All in a week's work

What a week it's been!  In the past 8 or 9 days alot has been happening on the homefront.  For starters, I went into the garage one day to find a light brownish substance leaking from the front of my SUV toward the door of our garage.  Yikes.  Long story made shorter: the culprit ended up being the water pump.  But thanks to our power train warranty (and the fact that we bought the vehicle new), we were only $20 out of pocket -- and that was just for the assessment estimate.  We were so thankful to God that was all we had to pay, because the estimate came back with a total of more than $500 worth of work and parts! 

Fastforward to 3 days later. A call to my husband to let him know I was on my way home went something like this: "Hey honey.  How are you?"  "I'm fine.  I'M doing okay."  "Okay, I'm almost home."  "Okay, yeah.  I'M alright, but my motorcycle's not..."  Yeah, not the conversation that a wife wants to hear...EVER.  Long story made shorter, again: A car pulled out in front of my husband leaving him little time to stop.  He DID manage to stop, but not without laying his bike down.  He walked away with little more than some road rash.  Again, THANK GOD!  The guy who pulled out in front of him did stop to check on him and assess the damages.  And he's willing to pay for whatever it costs to fix the bike, since he knows he caused the accident.

Fastforward to the next day.  A drive in my husband's car to a Christmas party left me scratching my head in regards to a noise I could hear coming from under the hood.  When I pulled back into his parking space, I could see a puddle where his car had been leaking.  Long story short: Power steering pump hose gone bad.  Not bad for a vehicle with 150k+ miles on it.  Again, we were given a $500 estimate.  But again, God provided a cheaper way.  A friend of a coworker has repaired it and we ended up paying less than half of the estimate.

In addition to this, our big girl moved into her big girl bed.  This went surprisingly smooth in comparison to Dylan's transition.  She LOVES her new bed and tries to show it to any visitors that come over. 

Throw in a couple of Christmas parties and a preschool Christmas program and all of this adds up to a VERY busy week.  However, the busyness is dying down and we are slowing down to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.  Last night we read "God Gave Us Christmas" around our tree and sang some Christmas carols.  The kids thought that was alot of fun and recreated the event this morning upon awakening.

Something else cool happened this week.  I accomplished what I never would have thought possible.  I have been running alot this year, so much so that I am going to break the 200 mile mark before the year is out.  But a 5k was about as far as I could go at any given time.  However this week I slowed down my speed a bit and pushed myself distance-wise.  I ended up running two 6.5-mile jaunts around Pope Army Airfield on two separate days.  A total equaling a half-marathon!!  It was pretty exciting to see what this thirty-something body is still capable of!

Blog-iversary

New Year's Eve marked my 3 year blog-iversary. It is such a treasure to me to be able to go back and trace the Lord's hand throughout my family's adventures! Thank you God for the way you have led us through the past and the way you now carry us into the future. You are the one who exists outside the confines of time, yet you gently and lovingly guide us through each year. Rishon Va-Acharon. Alpha and Omega.

Our favorite soldier celebrated his holidays in a land where Christ is neither recognized nor celebrated. But don't think for a minute he didn't make the most of it! He started working the day of Thanksgiving to put up several Christmas trees, including one in his own tent. It was complete with lights and a manger scene. If life is 10% what happens to us and 90% what we make of it...Chaplain had a GREAT Christmas. I am so proud of him for his mental resolve and determination to keep the message of hope alive. I love you, babe.

The kids and I made several trips throughout November/December. Thanksgiving had us treking across half the country to the land of Arkansas. We stayed with Tim's parents and visted our old church in Cabot, AR. On the way there and back we spent some time with my parents as well. It was a great trip, but put nearly 2,000 miles on Katy the Acadia!

After we returned home, Christmas festivities went into full swing and we decorated our home as well, although it was a scaled down version of what we would have put up had Santa been home! :) It was enough to help us feel festive and keep our mind on Christ. Dylan participated in his first Christmas programs, one at preschool and one at ChapelNext, both of which were adorable! Jordan just soaked everything in, from the lights to the music to the goodies! She did pretty good with the Christmas tree, only occasionally taking off ornaments to play with them. Fortunately her mom had the brains to put the non-breakable ones on the bottom! :)

Shortly before Christmas we headed back to Alabama. We were able to see Tim's parents and grandmother in Winfield as well as stay with my parents and see my extended family. Considering the precious one we were without this holiday season, what a wonderful Christmas the Lord made for us! The weather was cold and crisp, perfect for celebrating the season. And God gave us a beautiful and glorioius gift on Christmas morn - we awoke to the serenity of falling snow! It fell for much of the morning and accumulations were around 4-6 inches! What a beautiful sight, so peaceful and tranquil and quiet. Elohim, you are glorious and so good to us your children! I pray this is a Christmas we won't soon forget, especially for my 4 year old. I pray this is one he remembers for the rest of his life. The Christmas that God sustained us without our daddy and sent us snow for his Son's birthday party!

After Christmas, we made a trip up to Ohio to see my dad's extended family. Oh what fun that was! The snow adventure continued as we made our way up through Tennessee, Kentucky, and into Ohio. There was snow on the ground the entire trip there! We stayed in a little cabin right on Lake Erie and Dylan got to sleep in a bunkbed for the first time. The kids had a wonderful time with their cousins and great-grandparents. The biggest delight of all was watching Dylan interact with my 99 year-old great-grandmother in such a loving and caring way. It was as if they were kindred spirits!

And now the new year is upon us - 2011. We are anticipating big things this year -- our boy will turn 5 and Daddy will be coming home. Plus, who knows what other surprises the Lord will bless us with?!? God's blessings to all of you, friends and family!

TwentyTen

2009 has definitely come to a close and 2010 is beginning to feel more like a new friend than a distant relative. Our Christmas was a busy one as we logged 2900 miles in our Acadia while away from home. We left on December 18th for Arkansas by way of Alabama. As we headed on our trek we got news that Chaplain's grandfather, affectionately titled "Pawpaw", was in his last days. Dementia and other systemic health problems had taken its toll on Pawpaw and his time on earth was coming to a close. After a night's stay at my parent's and dropping off the pups, we made our way to Little Rock. On the 21st two days after we arrived we got word that Pawpaw had headed to heaven to have an early Christmas. So the next day we made the journey back to Alabama for the viewing and funeral. On Christmas Eve, we back-tracked to Arkansas and enjoyed Christmas with Chaplain's family, including his sister, brother-in-law, and D's and J's cousins. It was a great Christmas with lots of surprises and it was even cold enough to use the fireplace! When headed back home, we went by Mom and Dad's again (to get the dogs of course) and enjoyed a little more time with them. D and J took all the traveling and strange sleeping arrangements in style and handled it all so well. D enjoyed having family around all the time and was thoroughly bored when we returned home. We made it back to bragg on the 30th and enjoyed several days together just the 4 of us before Chaplain returned back to work.

It was so special having a baby around this Christmas. We reflected on the fact that it was this time last year that we found out J was on the way! Having her in our arms and seeing her coo and smile made every light brighter and each song more joyful. J, you are such a precious jewel. Your father and I cannot believe how beautiful you are...from your blue eyes to your smile, we marvel each day at how lovely God made you. You have an open-mouth smile, almost like you are trying to laugh each time you grin. You are in LOVE with your brother; when he comes into the room your eyes lock on him and you watch his every move. He tries to make you laugh every chance he gets, and I have heard you chuckle a few times. Right now you are into rolling over and propping up on your forearms. You love your exersaucer, too. I have begun finding you asleep on your tummy more and more recently. You are somewhere between 13 and 14 pounds and I am so proud that every ounce of that is "homegrown". On January 9th, at 5 months and 1 week, I started giving you rice cereal, twice a day, and you absolutely loved it. It seemed as if you couldn't get enough with each spoonful, like you were wanting a continuous flow of the stuff! You get so messy but like to "eat" at the table with the rest of the family. You take 3 naps a day and, for the most part, sleep about 11-12 hours at night. Mommy is enjoying the gift that Daddy and God have blessed her with in that she has been able to stay home with you and your brother. It has made the past 5 months go by not quite so fast! Daddy doesn't get to spend as much time with you as Mommy, but he sure did enjoy being with you more over his extended Christmas break. The three of us are so grateful that God gave you to our family!

I bought a 12 month wall calendar today for my fridge. I like to keep one in the kitchen so I can track the families appointments and such. As I opened the calendar, it fell open to June. It struck me then that for approximately half of the duration of this calendar, I will be a "single parent, happily married" as Chaplain deploys sometime this summer for Afghanistan. We know it's coming, but seeing it in black and white can sometimes be startling. It is a necessary deployment, I get that with all my heart. Chaplain and I both believe that God calls us to serve Him in the hard things as much as in anything. For me the question isn't "Why, God?" but "Why not me, God?" Or, in this case, "Why not us, God?" So with willing (yet sometimes fearfully reluctant, Thomas-doubting) hearts, we say "Here am I; send me". The Bible says in Romans 10:14 "How can they hear without a someone preaching to them?" My prayer is that they WILL hear the message of hope and salvation as Chaplain faithfully preaches the word and counsels with his soldiers regarding their needs and times of crisis.

Elizabeth’s story

Luke 1:5-7, 23-25, 57-58

Elizabeth's story is proof that even the most upright in heart will endure suffering… A purpose in the pain

Have you ever stopped to think…If Elizabeth had not been barren, the birth of John would not have been so miraculous. Also, it would not have coincided with the gestating Jesus. Timing is everything with God!

Within herself, she possessed the DNA that could be traced back to the very being of Aaron, the Levitical priest. She no doubt felt the pressure to carry that line and legacy on through her offspring. Elizabeth's suffering through barrenness in the end brought about the "voice crying in the wilderness" to prepare the way of the Lord. It also brought to life the hands that would baptize the Savior.

Elizabeth never quit: she never let her circumstances move her from her continuance in faith.

Upon learning of the pregnancy, Elizabeth was faithful to give all honor and praise to the Lord, stating "[He] has done this for me". There is no record that she questioned or cursed God for finally making her a mother at the age of most grandmothers. Only gratitude and praise flowed from her lips.

God used Elizabeth's body –her jar of clay as in 2 Corinthians 4:7 – as a vessel in order to provide living proof that "nothing is impossible with God."

Elizabeth's faithfulness led not only to her own personal satisfaction and joy in the Lord, but also to that of others. Elizabeth gave renown to the name of the Lord. Luke records that when her neighbors and relatives saw that the Lord had been merciful to her through the birth of John, they shared her joy. Little did those neighbors and relatives know of the great mercy that grew inside of Mary at that very moment. Thank God for these two mothers who willingly endured suffering and shame to bring about (literally) the kingdom of Christ!

Christmas Thoughts

Each year I am amazed at how God brings to light a new piece of the Christmas story and sheds a fresh light on its glorious message. This year I have found myself drawn to the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against the prospect of the Messiah's birth occuring.

• Too young - Mary was of too young an age to have been engaging in marital relations with Joseph, and therefore would not have been able to conceive.


• Too old - Elizabeth was too old to be carrying and child and had been barren her whole life


• Too far - the prophets told of the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, but Mary & Joseph were living no where close to there.


• Too crowded - Joseph could find no place suitable for his family to stay and for the birth of the child.

And yet, Mary did bear a child, born of the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth, too, bore a child who would prepare the way of the Lord. And who but God could arrange such a timely census which would bring the gestating Messiah to the proper place? Joseph may have felt he was "settling" for second or third best by bunking in a stable. But God ordained that birth place and took note of it for the angels to proclaim on high. Proving once again that he excels in the unlikely and the miraculous. Proving that he is indeed mighty, sovereign, glorious. This Christmas season, like no other, I need to know this. I need to know that I serve and worship and surrender to a god like that; the Old Testament calls him El Shaddai. I call him "Father". Thank you Lord for humbling yourself into the body of a helpless, frail, and vulnerable baby and subjecting yourself to the hardships of this sin-infested world. All so that we may know you through your suffering and death. Immanuel --"God with us".