Life Update

Use me then, my Savior, for whatever purposes and in whatever way you may require. Here is my poor heart, and empty vessel; fill it with your grace. D.L. Moody

We still live in a living room. It's been 8 months. It's rather grown on me. I think everyone should live in their living rooms. One of the things I love about it is in the morning my kids come pile in bed with me and watch cartoons and I can snooze a bit longer. I also love being close to them, I hear them if they get up, or if they cry or even if they just roll over in bed.

In the very near future I'll be across the house, down the stairs, and tucked in a corner bedroom where I won't hear them. I'm just enjoying the way it is right now. :-) Tommorrow a man comes to tape our sheetrock. I then have some lovely family and friends who are coming to help me paint all the walls. We have a week to do it in before the guy comes to hang a suspended ceiling.

We have a friend that is blessing us so richly.. we are getting our tile floor and tile shower laid in exchange for labor (we give them hair-cuts, and car services). God has showed himself faithful in the way all this has worked out for us. It has taken much longer than we thought but my parents are going above and beyond what we had originally asked for. This little old hired hand's house is about to have the basement look like something in a magazine. My parents already had brand-new windows put on it this fall and a new roof. I LOVE my windows. I'll have to show you a peek at them once the house isn't so cluttered.

Despite the hard adjustment it was for me and leaving my beautiful home and neighborhood and friends and neighbors this place is really growing on me. The house is really kind of charming in a small, cramped kind of way. It feels like home now though. My neighbors are my brother and his wife and son, and my parents, and my little brother's wife's parents, (whose dad happens to be a cop), it doesn't get more secure feeling than that.

I've become involved with the church and right now have some big doors of some ministry work I have wanted to be involved with opening up for me. I've met some really neat ladies that I now can call friends. I'm learning how to be a better daugher of the King, mother, and wife. These are the most important callings God has placed on my life.

I'm learning instead of always looking for something to do in order to feel like I am contributing to society to instead look inside my four walls.

"I give happy thanks for the daily mess with a smile a mile wide, because this is again my chance to wholeheartedly serve God, to do full-bodied eucharisteo with the hands and the heart and the lips. I can count each task a gift, pure eucharisteo. Grace! This work-- the thousand endless jobs--they each give the opportunity for one to become the gift, a thousand times over! Because with every one of the thousand endless jobs, I become the gift to God and to others because this work is the public God serving, the daily liturgy of thanks, the completing of the Communion service with my service. .........Here I can become the blessing, a little life that multiplies joy, making the larger world a better place." Ann Voskamp-- One thousand gifts

You can't say it any better than she does. I've been very challenged to look at the mundane, everyday as my mission field. God is here in my midst as I go about the daily grind. The opportunities I have had to talk with my children about God and life have been so neat. This new way of thinking truly does feel like awakening.

I also have some job opportunities on my horizon which have potential to really help us out. We are doing the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University which has been so instrumental in this season of our lives right now. We are trying to get back on our feet and really do what God wants in our lives.

God is good... all the time... and He truly never changes. I can look back on our struggles over the last few years and thank Him for where it has brought us and how it has changed me for the better. Where there used to be judgment there is now compassion and mercy, where there was fear, there is now faith. It's amazing how that happens.

For any of you prayer warriors out there I would just ask for prayer for my migraines. They've been really bad lately. I've had 10 this month alone. I've also been losing lots of hair for the last 4 months. I'm now started to see scalp. Joel even notices so you know it is bad. I'm on some hormones at the moment so we are hoping it helps everything but so far it hasn't. Thank-you so much! Also, keep Joel in your prayers as he has some big decisions to make for our families future.

I'll post some pictures of my growing family soon. I can't believe I have a little one turning 4 so soon. They are so incredibly priceless. God is Amazing!!!!!