Still Learning

I can't believe that I actually get a chance to write twice in one month! :o) This seems to be a rarity these days. I just thought I would update you on our baby situation. To date, we are at 29 weeks and 3 days! We have officially hit the 3rd trimester and we can tell already that Jackson will be a VERY active little boy. Even as I write this post, he is kicking up a storm.

We still have quite a bit to accomplish before our little guy is here. Not just in preparation for his arrival but for our jobs and church as well. I am still continuing with one of the things that I love and that is creating jewelry. I have had to put it on hold this year due to pregnancy sickness and such. I am starting to pick back up slowly. However, I have decided that I can't continue with my Mary Kay business at this time. With Jack coming, I need to be totally focused on him and the other responsibilities that my family and church bring. To me, those are top priorities. While I am disappointed, I know that this is the right decision and that brings me great relief.

There are other things going on that I cannot share at this time. But I ask that you pray with and for us as we continue to seek God's guidance in these specific areas. It seems to be a lot to handle at this time but we know that God is in control and will work it out according to HIS will, not ours.

On a brighter note, we have started our 2011 garden!!! We are trying a few new things this year. Jeremy planted corn, squash, okra, and strawberries. We're not sure how well they will grow but we're anxious to see what happens. We also have planted the normal tomatoes and beans. So far everything seems to be growing as planned. We had a lot of rain yesterday and looks like there will be more on the way later this evening.

I can't believe that Spring is already here! The flowers are blooming, the garden is growing, the birds are singing, and the sun stays out longer! It's so wonderful living in Florida this time of the year.

I am still continuing with the book that I mentioned in my last blog post (Life Management for Busy Women). I am learning (or maybe I should say, re-learning) so much. I am reading about managing the home. I am so glad that I decided to cut out some of my other responsibilities in life so that I can focus better on my family and home. I know that life is going to be quite a bit busier when you add kids to the mix. Anyway, one thing I have been focusing on is that my day should start with prayer. You can't have good home management without giving it over to the Lord in prayer first. A second thing is that you always have to be reading! Rather it be from the Scriptures or from books. Learning is the key . . . even when you're out of school! You're never finished with your studies. God has given us many resources to use, we need to take advantage of them.

Well, I have so many more things that I could share with you from this book, but I will have to save it for another post. Jeremy is on his way home for lunch and I need to put into practice what I have learned and re-learned these last two weeks. My family is important to me! Until then, keep God first and family second!!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was still running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

This is one of my favorite children's books of all time. I guess it is because I identify with little Alexander almost on a daily basis. Yesterday was no different. By the way, if you've never read the book, I definitely recommend it to you.

The laundry has been piling up for a couple of weeks due to a broken washing machine. Jeremy was able to fix it on Tuesday evening of this week. First, let me tell you that I have been fighting a cold or allergies (or something!) for about a week now. Well, yesterday I thought I was feeling a little bit better so I decided to tackle the laundry. I tore off all of the bed sheets so I could wash them first. I went outside (our washer and dryer are located in, what we call, the utility shed) and set the wash cycle to begin. I came back inside and decided I felt well enough to wash the dishes . . . luckily, we now are the very proud owners of a portable dishwasher! So, I started that cycle. About 35-40 minutes I went back out to put some more laundry in the wash and heard the sound of trickling water. I opened the utility shed to discover water seeping out all over the floor but not dripping down the machine itself. (Mind you, I was already sick and it is a bit chilly out for Florida this time of year.) I opened the lid to discover that the water had not stopped the filling process and so the water level kept rising and rising. Panic immediately set in but I still managed to shut the machine off before I ran inside to grab the phone to call Jeremy at work. Then I started the removal process of all our gardening equipment that had been sitting in a pool of water. Fortunately, Jeremy was able to take a half day off and rushed home to assess the damage.

Next, let me tell you that I was already so frustrated because I was not feeling well and it was cold outside. Then, I realized that the washer was filled with our bed sheets and if we didn't get the problem fixed, we would be sleeping with no blankets that night. All of this came in the middle of other problems that are going on this week and so, I was in tears when Jeremy arrived home from work. Jeremy looked inside the washer but outside the washing drum (which the water had been trickling into and all over the wires inside). He checked to make sure everything was alright and looked for the cause of the overflow. To make the story not quite so long, he called our neighbor (and landlord) --who was also sick-- and he came to check out the situation. It turns out, the tubing that tells the water when to stop filling up, popped off.

Now all things are fixed and I was able to get two loads of laundry washed last night. Bad news, I am feeling worse today than I was yesterday. Although, yesterday, I felt very much like Alexander.

Faith-The Evidence of Things Unseen

I have just finished my second book for the year 2009! I recently bought the book Mistaken Identity. I'm sure most of you have heard about it. It is the true story of two young women (along with several others) from Taylor University who were involved in a horrible traffic accident and their identities were switched at the scene. The book was written by the families of both of those young women. I was touched by the story when I heard about it back in 2006. I saw the book one day at Barnes and Noble and wanted to learn more. If you don't have this book, I recommend buying it. You will be greatly encouraged.

The main thing that I was impressed with was the bond that these two families shared, not only with the switch of the identities of their daughters, but with their bond in Christ, their Savior. Their faith is evident throughout the whole book. It was an encouragement to me to see that no matter what twists and turns their lives took, they turned their eyes to God and His Word. They shared different accounts of how each of their daughters lived their lives on earth and how they helped to point others to Christ. (I remember seeing their story on Oprah and on The Today Show. They were even willing to share Christ with viewers on television!)

With each page and chapter that I read, I thought about how I reflect Christ in my life. Do I point others to Him just as those families do? Reading this book really brought that to my attention. My one goal is life should be to glorify God. I realized that I haven't been doing that like I should lately. I often get mad at the littlest things. Here are two families who went through horrible and tragic events and aren't mad at anyone! What an amazing testimony of how God is in control no matter what happens. 

As the father of one of the victims involved in the accident said, "Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. It's not a perfect world that we live in but we believe that God is sovereign and takes an active part in our lives. Even in sorrow there can be joy and even in tragedy there is hope." What a testimony of what true faith in Christ can be! I only hope that I will take this story with me each day and be reminded of what Christ did for me when He died on the cross for my sins. It is only through Him that I can have that hope.

To the families of these two young women, if you ever read this, please know that you have encouraged me with your story and your willingness to share your faith in Christ with the world around you. Just reading your book has been a reminder that I so much needed in this time of my life. God is good no matter what happens! There is not a doubt in mind, that when it is time for you to meet our Saviors face, He will say to you, "Well Done!" 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).