Friday, November 28, 2008

Finally an Update

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Okay, so I have been gone for a while. First off, we made it to Texas safely but my mamma does not have Internet at her new house yet. Second, my grandmother went on a ventilator last week and my dad went on one as well in Arizona....so, my half-cross-country trip turned into a complete cross-country trip. I am currently in Arizona. My hubby came home on R&R and the next day we set out to come here with my sister and kids in tow. Thank God for that mini van!
I regretfully admit that my grandmother has brain damage. She is off of the ventilator and we are just waiting. I pray that I will make it back to Texas in time to attend her funeral. My dad on the other hand is at a point of waiting. He was extibated this morning but is not showing much progress. Tonight I sang to him...my voice was inherited from him as well as what training I have came from him. I hope he wasn't secretly critiquing me! :) As I sang, his heart rate increased and his breathing became rapid. He started trying to move his head to face me but he was still just blank.
It is hard to see him like this. Later, when I have more time (later might be in a month or two), I will share some insights into my relationship with him. I am thankful that I am here. It is hard but I am thankful.
Also, today was Brydon's 7th birthday. It was hard for him, but tomorrow I will share some pictures of my dad with him that might help him to understand a little better as to why we made an emergency trip here and he missed Thanksgiving and his birthday party. It is just a tough time for us all. Now I am beginning to really understand all of the prophecies, dreams, and visions that were being shared with me over the past two months. God is really using me, though it is in a way that I wasnt so sure I could ever handle. The hardest part though was telling my grandfather whose wife was on a vent in one state that his son was on one in another. But God gave me the strength in that moment and I was able to share my faith and pray with my grandfather finally learning that he DOES believe in our Lord. What a relief for me....after all of these years.
But I am rambling now, I will get on here when I can but the opportunities are few and far between.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

God Answers Prayers

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My God answers prayers! Even those for material possessions!
Okay so for a filler on the circumstance to my prayer: One year ago my husband's job changed as did his pay...by an extreme amount. Such an extreme amount that I am amazed that we even survived without losing BOTH of our houses. It was THAT much! But in this transition, we sold our pickup to keep ourselves afloat because it was fairly new, in good sellable condition, and paid for. Not the most brilliant of ideas! But hey, we still have our houses and our other vehicle (small car) and we are still able to eat. But with a large family, one that at the time had a baby in the oven, that little car is just a wee-tad too small, or at least when Daddy is home. With Daddy gone, we can squeeze two car seats in the back with a wedge of space left for a small rear-end and a booster seat in the front seat, but no dog...poor Maggie.
Late in my pregnancy, our dear friends in Germany blessed us with their Pathfinder to use while they are overseas. It was an incredible blessing to be able to have a few more inches (3 or 4) between the kiddos but it was still VERY tight. But tight or no tight, we have been in preparation for this trip back to Texas for several months, in which we prayed and laid claim that we would have a bigger, free or nearly free vehicle by November. We set the month to November because I was unsure of a day but sure of the month that we would leave.
Well, the first of November came and went and there was no vehicle in our sights. I have been so bummed. Our beloved friends encouraged me to take their Pathfinder to Texas saying that is why they left it with us...to be a blessing. So, I reluctantly gave in to the fact that I was not getting my very own larger vehicle anytime soon and that we would just have to make do in their vehicle even though I was beside myself for putting that many miles on their car.
Today, after church, November 9th, I drug out the car-top carrier and went to work trying to put it atop the Pathfinder to find that the brackets did not fit the nerf bars, so I began to devise a means to make it work. About an hour and a half into my endeavor, after I had snapped at the kids for talking to me, made my back ache, and was about ready to throw the whole thing in the garbage and rent a UHAUL, my neighbor came over with some papers and stickers for my kids.
As I was standing their unloading my anxiety onto her hoping she would figure out that I didnt have the time to talk because I was too busy getting prepared to leave she asked me a question that she had meant to ask me a week ago. Would I like to buy her mini van from her since she recently got another one....hmmm. It is nice...how much would she ask for it?...can she hang onto it until I get back from my trip?...could I even get financed with this economy? As these things were pouring through my mind, she asked if I would like to walk over and take a look at it. So, I hesitantly did knowing that I probably could not afford it.
Like I said, my God answers prayers. We signed title and added insurance tonight. I can afford to pay them from my checking account though they said not to until after my trip and to just pay them however I wanted to over a year (I will pay them sooner), and we put my car-top carrier, which fits, on it tonight! How funny is our God? And what about his timing? Was he testing my patience our what? I just cant stop laughing at Him tonight!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

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I love awakening in the morning to check my email to see if my hubby has sent me new pictures. Recently, we havent been able to webcam but God's grace is sufficient and I am thankful that we do get to at least talk on the phone...as unreliable as his phone is.
This is one of my favorite pictures that he has sent. Some of my other favs I do not have liberty to share because they are of him with the local children. But this one I love. Not only is it a great pictures of my handsome hubby but look behind him at God's beauty! The artist of all artists, that is God's artwork. Magnificent!