Recently life has been trying. Our family is in a season of waiting. God made it clear that after Jim graduated from seminary He wanted us to move back to GA and fully rejoin our church in Smyrna.
And we are still here.
Our house has been on the market close to 2 months with many showings but nothing coming from them, though we live in a desirable area and have a lot of space for our area of town. We have cleared out and done a lot of work to make it "show ready" even with 7 kids running around. We have done all we can. What is God doing?
Friday I lost it. I have struggled for awhile with fully trusting God and believing that He will really take care of us and do what is best, and it finally came to a head. I cried out, "God what are you doing? What am I missing? What else do I need to do? Where are you?"
With all of this I have also struggled with being told, in not so many words, that our kids are too much, a burden, or my problem in various ways. I know from God's Word this is not true and I feel like I have to fight all the time for my family. "God, why do people think we are a burden? Why are we left alone?"
That afternoon we had a showing at dinner time and went to Dairy Queen for a fun treat for the kids. Weary from my cries Jim and I sat surrounded by our kids feeding them when I man comes to fill his drink next to our table. I noticed right away he had a Bible in his hands. He asked, as many do, "Are all these kids yours?" What comment were we going to get this time?
"Yes, they are," Jim and I affirmed.
"Wow, That's amazing!" He replies with a smile on his face. "Well, I just want you to know that Jesus loves you!"
I looked at my food and said, "I know." But the truth was, I didn't know. I should know, but I didn't. But at that moment God affirmed to me, "I hear your cries. You are not forgotten. I love you and I will take care of you."
The man said something else positive about our family size, blessed us and walked away.
We will likely never see him again. God just sent him to tell me He loved me. Why would He do that?
Because He hears the cries of His people. Our hearts matter to Him. He wants us to trust Him and follow Him even when He appears silent or immobile. He is not. He is moving, working, speaking. And He is doing that for me, while still working His will.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
Year 13
Today, Jim and I have been married 13 years.
I don't even know where to begin. We were young and had no idea the adventure God would lead us on. Nursing school, working as nurses, having 2 kids before moving to Louisville, Seminary and full time work, 5 more kids, buying a house, struggles, learning what it is that God really wants for us.
We are clearly still in the last of these things. We are still in the great adventure of marriage and family with God.
This year has been a year of great growth but also struggle as we sought what God was leading us to after graduation. Right now God is teaching us how to work together, seek Him together, talk through what we are thinking, feeling, experiencing and sharing who we really are. We are still learning this. In fact, after 13 years, we are still in the early phases of learning.
But that is life isn't it? Especially the Christian life. At 34 and 33 and 13 years into marriage we are still in the early stages of, learning how to navigate this life with God as our head. Most of what we have learned this year is how to truly love each other the way God has designed so that we will be a reflection of Jesus and the church to a lost and dying world, the whole purpose and design of marriage.
Today, by God's grace, we are closer to this than we have ever been before, but we still have a long way to go.
Father, thank You for 13 years of marriage, 13 years of growing in knowledge of You and how You love us. Please continue to grow us in You. Grow us in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control using our marriage to do this. Help us to teach our kids and others. Use us and our marriage for Your Kingdom and Your Glory! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Monday, May 29, 2017
Happy Birthday Jim! (Year 34)
Happy 34th Birthday to my Hubby Jim!!!!!
It's such a blessing to be able to celebrate another birthday with God's blessing to me. This year as been a year of great growth for him and it has been exciting to watch Jim grow in the knowledge of the Lord and become more like Jesus. I am so grateful that God has given him to me to love and respect as we grow together in unity.
It has been an extra blessing to be able to have a nice family day on Jim's birthday this year. When your birthday falls on a holiday it makes it much easier to have a low key day. We enjoyed IHOP with a nice birthday coupon, family game time and hanging out together.
I look forward to, by God's grace, celebrating many more birthday's with Jim. It's such a blessing to see him enjoying life more and more as God shows us how much life really means for those who have placed their faith in Jesus.
Father, please continue to teach Jim and grow him into the likeness of Jesus. Thank You for loving Jim and calling him to Yourself and giving him true life and reason to celebrate. Please give him many more birthdays with our family! In Jesus's Name, Amen
Friday, May 19, 2017
Master of Divinity
Nearly seven years ago, our family loaded up a truck and headed to a new adventure in Louisville, KY, for Jim to work on his Master of Divinity degree. Today marks the end of that adventure.
It was been a long and challenging road with much growth, but it has been good. God has taught both of us through this time and we have grown closer to God, closer to each other and closer to our kids. These have been the most important things since coming here.
Along with this we have learned more Bible, Theology, Hermeneutics, Greek, Hebrew, and Missiology. We have learned about community and family. We have learned to love more, grieve with others and how to share life with those around us. We have learned a LOT, and yet we still have so much to learn. The more we have learned the more we have learned what we don't know. And as we move forward we pray to keep learning more and more, until it is time for us to go home.
We are also thankful for those who have prayed for, loved and supported us on this adventure, and look forward to where God will lead us next. Right now we are waiting for God to bring the right buyer for our house so that we can return to our home city and be a part of our home church until God tells us what is next.
After seven years, 95 credit hours, and 5 kids,
Jim now has his Master of Divinity degree!!!!!
Along with this we have learned more Bible, Theology, Hermeneutics, Greek, Hebrew, and Missiology. We have learned about community and family. We have learned to love more, grieve with others and how to share life with those around us. We have learned a LOT, and yet we still have so much to learn. The more we have learned the more we have learned what we don't know. And as we move forward we pray to keep learning more and more, until it is time for us to go home.
It has been a day of great celebration and we are so proud of Jim!
We are so grateful for this time God has given to us to grow and learn.
We are also thankful for those who have prayed for, loved and supported us on this adventure, and look forward to where God will lead us next. Right now we are waiting for God to bring the right buyer for our house so that we can return to our home city and be a part of our home church until God tells us what is next.Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Usborne People of the World
This book was a part of our history and culture studies in Core B of our Sonlight curriculum.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book. It gives a good basic overview of people around the world including language, town or city set up, religion, foods, money and other things that are part of daily life. My kids really enjoyed reading this together and learning about people around the world. It was a good way to talk about differences and learning to love others who are different than us.
My only problem with the book was their description of Christianity and Christians. Though it was correct on most tenants there were some major flaws in explaining what it truly is. It described more cultural Christianity.
4 stars for this book.
On the whole I really enjoyed this book. It gives a good basic overview of people around the world including language, town or city set up, religion, foods, money and other things that are part of daily life. My kids really enjoyed reading this together and learning about people around the world. It was a good way to talk about differences and learning to love others who are different than us.
My only problem with the book was their description of Christianity and Christians. Though it was correct on most tenants there were some major flaws in explaining what it truly is. It described more cultural Christianity.
4 stars for this book.
Monday, May 15, 2017
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
I'm a way behind on book reviews! The kids and I read this at the beginning of our school year as part of our Core B curriculum with Sonlight.
It is was a good read aloud with the kids and very easy to understand and talk about. The story line I think is a familiar one following Wilbur the pig as he is saved by Fern, sold to her uncle and then rescued from slaughter by his clever friend, Charlotte the Spider. This is our second time reading this as a family and it was more fun reading it with the kids this time as they seemed to better understand what was going on. Having seen the movie with people it was also fun to compare and contrast them to each other.
Though this is not personally one of my favorite books, I do think it is clearly written and is a great family read for most ages, depending on the sensitivity of the kids. What I enjoyed the most was watching a friendship blossom in the true meaning of the word friendship. I also enjoyed that it did not have a super happy ending, that there was room for tears as Wilbur had to still face the reality of life.
3 stars for this book
It is was a good read aloud with the kids and very easy to understand and talk about. The story line I think is a familiar one following Wilbur the pig as he is saved by Fern, sold to her uncle and then rescued from slaughter by his clever friend, Charlotte the Spider. This is our second time reading this as a family and it was more fun reading it with the kids this time as they seemed to better understand what was going on. Having seen the movie with people it was also fun to compare and contrast them to each other.
Though this is not personally one of my favorite books, I do think it is clearly written and is a great family read for most ages, depending on the sensitivity of the kids. What I enjoyed the most was watching a friendship blossom in the true meaning of the word friendship. I also enjoyed that it did not have a super happy ending, that there was room for tears as Wilbur had to still face the reality of life.
3 stars for this book
Friday, May 12, 2017
The Parent Trap by Erich Kastner
My wonderful hubby got this book for me for my birthday, as I have been wanting to read it since realizing one of my childhood favorite movies is based on it. It was also a perfect fit for this year's Back to the Classics Challenge for classic in translation.
Like both movies the book begins at a camp where 2 identical girls, Luise and Lottie, meet and have no idea how they could look so much alike. As they talk to each other they come to realize they are twins who were split up by their parents and make plans to switch places. But this is where the similarities to the movies ends! The book is based in Germany and Austria, where the girls live. There interactions from the beginning, though full of question and wonder, is mostly civil and the quickly get along without the help of an isolation tent. We see them each with their parents and the parents are VASTLY different than the parents portrayed in either movie. The father is a famous conductor in Vienna and has almost no time for his girl. The mother lives alone with her daughter and is not wealthy or surrounded by family. But this adds to the story line in my opinion. What is even better is these girls spend almost a full semester with the opposite parent before they know what is going on! The way the swap is figured out is so much better and more interesting than the movies.I was so shocked by the difference but really do believe the story is better for them.
Because it's translated I have no real view on the style, but the translation I read was a quick and easy read. Overall I enjoyed this book.
4 stars
Like both movies the book begins at a camp where 2 identical girls, Luise and Lottie, meet and have no idea how they could look so much alike. As they talk to each other they come to realize they are twins who were split up by their parents and make plans to switch places. But this is where the similarities to the movies ends! The book is based in Germany and Austria, where the girls live. There interactions from the beginning, though full of question and wonder, is mostly civil and the quickly get along without the help of an isolation tent. We see them each with their parents and the parents are VASTLY different than the parents portrayed in either movie. The father is a famous conductor in Vienna and has almost no time for his girl. The mother lives alone with her daughter and is not wealthy or surrounded by family. But this adds to the story line in my opinion. What is even better is these girls spend almost a full semester with the opposite parent before they know what is going on! The way the swap is figured out is so much better and more interesting than the movies.I was so shocked by the difference but really do believe the story is better for them.
Because it's translated I have no real view on the style, but the translation I read was a quick and easy read. Overall I enjoyed this book.
4 stars
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