What have I married into?

A recent conversation Wesley and I had about his favorite holiday.

Me: “Are you going to plant a tree for Arbor Day?” If any of you knew Wesley is college, he was a non-showering-frisbee throwing-tree hugging-hippie. Jokingly, asking him if he was going to participate in the “hippie” holiday, as I like to call it.

To my surprise he responded,

“Yeah, I think I will. I like Arbor Day. I think I am going to plant a Japanese maple.” I don’t know why I was surprised.

Me: “Hey I love Japanese maples! They are so pretty!”

Wesley: “They look a lot like weed…”

Me: “NO they do not! They have a burgundy color and have pretty leaves… they don’t look like weed leaves.”

Wesley: “I know what a Japanese maple looks like, we had them in our backyard when we lived in Columbia.”

Me: “Then you should know that they don’t look like weed leaves!”

Wesley: “Have you ever seen a weed leaf?”

Me: “Well, no. Have you?”

Wesley: “Yeah, we had them in our backyard when we lived in Columbia.”

What have I married into? The drug Cartel family perhaps…

*Clearly, Wesley was joking and I don’t know anyone who is involved with the Cartel, and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you… I might get shot…

I remember the day I wanted to look older... but today is not that day...

Wednesday nights, like many church communities, is the night for band practice, choir practice, and/or youth group. REVO’s youth rGroup, following tradition (REVO is not a traditional church in the least), meets on Wednesday, recently the kids ministry, specifically rTheather (where I volunteer on Sundays), is working with the youth on Sunday mornings to act out the Bible stories for the little kids (Pre-5^th grade). Therefore I go to youth group on Wednesday to help them practice their lines, etc.

A wonderful REVO-family, the Marshall’s, opens their home to the teens and pre-teens and feed them every Wednesday! What amazing families we have here at REVO!

I was in mid-Manwhich bite, when a pre-teen, puffed out his chest oh so proudly and stated,

“Well I’m 12…”

Me: “I remember when I was 12… That was like 30 years ago!”

Obviously joking…

Pre-teen: “You’re 40!?”

Another teen, older therefore I thought wiser, interjected,

“You look more like 30.”

Apparently I thought wrong…

After chewing, swallowing, and digesting the previous comment at the same time my stomach was digesting my bite of Manwhich… I calmly lost it.

“WWWHHHAAATTT!?!?!?! You think I AM 30!?!?!

Not-wiser teen: “What? Are you older?

Clearly she thought I was flattered by the “low” number she threw my way. I was on the verge of crying. Not only was I mistaken (seriously mistaken I might add) for a 30 year old, that was the lowest number she could come up with… That is as young as I was going to get?! Come on!

Me: “But I am only 22…” as my eyes are desperately searching for an anti-depressant. At the same time, I am thinking about all the money I spent on Mark Kay products. The same products that make me feel like I look young (the same) and refreshed… but in reality, I age by 8 years.

Awesome.

Ringing in the New Year

Now that the hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and all that implies, lets ring in the new year with lists of goals of which we shall never achieve or at least we won’t get to them in the same year we set them. Well this year it is not going to happen to me… again. I am going to take my resolutions very seriously.

Here is my list for the year 2012:

1.       Keep my blog up to date!

2.       Finish a few crafts on my list.

3.       Learn to sew.

4.       Get the family scrapbook in order ( I am a couple years behind).

5.       Find a publisher for my book!

I look forward and hope to achieve many, if not all of my resolutions on my list. Why not surprise yourself and put something on your list you have been dying to do or finish. You will be satisfied when you mark it off your list as complete!

Happy New Year everyone!

Answered Prayers

Week one of fundraising is under our belt! We haven't been as active as we need to be. Everything is so overwhelming and we just don't know where to start! God will make a way and will be faithful!

The other night Wesley told me that two people have committed to supporting us every month! This is huge seeing that we haven't even sen out the first letter. Oh Yes! These are answered prayers. I was floored and overjoyed. I can't believe the unbelievably great responses we have already gotten from friends, family, and complete strangers.

I am so excited about this season in our life. Prayers are still being answered.

God is so great and God is good. Even if we don't reach our goal. God is still great and God is still good.

Full-Time Ministry

This is the conversation I had with my husband a little over a week ago.

"So I am going to turn down the Buckle job and raise support full time."

"What? When did you decide this?"

"I have been unsettled about Buckle for a couple of weeks now. God keeps telling me that we should raise support."

"Okay... Love you..."

My husband, the smartest man I know, told me this breaking news as he was walking out the door to work his next to last day at American Eagle. Why he thought this was an opportune moment, I have no idea!

Wesley (my husband) was the stock lead manager at American Eagle (AE); he was offered a management position at Buckle (another clothing store) which would have given us somewhat of a feeling of financial stability. Then out of nowhere, a local church offered him a great job as the Creative Youth Pastor (kind of like a youth pastor assistant). Ironically, the church offered him the same amount we were planning on raising to be full-time at REVO (a rockin' awesome church plant here in Winston! http://www.discoverrevo.com/ check it out!).

Needless to say, we are following what God has told us to do. As of current, neither one of us have jobs and we are in the process of raising our support for a year. I am overwhelmed and surprisingly calm considering the amount of information I had to absorb and process in such a short time.

Don't worry, for all of you reading this and sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen, are we going to live or die or be homeless? I will be the first to tell you that God will provide in the way He sees fit. We will be fine. This will be a good season and adventure in our lives. I will definitely keep you all posted about things to come and the adventures in raising support for a family of three.