I'm going to SCREAM!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! That's it! I'm done! I've had it! No more laying down!!!!!!!! MORE SSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm BACK!

Okay Deb, I lied. I am still going to post on this blog.

I've been inspired to start posting on this blog again. This morning I was reading some of my past entries and just started cracking up at the honest stories that I was able to relate. I also could not contain my chuckles as I read your comments. I just can't be this open and personal on our ministry blog. For instance, does the average supporter/Pastor in New York care what I did for New Years Eve this year? (Which was nothing by the way because of baby). But you guys care, right? Nonetheless, I fear I've lost my audience since it has been a long time since I posted anything new on the blog. I'll see how long it takes someone to read this. If you are out there reading this, leave a comment! Then I'll know my readership. :)

Well, What's going on that I can talk about? Right now I'm listening to 4Him's greatest Hits cd. My favorite oldie of theirs is "For Future Generations" followed by "Sacred Hideaway". Anyone else have a favorite oldie to offer up? Doesn't have to be 4Him...Petra, Audio A, Newsboys, Point of Grace and (my personal favorite) dcTalk are also welcome...as well as SCC--almost forgot that one! Oops!

It's Sunday and I am watching the CSBC congregation come out of church from my window across the room. Only one more Sunday and then I get to go to church again. The last time I was at church was on January 11th in Norwalk, IA. The last time I was at CSBC for a service was...January 4th, I think. But I'm not entirely sure about that because wasn't church canceled one of those weeks around the holidays because of awful winter weather? Anyone remember which week that was? If it was canceled on the 4th, then the last time I was at CSBC was LAST YEAR!! What in the world? That is crazy!

Speaking of other things I haven't done in awhile...I saw Samuel yesterday. I am pretty sure that is the first time I've seen him since Christmas, or at least early January. He looks so grown up! I asked him how he liked Spring Break last week, and he said he got to go to McDonalds to eat with the Walls. That would be my favorite thing too! McDonalds sounds good to me right now, but after watching "Super Size Me" yesterday, I'm not sure I want to touch the stuff again! Don't worry, I will.

I remember how I used to spend my Spring Breaks way back when. I remember riding my bike down to Fisher EVERY DAY and meeting friends there to play: Shauna Smith, Ashley Wills, Erin Johnson, Eric Hineman (sometimes) and Ashlee Duimstra would sometimes make an appearance too. Although, I don't remember Ashlee having a bike, but I do remember her making fun of mine! (She didn't know it was my bike at the time that she was mercilessly dissing it). I still give her a hard time about that even though she has apologized a million times! :)

Anyway, I hope Sam and Mom enjoyed their spring breaks this week. It was a wonderful week for spring break! The weather was fabulous! Spring is here! Thunderstorms are coming this next week, I hear. Those excite me too. I'm not as excited about tornadoes since last year's catastrophes. I do have one funny story from tornado season last year, however. Jeremy and Jodi were staying in their trailor in the church parking lot. The sirens went off and J&J came into our house and went to our basement. Andy and I didn't hear the sirens, so Jodi called us from our basement. We both got up really quick and Andy says I took off for the basement! He says it was so funny because I have never acted so scared! I laugh thinking about that. Mind you, this was after Parkersburg, so my nerves were a little on edge! Anyway, we four had a fun time waiting out the storm in the basement of the parsonage.

Today Andy is in Montevideo, MN doing a presentation. Mom is helping me with everything that I can't do while I am in bed--which is most everything except use the restroom and take a shower. It's 12:30 and Mom just walked in to make me lunch. Porkchops are on the menu! Gotta go and talk to her now!

More to come later!

Thinking about last year...

I've been thinking a lot about last year...what I was doing last year at this time. Tonight as I write this I think that last year on this night we were spending the night in the hospital. At this exact time, we would have just found out the bleak news regarding our family, and holding out hope for the morning. There is so much emotion as I think about our son's birthday tomorrow.

A missionary friend from CBM wrote me and helped me to imagine Collin celebrating his first birthday in heaven. Most kids don't remember their first birthday, will Collin remember his, or does he get to "grow up" in heaven? I think about him being up there with Jesus and his family who has gone before (and come after him in the past year). Are his cousin Grace and Grandpa Brant celebrating with him? I wonder what they do in heaven on earthly birthdays, or for that matter on anniversaries of joining the heavenly host. In Collin's case, it is the same day.

I miss our son. He would be one.

What I like about fall

Cooler weather
Turning leaves
School starting
Marching band practice
Fall decorating
Cross Country
Candy corn

God's grace

This week has been so productive. I'm so thankful to the Lord for that because I was praying that the Lord would allow me to establish a good schedule now that I am at home all the time. Last week at our ladies Bible study, Molly asked each of us to say something for which we needed God's grace. It was my turn and I asked for God's grace over my new schedule. That was something that was weighing on me. Ever since I have stopped working at McFarland Clinic, I haven't really had any time at home until last week (because of camps and weddings). So, I was struggling to establish regular daily habits while also trying to work around Andy's habits since he's also at home. I need to do my school work. The sooner I can get that done, the sooner we can have regular income to add to our support level. I also need to help Andy with the website. We have been working on that for around 8 months, so it's important for us to get that done. We also need to make a missions video update for a church in Dover, DE. There are also letters that need to be sent, letters that need to be written, items that need to be ordered, etc. So, I was just having a hard time organizing all of that, and I needed God's grace.
Well, this week I could definitely see the Lord helping me--in spite of the draw of the Olympics! On Monday we signed up for life insurance--something that needed to be done since I'm not working at McFarland anymore. On Tuesday the nurse lady came over to the house and did the mini physical required for that, so now I officially have life insurance. That's one thing done. I also applied for a job at MMSC (the hospital here in town) for a part-time medical transcription job. I made sure to tell them on the application that I'm not finished with my schooling yet, but that I have lots of experience in the medical field, so I'm familiar with how some things work. They called me on Tuesday morning and want me to come in for an interview next Wednesday morning (the 20th). It would be great if I could get this job and then work from home or from a different state! That's what is so great about transcription. Plus it would be nice to work for someone from Marshalltown so I can have some sort of connection to the people for whom I am working.
I was also able to complete almost 2 chapters of my school work this week--that is amazing!! Each chapter takes FOREVER! Andy and I finished the missions video! So now we can start showing it for our meetings that we have right now--including our update to our home church on August 31st! That will be cool. We have the "August Rush" soundtrack as our background music--love that movie (P.S. that's also Shawn Johnson's floor routine music--did you notice?)
We also got most of our website published to the web, thanks in LARGE part to Luke Demarest! That was such a blessing to get something published after working on it for so long.
So, I am praising the Lord for allowing such a productive week for Andy and I both. Andy was able to schedule some meetings for our next trip out East. It is hard for me to listen to him make phone calls because he just puts himself out there--so vulnerable to pastors who can sometimes be so warm and receiving, but can also be so insensitive and rude. You never know who you're going to get. I usually have my devotions while he does most of his calling so that I can just pray for him. I can see that sometimes it's very hard for him to make phone calls because not everyone is as considerate as he is.
Thank you God for teaching me about your grace. I've been learning how your grace extends so much farther beyond saving grace. It is also grace that works in us to will and to do good. It is your grace that makes me want to come to you, to please you, to honor you. It is your grace that I need each day to obey and to remember your love for me. Your grace keeps me on track--I don't keep myself on track. Thank you for your grace this week to allow me to honor you in how I spend my time and energy, and for letting me get so much accomplished. Please multiply your grace toward me this month, this is such an important lesson for me to learn right now.

I miss Paige

Well, Paige got married last weekend. A week ago today I was helping Paige and Patrick set up tables and practicing my hair for the wedding--not at the same time. Last week was so much fun, that I find myself extremely bored these days. One night I lie awake thinking about how much I now miss my sister Paige. Right now she is on her honeymoon in Vienna, Austria. She will soon be returning home, but not to Marshalltown, she will go home to Bakersfield, California. I failed to realize this fact until she was leaving the church to go on her honeymoon. I had been so much enjoying our time together that it never occurred to me that it would end. I told Paige once that every time I thought about her wedding, I would get excited not so much about the wedding, but because it meant she was coming home. I also enjoyed my time with Deb and Luke last week, and guess what? They left too. Fortunately we get to see Deb and Luke a little more often that Paige and Patrick, but I still wish that both sisters lived close to me (or I close to them) so that we could see each other more. One of my favorite parts of last week was going to see the movie "Mama Mia." That movie was so great--I loved the music. There were parts that I wish they would have left out--I would have enjoyed it so much more (think Moulin Rouge), but I will definitely have to at least get the soundtrack.

Happy Independence Day!

Yesterday we had some great food and fellowship! It was a smaller crowd at Mom's, but it was still really fun! I wish I had a digital camera sometimes, because I would like to put a picture up that I took of everyone yesterday. If I could post it here it would have Hirsch & Tracy, Amanda & Greg & kids, Mom & Rick, J.J. and Andy & me. I wish that I could have been outside more, but we still had a great day. We made ice cream in the ball thing, and it turned out GREAT! I can't wait to do it again! The weather has been great around here lately! I bought a new swimsuit the other day because when Deb comes home, I might go to the pool with everyone if I don't have to work. I've never been to the Aquatic Center here in Marshalltown, so if it works out, I'm excited to go and I hope Andy comes too. Tomorrow we have a meeting in Walnut, IA. It's about 2 1/2 hours away, and we're planning on driving there Sunday morning--not spending the night there on Saturday like we usually do. We have to be there by 8:45, so we'll probably leave here by 6:15. I'll go to bed early tonight so I can get up at 5:00 probably. I have to work on Monday morning. This will be the last time that I will have to come home late from a meeting, and then go to work on Monday morning. I won't miss that at all. This next week will be my last week working at McFarland Clinic. I've worked with McFarland off and on for almost 10 years. That's insane. They have always been good to me though. I'll probably end up there again sometime--knowing my history!