{I Didn't See THAT coming . . .}

This week I met a woman who was brokenhearted. I knew that she lost her husband a few months ago after a 14 year battle with cancer. I knew that she had recently endured surgery and her recovery was estimated to take up to a year. So, before I arrived, I knew.

Even still, I was not prepared for what happened next.

I was there to walk through her home and provide and estimate for residential house cleaning services. She opened her door and greeted us.  "Hi Mrs. X., I'm Valerie. It's nice to meet you. Thank you so much for having us." She responded kindly, thanking us for coming. Then I asked, "How are you today?" {Sidebar: I cannot tell you how often I have been guilty of asking that question already anticipating that the answer is "Fine, thanks."} I do not know why I asked the question.  It simply rolled out of my mouth before I could stop it.  "How are you today?" 

And, then there were tears. She responded, "I'm not so good today." And, more tears.

Suddenly it dawned on me. (Duh!) This was about much more than an estimate for residential house cleaning service. This was a God-moment. I was there because that sweet woman needed to be reminded that God loves her, he sees her, he is very near and promises to bind up her wounds and heal her broken heart. So, I reminded her.

I walked away from there being reminded myself that God is always working. He is ordering my steps. He is putting people in my path, on purpose. So, I have to remember to slow down. To see. To listen. To be obedient. When I rush through my day with my head down, refusing to see people, I miss opportunities to see God answer a prayer that I've been praying: God, use me. Holy Spirit, work through me so that people see Jesus. 

Let them see Jesus. Always. JESUS. 

{Five Minute Friday | Let's Give It a Whirl!}

  I've been following 5 Minute Friday with my friend Mary Hess for some time. I thought I might give it a whirl. Every Friday, Lisa Jo posts a prompt. You write for 5 minutes - no starting and stopping, no editing. Just write. Sounds like BIG FUN, doesn't it!? So, here it goes . . .

GO.

Afraid.

I have been afraid.  I have walked through seasons of life paralyzed by fear. I remember the first time I recognized it.  I ignored it and justified it, and it ruled me.

Every time I was faced with something new and different. Afraid.

I was always waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. Afraid.

I finally learned that I didn't have to be afraid.

The Lord is my light and my salvation, why should I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, why should I be afraid? 

I'm still learning. Learning to trust. Learning to believe that He is exactly who He says He is. He has me in the palm of my hand. He loves me with an unfailing love. Some days that seems easier than others. Today I needed the reminder.

I don't have to be afraid.

Stop.

{Perfect Chaos}

Perfect chaos. Those two words describe the past two weeks of life for our little family. My predominantly sanguine husband might say it's been one adventure after another. At least that was probably true for the first of the two weeks. The second of the two weeks, however,  has given his melancholy characteristics an opportunity to shine! Chaos, indeed!

I'm writing from our cozy little suite at the Staybridge Inn. It's a lovely extended-stay hotel tucked nicely between Southeast Christian Church and Bluegrass Harley-Davidson. (Sense my sarcasm!) After we moved out of our home at warp speed (7 days to be exact), we landed here. By "we" I mean Brian, Madeleine, William, and me . . . and the 2 dogs, 2 fish, 2 sugar gliders, and a hamster! Cozy = crowded! The dogs are not taking the change very well.  They bark and whimper and are generally anxious. Ruby decided the place needed a little color; so, she escaped from her crate and knocked blue nail polish off the sink. We were able to get all the polish cleaned up, but poor Ruby is still sporting one blue paw. I'm not sure which was more upsetting--the blue polish or the hole she left when she tried to dig her way out of the room (from inside her crate)! Poor pup. She doesn't seem to be handling all of this too well! The rest of us are doing just fine! We really are, all things considered.

Ruby . . . blue paw, big hole

Hopefully, we won't be here too much longer. We made an offer on a house last week and received the signed contract today!  We are still in awe and give God praise and glory for His divine provision. I am being reminded again and again of two important truths: 1.  He is concerned with the details of our lives--both big and small, and 2. Divine providence can be seen in our lives as He works in every situation--both big and small. He's working one miracle after another for us. There is no doubt it's God. He's God in the midst of chaos. And, He sees us, in the midst of chaos.  I am so thankful for that.

New House

Baby Girl is due to arrive in just over 10 weeks. That's 74 days! I am pleased to report that we have started registering for baby items, making lists, making plans. That makes me feel so much better. This weekend we made the first purchase for Baby Girl.  You might think of a bassinet, crib, or car seat. Or maybe a going-home-from-the-hospital outfit. But, no. Here's what we bought. . .

IMG_0987

Sleep sacks! Please don't ask me to explain that one! I have no idea.

She's growing! The baby bump is expanding, meaning my lap has essentially disappeared.  I cannot seem to position  myself in any way to dissuade her from all her moving about. Her bumps and kicks are turning into rolls and jabs. Space is getting tight, I suppose! She especially likes to wiggle and roll when I'm lying down trying to rest. (That must be God's way of preparing me for the sleepless nights to come.) We had to take a glucose tolerance test today.  That means I had a yummy breakfast, and she put on quite a show with all her acrobatics. You know that point where it actually hurts when the baby moves? We're there.

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Though I wish I could have the delicious glucose drink every day, I have managed to find a reasonable substitute. Chicken and dumplings has become a favorite. In fact, I've had them about 4-5 times in the last 7 days! Comfort food. The kids are officially tired of Cracker Barrel and Chick-fil-a. I can't say that I blame them. Even still, Baby Girl seems to be a fan.

Madeleine starts playing club volleyball this week.  She tried out in the beginning of November for a non-travel team and made it! She's very excited. We all are. She recently performed in her first Performing Arts Club production, "Rock Solid". She was great! All the kids did an awesome job. She always surprises me. I think she surprises herself too. Her violin recital was last week. She did a fabulous job. We were all excited to have Poppy and Grammy be able to join us.

William is getting ready for his annual Christmas program at school.  He's been singing and practicing hard. It's one of my favorite programs of the year. This year we managed to get his little shepherd costume together before the night of the performance. We did not, however, manage to get a cute picture of said costume! Maybe, tomorrow.

I could go on and on, but I will spare you. Just know that we're here and all is well. We're taking it one adventure at a time...one chaotic moment by one.  And in the midst of our chaos we've had the opportunity as a family to be still, stand firm, and know that He is God. (That's been hard!) But when we manage it, our chaos becomes something more. Something good.

Perfect. Chaos.

It's just one of the beautiful things that comes with belonging to Him.

{92 Days}

Brian and I have a couple of those cool pregnancy apps for our iphones. They’ve been fun. Today, however, I opened one up and read “92 more days to go!” Ummm...what’s that now?

I must confess. I freaked out.

Between moving (twice), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s there won’t be much time to blink before the beginning of February is staring us in the face! Never mind that I have been known to deliver anywhere between 37 and 38 weeks in previous pregnancies. That puts us in the middle of January! The MIDDLE OF JANUARY! There is still so much to do. That might be an understatment. We haven’t done anything!

Oh. My. Goodness.

Moving on.

We’re 27 weeks along. Our next appointment is November 22. After that, we will likely start going to the doctor every 2-3 weeks. We’ve taken one of our first prenatal classes. That was fun! Brian was paying close attention. I was overwhelmed and suddenly panicky as the nurse covered the labor and delivery process. Suddenly, I had vivid memories. I kept thinking, “Oh yeah, I hate that part!” or “Oh, right. That part HURT!” and even, “I don’t think I can do this again!” Shameful, I know. Brian, being the encourager that he is, gently reminded me that I’ve done this four times. He says it’ll be a breeze! He’s my biggest fan! Our birthing class will be in the beginning of January. That’s bound to provide plenty of opportunities for a good laugh and even more opportunities for sheer panic! Big fun!

We still haven’t settled on her first name. Only a couple names from the original list actually made it to the final list. Some of our favorite possibilities are new additions to the list! We have a short list for her middle name, also. Here is that list: Claire, Dawn (my middle name), Faith, or Christine (after my grandmother on my Dad’s side). That list was easy! Looks like we will take our list with us to the hospital and name her when we meet her. That is, if I can keep the planner in me at rest until then! Luckily, we have plenty of other plans to make!

Speaking of plans, there are a lot of other things happening around here at the moment. I’ll have to save those updates for a separate post. Thanks for reading!