oh blog....

So much to say and so little time right now! But I will leave you with a few highlights:)

We have made some new friends on the street! There are 4 boys on this street that are Caleb and Jackson age PRAISE GOD! So we have already had a couple playdates with one of them:) Looking forward to more play fun!


Made cookies for our neighbors and walked around to meet them all. God truly blessed that time. We enjoyed it so much that because we ran out of cookies we made more the next day to meet more of them! We are so excited to have a home to minister in. To bring our neighbors in and to live life together. We hope and pray God gives us many opportunities to love on them:)

Caleb got a new bike as an early Birthday gift from Grammie and Papa so daddy and him took it for a spin. Still getting the hang of it, but its fun to have a sidewalk to practice on.



Jackson has been wearing funny things on his feet...he decided to try on mommies heels, actually he has done this more than once but I finally got it on camera!


Couple of mornings ago I got jack up to find daddy had put mittens on his feet! Daddy said, he was putting their pjs on and grabbed the mittens by mistake but by the time he realized it he had already sat down and decided "Well...Im sure they'll fit just like socks ..." sure enough!

We've taken some naps

had some friends come over to play!

celebrated a birthday



Its been a crazy January to say the least but we look forward to all God has for us this next year. I will do my best to update the blog as much as possible but it seems getting on the computer is kind of the last thing I think of doing....so much to work to be done at home!
Caleb and Jack will be spending this next week with cracker nessa, grandpa, and auntie cay while mommy and daddy go to Vegas for a work convention. This wil be good practice for our April trip to Uganda. A week is along time to be away from my boys so we'll see how I handle it!
Pics of the house will come soon enough and a HOUSE WARMING PARTY is in the plans!
Here are a few sneak peaks of the place:)






Is the anticipation killing you?? ha!

moving week ....

Honestly it is all such a blur that I cant go back day by day!
This week was difficult. I received a head cold while Caleb continued to throw up every night. We finally took him to the doctor on thursday and tried to figure out the problem. We had lots of help from friends and family. Tried to stay dry as best we could. Packed, unpacked things I havent seen in two years, deciding what to keep, get rid of, what to toss. Set up the boys room, set up the kitchen, rearrange the living room at least 7 times, unpack, repack etc.. To this day we are still bring stuff in and trying to live amidst the insanity. I will be honest I have had a difficult time this last week. Not feeling comfortable, not sleeping and when we were, there was a third or fourth person in the bed, trying to rest when all I can think about is all I have to do, trying to spend quality time with the boys when all I want to do is clean up, laying down for bed wondering when caleb was gonna get up and be sick again, trying to stay warm in a house with weird heaters, the list goes on:) God has shown me my many weaknesses, and natural sin tendencies...I am grateful for that. That is when I get to recognize it, pray over it and fight it!
My hope is that this next week the Lord will bring the sunshine in and that I will begin to enjoy the process that I have been praying about for about two years!
That I will not allow myself to get overwhelmed or feel like it all has to get done today! But take it day by day and enjoy the moment!

Shout Out!

Just wanted to make sure I thanked everyone who helped out these last few weeks! First Dad...you have been such a blessing these last few days we could not have done this move as smoothly without you! Scott and Susan thanks for helping despite the fact that you yourselves are packing and sorting! We love you and will miss you tons! Shannon! Oh Shannon you have got me thru this last week...I have been so unmotivated and uninspired but your excitement and enthusiasm along with awesome organizational skills has helped out so much! Corban and Kelly thanks for coming all the way from LA to help. You made that day so much more fun and productive!!! Jenny and Jake thanks for all your help packing us up and moving us over:) you are such great friends! Tara thanks for helping me organize and set up for our garage sale! It was so fun hanging out! Donna....you blessed Susan and I more than you will ever know! Thanks for being such a faithful friend and such a huge part of our family:) Chad, Rick, Zach, Phillipe...John could not have made that storage move without you thanks for all your help in the downpour and lightning...praise God none of your were electrocuted in that metal bin:) Christie thanks for taking the boys and making us bread and dinner. You are such an amazing new friend! Nikki thanks for watching our little ones, they love it over there and cant wait to hang out again! John, you have no idea how grateful I am for you! You have been my rock and shoulder this last week and I thank God for giving me such a thoughtful, giving, patient and quiet spirited man. I love you! Caleb and Jack I am so sorry this week was so hard on you! I know moving is never easy and that you both felt the stress thru it all. Thank you for being such wonderfully happy lil ones despite the chaos. Thanks for enjoying and getting excited about our new home when mommy is not. You 3 men make this house my home:)
THANKS to all of you who prayed, texted, called and emailed us this last week. I needed every little bit of encouragement as I felt isolated and overwhelmed.
Hopefully pics will come soon but we wont be getting internet till wednesday so you'll all have to wait just a little bit longer!
Everyone else, thank you for all your prayers
Lord, I praise you for your goodness, faithfulness, patience and gentleness with me. This week was difficult but you are are constant. Please continue to help me thru this transition and see beauty amidst the chaos:)

Moving Week!

Monday DAY ONE!:

12:00AM - Jack wakes up crying, mommy checks - Dirty Diaper

12:01AM - Caleb begins crying,Mommy changes jacks diaper,daddy comes in to check on things

12:02AM - Caleb Vomits EVERYWHERE,mommy still changing jacks dirty diaper

12:05AM - Daddy begins undressing caleb and begins his bath!

12:10AM - Jack snuggles with cracker nessa and auntie cay in bed while mommy and daddy give caleb a bath, clean sheets, clorox and lysol the room, open the window!

12:15AM - (sorry men) Mommy starts her girlie troubles! ARE YOU KIDDIN ME???
* sidenote we are all camped out on the living room floor cause we have company

2:00AM - Boys finally fall asleep

3:30AM - Caleb wakes up and throws up again

7:00AM - Everyone is up, family leaves, daddy goes off to work

7AM - 1PM - Packing, sorting, found a elecrtic dryer on craigslist, Calling Edison, water, trash, Gas Co., feeling gross, NO NAP FOR MOMMA!

2PM - John picks up keys, finds new and unattractive carpet in the house, Mommy bummed!
(I am very vane but Im working on it! Gods teaching me how to be content with what I am given)

3PM - Find out our friend broke his leg, super bummed, also sad cause he was gonna help us move:( Hope you feel better soon Don

4:30PM - Clouds clear (thank you Jesus) John and Dad move a ton of stuff to the house!

8PM - Bedtime, Jack Pukes!!!

8:10PM - Bath, clean sheets, clorox the bed!

9:30PM - Mom curls up in bed, watches Lost and sleeps ALL NIGHT! THANK YOU LORD!

Tuesday DAY 2:
7:00AM - No rain, momma starts packing up the bronco

8:00AM - Make 2 trips with Scott to the new house!

9:30AM - DOWN POUR, Miss shannon comes to play and help! Pack & sort

11:00AM - Lunch, and packing up Bronco

12:40PM - run a load to the house, met 2 new neighbors:)

1:00PM - 3:00pm light drizzle, Jake and Jenny come to help:) Take a couple trips to the house! Johns parents home is almost empty!

4:45PM - Clear skies, John is picking up fridge, coming back to get our mattresses and the rest of our furniture:)

TONIGHT IS OUR FIRST NIGHT IN OUR NEW HOME!
Lord thank you for your provision, for the very many breaks in this storm and for the boys getting so excited about this new journey! May the boys sleep soundly in their new room!

TO BE CONTINUED.........

TESTIFY!!

"Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes make our efforts successful!" Psalm 90:16-17

These last few weeks are beginning to become such a blur of change, renewal, hope, blessings, and an unbelievable gift of Grace that I need to write it all down before we forget anything:) (Footnote: this is crazy long but God has done a lot!! I didn't want to leave anything out)

Two years ago this month John and I stepped out of our comfort zone and stepped in to blind obedience. We had accumulated quite a bit of debt from school, medical, and down right stupid credit card spending. We had been struggling to work thru it on our own for some time but realized if we truly wanted to be free, we needed to take drastic steps. We decided it was time to commit a year of our lives to becoming financially free! It was a difficult decision, there was embarrassment, shame, guilt, feeling like we really messed up. Feeling judged and criticised for making poor choices and now having to ask for help to get out of it. But we prayed about it, humbled ourselves and moved in with John's parents January 2008. With John's income we planned on being debt free by the end of the year. God had other plans.
Two months into it God began to work on John's heart and by July 2008, John resigned from his full time position at our church with nothing lined up. He knew it was the right thing and he knew the Lord would care for us. His heart and passion was music and teaching and no longer youth. One month later the economy went down hill and it was almost impossible to snag an interview anywhere. With 6 months of unemployment we knew getting out of John's parent's house was not going to happen on our time clock.
John soon after received full time work with our dear friends at Chisum's Floor Covering. We praise God for them and we were just so thankful to have medical insurance again!!
Thru it all we somehow never missed a bill, we weren't able to pay anything down but we could still make minimum payments, PRAISE GOD!
By the summer of 2009 God began to tug on John's heart again about music and teaching. We knew if we ever wanted to move out we would need to find a part time job and with John's heart for music and ministry we began looking for churches. He decided if he was going to take anymore time away from his family, he wanted it to be something he loved, was passionate about and that we could all be a part of! He began throwing emails out to churches all over but felt led to email a local pastor up here in Ojai, for no other reason other than he had heard that this pastor was doing good things there and that God was doing a mighty work. He thought it couldn't hurt to see if they have any needs.
the pastor immediately responded back and basically said " he had begun praying for a music pastor not more then 7 days ago!!" They began meeting and talking and John fell in love.
There was a connection quickly. Their heart for ministry was the same, their idea of worship, their hope for this valley. You could say it was a match made in heaven.
Well, months went by where God used us thru some difficult trials we most certainly were not expecting but for some reason he chose us. Soon after, John's parents also felt that God was calling them back to Mississippi and that they would be leaving Ojai very soon!
The unknown of having no income, not quite debt free and then needing to move out was all too overwhelming! Thru it all John was confident God was going to move, I was not so sure! John reconnected with Pastor Chad who basically was waiting for John's call for the last couple of months. They met, John led worship, we met the deacons, the church voted a worship pastor into the budget and it was all said and done, all in about a month. The quickest we've seen God move in a while!!
Knowing we'd have extra money to begin to look for a place was exciting, but our budget was not so. We prayed about our spirit's desires to minister to our neighbors, live simply, practically, close to where our church is planted and is ministering, with no financial strain, to spend less and give more! But my heart's desires were a little bit different. Two years of dreaming of this new home weighed heavy on my mind. Finding a place where the boys could play in a yard, having storage, some place bright with unique features like 1920's crown moldings or a bay window! Something one of a kind!
Well as we prayed and began searching we found lots of places but nothing that seemed to fit our family or our budget. We applied for a place we had not seen yet but that would be available in January.
We were approved and we were able to go in and take a look. Did I walk in and fall in love.....no. Did I get excited looking around ....no. Did I have a peace one way or another walking away....no. The house at a glance is "BLAH" nothing special, nothing unique, no AC, no utilities covered, weeds in both front and backyards!
My heart was torn walking away. I wanted a definitive answer, peace, excited one way or another. I didn't have it.
But after much prayer all afternoon and a date night with John where we discussed pros and cons, heart and spirit...we decided we would make it the right place.
We would bring beauty to an otherwise average duplex. I pulled out my decorating mags, searched the internet and within a couple of hours ....I was excited!! I cannot wait to get in there and make that "blah" place into a "TADA"!
Friday we put the deposit down but my prayer has still continued "Lord, we have been faithful, we tried so hard to get out of debt for TWO YEARS God. I know we werent perfect but we've tried and we are about to walk into this new place without fulfilling our goal? why?"
Let's just say that night God answered! God willing by the end of this month we will officially be debt free, in our new home, and making the same amount of income we started with January 2008! Our God is faithful, Our God is Good, Our God is Holy, Our God...HE IS GOOD!
"Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes make our efforts successful!" Psalm 90:16-17

New Beginnings!

we attended our first sunday at our new church up here in Ojai, First Baptist Ojai. The boys were excited, they have already named it. Our church in ventura was the "Song" church because thats what he would do before going to class. Johns fathers church is the "food" church because we go up there every wednesday for dinner:)
This church has an amazing property with a softball field, rose garden and a very large playground area. So what better to call it then the "Park" church!

Attending that first service is always awkward (when you are in ministry), eyes are all on you, your the newbie and you have impressions to make but John and I are usually pretty good about being real, available and open! They called us up and prayed over us which was very sweet. They prayed for our family, for our ministry as well as a new home for our family (a much needed prayer). The message was amazing, convicting, powerful and really fun! I love the way pastor Chad speaks to his congregation...He ask questions and has the congregation respond which is so unique with a church that size but it was really fun to listen in and hear the church respond! It is also beautiful to see such a wide variety of ages(just like our CBC)! We am comforted by a healthy congregation where there is not just one kind of demographic. I am looking forward to meeting our new grandparents, mentors and someone to reteach me to knit. haha

John of course did fabulous but more importantly there is such an overwhelming sense of Gods presence there. We of course felt it at our previous church but it is so comforting to walk in and just know that God is moving and doing Big things!
Leaving we were able to meet a few more people and were even able to go to lunch with a family that I know we'll be hangin out with more.

We are just so grateful for God's direction. We would never have chosen to stay in Ojai this long. It was always our plan to move out of state but God's plans prevail! We are grateful for overwhelming confirmations and peace we cannot understand! We look forward to what God has in these next few weeks as we look for our new home in Ojai:)