Glory stories

Since my dad is sharing some of his "glory stories" over on his blog, I thought I'd share some of mine. Maybe we can start a trend. I love reading how God has provided for people. I treasure the stories of how God provided for my parents. They gave me rock solid proof of God's way with His people. When it came time for me to depend on Him, I can honestly say it was fairly easy, and not because I'm a giant in the faith. (I'm not, by the way.) It was easy because I had seen God's faithfulness over and over again. To doubt would have been ludicrous.

God has not dealt with me any differently than He dealt with my parents. We have never had an unmet need, and there have been an abundant supply of things we do not need, but He just gave it because He is good!

One of the things that frustrate us when we first begin to serve the Lord is the how unable we are to do His will. God taught us a lesson about this on our first major trip when we started on deputation. Our income wasn't coming in yet, and we had meetings to get to. Gas costs money, and we simply didn't have it. I vividly remember packing us into the car, and as we drove out, asking my husband, "Uh, Babe? How are we gonna pay for the gas to get there today?" Ryan just said, "I don't know!"

We stopped by the post office on the way out. There was a check for just enough money to pay for food and gas to get us to our destination. It was from a penny drive in a bus ministry. (A bus ministry in our churches is a bus rout to and from church for underprivileged children.) These kids had collected pennies for six months, picked a missionary, and mailed them the check for the full amount. I remember Ryan standing there with a giant grin on his face, blinking back tears as he held a letter, written by the bus kids in crayon.

How can you doubt God's provision when He does stuff like that? It is true, we cannot do His will with what we have, and with who we are. We are not supposed to do it at all though, God wants us to see that He can do it!

Ok, ok, you pulled my arm!!!

I can't stand keeping good secrets like this. I'm going to spill it, even though I don't have a picture because the item in question is getting resized.

Ok, I must go back two years to the sad day that I realized our wedding rings were really and truly gone, along with several items from our van. I was hoping I had not been so stupid as to leave the little pouch with my ring in the van. I hoped that for months. (It's called denial.) It was my fault; I should know better, but a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about my empty hand with a touch of sadness. I'm not one to wallow deeply in my pit of self pity, but I felt BAD about this.

So on Valentine's Day this year, my husband asked me to make a picnic lunch, and he drug out the picnic basket I used the day he asked me to marry him-he said the kids would think it was fun, or something. We piled into the van, and he said that since it was Valentines Day, he thought it would would be a good idea to show the kids "the place" where he proposed, since we were in the area. This was a good idea-even though it looked like rain, we set out to the redwood grove, where a little stream rushed near the road.

I love the redwoods. I love the clean, wet smell, and the feeling of being so small surrounded by straight, dark posts of the trees. No rain reached the floor where we walked, and I was just delighted that the kids could enjoy this too. When we reached the stream, and the small gravel bank where I accepted my husband's proposal, he started to tell the kids how it had happened. They were more excited by the running water, and plunk of the rocks they were throwing into it.

You've guessed what was next, I'm sure, but I was taken completely by surprize! When he got to the point in the story where he gave me the ring, he got down on one knee and gave me a ring!!! (Please pardon my overuse of exclamation points. I can't help myself.) Then I squealed, and jumped around, and hugged my sweet husband while the kids threw more rocks in the water. Someday they are going to say to themselves, "Wow, I was there when Dad gave Mom her ring! That's cool!"

I'm so thankful for my husband, for his love, and for his care of me. This action turned something that hurt just a little every day into something that makes me smile every time I think about it.

Oh, and I LOVE IT. (Sorry for yelling, I can't help myself!!!!!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I got an amazing, super, fabulous, wonderful Valentine's Day from my sweetheart, and I'm dying to tell about here, but you are going to have to wait till can post pictures of it. It might take a week or so.

Piñata!

Hello!Getting the frame ready

Ryan gets some expert help cutting the wires

More help!

Lookie! It's coming together!

Ryan has more help than he knows what to do with!

Well, it's for a girl, so it's gotta be pink...

More pink...

Now it's all ready to bring to life!
(Check out the brand new glasses on the birthday girl!)

All done! Ready to whack!

Don't hate me because I'm so beautiful...

Where have I been?

The last month I've been homeschooling, and it's taken up all my creative energy. I'm having the time of my life though! This is something I always dreamed of doing "When I grow up". It is more fun than I even expected!

We took the day off today-teacher has the Cold To End All Colds, so school was canceled. I did hear my oldest in the room teaching her siblings their phonics. Too cute!

I'm going back to bed.