I was going to try to use this to blog only when I had good and wonderful things to say but I'm really just in shock of what I heard about happening to our friends and I just need to vent a bit.
Our pastor friends have felt God lead them to move to Alaska. He was sent to the church he is in to build and kept getting shot down-God will only let you say no to Him before moving the one He put in charge right?
So I'm a little emotional but who am I to argue with God about where they should be? I called to invite them over for a dinner with us and their kids. They have a 17 year old (who happens to be our oldest daughter's boyfriend) and a 15 year old girl still at home. I was at the office when they came over for dinner but my husband said we had to go to Seattle and he would explain later. Well as you can imagine, with all the arrangments to move somewhere where there are no roads, minds were busy and overwhelmed. Our friend didn't realize he couldn't pull their SUV on a trailer behind the moving truck.
We offer to help and it's a good thing. The wife just had knee surgery so it would just be the Dad and the daughter (son is staying behind to complete an intern-like job until August) unloading ALL their stuff from the moving truck into the POD. We thought about just one of us driving up and then flying back but it would be nice to get away together, even if just for a few days so we decided I would drive our van and hubby will drive their rig. We leave tomorrow, unload Tuesday and come home Wednesday after telling them goodbye. :( I'm tearing up already.
So they have been using the last month to pack, yard sale, decide what goes, what stays etc. It's a big job considering they can't drive the stuff TO their new place. He also kept up his duties at the church-even preaching today. Well they announced that they would need help Saturday at the house to load the truck. Less than 15 people showed up. They didn't get it finished in time. Thankfully the lady doing announcements got up and said by the way, we REALLY need your help so they can get on the road Monday. A few more showed up and they were able to get the truck loaded but I am just so hurt that a church family they have led for over 5 years would not show up to help them. My mind is just boggled. He's been their shepard! There for weddings, funerals, sick children and parents, youth campouts, mens retreats, dogsitting and everything in-between...
I don't know how they felt but I can't help being hurt. I feel like those people should be ashamed of themselves. If my family were part of a church where the Pastor asked for help, we would have been there at 9am instead of the set 1pm. I just don't get people. Where is their sense of respect and honor for their leaders?
I can't imagine loving and caring for people when they need you and then when you need them, only a small handful of women and elderly men are to be found!
And because you will ask why we weren't there...our oldest daughter was there, my MIL was there and we felt like we needed to let the church family help. Had we known then and not found out at 7pm tonight...We've also been over several days the last month on different occassions. We will also be the only ones helping them unload a 26' truck into a POD...
Isn't this how you show you care and appreciate others by helping them in need?
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Happy and Blessed-repost from FB notes
So I set my status on Facebook to being happy and blessed and someone asked me to elaborate so I thought this would be easier.
I'm going through a lot of things in life right nowmy dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given less than 1 year to live and we are cramming 20 years of not having a relationship into getting past hi, goodbye, and the mandatory I love yous.
my cousin and best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is 33 with 3 young kids and fighting the battle with more strength and such an awesome positive attitude...but I miss her and would love to be closer to her physically so I could help.
I reactivated my real estate license and have been asked to help out where I was working before except now I'm licensed and can actually sell houses so I'm 'working' 4-5 days a week doing that.
Our business has been growing by leaps and bounds and we are getting ready to launch a new hardware line, which will be a huge boom to our company and our bottom line. Oh and somewhere in the mix here there are networking events to help promote the business and Chamber of commerce events.
Still have to come home and be mom to 4 kids after wearing all those other hats all day. Our youngest has to visit her dad off and on through the summer and isnt' having a great time on some days and not being treated as well as she should.
A pastor friend of ours has taken a church in Alaska and we will be helping them next week drive their vehicle and unload their stuff from the Penske truck into the POD in Seattle where it will then be put on a barge for Nome. It will be a quick 3 day 'vacation'
Ok, this is just my everyday stuff that's going on and normally I would feel overwhelmed, worried about how we are going to get money from this job to pay for the stuff for that job and how we can afford to take the time from our other jobs to make this trip happen to help our friends and on and on and on. I have struggled with depression in the past and I know how easy it is to go there which I don't want to do so I have chosen to be happy and thankful right now-not overwhelmed and scared. I know God is watching over us, He is taking care of us and nothing will come up against us that He won't give us the strength to handle. I know that I have forgiven my dad for the lack of relationship and even though I'm not ready for him to go because I don't believe he's spritually ready to go, I have to leave that in God's hands. My cousin? She has been amazing through this whole journey and I'm so honored she is sharing all of it with the family in the west through blogging and facebook. Even though she is the one with the disease, she is truly uplifting just watching how she deals with everything from day to day.
Our business? wow, how truly amazing in this economy to be growing and PROSPERING! Real estate? you actually NEED people in this economy? I truly do have so much to be thankful for.
The other day I was beginning to let the enormity of all we have going on get to me and Jake told me to read 1 Peter 1: 3-9 I'm glad I did because it really helped me. I have to change my focus to where it needs to be: on God and He WILL take care of the rest. And I pray that i have the peace to handle the things that come our way that we weren't expecting, like the broken stem valve on a tire today...if Jeremey hadn't noticed it, it could have been a real problem today and I'm thankful we are safe since we made 2 trips to Weiser and one to Boise today. There's just so much more to be thankful for than to be worried about. I can't change the things I'd be worrying about anyway so why not be thankful in all things for all things? anyways, I know I'm just kind of going on but I cannot express how freeing it is to fullly trust in God. That used to sound so cliche to me and I would get so frustrated when well-meaning people would give all the same pat answers to problems and questions. Now here I sit KNOWING I am loved and not just wondering. I don't have to have all the answers for tomorrow...today will bring its own challenges and I just have to get through those.
I used to sing along to those 80's rock band ballads and think that songwriters were so imaginative to come up with such strong feelings because people only love like that in the movies. Well I met Jeremey and my life has changed so much for the better. Somedays I catch him looking at me and I ask why. The usual answer is why not? He says he loves the way I look and that I'm beautiful! That's not the only reason why I love him but he truly showed me how a husband should love and cherish a wife and I am so thankful and undeserving, just like I am undeserving of the sacrifice Christ made for me. I don't deserve it and I mess up everyday, but my heart is so full of gratitude that He loves me that much. More than my husband and kids could even fathom loving me...wow, I'm just blown away...
I'm going through a lot of things in life right nowmy dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given less than 1 year to live and we are cramming 20 years of not having a relationship into getting past hi, goodbye, and the mandatory I love yous.
my cousin and best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is 33 with 3 young kids and fighting the battle with more strength and such an awesome positive attitude...but I miss her and would love to be closer to her physically so I could help.
I reactivated my real estate license and have been asked to help out where I was working before except now I'm licensed and can actually sell houses so I'm 'working' 4-5 days a week doing that.
Our business has been growing by leaps and bounds and we are getting ready to launch a new hardware line, which will be a huge boom to our company and our bottom line. Oh and somewhere in the mix here there are networking events to help promote the business and Chamber of commerce events.
Still have to come home and be mom to 4 kids after wearing all those other hats all day. Our youngest has to visit her dad off and on through the summer and isnt' having a great time on some days and not being treated as well as she should.
A pastor friend of ours has taken a church in Alaska and we will be helping them next week drive their vehicle and unload their stuff from the Penske truck into the POD in Seattle where it will then be put on a barge for Nome. It will be a quick 3 day 'vacation'
Ok, this is just my everyday stuff that's going on and normally I would feel overwhelmed, worried about how we are going to get money from this job to pay for the stuff for that job and how we can afford to take the time from our other jobs to make this trip happen to help our friends and on and on and on. I have struggled with depression in the past and I know how easy it is to go there which I don't want to do so I have chosen to be happy and thankful right now-not overwhelmed and scared. I know God is watching over us, He is taking care of us and nothing will come up against us that He won't give us the strength to handle. I know that I have forgiven my dad for the lack of relationship and even though I'm not ready for him to go because I don't believe he's spritually ready to go, I have to leave that in God's hands. My cousin? She has been amazing through this whole journey and I'm so honored she is sharing all of it with the family in the west through blogging and facebook. Even though she is the one with the disease, she is truly uplifting just watching how she deals with everything from day to day.
Our business? wow, how truly amazing in this economy to be growing and PROSPERING! Real estate? you actually NEED people in this economy? I truly do have so much to be thankful for.
The other day I was beginning to let the enormity of all we have going on get to me and Jake told me to read 1 Peter 1: 3-9 I'm glad I did because it really helped me. I have to change my focus to where it needs to be: on God and He WILL take care of the rest. And I pray that i have the peace to handle the things that come our way that we weren't expecting, like the broken stem valve on a tire today...if Jeremey hadn't noticed it, it could have been a real problem today and I'm thankful we are safe since we made 2 trips to Weiser and one to Boise today. There's just so much more to be thankful for than to be worried about. I can't change the things I'd be worrying about anyway so why not be thankful in all things for all things? anyways, I know I'm just kind of going on but I cannot express how freeing it is to fullly trust in God. That used to sound so cliche to me and I would get so frustrated when well-meaning people would give all the same pat answers to problems and questions. Now here I sit KNOWING I am loved and not just wondering. I don't have to have all the answers for tomorrow...today will bring its own challenges and I just have to get through those.
I used to sing along to those 80's rock band ballads and think that songwriters were so imaginative to come up with such strong feelings because people only love like that in the movies. Well I met Jeremey and my life has changed so much for the better. Somedays I catch him looking at me and I ask why. The usual answer is why not? He says he loves the way I look and that I'm beautiful! That's not the only reason why I love him but he truly showed me how a husband should love and cherish a wife and I am so thankful and undeserving, just like I am undeserving of the sacrifice Christ made for me. I don't deserve it and I mess up everyday, but my heart is so full of gratitude that He loves me that much. More than my husband and kids could even fathom loving me...wow, I'm just blown away...
Sunday, June 7, 2009
amazing things in life
i find that i am fighting myself in one area and growing in the others...my life is so blessed that when you look at the grand scheme of things the ratio isn't so bad right?
The other day I got an e-mail from my amazing cousin and friend Rachael. She is amazing to me because she is a great person, wonderful mother and a breast cancer warrior. Anyways, I get an e-mail from her and it said Book in the subject line. We are both pretty avid readers of Christian fiction so I was just expecting her to send me the title of a new book to read and it wasn't. She had a great idea for the two of us to write a book together. WOW, an amazing idea. I had some ideas, she had some ideas and we just went with it in an afternoon of e-mails back and forth...and outlined the idea of it. I will write chapter 1 and she'll write chapter 2 and so on. We may not do anything with it but i've always like writing, i love reading and she does too so why not? It will give her something to do while she is laid up in bed after her surgery next month and something for me to do that expands my self-imposed limited horizons.
I usually hate change and being pushed. Hubby commented the other day how much I've changed willingly going to networking events without having a nervous breakdown the day of. It's to put food on the table right? ummm well ok, it's kind of fun too. :) So I guess I'm happy that opportunities are presenting themselves since I would not have the guts to go after them without being prodded a bit...
I have to give credit where credit is due, my hubby is so amazingly patient with me in my insecurities. I've posed a hundred questions that started with Honey, if.... or Honey, what if... or Honey, why do guys....? and he patiently explains, kisses away the fears/insecurities, and puts up with me in general. I love him so much! He's so good to me.
When I think about my husband and my kids and how much they love me and how much I love them, I am awestruck that God loves me even more. He has always loved me, always wanted the best for me. I am sad sometimes to think about how many wonderful opportunities He has presented to me and I missed them because I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. :( I'm sure that every day I fail to meet the expectations I have for myself because I think they are what He wants me to do. I know that I could talk to Him more, read more of His word daily, worship Him more...those are things I do with my husband because I love and honor him, why wouldn't I give God as much or more? He has richly blessed me and I will serve Him everyday that I live...I owe Him so much more.
I know I've just kind of rambled here but my thoughts keep coming back to one theme and I don't want to miss it...God deserves more of me than I've been giving Him. Thank you Father for all you have given me and blessed me with...
The other day I got an e-mail from my amazing cousin and friend Rachael. She is amazing to me because she is a great person, wonderful mother and a breast cancer warrior. Anyways, I get an e-mail from her and it said Book in the subject line. We are both pretty avid readers of Christian fiction so I was just expecting her to send me the title of a new book to read and it wasn't. She had a great idea for the two of us to write a book together. WOW, an amazing idea. I had some ideas, she had some ideas and we just went with it in an afternoon of e-mails back and forth...and outlined the idea of it. I will write chapter 1 and she'll write chapter 2 and so on. We may not do anything with it but i've always like writing, i love reading and she does too so why not? It will give her something to do while she is laid up in bed after her surgery next month and something for me to do that expands my self-imposed limited horizons.
I usually hate change and being pushed. Hubby commented the other day how much I've changed willingly going to networking events without having a nervous breakdown the day of. It's to put food on the table right? ummm well ok, it's kind of fun too. :) So I guess I'm happy that opportunities are presenting themselves since I would not have the guts to go after them without being prodded a bit...
I have to give credit where credit is due, my hubby is so amazingly patient with me in my insecurities. I've posed a hundred questions that started with Honey, if.... or Honey, what if... or Honey, why do guys....? and he patiently explains, kisses away the fears/insecurities, and puts up with me in general. I love him so much! He's so good to me.
When I think about my husband and my kids and how much they love me and how much I love them, I am awestruck that God loves me even more. He has always loved me, always wanted the best for me. I am sad sometimes to think about how many wonderful opportunities He has presented to me and I missed them because I was afraid to step out of my comfort zone. :( I'm sure that every day I fail to meet the expectations I have for myself because I think they are what He wants me to do. I know that I could talk to Him more, read more of His word daily, worship Him more...those are things I do with my husband because I love and honor him, why wouldn't I give God as much or more? He has richly blessed me and I will serve Him everyday that I live...I owe Him so much more.
I know I've just kind of rambled here but my thoughts keep coming back to one theme and I don't want to miss it...God deserves more of me than I've been giving Him. Thank you Father for all you have given me and blessed me with...
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