Life, illustrated

We were on our way out of our neighborhood this afternoon and drove by the *new* Taco Bell being built less than a mile from our apartment. While visions of gorditas and seven layer burritos do make my mouth water and tummy growl, what caught my attention today was not the now in place tables and functional counters, but the poor fire hydrant out front. You see, we've gotten a ton of rain this past week here in the swamplands of Cajun Country. Rain that we asked for. Rain that is moving things. Rain that will ultimately be for our benefit. The rains take no notice of the piles of sand around new fast food joints, nor does the rain care if on its way to the great ocean it has to bury a couple of lonely fire hydrants.
I recently asked God for rain, in the spiritual sence. About four months ago I had reached a point of frustration with myself and my walk, and so I fasted bread, yeast, sugar and the like for about two weeks. I spent lots of time in the word. Lots of time in prayer. I prayed for God to.. get this.. move me. I prayed that he would rain into my life newness. I read how he moved the Isrealites from slavery to freedom but had to take them through a desert first. Then, when I was not prepared, even though I asked for it, he answered. Lucas got laid off. We are moving.
Today I feel an awful lot like that fire hydrant. It was minding its buisness, serving its purpose as guard against fire for a very vacant open field until the power that controls its existance decided to move. Plans were written, construction began, and then the rain fell. Now that little yellow fire hydrant is buried, prevented from use by the very act of being moved in itself. After a while work will be done, landscapes will be placed and the hydrant will be free again, ready to serve an even greater purpose. Where before it served only an empty lot, it will now stand guard over a restraunt, full of people and really yummy food.
Right now I feel buried. Buried in boxes and moving plans and fear and anxiety. Buried by the stress of making decisions for my children and my home. Buried by questions and research and dust from old stuff I've pulled out of corners. I havent been able to focus on others or reach out to my many pregnant friends. I've missed baby showers and bible studies. I havent been able to put my all into the study I have meeting here, which is ending next week... because I'm buried. But the reality is, I'm buried in my answered prayer. I asked God to move and he did.
The past two months my husband and I and my children have all been seeking His face. Our faith has been stretched, but not tested, no not tested but bulked up. Reinforced. Encouraged. By the acts of love we have been given by our church we are seeing that we matter to our King. We are fed and safe and have hope and possible jobs and healthy vibrant children. We know without a doubt, that He is working. The plans have been made, construction has begun. And when it is time he will lay the landscape. He will dig us out and we will be free. Free to serve a greater purpose. Free to serve our Lord where we have been moved.

quick updates

We ARE moving unless God provides a last minute miracle. Mom has our rooms ready and we've given notice to the apartment. Moving day is August 15th. Our belongings that are not necessary to life will be moving into a local storage unit until we know where we will be living after. After what? I dont know.

My "office" is now a storage room full of boxes and my computer is in my bedroom. I will either never be on it or be on it all the time. Will let you know.

Boys got matching adorable haircuts today. Both got spikey hair.

Balin seems to have a new hydrocele. going to the doctor on wednesday. Please pray that surgery wont be necessary. (I have a feeling it will be.)

Ayden will start Wilkin$on Elementary on August 25th. I'm very bummed that I wont be able to homeschool, but know that maybe someday down the line I'll be able to homeschool Balin and other children I may have. In the meantime Mama will be looking for a job.

Got to go see Harry Potter at the midnight opening with my husband thanks to a new friend who came over to babysit. She rocks and Potter was fun. So was being the oldest people in the theatre. We got seats together only because (aparently) young high school students obey almost any motherly type of person who tells them to scoot down a seat.

We still love our Church. I breath it in. Can I bottle you? Maybe I'll steal some paint chips from the basement to hang onto. I'm praying for this family, that you will continue to grow and nurture one another in this amazing life changing way. Thanks for being real.

At Harry potter. Barely got a seet! I'm too old for this .

Came to free movie. Still. Hasn't started. At least there is air conditioning and my kids are still happy

I got an I Phone and this is what I made

My little brother sent me his old I phone when he got a new one, so I've been playing. I like this function....

Life, Abundantly

The past month has been difficult to say the least. On June 1st Lucas called me around 10:30 am. I was putting a load of purchases from Target into the trunk of my car. "You need to come home right now" was all he said. Then my phone beeped and I saw a text message from my dad. My stomach dropped and I immediately wondered if something bad, really bad, had happened at home. The last time one of us got the "Come home now" call it was me calling Lucas to tell him Jim had passed away. I drove home fast. Too fast. I scared myself at one point. The entire I was praying "let everyone be alive. let this be a lay off or something. let everyone be alive." Then as I was turning into our neighborhood the car started to overheat. Luckily.. well none of this is luck really... I got home. With Jello legs I got the boys inside. Lucas was standing at the end of the hall with a shell shocked expression. "I just got laid off." We cried. Me out of relief that it wasnt something worse.. wasn't something irreversible.
We were given a two week severance and our insurance was immediately dropped. We are thankful that just the Friday before I had taken the boys in for check ups. Balin got his shots and Ayden the all clear for another year. We have been amazed at how God has provided for us despite the sorrow and fear. He truly does take care of all the details. If you can't see it in your life, see it in mine. That overheating car led to a 100 repair, which then led to the destruction of the alternator. About two weeks later I was driving to a baby sitting job for a friend of a friend. We chatted when we set the time up and she shared that she is going through a divorce and looked into my apartments but for some reason could not get into them. On my way to her house the car died. In the middle lane of a busy intersection. It had enough momentum to steer it into an empty parking lot of a gymnastics building. (1st miracle). A sweet friend whose husband is serving in Iraq lent us her truck so Lucas could come get me. (1st blessing) and then my parents drove up the next day to help replace the alternator (another blessing). We ended up paying about 200 for the repairs. That week a new friend of ours gave us 150 wal mart card which lasted for almost two weeks worth of groceries and gas! (blessing.. losing count) THEN I get a call from my friend who recomended me a a sitter. She wanted the name of the pizza place that is across the street from me. "By the way" she says "my friend is moving into your apartment complex.. she's on her way right now to sign the lease." I asked her to ask her friend to put us down as a referal. After a quick text message (God is a techie too) her friend listed up on her application and we get the referal bonus. Which by the way happens to be 200$. (Miracle number what?!?) God is providing for us in unbleievable ways, covering our purchases and choices and making everything work out to His will.
We met the Grace church family back in March. This is the first time we have experience as a family a God breathing, living, acting, fellowshiping, loving, learning church. They . Get. IT. we can not imagine that God would give us a taste of this type of community and then make us move, but His ways are not Our ways. Our prayer is that we can continue to grow with our Grace friends until He asks us to go somewhere. Specific.
Thursday Lucas had an interview. I wont share too much about it except that it a job exactly in tune with Lucas's experience. I think because my husband is not a great communicator that some people in our lives have the impression that he isn't happy in this industry, but the truth is... he loved his job. He was good at it. He was proud of himself and I saw a new husband over the last year as he grew to see in himself what God was doing. He is smart. He is hardworking. He is loyal. I am so proud of him for working so very hard for us. This job would be a major step down in pay. BUT it might buy us some time as we wait for the industry to recover. WHEN that happens, Shreveport Bossier will come back to life. The Haynesville Shale will once again be the exciting place to work and hopefully, God willing, we will be here to work it!

So for now.. we dont know much more than this: God is Good. He will provide. Our life in Christ is whole and wonderful. We have great friends, a great church and great families.
How can you help? Well obviously money is tough right now. We need encouragement as we try to balance out what was a bit of too much spending in our lives with a now very limited spending.
We need guidance and prayer as to these questions...
should we stay here with a lower paying job and fake it for a while?
do we move to Houston to live with Emily's parents while we figure this out?
What do we do with Ayden's schooling?
How and when do I return to work and in what way?
What will do about transportation since we share a car.