So we are now in Week 5 of the Proverbs 31 ministries online Bible Study on Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles. I have to say I am really enjoying this study. I enjoy reading the book, interacting on Melissa Taylor's site and also participating in my small group on Facebook. Right now could not be a better time for me to be participating in this particular study. We have so much going on with Dennis' work, our children, homeschooling, outside commitments and other things.
So in many ways, I would love to take back my life and get back to a time when life was simpler. As I was reading this chapter some sentences jumped off the page at me. On page 93, Tracie writes, "God could change our circumstances at any time, if he chooses to do so, but he is always more interested in changing us through our circumstances than changing our circumstances themselves. Everything is possible with God, because he said so."
This time last year, we were living in a different part of Pennsylvania preparing for a move we had no idea would become so chaotic. First, we had extreme difficulty locating a home to rent. Then the paperwork for our move was lost. We were delayed moving, and the move ended up costing way way more than we ever we expected. Finally we were moved and things looked they were settling down. But we were wrong. Dennis' unit ended up being activated and we had no support system here at all - there was no Family Readiness Group, no church, no close friends to rely on or anything. Communication while he was gone was sketchy at best - a difficult thing to fathom since he was still in the United States. Nobody really seemed to know what was going on or when they would get to come home. This was the first time Army Reserve units were ever activated for a natural disaster.
On top of everything, my chronic blood pressure began to spiral out of control. For a person who can find it normal to have a blood pressure reading in the 150s over 100s, it is scary when those numbers are reading in the 200s over 120s. Mind you I have had the diagnosis since I was in my mid 20s and I am in my mid 40s now. My body was screaming out in stress. But God was the only one who could provide the perfect peace for me.
Life was definitely out of control and my stress level was through the roof. It was hard to find God during that time. But He had me right where I needed to be. I had to rely on Him and find the peace that only He can bring. He brought me closer to Him and closer to my family. He brought me to my knees in prayer.
Out of these circumstances came some blessings. My husband was home in time for Thanksgiving. We were able to rent out our prior home that we actually owned. We found a church. Then my husband got his 20 year letter for the Reserves, meaning he could retire but we couldn't draw any retirement pay for roughly 10 years. But God provided a possible job we could do together that would involve serving God right here in our country. As a result we found a second church family. So while I wouldn't mind being back where we were before the move, life is looking brighter. We have a stronger commitment to God and to each other. I know that even when things look the darkest, God can bring beautiful wonderful bright light to shine on us.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Counting the Days til turning in homeschool paperwork and Dennis being done with Annual training.
This is the time of year, I start counting down the days to figure out exactly how long I have until we have to turn in our paperwork for the end of the school year. We have to have everything turned in by June 30th. Now for our family - this does not mean we will be through with all our school books or anything like that. Because we basically homeschool year round. I take breaks where it naturally seems like the right time for one (due to holidays and such) or when everyone seems to be burnt out on school.
For the last couple of weeks the entire family (minus our oldest some days - because of being sick) loaded up in our van and went to work with Dad. It is so nice doing school there. We all have plenty of "room" as well as acutal rooms to spread out. The lighting is good! We have desks and everything, plus it allows Dad to play an integral role in our every day activities.
There is an up and down side as well. We are not home to mess up the house, but we are also not home to clean and do laundry and such. So I am trying to figure out routines for that. We also are able to take the books and such there at the beginning of the week and just bring home what we absolutely need. All in all it is working out really well.
Plus we get to practice our instruments without anyone around our home having to hear any of us practicing. So this has been just a little update on us.
Well I guess I should just add one more thing. This week we found out Jacob is lactose intolerant, so we have seen some improvement in him this week. He has been close to his normal self. Unfortunately, he is not happy with the idea of no ice cream and cheese. So I am having to work on solutions for these things. We will see where we go from here.
For the last couple of weeks the entire family (minus our oldest some days - because of being sick) loaded up in our van and went to work with Dad. It is so nice doing school there. We all have plenty of "room" as well as acutal rooms to spread out. The lighting is good! We have desks and everything, plus it allows Dad to play an integral role in our every day activities.
There is an up and down side as well. We are not home to mess up the house, but we are also not home to clean and do laundry and such. So I am trying to figure out routines for that. We also are able to take the books and such there at the beginning of the week and just bring home what we absolutely need. All in all it is working out really well.
Plus we get to practice our instruments without anyone around our home having to hear any of us practicing. So this has been just a little update on us.
Well I guess I should just add one more thing. This week we found out Jacob is lactose intolerant, so we have seen some improvement in him this week. He has been close to his normal self. Unfortunately, he is not happy with the idea of no ice cream and cheese. So I am having to work on solutions for these things. We will see where we go from here.
Big Dream, Wee Step - Blog Hop
So this week I am back with another Blog hop post for my Stressed Less Living Online Bible Study. It is amazing to look at where our family was last year and where we are today. This time last year, we knew we had orders to move from the western part of PA to the central Northern part of PA. But it seems as though everything associated with this move has been difficult. We encountered problems at every turn of one form or another. But God has used those problems in an amazing way.
Since the end of October life has been challenging. To begin with Dennis' unit was activated to help with the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in New York City. It was our very first activation and it was the very first time Army Reserve Soldiers and other full-time regular military forces were used for a national disaster (usually these are handled by National Guard units). He was gone for over two weeks. At the time we did not have a church or a support network in place yet.
When he came back we were able to rent our home in Greensburg. Then he received his 20 year letter, which technically allows him to retire (but most of the time is reserve time - not full-time). So we could not draw benefits immediately. This means God would need to provide us with some kind of income. But we serve a mighty God who works in His own way and time.
Dennis went to his battalion and was talking to someone there about his twenty year letter. This person knowing that Dennis is an ordained minister and has been for around 19 1/2 years mentioned the Salvation Army. Now we knew the Salvation Army was an organization that helped people and the Salvation Army does the signature red kettles at Christmas. In fact as part of our Scout troop back in Greensburg, we rang the bells several times (our whole family went). But beyond that, we didn't know a lot. However, we discovered they actually have a church and they have corp officers that run the corps on a daily basis.
So we took the step and started attending the services at our local corps. Then we took another step and started attending soldier classes. Then we took another step and we attended a Marriage retreat. Dennis and I have since become soldiers (members of the Salvation Army church - also known as Salvationists). Now we are prayerfully considering if God may be calling us to become Corp officers sometime in the future. So our several small steps have taken us into a world previously unknown to us, but that has provided many blessings to our family.
These blessings include us all participating in a Beginner Band at the corp, learning timbrels (for Rebecca and me), teaching a Sunday School class for Dennis and me), participating in a Youth Group for the three boys. And who knows where the journey will end. Some time in the future we may find ourselves serving as corp officers. As Jeremiah 29:11-13 says,
Since the end of October life has been challenging. To begin with Dennis' unit was activated to help with the Hurricane Sandy relief effort in New York City. It was our very first activation and it was the very first time Army Reserve Soldiers and other full-time regular military forces were used for a national disaster (usually these are handled by National Guard units). He was gone for over two weeks. At the time we did not have a church or a support network in place yet.
When he came back we were able to rent our home in Greensburg. Then he received his 20 year letter, which technically allows him to retire (but most of the time is reserve time - not full-time). So we could not draw benefits immediately. This means God would need to provide us with some kind of income. But we serve a mighty God who works in His own way and time.
Dennis went to his battalion and was talking to someone there about his twenty year letter. This person knowing that Dennis is an ordained minister and has been for around 19 1/2 years mentioned the Salvation Army. Now we knew the Salvation Army was an organization that helped people and the Salvation Army does the signature red kettles at Christmas. In fact as part of our Scout troop back in Greensburg, we rang the bells several times (our whole family went). But beyond that, we didn't know a lot. However, we discovered they actually have a church and they have corp officers that run the corps on a daily basis.
So we took the step and started attending the services at our local corps. Then we took another step and started attending soldier classes. Then we took another step and we attended a Marriage retreat. Dennis and I have since become soldiers (members of the Salvation Army church - also known as Salvationists). Now we are prayerfully considering if God may be calling us to become Corp officers sometime in the future. So our several small steps have taken us into a world previously unknown to us, but that has provided many blessings to our family.
These blessings include us all participating in a Beginner Band at the corp, learning timbrels (for Rebecca and me), teaching a Sunday School class for Dennis and me), participating in a Youth Group for the three boys. And who knows where the journey will end. Some time in the future we may find ourselves serving as corp officers. As Jeremiah 29:11-13 says,
Jeremiah 29:11-13
King James Version (KJV)
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
So that is what we are doing. We have stepped out in faith and are waiting to see where God leads. We have been praying and calling out to God to show us what he would have us to do. We also are waiting on Him to answer in His time. For we know that God's ways are not our own.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
So that is what we are doing. We have stepped out in faith and are waiting to see where God leads. We have been praying and calling out to God to show us what he would have us to do. We also are waiting on Him to answer in His time. For we know that God's ways are not our own.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Blog Hop for Week 3 Stressed Less Living #Blessed
So I have just completed week
2 of my online Bible study - Stressed Less living. One of this week's
blog hop topics is "Hope from Upstream". So today, I will be
blogging about some ways our family tries to follow God's will for our lives.
One thing we do is homeschool all four children. This has been such a blessing for our family. Instead of just getting into the word on Sundays, our children are surrounded by the word all day long. Last year we joined the Advanced Training Institute and our children are now submersed in God's Word all day long. Almost all the material we use is centered around the Bible. We open our days with prayers.
We have just started back reading 3 chapters in Psalms and 1 chapter from Proverbs each day.
We spend a lot of time just talking with our children. Since my husband is a rear detachment commander with the Army Reserves, we have started going to the unit with him most days. This lets him be engaged in what the children are doing.
We talk with them about their hopes and dreams for their future. We talk about our expectations for their lives and we spend time in prayer. I also spend a lot of time praying over them and for their future spouses (whoever that special person may be - if that is within God's will). Mostly we try to just spend time engaged with one another and doing things we all enjoy. I am hoping we get to spend some time camping this summer so we can get away from everything.
Monday, April 22, 2013
#Blessed Part 2
I have been working to complete my Week 2 assignments for my online Bible Study "Stressed Less Living". For week 1, I began listing all the ways I am blessed.
Here is that list:
Today I want to make a list of things I am thankful for:
1) that Jesus was willing to die for my sins
2) My husband who is also my best friend
3) Our four wonderful children and my mother who lives with us and provides help and support
4) That my husband has a job
5) That we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible
6) That we are free to read our Bibles and attend church services along with homeschooling our children
7) Our family and friends who support us
Now today I want to add to our list:
8) That we have health insurance
9) That my children and I are able to go with my husband to work and complete our homeschooling there
10) All four of our children have now accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior
11) That we found a house to live in when we moved last August and have our home rented out currently
12) That 6 of us are participating in a Beginner Band at our church
13) That my children will be able to attend Music Camp through the Salvation Army this summer - three will be going on their new to them Brass instruments while my oldest goes for guitar.
14) That my daughter and I are learning Timbrels together
15) That we are able go to the YMCA as a family to work out and take care of our bodies that God blessed us with
So as you can see again this week, we are truly blessed. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the negatives all around us instead of looking for the good. This week, I plan to strive to look for the good and concentrate on those things.
Here is that list:
Today I want to make a list of things I am thankful for:
1) that Jesus was willing to die for my sins
2) My husband who is also my best friend
3) Our four wonderful children and my mother who lives with us and provides help and support
4) That my husband has a job
5) That we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible
6) That we are free to read our Bibles and attend church services along with homeschooling our children
7) Our family and friends who support us
Now today I want to add to our list:
8) That we have health insurance
9) That my children and I are able to go with my husband to work and complete our homeschooling there
10) All four of our children have now accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior
11) That we found a house to live in when we moved last August and have our home rented out currently
12) That 6 of us are participating in a Beginner Band at our church
13) That my children will be able to attend Music Camp through the Salvation Army this summer - three will be going on their new to them Brass instruments while my oldest goes for guitar.
14) That my daughter and I are learning Timbrels together
15) That we are able go to the YMCA as a family to work out and take care of our bodies that God blessed us with
So as you can see again this week, we are truly blessed. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the negatives all around us instead of looking for the good. This week, I plan to strive to look for the good and concentrate on those things.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
#Blessed and what I hope to gain from the Stressed Less Living Bible Study
I am participating in an online Bible Study for the book called "Stressed Less Living" and today I am participating in the first blog hop for this study.
Boy is this book coming at the perfect time. There is so much going on in our lives right now between my husband's job requiring a lot of extra hours and a lot of extra travel time away from the family. Add in my oldest still have stomach issues and joining a new church plus considering a possible career change and that adds up to a lot of stress. I hope to improve my ability to turn this all over to God and let him be my strength, my comfort, my rock.
Today I want to make a list of things I am thankful for:
1) that Jesus was willing to die for my sins
2) My husband who is also my best friend
3) Our four wonderful children and my mother who lives with us and provides help and support
4) That my husband has a job
5) That we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible
6) That we are free to read our Bibles and attend church services along with homeschooling our children
7) Our family and friends who support us
As you can see I have a lot to be thankful for. I am blessed beyond measure. Even when there are hard times, we can rely on God to see us through. I can look back at my life and see the one set of footprints where Jesus carried me through the trials.
Boy is this book coming at the perfect time. There is so much going on in our lives right now between my husband's job requiring a lot of extra hours and a lot of extra travel time away from the family. Add in my oldest still have stomach issues and joining a new church plus considering a possible career change and that adds up to a lot of stress. I hope to improve my ability to turn this all over to God and let him be my strength, my comfort, my rock.
Today I want to make a list of things I am thankful for:
1) that Jesus was willing to die for my sins
2) My husband who is also my best friend
3) Our four wonderful children and my mother who lives with us and provides help and support
4) That my husband has a job
5) That we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible
6) That we are free to read our Bibles and attend church services along with homeschooling our children
7) Our family and friends who support us
As you can see I have a lot to be thankful for. I am blessed beyond measure. Even when there are hard times, we can rely on God to see us through. I can look back at my life and see the one set of footprints where Jesus carried me through the trials.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Update on our family
Well we have had an exciting week. On Easter Sunday, Dennis and I became Senior Soldiers in our Salvation Army Corp. Rebecca and Nathan became Junior Soldiers. The older two are taking the Senior Soldier class, but have not made a commitment yet.
Then on Tuesday nights, I am attending Home League (their Women's group). After that, Rebecca and I learning Timbrels (tambourines). Finally on Thursday night, we attended the Beginning Band class at the Salvation Army. Dennis, Nathan and Rebecca are going to be learning the coronet. I am playing the Alto horn (similar to the French horn which I played in High School). Joseph is learning the Baritone and Jacob is learning the Bass.
Dennis and I are teaching the Young Adult Sunday School class (basically anyone out of high school up to our ages).
We are still working on homeschooling and our other activities as well. Dennis is preparing for his AT in June.
This summer all four children will be attending the Salvation Army Music Summer camp. So life keeps on moving here.
Then on Tuesday nights, I am attending Home League (their Women's group). After that, Rebecca and I learning Timbrels (tambourines). Finally on Thursday night, we attended the Beginning Band class at the Salvation Army. Dennis, Nathan and Rebecca are going to be learning the coronet. I am playing the Alto horn (similar to the French horn which I played in High School). Joseph is learning the Baritone and Jacob is learning the Bass.
Dennis and I are teaching the Young Adult Sunday School class (basically anyone out of high school up to our ages).
We are still working on homeschooling and our other activities as well. Dennis is preparing for his AT in June.
This summer all four children will be attending the Salvation Army Music Summer camp. So life keeps on moving here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)