Remembering

For all the obstacles that have come with this move, (and there have been more than I've been writing about simply because I didn't want to complain constantly) I know one thing:

I have dealt with my past sins and am finished with the reaping that comes as a result.

What a freedom in knowing that. My friend-and perhaps yours too-Julie wrote a post today entitled Standing Firm/Staying Put. It has reminded me to remember.

You know, I serve a God who calls me to remember. Remember what He did to the Egyptians who tried to recapture the Israelites after letting them go (Ex 15:21), remember how He has brought me through trial after trial, remember His faithfulness in ALL things. Even the book of Deuteronomy is a call to the Israelites to remember God's law.

I remember wanting to move away from my town just as soon as I could. In fact, my plans in high school included going off to college and moving to a big(ger) town so that no one knew me and I didn't know them. I could start over. No raised eyebrows if I walked into the room with whispers of "that's coach, you remember her. She...(you fill in the blanks)"

However, God had other plans. Including me living in house in the back of the same neighborhood where I lived in high school. (Pretty far move, huh?!) And over the course of me living there, He brought people into my path that I'd just as soon never see again.

But it was through those people that God dealt with me, and caused me to forever be changed. To be set free from fear and worry. And the chains that I was wearing by choice.

Just before our house was put up for sale, God sent a word to me telling me that the time of havesting from my rebellion was complete. If you could picture a field, that He had gone through that field and cleaned it out of all the bad seed I had planted there. It is done. It is finished. I have a field that has good seed planted there. Now is the time for harvesting that good seed.

Yes, God has moved us on from that house. I will remember what else He has moved me from. And how, in HIS timing, it all came to be.

In the Meantime...

Things have settled a bit around here. Thank the Lord. Seems I can catch my breath this morning.

The phone number thing eventually worked out--after spending 2 hours with the phone company glued to my left ear. Our house number will be re-installed when we move in the new house, and our business number is forwarded temporarily to my cell phone until we move in. And we can keep both phone numbers. Yay!! They found a solution and made it happen.

We did close on the sale of our old house, so now I guess I can make the transition from saying "old house" and "new house". We're homeless for another week. Meaning, I'm not responsible for a mortgage payment. We found out yesterday that paper pushing mortgage documents takes longer than anyone likes, so we won't be able to close on our house until July 31st at 1:00 pm. We'll move in right after that.

We are not, nor do we have to be, homeless. :0) Both dh and my parents live in town, as well as our grandparents so we had plenty of options to choose from. We decided on my parent's house because they have 2 extra bedrooms and 1 extra bathroom for our family to use. Dh's parents have 2 extra bedrooms, but we'd have to share one bathroom between the six of us. Certainly not a bad thing--if we had to do that. We don't, so decision made.

In the midst of this "meantime", we still are doing what we've got to do. I'm at the gym today with the girls, and we have a guest coach. That's another post for another time, because I'm so hyped about who God sent our way!! Dh is trying to work everyday without needing too much info from me because all our office is packed in boxes. He's also doing the sound for our YMCA's play this weekend "Back to Mayberry 2". Tonight is his final practice, but that has proven to be a looonnnggg one. Needless to say, he's not getting all his sleep.

Moving + Sound engineer + Too Little Sleep = Tired + Stress

Not a good equation. Sunday afternoon will be spent sleeping, I'm sure :0)

This is NOT the Way It Is Supposed to be Happening

Well, I just heard from the lawyers, and we'll be closing on the sale of this house tomorrow morning.

My realtor tells me that I won't be closing on my new house until Friday or early next week.

I'm crying.

I realize this isn't earth shattering, and there are definitely worse things to be shedding tears over, but it all came down on me just now.

My original realtor went to Boston, MA for two weeks last Thursday--which means she won't be back until next Wednesday. (She conveniently forgot to tell me this fact.) So, she had another agent work with us for one day before we were handed off to the broker. And the broker was mighty confused when the paperwork hit her desk.

Now what seemed so simple and straightforward has literally stopped.

I have the phone glued to my left ear discontinuing my utilities, and trying somehow to move my phone service from one place to another with an unknown lapse in residences. {Sob, sob} It wouldn't be so bad if it was just my home number. This is our business line, and we can't afford not to have it working.

Or worse: lose this number altogether.

Talk about expensive. Letterhead, business cards, advertising, phone book listings, etc.

My mind is running away with it all while I'M ON HOLD!!!

Sigh. I AM trying to take deep breaths and pray and let Jesus take care of it. I am trying, I am trying, I am trying.....

The New House

Finally!! I got some pics uploaded. I don't know what was going on the other day when I couldn't get anything to post.

Anyway....here's my very-soon-to-be new house :0) It's a split level English Tutor style house built in 1987. I fell in love the minute I walked in.

And, as promised, my new kitchen. Everything stays. It's not as big as the one I have in my soon-to-be old house, but it's still big enough. And has a convection microwave--something I don't know anything about. :0) (If you do know something about these things, clue me in!)

We are waiting to hear from our buyers and their bank to set a closing date. The buyers have told us they want to close on Wednesday morning, but sometimes bankers have other ideas. BUT, I do think we'll be moving into our new house by the weekend. It's going to be a wonderfully, busy week!

A Word To Us

Before I even turned the computer on, two very different posts were swirling in my head. I tried to upload pictures of the soon-to-be-mine kitchen, but neither IE nor Firefox would cooperate so obviously God wanted this other one to be written first.

I try hard (ok, let me be honest: on some weeks I try hard) to get up early enough on Wednesdays to catch Life Today so I can see Beth Moore. For some reason, I remembered last night that today would be Wednesday and asked my hubby to make sure I was awake before he left so I could get up and watch Beth.

God was certainly in the details leading up to this morning, people. And He was in this broadcast.

We ended up in Psalm 8:2. And I learned some original Hebrew to bring the modern-day English translation alive. Let me type out the verse so you won't have to get up and get your Bible:

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
Psalm 8:2

Now, let's go back to the first line. Children and infants are talking about the weakest instruments there are. When Jesus told us that we are to become like little children, we will become weak. So He can become strong in and through us.

But the word "silence" in the original Hebrews means a sabbath rest. Even before Beth started expanding on the subject, my spirit leapt. Look who has to take a sabbath rest when I, the weak instrument, starts to praise. His foe. His avenger. Those who oppose our God. Oh, hallelujah!!

When praise comes from my lips, and doesn't stay in my head, our enemies have to take a sabbath rest. (Think about what the Orthodox Jews do on the Sabbath. Nothing. At all. They totally take the day off.) Our enemies cannot say anything. AND, to top that off, they listen to what we say!! How exciting is that?!? They are hearing just how wonderful and mighty my God is, and how they are defeated!

This little child just has to raise her hands at the revelation of it all. And, of course, I offer some audible praise. To shut up the enemy.

Girlfriends, I'm so filled today. And I'm excited. What a word this is! Rejoice today that when you audibly praise, your enemies shut up and listen.

Oh, thank you Jesus!! How wonderful are Your ways!

(For those of you who may not know who Beth Moore is, or do not have capabilities of watching this program, click here. You can watch on the internet. Today's broadcast is entitled What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do. I'm not sure if it's Part One or Two)

Now Where Are Those Indestructible Bracelets? (and my girdle...)

Yippee!!

Not only did we find us a house, but we put in an offer, they counter offered, we counter offered, they accepted, we signed, and now we're off. :0)

We are soooo excited. I want to post a picture of our new house, but I don't have a good one of the front. I do have one of the kitchen, but that just doesn't show the whole picture, ya know?

Anyway...I called our buyers this morning to see if they have nailed down a closing date, and we're waiting on the appraisal report that should be back to their bankers by mid-week. Then all goes to the attorney, and--are you ready??--it is possible we could be closing by late this week.

Egads, Batman!

That really floored me. I expected to be closing on next Friday. Like, the 25th. Care to guess how much packing remains?

I'm going to find my Wonder Woman outfit. I just hope it still fits. I haven't worn it in ages ;0)

My New Home Away From Home

Here's my new classroom!! :0)


And here's a closeup to the scripture verse that has been painted above the window. I didn't request it; it's actually been up there for years. Before I even had need to be in this room.


I hope you can read it. If not, it's from Habakkuk 1:5. This is like a kiss from God to me. On May 20, 2006, a very godly woman was praying for me. After that prayer she spoke scripture to me from God, and this verse was one she told me. I went to my Bible and wrote down the date in the margin.

And to walk into my new calling, only to have this on the wall!! How great is that?!?

Thoughts for the Day

Since we signed a contract with the new buyers, it's been a little surreal around here for me. We've been in this house for 11 1/2 years, and have invested alot of heart to make it "home".

The house inspection took place yesterday, and went really well. There are always things that come up, or so I've been told, but I was really praying hard that those things were not going to cost alot of money. And, guess what? No surprise that God answered that prayer. :0)

I talked with the buyer this morning, and he only requested we take care of two things off the list. But, dh had already decided he was going to take care of four things. Obviously, the buyers are happy, and we feel like we are doing the right thing. So, everyone's happy. Yay! (wave hands in the air)

Now, I'm left overwhelmed. I have too few boxes to pack up too much stuff. And it seems like everything is starting to happen around us, pulling here and there. A family birthday celebration, basketball practices, needing to study for the new job, dh working so much, packing this house so we can be out very quickly, and no time to discuss the houses we've looked at to see if we want to make an offer on one. And, every phone in the house is ringing. I hang one up only for the next one to ring. That really stresses me out!

I'm not asking for help--for those irl friends who are reading this. I'm just putting my thoughts on "paper". And, I know in about 6 months when I read this again, I'll be able to see just how everything worked it. Because it will. I do know that.

But right now, it's all a little heavy. Even this post has taken longer than it should to type.

So, {deep breath} I'm off to shower and leave this house for the gym. And 20 girls who are probably in the midst of drama and have too many hormones doing crazy things in their bodies. Ha. Funny how doing what God's called you to do can lift your spirit. These days, I always leave practice lighter than when I got there. I'm liking that.

Branson Vacation-Day Four

Our last day spent in Branson was jammed packed. We woke up to thunder and lightening. So we spent some time at the outlet stores.

A few hours and seven inches of rain later, we had dinner on the Branson Belle. We had a salad, roast beef AND chicken cordon bleu, mashed garlic potatoes, steamed veggies, and dessert. The food was delicious.

my son and daughter

on the top deck of the showboat.
l to r: dh, dh's mom, my son, dh's dad, my daughter, and me

After the cruise, the boys had some time to do a little trout fishing on the Taneycomo. They were supposed to go first thing in the morning, but the thunderstorms put a dent in their plans. This water is around 50 degrees-very, very cold!-and trout thrive in cold water. Dh's dad hooked one, but it got off before my son could land it. :0(



After an hour of fishing, my daughter had requested to ride the horse around downtown Branson.



And, my son had requested a game of putt-putt golf. He talked big, but in the end, it was dh who won the game. We all had fun playing. I could bore you with many golf pics, but here's one with the two of them with clubs in their hands. ;0)

By the time we finished 18 holes, it was after 10 pm. That's alot to cram into an evening, especially when you have at least 10 hours driving/stopping/eating before you get home the next day.

And, it was an eventful day. We headed south from Branson, and almost made it to Little Rock before experiencing some car problems. After two hours in Little Rock, turns out the problem was that water had pooled up on one of the cylinders and we needed an expensive vacuuming job. We can only assume the water came from the downpour the day before, but still shake at heads at how the problem appeared a day later! Pepboys took care of us and we finally crawled into our bed at 10:45 pm. Whew!

Branson Vacation Day Three

The boys had decided beforehand that a trip to Springfield, MO was in order. One cannot go within a 30 mile radius of the home of BassPro Shops, and not visit. Oh, no! We left Branson around 9:00 am and spent the day there.

Dh and I said that we must eat supper at Lambert's, which is where the picture below is taken. Our family eats at Lambert's in Foley, AL when we go to the beach, but now we can add Sikeston, MO to our list. :0) Dh's parents had never been, and we wanted them to experience the atmosphere. The Lambert's in Sikeston is different than Foley, but the food was still absolutely wonderful and too much! Oops. I've been corrected. We actually ate at the Lambert's in Ozark, MO. So sorry I didn't know my MO geography. Thanks to Sharon and JennaG for pointing me in the right direction.

l to r: Dh, me, my son, my daughter, dh's mom, dh's dad

You might have been wondering what the girls did while the boys were wondering around all that wilderness. We headed to the mall!! Where else?? These are the only things I bought:


Surprised?!? A pair of running shoes. The new Nike Shox. And since they're new, they came with a hefty price tag. Which is why I've been debating whether or not I should keep them. I've never paid more than $75 for a pair of running shoes, but this doubled that. Yikes!! I'm wearing them around the house today with my regular socks to see if they are worth that much investment. They do come with a 2 year warranty from Nike, so they should last me that long and helps with the money issue.

I just know me. Never mind the shoes will probably last more than the 2 years. I'm going to want a new pair just for the change. Are you like that?

Uh, anyway, back to Branson, Day Four-our last day there-coming up tomorrow.

Branson Vacation Day Two

Our second day, we rode the Ducks. These are military vehicles used on land and water. We enjoyed our tour. They took us high on the mountain, showed some old war vehicles, and then took us out on Table Rock Lake.

waiting on our ride in the gift shop.
we all love to try on different hats and see what we look like.

we have become quackers!
front: me and my son; back: my daughter and dh

driving the Duck on the Lake

After riding the Ducks, dh felt ill and had a slight fever, so we went back to the condo for a rest. I got to walk on the treadmill for a while, and enjoyed some alone time. I knew we would be eating way too much food, so this was a proactive thing for me to do.

After supper, we hit Celebration City. A small amusement park just off the strip. My son and I fell in love with one of the small roller coasters and ended up riding it 3 times. No pictures of it--I was too busy having fun!

riding the small log ride: son in front, daughter in middle, me last

This Is In My Front Yard

(No, that's not my house in the background)

Branson Vacation Day One

I didn't get a chance to post about our trip that was coming up until now.

And we're back already. :0)

Dh's parents wanted us to go to Branson, MO with them this summer. We left last Wednesday, and finally arrived there after 10 hours! Whew!! That drive was one of the longest I've ever experienced.

After we checked in to our condo, the first stop--of course--was to Wal*Mart. (Why is it that we must always go there first??) Then we went to the Branson Landing. This is a waterfront strip full of shops and restaurants. I really like this spot. We ate a new-to-me restaurant that is in the Missouri/Arkansas/Oklahoma area: Shorty Small's. It was soooo good!! If you're up that way, or live near one, you should really try it.

At every hour and half-hour, the Branson Landing had a water and fire show. We watched the 9:30 and 10:00 pm shows. They only last for a few minutes, but it's right on Taneycomo Lake so we enjoyed the view during the two shows.

Here are a few pictures from Day 1.

l to r: me, my daughter, dh's mom at the Branson Landing

clockwise from the top left: my son, my dh, and dh's dad at the Branson Landing

Fire and water show