Preparing for Marriage: Speaking Words Of Life

"She does him good, and not evil ALL the days of her life."

Proverbs 31:12

I was meditating on these verses a few days ago and just asking the Lord, "What does this look like?" It means ALL day every day of her life. My life (if I want to be married). That means when single. young. working. at school. lots of friends. no friends. busy. spare time. all the time....

I wanted a deeper explanation....How do I do my future husband good? Not in sense that some lean towards when preparing to be married of "I NEED TO MAKE 452 DOILIES BEFORE I GET MARRIED TO MAKE A GOOD WIFE.!" OR, on the other side of things super strict boundaries between guys and girls where you shouldn't even look at guys. OR the idea of always looking good for him, wear lots of makeup, workout, etc... 

~ Lord,  how can I"do him good and not evil," in my heart, in a Godly way that's not too crazy or obsessive? ~

And this is what I felt He said...

Don't practice speaking ill of men. Practicing finding good things about them-- things you appreciate! As opposed to a "MEN! GAH!" attitude. 

Wow! So good! So true! 

It's so easy, too easy, to fall into an arrogant attitude against those of the opposite gender. We think, "Guys are messy, sloppy, unable to multi task, and can't find what they're looking for even if it's staring them in the face." (And Men do the same thing in thinking/speaking of women and their emotions, how long it always takes them to get ready, etc...) However, that doesn't make ME more Godly than them. It doesn't make me  better  than them. In fact, when I have an attitude like that towards anyone, I am the one in the wrong immediately. 

It does him no good and me no good (I'll only get a bitter attitude the more and more I scorn and use careless words with him.) So...How do I put this into every day practice?

1) Pray--a lot! Ask God to help you to speak well of others. 

2) Try to find good things about others that you can encourage them.

3) When others are speaking ill/criticizing/scorning, don't join in. 

4) Defend others when they are not being spoken well of. 

 I'm pretty sure any guy would rather come home to store bought cookies and a wife who doesn't scorn him/speaks well of and to him, than to a home with all the home goods and doilies a heart could want and a wife full of scorn and unpleasant words. 

Anyways, just wanted to share this thoughts with you...I hope they encourage you and challenge you like they did me. And, even if you never get married, there will always be people around. You can choose to speak well or to speak ill. 

:)

(Photo design by Anna Faith)

Looking back at 2013!

 Last year, on this day, I got a text from one of my best friends, Miriam: "Yes I know. We've been praying a lot about that (me visiting them in the Summer) too and looking forward to when God says 'It's time!' One day we will get to work together, like a way long time. :) I really love you, Rachie!"

Who would have EVER guessed all that God would do in 2013?!

Let's just say that 2013 did not begin in a very hopeful way. Along with all the difficulties of wondering where I should be, etc...the year started off with the realization of Anna needing a second skin graft surgery on January 9th. All the difficulties of watching her go through so much discomfort and questioning...it was almost too much to handle, BUT God helped us through. Each day, each hour, He gave us the grace and strength to keep going. 

Anna's birthday froyo! :)

A few journal entries:

January 9, 2013 : "Also to have lots of text messages and comments on FB statuses...we are so blessed and loved. It's going to be an interesting next few weeks. Lord, please sustain us."

January 10, 2013: "Wondering what God is preparing us for?"

January 11, 2013: "I think God truly is taking me to a place of greater, deeper surrender. [..] God knows exactly what I need to be doing. Perhaps this is exactly it. 'For such a time as this'?"

January 17, 2013: "God is doing something good in our family. I know it. Although I don't know what--He will be faithful to complete the work He started. Now matter how hard--it will come to an end. I don't know what 2013 holds, but God does. He will work everything out for my good."

(Anna recovered slowly, but surely! yay! We are so thankful that this Christmas did not involve any trips to the hospital!) 

goodbye party.

Highlights:

• Mom & Dad celebrated 30 years of marriage.
• Anna was able to sit, walk, stand normally, etc... Things we take for granted became blessings!
• Anna and I took a trip up to Mass. to say goodbye to our friend who joined the army.
• Anna turned 20! 
• I was a bridesmaid in three weddings.
• We stayed a week at the cabin! (I drove a jetski for the first time!)
• We went to PEI for a 10 day vacation! (and got to meet new baby Hope!)
• Char turned 13! *sob*
• The SKY family came for two, week long visits (one in April and one in September!) 
• God released me to go back to PEI to work with them. :) :) 

one of the many weddings this year!

more journal entries:

January 26, 2013: "Out of the blue, dad says to me that he thinks I should go back to Canada [um, beg your pardon?" 

March 25, 2013: " Everything is changing. I wonder what will be next, though I dare not ask."

April 24, 2013: "When I got home I told mom, "I want to work with the SKYS." She replied, "Duh!" I laughed. I told her it just felt like home. [...] it was one of those stomach-clenches-up-in-excitement-is-this-really-happening kind of moments."

August 12, 2013: "If God calls, I must respond. It is my duty and joy to obey. It's not my call. It's not up to me to ask questions."

On October 5, 2013 I left my home to go to where God called me. It wasn't easy BUT it was a time of great JOY! :) God did it, utterly and completely, in such a way that I could never doubt it was Him! We had an incredibly blessed semester, and I'm looking forward to returning next week.

me and hope :)

All in all, 2013 was full of unexpected trials and surprises. I am so so so blessed by all that God accomplished and look forward to all His good plans and purposes coming to pass in 2014.

H A P P Y  N E W  Y E A R!

Blessings,

A Cabbage Patch Doll in A Barbie World

(I wrote this almost two months ago and just found it again. Just thought I would share it...)

"Charm is *deceitful* and beauty is vain, 

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

I've grown up with comments like:

 "You have so much going for you, if you could just lose some weight." 

"Just try not to gain anymore weight, okay?"

"You ARE a large lady."

"Well, guys do like slim girls..."

People constantly trying to give me "subtle" diet hints, exercise tips, fitness app ideas, calorie counting, and the list goes on...

I've been larger than most girls my age since I was 12, probably even younger. It's only been in the past few years that I have felt like people watch me and judge me based on my appearance. However true or untrue that may be, the side glances and sometimes biting remarks make it seem like everyone is watching. I'm not unaware that I've got a little more to love. The truth is--I eat less than my friends eat, I love fruits and vegetables, and I basically only drink water (ever).

t h e r e  m u s t  b e  s o m e t h i n g  w r o n g  w i t h  m e,  r i g h t ?

If I don't look like other girls, how can I fit in? How will anyone ever think I'm beautiful? How would any guy ever want to marry me? etc...

One dear lady that I respect greatly, after praying for me, and even praying with me for a husband (it was so sweet) then proceeded to give me a talk about dieting, special meal replacement shakes, etc... What I didn't realize was how much that affected me! Thus started a year of lots of exercising and even healthier eating. I took up running (who am I kidding? You don't just "take up" running. It was hard work.), started counting calories, and ate smoothies for breakfast. Yes, I became one of "those" people. haha. I felt great. I lost 18 pounds. Then, something unexpected happened.

I got pneumonia--badly--for a month.
Bye bye running. Bye bye eating regime. Hello just trying to get better.

One thing after another (sickness, Anna's injuries & surgeries, etc..) and I still wasn't back to running. It finally hit me one day this Spring, while taking a walk with a friend, "I've been trying to lose weight to gain the approval of others. In essence, so that someone will want to marry me." Was it beneficial to my health, yes! However,  in the midst of all that striving after what the world sees as beautiful, guess what was forgotten in my life: God and time in His Word.

Today I've been thinking about Proverbs 31:30. Another version says, "...Beauty is fleeting..."

Do I really want to lose ground in my relationship with the Lord in order to become "beautiful," find a man, and get married? I'm not saying that marriage is wrong--I want to get married one day. I'm not saying that exercise is wrong--God didn't give us these bodies with lots of muscles to just sit around all day!

My thought is this:
Are we letting the world's definition of beauty shape our thoughts, our habits, and our lives? Maybe even allowing it to come through as a "Christian" viewpoint? Many say we HAVE to be "good stewards of our temples..."

Yes, but what about our souls? If my outward body is in shape but my inward man is wasting away, what good is that doing anyone? It's not doing me any good, that's for sure (or my family either, for that matter). When I'm not spending time with the Lord or in His Word, I'm grumpy, easily irritated, discontented, and the list goes on.

I'm tired of being defined by the world's standard of beauty. There is so much more to life than what size pants I wear or how much (or how little) make up I put on.

Don't let beauty (that is for a moment) distract you from the higher things.

easy for me vs. good for me

"When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win we know

That pain reminds this heart

That this is not, This is not our home"

~Laura Story~

{Anna is up and "at 'em" again! She moved back into her room on Monday night!
You can see the crazed look in our eyes from...being our usual selves! :)}

I need more reminders in my life that THIS is not my home. This earth where sin abounds, where neighbors don't know each other, where everyone is concerned for themselves, and where many children grow up without parents, is only temporary. 

The trials our family went through last year of sickness and Anna's burn/surgery/healing process are truly nothing in comparison to things that so many others go through. Yet, the Lord knows exactly what we need to teach us, shape us, and form our hearts to trust Him and love Him more. 

"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness" 

This earth is not my home. These trials are temporary. The things that we go through are so God can be glorified through our lives--so others will see Him and all His majesty. The past few weeks were NOT easy--sleepless nights, dying to self, changing plans, etc... {not exactly a thrilling thing for our flesh to go through!} Yet, God was in it. ALL of it. I only pray that His glory, grace, and love were displayed through all of it!

It may not be easy for me, but it is good for me. 

"For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." 1 Timothy 4:10

overview

Update: Anna can officially sit and walk normally now! Yay. Thank you, Jesus! This is just wonderful news. We are rejoicing for her today. It's hard to believe that this is the beginning of the end of this trial.

The past few weeks have been crazy!

(they've been filled with...)

I made this with the Muzy app to remind myself of this grand adventure.
(lots of computer time while waiting for Anna to ask me for things)

a little much needed humor one night.
(loads of silliness with my temporary roommate)

(coffee dates with friends who would listen to me and pray for our family.)

Em & Aim made dinner for us one night. It was incredible.
(lots of sweet visits from friends. we are overwhelmed by the love and support we've had through all of this)

Char made this bow for Anna to use when she is better!
(lots of sister bonding time)

We got to celebrate this pretty gal's 21st birthday with shopping and lunch out.
(lots of visits and support from our family!)

Anna is awesome. She was tired of being in bed all the time so she made this cake for our cousin.
(lots of pudding, cornbread, and even a few cakes have been around. Anna's favorites)

I had a new experience and asked for milk at Starbucks.
(lots of pictures from starbucks)

on the way to see family!
(lots of crazy faces. laughter. intense struggles. prayer.)

FINALLY. cold weather.
(lots and lots of weather!)

Have a lovely Wednesday, y'all!

Anna's story

*Anna wrote this as a note on Facebook today! I thought I would just put it here instead of trying to write out the whole story myself. *

"Ok! So I know that a lot of you guys have seen random posts about surgery, skin grafts, hospitals and "thanks for praying"...but don't actually know what's been going on. So this is for those of you whom I have not had a chance to really talk about all the things that have been going on in the Dumaresq home. {AND for the record, I am obviously not a doctor, so some of this is my understanding of what has been going on with my burns.}

The last week of November, I had a toasty and unfriendly run-in with a heating pad. I was using it on the back part of my leg one night and I left it on for too long, therefore giving myself some interesting looking burns. They were not terrible in appearance, and so we decided to go and see my regular primary care physician. My doctor tried to get me in to see some burn specialists, but believe it or not, there was no place "burn related" that could see me immediatly (due to the specialty of my burn and because we were approaching Christmas). A week later found my burn infected, and after a lot more scrambling on my doctors part, I FINALLY got in to see a plastic surgeon at UVA. We found out that I actually had 3rd degree burns, requiring a skin graft (there wasn't really enough skin to grow back by itself, so it needed help from outside skin sources). I ended up having my first skin graft surgery on Dec. 24th, and fortunatly it was out patient care, so I was home for Christmas. The week following that surgery was one of the hardest weeks, and I know that the enemy was trying to discourage me by every means possible. Because of the location of the burn, I was only able to lay on my stomach or side for 2 weeks, and not able to bend my right leg at all. I was extremely limited in what I could do (even reading was/is hard) and I couldn't sit at all.   

The next week I had a doctors appointment, where I learned that I was going to have ANOTHER surgery, this time using my own skin as the "donor". Because my burn was over a week old, the first skin graft was necessary to get my burn to a place where it would accept my own skin. I had a week of "rest" before the next skin graft, but basically that meant another week on my stomach/side and not going anywhere. God really used this week to restore my strength, for I had not been sleeping well at all due to being uncomfortable or poor circulation in my legs. From the day that the doctor told me I needed another surgery until the day of the surgery, God filled me with strength and hope AND even a little craziness ;). It was actually such a blessing to me...:)On January 9th, I went in for my second surgery at UVA. The surgery went well, and I had some of the nicest nurses/doctors/residents taking care of me. Originally, I was expected to have to stay in the hospital for 4-5 days, but because God answers prayers, they allowed me to go home the day AFTER my surgery! I did have a bit of a rough night that night in the hospital, but overall God blessed me with minimal pain on my burns and the site where they took the skin from. Just for the record, it is possible to travel 30 minutes face down on the front seat...haha! I am currently home now, and am not in too much pain. I will be laying extremely still this week, on my stomach only this time with no sliding my leg at all. I go back to get a checkup next Tuesday, and then we will see what happens next! All I know is that I will not be doing anything that's considered "strenuous" for at least 3-4 more weeks. 

The last 3 weeks have been some of the hardest weeks of my life, yet I am even more confident of God's goodness to me and how much he wants me to believe that He IS good. God has sustained me on my completely worst days, through meltdowns, tears and some really bad pain. He has prompted people to send me encouragement at the perfect time. Every single time. He has sent verses at times where I was fed up, and refreshed my spirit in a way that only He can do.

 All I know is that God is good, and that He tenderly cares for us SO incredibly much! If you are going through a rough time right now, cling to what we know of God's character--He is faithful, he is good, and He is our savior--and Hold on tight! He will not let you down, but will uphold you "so that your youth is renewed like the eagles" (psalm 103:5). Praise God.

~"[...]These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:7~

In His Care,

Anna"

What I DID Today:

~I sat in a hospital waiting room with my family for 5 hours. ~

(plus: It helped me catch up on my Bible reading I didn't quite finish last night!)

There is nothing quite like seeing your sweet sister in a hospital bed, post-surgery.
Even though she is fine, my heart just broke.
*I love her so.*

Facebook status updates from today:

2:45 pm:
Just waiting for Anna! She isn't in surgery yet...more updates to follow!
~Reggie (the butler) ;)

4:15 pm:
Anna JUST went into the operating room about 5 or so minutes ago! #familybondingtime #updatesfromreggie ;)

7pm:
Anna is doing fine! We got to see her after surgery and walk to her room. She wasn't experiencing any pain at that point--just groggy from anesthesia. Praise God! Mom is staying overnight tonight. (I just walked in the door to home!) now going to eat!!!! :) #updatesfromreggie



Needless to say, It's been an interesting past two weeks...and will continue to be so for the upcoming two weeks. More updates to come regarding this situation!

Thank you everyone who has been praying for us!

"Yet will I praise Him"

In all honesty, I don't want this post to turn into a rant or anything of the sort. It's just time for an honest, vulnerable moment on my part.

This Fall, it has been incredibly difficult to stand and praise the Lord. 

He is so good, yet my flesh rises up and wants to control my own life. When trials come, I want to draw closer to Him, not further. These past few months have been truly trying...for the whole family.

In general, I never get sick. ever. Starting at the beginning of August, I had two colds during that month, then a cold in September that turned in pneumonia through most of October. After that, while trying to get back into running after a few weeks off, I twisted my right ankle. A week later, my left ankle over compensated. So I wasn't able to run for another two weeks. Ha! After that, a sinus infection mid-november with some allergies. (I went on a two week trip up to Connecticut the beginning of December). When I got back, I was sick for several days. It's been crazy.

I couldn't do evangelism.
I couldn't meet with the girl I wanted to disciple.
I could hardly pay attention at any Bible study.
All the part-time job opportunities I prayed about, every single door closed.

**It was rather discouraging. **

In the midst of all of this, Mom got a cold that turned into bronchitis; Aimee had a horrible sinus infection, allergies, with cold symptoms (most of the Fall); Charlotte got pneumonia and a stomach bug; Dad had some sinus issues; and Anna has finally recovered from her year of stomach problems and is now healing from a surgery/skin graft due to a third degree burn she got 3 weeks ago. (Poor darling!)


There were days it was hard to pray--hard to read the Bible--hard to think of anything but myself.  Over and over again I would repeat, "This I know that God is for me" and "The Lord does not forsake those who seek Him."

Finally, a few weeks ago, God gave me a breakthrough. I still got sick. The situation around me hadn't changed at all, just my perspective. In many ways, I feel like I failed a test that was put before me. To "Bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips."

God doesn't change. 

I do. 

He is always good. 

He is the only good thing in me. 

One of my goals for 2013 is to truly praise the Lord (loudly if I need to) at all times. Especially when I am grumpy and things aren't going the way that I (in my fleshly, "I know better than you" attitude!).

Source

The name of this blog is "Spring of Joy" for a reason. Jesus is the fountain of life and joy. There is nothing else besides Him. That does not mean that I am always happy--just trying to truly live knowing that I am redeemed because of His sacrifice. 

What could give me more reason to rejoice?

"for whom did you carry the stone?"

I wrote this as an email today, but just had to share with others on here. 

I just finished reading a book called "These Strange Ashes" by Elisabeth Elliot. Ah! So good. I would definitely recommend it to all of you. It's about her first year as a missionary in Ecuador. (Before she and Jim got married). This excerpt at the end of the book really ministered to me, and I wanted to share it!!!!

 

"A story is told of Jesus and His disciples walk one day along a stony road. Jesus asked each of them to choose a stone to carry for Him. John, it is said, chose a large one while Peter chose the smallest. Jesus led them then to the top of a mountain and commanded that the stones be made bread. Each disciple, by this time tired and hungry, was allowed to eat the bread he held in his hand, but of course, Peter's was not sufficient to satisfy his hunger. John gave him some of his.

 

Some time later Jesus again asked the disciples to pick up a stone to carry. This time Peter chose the largest of all. Taking them to a river, Jesus told them to cast the stones into the water. They did so, but looked at one another in bewilderment. 'For whom,' asked Jesus, 'did you carry the stone?' (pg 148)

 

**Even though throwing the rocks into the river made absolutely NO sense to the disciples, they did it. Jesus asked them to simply carry a stone for Him--no other instructions. They had to follow Him, carrying their stones, whether big or small, until He gave the next command.

 

 If God has asked us to do something, to carry a "stone" for him and then throw it in the river, we must do it, if for no other reason than because of who He is. Because He has asked. Because He is God. Even though it seems weird. Even though it seems like people would think we are crazy. Even though, if I were Peter, I would have thought, "Are you kidding? I want some bread! I am hungry! Do you know how heavy that rock is that I carried? And now I have to throw it in a river? Why?"

 

I want to carry my stone for Jesus. To be willing to do whatever He asks, even if it is throwing it in the river. Even if the stone is actually something more valuable to me. To give it all for Him. My heart is so hard and I am so unwilling.... Oh Lord, help my unwillingness.**

 

 

Rejoice, Rejoice, Emmanuel shall came to thee...

God has been so good to me.

I just got home Friday night from a two week visit with my dear friends from Canada. They were touring around New England and the Lord provided for a plane ticket to meet them up there! Woah. I was just...blown out of the water (is that an expression?) by His goodness. The way He worked through the details, the timing, every single concert, every single conversation--it was incredible.

My heart was leaping for joy the whole. He brought healing and restoration on so many levels. Once again, I was reminded of the TRUE reason why Christmas brings joy.

It is not the gifts.
It is not the food.
It is not the idea of family being together without drama (which basically is impossible).

It is time with the Prince of Peace Himself. The giver of all joy. Jesus.

My heart is so easily turned to other things, yet nothing satisfies the emptiness, the longings, etc.. like time with my Savior.

Thankful.

Tonight I am overwhelmed. 

After a week of really struggling, being sick again, my ankle still recovering, thus not being able to run still, and several planned things falling through, God really showed Himself to me today in simple, ordinary things. 

Aimee and I drove into town together today so I could pick up my car from the shop and so she could go to a doctor's appointment. I dropped her off...

First stop: Starbucks--to see my friend, Emily. She works there ALL the time and when Aimee has appointments near there, I go and grab a drink, see Emily, and read my Bible for a bit. I wasn't planning on getting anything because I was going for coffee later in the day with a friend. Em asked if I wanted a   "sample of something"? In my mind sample=small cup. a little amount. way less than a normal beverage. WRONG. Em fixed me a tall peppermint mocha! It was delicious. She's such a dear.

Second stop: The car shop. *groan* Who knows how much it was going to cost me this time. Oil change. check engine light. recall repair. Ayi yie yie. The cashier hands me the receipt with all the repairs. I glance at the total and try not to wince, it's $50 more than my highest estimate. We talk about it a bit and then she says, "Let me check to see if your Owners Advantage program has anything on it still...." She, in shock, turns to me and says, "It is ALL covered. You don't have to pay anything today AND you still will have some left for future repairs!!" *inward sigh of relief*

Third stop: Target. Mom gave me some money and a little list of things we needed--then Charlotte needed a birthday present for dad and Anna wasn't feeling well and asked me to pick up stuff as well. It was a little overwhelming trying to remember everything. I hoped that mom had given me enough for her and Char's things, and then I had a bit of extra cash that could cover Anna's stuff  (and hopefully  the things I wanted to get for dad.) I got to the cash register and mom & charlotte's things were a little over what mom had given me. *uuhhhh* THEN, I opened my wallet and found a $5 that mom had randomly given me last week for something I did not end up getting! It was perfect! Plus, I had just enough for the things Anna and I BOTH needed! Yay!

Fourth stop:  Five Guys. I never get burgers. ever. But I was really craving one today, so I splurged! Because of the way God had provided earlier in the day, I was able to go to lunch with Aimee. We basically never get to go out together! :) *and God has provided the past two weeks for me to do that with her, as well! So cool!*

Fifth stop: Starbucks (on the complete opposite end of town as the other!) My friend, Grace, and I had planned to get coffee together around 2:00 so I could hear the story of her engagement! *yay* Little did we know when planning that it was BOGO drink free from 2-5 pm today! Booya. I was able to get a drink for only $2.00 (we split the price of one) and bring it home to Aimee! ALSO: It was such a peaceful, fun, happy, encouraging conversation that really lifted my spirits. Thanks so much, Grace! :)

**Although these things may seem small, "God is the God of the big and small!:** 

Then Hannah G. texted me the verse of the day:

Psalm 8:4
"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that you take thought of him, and the soon of man that you visit him?"

Goodbye...

Today is the first day that I REALLY tried to run in about 2 weeks. That pneumonia really did it in for me during the end of September/beginning of October. Since my running/jogging buddy, Allie, is moving out of the country for about 5 months, today was our last run. *sad face*

I was only able to run a little over a mile. It was incredibly frustrating, but I know it's easier to get back into running after a break than it is to start from scratch. However, it was nice to just walk and talk for a while with her. I'm going to miss her SO much.

Meet "The running club!"
We took this picture a few weeks ago when we, unintentionally, wore the same colored shirt to run.
Haha. :)

Anybody want to be my new running buddy?

Update

Wow. I haven't posted in a while. To say the least, June was an insanely busy month for our family. We had something going on every weekend, including vacation, bridal showers, family visiting....and the list goes on.

Nags Head, NC OBX (Aimee took this from our hotel room)

Here we are with the bride-to-be at her brown & pink bridal shower!
(Her August wedding will be one of five weddings I am attending this year!)

We also got a darling little kitten that Char named Nala. She is mostly black with a white belly, and other white spottings!

Here she is!!!!

Isn't she the cutest little thing? She loves being held!

We also had a horrible storm that hit the east coast last week. Thousands of people were without power, water, AC in the midst of some really hot days. (105F with a heat index of 110F). Texas weather without the reality of being in Texas. We went about 4 days with our little generator running our fridge and then decided to head down to my grandparents lake house. I am so thankful that we had a place to go, as many could not leave their homes. Some of the stories are so sad of people being stranded, trying to stick it out... According to our neighbor, we got back electricity Wednesday night, but many in the area didn't get it back until Friday...and some didn't get water back until the day after. 

We have much to be thankful for.

How I Became a S.A.H.D.

Hello Everyone!

I am finally going to write about how the Lord brought me home. It wasn't easy. In fact, it was a very hard and painful situation because God had to show me how HIS will was different and better than my own.

To begin this story, I need to give a little background, so you can have some better understanding of this situation. The past two years, I have been working with a ministry based out of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. A family, several years ago, gave up all to follow the Lord whole-heartedly. In the process, they began a music ministry where they present the Gospel through music, and through preaching, at concerts. They travel all across Canada and the US, playing concerts, leading Bible studies, and doing evangelism as well. It is SO neat. God has given them a very creative outlet to preach the Good news. A few years ago, they came and stayed with us, playing concerts in our area. They invited me to join them for a few weeks on PEI, and then to come be part of their Unashamed Ministries Bible Institute (UMBI). God has let UMBI remain small so that we can feel like family, hold each other accountable, and be more transparent when dealing with issues and sin. I grew so much during this time-- really developing an understanding of God, the Bible, the importance of Evangelism and prayer, and many other things.  Those years will always be a treasure in my heart.

This past Fall was my fourth and last semester at UMBI. Usually, during this time before graduation, the students are invited to join as Staff to lead ministry outreaches, Bible Studies, teach classes, pray, administrative duties, and many other things.  I was asked to join the ministry. At the time, I couldn't see any reason why I shouldn't. There seemed to be no opportunities for me back at my home town, and to be honest, I didn't want to come home...AT ALL.


When I came home for Christmas in December, God had already been on the move in my family, I just didn't know it yet. A few days after I arrived home, my mom sat down with me to talk about a few things. Through scriptures, and by confirmation from dad, the Lord had showed her that our family needed serious healing and reconciliation. [My dad had been a pastor for 17 years, and at the end, we had all been so hurt that we never fully recovered from it all.] In order to reconcile, that meant I needed to be home. It was a hard hit for me. "Lord, You want to do WHAT?" "Can't you see I'm working for YOU, Lord, and you want me to come home!?" 
As you can see, I was perfectly incredulous. The questions ran through my head, over and over again. I cried, I got angry, and I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. I just wanted to KNOW it was God's will for me to be home-- for HIM to speak to me about it. That time of wrestling was probably some of the most intense times of fighting, pleading, and praying I've ever experienced.

Finally, we decided to get a dear lady we know to pray with me. Mom and I drove to her house early one morning, and we ended up staying for almost 3 hours. During that time she talked with me, prayed with me, and helped mom and I to have some reconciliation. It was amazing. God gave me PEACE. The peace that passes ALL understanding. The peace that helped me to say, "Lord, I don't understand, but Your ways are better than my own. I will obey what you have said. I will stay. I will love my family. Forgive me for fighting against You." At that moment, I felt free and filled with joy. The joy that comes after a storm, after a time of wrestling, and after someone has surrendered to the Lord.

So, you may have questions like "What are you doing now?" or "What has God been doing in your family?" God is good, all the time. Our family is the closest it has been in a long time. We are doing the Bible study "Experiencing God" together every Sunday afternoon. After dinner, our dad reads a devotional to us, which has lead to good conversations. We are communicating better, and are able to talk through issues we are dealing with. IT'S AWESOME.

As for me, I am:Being discipled by a lady from our church. (it's such a blessing, as it also means I get time with her darling kiddos!)

• Participating in a Ladies Bible study from church on Wednesday nights. (Another blessing!) 
• Teaching my youngest sister Spanish. :)
• Helping with cooking and cleaning around the house.
• "Polite traditions"-- we meet with a friend each week to work on crafts, sewing, and other things.
• Doing babysitting when the opportunity arises.
• Each week I meet up with different friends for dinner or coffee. (It's a great time of encouraging each other!)
• Trying to walk each day with God--asking Him to show me who to talk to, write to, or call so that I can encourage/bless them.
• Working every day to try to love my family (in their particular love languages.)

I might not have a REAL job, but, let me tell you, I am SO busy.  From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, I am always doing something.  To the world, it may not make sense, but I know, this is where God wants me. 

{You might be wondering about the title "SAHD." That stands for "Stay At Home Daughter." I learned that term from another girl's blog, you should check it out. www.stayathomedaughter.com .She has been a real encouragement to me!}

Have a wonderful day! Remember, no matter what the circumstances, God is always working around you.

War with the bugs!

I miss this porch in Texas.

Two nights ago, as I was working through my "Experiencing God" Bible study, this statement stood out to me from page 40, "If you are not willing to be faithful in a  little, God cannot give you a larger assignment." It immediately convicted me of my restlessness, my need to go constantly, and how I am always unhappy with the smaller assignments (especially around the house, it seems).  I asked the Lord to make me willing to take whatever HE gives me a good attitude, making me someone HE can trust with larger assignments. Little did I know what I asking....

Last night, we were sitting around for a while after dinner, so my youngest sister decided to run up and take a quick shower. When she came back down, she asked me to wrap her hair up in a towel like she sees us do. :) I said, "Ok, flip your hair over." To my horror, shock and disgust, I say teensy little bugs in her hair. Of course, being the dramatic girl that I am, I let out a slightly horrified, "UGH! There's bugs in her hair!" and stepped away quickly. Suddenly all the memories of all the times different friends had had lice in their hair came running back to me. "Oh no! We're going to have to clean EVERYTHING. And throw all her stuffed animals away. And cut her beautiful long hair."  Yeah, I was running through all the worse case scenarios possible in my brain.  (Like I said, at some points I can be a bit dramatic. Praying about that too!)

Mom rushed over and confirmed it was, indeed, my horror, LICE. ewwwwwwww.


**At that moment, I declared war on those nasty little pests!!** 


NO WAY would they get the better of me. Nan took over combing through Boo's hair, and Aimzy and I went to work.  We ran upstairs and stripped all the beds, and grabbed anything she had touched, sat on, etc... we had bags of things to wash. Then, I grabbed the vacuum and ran that wonderful contraption over every bare floor space possible. Dad said, "It sounds like a tornado up there, is everything ok?"

The whole time I kept thinking, "Thank you Lord for giving me small tasks to be faithful in, so You can trust me with the bigger assignments."

As of right now, we can't find anymore lice in her hair. (Thankfully our friends have a special solution/remedy that we used on her hair.) *phew* I'm glad that's over, but I'm still on the lookout.

Now I am just trying to be prepared for whatever might be next. :)


Have a lovely Monday,