So life goes on and on... a week and a half into our journey, Greg is busier than ever with mowing (I don't think I can call it mowing since he hasn't done much mowing-- more like planting, weeding, hauling, trimming, and cutting.) He's had SO many jobs this last week it's incredible. Just the kick in the butt he needed to go full time into his business. I have applied for several jobs, and keep finding more. I actually have an interview set up for next Tuesday at 1:30, so say a prayer for me on your lunch break!! I am interviewing for two jobs at once at a local bank, one branch here in Whitehouse, and one at the central office in Jacksonville. Either one would be fine, because they both involve numbers and money (nerdy stuff I love!!). One is a face-to-face with customers job, and the other is behind the scenes stuff. Both hats I can wear when called upon. So really, I guess it depends on the money and whether the J'ville job is worth the drive. I would love to work in Whitehouse, that way I am literally one minute from home. Nice commute!! J'ville is okay too, cause I'd be about two minutes from my Grannie's house.
So that's the update. Oh, and for my Facebook friends.. I don't know what's going on there. First it ate my profile, and then it got hacked and sent strange messages around. Sigh. There's technology for ya.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I am thankful.
Now that it's been about a week, we're still here and still surviving as an unemployed family. I can't actually classify us as unemployed, though, since I've been as busy as ever with AlexiaJean Designs and Greg has been getting lawn care calls all week. It's amazing, really, how people came out of the woodwork last week for us. Not surprising though, because we know Who is really in charge here, and He knows the plans for us. It is really cool to watch things unfolding before our eyes.
I was just going to reference Jeremiah 29:11, but then I read on and found even more neat things that apply to me today.
10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place...
To me, I see our past. I could rephrase this to "When your 6.5 years are complete in that evil workplace, I will fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place." This place for us is right here, right now. In this town, and at this time.
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Now we have no choice but to look to the future, and not dwell on the past. And the LORD promises to prosper us and give us hope! (This is why Carly's middle name is Hope, by the way!)
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Believe me, there is no more heartfelt seeking and finding when your family is on the line. It's a shame that when verse 13 is quoted it stops when it does.. keep reading and God reassures that promise. I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU! YOU WILL FIND ME, because I AM HERE!
My favorite part of this is the last part. God says, I will gather you from the places where I banished you, and bring you back from where I sent you into exile. God was in on it all along! Those years of struggle and stress were ordained by the One God. Cool.
Let me add this: I may write my heart, but I haven't written it all.. As my one friend pointed out, yeah I can write all this, but I of course I have had those feelings of anger, fear, disappointment, resentment, and more anger. I suppose it's natural. And of course, even though we are trusting God, I am SCARED TO DEATH. I'm glad I am inspiring, but I'm not perfect. I'm stressed. I want to cry whenever someone suggests going out and grabbing a burger. I am dreading this week when Mops is having a spa day. Buying gas today was nerve wracking when you know it's a limited supply on the debit card. I am worried because Caleb needs to go to the doctor and our insurance ends on Thursday. The little things are big right now and it stinks. But I still know it will be okay, because I am leaning on the Everlasting Arms. I just need to adjust my definition of "okay."
I was just going to reference Jeremiah 29:11, but then I read on and found even more neat things that apply to me today.
10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place...
To me, I see our past. I could rephrase this to "When your 6.5 years are complete in that evil workplace, I will fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place." This place for us is right here, right now. In this town, and at this time.
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Now we have no choice but to look to the future, and not dwell on the past. And the LORD promises to prosper us and give us hope! (This is why Carly's middle name is Hope, by the way!)
12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Believe me, there is no more heartfelt seeking and finding when your family is on the line. It's a shame that when verse 13 is quoted it stops when it does.. keep reading and God reassures that promise. I WILL BE FOUND BY YOU! YOU WILL FIND ME, because I AM HERE!
My favorite part of this is the last part. God says, I will gather you from the places where I banished you, and bring you back from where I sent you into exile. God was in on it all along! Those years of struggle and stress were ordained by the One God. Cool.
Let me add this: I may write my heart, but I haven't written it all.. As my one friend pointed out, yeah I can write all this, but I of course I have had those feelings of anger, fear, disappointment, resentment, and more anger. I suppose it's natural. And of course, even though we are trusting God, I am SCARED TO DEATH. I'm glad I am inspiring, but I'm not perfect. I'm stressed. I want to cry whenever someone suggests going out and grabbing a burger. I am dreading this week when Mops is having a spa day. Buying gas today was nerve wracking when you know it's a limited supply on the debit card. I am worried because Caleb needs to go to the doctor and our insurance ends on Thursday. The little things are big right now and it stinks. But I still know it will be okay, because I am leaning on the Everlasting Arms. I just need to adjust my definition of "okay."
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Romans 8
The inevitable happened today. We knew it was coming; it was obvious from the behaviors. You still don't want to believe it until it happens, though. But in a way, we were prepared. And we can choose to look at it in two different ways.
We could choose to feel overwhelmed, angry, shocked, devastated, and in despair. Or we could choose to see the good in the situation, and look forward with hopeful (if not a little anxious) hearts. We choose the latter.
Greg was let go from Farmers after 6 years and 6 months. He was summoned to the office yesterday, and when he walked in this morning, was handed a memo of termination. That's that. No warning whatsoever. Pretty sad that a company would treat people like that, but not at all surprising, really. To grind the dirt into the wound, they escorted him home, and took his phone, computer, printer, and car back with them. Nice, huh? Honestly, it's a relief. That place was like Nazi Germany. We are glad to get out. It's been a source of stress for our family and marriage for the last three years or so. Not a family-friendly company. Not a friendly company at all.
So what will we do? We have many options. MANY. And nothing is urgent. It takes time to hear God's direction and follow His will. We are listening.
This morning when I got the call from Greg, I was so upset I cried in the middle of the toy section at Walmart. I put all the groceries back, (except for green grapes-- Caleb insisted), then I came home and picked up my Bible. The Lord led me to Romans 8. There is a subtitle in my NIV Bible that says "Future Glory." It totally fits my current situation. What does my future hold? Glory. Here's what the Word says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (vs 18) Hear that? All the worrying about tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!! This is nothing compared to what we will see in the future. In the meantime, we know that God provides for His people. For now, we do not really know what to pray for, but "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (vs 26) I love that.. it means, the Spirit's got our backs on this!
And a closing thought, is really just straight scripture from later in the chapter. vs 31-39. If we have the love of God in Christ, what else do we need? NOTHING can take away my Jesus, and I can take comfort in that.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He didn't even spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all —how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You can take the car, the phone, the computer, the income. But you can't take away the love of MY savior. You can take that to the bank, my friends.
We could choose to feel overwhelmed, angry, shocked, devastated, and in despair. Or we could choose to see the good in the situation, and look forward with hopeful (if not a little anxious) hearts. We choose the latter.
Greg was let go from Farmers after 6 years and 6 months. He was summoned to the office yesterday, and when he walked in this morning, was handed a memo of termination. That's that. No warning whatsoever. Pretty sad that a company would treat people like that, but not at all surprising, really. To grind the dirt into the wound, they escorted him home, and took his phone, computer, printer, and car back with them. Nice, huh? Honestly, it's a relief. That place was like Nazi Germany. We are glad to get out. It's been a source of stress for our family and marriage for the last three years or so. Not a family-friendly company. Not a friendly company at all.
So what will we do? We have many options. MANY. And nothing is urgent. It takes time to hear God's direction and follow His will. We are listening.
This morning when I got the call from Greg, I was so upset I cried in the middle of the toy section at Walmart. I put all the groceries back, (except for green grapes-- Caleb insisted), then I came home and picked up my Bible. The Lord led me to Romans 8. There is a subtitle in my NIV Bible that says "Future Glory." It totally fits my current situation. What does my future hold? Glory. Here's what the Word says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (vs 18) Hear that? All the worrying about tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!! This is nothing compared to what we will see in the future. In the meantime, we know that God provides for His people. For now, we do not really know what to pray for, but "the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." (vs 26) I love that.. it means, the Spirit's got our backs on this!
And a closing thought, is really just straight scripture from later in the chapter. vs 31-39. If we have the love of God in Christ, what else do we need? NOTHING can take away my Jesus, and I can take comfort in that.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He didn't even spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all —how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You can take the car, the phone, the computer, the income. But you can't take away the love of MY savior. You can take that to the bank, my friends.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Easter - Rounds two and three
 |
| Easter 2009 |
We traveled west for Easter weekend this year - it was great! We visited the old neighborhood... man, did it remind us how much we appreciate trees and space! We actually drove right past our old house and didn't realize it until it was behind us... that's how close together the homes are. It was a touch claustrophobic after being back in glorious East Texas for a year. It was awesome seeing a few old friends and seeing how their kids have grown up in the last year.. bittersweet but fun. Like my one friend said, we didn't realize how much we missed those people until we came back to visit. Good times.
Then we headed on over to Boyd for a visit with mom, Grandma and Grandpa, and of course "Wee-yer" the schnauzer. Caleb loves Wheeler! Caleb spent both nights sleeping at Mawmaw's house (next door through the woods) while Greg and I (and Carly) stayed over at Gma and Gpa's. Both kids slept like angels, and it was soooooo nice! Saturday morning we went down to the Easter egg hunt at their church and the kids had fun. Caleb got up on the stage while we were waiting to go out and started running in circles. Greg and I looked at each other and asked, "Whose kid is that???" Funny. Carly decided she was big and took off through the legs of all the grown people in the room (quite a few) to check out the prize table. More than once I actually lost sight of her because she was such an explorer! Gotta remember to watch this one, she is fearless...
Sunday after a great church service we headed down to Midlothian for lunch with all my cousins on mom's side that live around the area. A bunch of big appetites! Lunch was delish and then the older kids hid eggs for the younger kids and had another fun little egg hunt. Soon after we headed home expecting both kids to sleep all the way home... HA they surprised us... not a wink, but Carly did make a great mess of cracker crumbs in her carseat... last minute we stopped by the Rices to pick up Ladybug and ended up staying for a fried fish dinner. Yum! Great way to end a GREAT weekend!!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Easter 2009 - Round One
 |
| Easter09 |
Click above to see a few photos of the Easter egg hunt we had at the Rices. Caleb and Carly and three sweet little friends all joined in the fun and hunted 143 eggs!! It was a fun time - and the perfect number of kids, not too many, not too few. The little redheaded girl is the next-door neighbor the the Rices. Caleb and Carly love playing with the "red baby!"
I am looking forward to spending the Easter weekend in Boyd (and Midlothian) and getting some more fun pictures!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)