Thursday, December 1, 2011

an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction


I heard this song for the very first time today and it really touched my heart.
I know so many people that i wish i could get this song. I mean, really get it.
Jesus is just waiting for us in those times when we feel like we can never get up, never turn back and never put our lives back together.
We may feel like we have run a thousand years into the grossest things but Jesus is only one word away.

Life is really hard and we make it so complicated, but Jesus never made it complicated. He made it so easy for us to live a life full of joy and satisfaction. He did all the hard stuff for us already. Why do we have to make it so complicated.

Im so relieved that i can let Jesus direct my life.

My life is so fulfilling.


I had an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction today. I was sitting with my daughter, shortly after i had cooked breakfast for my husband and said goodbye as he left for work. I felt so happy to live the life that Jesus has given me.

My life before Jesus was so depressing and empty. I was angry and depressed but the worst part was that i didnt even have anything that bad going on in my life. I was so selfish and bored. I haven't had one moment like that since i have become a christian. Thats almost 5 years of a life overfilling with joy and purpose.
It hasn't really been easy, and ive cried a lot in those 5 years, but there is a difference between crying for your selfishness and crying over the lost apathy of the world and those around us.

Thank you Jesus for saving me. And thank you for my new life in you.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

but probably chocolate

I am really inspired to craft this upcoming season. I can't wait to get my glitter out and make something all sparkly. My mother-in-law brought home some large cardboard hoops yesterday and thought they would make great wreath bases and i totally agree. Now its choosing only 5 designs to make.
Daunting.
Im also planning on throwing a christmas/craft party in December in junction with our already existing bible study. Its going to be fun. We have it once a week and our friends open up their house for us to use. They cook dinner and i provide the sweets :)
With only a few weeks before Thanksgiving and then Christmas and then New years i have to select my weekly pastries carefully. This week will be something low in the seasonal department, but probably chocolate.
But then i have to plan it out perfectly to reflect the week leading to Thanksgiving and the weeks supporting christmas. Pumpkin and cranberry something, then Peppermint bark, gingerbread people, christmas haystacks, iced sugar cookies...who knows what else. You must think im crazy, and fat but i do believe christmas treats create some intense memories (smell and taste) for the thanksgiving and christmas seasons.
I think its worth to plan it out for some good memories.

By the way, if you have and killer christmas ideas (craft or confection) drop me a line so i can try them out.

Friday, November 4, 2011

don't we have time to rinse off those counters and table tops...?

Sooooooooooooooooooo,

Here is another one of those thoughts i had. Again while watching TV....im not to proud to say that.

Anyways!

So i saw a cleaning commercial, i believe for some funky disinfectant wipes.
The lady portrayed was wiping down her kitchen while the narrator said something along the lines of:
"Some disinfectant wipes use such harsh chemicals, they require you to rinse all surfaces food may touch"
then she goes onto pull out her garden hose and blast her entire kitchen down.
"Try something new to free up your day! These herp derp wipes are the best!"

So aside from the obvious tongue-in-cheek i was slightly offended and woken up by this commercial.
The company was not implying us mothers want to protect our families from ingesting said harsh chemicals, but to free up more time in our day. BUT i say, if we have time to sit in front of that blasted TV and watch their advertisement...don't we have time to rinse off those counters and table tops...?

When in all reality, a lot of moms say they are so busy they couldn't even think taking a half hour to sit down with their kids, look them in the eye and find out something new about them... but they cant believe what was on "Ellen" and let us know they need more cows on farmville.

Something doesn't add up.
Lets be mothers, real mothers and wives who actually deserve to be called that.
We may not be able to change the world, but we can change our houses. My daughters world is my house and who she will become and what kind of baggage she carries into her adult life and decisions will stem from what kind of mother she reflects, father she is protected by and house she lived in.
With that all ringing in my head, i am dedicated to chop my TV time down and wipe off those counters.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Im just blessed enough to stand next to this man

My husband is really the greatest guy i have met.
He is funny.
Kind.
Loves Jesus.
Loving.
Transparent.
Romantic.
Thoughtful.
Lazy.
Teachable.
Honorable.
Impatient. 
Truthful.
Handsome.
Complicated. 
Trust-able.
Caring.
Tender.
Patient.
Emotional.
Warm.
Inspiring.
Creative.
Motivated.
Grumpy.
Good humored.
Likable.
Expressive.
Striving for a better him.
Gives complements.
Understandable.

He is so perfectly Human. 
But he is like, some kind of super human.
He is never happy with just being human, on either account of perfection or imperfection.
He is always trying to become better, and never makes me feel like i am any less than him.
I really love this guy.
I believe the reason he is such a super human, is because he loves Jesus every day of his life.
He loves Jesus with his life.
Because Jesus gave his life for all of us. Im just blessed enough to stand next to this man who understands what a small gift we can give back by trying to live our lives in honor of Jesus.

I really love him, and i would love him for a thousand tomorrows just to simply love him with nothing in return.
Thats why i married him. My vows do say till death do us part, and i will stand by that until the day i die. And then im going to be looking for that guy up in heaven too. We are going to spend eternity together doing what we love most. Worshiping Jesus.

"The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me."

(psalm 16:6)

Friday, October 21, 2011

but i think i might be onto something.

I had a thought this week, two actually and i will share the other one later. But this weeks was the thought containing the following;

"Facebook breaks down the need to grow personal relationships"

Now, this is just a thought and i havent yet proven it, but i think i might be onto something.

I have been using facebook less and less lately, mainly because i have nothing really worth sharing in a "Status update" or that many witty comments to make on everyone-else's (not a word) pop culture humor. 
But i have realized that when i get together with other people i know, and are friends with on FB but never really use it either, we suddenly have just so much to talk about.
Before, it seemed like i was always grasping at topics or stories to share with people over coffee or dinner, but now i have a full arsenal to fire out over the gooey Mexican food before me.

    But i also found this only seems to work if both parties shy away from facebook. Or else, well, im listening to the same story you already posted on thesday and yes i saw that photo on your smartphone yesterday when you uploaded it.
I saw the tweet but didnt understand all the #jumbledupword @withnospacestosoundosocleveror
@orjustohidespellingmistakes
"secret codes" and jargon i missed out on while i was abroad.

This isn't to say i don't enjoy keeping up with old friends and or that i only check facebook once a week. On the contrary, i check it daily when my daughter takes a nap. And ive also recently discovered the release of SimsSocial.
I really like sims.
But i believe i will keep my interactions with those who i can jump in the car and drive 10 minutes to see relatively low, in efforts to grow my own face to face relationships and leave the digital updates for those more out of touch.

But then again, this is just a thought i had this week while watching HGTV.

Monday, October 3, 2011

It was a big jump

I can't believe how long it has been since i had the opportunity to use a real keyboard.

A lot has happened in my little life and im sorry for not sharing it with you. Or actually myself, since its primary my own conscience who reads this blog. (p.s im fine with that, i need to sort myself out sometimes and i feel bad for others who have to read it)

We have moved.
I haven't blogged because we had to cut our internet, and blogging from an iphone, while it sounds glamorous is actually really frustrating and time consuming. 

Both me and my husband have been praying about it for a long time, and we felt like God put all the pieces in order for us to move back to America.
So we did.


It was a big jump, and honestly (heres a confession) few people believed us when we told them thats what God said to do.
But we knew it 100% and in the end, all it matters is us and God.
I am so blessed.
Ive grown
Ive been hurt
Ive healed
Ive learned
Ive relaxed
Ive recovered joy
I am blessed.

For right now, we are settling in Idaho. Not my first pick, but when your walking in the will of God, nothing can compare to it.
We are staying with the in-laws until we get back onto our feet. Its been a lot of fun, and we can't wait for the first snowfall.
Rusty has received employment (!!) and has also felt the Lord leading him back to school. He will be attending in January.
He is going into Criminal Justice.
He has a passion to be a policeman.
Who knew?
Im really excited to see what God is going to do. Already we are doing a weekly bible study at a friends house, and it has been so blessed. If that is a preview to how things are going to go, i cant wait.

Also, Adelle is walking now. Kids grow up so fast.
Here is a sneek peek at Adelle's very first photos.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

worth the read


So i almost never read articles online, but i made myself read this one and I'm really happy i did. (Original article here. )

"A few years ago, when I just had four children and when the oldest was still three, I loaded them all up to go on a walk. After the final sippy cup had found a place and we were ready to go, my two-year-old turned to me and said, “Wow! You have your hands full!”
She could have just as well said, “Don’t you know what causes that?” or “Are they all yours?!”
Everywhere you go, people want to talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers. All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen.

A Rock-Bottom Job?

The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.
Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.
If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?

It's Not a Hobby

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.
Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.
Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.

Run to the Cross

But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.
Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.
The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

The Question Is How

The question here is not whether you are representing the gospel, it is how you are representing it. Have you given your life to your children resentfully? Do you tally every thing you do for them like a loan shark tallies debts? Or do you give them life the way God gave it to us—freely?
It isn’t enough to pretend. You might fool a few people. That person in line at the store might believe you when you plaster on a fake smile, but your children won’t. They know exactly where they stand with you. They know the things that you rate above them. They know everything you resent and hold against them. They know that you faked a cheerful answer to that lady, only to whisper threats or bark at them in the car.
Children know the difference between a mother who is saving face to a stranger and a mother who defends their life and their worth with her smile, her love, and her absolute loyalty.

Hands Full of Good Things

When my little girl told me, “Your hands are full!” I was so thankful that she already knew what my answer would be. It was the same one that I always gave: “Yes they are—full of good things!”
Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.
Stop clinging to yourself and cling to the cross. There is more joy and more life and more laughter on the other side of death than you can possibly carry alone.
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She is the author of "Loving the Little Years" and blogs at Femina. Her husband is Luke, and they have five children: Evangeline (5), Daphne (4), Chloe (2), Titus (2), and Blaire (5 months)."

Monday, July 25, 2011

overcome it and nail it to the cross

Over the past few years i have developed a burning question.

What should we expect from our christian leaders?

Ive heard one camp of people who say we should not expect much, because they are human just like the rest of us. We should overlook their faults and shortcomings. Turn a blind eye to any compromising we see or any less than honorable behavior we might witness.

The other camp says they should have no faults. They should be shining examples of walking scripture and as soon as they do something bad we kick them out.

I can't agree with either.

But i can tell you I'm sick of hearing about pastors found in affairs, youth pastors on drugs and pastors wives bossing everyone around.

Why do you want to be in ministry if you don't want to live it out?

So i asked myself "what should we expect" and it seems like I'm seeing and hearing "not much".

Why can't christians just be christians? Why do we argue about christian liberty to do, when shouldn't mean we have the liberty to live a life free of those things chaining us down?

So, i guess if I'm honest, i expect more from my christian leadership.
Not perfection, but i don't see anywhere in the bible where people excuse their unchristian behavior on their humanity.
The only thing I've seen is a striving to overcome it and nail it to the cross.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

thank you etsy. again.

Found my moms birthday present today. Ordered it.

Thank you Etsy. Again.


Ill make sure to fill you all in on it after she gets it in the mail. Just incase she's reading along.
*so excited*

Its more for me than you

You ever feel like your just this far out of reach and you can do nothing about it?
Ive been feeling that way a lot this summer.

If you haven't felt that way, what about this?
Have you ever wanted to explain the big picture of life and live for it?
That has got to be one of the hardest things to convey. Our lives are just so much bigger than we think they are. The things that are tearing our hearts apart today are really just another bump in our lives.
I really want my life to be inspirational and encouraging. But when i add up my week, most of the time i dont feel like its coming off that way. Then i get all bummed about it.

I really want to overcome these things.
Thats been my prayer a lot this summer. Wait, who am i kidding. This whole year.
Its been kind of a hard year.
But i know i have to let go. I think ive been trying to hold onto the hardest things in my life when i just need to let go and let Jesus fix it all. Ive been trying to fix it myself and its not working out so well.
Im just so bitter. Man, even im sick of myself.

So here it is. Im done.
I give up my dreams
I give up my plans
I give up my fight
I am just going to let Jesus do it.

Sorry to dump this stuff on whoever is reading. Its more for me than you. I just needed to get it out there. I dont think i take it seriously when i just tell myself.

I really liked my dreams, plans and fights, too.

Its ok.

Jesus has better ones for me. Im going to believe that.
Im going to live that.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

a stack of dinner plates

Good afternoon. I don't think i have any pictures to share with you today from my own camera.
I don't know what im going to talk about yet, but if its warranting a picture i will find one from the internetz and share it with you.

July is my least favorite month of the year.
And its half over, yay!

The only thing that redeems this month, is that its my mothers birthday at the end. Im actually kind of sad i cant spend it with her this year. She always downplayed it when we lived together, so i really want to highlight it now that shes alone. I don't know what im going to do, but it has to be mail ordered *sigh* its just so impersonal. (ill try to limit my complaints, sorry)

Any ideas? Shes not sentimental, shes indie and eclectic. The hunt begins.

Adelle is growing up really fast. She can sit, stand, crawl and take things off her head. With completely no help from myself or her father. And the help offered is generally unwanted. Here comes miss independent.
She has discovered the TV (mainly the buttons), other peoples noses and eyes, mirrors and has already brought down a stack of dinner plates down upon herself in the kitchen.
I feel like at the rate she is going, shes going to be walking next week and speaking in full sentences next month.

I havent done (finished) my dishes in two weeks. And the only times they have come close is, when rusty has done them. Love that man. So much.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

but my husband liked it and thats what matters to me

This week has gone by incredibly fast. I dont know why either. It has been rainy or hot, so its not like i was all busy running around. Me and the babe stayed inside most of the time with the AC on and rusty was at work. Huh.

Anyways, monday was our final meeting with immigration for Adelle's permission to stay in Japan. After 2 interviews we got the final lecture on our mistake and then we got the visa sticker. Its so nice to have that ordeal over with!
We did enjoy our time together as we traveled to Shinagawa and had a lot of laughs while waiting in boring colorless rooms. We got stared at too. We played like eye-spy and stuff. Rusty is really ruthless with that game. He picks like skuffmarks and stuff and i pick really easy stuff like someones hair ribbon.

It was an interesting experience though. Spending so much time at immigration. It seems like every country was represented while we waited there. Its hard not to stereotype, but sometimes certain people really do fit into their types. We knew who would be loud, who would be quiet, who would be pushy, who would be well dressed. We could even anticipate who would stare at us and who would pretend we where not in the same room as them. But one thing in common was that they all loved Adelle :)

But one thing i did notice was that we had the most joy.
I think its because we believed whatever happens was God's will. We knew that if she was rejected, that God wanted us back in the US, but if not then we would continue in our ministry in Tokyo. We could laugh and play games in the waiting room because we had ultimate trust in Jesus. And believe me, those particular waiting rooms are serious business. We saw one pregnant lady with her Japanese husband so uptight. then i realized she was waiting to hear if she would be allowed to stay on living in Japan with him or be sent back to her home country. Yikes! Some where foreign business men, and some where mothers with children (probably similar cases to Adelle)

But we knew everything would be fine, either way.



Tomorrow is Saturday, and i believe we are going to a 4th of July party on the american military base. It should be a lot of fun and we will get to see some friends before they leave Japan!

Oh yeah, and i made hollandaise sauce yesterday. This was one of those things i always thought was near impossible to make so i was pretty happy that i made it successfully. (recipe here)
Now, i can probabally count how many times ive eaten it before on one hand, so i don't know about the quality, but my husband liked it and thats what matters to me.

Monday, June 27, 2011

team jerseys

Adelle world is getting much larger and about a foot taller. She can do this all by her self now. I thought it was pretty cool she could sit without any help but I was more than astonished to see her put herself into a standing position like it was no thang. So, yesterday I had to lower the crib. Which is pretty annoying. Do you know how hard it is to put a sleeping baby on the lowest setting of a pack'n'play? It's hard. But we will adjust.

This weekend was fabulous. As a birthday gift to Rusty, i took him to a pro baseball game!! I have been wanting to do this for almost a year, so i was thrilled to actually plan it out. Everything went so well. Tickets, food prices, weather, team jerseys, everything. Except our team got stomped! But its ok, we had such a fun time we didnt care that they lost.
It was kind of a hard decision, as the church had a youth event the same day. Its a really hard decision to make when it comes to balancing church/ministry/family time. Really hard. But we where blessed. We plan on going more often.




Also, rusty bought a guitar on sunday. Im pretty happy that he is picking this up as a new hobby and i think Adelle is too.

Here's to a beautiful weekend.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

So i figured i would share it with you

I was asked by my midwife to type up a little summary (in english!) of my experiance with her clinic (moriane or better known as もりあね) as they send out a newsletter every 6 months or so. So i figured i would share it with you.

"I am an American currently living in Japan with my husband as Christian Missionaries. When we first learned that we would be having a baby, we knew we would not be returning to America for the birth. This decision brought about many questions on top of all the questions you already have with the birth of your first child. I was worried about the language barrier and was anticipating a lot of stress over medical procedures and practices I was unfamiliar with.
We asked around, and thru our church, we received three recommendations for Moriane.
After the first meeting, we knew right away that it would be perfect. The feeling of the house was warm and inviting. The staff was friendly and provided care that was above and beyond what we could have asked for. Every visit to Moriane during the pregnancy was calm and the care we received was genuine. We could tell this was a place where life was valued the way it should be. This was very important to us.
We knew hospitals in America could be intimidating, and our few trips to a Japanese hospital was even more so. Every time we visited one we had the joy of knowing we would be having our baby in the cozy setting of Moriane.
December came along quickly and before we knew it, we where calling the ladies to tell them the baby was coming. When we arrived everything was already in place for my and my husband. It was so important for my husband to be by my side the entire time and Moriane understood this. Even though we did not speak the same primary language, our communication was unhindered and the early morning brought about our healthy baby girl.
My recovery week was the perfect way to ease into being a mother. My health was monitored and there was never a shortage of delicious food. It almost felt like those ladies knew my needs (and cravings!) without ever being told!
My husband and I both hope to have any other children we are blessed with at Moriane.

-Amber
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward" Psalm 127:3"

Thursday, June 16, 2011

5 favorite things - June

This one is just for fun.
5 of my favorite things for this month.
1. My Husband
2. Adelle's new personality
3. Cake and Frosting
http://admin.fridayfunfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/YellowCake.jpg


4. Cafe Latte
http://www.starbucks.com.sg/static/images/espresso_caffe%20latte_z.jpg


5. Kaiten Sushi (sushi-go-round)

just because i felt like it

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Thats just not scientific.

Today is a beautiful day in Tokyo.
Im pretty excited because its been gloomy and rainy (which is actually my favorite kind of weather) so my laundry pile was turning into a metropolitan habitat in my closet.
Well, actually i don't think anything took life inside of it. No bugs and i didnt find any mold. But its 3pm and ive gotten two loads done. Im feeling really accomplished. In addition to that, Adelle is napping. This is her second nap, which means today should be pretty enjoyable for her.

http://ragecomics.memebase.com/wp-content/themes/vip/cheezcommon2/ragecomic/packs/happy/images/EWBTE2.png-via ragecomics

This is how i feel today.

which means either today will be boring because it cant get much better, or something is about to go wrong. hmmmm

Well, im not really a glass half full or half empty person because that saying is dumb. A glass is meant to be filled. So you count it from the bottom to where-ever the liquid stops. You don't count its contents from the rim of the cup. Thats just not scientific.

"I believe in science"
I love that movie.

Im really tempted to make a microwave mug cake today for dinner. Im only cooking for myself because rusty eats dinner at work on wednesdays. Is this a good enough excuse?

I knew i was making a mistake when i learned that recipe....

Monday, June 13, 2011

I kind of dont want to think about it.

Now that I am somewhat stable I need to explain.

So on Thursday i had my interrogation, it went just fine. We got a bit confused as to what office to go to once we got the to building, but we found it and after about an hour in the waiting room we got to see the officer. They let rusty come back for a few minutes so that helped my nerves a lot and then after they asked him to leave the guy was pretty nice. I watched him write stuff down more than i answered questions. He was nice and used easy japanese for me. I really appreciated it.

They seem to feel like Adelle will be cleared for a visa in about 2 weeks. Really great news. Its not all the time you break the law unintentionally and then everything works out.

The only down side to this, is that it means i will not be attending Mandas wedding.
Im really bummed about it.
I kind of dont want to think about it.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

i don't think im there yet, so this is one of my current missions.

I don't have anything in particular to share today but I have a few spare moments today.

I have my interview with Immigration tomorrow. Actually its an interrogation if we want to be technical. They want to talk to me about Adelle's visa problems. They did tell me this would be step 3 out of 5 to this whole mess. But it's hard to tell how long step 4 and 5 will take. We will keep praying.


I'm working on expanding my cooking capabilities.
Last night I made Chicken Cordon Bleu and Thursday im making lumpia, or egg-rolls.
I would prefer to bake, but its way to expensive out here so ive settled to cooking. Ive always liked the idea of my husband telling people "Man, my wife can COOK" and i don't think im there yet, so this is one of my current missions.

I downloaded the foodgawker app for my husbands phone and im pulling a lot of my inspiration from there.

I really love my husband by the way.
Im so blessed to have him in my life.
He really is my best friend and my hero.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Still a bit out of sync

Once again, using this blog to show off my beautiful daughter. Shes 5 months old today. She started crawling yesterday. But she doesn't have all the movements down yet. Still a bit out of sync. Its pretty cute though.

Well, today me and rusty went to immigration. We are approved for another 3 years here in Japan. Thats pretty intense! We have been approved for 1 year visas in the past, so to be upgraded to a 3 is really great, and a lot cheaper! Praise God for that. We are still waiting to hear back about Adelle's visa, its still pending. So we will continue to pray for that to be tied up shortly.

On a different note, ive been really soaking in my devos lately. Im working my way through Jeremiah. Its pretty sad, but can feel my spirit being refreshed every time I read it. Its really great. Ive been picking up on characteristics of God. Thats been my main focus through it and its really fun. He is so consistent even in hard times.

Which is nice to hear right now. This has been a rough year for us. And we are still trying to find our "niche" with everyone and inside the ministry. Its a lot harder than people tell you it is. But its also been a great year for us (me and rusty) to grow together also. Really good.
Im just ready for the hard stuff to slow down :)

Im really hungry. Im making pasta tonight. Its tempting to start cooking, but rusty wont be home for another hour, so it would be ridiculous. I made chocolate mousse for dessert tho, because rusty was having a hard day at work. I think its nice to come home to a clean house, warm food and a special dessert after a rough day, don't you?

Also, im starting to notice creepy crawlies coming out of hiding lately.
Challenge Accepted.