Let's see.... Avery is finally, really, walking now and her hair is growing like crazy. What do you girl Momma's out there do for all this hair in the face? And when she eats... it's gross. She's always putting food in her hair, she needs a bath after every meal... BUT she's ridiculously cute so she's got that going for her.
My little guys were so excited to get Mohawks! These 2 have never had them before. My big guys used to have them but when we applied for them to go to school at the charter school we had to grow their hair out again to meet school rules, they ask regularly when they will be allowed to have them again. Maybe we'll make it a last-day-of-school hair cutting party...
Let's see.... classes this semester have been wonderful. We've taken Theology, Anthropology/Hamartiology, Christology, Prophets, Life of Christ, Hermeneutics II and Acts, as well as few other electives and then Bible Basis of Missions and 1 Corinthians starting up here soon too. God is continuing to mold us and shape us and we are so thankful for His gentle and loving persistence and guidance. There are moments when everything ahead seems daunting. We hear stories of missionaries losing loved ones, dealing with kids and malaria, hostile tribal groups, being away from family for years at a time, etc. Then we take a deep breath, refocus on the eternal, not the temporary, and know that we are currently where we are meant to be and God's plan for our future can be trusted. He is always faithful.
I know a lot of you may have different views on things then we do so I'm just going to put this right here. I had to write a 5 minute run-down of my testimony for a class at the beginning of the school year. It's basically what brought me to this point so here ya go:
My Testimony
I was raised in a Christian family. I grew up going to
church. I could sing “Jesus Loves Me” and mean it with my whole heart. When I
was 4 I stole a toy from the church nursery. It was then that I learned that I
was a sinner. I knew it was easy to make bad choices and hurt people that loved
me. In AWANA I learned that everybody
sins and that it separates us from God. My parents taught me about Jesus and
told me that He paid the penalty for my sins when He died on the cross. He died
so that I wouldn’t have to live separate from God anymore. I could have a real
relationship with Him. All I had to do was believe. When I was 5 I made the
choice to put my trust in Jesus, knowing that nothing I could do would ever be
good enough and I needed a Savior. It was the best decision I ever made.
While
all of this may sound like just a child’s decision it is something that has
impacted and changed my life greatly. Things haven’t been all neat and tidy and
trusting in Jesus didn’t take all my problems away. I’ve still had to deal with
many difficult situations. My son was hospitalized when he was only 13 months
old. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him and after testing
and spinal taps they basically gave up and said they weren’t sure if he’d make
it. He had to learn to walk again but thankfully he pulled through. It was so
hard to see him that way and feel so powerless to help.
When he was 18
months he was scalded down his left leg by water. He spent a week in the burn
unit and we had to go through investigations with Children and Youth Services
before we were allowed to bring him home. Although they said it was standard
procedure for burns it was still hard to feel like I was being accused of
intentionally harming my little boy.
A few years after that my husband had an
affair. The man who had made a vow to love only me had been unfaithful. I felt
alone and lost and really confused. Yet through all of that God WAS and still IS faithful. He gave me the strength to get up every morning when I
felt like nobody cared. He helped me forgive my husband for betraying me and is
still continuing to work in my life, putting the pieces of my heart back
together.
Through all of these
experiences I have learned so much more about who God is and who I am to Him.
He’s been the rock that keeps me grounded when my world feels like it’s falling
apart. I am so thankful for His grace and mercy in my life and for the hope
that I have in Him. Without Him I don’t know where I’d be.
So there you have it. It's a quick rundown and I know that this may cause other questions to come up. We are open to questions about anything and everything, God, kids, life, marriage.... and for the record (just cuz it bothers me to leave it like this... ) My husband is not the man he used to be. God has transformed his heart and changed him beyond anything I thought was possible.... He is such a blessing to me.
