A MINI STORY: FLASHBACK TO YESTERDAY, ARRIVE AT TODAY

First off, let me state that I know how (selfish, self-centered, ungrateful, spoiled and anything else negative that comes to mind) this story makes me sound. But it’s true. I’m only human, but I am trying to work on it! And plus, this is part of mine and Aaron’s journey in life so I just wanted to share a part of the roller coaster ride we’ve been on since being in Oklahoma

 FLASHBACK TO YESTERDAY
 JANUARY 2012- 

Our lease is coming to an end in July and maintenance has been so bad that 3 months after signing our 1 year lease we started looking into other housing options in order to get out as soon as our lease was up. We started to go to different rental companies to get a feel for what our options were once we were able to move. Our adventures went a little like this…

    Aaron walks into a realtor’s office, gets a list of homes, comes back to the car and we both go over it. WE end up marking half of the listings off the list as “no go’s” because they’re not in our prices range. We find a few houses, Aaron checks out the keys, we log the address into the GPS and start out on our journey.

   We’ve already seen the first 3 houses in our price range. They were run down and in unsafe neighborhoods where we almost didn’t get out of the car to look at the inside for our own safety. So here we are, driving to the last house of the day. The houses start out decent in a nice neighborhood and then the GPS says “Turn Right”. In a matter of seconds the neighborhood takes a turn for the worst! We passed by cars that looked like they were striped of parts, houses and cars with their windows smashed in and missing. Some houses were stripped of paint and shingles…everything!

    As we continue towards the house I start sliding down, shrinking into the passenger seat wanting to cry, but yet too afraid we’ll get shot just for driving by some of these houses that all I can do is hold my breath as we pass. Aaron and I decide not to get out, it’s not even worth looking at the inside because neither of us would feel safe living in this area. Our hopes get pretty low..
 
     As we head away from the bad neighborhood and back to the land of the living to grab some lunch, Aaron's phone rings. He asks me to answer it since he’s driving…

 “Hello?” I answered.
 “Hi, I’m looking for Mr. or Mrs. Henry?”
 “I’m Mrs. Henry.”
 “Mrs. Henry, I’m with Fort Sill Housing Authority. You’re number one on the housing list and I’m calling to offer you a house on post.”
**SHOCK, DISBELIEF, RELIEF…All rush over me at once**
 “Really?!” I skeptically, yet excitedly asked.
 “Yes ma’am, we currently have a house available for you and would like to set up a time for you to view it.”


    God’s surprise blessing!!

    Just when I was discouraged beyond belief at the only houses in our price range, because of the low Basic Housing Allowance Fort Sill has, we reached the top of the on-post Wait List! Talk about answered prayers!!

     Sadly, we had to decline due to our lease. However, we would still be #1 at the top of the list, they would just pass us up until our lease came up. We were told they would call back at the end of May. Praise God! Our disappointing house search was over and we were excited that we would finally be able to live on post.

 FAST FORWARD TO JUNE: 

   We got called back about housing and set up an appointment for June 6th to see the house. They said it would be a 3 bedroom 2 bath and I was very excited! I, of course, was hoping for the newer modeled, upstairs neighborhoods, but Aaron told me not to get my hopes up. I still did though because I had been praying for our on-post house, for when we moved to Oklahoma, even before I left to go meet Aaron in New York in 2010.

 June 6th.
        We arrive at the housing office. This young guy, very nicely dressed and talking on the phone, waved us to have a seat. The office was very nice and had a friendly environment. We were offered cookies, coffee and fresh lemonade. We both politely declined. We were really anxious to know what house we were going to be offered.

    The guy had someone cover the front so he could take us to the house. He drove a really nice, grey, new-looking sports car. We followed him for what seemed like FOREVER, since the speed limit was only 15, and it was at least a 10 minute drive away from the housing office. He turned into the nice E6-E8 housing that they just started building. When we turned our cars onto a fresh, smooth, tar road, leading us through the newly built, two story homes with bright beautiful colors. One beautiful, big house after another slowly passed by. We grew more anxious by the second!

    Then, just like our house searches in Lawton, the black smooth, tar road STOPPED!

    We began a bumpy journey to another neighborhood. Our neighborhood. Waaay past the newly built E6-E8 housing. As we bumped and slowed, to miss huge pot holes, my heart started to sink. Every time that grey sports car started to slow (usually just to miss another pot hole), I cringed as I saw the neighborhood we were heading towards.

    I saw these ancient-looking, tiny, old houses with chipped paint, or faded paint…in major need of a new coat of paint. These houses, built back in the 50s, were part of the neighborhood we were being offered. Then the newly looking, grey sports car pulled into the driveway. It was looking very out of place in this neighborhood of “old”.

    The out of place sports car pulls into the driveway of a “puke green” colored house (or so that was my initial impression of the color). I almost cried right then and there. We walk inside and everything seemed to shrink! We were looking at a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house that only by some act of God had managed to keep standing this long!

     Needless to say with my high hopes, the only positives I could see out of this house were: 1. The tub was clean; 2. The stove was newer than our last; 3. There was a carport; 4. The fridge was so much more spacious than our last, and 5. There was carpet.

    We walked through the house and the first thought I had was “We have way too much stuff, it’s not all going to fit!”

     The first two bedrooms were tiny. When I walked into the “master bedroom,” I was so overwhelmed. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to pour on through. Aaron and I couldn’t see any way that our bedroom suite would fit in there. We could barely imagine our queen size bed fitting, let alone the dresser. The nicely dressed, sports car driving, housing guy suggested we could make one room into our “changing room.” We could put the dresser in one room along with all our clothes (since the “master” bedroom closet looked too tiny to hold but a couple of shirts).

     I’m sure the guy saw the disappointment on my face. When he noticed Aaron’s Sargent rank he made a remark about it being strange we were assigned this house because “these older houses are usually for the fresh out of basic or first duty station, lower ranking soldiers.” After saying that, he then suggested we talk to housing to see if they could do anything for us.

 We attempted to talk to someone at housing but they said that what we saw was the only one available. We mentioned that we had initially been told we would be getting a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, but they still insisted there was nothing they could do- even at the exact time, a lady one cubicle over was calling another wait list person letting them know there was a house available for them. (“There’s nothing else available” mmmmhmmm…). Our only option would be if we declined the house and wait again for another house to open up, which would put us back on the waiting list but that didn’t guarantee us anything by August.

     We had 24 hours to accept or decline. The clock was NOT my friend! I needed time to think and pray about it and I only had a day to decide…Well, we all know, God doesn’t work on our timeline….

Aaron had to go back to work that afternoon so we weren’t able to talk things out until he got home. We went back and forth with pros and cons. I admit I shed more than a few tears over our situation. After going over everything over and over again, Aaron was falling asleep and states “we should just take it”, and not two seconds later he was sound asleep. (HA!)

 Needless to say, with so much on my mind, I couldn’t sleep. I spend the whole night up, until 4 a.m. researching good storage ideas and different ways to make rooms look more spacious, painting ideas…anything to give me a way to turn this house that was offered to us into something bearable for me to come home every day.

 The next morning we went back to see it once more, and there were bunnies in our front yard. What a sweet surprise! We ended up telling the nicely dressed housing guy that we would accept it, and began the hour and half process of signing the lease and going over the rules and such. After that we went to transportation and set up a date for them to come pack and move us to our new house. (I’m very thankful the Army paid for that!)

  ARRIVE AT TODAY:

    The movers came and went and boxes filled our on-post house. The day after everything was moved in, I got all the important things unpacked such as the living room stuff and the kitchen stuff so that by our 2nd night we were able to have a home-cooked meal and watch a movie.

(pic of me getting ready to start unpacking boxes)

(Got the whole kitchen unpacked and organized (day 1) and was able to have a home cooked meal)

     I wasn’t happy about our house and the fact that (as Aaron says) “[He’s] a Sergeant living in a Private’s house”, I had expected a better house due to his rank and the fact he deserves better. He’s deployed before and I think he’s earned a nice house. HOWEVER, in all honesty, I am so thankful to have a roof over our heads and now that we’re moved in I actually LOVE this house. Home is where the heart is, and as long as Aaron is by my side, I’m happy.

A surprise blessing is that we were able to arrange our furniture to fit all in our room, the bed and the dresser!! (God’s little blessings, just when you need it!!)

I’m thankful for the soft carpet, after a year of hard wood floors my feet sure are happier! It is the perfect house for us and I now have to eat all my negative comments about it.

   God really showed me a lesson in this whole roller coaster ride of housing dilemmas. He showed me how materialistic I’ve become. Like a slap in the face I realized it and very quickly have tried to change that attitude. I kept pointing out all the bad, all the while, my other half would try and give me 2 positives for every negative. Thank goodness I married “Mr. Positive”!

   With that slap in the face, God showed me my answered prayer…The prayer I prayed back in 2010 before going to New York, the prayer I prayed in New York all the way up till we moved, the prayer I prayed in New York all the way up till we moved to Oklahoma, up till the day we signed the lease on this on-post house. He answered my prayer for a good home that Aaron and I could find. And, ironically, we have a green house. My favorite color is green, I can’t help but laugh at God’s sense of humor. It may not be the house I dreamed of, but it’s the house God wants us in for whatever reason . And he even provided the one in my favorite color (I no longer think it looks puke green ha-ha). I’m now ready to let go of my materialistic attitude and enjoy what I have, with the man I love by my side!

 I read in a devotion something that helped change my attitude and help me see the light…

                             Jeremiah 29:5-7
Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters;…Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.


    Through this verse, I see that the Lord had spoken through a prophet and told the people to live as through their situation is permanent, not temporary.

    When we were discussing taking the house on post or not, I remember saying “As long as it’s just temporary!” But now, this is my new goal…To settle in for the long haul in this perfect house God has provided for me and Aaron. We are so blessed that God provided a house for us (and I am thankful and do feel blessed that the Army provides housing for us). I know God has a plan and reason he wants us living in this exact house and I’m looking forward to unraveling the details of that plan.

P.S. Have i mentioned how much i LOVE THIS HOUSE?! :)

Update on May

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 118:29 What an exciting month! May has truly been a month to celebrate! May 1st - Aaron got promoted to Sergeant! I was able to be there and got to change his specialist patches to his new NCO rank of Sergeant! He got three different frames with the NCO creed and documents showing he's now a Sergeant. It was definitely a proud moment for him and for me getting to be there too. It's a dark photo but here he is...all promoted. Along with another guy who got promoted to specialist.

We had car trouble the next day. We ended up having to put almost $800 into getting it fixed, along with the towing and other things. But the blessing in all this was, thanks to the Dave Ramsey Cash Flow Plan that Aaron started using since we got married, we had enough money put away in our "emergency fund" that we didn't have to worry about where any of the money would come from. There was no stress. My initial reaction, instead of a stressed and worried heart, i had a thankful heart, and was praising God for providing the financial stability in our lives for "rainy days" like that. May 16th- Aaron's first softball game. Although his team "cold beer" didn't win their first game. It was fun. A new friend and i ended up making "wives" shirts to support our guys playing. And she also helped me make the team shirts for the guys. It was definitely a fun project. I've been blessed to find yet another army wife friend who, is out of school for the summer so we are going to be able to spend some time together! We sit together in our awesome shirts to support the team during the games. Here's mine and Aaron's shirts...

Memorial Day Weekend Remembering those who gave their lives for our freedom. Thanking God for the safety of my husband and allowing him to be here this year with me during this memorial day. It's a proud day for a soldier's wife, however, a sad day too...remembering that some families are left without their family member, husband, son, or daughter thanks to their sacrifice to our country for our freedom

On a lighter note, this was my first official weekend off work. I am now going back to part time at work so i can have more time to be at home and hopefully start school in the fall. So this past weekend I went to go have a sister's weekend in Dallas with Amber. Aaron and a friend of his came along too. We all went to the Rangers game, which they WON!! And we just hung out all weekend, chilling, riding with the windows down singing at the top of our lungs, talking playing kinect and i even visited her amazing church on Sunday. It was a long but fun weekend. It was great to see my sister and see her new home, where she works, where she lives, where she worships. She has a beautiful apartment and im so proud of how she's made a new life for herself in the big "D".

Last but not least May 30th Aaron went before the board yesterday and ended up winning NCO of the month. Im definitely proud considering he had just been promoted to an NCO on the 1st this month and now he's recognized as the NCO of the month. I can see his dedication to his section and the Army and im proud that he's been taking up his new responsibilities and, as always, keeps putting his best effort in whatever he does. He continues to learn how to be a strong leader toward his soldiers.

Work At It With All Your Heart

Im so thankful for my job. I've been working here since October and in just 3 months time i've gained so much knowledge and experience working with victims of domestic violence. I've had my share of "cultural experiences" to deal with since each one of these clients are different in their own way.
The clients i work with all have one thing in common that i look up to...they all found a way out. They stood up for themselves (and maybe their children) and they say "no more!"
Although it can irritate me when those select few clients feel like they deserve everything handed to them with no effort from them at all, i have learned not to take their attitudes personally with the "give me, i deserve" personalities. I dearly appreciate those who are so thankful for the services they recieve and who don't try to slide by, they try hard to get everything in place to start over on their own.

3 months on the job and for the very first time since i've started working here, my Supervisor told me how much she appreciates the fact that i work weekends when no one really wants to work weekends. And she likes that i take initiative and go above and beyond when it comes to minor things that other people don't care about. It's nice to be encouraged, appreciated, and thanke for all that i've done and all that i do here. It also gave me a challenge to continue this work ethic, because people DO notice.

Before i got this "appreciative speech" from my supervisor, the past week the Client Advocates (which is what i am) were asked to clean the unoccupied roms. As much as i hate cleaning, i found myself working on this one room for 4 whole hours, cleaning it to my standards and above. I found myself thinking "if i had to stay here, how would i want this room to look" Now these rooms we have are most definitely worn and are not even close to a room at the Hilton, but i hope that my hard work and dedication to cleaning the rooms (although that was definitely not in my job description when i signed up for this job) will maybe make the next person feel more relaxed, and comfortable and know they're in a safe place.
My determination to clean really good was also from my trying to clean as a "servant" just like Jesus. Because He came to Serve not to be served.

So what about you? Whether a stay at home mom, a soldier in a war or a spouse working outside of the home...Are you serving others to the best of your ability? Are you working as if Jesus were inspecting you or working with you to get the job done in His highest standard. It does take time, energy, and effort, but i assure you it's well worth it. And people do notice even if they don't voice it (or if it takes them a whole 3 months to say ;) lol)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord, not for men.
-Colossians 3:23

Thinking about Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is this Thursday and for the month of November i've been reading on facebook a few of my friend's statuses. In November, once every day they post one thing their thankful for and of course, everyone of their friends is able to read it. They're thankful for different things like friends and family....etc, and it's really nice to read and shows a glimpse of the blessings they have in life. So in turn, i decided to write my own list of things im thankful for.

For starters, im thankful that Aaron made it home safely from Afghanistan just 8 months ago. It's hard to believe that we made it through a long year, and now here we are...8 months later and that 8 months seems to have FLOWN by!! Im really excited that we get to the holidays together this year. It's our first Thanksgiving and Christmas as a married couple!!! :) I love that we are finally living together with no long distance because of deployment or him being stationed in another state while im living across country from him...

Im thankful for my wonderful husband who supports my ambitions, helps me reach my goals, and pushes me to be a better more cheerful person day after day. Im so thankful that he's the one that can always make me smile and laugh even when we're having a disagreement. For him being there to take care of me when i had my surgery, and waiting on me hand and foot, praying for my healing and being there for whatever i needed, whether it was more pain medicine, a neck massage, help taking the tape off my stitches, taking me to the doctor to get the stitches out, or just laying in bed with me and watching movies all day when i couldn't go out and i was laid up in bed recovering. Im so blessed to have found a man who gets up day after day, no matter how tired he is or how much he wants to hit that snooze button or just call in "sick" (altho the army doesn't allow that lol) who works so hard and does his best at everything and who treats me like a princess even when i really don't deserve it.

Im thankful for the house we were able to rent. We literally found this house in 3 days and although i have my own opinions about our realtor and our maintenance people and their poor professionalism, im so thankful that we have a roof over our heads, water to cook and clean with, electricity to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter (im sitting here warm and toasty thanks to our heater!!) Food to eat.

My new job is another blessing. A miracle really! I had just given up on job hunting for the year. Told Aaron i was going to just go to school full time in the Spring. After i told him that i was googleing children's shelters in the area and i called a random place and sent in my resume even though i had never heard of them before and they currently weren't hiring and a week later i received a call for an interview. Although i have had some struggles with this job with the different people i've interacted with, i've learned! The ladies who work at the shelter are all amazing and so sweet and helpful and ready to give advice, encouragement, and have me call them in the middle of the night if i need help. Im so grateful for this job because it's giving me experience in the field of Social Work so that when i get my degree and i start looking for a job, i'll have some kind of experience under my belt.I'm also thankful for the extra income coming in...who knew an soldier's salary wasn't as glamorous as some people think it is. Im thankful i had let my supervisor know before i was hired about the surgery so that i was able to get a few days off work when my surgery came about for my jaw!

Im also thankful that i was referred to a specialist for my jaw once we got settled in Oklahoma. Im so glad the doctor was able to see the pain and discomfort i've been in for so long and was able to find a (hopefully) solution to my problem. Im so blessed that i was able to schedule the surgery at the beginning of November and that Aaron was able to be with me and take care of me the first few days while i was still not able to do too much. Im thankful that even though im still in some pain from the surgery, that the incision seems to be healing well, the stitches are out, and i've almost gotten all of the tape residue out of my hair ;) [almost...i just found some more last night lol] Im hopeful that this surgery will work, and im praying a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the opportunity to have such a skilled doctor perform this surgery and praying that it will heal and soon i will be able to carry on with a normal life by eating, yawning and talking normally like i did before i started having issues with my jaw.

Although i will be working on Thanksgiving day, the day after and on the weekend...im really thankful and soo excited that my parents and my sisters are still going to travel up to Oklahoma and come visit me and Aaron. I was discouraged when i found out i'd be working all 4 days, because i didn't think i'd get to see family, but they're coming up and im extremely excited because i have missed them all so much! Aaron has too, he's so excited they're coming!! But im also praying through being thankful for working on Thanksgiving day. Im hoping that God will bless my time at the shelter and will allow the ladies and children there to see Him through me and my willingness to take time away from my holiday plans and work and being ther for them.

Ok so i rambled on a lot but what can i say? im definitely blessed.

One more thing. I was listening to the radio today and heard this quote: "You cannot be grateful/thankful for something you feel entitled to have"

The quote kind of hit me hard. There are many things im thankful for, but i also have seen areas in my life where i get disappointed and discouraged because i think im "ENTITLED/DESERVE" somethings and when i don't get it, i end up being bitter. I've also seen that with some of the clients in our shelter. It's hard for some to be thankful or show gratitude because they seem to feel the deserve or are entitled to all the things we provide, or they want more that we are not able to provide. This quote is just something that im going to have to pray over and ask God to help me see that i don't deserve any of it! I don't deserve and im not entitled to anything....anything and everything i have or get is all a blessing from God!


Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
-Psalm 100:4-5

*please pray for those who are serving our country and for the families on the home front...the holidays are a rough time to get through when you're separated by thousands of miles and you know your loved one is in a war zone.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!

Jaw Surgery and Answered Prayers

SURGERY
*I finally had surgery on my jaw November 8th. They went in and retrieved a slipped disk, pulled it back into place and sewed a bonnet like stitching around it so that it will stay in place.

Thankfully, Aaron was able to get the day off and take me to the hospital in Norman. As the surgery drew near and i have a horrible fear of needles and anticipation was trying to get the best of me and make me nervous, i kept reciting John 14:27 to myself. The verse that gave me peace. "Peace i leave you, my peace i give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." When i said this verse all my worries went away. It also helped to have Aaron there holding my hand as i sat in the waiting room while we went through registration and getting everything set at the hospital.
I was blessed with an amazing nurse that helped talk and did her best to distract me as she put the IV in my arm. She was friendly and calming. Then the doctors and anesthesiologst (sp) came in to talk to me and see if i had any questions (which i didn't, i just wanted it to be done with) Then they came in and gave me something to relax me and that's the last thing i remember.

Next thing i know, i woke up in a room with nurses talking. I was so groggy i didn't even know really what was going on and was still so tired i just wanted to keep my eyes closed.(i even flashed a guy cause apparently my gown was too low and he was in another bed across the room from me *sigh)
It was supposed to be just a day surgery (outpatien), but my doctor recommended i stay the night at least in the same town just in case there was any problem with pain or discomfort so we wouldn't have to drive 1 1/2 hours back to the hospital in the middle of the night. Aaron and i had talked earlier about staying in a hotel, but when i got done with the surgery i decided it might be best to stay overnight in the hospital.

The night went well, i had some pretty sweet nurses, i was out of it most of the time. The pain medicine didn't seem strong enough...it seemed to only last an hour. I ate a little jello. And I finally went to the bathroom on my own at midnight...And that was when the night got horrible. I got up to go to the bathroom, trailing behind me was my IV machine (i named him smitty) and i walked too fast, got dizy and got sick. MOST HORRIBLE PAIN EVER btw. When you can't open your jaw but yet you have to...yeah.
Well, Aaron was a trooper. **LOVE** He held my puke bucket for me while i threw up the beautiful red jello (TMI im sorry), and rubbed my back and offered encouraging words.

This past week he's been amazing too. Helping me stay up on my medicines and cooking and cleaning and giving me neck massages, getting me movies...etc. What a keeper! He treated me like a princess and put up with all my complaining and helped me when i asked him for things. I definitely was blessed to have him home. Thankfully, he was allowed to have a few more days off because i stayed in the hospital.

I went Tuesday to get my stitches out. My jaw doesn't open wide right now but the doctor said it's going to take a while to be "normal" and the area looks clean. Im still trying to get some of the tape out of my hair and off my face lol but i'm feeling better. I've been able to get out of the house the past two days and shop and do stuff with Aaron. It's times like these where our relationship definitely has grown stronger and im so thankful!!

So thankful for the surgery cause im hoping it will work eventually when my jaw is not so stressed and it heals soon.

Also thankful for a new oppourtunity with my new job. I was offered two more days of work. Which surely will help me and Aaron financially and give me more experience :) Im looking forward to it and i took them up on their offer!

Well...that's it cause im still healing and i need to rest before work this weekend :)


TRUE LOVE!

All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

Tonight the hymn "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" popped into my head.

As i sang and read the lyrics i was on the edge of tears...

"My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus' name

When darkness veils His lovely face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His Oath, His Covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood
When every earthly prop gives way
He then is all my Hope and Stay

When he shall come with trumpet sound
Oh, may i then in Him be found
Clothed in his righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

-On Christ the solid rock i stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

I had an overwhelming Sunday night at work. I was faced with many responsibilities that i've never had to deal with before and i was so overwhelmed by the end of my shift i couldn't go home and go to sleep (even though it was past 1am)
I was so overwhelmed by everything that had happened...So after dropping Aaron off at work, early the next morning, i pulled in the driveway, turned off the car and just sat in the silence and cried a little.

With everything that had happened i felt like i needed someone to talk to...to let everything out and "debrief." i just needed to lay everything out on the table of what had gone on and figure out if i was still the right person for this job or if i was too young and under qualified to actually handle it. (And God listened)

I got a call from my supervisor Monday afternoon, she said i handled everything really well, she was proud of me and i did a good job. She laughed that i went through such a dramatic evening, but was glad, in a way, that things happened because it gave me some good experiences. Im really glad she thought i did good because i was on the verge of quitting. I honestly didn't think i did a good job because i had to call her over and over that whole night as things kept getting crazier and crazier.

I was very thankful to know that i have a whole week off before going back to work this weekend. I definitely think i needed it. All day, Monday, and a bit of today i've continued to go over the events of my Sunday night and i continue to find more and more glimpses of God being right in the midst of each moment that night. (I love it when that happens)


SO, TONIGHT this song came to mind. And it's so touching and it's truly the song of my heart, and the theme song of my life right now!

"I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but WHOLLY lean on JESUS' NAME"
"In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil"
"His Oath, His Covenant, His blood Support me in the whelming flood, When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay"

Looking back on Sunday night at work, i barely had time to stop for a moment and think about all the things going on at the time, but i can see how God was there for me. He kept me calm, He gave me the strength i needed to get through the bombardment of issues that happened and He gave me a peace throughout everything. I didn't even realize it at the time, but looking back i can see that the only way i made it through all that happened was through Him!

I have a heavy heart for a client right now, and although i can't say what's going on with her because of the confidentiality rules, all i can ask is that people pray for her. I never had a desire to go out of my way to talk to this one girl i only was there when she came to me first and needed something i never went out of my way to talk to her. But when she needed something Sunday night and her world seemed to be crashing down, i was the one that had to help her. I was the one that God made sure was on that shift to deal with what happened.

I don't know how, or why, but i do know that right now, this new job of mine is my mission field. And i definitely need to get prayed up because i can already see the obstacles that will be in my way if i don't have the full armor of God on each time i walk into that building. Please pray for that client. And for me to have the words to say, the actions to reflect God and the strength to do this work.

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever." -1 Chronicles 16:34

September: New And Fun

First of all i wanted to show a picture of our new couches. Aaron and i have been looking around Oklahoma City, Whitchita Falls and Lawton trying to find some couches to make our house feel a little more "homey" It was fun going and seeing how different our decorating styles were haha...but in the end we both agreed on these, and i think finally we came up with "our style"





FUN
Friday (Sept 2) Aaron got a 4 day weekend (labor day) So friday we went to the science museum in Oklahoma City. It was fun walking around and exploring, and playing and even learning some things at the place. We went through a crime scene and got to see how investigators gather evidence and come up with a verdict. We also went to our favorite part that messed with our minds....a mirror maze (my favorite), and crazy pictures and things that make you say "WOAH" Afterwards we went to the mall and then headed home. I love little adventures with him. :)









This past weekend (Sept 10th) my mom, Amber and i went to CELEBRATE, which was an all day, 11 hour, Creative Memories scrapbooking day. It was fun just hanging out just us "big girls" :) We didn't get much accomplished on our albums because we were too busy having fun with going to different classes, and seeing the example pages...it was all good fun. I especially enjoyed the times i got to spend with mom and Amber even outside of the Celebrate. Amber became a new consultant!!! WOO HOO!!! And then i am thinking about becoming a CM consultant, but for now im just waiting to see if i can get some parties lined up before i fully commit. It was a great weekend!!! :)