Home, for now.

We are home and tired but so thankful for traveling mercies! What a weekend, traveling over 6 hours on Saturday, got lost (a little) the directions we were given had 1 wrong word in the street title that made us late, but we got to the home of the District Superintendant and his wife safely. We REALLY enjoyed our visit, they made us feel so at home! When we arrived I was able to go nurse Jachin and relax a little while the meal was finishing. We ate at almost 7 pm. We talked and visited awhile then went to bed....I drove the whole way so I was very glad to see the bed. And suprisingly the children did not really sleep on the way, not even the baby, so they all went right to sleep, what a relief!

Sunday morning Jonathan was up at 4:30 and handed me the baby to nurse then he worked on his message. We had a late breakfast that put us behind schedule, Jachin wanted to nurse and sleep and was screaming, so were my nerves. Admist that I realized Jonathan forgot to pack his suit pants -REALLY? I actually thought it was rather amusing is an uh oh kind of way. I wish I had a camera when I told him he had not brought them, I don't think I have ever seen his face so horrified! I also forgot my slip but the the couple we stayed with loaned me a slip and our host had a pair of black pants from when he was thinner that were just a tad too short, but fit around the waiste (at least stayed up, they were 34 and Jonathan is a 32 waiste) You can't expect perfection when the pants you normally wear are 32x34, tall and skinny and at home, anything is better than blue jeans though, right? But we managed to get ready and were 15 minutes early to church YAY! Those of you with children may understand the sense of relief of getting to your destination ON TIME!

Both services went well and we enjoyed meeting the people, sort of. I get shy or at least feel shy and feel so intimidated. But I watched a beautiful thing happen, our children melted hearts and broke the ice for me, even helped me to relax. I thanked God for this! We joined everyone for lunch in the fellowship building and once again I nursed the baby, which by now I realized was a lifesaver, I was able to relax, catch my breath and pray in the quite. After we ate, we met with the board and then we were able to see the parsonage. It was BEAUTIFUL! I told Jonathan Friday night (here at home) that I would really like to just be "wowed" by the parsonage, although as the words came out of my mouth they sounded selfish and crazy, but true ; ) All the children gleefully ran through all the rooms and giggled and jumped. Karagen kept asking the church people if they would like to come see the new house, it was so cute.

Sunday night was even better, Jonathan was more relaxed, so was I since we knew a little more of what to expect. I sang a special and he preached, then we visited with the people some more. I really sensed that we clicked with them better that night than we had in the morning. Jonathan and I were so glad we stayed for the evening service, it really helped us to "see" the people a little more.

Although we are not officially announcing our decision, I am free to say we were impressed and glad we went. The church will be voting this coming weekend and we are waiting to hear what the result is.

Before I go I want to list off the things about the parsonage to show you why I was "wowed". They are not listed in matter of importance so just keep that in mind.

It was built in 2001, central air, a master bedroom with a full bath, one 1/2 bath
(no more waiting in line to go) and another full bath. 4 bedrooms, a study, a 2 car garage, living room, dining room, laundry room, a full screened in back porch, a BIG, SPACIOUS kitchen, a dishwasher, nice kitchen flooring. Plenty of yard for gardening, playing, dog raising.... all kinds of things. Really a place I have only dreamed of living in.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Funny Friday

Mary's fourth-grade homework assignment was to make sentences using the words in her spelling list, along with the definition.
Coming across the word "frugal" in the list, she asked her father what it meant. He explained that being frugal meant you saved something.
Her paper read:
Frugal: to save
Sentence: Princess Marion fell into a pit when she went walking in the woods so she yelled for someone to come get her out.
She yelled "Frugal me, Frugal me!"

You know the economy's bad, when even princesses need savings I mean saving : )

Quick Update

I will not be posting much this week or weekend. My husband and our family will be traveling to Henderson Maryland so we can visit a church there to see if we are a fit to be their pastor. My husband is a pastor and we are earnestly looking to return to the ministry.

We will be leaving Saturday morning and traveling there, then we will be staying with the District Superintendant and his wife. I am nervous and wish we could skip this part and just know where God wants us and go there. So unrealistic I know : )

Sunday we will be seeing the church and we are supposed to sing a special and Jonathan will be preaching twice, once in the morning and once in the evening. One thing I am pleased with is the church has a wonderful pianist, since I do not play this is wonderful news.

This church has a 4 bedroom parsonage, 5 acres and a fellowship hall. It is located in a beatuiful section of the country near the Chesapeak Bay. There are numerous parks and State parks around it as well. It is very close to Deleware, just a few miles from the border and is surrounded by other tiny towns, from what I have gathered it is a true country church.

I am focusing this week on helping Jonathan with his messages and spending time with the children.

Please keep us in your prayers. I hope to take pictures and will share them when we return. I really appreciate each of you and count you as friends, your support means so much to me!

Wordless Wednesday

Independance Day With Thanks

Only women wear aprons. And, for good reason. They can come in handy. The men at Fort Henry, in what is now West Virginia, sure thought so. Under attack from Indians one fine day late during the Revolutionary War, there was a shortage of gunpowder. With no men or time to spare, Elizabeth Zane volunteered to run to her brother's house a short distance away to retrieve some needed gunpowder. The Indians did not try to shoot her on the way there. But, on the way back they noticed that she was carrying gunpowder in her apron. The Indians opened fire, barely missing her with arrow and musket shot. Reinforcements arrived the next day to save the fort from falling to the Indians. Had it not been for Elizabeth, that day might have been too late.

Today I enjoy a life of ease and luxury, escpecially compared with the the beginning days of our country. I don't have to struggle and work my fingers to the bone to just survive. I can Thrive with relative ease in a nation that has forgotten the real reason for its freedom.

In a nation that is quickly changing, right before my very eyes, I hope to be a woman who can face an uncertain future in an out of control world, with the courage of Elizabeth Zane.

Happy Independance Day!!! Happy July 4th!! God Bless America!!!

Funny Friday

Of Mothers & Daughter

One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast to her brunette hair.

She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"

Her mother replied "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then asked, "Momma, how come all of grandma's hairs are white?

Never Enough

Have you ever wondered why you can have a great relationship with someone, have a wonderful time with them, talk to them, share your heart with them, feel so full and so free. Then a few hours or days later, it's no longer enough?

I love my husband we have an awesome relationship but he doesn't fill me.

I have 5 beautiful children but they don't fill up that void.

I have friends, relatives and a church family, but they are not enough.

I have myself, my mind and the thoughts of my heart, but that is not enough.

I always need MORE!

When will I ever get "enough"?

To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. Genesis 3:16

"The curse for Eve and all her daughters cannot be limited only to babies and marriage, for if it were true then every single woman without children get's to escape the curse. Not so. The meaning is deeper and the implications are for every daughter of Eve. Woman is cursed with loneliness (relational heartache), with the urge to control (especially her man) and with the dominance of men (which is not how things were meant to be, and we are not saying it is a good thing- it is the fruit of the fall and a sad fact of history). Isn't it true, aren't your deepest worries and heartaches relational, aren't they connected to someone? Even when things are good, is your vast capacity for intimacy ever filled in a lasting way?"
John and Stasi Eldredge in Captivating

I know there are other women who have felt this same way, I have talked to them and we have shared this openly. But never have I really understood the reason. I have always sort of wondered....why?

I have experienced this today. A long day home with the children, my husband gone to work on a project. My deep need for relational communication was sooooo apparent and haunting to me. Understanding why I sometimes feel so needy and so alone really has helped me understand myself. God made me the way I am, a relational creature, the curse makes loneliness something I will never escape. Now that I know that, understand the why, I actually feel much better, accepting myself without judgement and with a stronger reliance on the God who created me.