Fall Cleaning

Lately, cleaning has become depressing. The house just gets dirty again, and again, and again. However it is imperative to my sanity, which has become non-existant. So off to clean I go.

Happy thought: I can pull out all the fall decorations today.

10 Good Things

Well here are a few good things from this week:

1. We received an email and back to the doctor we go. A few medical tests have been added, so we think we may have to get these complete soon. But our agency is checking in to it, so we should know by next week. But it's no big deal. Possible new blood tests and an x-ray. But what I love about this is that it means, SNA has our file and is reviewing it! Hooray!

2. I ordered five books on adoption from CBD the other day. They will be arriving soon.

3. I started working on some craft projects that have been sitting around for weeks!

4. Last week, Brent issued a challenge to our students, to carry the lunch trays of the peers when lunch was over. Some have participated, some have not. One girl in particular really had interesting experiences. The first few days, the kids poured milk on her, put ketchup on her, piled up the trays till they fell over, laughed at her, etc. She kept on for the next week. Yesterday and today the kids have begun to appriecate her kind gesture by thanking her and were not rude. Today the princpal asked her what she was doing and why. She explained she was trying to show kindness to others and be able to show them Jesus. So she got to share her faith with her principal and then her principal started helping her carry the trays to the kitchen! This chick is in 9th grade. We were proud of her!

5. Brent was able to speak to a football team, cheerleaders, and coaches this week.
He's getting to speak a lot this month.

6. Our 6 year wedding anniversary was Saturday! Posting some pics later.

7. One cute thing, my nephew is about to be 3. The other day my mom was saying the blessing at lunch. At the end of her prayer Destin says, "Thank You God for the pickles." How cute!

8. My jewelry shows are going well.

9. April and Tobi got to hear their baby's heartbeat today.

10. Eleven ladies were going to Planned Parenthood for an abortion. They changed their mind! Eleven little lives were saved! - I heard this on the radio from a group that was praying outside Planned Parenthood. We always give praise for LIFE!

What good things are happening in your life? What do you have to give praise for?

Update

I love fall. I am glad it is coming up and I hope that the weather cools off so that it actually feels like fall!

Our dossier is now in Peru. It is being translated and legalized there. It should be ready and submitted this week. The wait continues. But it is okay. Please pray for the Lord to keep moving in Peru. For all families involved.

We actually almost adopted 4 kids. In fact we were making very, very tenetive plans to add on to our house! I know, we were shocked too!! But mostly excited. Our social worker was really hoping they would make an exception, but the answer was no, too young by two years. Then a five week old baby was left a hospital in a town nearby and some friends asked if we would consider adopting this baby, however it would completely halt everything going in Peru. I am truly thankful that the Lord is directing our steps and that His plan will succeed. I know that this baby in the hospital has another family waiting somewhere. I pray that someone will adopt those 4kids who need love and a home. The need for adoption is so great.

Premier Designs jewelry shows are going well.

We really need a week's vacation, but alas I do not think it is to be this year. However, we are going somewhere before traveling to Peru! haha.....we hope! :)

Happy Fall!

What did we do in October?

We went to a costume birthday party for two guys in our church who were turning 50. It was a fun night!

Brent was very proud of his red-neck wrestling costume!

Ashes had an Apple Dipping Party! I got the idea from my friend Sandra! It was so fun!

We had a blast! We also talked about how God wants us to be warrior princesses for Him.

I love these girls - they are so much fun!

Shannon's apple had everything on it. This is her trying to eat it! :)

For those who don't know - Ashes is a girl's Bible study we do at church.

We had Fall Bon-fire
at the Angle's house.

We went to Youth Quake.

The pictures tell it all.

Cold, wet, and crowded! Yet a bit fun! :)

October was pretty busy! (plus I left my camera at mom's or Britt's and I did not get it back till yesterday.)

I Heart Fall!

Fall has been completely stunning this year in Alabama. Trees are orange, yellow, red, some are a mixture of two or three colors with a bit of green or purple. It's amazing. I love fall. I love that God created fall and that He decided the trees should change colors.

(above - this is the road we live on)

(below - a church that is beautiful every year at this time)

We have been back in Alabama for 3 months now. It seems hard to believe that we even lived in Texas in August. Brent and I were talking the other day about Texas and our time there was so short! Some days I thought seminary would never, never end and now in some ways, I wish we could have a few moments back. But at the same time, I wouldn't want to go back either.

The Lord has been absolutely incredible the past months at West Point. I told April the other night on the phone that I feel like God is doing everything for us and we are just the hands and feet. We run the errands, set up the things needed, and move our mouths, but God has been orchestrating everything. We have been learning to trust God in a new way and watching how He provides. Early on in seminary, Brent and I were talking about God providing and how faithful He is. For us, at the time, we were learning to depend on God just to pay the rent for the next month. We did a lot of learning to trust God with monetary things. We were wondering about the day when maybe there would be a new way to trust God to provide other than money. And two and half years later, here we are. Well, we still have to trust God with money - for pete's sake, we don't even have our own house yet!

When we came, we thought we wanted to keep a lot of the things the same for awhile, esp. for the youth, b/c it's scary for them when a new guy comes in. But some things just haven't worked out; and not because of us either. Some things were just out of our control and we had to make a plan B. I believe that God wanted to make a few changes here. And He did. So not everything is perfect, but God is here. And He's working. I am thankful God brought us here and that He's letting us be a part of this work He is doing.

side note: this is Destin, the sweetness. My mom had a yard sale Saturday and he is playing outside.

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