A Chapter Closed - Everyone Will Be Inconvenienced!

In times like these I tend to get a bit anti-social. I have problems doing much more than connecting with people via texts & social media - you know, that third-hand type of connection. "Sunday's to church" is about the only time I want to show my face in public! It's a rough thing to watch... from my seat.

My mind is FULL of thoughts today. We've had a bumpy week to say the least. I'm just plain worn out - physically & emotionally. That's not helping with my attitude. But, I'm hanging in there & relying on someone greater than me to provide for ALL my needs.

The "NEST" is no longer empty.
It was...
for a short time.

We're entering a new chapter in our family as we welcome one of our adult children & a tiny baby into our home for a season. The lives of all three of us will be inconvenienced to some extent with these changes. We are trusting that the life of the little one will be blessed by being here :) This isn't how we had dreamed things would work out for our family. This isn't how she had dreamed of her life as a mommy. A chapter closed today... and a new one opened -- bringing more opportunities for God to show His loving kindness, power, provision & glory!

I have plenty of housework to make things work in this house as we add two more to our home. Some of the projects that weren't all that crucial have become extremely important as we "re-work" things around here. There will be "stuff in the halls" for months to come :) Yet, I digress.

This one change will bring other changes. There's a part of me that's longing for another day. I'm longing for the day when our other house sells & closes AND we are done with double mortgages, double property taxes, etc. I'm longing for days when school loans are a thing of the past! I'm longing for the day when I no longer hear the cries of hurting ones (yes, that's another HEAVEN reference from me). I'm longing for the day when a lot of things will make sense to me!

Some of the scattered thoughts I've had today...

• I'm a bit tired of the same ol' same ol' stuff... however, this continues to be my daily prayer... through all of it... LET MY LIFE PRAISE YOU! Take a listen!
• This quote comes to mind and is a great reminder to me... "How has your Christianity inconvenienced your life this past week? Or, is it merely a matter of convenience?" ~ AW Tozer
• The things which bring the greatest joy to me... don't put a penny in my pocket... but, I am grateful for the priceless blessings that fill my heart!!

Thank You LORD for remaining constant in all of the change! Thank You LORD for scattered thoughts that bring me back to You & Your faithfulness. Thank You LORD for creating me to trust Your Heart when I can't see Your Hand.

(found this in the unpublished folder today... good day to publish it)

HOPE, Empty Nesting - In the Moments 10-07-13

Well... we got a few months of Empty Nesting. And, it was... pretty sweet :) 

The LOML & me :)

I knew the LOML (aka Love of My Life; aka My Husband for the past 20+ yrs now) for over 5 years before we married. I knew him as a friend at first. In truth, he was the younger brother of my good friend, Tammy. I'd been invited to all their family holiday gatherings -- since my family lived out of state. I'd watched him play church softball with his brothers & father (whom I'd affectionately named "Daddy Dale" in those days). I'd fixed him up with a girl from church that was his age (I'm not ready to comment honestly on that subject quite yet). I'd remained his friend as the years went by - growing to know him better - knowing who he was & knowing his family. 

And, in those passing years, I'd begun to know what God wanted of me... for me.

On February 10th at 8:10 pm, I knew he was the ONE with whom I should spend the rest of my life - not just the man I wanted to marry for a time... but, the man I would love forever :) I began to look forward to sharing life with him... and parenthood with him. I looked forward to spending the rest of my life with him. I looked forward to the days we could be together again - just the two of us.

Then, the time came :) Both children moved from our home & began their lives as young college students -- as young adults. We were Empty-Nesters. And, it was sweet!! We loved it! 

But... things changed. 

And... we adapted. 

So, at this point in our lives, we are doing the "empty nest" season just in the moments. We thank God for how He's working at this time. We hold onto to the HOPE that our "Empty Nest Days" will happen with more regularity -- not just in the MOMENTS for now... but in GOD'S TIMING :)

In the meantime, we are grateful for the MOMENTS!

His promises...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Linking this month with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge

A Different Season

(written early August 2013)

It's not yet August and, we're entering into a different season in our lives. 

School is starting earlier this fall for our school corporation. Summer is too short. Why can't they get out right before Memorial Day and go back right after Labor Day? In my mind's eye, that's how it should be! It was that way when I was little. And, I turned out just fine!

Miss Frizzle (that'd be me) isn't returning this fall to drive her "magic school bus." Her break was to be for the summer. But, the big changes in our home seem impossible to manage with a 2:00-6:15pm weekday gig. 

The end of August will bring another school year for our son. Hard to believe our younger child will be a junior in college. There will be less music in the house when he leaves... and a lot more food. 

The end of August will bring more school hours for our daughter - chipping away at her last 17-18 hours while working about 25 hours a week, tending to her child & (in our view) walking on egg shells in a relationship which she continues to grasp to tightly despite the heartbreaks. This will be a different season for her - one where she comes home to a relatively clean house with a peaceful, loving atmosphere. 

We have two new family members here -- our daughter & her baby. The LOML & I aren't "empty-nesters" this season. We'll be figuring out a new rhythm to our lives this fall. We don't know how long this season will last. But, we will embrace it with our entire being and strive to be a reflection of God. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says,

For everything there is a season...a time for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die.A time to plant and a time to harvest. 

A time to kill and a time to heal.A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

A time to cry and a time to laugh.A time to grieve and a time to dance. 

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.A time to embrace and a time to turn away. 

A time to search and a time to quit searching.A time to keep and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear and a time to mend.A time to be quiet and a time to speak. 

A time to love and a time to hate.A time for war and a time for peace.

And, in follow-up to the above thoughts, I love how verse 11 begins...

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart..." 

God is making this new season beautiful for us even if the condition of our home is total chaos  & not what most would consider beautiful. My heart affirms that this season is part of God's big plan!

For years now, I've been in the habit of changing my home decor to reflect the seasons. I love doing it. The LOML could take it or leave it. I have boxes & boxes of "seasonal" decorations which he joyfully pulls out & puts away for me throughout the year. This season his "work load" is a bit different. Yes... here's a picture of how my home is decorated for this season!

What are you doing to reflect the season you're experiencing now?

Linking 9-17-13 with the #1000Gifts Community of Ann Voskamp... 

Chapter 13718

After beginning about 25 different projects, I just sat down to rest a moment & updated my Facebook status...

I'm tearing up my house today... and hoping to put it back together sometime soon :)

My mind's FULL of thoughts today. We've had a bumpy week to say the least. And... I'm just plain worn out. That never helps my attitude. But, I'm hanging in there & looking beyond myself for strength, provision, guidance, and much, much more! 

In times like these I tend to be anti-social. I love my newer home (yep, still praying that the other one sells SOON). I love looking out into fields here that go for miles and miles, walking along pastures of bleating goats as they run toward me hoping for a handful of clover, eating more than I should of the cherry tomatoes on the way back from harvesting in our garden, hearing bird songs in preparation of the sun's rising and as the night approaches... should I go on? Yet, I continue to struggle not to be anti-social -- with going to church on Sundays being about the only time I want to show my face in public! 

The LOML (love of my life aka husband) & I are entering a new chapter in our lives as we welcome one of our adult children & a sweet, little baby into our home for a season. In about 4 weeks our other "young adult child" will return to Ohio to begin his junior year of college. And well, we won't be EMPTY NESTING it this fall. The four of us will be inconvenienced to some extent with these changes. As for me, those inconveniences will be faced with the belief that this is a VERY GOOD thing in all of our lives. It's a new chapter with great possibilities. For now, there's plenty of housework to make things work in this house as we add two more loved ones to our home. Certain projects that weren't at all crucial (like cleaning out the guest room) have become important as we "re-work" things around here.

So for today, I'm tearing up things... so that things can be made new :)

HIS WORDS:

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland." Isaiah 43:19

Linking with Ann Voskamp at One Thousand Gifts