Live In Summer Staff

Camp is almost here! Always an exciting time around Rainbow Christian Camp. Summer staff arrives this coming Sunday to move in. The one difference this year is that we will have 3 of them living here in our little home with us for 3 months. Jake and Wade will be moved into a room together and the 3 male summer staff will stay in the back bedroom where Jake usually sleeps. Why you ask? Well. We are trying something different this year when it comes to the summer staffs dormitory. Usually they would all stay either in the ARK or the CAVE. Guys on one side and girls on the other. However this year we are trying to create an atmosphere where we can do a better job building a community and discipleship. The 9 males on staff will be split up between us, and two other full time staff houses. All the girls will be staying in the ARK. If you have never been here before and have no idea what these places look like I apologize. You need to come and visit us so we can give you a tour! Other exciting stuff happening around here this week. Our bedroom addition has been added. Now all we have left is the finish work and painting. Today my father-in-law is here helping Joe pull the siding off our house, along with the windows so we will finally have energy efficient windows and new siding! No more tyvek siding on our garage! Geesh! We don't even own this house and it has been one project after another the last couple of years. Which reminds me of our new deck Joe built two weeks ago on the back of the house. Thankfully we aren't in the process of building a new house. Been there, done that, don't want to do it again! All these projects have been on our must do list for a while so it is nice to see it all come together! Can't wait to see the end result of a lot of hard work. Mostly from my husband of course. Building things is not really my trademark!

2 plus 1 = ?

I had been praying a lot that God would just make it happen. I didn't want to have to say whether I was ready or not. I will almost never be ready for change so God made it happen which means this January we are going to add a 3rd precious baby to our family. I am thrilled to say I will be apart of a family of 5. I loved having just the 4 of us, but to me 5 is more of a party. I look forward to all the same things I did with the boys, but the one thing that always stand out to me most is that I will always be needed by them. I love to know that even as grown children or adults that my kids are mine for life. I will always be there for them and they will always be there for me. Okay so now let me answer all those questions that are typically asked once this kind of announcement is made. When am I due? Since Jake and Wade were both 3 weeks past their due date I refuse to set a due date. It will be sometime in January. It could even happen in early February. I simple cannot say for sure! Was this a surprise? YES. I was planning to go on a mission trip to Africa this December and wasn't planning to get pregnant until after that trip. So I guess God is putting a hold on me getting to love on little orphans in Africa for another 2 years. Do we want a boy or a girl? Hoping for a girl this time around! How am I feeling? Very very tired! All I can think about during the day is how much more I could get done if I didn't feel like I was on a sleeping pill all day long. I have been feeling a little sick to my stomach in the mornings the last couple of days but other than that, I feel pretty good! How far apart will Wade and this one be? around 21 months apart. CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ME! God's timing is more perfect than mine is what I have to tell myself all the time. I know I will be tired, but nothing is more perfect than holding your own little baby in your arms and thank God for giving them to you!

If you are stubborn like me, change doesn't always come easy. I'm learning to embracing change in my life and see God work on my heart in the many ways I am changing. I don't know where that will take me but I trust God to use me in the ways I never thought were possible. I'm scared to say that sometimes because I know the moment I am willing to let God use me that could put me in situations I am not comfortable with. I hesitate to even mess with writing a blog about this because my thoughts can be so messy in writing but I felt good about it today and wanted to share my heart and what God is teaching me.

I'm learning that I don't care as much about luxuries like I used too. Ever since my 6 month hike on the Appalachian Trail I don't worry as much about wearing make-up(I still wear it but not as much and not as often), taking a shower everyday(don't worry, I do at least once a week.....Just kidding!), getting my nails done, having lots of jewelry, having highlights, buying new clothes, having a perfectly clean house, shaving(yes I still shave, but if a week goes by and I have hairy legs I am not bothered by it), eating out, cable, cell phones...I don't have a data plan and really hope I don't ever have too have one. These are just a few of the luxuries I am realizing aren't that important to me. I still enjoy them, but they have becomes things I am okay with living without excess of them.

I am learning more and more that I need to do more than just support a few missionaries and supporting a compassion child from Columbia. Something inside me just doesn't want to accept that it is enough for me to just hand out money and not get my hands dirty. I am not sure how to go beyond just giving money at this point, but God is a God of perfect timing and maybe he is preparing me for something and it isn't time yet.

I'm beginning to understand what matters most in life. It's not the condition of my house, my car, my education, how much money is in the savings or retirement funds, arguing over different opinions in relation to politics, parenting, and belief systems; or my social status. What matters is how I live my life according to the way Christ commands me to live on a daily basis.
How I serve others.
How I love others.
Am I pleasing God, or trying to please others? I don't want to miss the opportunities, big and small, God places in my life to love, serve, counsel, or to just be available to listen. Over the last couple of years I've been learning something so vitally important to the way I relate to others how I think. I am a first born which means I am a perfectionist at heart. I strive for perfection while setting high expectations in myself and others as well. This has made it difficult for me in my relationships and you know what. I was wrong. Very very wrong. I don't know what caused me to change exactly but I'm glad it happened because I notice how it has helped me become more grateful, less critical, and strive for excellence rather than perfection. To be perfect means to be flawless. Thankfully I now know I can't be flawless and therefore I am less stressed out, more laid back, more forgiving, and less uptight and I love the flow of life, yes, even when my ducks are not all in a row! Where does this leave me? It means I practice sharing and giving more. Loving and serving more. Praying and dying to myself more and working on making myself more available to the needs of others. My heart breaks for hungry and lonely children so maybe God will give me an opportunity where I am able to change the life of a dying child. I really don't know, but I am at peace knowing God already has a plan. All I need to be is available and willing.