WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
After I got home this morning, turns out we were able to get up and running again!!!!! God is good y'all!!! I'm kinda slammed right now, but I'll catch up with everyone over the weekend!!!
YEAH GOD!!!!!!!!!!
Hey. We're still in the waiting. Waiting for a job for Jimmy. Waiting to see the Lord move. Waiting..... God is faithful!
Just a quick update to let you know that if you've tried to email me it will likely bounce back. Had to choose between paying the bill and buying groceries and food always wins, so in the meantime, no Internet. IT STINKS!!! I feel disconnected from everything but more connected to the Lord than ever. Amazing how that works. I'm at a friends blogging right now and not sure when I'll be able to again as I'm limiting my trips around town due to gas prices as well. TOUGH times for all, I know. Your prayers are being heard. Thanks for lifting us up. Pray for my family and the Lord to continue to meet our needs.
Love to all and I sure do miss you guys!!!
Val
Y'all think I mean school don't ya?! Well, there is that, but honestly I'm talking about one week til I take possibly the biggest, scariest leap of faith I've ever taken in my life. I'm going to start teaching 9th grade girls Sunday school next Sunday!!! YIKES!!! It was kinda funny yesterday as I visited the "basement" because everyone kept sayin' "You don't have a child down here yet, do you?" and of course I don't, but I will sooner than I care to think about. I've tried several times to teach the same age as my kids and I find myself kicking into "mom" gear and that's NOT what I want to do when I teach so that's why I'm going where the Lord has called me.
When my brother-in-law died a few years ago and I got to spend so much time with my niece (who was in 9th grade at the time) and her friends I was OVERWHELMED at what these girls have to face each day. I mean, I know that every generation of women have said that about the one that's coming up - but come on, let's be honest - did YOU ever have to worry about being hit on in the girls bathroom, and I don't mean hit with a fist, but asked on a date? LAND SAKES! I mean, I remember the girls bathroom being the place at school to hide from the boys and their hormones NOT the place where I'd walk in and see two girls makin' out! UGH! Sorry for the graphic content there, but it's reality y'all!!! I think it's time my generation got our heads out of the sand - or the clouds - and realized we've got to do something for these kids.
Stepping off my soapbox now - sorry about that!!! Anyway, it was actually kinda neat because several of the kids down there remembered me from their days in Elementary music - which I've been doing FARRRR too long - so at least it wasn't complete unknown territory! I'm still scared half to death. The enemy is still consistently, persistently and doggedly reminding me of what a failure I'm gonna be but I have some news for him ---- I can do all things - do you hear that ALL things - I mean to tell you ALL THINGS, yes even teach 9th grade girls - thru Christ who give me strength!!! Look at somebody and say ALL THINGS!!!!!! hahaha Had a little Beth Moore moment there - sorry!
So, I have a JAM PACKED week of praying, getting my babies ready for school - thank you Lord for your provision once again! - working, praying, studying, praying and then praying just a bit more!! To say I'm nervous would be an understatement, but God.......really, need I say more?! Y'all have a great week!
Oh yeah, quick update. Jimmy's gone to an interview right now and has 2 other VERY promising prospects this week so keep on prayin'! We're resting in the promises y'all!!!
Oh yeah! My baby caught his first large mouth today! Makes a momma proud!!!! 2lbs 15"!!
THIS IS WEIRD. I popped on here this morning to add some things back to my sidebar and the "Amazing" post below has been moved. Not by me. This post was originally done after I came back from WV and now it's here. At least for now it is. WEIRD.....
Anyway, maybe it's the Lord reminding me to pray for Pat again, so I'm gonna do just that. Will you do the same? Thanks. Have a great weekend.
Oh yeah, finished "No Other Gods" this week and let me just say OH MY WORD!!!! If you didn't get to do the study over the summer, please take some time to do it. I guarantee that even if you think you don't have any 'gods' in your life - ESPECIALLY if you think that - the Father will show you a thing or two. The first week in my journal I wrote - "Thank you Lord for reminding me that I DO NOT have this thing figured out!" Love it!!!
Ok. I know that Faith posted this song too, but if you didn't see it, please watch! I have an amazing story to tell about this song.
When we were in WV we sat around with my in-laws having some praise and worship time. My nephew Cody is the worship leader at his church so he gets out the guitar and starts to sing. He LOVES Hillsong and goes "Val, you gotta hear this one" and sings "Healer".
Well, Jimmy's cousin Pat has been dealing with some health problems and the Dr's really have no answers so when he played this song, I felt the Lord's tug to pray - as a family not only by human blood but family by Christ's blood - for Pat. My man and I, my brother-in-law and Pat's wife Peg all gathered around him and prayed!! I mean PRAYED!!! It was just such an amazing time that I will not soon forget - and neither will the rest of the family. It was the first time I had ever done anything like that around them but I really didn't much care at that time.
Please pray for Pat.
Jehovah-Rapha, You are the Healer. I believe!! Thank you for your love for us, that you long to heal all our diseases and that we have ULTIMATE healing in You!! I love you Lord!!
I don't know about you but I LOVE the Olympics. ESPECIALLY the Summer games. Don't know why. I'm not exceptionally athletic - kinda more of an artsy type - though I can play a mean game of volleyball and can DESTROY badminton! hahaha Just a joke. You really have to ask my man about my throwing skills however...SCARY. Every time I throw a ball to my boys he just shakes his head, laughs and goes "Babe, you throw like a girl." To which I reply "Thank you very much!" See when you grow up being a head taller than most of the girls around you and "develop" sooner than any kid in class anything that makes you feel like a girl is a good thing!!! ;-)
Anyway, this week has been busy with work and mountains of laundry that seem to crawl from the woodwork. Seriously, where does it all come from? Then to top it all off I've gotten a little shoulder injury I'm dealing with. It's an old volleyball injury. I think watching all these athletes made my body remember because I don't recall doing anything to it recently. Can you have pain by association? I mean, I know we hurt when our kids hurt, but for real, can I be having sympathy pain for all the losers. hahaha That sounds really bad and I'm sitting here laughing at how silly that sounds myself!
The Lord has been so faithful y'all. I mean, 1/4 tank of gas has lasted us all week - though I've gone out a few times. Our food has lasted all week. Our sanity has lasted all week. God is good!!! For REAL!! I'm living the fishes and loaves because our baskets just don't seem to be getting empty! I know it's in part due to those of you praying. God is hearing and answering. He's molding, He's refining, He's providing. I can't thank you all enough, but I can't have to give God all the glory y'all! He is more real to me right now than I think He ever has been in my life. I can feel His breath on my face. I can feel His arms around me when I think I can't take it anymore. I can feel His hands moving as I have such a peace about what He's doing. I'd be dishonest if I said I've licked the worry thing, but each time the thought creeps in I think to look up for a bird and then give it back to Him!!
We've got some good prospects for Jimmy coming up next week and I'm praying - EXPECTING God to answer so I'll be sure to let y'all know what happens!
It's been a bit of a crazy week around here. Not in the sense that there's a lot physically going on, but there's been an emotional hurricane just blowin' like crazy. First, last Friday, without any warning or really any reasons the company that hired my man called him in and decided it wasn't "working". So, he's unemployed...again. Just pray. Enough said.
I just had to get on here and tell you about how funny God is. Ok, I think I've mentioned before that God and I have this thing with birds. It started with ducks - really - but since then has moved into all winged creatures alike. Often times I've had encounters - DEEP spiritual encounters with the Lord - where birds have been involved. He's spoken to me OFTEN thru things I've seen birds do - too numerous to tell all at once really. Maybe I should do a series on my bird stories.
So, anyway, back to this week. Wednesday night I met with my little singing "group" to rehearse for Sunday's offertory. We're doing something we've done before because our schedules have been so crazy, but it's been a couple of years since we done it in church - we sang it during a Christmas concert but not IN church. After we finished practicing, I started. I mean, I hadn't been around anyone other than my man and my kids all week and they were the first (victims) friends to catch it. I started about how upset with Jimmy I was, how worried I was for our family when it didn't appear to me that he was as worried as I was (as if there's a prize for who worries most). Just basically unloading on them. Being the sweet, loving, gracious friends they are, they just sat and listened, offered no judgement, offered no advice, they just stopped and prayed right then and there.
So, as we're walking out of the church I began to feel the Holy Spirit saying to me "Was all that really necessary? I mean, don't you think they have enough of their own stuff? After all, shouldn't I be the one dealing with that?" So I began to justify "Well I'm only human, ya know. I'm doing my best to get thru this. I'm trying my best to support my man." And right in the midst of all the justification for my sin the Lord sent me a message LOUD AND CLEAR. One of those precious little birds that He so often has used to speak to my heart flew over my head and UNLOADED ON ME!!!!! Oh yes! The Lord clearly said "This is what I think of your justification young lady!!" Never in my life have I had a bird poo right on top of my head, but you better believe it happened after I had unloaded. Go ahead and laugh, I'll wait........
Ok, ya done? So needless to say, I had some repenting to do first to my Father, then to my man, then to my friends. UGH!! Will I ever learn?!! So, in the midst of my little tantrum the Lord used my own mouth to reveal the core of the issue. I'm not believing God. I'm not believing that He will provide. I'm worried about what we'll eat. I'm worried about clothes for school and supplies for school. I'm worried about Jimmy finding a job. All in COMPLETE disobedience to the Word. You might be saying "Well that's normal, girl, go easy on yourself" but you better make sure there's no birds over your head when you say that because that's not what the Lord says. In fact, He clearly says "Be anxious for NOTHING." NOTHING. PERIOD. Not, well it's ok to be anxious for that, after all who wouldn't. But He's asking me, asking all of us really, "Are you gonna trust me with _______" fill in the blank.
So here I am. Trusting. Believing. Hoping. Waiting. Watching for birds too!! hahaha
Ok so the MOST techno-challenged girl in the world found a new look and I think I love it. Still have to tweek my sidebar a bit but it's taken me forever just to get this (I know it's not very custom, but still LOVE that tree) and I gotta get busy so I'll have to finish it later!
Enjoy and hope you have a great day!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little man, Josh!! This is the 1st chance I've had all day to sit and post anything, but wanted to share a pic with you of my big 9 year old!! He's gettin' ready for bed and shot me a big cheese for the night! Such a sweet guy, I mean, he is a boy so he has his moments, but all in all an amazingly caring, loving child.
