Everything is right with the world!

Well, Everything is not right with the world as this world has gone crazy! But, last week I had one of those times where it felt like everything was right with the world!

Hubby had been gone for 2 weeks. He came home on Friday night (1/29/10). We had a great family day on Saturday! Then the kids went to the grandparents on Sunday after church. Hubby & I went out for supper at O'Charleys (my favorite place to eatout) as a late anniversary dinner (our anniversary was Dec 29th) &  early Birthday dinner for hubby (his birthday is Feb 8th).

On Monday, we headed to Northern Kentucky (near Cincy) for 2 nights. We just spent time together on Monday & Tuesday morning. We went to the Creation Museum, out to eat, sat in hottub, went to Apple Store & just enjoyed being together.

Then Tuesday afternoon we picked up Anne, a friend from Germany who's studying in SC, at the Cincy airport. Then we all went to our friends' Cliff & Stephanie's house for a LOST party. It was so cool to be with 30+ friends & watching Lost together! Then several of us had breakfast together the next morning. Then we had the privilege of helping Anne get to Indy to catch a flight home. We got our kids back sometime during that day too ;-) (Anne is sitting on the flour next to Jeff)

Then Thursday through Monday morning we had lots more family time. Several times during that week, I found myself thinking "How'd I get so blessed?" I have wonderful kids who love me. They may drive me crazy at times, but they really are great kids! I have the best parents & in-laws any girl could have! And they love to spend time with my kids! I have lots of friends! I have a warm, comfy home to come home to!

But the biggest blessing is my Hubby! We've been together for 21 1/2 yrs & married for 19 yrs 1 month & 12 days! He is my best friend! I love to hang out with him. We watch tv, play video games or just hang out! He makes me laugh! He knows how to cheer me up when I need it. For almost 20 years now, he's been my friend, my lover, my hubby, my soulmate! I love him more now than the day I married him! I just feel so blessed to have him!

So, this past week was one of those weeks where everything seemed right with the world & I couldn't help but Praise GOD for how He's blessed me! I love it when God gives me an AWESOME week after I've been in the valley! When times get tough, and the nights get long, I can look back at this week & see this will pass & the good will come! God is so good to give us little glimpses of Heaven here in this world!

God, sometimes I don't understand....

There's just times that I just don't understand life. Here's some things that have happened lately that I don't understand...

- I don't understand why hubby got offered a job, resigned his old one, then the job fell through. Why did he have to go through this? why didn't he just not get offered it? I'm sure God has a reason for it, I just don't see it or understand it!

-I don't understand why I've been so blue lately. I have a very blessed life. I have an Awesome Savior who loves me & died for me. I have a wonderful hubby who takes great care of me. I have 3 wonderful, healthy kids. Yet I've been blue. I just don't understand it!

-I don't understand why hubby has a job that takes him away from us. I am very thankful he has a job. And it has been nice to travel with him some. But it's so hard having him away from me & from the kids. I just don't understand it!

I probably have lots more things I don't understand like why God's people suffer & the evil people prosper, why disasters happen, etc... BUT I know without a doubt that GOD is in control! I know He has it all in His plan! I also know that His thoughts are way beyond what I'm capable of thinking so even if He tried to explain it all, I couldn't understand it! So I'll just TRUST. He's provided for us thus far & He will provide until He takes us HOME!! He's proven Himself faithful time after time after time. So I'm trusting in HIM even when I don't understand!

Waiting...

So we are getting a lesson in waiting. Don't you hate it when things are going along quickly & things are changing & looking good & then suddenly everything stalls! Hubby had possible job change (still away from home, but closer to home)..now it's stalled & we don't even know if it will happen.

At first I got all tense & worried. What if it falls through, what if he loses current job, what if, what if, what if! The "what ifs" will get you every time. They start you in a downward spiral. First it's just a minor downer & then you get thinking worse & worse scenarios. Before you know it you are stressed beyond reason & your blood pressure is up & you're snapping at everyone. You've lost your trust! So I stopped, prayed & pulled out my Bible.

Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

So, we are still waiting for this issue to be resolved. BUT I'm at peace! We are praying. We have our friends & family praying! I know that MY GOD will work this out for Good. He has all this in His control & even if we don't like the answer, He is in Control!!

I know waiting is hard, but trust God! He works all things out for Good! And He has plans for you & me! Plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future!(Jeremiah 29:11)

Help! My hubby spends all his time on....

No, I don't need help. BUT I got your attention. I'm writing this because lately I've heard a lot of women complaining that their husband spends all his time on the computer or he spends all his time watching football or all his time playing video games, or whatever his passion/interest is.

It seems like so many women feel alone or unloved because other things take their husbands time & attention. While this is a problem, think about how much time you spend on girl things like shopping, sewing, scrap booking, etc...Just like you, your husband needs to have some fun. He needs to have an outlet for his frustrations. Now, I know it shouldn't monopolize his time, but he should have time to do it!

When I was first married & we would do things with the people my hubby worked with, I was amazed
at the disdain the other wives had for the hobbies of their husbands. I decided then & there that I didn't want to be like these wives! These wives just hated that their husbands had hobbies. They sat & brewed over the fact they were on the computers & wasting their time yet in the same breath were talking about how much time they themselves spent shopping or scrapbooking or on their own hobbies. They showed no respect for their husbands & talked bad about them. When I dared to ask if they thought about gaming with their husbands, I almost got laughed out of the room. (BTW, I know at least 2 of these marriages have ended! Sad.)

That's when I decided to take an interest in what my hubby was interested in. He was/is a computer geek & spent a lot of time on the computer. So, I started asking him about the computers & asking him to teach me what he was doing. I started being interested in his hobbies. Now we can spend hours playing "Rock Band" or "StarCraft" together!

And NO, he doesn't take photos or garden with me (my hobbies), BUT I do get to spend quality time with him and it has made our relationship stronger. Plus, I think he likes bragging to his geek buddies about the fact that he can game with his wife! Oh, & don't tell him, but I actually like gaming with him now!!

No matter what your husbands hobby (computers/gaming/sports/hunting/running/biking/boating/etc) I issue this challenge to you: Do you know what your Husband likes to do for fun? Do you know what his hobby is? Do you do it with him? If your answer to any of these questions is no, then maybe it's time to find out & act! Who knows, you might be like me & actually enjoy his hobby!! Plus, you'll get to spend quality time with your hubby!!

Struggling with who I am...

I love my life. But sometimes, when I start looking around at my friends & family, I start struggling with who I am. I see moms who cook from scratch, who can their own food, who make their kids' clothes & think "I need to be doing that". I see a mom who is very frugal & think "I need to be that way". I see moms who have their child in every activity they can find & think "I need to get my kids in all those activities". I see families who are involved in other ministries & think "We need to do that too". I see families who are having weekly or even daily family time & think "We need to have family time like that". Then when my life, my hubby or myself don't match these "IDEAS" I get frustrated...

That's when I hear God whisper..."But I didn't make you to do all those things or to be like them. I made you Unique...I made you You!" When I embrace who God made me to be & embrace where I am at this stage of my life, I stop struggling. I see clearly my direction in life & recognize that my life is truly one of a kind.

While I appreciate & love all my friends, I can say, your life is not mine! And it's ok that I'm not like everyone else. I really never have been...It's time to embrace my life & stop struggling with who I am.

I'm a wife to a wonderful Hubby who loves me & treats me like a princess. Because he travels, our life is crazy. We have no schedule as some would see, but it works for us. We fit school in where we can - nights, afternoons, mornings, weekends & at home, on the road, in hotels.... We embrace the times when are with hubby & keep busy getting ahead when he is gone.

I have 3 wonderful kids. They are not like anyone else's! They walk to the beat of their own drums. They too are unique. Our school work will be taylored to their interests & my teaching style will be different than many others who homeschool.

I have fibromyalgia so my energy/time needs to be spent wisely. Shortcuts at meals & less external activities are the rule of thumb.

So, I am me! I do not have to be like the moms around me! I love all my friends but I'm not them. My life is radically different & I need to remember that! I need to embrace who God made me to be. I need to stop torturing myself when I do things differently or think differently. So who am I? I am me! I'm unique, I'm different & it's time I start being confident that God knows who He made me to be!