners of this house are just finishing fixing it up because the tenants had animals that destroyed things. The husband is fine with pets. The wife isn't. Please pray that God would either change her mind and let us get this house OR that He'd show us where He wants us to live. This particular house is exactly what we'd been praying for... big enough for the wheelchair, a rancher with a basement & a garage. We're not looking for fancy, just practical and in our budget.

Then there was the issue of how to afford to move? Guess what? One of the deacons owns a trucking company and said just to let him know the day we'll be ready and he'll have a tractor trailer here to pick up our stuff and have it waiting for us when we got there! It was like God was saying, "Okay, what's next on your list?"

Well, that would be a real estate investment that we've been trying to sell for about a year. This week, it sold! No, not the way we expected it to sell... we're basically walking away without any profit... but it sold! Sure, we've got to get the paperwork all done, but it sold! I'm telling you, God was going down our check list that we'd been praying over!

What to do with our house? That's the next thing. I'm not worrying about it. I know He's going to take care of that as well!

I really shouldn't type all this at 3 a.m. I'm just wide awake and I'm excited and nervous. I hope you (if anyone still reads this blog) will pray for us as we head out on this new adventure!

The verse I shared above is one that has been on my heart for almost 2 years. It's SO TRUE! Our hearts were sick from our hope being deferred, but now -- WOW! That tree of life is an AWESOME feeling!

This is a great responsibility. We aren't taking it lightly. It's also going to be tough financially, but I know that God is going to take care of us. He always has. He is AMAZING!

"You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful of comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp you infinite wisdom
Who can fathom the depth of your love
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of you
I stand, I stand in awe of you
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of you."by Mark Altrogge

Abandoned

I have seemingly abandoned this blog. The truth is I have had things to say but by the time I get a chance to blog, I'm TOO tired! I do miss blogging, though. Hopefully I can do more of it soon. I doubt anyone reads this anymore, but I'd still like to get back to it because I enjoy doing it.

For now, I'm getting ready for a trip. I'm not going to go into the details, but this could end up being a HUGE answer to prayer! Please pray for safety for us as we travel, and that God would give us wisdom. For things to work out God is going to have to move some major mountains. I've seen Him do that before, though, and I know He will if this is His will for us.

Also, my hubby has a sinus infection. Please pray he gets better quickly & that Gidget & I don't get sick!

So, this is short... but, guess what??? I'm TOO tired to make it longer!

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)

I Have NOTHING to Complain About!

Matthew West - One Last Christmas (A St. Jude's Chrismas Wish)

I should NEVER, ever complain... neither should I watch any video such as this one without a box of tissues beside me! Pray with me that God blesses this family this Christmas and comforts their hearts as only He can!

Sunday Sing-Along

Sunday Sing-Along

For Denise... Sunday Sing-Along

I heard this song yesterday and I thought of you, Denise!

I love you!