Liam turned 4 on September 16th and we celebrated with a Transformers cake and Iron Man presents. He is most definitely a boy! Liz and Jamie came up and gifted the birthday boy with some new clothes and matchbox cars and trucks. Fun times all around!
As we were singing, Liam kept asking, "Can I blow the fire sticks out now?" I'm not sure what was funnier, him calling the candles fire sticks or asking if he could blow them out like 5 times as we were singing!
Lucky for me, Texas is big on Halloween and all sorts of stuff was in stores already, so I was able to kill two birds with one stone and get Liam's costume as his birthday present!
I have been looking for a job. I've been less than thrilled about it, as being a mom to 4 kids IS a full time job, adding a part time job (one that will have to happen at night and on weekends so I don't spend my paycheck on a babysitter) is stressing me out and the very idea is making me tired.
One of the reasons that we moved here was to make a steady income, that covers our bills and allows us to budget in some extra things for the kids like ballet classes or piano lessons. To also have more time as a family and not have to work 7 days a week to make ends meet.
Right now that's not happening. The only future that *I* can see looks like hard work, lots of stress and just getting by. And Jason and I are so very tired.
I've really, really been questioning why we moved here. I just do not get why we pray and pray and pray for the Lord to guide us and we feel that He led us here, but then things are just as hard, if not harder, especially without the support system that we've developed over 15 years in Pagosa.
I've been angry. And last week I was so lonely that I sat down and cried for an hour.
We hadn't been going to church because the first place we tried, was overwhelming and we didn't like it at all. But an old friend that I've known since I was born, told us about a new church, full of young couples so we went over there last week. It was so nice. People were friendly and the kids had a great time. The sermon was excellent, so we decided to go back again this week.
I am so very glad that we did.
The pastor started a new series today called Game Plan and it's theme is football based. So they had all sorts of songs that you'd hear at a football game playing as you came in this morning, they were "tailgating" with Krispy Kreme donuts out front and handing out plastic cups with the church name on them. Their worship leader even sang We Will Rock You with a live band. It was a fun, creative start to the morning.
The sermon was all about God's plan for our lives. It covered the "fundamentals" today.
And it spoke straight to my heart.
I am sharing my notes and the song that they wished to be a prayer over everyone's lives this week. I hope that even if my scattered notes don't mean anything to you, that you listen to the song and it blesses your day.
Colossians 3:1-4
“So if you're serious about living this new resurrection
life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides.
Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in
front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's
where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead.
Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is
with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember)
shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious
you…..”
As we all know, Lazarus died and Jesus raised him from the dead. He lived twice.
Point to ponder: Do you think that the things that worried and stressed
Lazarus out the first time, stressed out and worried Lazarus the second time?
Question- God, what should I do with my life? Go with my
life? Be in my life?
Answer- I AM your life.
God is not merely a component of your life. God is your life, He is the plan for
you.
When we learn to not place all our focus on the future, but
to focus on God, God will lead us to the future He has for us. When we understand this, there is a
peace about whatever situation we find ourselves facing.
If your focus is on Him, He will lead you to your future.
There is a prize inside of you- God’s spirit living inside
of you. Let God be God inside of
you and let the prize pour out of you.
For the next 7 days, simply rest. God is in you. God loves
you. God has a plan for you. Simply rest there.
Sunday, July 31st- we move everything we own out of our duplex and into a storage unit. Jason, myself, as well as John and Connie Pringle- clean, paint, clean, move more stuff, clean, fix holes in wall, clean.... all on this day.
August 1st-6th- all 6 of us live with my parents for a week at their home which is in the process of being sold. Only rough day was when it was being inspected and I had to be out with all the kids from 9am to 2pm. My day was so crazy that I was gone from 8am to 5pm. I've never gone up and down Putt HIll so many times.
Saturday, August 6th- we drive to Durango and get our moving truck and trailer. We drive back and Jason helps load the truck for an hour before he drives back to Durango to take his Journeyman Plumbing License test. My dad and I, along with 6 wonderful friends finish loading the truck in a few hours. Jason and Dad finish loading the van on the trailer that evening.
Sunday, August 7th- we leave at 7am for Austin, Texas.
Monday, August 8th- we arrive at 7am in Austin, Texas.
Feels like the longest 24 hours of my life.
Monday, August 8th- we check into our one room, extended stay motel. It's not all it's supposed to be.
Tuesday, August 10th (morning)- we move everything we own into a storage unit. Again. Tuesday, August 10th (afternoon)- Jason interviews with Radiant Plumbing for a permanent position.
Wednesday, August 11th- we drive around looking at apartments and find one that has an opening in 3 days. All the others have no availability for weeks. I decide that now is a good time to get a nasty head cold.
Thursday, August 12th- Jason interviews twice more on this same day and gets the job! Liz and Jamie take us out to dinner to celebrate!
Friday, August 13th- Jason starts his new job at 7am. So he leaves the hotel at 6:30am.
Saturday, August 14th- we sign a lease for our new apartment!
Wednesday, August 17th- Jason is at work, I move everything out of the motel and into our new apartment. The kids and I go to Target and get Katie a cake as it's her 9th birthday today. Liz and Jamie come to have cake and pizza in honor of Katie and then Jason and Jamie move all the really heavy stuff out of storage.
Thursday, August 18th- I get up, get ready and take all the kids to register the girls for school. Find out they are short one immunization shot each and we go get that at the "ready clinic." Go back to the school to finish registering them. Go back again (by myself with all 4 kids) to the school that night for "open house" to meet the girls teachers and see where their classes are. Finn starts screaming in Evie's class- I am super embarrassed.
Friday, August 19th- it's tax free weekend! We go shopping for school supplies. Jason moves more stuff at night.
Saturday, August 20th- still tax free, so we go shopping for school clothes. Jason moves more stuff at night.
Monday, August 22nd- at 7:30am Katie starts 4th grade, Evie starts 1st. Jason finally finishes getting things over to the apartment that night.
Tuesday, August 23rd- I sit around with Finn and Liam watching movies.... all day. Fast food for dinner.
August 24th - September 2nd- Life happens. It includes me throwing my back out and finding a new chiropractor.
Saturday, September 3rd- we move half of what we own from a large storage unit, to a smaller storage unit. I hate moving.
Monday, September 5th- we take a day off and go have fun at Barton Springs with Liz and Jamie. We have officially been in Texas for a month.
I am reminded of Philippians 4:13 this morning, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
We left Colorado at 7:30am on Sunday morning and we arrived in Cedar Park, Texas at 7am on Monday morning.You do the math.....
The truck was so slow.Finn was great, Evie and Liam were tolerable.Katie was a huge help.We didn't stop for a whole lot of sleep - I took 3, 30 minute naps on the way down.Whenever I couldn't keep my eyes open I called Jason and told him we needed to pull over.He drinks all those energy things, but I can't handle them so I have to rest.But it still just took us forever to get here.
Once we came into town, I thought Jason missed the exit and pulled off - but Jason didn't see me or hear me calling on the phone and went right on by.So now we were separated in early morning rush hour traffic in a city that neither of us is familiar with.Me on the brink of absolute exhaustion and with no map to even try and find Jason at the other exit.It took us almost 30 minutes to find each other and then another 45 to find the hotel as we kept getting turned around.We finally got to the extended stay place we were booked at and got to our room.
I told Jason that being cheap in this instance was obviously the wrong thing to do.The pictures on the web site were way misleading and the "fully stocked" kitchen, has one pan/pot thing, 2 forks, 1 dinner knife, 2 bowls, 2 plates, 3 cups, one dish towel, a small cutting board, a small serrated knife, a spatula and a can opener.I thought there would be more than one towel, a few pots and pans, utensils and at least 4- bowls, plates, cups and silverware.I am making a list of things that need to come over from the truck, when it gets unpacked tomorrow and trying to decide if it’s worth it to get all the stuff we’d need to stay here and make it function or not.
To top off our morning, Jason called to set up his interview time with the company interested in him here in Cedar Park and the guy he's been in contact with is out of the office today.One of the main reasons we kept trucking last night was because Jason told them he'd be here today and they said call and come interview right away once we were here.
We are in a complete holding pattern till Jason gets a job.We can’t apply for an apartment till he gets a job- we have to provide proof of income. We can’t get a mail box till we get an physical address. We can’t get a drivers license till we have an address.We can’t register kids for school, till we have both a drivers license an address.
I am beyond frustrated.I have no idea what God’s plan is.But things seem to be getting harder (if that’s possible) rather than easier and it’s very depressing.
Up until this morning, I felt a peace about being here.Getting lost by myself (while completely exhausted) with 4 tired & hungry kids kids, driving for 24hrs. with little sleep, getting to a hotel that’s not equipped for our needs, then Jason not even being able to interview today sort of destroyed that peace.
I will feel soooo much better if Jason can start working and we can find a place to live – in the next two weeks before school starts.Those are my main prayers right now.Please join with me in for those requests.
Thank you all for your support in this move!!!From the gift cards and cash, to the prayers and scriptures, to the moving and cleaning help.We love you all and miss you tons.I asked Liam today if he liked being here in Texas and he said, no.He wanted to go home and go to Durango.Jason and I laughed and said sorry, but this is home now.Welcome to Texas.
I am a details person. I plan things out so far in advance that I have been known to "think ahead" by years. It's really NOT a good thing (and it drives Jason nuts.) Inevitably, MY plans don't always go the way I want. I've been learning the "wait and be patient" lesson the hard way over the last few months. Nothing has gone right or in my time frame when it comes to Jason getting to take his licensing exam here in CO before we leave for TX, we still don't even know if he can take it or when. And now because of some jobs here in CO that Jason is waiting on to complete we have to hang out someplace for a week or so (after we are due to be out of our rental home) and my carefully, well thought out and totally awesome "moving" schedule and plan has gone the way of the dodo.
My cousin posted a blog link the other day on Facebook about church and tradition. I thought it looked interesting and it was. Enough so that I decided to see what else this guy wrote. The very next blog post down was one entitled, "God Doesn't Do Details."
Yeah. This I had to read. (Copied and pasted for your convenience!)
A common phrase you often hear from people is, “I don’t do details.” Usually they mean they’re more big picture people. They don’t like to get bogged down in minutiae.
In His own way, God doesn’t do details either. At least when it comes to His commands to people in the Bible. In fact, He can often be painfully vague.
He told Abraham simply, “Go to the land I will show you.”
When He beckoned Peter to walk on the water, He simply said, “Come.”
On His command Moses to free the Israelites from the most powerful nation in the world, He merely commanded him, “Go, I am sending you to Pharaoh.”
God didn’t use any detail. He didn’t lay out a step-by-step plan. He just issued the command and expected obedience.
Sometimes people wanted more detail. Moses wanted to know how it was going to happen. What should he tell the people? But God didn’t fill in much detail here either.I will be with you. Tell them, I AM has sent me to you.
That helps.
On the one hand, you would think God was kind of winging it. On the surface, it would seem that His plan was just to deal with the details as they came about. And that’s not very reassuring. Not when you’re being asked to step out on faith.
On the other hand, when you read on in the stories, God had every detail covered. Abraham’s journey. The plagues. The Red Sea. Even Peter’s ability to walk on water. And that’s very reassuring.
God is extremely meticulous. He is all about the details. Far more than you’ll ever be. He has everything already figured out. Every pitfall and possibility accounted for. Every detour arranged to get you to your final destination.
So God definitely does the details in terms of His plan and working it out. But God doesn’t do the details in terms of what He communicates to you.
That’s because He knows there are some details you’re simply not ready for.
And ultimately it’s because He’s more interested in your full obedience than your full understanding.
Don’t worry. God has every detail in your life covered.
He just doesn’t need you to know them first to follow Him faithfully.
It's the "wait and be patient" lesson again. God is obviously trying to get this through my thick head. So I printed the above out to read every day till we get to TX.
And I'm trying... really, really hard... to let God take care of the details.
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I cannot believe that Finn is already 3 months old! He's still not sleeping through the night, but we think that's because he's a little guy. He's the smallest of all our kids at the same age, so as soon as we get him to pack on some pounds, then maybe we can fill him up to sleep! But other than the sleep thing, he's a good baby who loves to smile (and frown!) and is starting to "talk" all the time.
