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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Big Thangs

Some BIG thangs are happening around here.
Not necessarily changes for us. But changes around us.
And I have to say, I love me some routine.

So my hubs and I are really close with this other couple our age. We actually see each other a few times a week. And it rocks my socks off. I loooove community.
Well, they are moving to South Carolina. Next week. 
It's a weird emotion when you are so excited for someone and sad they are leaving at the same time.
I have had to conciously decide to not be selfish and wallow in what I am losing, but to REJOICE in this opportunity for them. 
Did I mention that I have known this friend since we were 10? Yeah, she isn't going anywhere on the friends list. Just the country. 

But get this quirkiness- 
my sister/ best friend/ Andrea and her 3 CHILDREN are moving here that SAME week our friends leave. My beloved Andy-Bear is trekking up from Georgia with her hubby, 3 kids and dog. Phew! (Pray for their journey, yeah?) They will be here for 6-18 months while her husband finishes up some schooling with the Army. 

So on the one hand, my friend that I hang out with the most is moving, but at the same time, my sister is moving her. I NEVER thought I would have the chance to be near my sister for more than 2 weeks at a time. With her being a military wife and us living in New Hampshire, it was pretty much never going  to happen. 
We are going to have pictures of Abigail with her cousins that span over MONTHS, not just several DAYS! 

And more than the pictures, we will have so many sweet memories and fun times! My husband Craig (aka Father Goose) is pretty excited too! 
Did I mention- 5 kids (Abigail + Nathan, and my sister's 3) all 5 years old and under?! Oh! And we are watching them for a week while my sister and her hubby go away for a romantic getaway to celebrate their 10 year! EIK!! I have my planner out already and am eager for the keys to her mini-van to run around doing fun-tivities allll that week!

Lastly on our Big Thangs list-
Craig and I have started the process of raising support to do CWTrials full-time as missionaries to New England. It's not just about my hottie-hubby riding his bike for kicks- it is S.O. M.U.C.H. more than that! It's about sharing the Gospel. 
God has burdened our hearts to disciple and train up leaders who can better minister in their communities. Our mission field is our community. Our city. Our great state of NH which is in desperate need of knowing what a relationship with Jesus looks like. 
To learn more, check out our website www.cwtrials.com

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

My Rock

I am not the perfect wife.
Nor the perfect mother. Or sister, or daughter, or friend, or Christian. 
I stopped striving to be the "perfect _____"

It's so exhausting to constantly be focusing on ME all the time, how I can be better, do better, who is doing it better and how I need to be like them.
I do have a role model in the Proverbs 31 woman. 
She takes care of others. She cares for her FAMILY and for the seamingly lowly people.
Her husband calls her blessed and HE himself is respected by people.

I have this life-partner. A BEST friend. Someone I can confide in, laugh with, cry with, PRAY with and enjoy playing with our kids. He is my greatest encourager. He is my husband. My very own knight in shining armor.

I think about him all day, every day and I truly miss him when he is at work and jokingly say he could never work from home because I would just want to spend time with him ALL DAY.

I loooooove him. (sometimes I don't like him, but even then I choose to love him.... but about 99% of the time I REALLY like him!) 

I don't have it all together and he sees that. Maybe even better than I can see it myself.

Can I be honest? I do try to maintain the house during the day but I often let the dishes pile up. About 15 mins before he gets home I run over to that sink and clean them all up in a flash! (...most of the time...) that is my "I feel like I actually got something done today", even if I did vacuum, sweep and do 3 loads of laundry- but you would never guess because of the crumbs on the floor and giant pile of laundry. 

I am blessed to have a man who loves me so well because he understands Christ's love. He doesn't put me down and say "what did you do all day" when the house is spilling with toys and crumbs.

I am a Momma who would rather be on the floor, making a mess of those toys with the kids than yelling at them or stressing to constantly be cleaning up everything behind them.All.Day.Long. 

But my kids aren't my main priority. Don't get me wrong! They ARE my priority and I strive to live each day intentionally loving them and raising them up in Christ's love. But my husband is my other priority. THE main priority. As in, he comes (our relationship) BEFORE our kids. Or our jobs. Or our ministry. Or our church. Or our friends. Or our To-Do list.
I want my husband to know and feel SO loved! SO encouraged. I want him to be as eager to come home as we are for him to come home. I want our home to be a place of peace (as much as I can control it) so that when he walks in that door our world stops and we cheer that Daddy is home!! 
We are some of the silliest people I know!

Ugh, what a blessing!? I don't take this man for granted. Not.One.Bit. I adore him. I LOOOOVE HIM. I respect him and I encourage him. I am his #1 fan and I will fight for him. I do battle for him. Every day- in prayer. And we have gone through a lot in our 2 years of marriage. We have struggled, battled financial hardships, health issues, depression, BIG fears, broken pasts and the list goes on. We are messy sinners who have to be washed clean DAILY by Jesus. I can promise you that our marriage wouldn't be like this if we didn't both love Jesus.

Can I emphasis that we DON'T have it all together? Each day is new, and we love each other. We play on the same team, working together, building each other up and learning how to do this thing called life together. We find new hope each day in Christ, spending time in His Word and in prayer. Being committed to our Lord enables us to be more committed to each other.
Craig, I love you.