I don't know but it doesn't look fair to me!!  Three against One!

We studied John Chapter 9 last
night in our Home Group.  The chapter is
all about Jesus healing the blind man who was blind from birth.  His disciples ask Him who sinned…did he sin
or did his parents?

I was struck by the assumption of
guilt.  How often do I assume the origin
of someone’s sin, pain, or ill behavior when all along God has allowed “the blindness”
for HIS glory to be seen?  And how often
do I need to assign blame?  Whose fault
is it?  Or how often do I feel the need
to figure it out?  Is that really my
job? 

I have a friend who believes that “figuring
things out” is one our greatest unrecognized and unconfessed sins.  She believes that when we try to figure
things out we are playing God.  I think
she’s onto something.  Isn’t our job to
still our hearts to hear God’s voice, not to intellectualize or analyze?  “Be still and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10

How often is the glory of God seen
in people our world considers “abnormal”? 
The child with Down syndrome or the “slow” child.  The mother in the nursing home.  The sick father-in-law.  I wonder how many children have been aborted
that we would have seen the glory of God through?  What have we missed?

How much do we miss because we are
seeing with our physical eyes instead of our spiritual eyes?  When I take my eyes off of Jesus and place
them on my circumstances my life either seems really wonderful or dreadfully
bleak.  The only consistency comes in
focusing on Christ.

“Lord, help me to see as the blind
man did, with spiritual eyes.”

IN HIM

Julie

We had a great weekend……..no need for words!  Hope yours was wonderful too.  IN HIM……julie

my strong and fearless hubbie!!

I thought I'd blog about what happened in our lives yesterday when we found out we were staying in SC and with the company my hubbie works for.  Several months ago my hubbie interviewed for a new job in NC.  It was appealing in some ways but not a big monetary jump so we didn't feel the other benefits outweighed moving.  So…we declined their offer. 

In the meantime we knew that we had promised to move to Memphis TN this summer and my hubbie's boss still expected us to do so.  We really didn't feel led to move but were open to the fact that God may be moving us on.  We also realized just how important this community and our church had become in our lives.  The biggest factor was that we'd made a promise and knew God wanted us to make good on that promise.

After agreeing to move to Memphis while also letting his boss know that we desired to stay here we left it in God's hands.  Well, some days we did.  Other days we picked it back up and ran with it.  I always get into trouble when I make decisions on my own.  But there are times when I am tempted to make a decision just for decision's sake.

But we kept hearing from the Lord “Wait and trust me.”.
Easier said then done, right?

In the months that have passed I've learned a lot. 

• One thing I've learned is to wait patiently on God.
• Another is that He ALWAYS has my best interest at heart. 
• And I don't need to look past today, for today is all He has given me. 
• A man's word is his honor.
• We can not operate in a vacuum.  We need friends to pray for us and to help us through the tough times.  I need a shoulder to cry on and friends who will lift me up when I can't even pray.
• God IS FAITHFUL!

I breath air with a sigh of relief today.  The time is gone.  The decision has been made.  I am so thankful that we do not have to move.  I'm thankful for a loving heavenly father that will see us through anything.  And I'm thankful for friends who love us enough and care enough to pray.

IN HIM,
julie

Oh my!!! 
Finally blog about what's going on with us!  We haven't known for quite a while now if we would have to move with my husband's job or even if he'd have one if we decided not to move.  God has had us in “the waiting place” for months.  And it's been a roller coaster ride.  We found out today that we get to stay here and we get to stay with the company he presently works with.  YEA GOD. 

We've prayed for months not to move.  Our hearts are here with our community and our church and our friends.  Although open to knowing God may be ready to move us on our heart's desire has been to stay. 

And we get to!!!!
“Thank you dear Jesus for caring about every detail of our lives.  Thank you that we can present to you the desires of our heart and you understand.  WE love you so much and appreciate all the ways you protect us and our family.  I know there are ways we will never understand this side of heaven.  YOU truly are amazing
I love you.
Julie”

thanks to all of you who have prayed for us as we've struggled in the waiting place…….
you are a blessing!!

Let me start with the most important thing first. 
MEN…
I know, you think I'm going to say “Who can live with them?  Who can live without them?” 
RIGHT?

Well, no.  I want to brag on my guy.  He left here with half of his face feeling bad yesterday and had to go for an emergency root canal this afternoon at 4pm in CT.  After calling our dentist here they recommended he see a dentist there because they were not able to prescribe antibiotics in another state.  So after a trip to the dentist, a couple shots of novocain, they send him in a cab to the oral surgeon.  Wham, Bam, Thank you sir and he's had a root canal in something like 15 minutes flat.  Want a little unsolicited advice from my hubbie?  Pick an oral surgeon with a tee time.  

After his surgery he WALKS (you'd have to carry me) to the pharmacy for some pain killers the surgeon prescribed.  As he's walking a Corvette pulls up beside him and it's the oral surgeon.  “Hop in.  I'll give you a ride.”

Can you imagine?  I guess for all that pain and suffering he deserves a Corvette ride, huh??

Now, about the mouse.  My big fat tabby cat “Little Kitty” decided to knock over the mouse tank the day before yesterday.  I hear this big thud upstairs, mount the steps two at a time to find the little white mouse running for dear life through the mess of cage, pine shavings, water bottle and glass that once-upon-a-time was his home.  All the while “Little Kitty” is in that pounce position ready for some home cookin'.

Thankfully, after a scream or two and a dive for Junior (the mouse) all is well.

Ahhhh……………….

AND my sweet little baby girl turned two this past Sunday.  TWO!
Where does time go?

So, that's it for me today.  Time to clean up that cat puke under the dining room table.  Wonder if that's payback for the mouse rescue?

IN HIM (always)
julie

Today's been one of those “I'd like to stay in bed and read all day” kind of days.  I've had no energy.  I'm not very sociable or hospitable and I've “grumped” at the kids all day.  GGRRrrrrrr….

My hubbie left today and won't be back until Thursday.  He's got a really hard week ahead of him with lots of work.  Neither of us like it when he travels like he must right now.  Three weeks in a row is just too much.  But it won't be long until vacation time!  Yippee!  A whole week at the beach.  I can't wait. 

We still are uncertain about some major life things right now.  We are both trying to wait on God, follow His leading and be patient in the meantime.  It's really hard some days.  I try to remember the horse loading incident or Michelle's robin story.  Perspective, perspective, Julie!!  Some days it's just easier to give in and be a grump.

(Don't you wish you lived near me today??)

I've checked my email a million times today hoping for some inspiration, communication with another adult, or something to jar me out of the frumpies but alas it's 8pm, kiddos are in bed and I'm still Ms. Grumpmeister.

I hope tomorrow is better.  I realize so often what a blessing all of you are here at HSB.  You are my friends I get to take anywere I go.  Thanks for listening, encouraging and sharing. 

Following on the shirt tail of Fish in my Hair's story for the day somehow my 7 year old when told to brush his teeth tonight and get ready for bed hears instead:  “Son, take a big cup of water, carry it through the house being careful to spill water EVERYWHERE; walk outside; pour said cup of water over your head completely soaking yourself; then, do it again; and look at me like I've lost my face when I ask 'What are you doing?'”
BOYS!!!!  WHO CAN FIGURE THEM OUT?????

And dear hubbie, I know you will read this.  Be glad you are traveling today and away from the Grumpmeister!!  ( I love you and I miss you).  God has a plan for us, I just know it!!!  It might be witnessing to others in an insane assylum, but hey, we're working for the LORD!

JULIE alias Ms Grumpmeister

Here are a couple more pictures from the night we spend riding.  Baby girl is sitting on a donkey, although it's hard to tell in the picture.

Is she cute or what????  I could just eat her up!!

Here's baby girl trying to pull the donkey around while he's stepping on his lead rope.

Son #2 was cowboying it up!

And here's my hubbie taking time out from riding the quarter horse he loves to give baby girl a ride on the Missy.

Well, I finally hobbled over to the computer to post some pictures from yesterday's story.

Here's my bruise

Here's our baby robin that eats and poops more than anything I've seen in my entire life.  Anybody out there know how old this little guy looks?

And here are some photos from last night.  We had a wonderful time of fellowship sitting around the campfire and talking.  I love this time of the year.

I love this picture of the boys playing on the swing at dusk.

And here are Mutt and Jeff acting like nuts.

And baby girl saying “cheese”

Have a great night.
Signed,
The Advil Woman

(good friend )

A good friend of mine has been borrowing my camera lately to capture her family's spring activities.  She's becoming quite the photographer.  It's been so fun when she returns the camera to see the photos she's taken.  There are always a couple of pictures that her kids have taken.  I enjoy them because they show me life from her children's perspective.

This weekend her husband ran in a triathalon.  She borrowed my camera to take pictures of the race.  Last night I got to look through them and I was struck by just how much her hubbie has changed in the five years that we've known him and how much his friendship with my husband has impacted both of their lives.

About three years ago our friend was stuggling with his weight and a possible job change.  He began running for mental and physical strength.  My husband, who has always been a runner, began running with him.  And I think that is when their friendship began to grow.  Since that time they have become good friends….buddies, I guess.  They serve at church together.  They still run together occassionally.  And they serve the same Lord.

I remember seeing our friend trudge around our cul-de-sac like he was running through quick sand.  But each day we'd see him slowly, steadily running.  Sometimes we'd push the window down and yell something encouraging to him.  Othertimes I'd just sit and think how dedicated he was (and how painful it looked).

As I looked at the photos from this weekend I wondered how his path would have been different had my husband not reached out at a time when he needed a friend.  He has been an amazing example of endurance to me as I have watched him change from someone trudging around my cul-de-sac to someone running, swimming and biking in a triathalon. 

Thanks, Clark, for being an example of “going the distance”.  My prayer for you is that you would apply grace to your life as you continue to do so…..
IN HIM,
Julie

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes on not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2Corin4:17-18