By the way....

The forecast for tomorrow appears to be forcing us indoors - low 60s with a 70-80% chance of rain. I ran into Dolly Duke, Iron City Church's own version of Mother Church, while I was out shopping. She pointed out that Satan tends not to like these types of celebrations and so we'd just have to manage. Earlier in the week, I decided to let God handle it. He was either going to make the weather right or fix His child's heart so that I wasn't caring. He did the latter. Thanks to an cleaning machine of a husband, we got everything arranged downstairs to accomodate an indoor party! He is good - all the time!

All Ready!

Well, the food is purchased and prepared. The house is clean and reorganized. And Bob is all astir with the excitement of tomorrow.... It's the big day of his baptism and so many will be there to share that. My fridges both look like they should ALL the time :) Check out our progress.....

I won't show you the closets, garage or spare room where things are not so arranged..... :) And the beer is not baptism fare.... :)

He walked into the room at one point today and said he had no idea how Tommy was going to dunk him. He's not the only one wondering I bet :) Then again, this whole thing has been quite a wonder and a testimony to the tremendous power of the Lord.

He's so excited to have Molly and Sarah see him play tomorrow. He's said that several times (I plan on telling them that tomorrow.) There are so many parts to look forward to. Mom and Dad and the Kimptons coming to worship with us. The Baptism. The coming together of two families once torn apart by trial. All amazing.

I can't wait. And for those of you unable to make it - I will be posting pictures and video tomorrow so you can share in the joy.

5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Midwest!

Okay it was centered about 260 miles South and slightly west of my beloved sister and her family but we Midwestern folk don't often experience anything like that!!! I mean - hey - it's not California!!!

And it was at 4:37 in the morning - so it might have gone unnoticed. So I emailed Carrie this morning to see whether they felt it and here was her response:

"Very freaky. I did wake up. I turned on my light first to yell at Dagny to stop scratching and shaking the dresser. Then I thought it was Emma or Hope having to go potty and banging on the pocket door. I got out of bed to see if I could locate the hiding child. Then as I looked and looked, I noticed that the neighbor was leaving for work, so I guess I thought that the bass on his truck was so loud that it was shaking the house, but I didn't actually hear it. I was a bit fuzzy since it was 4:30 in the morning.

I went back to bed thinking I was having one of my dream-reality episodes-a la bugs on my blanky-mice in my bed-falcon on the ceiling fan."

That's okay - I once had a witch on my bedside table that Bob tells me I yelled at.......:)

Anyway, that's something you don't expect in Indiana or PA but I know they've happened here too. Part of history - part of my new blogging life :)

Lessons on Attack

Yesterday Bob realized that Satan was getting dirty with his strategy. Particularly so with his baptism upcoming. It was a day of mixed blessings. See my post from yesterday for an update on Nana.

I'm not sure if I had ever really considered that Satan would bother with me until the last several years. I recall someone once told me in my ugliest times that if I didn't believe that Satan was capable of kicking me when I was down, I wasn't reading my Bible closely enough. And if he'll kick you when you're down he's sure not going to hesitate when you're on the rise.

I think it's a little bit like being so in the Word that you get what God's trying to tell you. You hear him better because the Holy Spirit literally resonates better with what's in your soul. With doctrine and truth inside, it literally vibrates inside us when God is trying to tell us something. And when Satan is after us - that has a feeling all its own. Whatever the opposite of resonance is - like cringing at a bad chord because you KNOW it doesn't go.

Then I read the entry for yesterday in Beth Moore's Breaking Free Day by Day:

2 Corinthians 11:3
I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.

She points out that Paul was saying here that the simile here is as/like - in the same way. Satan pursues us here just like he pursued Eve. It is not man we fight against - it is principalities and powers of darkness.

Give him hell, Bob. You've been adopted into the Royal Family of God.

A Day of Blessing and Tests

This morning God really spoke to Bob. We talked briefly before I left for work and I was overwhelmed. I just had this wonderful feeling that Bob was finally in a place where he could sometimes be my support. Check out his blog for details:

http://bobmasterino.blogspot.com/2008/04/under-attack.html

Then later on this afternoon I had a wonderful conversation with Bob's mom. Nothing extraordinary just loving and encouraging from both sides. I've missed that.

Then I made some calls to yellowpages.com. I've been working on the contract he signed for advertising. In 6 weeks, he's not received one referral from it. When I first decided to call I toyed with the idea of stretching the truth or being belligerent to try and convince them to cancel the contract. And I was compelled - by a rather convincing source {read God} that I should just be totally honest and let it up to God to do whatever was His will. I spoke with our rep. He respected my honesty but could not do much because of policy. However, he did give me the phone number for his supervisor. I spoke with him this evening. Although nothing has been decided, there's at least a chance. They were receptive to our dilemma and will be reviewing it with the supervisor above him. There's no explanable reason that he is getting no calls. It should have worked - but perhaps that wasn't what God had in mind. The fact that no one knows why this isn't working is very telling. So we'll just have to wait in faith. That one is kind of a blessing and test of faith at once.

Then the test. Emily called tonight in crisis. Nana is hallucinating because of an infection and it is tearing everyone up inside. Emily is having a hard time because Nana thinks that everyone is conspiring against her. I spoke with Nana for a few moments and prayed with her. And it was bad - it didn't appear to help but God works in His own time. The whole situation is just so painful. Daddy was just getting there when Emily hung up. If you read this, please pray for all of them. Nothing like this is easy.

UPDATE: I talked with Dad this morning and got an email from Em. Nana settled down about 11 last night. Emily laid in bed with her after she hesitantly took a Ativan. She felt like she had a terribly vivid nightmare. I think Emily felt the same way. Keep praying for Emily and Dad and Nana. They are on the frontlines on this one and are taking turns being pretty battleworn.

Sadness

Yesterday was a sad day for a very close friend and her family. Months ago my friend came to work with wonderful news that her sister was having twins. She asked for prayer for her sister and her family that all would go smoothly.

Friday, complications arose after a little more than four months and Sunday, their family mourned the loss of both precious baby boys. We cried together as she told me. Friday I sent out emails to my family and friends requesting prayer for them. And then Monday, I sent the request for a change in their prayers - and it was so hard.

This weekend our family celebrated the twins 5th birthday. Five years ago, we were all scared because "the babies" were born too early. Time has worn away my memory of the frightening details but there was apprehension. "The babies" were in the NICU for weeks. Emily spent night after night in the hospital with them, praying for their health. We waited for news that it would all turn out okay. It did and on April 13 each year we can celebrate that we were blessed with Ben and Grace.

And so, when I think of this family and the loss they must be feeling, I am overwhelmed. Our lives would not be the same without those two amazing children.

God has a purpose for everything. And though my friend has cried out to her Father asking why, she knows that He has a reason. Please pray for them. Their hearts are heavy and tired. Pray they will find rest in Him.

Outlook for Sunday

Cloudy with a chance of a brand new life!!! Bob's baptism is scheduled for Sunday and the preliminary forecast is partly cloudy in the high 60s with a 30% chance of rain. With thirty or so folks headed for Casa De Masterino, let's hope for highest of 60s and some sun so people can mingle outside and the kids can play!!! Believe God can change a life? Then some good weather to top off a week of being able to have the energy to get a bunch done is nothing!!

First Time Swapping and Hopping!!!!

UPDATE: Here are some photos of the room in question. Oh, the humanity......

http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/04/organization-swap-and-hop.html



This is my first time participating in one of the Swap and Hop thingies. So for anyone that is reading this that doesn't get what I'm doing. Let me explain to the best of my ability. Lysa Terkeurst has a blog that I read daily. And today, she is challenging everyone to share their biggest organizational challenge by blogging on it and then creating a link on her blog to your "issue."

So here's my organizational issue - I love ya honey, but - Bob. His two main areas of dwelling/responsibility are the home office and the garage. And I've just kind of let them go. But it seems like our house is getting smaller and smaller...... But I'll choose the home office.

Here's the deal with the room. I'll try and post some photos later. The home office is a small room that is - here goes - our computer room, business center for his electrician business, clothes storage and music room. And much like other posts I saw, the hard thing is getting things put away. Things never get put away because there isn't a place for them. Honestly, I haven't tried much in there. A bout a year ago I hung a plastic shoe rack on the door for organizing bills. I thought he wasn't using it until the other day when I put a bill on the desk and he scolded me. I was actually really pleased.

Other than that - it's just intimidating. Sometimes I avoid the computer all together because of it. He'll appreciate it.... I just don't know where to start. Clothes stacked on the dresser, CDs stacked on shelves, bills piled on the desk..... HELP!

http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2008/04/organization-swap-and-hop.html

Check out her blog and the others. Her's was the first blog that I started reading regularly and I guess it inspired both Bob and I to become bloggers!!!

Sometimes it's clear what God is doing

The other day, I got an email that freaked me out. I've struggled for the last several months with my service role at church for a number of reasons. And just over the last several weeks, I've found a sort of balance. And this email, took my anxiety up a few notches. Frustration over organization, feeling like ideas are too easily dismissed, and anxiety over increased responsibility in the midst of that. I must have started a reply 10 times before I prayed and another 6 times after. I finally came up with a lengthy response that I thought was appropriate. I was calm about the situation when the right words finally came. I sent the email.

When I returned to my sent mail a short time later to reread what I wrote - I was surprised. There was no email.

I will admit that more than once during composition, I considered whether email was the right forum to address any of this. But when the words finally came after struggling, I thought, "Okay, this must be the right direction." It was. But somehow God must have felt I needed the release of the writing and not the sending of the email. Needless to say, I did not rewrite the email. God may not always speak clearly to me in words but He certainly can shout some things loud and clear in His own way.

UPDATE: My email did go and things turned out okay. God provides a way to make everything right. Right for His will. I'll be teaching a reasonable number of times and to be part of the meeting and seeing that things are coming together. Things aren't so bad and again a message that I'm supposed to connect with others so that I don't assume to know all there is to know. And much to my chagrin, I discover after I connect that I have a peace. That setting boundaries is not wrong and getting upset is not God.

A blast from the past

The other night I got the strangest call. One of the teachers I had taught with from Berryhill in North Carolina called me. She called to pick my brain about the careers that I had before and after teaching. I talked to her for a good long time. It brought back memories of how absolutely miserable I was while teaching because she is just as absolutely frustrated with her career now as I was back then - probably more. I let her know how much happier I am now than before and I encouraged her to see what else is out there for her. I'm confident having been a teacher if you can do that - you are skilled to do most any kind of multi-tasking private sector job. Lots of things require that kind of coordination and organization. Maybe a break from teaching would lead her back to the job - maybe not.

I got off the phone and from the moment I got off, I was kicking myself. God never does anything by coincidence. And in those 45 minutes or so on the phone, I had never shared the one reason that my life is better. Maybe it was fear, maybe I was kicked back to that time in my life when I was only at shouting distance from God's power in my life. Regardless of the reason, I felt compelled to let her know the true reason for my life's dramatic improvement - the power and the peace that only Jesus Christ can bring. So the next morning, I wrote an email. I'm sorry to say that it bounced back to me unable to be delivered. I tried again several times to an altered email address and even just tried to resend to the same one a few moments before starting this post. I hope it goes through. But if it doesn't, I have learned a great lesson. God never does anything by coincidence and I have an opportunity. I'm going to take it and step out there.