Testing, Testing and More Testing

Yes, it's been a while again. Life just seems to have a way of sucking you in. Seems you have to fight your way out to get some peace and rest only God can give. Testing seems to be the theme for us lately, both in patience and literally. Ernie's job is going well, but he has some more certifications to get before he can get his full pay. We are very thankful for his job and it's a really good company, but he's working for a reduced amount now that is barely more than unemployment. So, he's studying to take his tests, so we can breathe a bit. He passed the first one, and has 6 more left.

Our cute little house has been both a blessing and a testing. We've had the fridge quit, a gas leak that made us sick until we figured out why, ants, ants, and more ants, plumbing issues, and a used dryer that we had to fix after we bought it. Seems like I'm forgetting something, but I just can't remember what it is. Other than all this, we are thankful for this house, having our own space, and room for our dogs. I am especially thrilled that I'm using one of the bedrooms for an office and that plan will continue when we move back home. SOOOOO, our dining room won't be so packed with office furniture AND my desk won't be a catch all out of convenience.

We are still praying about selling our van, or trying to sell the Yukon XL we bought in order to drive across the country in the dead of winter. Funny how hindsight is always 20/20. We are truly humbled by all that we have walked through, but believe God has used it to get our attention. We have a new appreciation for our house, and less "stuff" to get in our way.

Well, that's about it for now. We are very proud of our niece Maggie for her High School Graduation and look forward to Tiffany's next year. Boy, we are getting old. We plan on having a Graduation Party for Ryan last summer, early fall this year, so stay posted.

Blessings!

We should be back in our own house by the end of summer. It depends on when our renters find another house. I'm sure they would be grateful for any prayers for that.

ERNIE GOT A JOB, ERNIE GOT A JOB !!!!!!

Yes, the news is out, Ernie was offered a great position here in Indy today. It's in his field of expertise, which is testing concrete and other materials in the construction field. God blessed him way beyond our expectations. He is supposed to start sometime next month, so I better get the honey do list written soon, so he has time to finish it.

The cool picture is of the Mississippi River partially frozen at one end. Ernie took it while 42 thousand feet in the air flying home from California before Christmas.

Well, we are trying to get caught up on some rest, so that's all for today.

Be Blessed!!

Settling In

Well I had a wonderful weekend. I spent most of it getting settled in our new rental house. We are very blessed to have it and Praise God, it's bigger than a camper!!!! AND. . . .I have an office right off the living room. Ahhhh, that is music to my ears, let me tell you. Running a business, and a family is much easier with an office. The dogs seem to enjoy it because they are closer to me when they lay on the couch. Yes, we have blankets on the couch because they like to sit with us when we do actually sit down. Then when we get up, they still enjoy laying there.

We are in a peaceful little town and that is so nice for us after all the packing and moving since January. There is a baseball field directly across the street, and I'm hoping to take the dogs for many walks over there and do some marketing.

I even did marketing at the laundromat this weekend. (Still looking for a dryer). Well, I passed out invitations to my Love The Mama Party, and felt like I was loving on the ladies at the same time. Most were very receptive.

I know God is preparing us for "something" really important I am sure of that, just not sure of what or when yet. He is overhauling us in so many ways, it's hard and exciting all in one breath and depending on the moment it could be one or the other.

My Husband and Bonus Daughter T got to drive to North Carolina and back this weekend, moving his sister J back to Indiana. Long and exhausting drive I am sure, but T was hanging out the window with all the new sights she's never seen before. We are excited to have J back home, but praying that God blesses her with just the right job and that God would draw her to Himself and heal her heart and set her free. Like we all want :-)

Thanks for your prayers

WE FINALLY MOVED, BUT NOT TO WASHINGTON

Well it took longer than I thought to write again, but the good news is that we rented a little tiny house in Pittsboro, so we moved this week.


Trying to get settled in. Our dogs seem to love having our couch again and their own territory to explore. We are right in town and the baseball diamond is right across the street from our house, which is good form my business.

Ernie's job only lasted for 2 days before the owner ran out of work for him. So. . . he is on the hunt again. We could sure use your prayers. The Lord did bless us with a very nice stove for free, and we are currently looking for an electric dryer. That would definitely save trips to the laundromat, which is where I'm headed off to now.

One Day at a Time, New Jobs, and Dishes Story

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. It seems every day there is more to do in a day than I have time, but God is good and He is blessing us. To get you up to date, the Washington job has been delayed by the client, to possibly June, we really don’t know. We are seeking God for his direction on the next steps in our life, which may be not to go at all. For now we are still here, living in Ernie’s parents basement. They have been very gracious to let us land here for a little while until we figure things out. A song called "Revelation" by Third Day resonates with our hearts quite a bit. Here are some of the words:

Chorus:
Give me a revelation,
Show me what to do
Cause I've been trying to find my way,
I haven't got a clue
Tell me should I stay here,
Or do I need to move
Give me a revelation
I've got nothing without You
I've got nothing without You

Won't You show me where I need to go
Oh oh
Let me follow Your lead,. . . . .

That is what we are currently doing, trying to follow God’s lead. We know He has great plans, and we are very excited to find the key to unlock His treasures for us. That may be staying here, or going elsewhere, but for now we are here. We can see that God is currently giving us time to take care of some very important spiritual and physical things, and for that we are very grateful.
Even if we remain in Indiana, we still want to live incredibly cheap in order to be able to pay all our debts,(Baby Step 2 of our Total Money Makeover for those who are familar with Dave Ramsey) and get financially free. We are looking for a camper to borrow, or rent cheaply for the summer. If we found an incredible deal we would consider purchasing, but we haven’t found that type of deal yet. It’s difficult to find a place to live with the criteria we need. Low rent, safe neighborhood (keeping mind that I work in Carmel , church in Avon, kids in Lafayette ), clean with no mold or cats, and a place that we can have our 2 dogs. Yes, they are 2 yellow labs and they are our spoiled 4 legged children who get their feet wiped off when then come in the door. Tall order, I know, but we figure a camper, might be an option worthy of considering.


New Jobs

We are happy to announce that Ernie and Ryan both started new jobs here yesterday. Yes, they have been earnestly seeking, and through referrals from friends and family, they both applied, interviewed, and got hired on the spot Monday. Ernie’s is not necessarily permanent (but whose really is?), so we are praying this employer gets more work. It’s still construction, as he’s doing some earth moving/concrete type work. Ryan took a full-time position with an ice cream franchise at the mall, and seems to have enjoyed his first day.

The Dishes Story

Since most all of our kitchen tools are in storage, we have been looking for a set of Corelle dishes at Good Will, on Craig's List or something like that. We thought we could use them if we get a camper, or wherever we live next. They take up little space, and are very study. We have a set in storage, but didn’t want to use our good ones. We didn’t even care what pattern God gave us, we would take any old set. We had not found ANY, so I began praying, and I asked God, if he really wanted us to have them, that there would be a set at our church’s Community Give Away this week.

Well I was helping set up yesterday for the Give Away and I didn’t see but one table of household items, mostly just clothes. I had kind of put the thoughts of my prayer about dishes on the back burner by that point, having been focused on many other things. Ernie found a box on the floor and asked me if I had seen what was in it? I said no, so he said come look. Well, God is so incredible. It was a whole set of Corelle dishes, including bowls, salad bowls, mugs, etc. AND it was the same pattern that we have in storage, so they will match, for FREE!!! I was so shocked, on one hand, and sooo thankful for an answer beyond what I asked of God. I was really thinking they would be that green or mustard looking pattern from the 70’s, and I would have be very happy. I mean I’m not hooked on the blue and green that we currently have, because I bought those in probably 1995, but it’s the pattern we have in storage, so we are thrilled. I know it's just dishes, but God is so cool at even the small things.

Thank you for reading our blog, and for supporting us in so many ways. We covet your prayers, and ask that you pray for God to make it VERY CLEAR where we are to go, and what we are to do. I promise I will update the blog more often now that things have settled down some.

Blessings!!

Looking for our next home

Well, now it appears Washington State will be our new home for a while. It's about/appx 3 weeks until we hit the road, so now we are looking for a place to rest our heads and for me to work from. The car is for sale and we plan on getting some basic maintenance done on the van and then drive that to Washington. Ernie found a 1983 30ft RV in Washington in our price range. We may see if someone we know has a friend who could take a look at it for us. Might be worth flying there to take a look at ourselves. We also found a nice RV park online in the area he will be working, so that might be a good fit too. I have peace and hope that God IS in control and will work out all the important details.

Goodnight for now!

Moving is Over for now

Well I'm happy to say that we have stopped moving and packing for now, and are getting temporarily settled in the In-Laws Basement. Man have we been exhausted!! We are very blessed for the accomodations, and we've only had a few hitches. One of the dogs who shall remain nameless, thought it was best to mark his territory the first evening we were here after smelling other dogs that have walked that floor before.

The next day our hard drive locked up on our laptop, and our desk top could not access the internet. UGH!!!!! After 2 days/nights of trying to get the wirless to work, our options were not desirable, one of which was paying $44.95/month to get our own cable modem, since the parents couldn't remember the password for their own router. After more prayer, we finally discovered the cable company had a "deal" going on and if they put their own modem in the house, and added 100 more channels to the parents cable TV, the monthly bill would drop $20 and the cable company would support the modem. This way when the parents forget the password again, we we all won't go crazy. Mom & Pops were also happy with the new arrangement, so tomorrow, we hope to be up and running from the basement. That's a big deal for us, trying to keep taking care of business, job searching, automobile selling, and more.

I thought I would feel sad once the house was empty, and I'll admit it was a bit different, but I actually felt like a weight was lifted off our shoulders. I wasn't sad at all even when the renters things were in the house the day they moved in. We were still getting a few things out and ordered a pizza for us all to eat. I think I experienced the sadness when the pictures were off the walls and I was packing by myself (with the help of my packing angels of course) and my husband was on the west coast and not knowing just "when" he would be home to help or would he even get home to help before the move.

Now we are seeking God's heart for our vehicles (to sell and replace with one), a place to live once we get to Washington, or if He (God of course) has a better offer looming that we haven't seen yet because we've been so caught up in moving.

I have a work project I've been asked to do and present before we leave town, so I'm going to be spending my free time on that when I'm not at work. Hoping the big E will focus on Job, vehicles, taxes, cooking, and keeping house/apartment. That might sound like a lot, but he's got 10.5 hours a day that I'm gone at work including driving time. So I think he can handle it.

Child #1 is living with us and will be working in Washington also. Going to try and keep him busy too, doing odd handyman type jobs for those who need it. That will give him a little bit of running cash until we leave and keep him doing something other than playing video games and sleeping.

Gotta go buy some toiletpaper. Can't live without that. At least not very comfortably. Those leaves are currently wet and cold. Ha Ha