Good News.....

YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!

It looks like we're staying in Virginia for another 4 years! 7 years in one place - what a scandal!

Jeff got the call today - an invitation to fly with the 89th Air Lift Wing out of Andrews Maryland.

He's been assigned to the 737's which as of right now is the airplane of choice for the Vice President and the First Lady. He's excited about the missions they'll be flying, the new aircraft, the commercial rating that comes with the whole training process and the fact that his daughter will get to finish school here.

Thank you God

dear rebecca....

please, could you just please post a comment?????

I know you're out there - I hear stories!

invisible gifts.....

i laid down to sleep last nite and an inventory of prayer needs flooded my mind.
no sooner than i thought about some of these needs though my spirit switched gears and i suddenly started thinking about people who had prayed for me.

i started seeing faces of people who prayed with me during my 10 years of infertility. people who prayed years ago that God would bless Jeff's career and give him favor. people who prayed for me when i stepped out in faith and __________ did any number of things i didn't think i could do or people who prayed us thru the addition of abby, or people who prayed me thru countless surgeries.....

it didn't take long to become completely overwhelmed - especially when i realized that so many of those people never got to see the results - the ones who prayed for me thru infertility treatment in Georgia - have yet to meet my kids (all 3 of them), the ones who prayed for jeff to finish flight school 15 years ago when all bets were off have no idea that he's proficient in several airplanes and has an amazing career still in action. the ones who prayed thru abby - have no idea what a gorgeous, strong, stable (as stable as teenagers can be) young woman she is. those that prayed me thru surgeries don't get to share with me the days that turn into months that turn into years with no pain.

but did they ever invest.

i may be in one of my more analytical states - but how do you ever reconcile that? what kind of love is that? what a gift!

how not-alone i am and how not-alone I have always been.

Hebrews has in it one of my favorite thoughts "we have around us many people whose lives tell us what faith means. so let us run the race that is before us and never give up". (Heb 12:1 NCV)

everytime you pray for someone - whether in paragraphs or short cries - you are taking your faith and investing it in the lives of other saints.

so pray for me and I'll pray for you - and we'll let that crowd of witnesses in the heavenlies cheer us on - and we'll keep praying and praying and praying and thanking God for all those praying for us.

bottom line - if you've prayed for me - thanks. you just wouldn't believe what a great job God did with your prayers.

and yes, I'll pray for you - just ask.

On Target....

So, if you were in Target yesterday between 3-3:30 you got to enjoy a monumental teaching moment for our precious Matti. For that I apologize and I thank you.

I've been thinking about the whole scene and I've decided it was good. The truth is I spent maybe 45-60 minutes in a really uncomfortable place - Matti screaming, me sweating, strangers staring, driving home with him throwing a fit in the back seat - it wasn't fun.

But I'm convinced if I hadn't invested that 60 minutes into teaching him about first time obedience - I could very possibly be spending the next 6-12 months dealing with his rebellion. In light of that it was a good investment.

It's the big picture that saves my bacon and my sanity everytime. I get it wrong so often; but yesterday the opportunity arose to give Matti some keys to living life; keys like:
1) mom doesn't lie
2) mom doesn't negotiate
3) I'm safe - because she's still in charge
4) bad choices always hurt
5) I'm expected to obey right away
6) throwing a fit isn't in my best interest...ever.

Seems to me, looking at that list that some really useful life skills were learned. God's grace was all over the situation - I never got emotional!!! It was all about a choice - and I could clearly see that Matti's sneaky little offense was a glaring example of a heart that wasn't in submission.
That was a big deal to me - not because I want to be supermom, or have the best kids in the checkout line at Target - but because God says that "obedience is better than sacrifice"; and then He says it over and over again thru His word.

We live by faith - but we're blessed by obedience. I want my kids to live a life of favor and God's richest blessings - so I invest a little blood, sweat and tears in the Target line so that one day Matti will not only submit his heart to the leadership of Jesus Christ - but that He'll crave that authority in his life and enjoy the great riches offered by the King of Kings.

Interesting end note - Matti's spirit is at rest. He's the most tender, joyful little guy as all the kids have always been after moments of discipline. It's an amazing process to be a part of - confession and forgiveness are incredible gifts beyond words. It is incredibly humble to be a part of the processes that construct a heart.