God Is SOOOO GOOD!!

Oh, man, do I have a story to tell you!! It's just too bad that I don't have time to fill you in on all the details!! In short, Dan has a job!! He came home Friday with a job!! AND THE BEST PART, we still get to go on vacation! WOOHOO! We just got back from Bonham, TX where Dan did great job leading the service this morning. IT was so fun to spend some time with our dear friends Adam and Mandy. Olivia had her first birthday!! What a great weekend and we are leaving at 5 tomorrow morning for the sunny beaches of Florida!

OK, so here's a little bit of the amazing story of how God provided for us! Dan interviewed for this job a few weeks ago and didn't get it. We were heartbroken, I thought he would be perfect for it. His boss at Day camp actually got the job instead. Then Dan felt strongly convicted to turn the job search over to the Lord for the next week. No searching, no fretting, no job search with the promise of God's provision at the end of this Job fast. Dan's faithfulness to God's plan for him blessed us all and we had a really great week!! It wasn't hard and we were blessed in so many ways!! I saw the Lord's compassion continually as He answered the desires and requests of my heart. Then on Thursday Dan was asked to take over his Day camp because a leader quit in one of the other community centers and Dan's boss, Katie took over there and Dan took Katie's spot. He was able to step in and finish up well. On Friday, Dan was offered a position as a programmer at a community center. It is a job that Dan applied for but didn't even get an interview for! They offered the job to four other people and they all turned it down. They automatically thought of Dan and He starts one week from tomorrow!!! It is the job that Dan had been hoping for. It is temporary with the possibility of becoming a permenant postion with full health benefits. We are still looking for a ministry position but open to the Lord leading us to this position full time. It is so awesome!! Dan didn't have to do a thing to get this job except trust the Lord and wait for HIM to work it out. Well, and he did a great job at work and everyone loves him but that's just Dan! Thanks for praying for us and please continue to pray that the Lord will direct our every move. And whether that includes full-time ministry or if this current job is to become Dan's ministry, because believe me it is ripe for the Lord's moving! I have to finish up the frantic packing for our unexpected impromtu vacation!!

Fun Times!

Man, oh man!! Let the good times roll!! We have so much going on around here I am not sure I can remember it all!! Today, the girls and I are going to the Library this afternoon to meet Clifford the Big Red Dog!! We are so excited!! We love Clifford!! That will be our next photo on the blog. Hopefully I will get it posted before we leave. LEAVE? you ask? Yes, we are leaving tomorrow for Bonham, TX. I know it is so exciting! Our friends Adam and Mandy pastor Calvary Baptist Church in Bonham, TX. Adam has asked Dan to preach on Sunday so Adam, Mandy, and Jonah can take a "personal retreat". I know it is much needed!! They do so much and I am so glad it is them and not us! Then on Monday we are leaving for Pensacola Beach, FL!! Dan's Aunt Patty and Uncle Max are staying in a beach house there while their house in Gulf Breeze is being repaired from a nasty fire last year. WOOHOO!! We are staying there until Friday and then we are going to visit Bill and Diana for the weekend. Who would have thought we would get to take a vacation!? We don't even have a job!! But God is so good and He, in his gracious care for us, has provided a trip for us to visit loved ones!!

Oh, and Olivia's first birthday is Saturday!! We are going to celebrate with Adam, Mandy and Jonah. How fun!! I don't think I mentioned that Olivia got her bangs cut the other day. She is looking very grown up these days!! Fun times!!

Breaking the Silence

I have been silent for a while. I have tried to post several times and my heart just hasn't been it. I don't have much to say. Or the truth is, I don't like what I have to say. The thoughts that keep running through my head and heart are less than ideal and I have to admit I am a bit embarrassed to share them but since that was the whole point of this blog. . .HERE WE GO.

My new theme verses for this summer, or how ever long it takes me to move past this, is Psalm 23. Right now I am stuck on verse 1. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." You see, when we first moved here the first three sermons we heard were on this Psalm. The first two times I took great comfort in this thinking God was reassuring me that my needs will be met and I will not want for anything. The third time I heard it I realized that I will not want doesn't just mean that my needs will be met but that I will be content with what the Lord provides. Do any of you remember being taught by your parents the difference between wants and needs? I am often emphasizing the difference for my three year old daughter. Well, right now, God is doing the same for me. Darn if I don't want to be the one telling him what I need right now.

Don't get me wrong, ALL of our needs and then even some of our wants have been faithfully met by our good Shepherd. He has even used some of you to meet those needs and wants. But I have some ideals about the kind of life I want to live that are having to die a slow death. The only real problem here is that I have not been informed of God's plan for us. I don't like to be left out of the planning stage! SO I am just sitting here waiting to be told what to do. OK, I can wait, but I am a little sad at the attitude I have adopted during this time of waiting. I have been learning a lot about myself. And frankly, I could have done with out some of the pictures I have seen into my heart! It is full of pride! I think a lot more highly of myself than I should. I am not quite as capable as I thought and dadgumit I don't know how to not let the stress affect my family. For about the last two weeks I haven't been very pleasant to be around. I have tried to blame my crossness on various things but when it comes down to it I just don't want this transition to be hard and IT IS! I am at the point of facing my total lack of drive and ambition. My goal every morning is to just make it through another day. I am in survival mode. But the question is, what am I trying to survive? Life? The fact that God has called me to a life that is different from my ideal? GOOD GRIEF, WOMAN!! GET A GRIP!!

God is teaching me something and unfortunately He is in the process of peeling the ugly hard layers back from my sick diseased heart. He just wants to make it healthy again. I want that with every part of me but does it have to hurt so bad? So right now, I am at a crossroads. Do I really want God's best for my life or will I settle for an easier road because I don't want to make the sacrifices needed to get to the blessings God has for me? You know I settle for less than God's best for me in a million different ways everyday. I pick the easier thing or the quick fix to boost my mood rather than cure the disease where it is growing. But right now, I want you all to know that I am choosing God's best for my life and for my family. Even though I can't see how this is all going to turn out, even though Dan doesn't have a job yet, even though I feel like this doesn't make sense I am choosing to give up this view of life that says it should be easy to follow God and if you do everything will turn out better than before. Because that verse, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." it doesn't mean I will always know where I am being led, or that I will always see the next step. It only means that I am content in the knowledge that I have a God who can see and does know and He wants good for me, not harm. He knows what I need and He will make sure I get it. And not just me, this good shepherd welcomes all in and has more than enough resources to care for us all. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Be content in His provision and rest.

Rest.

This would be a good time to move on to the next verse, "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul." Psalm 23:2

Mi Casa es Su Casa!

Ok, Here is the first installment of pictures of our cozy new home. Hope you willcome see us soon!

Pool Time

We finally found a pool! What fun the girls have had in it!! We have gotten lots of use out of it already. This last weekend we had some friends over and played in it. Dan, of course, thought to bring the little slide over so we have quite a set up now. And let me tell you we love it!! You don't get the full affect of the frog pool but believe me it is cool! It has a place to screw in the water hose for a spinkler but we are going to have to ease Elise into that one. She will go head first on her back down the slide into the water but she freaks out when I hook up the sprinkler! Go figure! Everyone has their limits.

I had other pictures that showed more of our backyard but it rained and it is getting quite overgrown so until we get that under control this will have to do. And as for those house pics, well, we have been here long enough that I am going to have to clean first. But I am going right now to take a picture of our very clean and organized garage!! Yeah for Dan!! He is and always will be my hero!

Waiting for the X-Terminator

I have to make it quick. A.) Because Little House on the Prairie comes on in 15 min. B.) I am waiting for the bug man to come and spray the house for roaches. Both events make me cry but one is a good cry and the other is not. I'll let you decide which is which.

Roaches are what Satan uses in my life to break me! We have a long history. I even wrote a poem about the nasty little creatures. It was quite a healing experience. Anyway, I woke up yesterday and walked into my livingroom and there he was! Three inches of nasty evilness on my wall between the TV cabinet and the curtains. You may be thinking, Kelli, it's only a bug!! And you are so right! I feel the same way or I did until last night I went out into the garage to get a screwdriver, I was putting together a bookcase, and there to my overwhelming disgust was a whole group (ok, only 3 or 4) of roaches crawling all over an empty box right next to the tool case!! Coincidence? It could be, but I think not! Dan came to my rescue and killed one or two with the hammer. Believe me they were DEAD!! I was able to recover my senses enough to sleep soundly but I did have to go and check on the girls before I went to bed. While I was there a sincere prayer slipped from mind to the Creator, "Lord, please keep those nasty things off my girls!"

I am so thankful that I live in a place where we can just call the housing office and they say, "Sure, we will have someone over on Friday sometime after noon." I just have to tell you, I am learning that I serve a God who is Master over all creatures! These roaches, they will not have the victory!! They will not beat me and I know for a fact that they will not beat my Lord and Savior!! He is the King, even over roaches!

Now, if you will excuse me, I have a date with the Ingalls family.

The Garage

I am a really good starter. I can get things going like nobody else. I have the vision, the drive, the motivation, the know-how to get things moving in the right direction. BUT, once things start going well I usually lose my motivation. I have this house in great running order! But PLEASE, PLEASE, don't look in my garage or in my back yard!! I hate, I mean really dislike, putting things away. Anything, laundry, dishes, anything, I hate to put things away. I can clean, I can keep things picked up, but if things get really messy it is like pulling teeth for me to get the motivation to put things away. So you can image what laundry day is like at my house; the clean clothes are lying everywhere in piles, or neatly folded and stacked on the couch or the floor.

In order to get my house livable, I put everything I didn't need right away in the garage. SO my garage is a bit of a mess. Today, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. I am not sure who elses hands these matters have been in but now it's all me! The girls were getting a little stir crazy from being inside for the last 3 or 4 days so I decided we would spend the morning outside while I worked on the garage. The girls played and whined, and played and cried, and went in and out and back and forth and well the bottome line is, Things have to get worse before they can get better. I got the stupid flimsy shelves I biught for the garage put together and two hours later VIOLA! The garage is still a mess but we have some cheap, flimsy aluminum shelves!!

When we moved here I was a little disappointed that my washer/dryer hook-up were in the garage. I say a little because I was so happy to have them at all!! But I have totally changed my mind about that!! It is genius! I can do laundry all day and the house never gets any hotter and no one sees my mess!! I LOVE IT!!!

There are lots of things I love about our little house. It is MUCH smaller than our WSS dream house but it is nice, well kept, quicker to clean, and big enough for all of us! It is quickly growing on me. It feels like home and I like it. I promise to have some pictures for you soon but I have to finish the garage first. This time I am determined to be a good finisher!! OK, it may not be soon but eventually I will post some pics for you all. Or, you could just come and see for yourselves!

It just occured to me, most Seminary housing doesn't even have garages!! What would I have done then?? Thank You, Lord!!! for garages, cute houses, new beginnings, and your faithful care!!

Back in Business!

Well, my body was in denial for a few days but, Man, IS IT HOT here in the great state of Tejas! I know I am quickly adjusting because today I got excited when it felt cool at 92 degrees! We are moved in and settling down for the long haul.

Olivia is still not crawling but she manages to scoot around somehow. I am not sure how she does it but she got herself under the coffee table the other day!

Anyway we were so blessed by the outpouring of love and support during this move. We ahd so much help on the PA end and just as much help on TX end. We are so thankful for our friends, here and there.

Dan has started his job and it's pretty fun to have him home at 3:30 in the afternoon. We are having our first weekend together this weekend and I could get used to this. But we sure do miss our family at White Sulphur Springs!! Things are just getting started there!! The first week of family camp started yesterday! We are praying for you all WSS!! The girls miss everyone a lot!! But we are meeting lots of new friends so they haven't asked to go back yet, but I am sure that will happen soon. It all still feels like a vacation to the girls. They are doing really great. Olivia did so good during the trip. By the last day I was a little less compassionate and tolerant of her brainnumbing mind altering screeches. But we made it and my brain cells are back to full functioning power.

Keep praying for a full time ministry position for Dan. We are trying to keep our hearts open to where God leads. But it would be really good to have a postion by the time his classes start. God has been so good and He has provided in so many ways!! Thank You all for your prayers and help.

Kentucky Here We Come!

Our truck packed, with room to spare! We are spending the night two whole states away from where we started. Our friends were so amazing!! Dan had everything out in the garage ready to load in the Uhaul so it was all done with by noon!! When I got back from town with the pizza everyone was sitting around waiting. I didn't have to do anything this morning!! My house got cleaned yesterday and today the floors got steamed and it looked great!! I didn't deserve anything like this but I am so thankful for the love and kindness of friends!! It was so hard to leave my Pennsylvania family. I am so glad that from now on we will be saying hello instead of goodbye. I hate goodbyes. I am definitely a see you soon kind of girl!! So, I'll see you soon!!! Oh, and Adam and Mandy, we may see you a little sooner than we planned!!

Moving Craziness!!

You might think that we wouldn't have any exciting news right now but what can I say? A life following Christ is always exciting!! Wednesday morning Dan had a phone interview for a job. Anyone from HSU remember Shane Mize? He was one of our neighbors and friend in married housing at Hardin-Simmons. He was doing the interview!?! The job? Well, we will let you know. I do know that we found out Dan can have the job if he passes the background check and drug test. Hmm. . .Do you think that a steriod given for Poison Ivy would mess up that drug test? Well, we will find out won't we!? YES, He has a really serious, really painful, really itchy case of Poison Ivy! Perfect timing! He was able to go to the doctor yesterday and get some pills. So he won't have that excuse to get out of packing!! Anyway, after he got back from the doctor he spent several hours filling out paperwork for the job. He had to get it in the mail before the post office closed for the day. He made it but soon after he got home from the post office he got a call informing him that some of those papers needed to be faxed not mailed. Oops! To late! Our friends Heather and Steve Able, Micah, their son and Heather's parents came by for one last visit. So we had a good visit and Heather's parents treated us all to a last meal at our favorite fine dining resturaunt The Jean Bonnet. This morning Dan left with FaithLyn and Elise to Harrisburg, PA. That was the closest place that Dan could have his drug test done. It is now almost 4 and he isn't back yet.
Oh and did I mention that our van, the van that Diana is driving with FaithLyn, Elise and Aunt Judy to Texas is in the shop? Yes, the power steering unit thing was completely corroded and leaking. Not a good thing. But, our God is even the God of van repairs!! Art's Automotive is working on hard on getting the van fixed. Diana may be leaving a little later than she planned. Sorry Diana, but aren't you so glad that it got caught before you ended up stranded in Tennessee?
I think that this move is going to happen. God is definitely in control of all of these details and set backs. There have been lots of great things happening as well. For instance, Diana and Judy are arriving tonight, YIPPEE! Dan was able to get all of the stuff done for this job!! Thank You, Lord!! Dan has a job!! We have lots of great friends that are helping us on this end of the move, Rob and Chandra have helped entertain the girls and Katie has helped with the packing. We have lots of great friends that are going to help us on the Fort Worth end of our move!! We have lots of friends and family that are lifting us up to the Lord in prayer!! All things considered I can't imagine a better couple of days. More craziness later!!

My Little Packer

I have some pretty good help packing. It is coming along pretty slowly and most of the stuff ends up with drool all over it but we have a good time. It may be a while before you hear from me again. We would covet your prayers during this craziness. Diana arrives on Friday to take the girls. Pray for her as well. FaithLyn is REALLY excited and Elise is a little nervous. Hope all are enjoying the summer!! Can't wait!!

Still Not Packing!

Only 10 days to go until our pack out date and not ONE box has been packed. What's wrong with me? I can't even clean my house. Part of me keeps saying, "Who cares!" Then the other part of me is screaming, "HELLO! Do know what today is? Are you ever going to clean that bathroom?" The one thing I am really ashamed of is the fact that Dan has been working so hard to finish things up well at the office and I can't even get the bathroom cleaned! He is so worn out from getting everything in order and then coming home and looking for jobs on the internet or contacting people. He has really been diligent about being ready to go. I wish I could say the same thing. I am really excited about being in Fort Worth, I just don't want to have to do the work to get us there. So I am at the hotel helping when I am not needed instead of cleaning my house or cleaning out drawers and packing boxes!!

I have done all the work to make sure things will be ready for us in Fort Worth. We will have electricity, water, and a phone. I am able to think about that part of the move but my brain has some kind of disconnect when it comes to actually getting ready to leave here. I am sure that there is some deep seeded emotional reason that this is going on. It couldn't just be me being lazy. Could it?

You would think that with only two weeks to get ready to move things would hopping around here but it's just life as usual. . .sort of. Olivia is loving eating on her own!! She has five really sharp teeth and she chomps on everthing!! This afternoon I gave her a couple of arrowroot cookies and she was so happy!! She still has a hard time with controling her saliva but, hey! One thing at a time. It's a shame you can't see her teeth behind all that mashed up cookie and drool! She has a really adorable gap! I think she just keeps getting cuter! I am a little partial, though.

The girls got their "Texas" haircuts today. It was really hard for me to have FaithLyn's hair cut! It was so long and cute but I think it will be a lot healthier now. She only agreed to have it cut when I told her we probably wouldn't be able to put in ponytails anymore. Hmmm. . . We didn't get it cut quite that short but Elise's is pretty short. They look so different but still our cute little girls. I think shorter hair will help the girls adapt to the heat in Texas a little more quickly. You may think that is crazy but it has been in the 50's for the last 3 weeks !! It got up to 70 today (in the sun) and we all ran outside to catch a little of the heat. We still have the heater on in the house! My whole body is going to go into shock!! I am sure the girls won't even notice a difference. Here's to another day of not packing!!

Great News!!

First, I want to share the great praise I was alluding to a couple of days ago. My sister-in-law Ellen is PREGNANT!!! WHOO HOO!! Praise God! Since it's not really my news to share I had to wait until she posted her news first. We have been praying for God to bless Ellen with a baby since FaithLyn was born. With every baby I had it made our relationship a little harder. It was so hard to see Ellen hurting and not have any clue how to help her other than pray. I went from trying to hard to help to backing off to much. I have to admit I could in no way even begin to understand what she was going through. It was so hard to see her hurt and know that my joy in motherhood caused her pain. Not because she didn't love my kids, Aunt Ellen is a really wonderful Aunt and the girls love her! It just hurt because they were a reminder of what she so desperately wanted. It was bittersweet for her and for me as well.

Over Thanksgiving Ellen miscarried while she was here visiting. It was so painful, but God gave me a renewed passion for praying for my dear sister and so somehow, I feel so connected to David and Ellen in their joy. I have no right and I am not at all claiming any of God's praise or deserved glory. But prayer connects you to people, even if they don't feel that connection. This pregnancy is nothing short of a miracle and you should go check out her blog at www.dabragdonfamily.blogspot.com. I don't want to steal her thunder but I know some of you know of their struggle with infertility and I hope you will be blessed by their testimony.
Congratulations David and Ellen!! Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! God, Your goodness takes my breath away!!

My next good news will pale in comparison but it good to me! The Yard Sale is tomorrow and Dan just loaded up all our stuff and took it to the place where our community yard sale will be. Free at Last! Free at Last!! Thank God Almighty I am Free at Last! My dear friends Katie and Shelly helped last night to get everything priced. A job that would have taken me all day and night was done in about an hour and a half! Thanks Katie and Shelly!! You gals are the BEST! I just have to finish up a few more projects around the house and then it will be time to start packing!! Can you believe that in three weeks we will be in Texas!! I am getting very excited. . . for this whole thing to be OVER!! I am a wreck! I cry about everything, FaithLyn has wet the bed 4 nights out of 6! Last night I just got mad at her when she came in my room at 4 in the morning! If she could come get me why couldn't she make it to the bathroom??? I came back to my senses and realized, with Dan's help, that the girls are probably feeling my stress and it effects them too.
Even though I realize this I am still crabby and weepy. It feels a lot like being pregnant and it is almost as tiring and stressful as delivery. But when I am done with this move I get to sleep at night and my body will be automatically back to normal. Sorry Erin and Mandy and Ellen, it won't be so easy for you, but it will be MUCH more rewarding.
Erin Gerlt called yesterday mid-breakdown. It was a Godsend. Thank You Erin, for hearing me out. I am not sure I was making much sense but I sure felt better after you called. For a few minutes anyway! I usually work best under stress but this is too much for me!! I am an emotional wreck! Yes, even more than usual. But in my weakness, God is strong. I am counting on that!!

The Bunk Bed

The girls got Bunk Beds!! They love them and I have been promising a picture for a while. Here they are. We have already played fort and gotten in trouble more times than I can count. Elise is having a hard time following the rules, but what else is new? FaithLyn fell off the top bunk one of the first nights but only because we had to leave some of the side panels off because they were broken. They have since been replaced and she is much more careful while she is NOT going to sleep at night like she should. Elise often gets lost in her huge bed and we have had a few really scary middle-of-the-night episodes thanks to a lost "snuggle bunny". Elise's snuggle bunny is her beloved sleep prop. It was touch and go there for a while but thankfully we were able to pull snuggle bunny from the depths of the bed. I am so glad that the girls like to play on the bunk beds because it may take up all of the room in the girls bedroom! Oh well, they sure are cute aren't they?

My Provider, My God

I just realized how corny the title for my last post was!! SORRY! I could make lots of excuses but the truth is. . . I am a little corny and I am tired of pretending. Confession is SOO good for the soul!! ANYWAY. . .My real reason for posting is SOOO much more EXCITING!!

I haven't shared much about this because it isn't my story to tell and because of that I am going to have to be really obscure until this loved one leaks the news herself. All I can say is that our God is the God of MIRACLES!! I can't wait to share with you the details of this miracle because it is SOO cool! Let's just say Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

Oh and one more answer to prayer. Dan and I have always been a one car family. It has always worked out for us. Well, we had two cars for a while and then I smashed our little red car into a tree trying to drive up our steep icy driveway. That was about one year that we had two cars so it doesn't really count, does it? But, we realized that in Fort Worth one car just might not cut it. Especially if Dan gets a job that is more than four blocks away, which is very likely. I also realized that if we only have one car then I can't go visit my parents and sister when ever I want. What good is it to be in the same state with family if you can't visit? So Dan and I started talking about it and we decided to think about another vehicle. We both felt led to wait and pray for God to provide. Well Dan's brother David and his wife Ellen are moving to D.C. for a year. David is going to clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for a year. VERY COOL!Well they have two cars and only need one for the year. They offered to let us use their car while they are in Washington D.C. God is so good!! We had thought about a motorcycle since they are more fuel efficient but I was secretly praying that God would provide something else. And He did!! I am not shocked or even surprized that God has provided for our needs, I am just so thankful that He is providing for the desires of my heart. God is so Good!!

The Muddled Musings of a Moving Momma

Sorry I have been so silent. I have so much to process right now and frankly, I am a mess. Life is happening each day and most of our everyday chores get done. But my head is so full of things that need to happen and things that I can't yet take care of that I just can't even think. Here is the update. This weekend we have our community wide yard sale. Then about 2 weeks to pack things up. We have a few leads on job opportunities. There are a couple of ministry positions we could really get excited about. We are trying to gaurd our hearts until the Lord leads more definitely. We are hoping to serve in church ministry. You can keep your eyes and ears open for us if you like. We would like to serve in Youth, College, Singles, Children, Family, or as an Associate Pastor. We really don't know what God has in store for us but we are patiently seeking. This search has been much more hopeful than our last job search. Which only means we have actually heard from some of the places we have applied.

I have no doubt in my mind that God has a perfect job for Dan. We feel like working in a church while we are going through Seminary would be valuable to us. We want a place to work out the head knowledge and make it heart knowledge immediately. You may not all agree with us but it just seems to make sense to us. Dan has to work, we love ministry, we minister together well as a family, we can get paid to do this and we love it. It just seems to fit. But we realize that God may have different plans for us and that is exciting too. I have been seriously exploring the option of taking care of some kids to help supplement our income. I can take in up to 3 kids besides my own and not have to go through all the red tape. I am trying to be realistic about this and it isn't my ideal situation but it gives us some options. This is pretty far down on the list. I don't want to do something that will be detrimental to my own children just for the sake of a few more dollars.

I have to admit, the stress is getting to me. I am not scared about moving to Fort Worth, I am not worried that things won't work out or we won't be taken care of. I am just stressed out about the actual move. I think the most frustrating thing is that I just keep thinking about all the things I need to do but I can't really do them yet. SO I keep making lists and crunching numbers and trying to think things through. On the up side, the last time we moved I was way more scared!! It seems funny that last time it was just Dan and I and FaithLyn was on the way. We were living with Dan's parents and had absolutely NO job leads. God took such good care of us but for a while there I was scared out of my mind!! This time, we have three beautiful little girls we are responsible for and I am not worried in the least! God has proven himself faithful and I am so excited to see how He will take care of us this time.

Some people have a hard time understanding how Dan and I do things. We must seem very irresponsible to most people. Every BIG decision we have made up to now has been crazy in the world's eyes. But one of the things that I fell in love with about Dan 8 years ago is his unshakable faith and trust in the Lord.

So those are my thoughts. I am excited, nervous, emotional, tired, hopeful, sad, uncertain, and sure all at the same time. If you are in Texas, we can't wait to get there and spend time with you. If you are here with us at WSS, well, my heart hurts to think about not being a part of your life anymore. It is hard to understand how all of these emotions fit together but they do, perfectly. Right now I live among people who have made moving an art! I have a lot to learn and I am making some progress but I have a long way to go.

Our New Home

I said that I would post a picture of the house we will be moving to and today is that day! I am only posting a close shot of the house because I don't want my parents or Dan's parents to worry when they see the neighborhood! It's not really that bad but they will see it soon enough!
And Erin, as far as the barrio goes. . . YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET! My friend Erin Gerlt posted on her blog about living in the Barrio. You should look at her blog and rad the comments for the entry "So it's no Secret..." http://gerlthouse.blogspot.com/ A friend of hers commented on some standards for a neighborhood to be considered the Barrio. Well, let me just say we will be residing in THE BARRIO!! I am really looking forward to starting our life there no matter what the neighborhood is like. It can't be much worse than where we lived in Abilene. Technically it could but we won't dwell on that thought.
*The baby in the picture is Hudson Taylor Clayman.*
This house is even better than we thought!! Christopher forgot to mention that the kitchen has a dishwasher!! Praise The LORD!! It doesn't take much to make me giddy but any Mom of small children with a husband would join in my song of joy for a dishwasher! The bedrooms are pretty small but I am just so thankful to have three! The livingroom is . . . small. But we will take it! And a garage!! I never even thought to dream of a garage! I have started to decorate the rooms and fill all of the closets and storage space already. I am sure you women can relate. The house is our domain, and darn it if we just can 't help ourselves!!

Oh and by the way. . . Chris and Nichole and their son, Hudson Taylor Clayman are leaving this month to start West African Outreach/New York City. They will be moving to Harlem the middle of this month and if you would like to help with prayer or support or just contact Chris before or during their move let me know and I can give you his email or phone number. I think he would kill me if I put his personal info here for the whole cyber world! I am really excited about what they are doing. If you know anything about Chris and Nichole you know that they have a great passion to minister to West Africans. And more specifically natives of Mali. Chris did some missionary work in Mali a few years ago and some health concerns have kept him from returning overseas. It has been so amazing to see how God has directed Chris and Nichole to this ministry despite all the seemingly large roadblocks that kept popping up along the way. It just goes to show you that God is more powerful than any circumstances and sometimes He even uses hard things to take us where He wants us! Please pray for them as they serve God in this exciting next step!
They have to raise their own support and I know that my God owns the cattle on a thousand hills but we are often called to be His hands and feet!!

You Don't Have to Clear Out Your Guestroom!

HOORAY! We have recieved our housing assignment for Seminary. Those of you who offered to let us live with you thank you, but you are off the hook. Chris Clayman, our soon to graduate Seminary attending friend, has offered to go and take pictures for us, inside and out! SO we will all know what we are getting in to soon enough. I will post more about this blessing when I know more. For now just know that God is so good!! He knows the desires of our hearts and He is so GOOD! OK, I'll tell you a little.

It's a three bedroom, 1 & 1/2 bath house. It has a back yard, a garage AND, now this is the big one, washer/dryer hook-ups!! I have been preparing myself for coin laundry so this is such a huge blessing!! That's only the tip of my enthusiasm, I'll spill more enthusiasm later!!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

OH MY GOODNESS! I have been so busy with all three girls that I haven't even had time to want Olivia to grow up. I like her being dependant on me because that means she only goes where I take her. Do you see what she did tonight? She isn't crawling yet, but it won't take long! Do you see that look in her eyes? It's all over for me! Trouble is about to start crawling around my house!

How do I know she is trouble? Two reasons: 1. You can see it written all over her face. 2. She got up on her knees 3 times tonight. The first time she just did it. The next two times she did it because we asked her to and she liked the attention she got for performing.

SO take FaithLyn's eagerness to please and Elise's stubborn independance and you have our third child, Olivia. Lord, Help Us!