It's a Crazy Life!

So much of this post will be copy and pasted from my other blog (http://welcomedchaos.blogspot.com) since I REALLY have no time to write two blog posts right now. I promise to write more blogs in the future for our dear family and friends to read.

So time has come and gone since I last was able to blog. Things have been insane around here. I read a quote a few weeks back that sums up the very thing that we have been trying to learn for about a month: Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him,' -Oswald Chambers.

For a few years, we have been praying for Jeremy to find a new job. At first his search was just in the area and then, when he couldn't find a job, we broadened the search to Florida. After the birth of our son, we decided to search in North Carolina and Indiana where our families live.

Jeremy almost had a job in Raleigh, NC and we were so close to moving there but that didn't work out. When Raleigh didn't work out, we tried to find a larger apartment to rent in Clearwater. We found the perfect place. A quiet condo with 24 hour security. We would feel safe enough to have Jack there. We were so excited and made plans to move and sign paper work and everything. A couple of weeks before we were supposed to move, Jeremy found out that his job would be giving pay cuts. We were devastated. What was God trying to do??

Little did we know, God was working out every detail according to His plan--not ours. A few weeks went by and we were told about a job up in Indiana near where my family lives. We were sure that it would not work out. Jeremy went through many interviews with the company in a period of weeks. Each one seemed to be getting better and better. Finally, on Monday (March 5th), they told Jeremy that they wanted to hire him. Jeremy said that he would like to visit the company before officially saying he'd take the job. So, we were Indiana bound that following Wednesday. He had an on-site interview on that Thursday and agreed to take the position. So, we will be moving to Indiana in a week and a few days!

We are excited about this adventure that the Lord is taking us on and thrilled that we get to do it together! It will be wonderful to see our families more often. We will miss the friends that we have made in Florida and are very thankful that we have Facebook to keep in touch! We might even take vacations to Clearwater! We know our way around . . . why not?? :o)

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we scurry about these next few weeks. When we get settled, I promise to blog more often. Since we'll be in a bigger place, I will be doing more crafts that I find on Pinterest. I will share as often as I can. See you in Indiana!!

It's December! YIKES!

Where on earth did the time go?? I can't believe that it is almost time to be sending out a new Christmas letter. Maybe I should be working on that.

I know that I always explain why I never have time to blog anymore but it's really not an excuse. It's my job. Jack keeps me pretty busy. He doesn't nap as long anymore so I have to keep him pretty occupied these days. He is starting to notice when we're not around. If I leave the room, he gets a little anxious.

He is noticing more and more about things in our house. He is constantly looking all around him. He LOVES the Christmas lights and can't stop staring at them. He will be six months at Christmas and we can't wait to see how he reacts to all of the excitement.

Since it has been a while, we decided on posting a couple of pictures of Jack from his first Thanksgiving. He loved it. He didn't get to try any of the food (his doctor said no until at least six months). He was still happy though. And, when Jack is happy, we are happy. :o)

Food. . . . That reminds me. Why do I feel so guilty now when I am eating in front of Jack?? He knows that I have food and he wants it! I feel awful that he can't have a taste. I just want to make sure that he doesn't get any food allergies. I know that, if I don't listen to the doctor, and Jack ends up with a food allergy, then I will feel even more guilty. So, at least if I wait and he still ends up with some type of allergy, at least I listened.

I am still trying to adjust to Jack being around. It has been pretty difficult to put off house work. I just can't really seem to get as much done. I have had to learn (and am still learning) that it's okay and it can wait. I try to do what I can, when I can. I still wish that I could hire a maid though. Especially with the holidays coming and going so fast!

T is for Two Teeth!

When Jackson started getting some teething symptoms a few weeks ago, I thought, "Boy, this is it!" It was crazy! I ended up doing a little research. It turns out that my husband and I both were early teethers. I also read somewhere that it's quite possible for your baby to have all the symptoms of teething and not actually get his teeth for a few months. That is certainly not what I wanted to hear . . . although, it did explain why Jack was being so "rotten."

Last night, Jeremy came home from work and spent a little time with Jack right away (which he always does after work). Jack reached out and grabbed his daddy's fingers and put them in his mouth (which he always does after work). That is when Jeremy realized that Jack's two bottom teeth were finally breaking through! Needless to say, I am one proud momma! I keep check the poor kids mouth every hour to see if those pearly whites are popping up yet. He probably thinks I'm crazy.

Trials, Triumphs and Teething

It has been a while since I've written a post. Things have been crazy around here. We have been super busy and not just with Jackson. One thing for sure, I have been embracing my new role as a mom. Sometimes it's a little bit difficult to keep up with the other things that I need to do.

As I have mentioned before, we are fortunate enough to have help in our responsibilities at church so we have managed to cut back with some of our teaching. With that is still some level of worry. Not to mention, I miss teaching the kids full time. It's just not the same. Now when I see them, I wonder how they grow so fast--even when I see them every week!

We have been going through many trials since our new little guy came into our lives. Trials with him and trials with life in general. Our families have gone through struggles and our friends have gone through struggles. One thing for sure, God has been there for me, to help me in my struggles. He continues to show me the areas that I need to work on. I try to live my life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. So often I fail. It seems like that has been happening a lot in my life lately. I often wonder if the things that are crashing down around me are a result of something that I have done wrong in my life. If not, at least the Lord is using it to cause me to reevaluate my life or the people that I let in my life. Now that I have Jack, I need to keep my focus on God and what He wants for my life. I want my son to grow up knowing the God that I grew up knowing. I want him to learn to love the things that makes God happy and hate the things that God hates. It is my responsibility to teach Jack and raise him up in a way that would bring glory to God.

Alright, so (now that I am a mom) my posts will probably consist of writing about Jack. He is our life and I can't stop looking at him every single minute of every day. He is growing so fast. He just turned 4 months old yesterday. I wonder where the time went.

Along with Jack growing like a weed, he has also started the process of teething. It has been so crazy and I here that it could be a long time before any teeth even pop up. Oh, great. Jack is normally a pretty good baby. He only cries when he's hungry, sleepy or has a dirty diaper. Now that he's teething, I feel like I gave birth to a monster. I call him my teeny tiny teething monster. It really isn't all that bad now that we have figured out different ways to keep him occupied and different things for him to chew on at different times. I have discovered that he loves Finding Nemo and chewing on his burp cloths.

We just started Jack on rice cereal once a day. At times it seems like he enjoys it and then there are times where he looks like he might be sick. He's pretty comical at times. Every time we feed him it is a messy experience but I love it. The look on his face is always priceless.

A mom's work is never finished and the little guy needs me. He desperately wants to be moving but can't figure out the whole crawling thing yet. Until next time, if you're having trouble, find something to chew on!

Adam and Eve had many advantages, but the principal one was that they escaped teething.

-Mark Twain

Schedule

I am SO excited! It has been about a couple weeks that we have been working on a schedule here for the Jack-man. He is getting up pretty much around the same time every day: between 8 or 8:30. So he has his first bottle pretty early and then he takes a pretty long nap in the morning. I sit him in his swing and he naps pretty much up until his next feeding. That gives me plenty of time to get ready for my day. Then he eats between 12 or 12:30. Afterwards, he will play until around 2:15 or so when he goes down for his afternoon nap (in his crib). He sleeps about 45 minutes to an hour (sometimes more). Then we'll play a little longer before he eats again (between 4:30 or 5). Then daddy comes home and plays with him. Depending on the day (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are bath around 8ish), he will take his last bottle around 9 and then it's off to bed! This has been so fantastic! He gets put in his crib wide awake. He will cry for about 10 minutes (less now) and then he is out until the next morning! I can't believe that it has been working out so well. I am so excited about it.

Anyway, I plan on homeschooling him when he's able. I was looking up some stuff to see if there is anything I can do now to prepare him for school when he's older. I found a website that has a (sort of) curriculum for infants starting at 3 months of age. He turns 3 months on Sunday so I think we are going to start that next week. I'm really excited about it!

I just went outside to get the mail a little while ago. It is so nice out! I can't believe that Fall is almost here in Florida! I LOVE this time of the year. It's just perfect out (minus the mosquitoes in the evening). I can't wait to take Jack out during the day for some fresh air. It's been too hot for us to be outside for too long. Jack hates to feel sweaty. :o) So, I am celebrating today by putting up our Fall decorations. I can't wait until the day that Jack can appreciate all of this with me!!! Until then, it looks like I'll be able to catch up on my reading! ;o)

Where'd the time go??

August 18

Wow! We have not made a post for over a month! Sorry about that. We have been a little busy. But I promise to try to post more often. I figure that I will be able to post a little more since I am getting more sleep now than I have for the last 11 months! Jack just turned 2 months last Thursday and he has been sleeping through the night for a whole week. We are thrilled . . . and much more rested! Not to mention, we are finally making it to Sunday School again!!

I guess I should fill everyone in on what has been going on in our lives since our last post. We have had family visitors. My parents were here for the birth of Jack and then my mom came back a week later to help out until I was fully recovered from the hemorrhaging. It was so nice to have them help and to see how they reacted to their 3rd grandchild. Every grandchild is as big of an excitement as the first! :o) At the end of July, Jeremy's mom and sister came to visit. It was Jeremy's sisters first time visiting us and we were glad to show off Jackson as well as where we live. Megan, you need to come back now that we have our schedule all figured out with Jack! :o)

Okay, now it's time to go back to bragging about our baby. Ever since he turned 2 months, he has been so much more fun! Not that he wasn't before--but he is smiling more and laughing. We can actually play with him now. It's a lot of fun. Last Saturday, he actually rolled over from front to back! We were so proud of him--he was terrified. It was kind of funny. Anyway, needless to say, we are having a blast with our little boy. We love him dearly.

We are gradually going into the time of year that I love the most: Fall. However, I wish so much that I could have the pretty Fall colors that are up North. I miss that most of all. I can't believe that we have already gone a whole year. It will be Christmas before we know it! (Another favorite time of year!)

It's also hard to believe that we have made it one year without my Grandma Martin. I still think of her often. Every time I look at Jack, I can hear her excited voice about her great-grandson. I know she would have loved him. She never knew about him because we found out we were pregnant a month after her passing. I still miss her very much.

Sorry it's taking me so long to post this. Jeremy came home for lunch and then I had to feed Jackson. I just wanted to ask you all to pray for Jeremy. While he was home, he received an email informing him that a friend, and former co-worker, passed away. Jeremy had the opportunity to witness to this man on many occasions. He was loved by our family greatly. We will certainly miss him. We covet your prayers during this time.

To finish what I started about Fall almost being here, reminds me that I need to let you know that our schedules at church are winding down! After much prayer, we have decided that we will be giving up being the Directors of our Wednesday evening kids club: The Winner's Circle. We have somewhat mixed emotions. We certainly have loved teaching the children in our church and we have done so every almost Sunday and Wednesday evening since we have been members. Finally, after 5 years, our church family is growing and we now have the help that we have prayed and waited for so long. We are truly blessed and grateful that there are others who are willing to step up and take over some of our responsibilities. We will, however, continue to be the Directors of Children's Church. We figured because of Jeremy's work schedule (and our new family member), this will be the best option for us.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I will try to post more regularly. As mentioned before, please keep us in your prayers.

Week 37!

It's been a while since we have had a blog post. Where does the time go these days? We have been busily preparing for baby Jack. Can you believe that we only have 2 weeks and 3 days until his due date?! We had our 37-week appointment on Monday and I have already dilated 1cm, 50% effaced, and at pelvic station-zero (which explains all of the low back pain I have)! All of these things are great! That means Jack is well on his way . . . but it still could be a little while yet.

So, what are we doing while we wait? Hmmmm . . . good question. A lot of reading, watching television, EATING . . . you know, that sort of thing. I throw in some cleaning every now and then. They say you get the "nesting" instinct when it gets closer to delivery but I haven't really felt the urge to do that yet. Maybe it's because I am constantly cleaning anyway.

It's getting a lot harder to move around these days. I can't really bend over to pick anything up. It is hard to sit for long periods of time or stand for long periods of time. There really isn't a happy medium.

Oh! I have to tell you this! We were sitting on the couch Monday night and I felt a jab in my stomach. I looked down and felt the bulge . . . it was a tiny, little foot!!! I felt the heel and everything. It was so amazing! I just HAD to share that.

So, we will try our best to keep you updated on any news of the arrival of our little boy. WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

The Lord works in mysterious ways . . .

This week has been quite the interesting week. And it's only Tuesday!! I have been struggling with the many burdens of pregnancy. Since I am in the 3rd trimester, my emotions are going crazy again. Along with that, I am very concerned with all of the things that we have yet to accomplish before Jack comes to live with us. Yesterday was a VERY self-focused day. Everything that could go wrong, seemed to go wrong. I felt so alone. I began to be very worried about the lack of "stuff" we had for Jack which, in turn, made me worry about labor and delivery. Not sure why, but it did. Now, this is not the focus of my blog post today, but I will share with you only a little bit about my concerns.

I have pretty much come to the conclusion (and have know for a long time) that labor and delivery is going to hurt and hurt BAD. I know that there is absolutely no turning back, nor do I want to. I do not regret the decision of ever knowing about Jack. He means the world to me, and I haven't even officially met him yet. However, my flesh gets the best of me and I tend to worry a lot at times. Such is the case here. I can't seem to get it out of my mind. Because of that, other things have fallen by the way side. Certain chores and responsibilities have become neglected despite my recent blog posts about life management.

Okay, so I told you that this post is about something totally different.

The Lord has already used several people in my life, just in the last two days, to turn my focus toward Him. For that, I am thankful! The first instance occurred around noon yesterday. I was reading a blog post from a friend. Now, remember, I had already been well into my self-pity party. She was talking about the chaos of life and how important it is to rely on the "Person who promises peace." It was just what I needed to get a slap back into reality! If you're interested in reading her blog, you may do so here. I trust that you will find it encouraging. It is so nice to have friends! I'm speaking to ALL of you!

A few hours later, I was back into my pity party. Then, my mother called. All she had to do was hear something in my voice and she asked if I was okay. I couldn't keep the tears from coming. To make a long story short, my parents (my dad is home on Spring Break this week) had some very encouraging words to say as well. I was told to read Psalm 139. If there is ever anything that you are struggling with, I encourage you to go to that passage in the Scriptures. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways (vv. 1-3). Of course, don't miss out on the rest of the passage! It is just as vital.

Not too long ago we decided to switch cell phone companies and plans to save money for Jack's arrival. We do not have a land line, so cell phones are our only means of communication in the even of an emergency. Because of the switch, we have been fortunate to have unlimited texting! Now before, we never really saw a need for it, nor did we even care to join the texting phenomenon at all. But I must say, when you don't have time for a phone call (or think you might be bothering someone) texting is the way to go! Yesterday, I was able to text with several of my family members--almost all at once! It was such a blessing to me. Later in the evening, I was also able to Skype with one of my aunts (and a cousin!) who lives in Indiana!! Ahhhhhhhhh . . . Technology!! What did we ever do without it??

Also, let me say, I have the best husband in the world! I don't want to leave him out of yesterdays encouragement. While, he has been having his own issues to deal with this week, he still manages to encourage me. He is my very own personal cheerleader. He wouldn't like it that I used that term to describe him! Every day he tells me that I can go through with this. That I will be great. There is slight hesitation on my part, but I think I'm starting to believe him.

That brings me to today. I know this is getting long but I don't want to leave this part out at all. I decided that I was going to listen to a sermon. Some of you may know that my brother is a youth pastor. I went into my iTunes playlists and I managed to find a sermon that he preached a couple of summers ago at the church that we grew up in. He spoke on Ecclesiastes and how Solomon sought out the meaning of life on earth. He had all of this "stuff." Are you seeing where I'm going with this?? He had fortune and mansions galore. He even built them for other people!! So, what does Solomon conclude? Our fulfillment is ultimately found in God alone. Not in our academics. Not in our amusements. Not in our accomplishments. Not in our possessions. It's okay to be happy but our satisfaction should be in God. God gave him wisdom and he had the wisdom to figure out the True meaning of life. Solomon says, Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man (Ecc. 12:13).

So, my thoughts?? Well, in light of eternity, whatever happens in the delivery room happens. I can't really control it. Whatever I don't get done before Jack comes, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that my focus is continually on God and God alone. He is where I get fulfillment.

My brother ended his sermon with this quote by missionary, Jim Elliot. May it also be our prayer each day. God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life that I may burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life but a full one like You, Lord Jesus.

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!!

Casting All Your Care

I suppose I haven't written in a while. Has it really been 2 months?? Time sure is flying by these days. There are times that I lay in bed wondering where all of the hours in my day went. I guess that's why I'm writing this post at one o'clock in the morning. I have just been thinking about what life is going to be like with a third person living with us.

Oh! This reminds me to update you all on a few things first. At the end of January, we found out that we are going to have a BOY!!!! We are very excited and have been preparing for him ever since. That is one of the many reasons why our posts have been non-existent. Anyway, we cannot wait for Jackson Carter to arrive in June!

So, it has been a few days since I even started this post and I think I am finally ready to finish it. This brings me to why I started writing this post. So much has been going on these last few months. It seems like every time I think that I am finally content where God has me, He shows me another area in my life where I need to be more content. "And be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" Hebrews 13:5.

In a few months, our lives are about to change forever. We will be adding another member to our family. No longer will I only be focused on making my husband happy but my child as well. I have been reading a book by Elizabeth George called Life Management for Busy Women. In one of the chapters, she discusses managing your children. She shares the "guidelines" that she used when raising her own children. It has been very encouraging these last few weeks as well as a nice reminder of what God requires of parents. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:21.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. I Peter 5:7

Fall is almost in Florida!

Okay, so it has been a while since I have written. Sorry about that. A lot has been going on around here. I will try to fill you in on the happenings of our summer or most of it, that is. Some of it went by in a blur. You will see why in a moment.

So, in June we celebrated our four year wedding anniversary!! That is quite an accomplishment--although, it doesn't seem like we have been married that long. We were able to really do anything special this year since Vacation Bible School fell on that same week. We were bummed about that (or, at least, I was) but we had a lot of fun with the kids in VBS. We were put in charge of the games and we really enjoyed it this year.

Forgive me, for I cannot remember exactly what happened in July. Oh, well.

In August, we had to make an emergency trip to Indiana. After 92 years, my Grandma Martin passed away. It has been a very rough time for my family. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to cope with her loss. We miss her very much. Thankfully, we know that we will see her again someday.

September came a little earlier than we thought it would. Yes, I know it comes the same time every year, but it REALLY came earlier this year!! I had to travel back to Indiana for my cousin's wedding. I was also able to help my parents a little bit with things that needed to get done around their house and my grandma's house. After I arrived back from Indiana, we started our Wednesday evening kids club (Winner's Circle) at church. This becomes the time of year when it really starts to get busy and stressful. (Though it seems like the summer has been full of nothing but stress.) We don't have as many kids in our Wednesday night class as we did last year. We are trying not to get too discouraged about it. God has been doing a great thing in our church family and we pray that He will do great things in Winner's Circle this year as well.

It seems as though September has brought a lot of prayer requests too. So many things are happening around us to people we love so dearly. Galatians 6 says, "Bear one another's burdens," and that is certainly what we have been doing. We have been lifting our friends up in prayer. It has truly been a summer of growing. September has also brought a lot of work to us: Jeremy is diving into another catalog season and he has been doing some freelance work here and there, there are more preparations for church going on, and we have been busy trying to find (and add) more "space" to our house.

So, now it's officially October! This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather starts getting cooler here in Florida and it is even more enjoyable to go to the beach. (Jeremy had a day off last week and we went to a beach that we have only been to one other time. We found the biggest shells!!!) We are excited about the next couple of months. We will be getting a brand new nephew soon and we can't wait to meet him! We will be in North Carolina for a wedding around the time of his arrival and we hope that he comes while we are there!!! So, until next time, take a look at some of our summer memories.

Helping with our church VBS on our 4th anniversary.

VBS game time

VBS kids

My last picture with Grandma Martin.

Lunch before Grandma's Funeral.

My cousin, Ken, and his bride, Jessica.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Now that I have your attention, I am fine. Really, I am. I just wanted to make sure that you are all still out there.

So, it is officially summer here (in my mind). We finished our last week of our Winner's Circle kids club last Wednesday. While I love teaching the children, I am so glad to be able to be back in the auditorium with the "big people." Since, I am on the subject of Winner's Circle, I have to tell you all about the fantastic job that the kids did this 11-weeks. We have 3 sets of 11-weeks to give out points. If they make it to 375 or higher, they earn a certificate and a prize each time. This time, we are able to give a prize to 3 of the kids. We will be taking them out for pizza after they all get out of school. Apparently, the love that reward because the minute Jeremy told them, they started cheering and yelling. It's nice that we can reward them for their hard work. And, hopefully, we will have more that will get there next year.

We are gearing up for Vacation Bible School. I am a little more nervous this year because I won't be teaching a class. Instead, Jeremy and I will be doing game time. It seems to be more pressure because we have to think of something REALLY fun for all of the ages. I still don't know exactly how much time we'll have or where we will be stationed in the building, so that is making it a little nerve-wracking too. Oh, well. I am sure that we will have a blast.

My Mary Kay business is kind of stuck in a rut right now. It's a little difficult to be selling where I'm currently at. I have been in Florida for almost 4 years now but, since our church is so small, I really don't have that much client base. I had hoped that I might have had contacts via word of mouth, but that didn't really happen. I guess, in the back of my mind, I knew that it might not happen. That is basically why I started my jewelry business, S'marvelous. However, that too, seems not to be profitable at this point. I have some new jewelry designs and ideas that will come out in the next couple of months so maybe that will help. I have a fan page on facebook, so check that out. If I get a few more sells, I might be able to set up a shop on etsy.com, which is what I intended to do originally. It costs money to do that, and I just don't have the funds right now.

So, even though, I am struggling in business, I am not struggling spiritually. What I mean is that the Lord has been teaching me so much lately. Although I do not have time to go into detail, I will say that He is making it very clear to me and Jeremy that Clearwater, FL is where we need to be at this point in our lives. We are enjoying every chance that we get to minister to the people here. It has truly been a blessing to see God work in the lives of the people we minister to and minister with. For that, we are very grateful.

They're back!!!

Most of you, I'm sure, can remember back to a blog post that I wrote on September 11, 2008 titled Leaping Lizards! Well, I thought for sure that we were out of the woods on that subject since we have a cat that adopted us. Jeremy and I were really grateful for that. But apparently, I am not immune.

I attend a weekly Bible Study on Tuesday mornings or at least try to--when I'm not away on vacation or incredibly sick. So today was like any other Tuesday. I got to my classroom and I was preparing to sit down, when all of a sudden (cue creepy music) I see out of the corner of my eye, a lizard. You've got to be kidding?! Well, I noticed that it was on one of the chairs at the table. So, being the kind hearted person that I am--I did not want someone to sit on it--I tried to get it off. That crazy thing wouldn't budge! Someone walked by and asked if I needed help. So I explained the situation. We decided that we should just push the chair out of the room, down the hall, and outside. Brilliant! So, I proceeded to push the chair, all the while internally freaking out and silently praying that the thing wouldn't jump on me.

Once, again, I remind you, I am NOT afraid of lizards. They only really bother me when they are not where they are supposed to be . . . which is OUTSIDE.

So, I'm pushing the chair on the carpet and I get to a spot where the carpet ends and tile begins. I think to myself, this is not going to work. I am going to scrape this chair along the tile, the lizard will freak out and jump straight at me. So, I notice that there is carpet on the other side of the tile and I decide that I will carry the chair across the tile section to the other carpeted section. I picked up the chair and carried it across with much success. That is, until I set the chair back down. That lizard did not want to be on that chair anymore! He jumped so high, I thought for sure he was coming to attack!! I screamed, several other ladies screamed, and that little lizard took off running through the cafeteria! Oh, no! I have let the monster loose!!! After running zig-zag around the cafeteria flailing my arms about, he finally stopped under a table to catch his breath. I thought, I've got you now! I crept up and he started running again, right into the kitchen and under the prep counter! This is REALLY not good! People cook food in there. What am I going to do?! So, another dear lady decided to help me. She got on one side of the prep counter and I on the other. Neither of us could reach him, so I grabbed a broom from the supply closet. I guess the broom only made him more nervous because he ran under the oven for cover. That little booger must have known we would not be able to reach him there so we had to give up. As far as I know, he is still there. I'm sure he enjoyed a smorgasbord of crumbs for his lunch.

Can't People Read!?

We went to the beach last night. They always have this sign up. I guess they need to put it in different languages.

What is the world coming to?!

Check this out: www.informationageprayer.com. 

So people are so lazy now that they can't even verbally pray to God?! That's insane!