3 little Miracles

3 little Miracles

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

End of Day Ramblings and a little bit of testimony


End of Day Ramblings
It has been a while since I just sat down and shared what is going on in my little 2 little Boys world.  We have had so much going on and it almost seems cliche to say "its been the best of time and its been the worst of times".  I just try to always keep in mind that "All things work together for good for those that are in Christ". (Romans 8:28)

I think our roller coaster ride started in late October when our financial life seemed to begin to choke us.  My MoG has a wonderful, secure job that actually provides well for us, but we have made some unwise financial decisions in the past that keep us living pretty tight now, including an overpowering student loan from my college years.  Fortunately, I am an early Christmas shopper and I had already done most of the boys Christmas shopping and stashed it away for December.  UNFORTUNATELY, as my birthday drew near and the Christmas season began to press in on us, my MoG and I were faced with the decision to make the boys presents the only presents under the Christmas tree this year and save our gift buying for one another for better financial days in 2010. 

As the end of 2009 approached I had started to think of what kind of positive changes I wanted to make in my life in 2010 and one of those was to "Become consistent with a daily devotional that feed me as a mother and provided me with spiritual tools to lead my 2 little Boys."  However, even as I made that goal, I didn't know how I was going to afford the devotional books that I had in mind given the choke hold our finances had on us.  However, God knew what I needed and through a lovely gift from Michelle Medlock Adams my boys and I received an abundance of Michelle's wonderful books.  I never got a chance to really look at the book Michelle had sent for me because I was already in the middle of reading one so I added her book to my ever growing reading stack.  The book Michelle had sent me was Little Blessings from a Big God and at the beginning of January I made it through the book I had been reading and was ready to pick up Michelle's.  You see, I thought Little Blessings from a Big God was going to be filled with sweet stories about the blessings Michelle received from watching her two beautiful daughters grow.  HOWEVER, when I took it to read on my "park time" after my gym workout on January 4th when the boys returned to school, I read the first chapter and got an even more WONDERFUL surprise and blessing.  Little Blessings from a Big God, is actually a DEVOTIONAL book, talk about God's provision.  There are 20 chapters in the book, and with each chapter Michelle tells a story where she received a blessing of TRUTH from the innocent words or actions of her girls, and at the end of each chapter she provides a Thought for the Day, Scripture reading to support the TRUTH revealed to her, and a Daily declaration.  I have so completely enjoyed this book so far and have gleaned so many wonderful nuggets of truth from the blessings Michelle received from God through her daughters.


HOWEVER, wonderful blessings, surprises, and God's provision CONTINUED to keep coming.  I had kept the box that Michelle's wonderful gift had come in because I knew I could use it for another of my New Years Goals, "Clean out office and prepare it for Baby #3 (prayerfully) or a guest room".

WELL, I went to get the box about a week ago and pulled out the packing material to toss it in the trash only to find ANOTHER book from Michelle for me . . . . . you guessed it . . . . . its another devotional book.  The title of this one is Secrets of Happiness and it is a 60 day devotional book designed to encourage woman to find their inner joy.  "Happiness, has nothing to do with your looks, your finances, or even your health.  True happiness is inside you.  That's where God is planting seeds of joy and contentment - preparing for a harvest of happiness to benefit you and the world you live in."  Can you say "BLOWN AWAY BY GOD'S GREAT PROVISION?"

On top of all that I started the new Beth Moore bible study, Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the Fruit of The Spirit, with the ladies of our church.  Our church has been going through a very difficult season of change and loss and although I was looking forward to the study itself, I wasn't sure I was ready for the depressing lack of involvement due to how low our numbers are right now.  TO MY SHOCK, when I walked into the room at church where we were going to hold our bible study on Monday night, the room was crowded with twenty women.  Heather, our BM bible study leader, spoke so sweetly about this being a time of us not only knitting closer together in the Lord through BM's study, but also knitting closer together with one another in His name.  Oh how the blessings overflow and spill out!!!!!

To help out our financial choke hold, we made the difficult decision to pull our youngest from preschool, it was just becoming way too much to pay double preschool tuition.  As a result of pulling Jon, I no longer have the "Mom Time" to go to the gym and so I had to put my gym membership on hold because my gym doesn't have childcare.  Again, God blessed me in that too, I went to put in my 30-day notice of cancellation and when I told Christy the gym girl my reasons, she suggested that I put my gym membership on "hold" which would mean that when I re-started in the fall (when Davey goes to kindergarten and Jon will go back to preschool) I wouldn't have to pay the enrollment and pass ID costs all over again, all I would have to do is pay a $3 maintenance fee each month.  I am looking at another gym that has FREE childcare for Jon that I can go to over the next 7 months, I hope to be able to sign up for that sometime later this week.

Finally, our season of ups and downs has also been effected by the roller coaster ride my sister and brother-in-law are on right now.  In December my BIL Calvin was told by his company of 16+ years that they were closing his division on the 17th of December and he would no longer have a job.  We were of course very worried about what was ahead for April and Calvin but we entrusted the situation to the Lord and bathed it in prayer.  Calvin is a very talented and organized man and he took control and took action right away as best as he could and began following up on some opportunities.  Within weeks, job opportunities presented themselves and Calvin began traveling for interviews . . . . . on Sunday we found out that he accepted a job in Kentucky.  I have NEVER been apart from my sister, nieces, or BIL for very long and to know that in 6-8 months they will be moving 680+ miles away and we will be more then 11 hours apart is beginning to press on my heart.  I have watched my nieces grow up, been apart of every major event of their lives, and hoped and prayed that April would be able to be around like that for my 2 little Boys.  In addition, it is beginning to dawn on me that very soon the full care and responsibility of watching out for my parents and their many developing medical issues, will be on me and my MoG.

TOP of all CHERRY'S on TOP, we got a call from my SIL Julie today and my MoG's father had some medical tests on Monday.  The results of those tests came in today, and they found a mass in one of Dad's kidney's and he has been passing blood in his urine.  Dad is a diabetic, and so there is some very real and big concerns about the condition of his kidney's.  I feel horrible for my husband, I know how difficult it is for my siblings and I when we are dealing with my parents medical issues and we live in the same state were we can easily support them through each crisis.  But my husband lives 18 hours away from his parents, so he is having to depend on his sister to convey information when I KNOW he would rather be there in person to offer physical and moral support.

Oh Father in heaven, I thank you for your great provision and mercy in our lives.  You have watched over and protected us over and over again and I know in this great season of trial You alone will guide us through, give us strength, and shape us for Your glory by these circumstances.  I lay our burdens at Your feet and pray You will give me the strength to not pick them up again, but to entrust you fully with the outcome.  You know our needs and the desires of our hearts, and I pray Father that Your design for our lives will ultimately fulfill our daily needs and our pressing desire for a baby girl.  I thank You for providing a job for Calvin, and I pray You continue to keep Your hand on that situation and work out all the details in the coming months.  I pray also that You will quiet our hearts and give us peace in knowing that although the miles will be greater between us, my sister will always be near and the miles will not erase or take away any of our love for one another.  You are the great provider, healer, and joy giver and in You ALONE all these blessings have been possible, and in You ALONE will all these needs be met.

Thank you Father for your LOVE!


1 comment:

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