Do Not Doubt

Oh, the pressure's on in our household. We move in less than three weeks now. We haven't really started packing, we don't have an actual address yet, we're not completely convinced that our house sale is going to come off without a hitch, we don't have my fall job plans or childcare lined up yet... But, the Lord tells us, "you must believe and not doubt."

What we have accomplished is a great deal of organization and purging of belongings. We have said a lot of goodbyes already. Micah's workin' the graph paper to determine what we'll have room for and where it will go. I have lists upon lists to get through, although quite a few items are already crossed off. We're not getting much sleep and the nerves are a smidge raw, but otherwise we're hanging in there. We have received some great encouragement in the last few days. We know that we will have so many people praying for us along this journey. Even so, it seems that as soon as we have peace about one area, something else pops up that we weren't expecting.

So, for today, we're clinging to this: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:2-6

Thank you for your partnership with us along this journey. Blessings to you and yours!

Nightmares and Catching Puke

I apologize for being indelicate, but we've been dealing with a lot of throw up and other unsavory substances at our house this week. Ironically, Micah had a nightmare Saturday night that he got 15 minutes notice on Sunday morning that he needed to preach the Mother's Day sermon at church. So, I asked him... If you really did have to preach that sermon with 15 minutes notice, what would you say? He said... I'd talk about catching puke. I requested further explanation.

Micah said that the Lord's heart is a lot like that of a mother with a sick child. If anyone but your own child threw up, you would back away immediately. But, when your own child is sick, you rush in there with cupped hands at the first sign of nausea. That's what the Lord does for us when we're dealing with all kinds of ick in our lives. He wants to be there like the concerned mother with cupped hands, offering to bear the brunt of the load. I'm not sure that analogy will ever really make it to a pulpit, but it was an interesting picture for me to ponder.

As for us, this week we pray for health. That Joely will overcome his ick, and that the rest of us will stay healthy. We have a big few days coming up. We have a lot of goodbyes to say this weekend. We're thankful that no matter what we do or where we go, we will always have the One who has the whole world in His hands right there with us. God is good, all the time.

GREAT Fridays!

I have always loved Fridays, but the last two have been extra special for our family. Last Friday after a great deal of prayer and preparation, Micah passed his last seminary qualifier exam - eight whole days before the deadline! Now he is a certified beginner in the study of the Old Testament, New Testament, and Christian Doctrine. Bring on Greek and Hebrew! I pray for continued stamina and wisdom for Micah as he has SO much more studying to do in the next few years.

As for this Friday, earlier tonight we signed a contract on our home! We took the for sale sign out of the yard, and are so thankful to be able to spend this weekend doing something other than getting ready for an open house. Farmer's Market, fishing, and baseball here we come! We pray that all goes well with the paperwork and closing details.

The move is only five short weeks away. Things are coming together, and our anxiety level is staying pretty low for now. Our next big project is packing. We pray for physical strength for that!

Blessings to you and yours.

What a difference a year makes

Here I am, sitting at an open house in attempt to sell our home. One year and two days ago I never would have imagined that happening...

One year ago yesterday, on our tenth anniversary, Micah told me that the Lord has been tugging at his heart for years to go into the ministry. That started an unbelievable chain of events that is still only beginning to come together.

Over the summer, we visited the seminary, got most of Micah's admissions requirements out of the way, we told our families and employers that we were planning to move, and we started mentally adjusting to that life change. Micah started an interim position as our church's Business Director in August to help prepare him for church work, which has been a wonderful blessing. Micah took his first pre-seminary course in the fall. I submitted my resignation from the YMCA in January. Micah and I both started looking for our replacements in February. March 1 we put our house up for sale. In the middle of March we went back to St. Louis for another visit.

Yesterday, on our 11th anniversary, we got some disappointing news that a wonderful future seminary family we had gotten to know had decided not to make the move after all. That made us question a few things. Then the mail arrived, and in it was confirmation that the on-campus housing we had requested is available for us. So, we sent off a sizeable deposit check and felt encouraged to stay the course. We are planning to move the first weekend in June.

All of these details I mentioned are just demographics. These details pale in comparison to the unseen. What the Lord has been doing in our hearts and in those around us has been amazing. He has worked so many things together for good already, and we know His grace has only begun to be revealed to us.

We will treasure the next seven weeks here in our wonderful hometown, with our beloved family and friends. We know we will miss them terribly. But, we have faith that the Lord has so many blessings in store for us - more than we can even imagine. God is good, all the time.

A Great Trip!

We're fresh off of a whirlwind trip. 72 hours of literally running from appointment to appointment, hoping to knock out as many pre-move details as we could before we started missing the kids so much that we could no longer stay away.

We were blessed to be able to meet and spend time with some of our "cyber-friends," the Thompsons and the Rays. They're all even more delightful in person than they are in cyberspace. We visited a church, Jonah's school, Joel's preschool, I had two job interviews, we opened a bank account, and learned a lot about the campus and seminary life. We feel like we now have a good grasp on this journey that's about to commence.

Grandma and Grandpa survived their stay with the kids, although they admitted they were ready to give them back to us. The kids were really happy to see us, and we were glad to be home. Although, we do realize that "home" is somewhat of a relative term right now.

Now our prayer is that our house will sell soon, and that things will come together with my job search. We have faith, and a sense of peace, that everything will work out just fine. God is good, all the time.

Blessings to you and yours!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here it is, February 15th. Another Valentine's Day come and gone. And, that's actually just fine with me. Traditionally, I have hated Valentine's Day. Way too many expectations, way too many opportunities for hurt feelings, and way too much sugar. I'm sure everyone could rattle off at least a handful of bad Valentine's Day memories. I could too, but for today, I am going to bask in my newfound appreciation, if not love, for this holiday.

I now take joy in making Valentine's Day all about the kids. Yesterday we made heart shaped pancakes with strawberry sauce and whipped cream for breakfast while the kids opened their trinkets. (Etch-a-sketches all around!) The kids drew pictures for each other, Jonah made little love notes for his mom and dad, and we had lots of hugs and kisses. Jonah thinks the most special thing in the world is to do "cheers" with sparkling grape juice in clear plastic glasses, so we made a nice dinner and had a toast. We ended the evening by putting the kids to bed and watching the Fireproof DVD that I bought Micah for the occasion.

So, as it turned out, we had virtually no expectations, no hurt feelings, and just a little sugar. I loved every minute of it. I hope you had similar success on this holiday. Blessings, and love, to you and yours!`

What does the groundhog know anyway?

Happy Groundhog Day! I should really research the historical significance of this day, because if you ask me, spring has already sprung in sunny Lincoln, NE! After two straight days of being outside without a coat on, and forecasts calling for the 50's again later this week, I'm thinking it's about time to bring out the baby pool!

To make spring's arrival official, I have started my spring cleaning. I have cleaned out nearly all of our closets, I have packed up and given away lots of things we don't need, and I'm feeling a little lighter in mind and spirit. Several months ago I spoke with a wise seminary wife who said, "if you don't love it, don't move it." So, I'm trying to take that advice to heart as we prepare for our move which is now only four short months away.

I'm sure as soon as my spring cleaning is done, I'll be smacked back to reality by the inevitable blizzard, and I'll realize that winter still does have Lincoln in its sights for a while yet. Until then, I'll enjoy the January/February thaw. I hope you are too! Blessings to you and yours!