House Stuff

We had more bad news on the housing front this week. Late Monday our deal with the potential buyers fell apart. I am still reeling a little and just not really sure what to say or do. Thanks to all of you who have called, emailed, or stopped me around town to give words of encouragement. If I was short or didn't return your calls promptly please excuse my bad manners. I am still wallowing in self pity at the moment. I swear I could see the end in sight only to have it ripped away.

Life just doesn't always go as planned does it?

Let me warn you that I am extremely self absorbed right now and just really sad. Something such as this probably shouldn't warrant this response but as of right now that is all I've got.

I muddled through getting the house back on the active market today and David and decided to reduce it a significant amount to try and garner interest. Hopefully tomorrow I should have it in shape to show again.

I am also upset that we will most likely have to pull the contract on the house we love in Houston before our option ends. What else can we do?

And I confess that I feel guilty feeling like this over a couple of houses and a hundred or so miles. I have whined, complained, and begged God to make this easier when in all reality there are far worse situations in life that others are asked to endure.

My selfishness lies in the fact that I am not bending to God's will very easily. So if that means giving up MY perfect house for HIS perfect plan I am ready. There will be some tears and moments of anger but I am only human and He will love me anyway. Thank God for that.

Standing in the Middle???

So everyone has probably seen the controversial question that Ms. California Carrie Prejean was asked last week at the Ms. USA pageant. Yesterday in church our pastor showed a clip of an interview she gave last week to Matt Laurer on Good Morning America. I had seen her on Hannity and other shows but had missed this one until then. This is Ms. California Carrie Prejean with Matt Laurer...





After watching her give this interview the congregation clapped and I heard a few "Amens". And I began to ponder the question of why are so many people so unhappy with this woman and her opinion.

Whether you believe in same sex marriage or not it seems to me that Carrie Prejean got it right. She gave her opinion and even stated she meant no offense to anyone else. She was true to herself and her God. This is a country where having different opinion is supposed to welcomed and encouraged. It is what makes America different than so many other nations.

As an American I respect her and her right to her opinion. As a Christian I am honored to count her as a sister in faith and someone who set a shining example of how we as Christians should behave in the face of adversity while sharing and honoring our testimony of faith.

I began to think of how many of us, myself included, often stand in the middle of political correctness instead of choosing sides.

Not long ago I posted about friend of mine and I having an in depth conversation about my faith. What I didn't post about in that post was that towards the end of that conversation he asked me a very pointed question. He asked me whether I thought because he didn't believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Savior, if I thought he would not be with me in Heaven. With tears in my eyes I touched his hand and told him that I was going to be perfectly honest with him as he had been with me throughout this long conversation. Then I told him "yes". I think he may have been a little shocked by the depth of my sadness and tears. It is one time that I can say I didn't stand in the middle instead I took sides.

I took God's side because I believe He created the world. I believe we have all I sinned. I believe He sent His son through the Virgin Mother Mary to be born into this world, live a perfect sinless life, and die a criminals death on the cross. I believe that He rose again on the third day and sits at His Father's side in heaven. I believe one day we all stand and be judged by Him. I believe that even though I am a sinner and far, FAR from perfect I will one day walk the streets of Heaven with my Savior because I gave my heart and soul to Him when I believed. I believe that the only way to the Father is through his Son and that the Bible is the Truth and the Living Word of God that implicitely states this.

I believe that Carrie Prejean was right when she said that we can't stand in the middle that we have to take sides. That doesn't mean being hateful or spiteful and isolating those who don't believe. It means walking with Him whom we were created for and letting those who don't know Him see what it is to be with Him.

I guess the only question remaining is which side will you choose?

Claire and Sarah

Claire and Sarah turned 4 last week and I can hardley believe that four years has come and gone. My baby girls have grown from these tiny preemies to beautiful, curious, intelligent little girls. Mommy loves them more than they will ever know!

Praying for Stellan

Let me start by saying the blog world is amazing. There are several christian women whose blog I follow and even though we have never met I feel a camaraderie with them as I watch them raise children and grow spiritually. One of these women's name is Jennifer and she has a wonderful blog over at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/. I was heartbroken for her when I read yesterday that her baby Stellan was sick last night and that his condition had turned dire very quickly. Stellan, as some may know, is the baby that the doctors told Jennifer would never survive the womb. Jennifer and her husband decided to let God be the guide instead of the doctors and Stellan was born healthy last fall. He is 4 months old and until the last few days had shown none of the problems he had in the womb since his birth. If you are unfamiliar with their story I am providing a link to her blog and ask that you please say a little prayer for Stellan, Jennifer and her husband and the rest of their children today.

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

And so I bring "Not Me!" Mondays back to my blog! Here we go...

It was not me who let my sweet baby girls get their ears pierced this last weekend because they has been relentlessly asking for the last two weeks after a friend of theirs at school got her ears pierced. And I certainly did not shed a tear or two that night when I realized how big they are getting and how quickly it is all going. Not Me!

It was also certainly not me who explained to them before we ever got to the piercing place that "NO!" boys do not get their ears pierced only to have to re-explain later that yes the man that went before them did get his ears pierced but that Daddy and I still did not think it would be acceptable for Jack to get his pierced.

"When he is bigger?" Sarah asked.

"No Sarah, not while he lives under this roof!".

Surely my almost four year olds are not this quick to pick up that way of the world is not the same as the way of our house? Surely not!

Have a fabulous Monday!

Faith

I have a friend who has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart now for some time. In January I had an amazing opportunity sit down with this person and share my testimony of faith in Christ. I knew well before that time this friend has some serious questions about Christ and God and I had been waiting and praying for a while that the Lord would open a door for someone to share their faith. I was blessed one night to find myself given that opportunity and the conversation we had that night was both amazing and a little sad because I know there are so many questions that are still not answered for this dear friend of mine.

The neatest thing about this conversation was that it left me wanting to be able to answer all of those endless questions more academically. I talked to a family member who I often go to when I have faith based questions and she quickly gave me a reading list for the next year. What I have found is a piece of myself that yearns to study and understand not only Christ but the history, geography, etc that was surrounding him during his life. I had no idea how many secular references there were of Him, His birth, His death, His life from scholars and historians of His time. It simply amazes me and leaves me wanting more!

During the conversation my friend commented to me something to the effect that they hoped the question they were about to ask wouldn't shake my faith. I immediately responded to ask away. I remember stating that although I don't know the answer to every question I was alright with that. I admitted that when it came to Jesus I was secure in Him even if I didn't have all the answers. And though until that point I had hoped to give this friend a significant insight in to their own heart, I think instead they gave me one. They showed me more about my faith and encouraged to me to dig deeper in to my quest for Him, to understand and know Him, to love and honor Him, and to have a life and heart that chase after Him. I thank them and pray daily that Christ will reveal himself more thoroughly than I had ever prayed He would in their life!

Waiting

UPDATE

OK. Sorry everyone evidently I was unintentionally cryptic with this post. I didn't realize it until my inbox started filling up!

I LOVE that song and it speaks to me because David and I both feel as though all we can and have been doing for months is waiting and praying. Waiting for our house to sell. Waiting for the right one to come along to purchase. Praying that we make good sound financial decisions. Praying for the kiddos to adjust to Daddy being gone. Praying to find the right preschool, church, community, pediatrician, etc and waiting for the Lord to reveal them to us.

It is frustrating to have to wait and not something that I am personally very good at. My type A personality just wants to put all my ducks in a row and embark on this new adventure but 5 months later we are still living in separate cities/states with no sign that that is going change any time soon. I am waiting and not nearly as patiently as I wish I was but faithfully I will continue to wait. I want to be bold, confident and mostly obedient to His will and timing. We have complete faith that His will was for David to move around in his career but selfishly I really want to feel like a family again and right now I am all struggling with that. I want my husband back!

Thanks to all of you who emailed me, or called in concern. I didn't even know some of you kept up with my mindless rambling I call a blog. Thanks for praying for us and please continue to do so!

Amy

This song has been a constant in my life this last week. The lyrics are absolutely amazing and every time I turn it on it reminds me to have patience and wait on the Lord. He is there and has big plans for us all. I think the chorus "I am waiting on you Lord" is my theme right now. There is nothing else I can do but pray and wait for my Lord to put all the pieces into place. Whatever he has in store will be His perfect plan and that gives me peace.

Tonight a prayer request. Please pray for peace and patience for David and I. We have some concerns right now with our family that call for God's grace and our patience .

Please enjoy this video and if you haven't seen the movie "Fireproof" I encourage you to rent it soon. It is a fabulous testimony of our need to have God intricately woven into our marriages!