"Waiting is one of God's most powerful tools of grace. God doesn't just give us grace for the wait. The wait itself is a gift of grace. You see, waiting is not only about what you will receive at the end of the wait. Waiting is about what you will become as you wait." - Paul David Tripp

Simplicity and Moving in the Rain

We helped a family move out of their home yesterday. They are being evicted tonight at midnight, so we're going back to finish this morning. Right after lunch we were called and headed over to move them in a downpour. Our understanding was we were there to help with the big stuff, but when we opened the door it was apparent that they needed much more help. The house was covered from floor to ceiling with stuff. They would tell us to move the table or china cabinet, but you had to spend an hour clearing a path to it first. I have never seen a situation like this before. Nothing was ready to be moved it all had to be boxed up first, so we worked for several hours to load a van to head to a storage facility. Another family member was allowing them to use their storage facility and a condo in downtown. So our goal was to take thing to storage and then make a trip to the condo. They live in a three bedroom, three bath house now with a huge garage. They will be living in a loft that has three rooms. So we head out in the rain during rush hour for the storage building. We were following in our car, since they needed extra help to unload. On the way there the truck ran out of gas, so we left to find a gas station. The first one we found had a gas can we could buy, but no gas. As we were looking for gas a car in front of us stopped and guys ran up to it and pushed it out of the way. I guess they ran out too. We finally found a gas station, and circled back on the freeway to fill up the tank. Once it was filled we realized that the battery had died as well. Fortunately Jon had the number for the Hero units in his phone. (The people we were helping had insisted years earlier that he programmed the number in his phone, and this was the first time he had ever called it.)
We end up near GreenBriar Mall, and had thirty minutes to unload the truck before the storage placed locked up for the night. We hustled. The boxes and furniture were soaked as we stored them. It wasn't a pretty site. On the way back to the condo we swung by Antico Napalitano, since we all were starving. We also had a friend in from NY filming a documentary about the family we were moving, and she wanted to try the pizza too.
We went back and made a trip to the condo at 10pm, and we are headed over in a little bit to try and finish the job. We haven't even started on the bedrooms.
At church on Sunday our pastor preached on simplicity and talked about our insane desire to own things. Yesterday will stick out in my mind forever ---I have never seen so much stuff. It really grieved me to see the situation that they have gotten themselves in. After loads and loads of boxes when I could finally see the furniture it was obvious that the house started out beautiful. They had window treatments where the fabric matched the upholstery and the wall paper. Every room was so thoughtfully arranged. But they didn't enjoy any of it, since each room had a 8-12 inch path you could walk through. The bedrooms are just as covered in dolls, books, boxes from HSN that haven't even been opened. As I was taking huge leaf bags full of stuffed animals to the storage I just wished we could give them away- kids would love them. I know that everything in storage will be ruined or stolen. They just couldn't "part" with anything. The entire day one person laid in bed and wouldn't move, and the other stayed on the phone trying to save her house. After the day was over we learned it had been sold on the courthouse steps in August. We had been asking for several weeks if they needed help getting ready to move, but they had told us they worked it out with the bank. Really they are in complete denial and haven't lifted a finger to get ready to move. I am praying that this change is a fresh start for them. They are not living in reality. They have lived in the house since the early '80s and could have stayed forever if this urge to have things hadn't overtaken them. Truly it's a fortune in stuff that's going to just be put out on the street if we don't get it moved in the next day. My heart is heavy for them. Throughout the whole day they would give little interviews to the camera about what was going on-- truly a surreal day. At least today it's not supposed to rain, and we'll bring an inhaler! Oh the dust and cat hair...

Almost Here!

I can't wait...Trey and Katka are almost to Atlanta.



We're so excited to spend the week with them in St. Simons. It's going to be awesome to see them.
They should land in a couple of hours.

It's Summertime!

The week before last I started going to bootcamp. It's led by some ladies from Trinity, and it's been awesome. We meet at 6am, which means I have to get up everyday at 5:15. We get up early...stretch/ warm up and then start working our abs, arms and legs. Just as soon as our heart rate comes down a bit they send us off on a sprint. It's a great start to my day.

About the same time that bootcamp started Jon left for LA. He was filming a documentary about the Angola Prison. He's back, and we've had a wonderful weekend. After pilates on Saturday we headed to the softball field for practice. It was so hot. I came home with an ocular migraine, which knocked me out for the rest of the day.

We've lived in our neighborhood for five years, and everyday we drive by this little Black church. They always put out the neatest little sayings on their signs, and we imagine them sitting around praying over what to put up each week. We've always wanted to visit, so we did this morning. It was an experience. Wow! Everyone was so welcoming and friendly. I'm so happy they are in our neighborhood, and filling this portion of Atlanta with praises to the Lord. What a blessing.

Since, it was a very long service we had to rush to make it to our next softball practice. We're serious on the Grey team--especially since we lost to the Red team(Shout out to Kelle and Candace--we'll beat you next time;))

We grilled out for dinner, and I'm about to go to bed. Gotta be fresh for boot camp tomorrow. Our drill Sargent is back in town, and I have the feeling she is raring to go.

We're headed to Chicago this week, and then down to Saint Simons next week. My brother and his new wife are coming to town from Belgium, and we can't wait to spend time with them.

Mr. T Goes for a Ride

We had a nice visit to the St. Pete pier, while in Florida for Memorial Day. Amelia had her first stroll, and we got to tag along. Mr. T jumped in the stroller for a little ride too.

Life Is Real*

Jon's 97 year old grandmother passed away last weekend, and we are headed down to St. Pete for the service. I'm packing for us, while Jon's shooting an event. As soon as it's done we'll head out. I'm hoping we can get the footage backed up and return all our gear by 2pm. It's long drive especially when we haven't been sleeping. I think Jon got 3 hours last night, which means I'll try and drive most of the way. The service is tomorrow at 10am...we're exhausted. It's going to be an emotional trip. Jon has three grandmothers- it's a long story. I've gone to all three of their funerals, but I only met two of them. He lost two of them within the last three months. Grandma Doris lived with his family for years, and for the last several years had round the clock care. It will be a big change for the entire family. We will miss her so much, and are happy she is at peace with the Lord. She loved him so much- what an amazing women. I'm blessed to have loved her, and I know Jon's the man he is from her influence. Goodbye Grandma Doris.

* A Poem That Grandma Doris quoted all the time

WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN SAID TO THE PSALMIST.

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;--

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Life Lesson from Mr. T

Sometimes a life lesson just smacks you in the face, and that happened tonight with my sweet little yorkie Mr. T. Don't laugh we can all learn something from our pets.

Mr. T was so little that we weren't able to get him until he was almost five months old. He was hovering around 1.5- 2 lbs then, and topped out at 3 lbs. Anyway, we took him to the groomer soon after we picked him up to be tidied up. When Jon and I returned the groomer told us that Mr. T was a nipper, and she wouldn't groom him again until he stopped. We were shocked...he's so sweet and cute, and we hadn't experienced that side of him yet. I started brushing him all the time, and I was stunned. This little sweet 2 lbs darling became a snarling, raving dogs with FANGS. I'm telling you it started with him biting the brush, and quickly moved to him biting my fingers. The only time he does it is if I would catch a snag in his hair, and he would go from a precious pup to a fierce wolf in a second flat.

So I've been working with him for almost a year...trying everything. He has gotten better about it, but tonight we had a breakthrough. He fell asleep when I was brushing him, and one time when it was a little rough he opened his eyes and very gently opened his mouth and slightly closed it on my hand. It was so sweet and gentle. He wanted me to know that it had hurt, but he remained calm and promptly went back to sleep.

It immediately made me think of all the times I turn into a raving beast when someone hurts me. Sometimes it's just because I'm too sensitive and don't trust their intentions. Sometimes it really does hurt, but I don't trust God to deal with them...I have to inflict pain in recourse to the pain that I'm under. I think that God has been gently working on me this past year too. I'd like to be able to calmly tell someone that they are hurting me, and then relax knowing that I can trust God fully to protect me.

"GOD'S promises are not exhausted when they are fulfilled, for when once performed, they stand just as good as they did before, and we may await a second accomplishment of them. Man's promises even at the best, are like a cistern which holds but a temporary supply; but God's promises are as a fountain, never emptied, ever overflowing, so that you may draw from them the whole of that which they apparently contain, and they shall be still as full as ever." C.H. Spurgeon



Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

So I'm not there yet...but I'm working on it. Thanks Mr. T!

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hears by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~ Romans 5:5

Yesterday it was finally time to tear down a side of our fence. We are moving one side over by about twenty feet, so it's closer to our property line. Yes, our yard is actually growing! We knocked down half of it including the posts, and removed all the nails from the boards so we could reuse them. It has taken a long time to get to this point, since Jon has been building the new fence in his spare time. It was amazing how much we accomplished in an hour of work. It is so much harder to build then destroy. Whether building marriages, families, raising children, going to school we need the Lords protection and we must be vigilant.

Last night we went to play trivia with a good friend that is in town. We saw an obtuse update by his girlfriend on Facebook, and knew something was up with him. It was far worse then anything we imagined. His brother died last week in a car accident, and they had the service on Saturday. His other brother just graduated as a doctor two days later, so it was bittersweet to celebrate his accomplishment while burying their brother. Our friend is a really private person, and struggled to tell us what had happened. We sat at bar trying not to cry as we played trivia and talked about the accident. My heart hurts for him. He'll be in town for awhile, so we'll be getting together again. He did bring his little Maltese, so she and Mr. T have a play date scheduled too. We are praying for his family.

This made me happy!

Amazing Commercial

The new Honda commercial is amazing. Check out how they made it with LED lights.

Silver Mines + Life Together

Our last day full day in Prague during our trip last fall was very memorable. We visited a silver mine located in Kutna Hora . Before we went into the mine we were warned not to continue the tour if we have heart problems, claustrophobia, or respiratory issues. I should have stopped then, since the thought of being underground has always filled me with terror. My friend Bevin explored caves during college, and I honestly can't think of anything that is more scary to me then that. So when we arrived at the mine, and I realized what was involved I started to freak out. We had to put on white coats, and really old helmets and walked down a long rusty flight of stairs. It was at least six stories below, and the interior was damp as water dripped down the rock walls. Once we got to the bottom I realized how tight of an area the space was, and I asked the guide to let me climb back up to the top. He wouldn't let me, but then and there I determined to stay right on his heels. He was about 17 years old, and at that point I knew he was my best bet to get out of the mine. We walked hunched over and had to go sideways through some areas with our little lights. I had to just look at his feet and kept saying scripture, and prayers over and over again.
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee" Psalm 56:3 and "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" Psalm 119:105 these were two verses that I kept repeating over and over again. The 15-20 minutes that we were underground were some of the hardest I've experienced. I had to focus my mind on Jesus to get me through. Literally He kept a panic attack at bay. I've never had one before, but my heart was racing for so long after we emerged-- I almost passed out. It was so intense.
I'm so glad that God gave me that experience. And I'll never think of silver/gold the same way.

It was a physical lesson that reinforced something that the Lord has been teaching me this past year.
I need to be in community. I used to have community, but through a long process of hurts I had started cutting it out of my life. I still went to church, but kept a huge wall up. The betrayal by people I love had hurt so much, so I didn't let anyone get close enough to touch me. Slowly over the last two years I've started letting the walls down. The Lord has been so gentle with me. It amazes me how much I had walled myself in just like the small space I had to fit through in the silver mine. When I came out I realized what freedom I had in Christ, and His love for me. I don't ever want to put myself in that type of isolation again. Recently I started reading Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and it has come along at a perfect time. Growing up within really warped community was hard, and it shaped how I see things. A couple of passages have really struck a cord with me.

" Christian community is like the Christian's sanctification. It is a gift of God which we cannot claim."

"Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate."

"The basis of all spiritual reality is the clear, manifest Word of God in Jesus Christ. The basis of all human reality is in the dark, turbid urges and desires of the human mind. The basis of the community of the Spirit is truth; the basis of the human community of spirit is desire. The essence of the community of the spirit is light, for " God is light, and in him is no darkness at all"(I John 1:5) and "if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another"(1:7) The essence of the human community of the spirit is darkness, "for from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed all evil thoughts" (Mark 7:21)
The community of the Spirit is the fellowship of those who are called by Christ; human community of spirit is the fellowship of devote souls."

I have to stop at that or I'll quote the entire book. It's short and totally worth the read.

Anyway, this book has helped me understand some of the weirdness in communities that I've been a part of. It's a good thing, since this weekend I learned about widespread sexual abuse in my youth group. It makes me so sad and angry, but I'm grateful to be in a place where I can talk about it. (Thanks girls.) So many of my friends were hurt, and I am praying for their healing as this evil is brought out into the light.