If I Didn't Know It Was God.....

....I would say it is unbelievable! Over the course of the last few days I have discussed prayer with Greg quite a bit. Today at lunch we were talking about the "issue" we have had with our new van. We had a leak in the A/C unit and the guy we bought it from (Dan) said he would pay to fix it. We took it to the dealer and they "fixed" it and charged Dan $692. Then they called us and told us they "found" another leak and it would cost us $527 to fix it. They took money for the job they were supposed to have performed from Dan and then tried to stick it to us too. They were supposed to have "fixed the problem" with the first repair. Needless to say, we were ticked off. I even (in my infinite wisdom) dragged all my kids to the dealer and had it out with the service manager. I even crawled under the van in a skirt to show him I meant business. It didn't get me anywhere - the guy would not budge. What a fool I am. Greg tried to talk nice to them - that didn't work. Greg flexed his CAMtek muscle (his boss said he could) and that didn't work. All throughout this process, we caught the service manager, the sales manager and some other guy who fielded calls all in different lies. It was so not good. As of early afternoon today, they would only fix the van if we paid them more money. So we decided not to and I took Greg up there at 5:00 to pick up the van. After we dropped him off, I asked my kids to join me in prayer, praying for the outcome of the situation, that Greg and I would get over our anger and let God be the Righteous Judge that He is and let Him judge what these people were trying to do - that we would get over it. Imagine my shock when Greg walked in the door a few minutes later and told me that he left the van there - they were fixing it!!! Seriously?? Less than an hour ago, there was no way and here and now, they "found" a recall on this very part. How we started praising God. How Greg looked at me in awe because he KNEW that there was no other way that this could have changed so dramatically, so quickly - there was NO WAY it was anything but God's hand. I have been thinking a lot about prayer. I have also been reading a lot (with the editing I am doing) and it has been on faith and prayer recently. Prayer "frees up God" (as if He needs freeing) to work the unimaginable in our lives. You know how it says mountains will be moved in the Bible? That won't happen unless someone prays it and believes it. Yes, I do believe that this is true in the literal sense. I also believe that it is true in the figurative sense. How can we expect miracles from God unless we believe prior to them? God gives us these amazing glimpses of the unfathomable power He has and sometimes (a lot of time, I am sad to say) we totally miss what He is doing for us. God loves us so much and cares about EVERY SINGLE thing!!! There is nothing that He doesn't care about. You know that thing that you think about but don't think it is important enough to take to God? HE CARES!! Do you think that there are so many more people with REAL concerns, and yours is so trivial compared to theirs? God thinks yours is so important, it is as if it were the only concern in the world. God loves us so much and wants what is best for us always. Remember that God's best is not always what the world would tell you is best. Don't get caught in that lie. We need to be praying His best for ourselves and others ALL THE TIME!! We need to stand in the gap for those who ignore God, disregard God, laugh at God, don't think they need God......they need Him more than ever. But that doesn't mean He loves us or cares about us any less.

I love when God shows me stuff. Reading back through my blog, I can see all the times He does something like this because I go into a long dissertation on how great God is. I need to sing this every day - not just when I notice what God has done. Notice that I said notice? Because He is doing great things all the time and often, I get so caught up in the crap that I think is important and miss all the greatness He has for me. Oh sweet Lord, please help me! Help me to see like you do. Help me to have open eyes to what you are doing. Help me to have open eyes to see where you want me to go. Teach me Lord, to pray like I should. Teach me how to stay in constant close contact with You. I want you closer to me than my own breath!

Happy Easter!

He is Risen!!!
He is Risen, Indeed!!!

Today was a great day at church, followed by a huge Easter egg hunt at church and wrapped up with an Easter lunch guest and a great lunch! We started a new sermon series on the Prodigal Son today and learned that presenting someone with a robe, a ring and a fattened calf was a very high honor and let that person know they were special. When our friend arrived for lunch, Greg wrapped her in my bath robe, Grace presented her with a large pearl ring and Jacob presented her with a stuffed calf on a plate. I love that (while this was not exactly what the sermon was on) we were able to, as a family, apply something we learned and to make someone feel special.

What a blessed special Easter.

Weber's Come to Visit

Krystel and her boys came to visit this week. She came on Tuesday, via train. We did not tell the kids that they were coming. So when we parked at the train station, we told the kids that after the train left we would cross the tracks and get ice cream. So we waited....and Spencer came off first. Grant was the first to notice and started yelling his name (or Krystel's...we can't really tell). Then Jacob looked at Spencer in a weird way, as if to say "you look like my cousin, but there is NO WAY he could be here." Then he noticed Krystel and hugged her and then looked back to Spencer. It finally clicked in his head and he ran to Spencer, grabbed him and almost took his head off. Then he couldn't get rid of his huge smile - I loved that!! Greg said that all the way home Jacob and Spencer giggled like school girls. Wednesday we had the kids stay home from school. We went to the park and had a picnic lunch. Then we came home and Krystel and I set the trampoline up - twice. That part was not fun. But it is up and was a great source of entertainment for the kids this week. Thursday the kids went to school and I was able to take a nice walk - ipod and all - around the lake across the street. After dinner, Krystel and I went to the movies and saw a terrible movie (Edge of Darkness). Friday, we let the kids stay home again. Because Spencer and Seth were here, but mostly because it was Good Friday and EVERYONE knows you don't go to school on Good Friday. But we live here in this culturally diverse place where nothing Christian in celebrated, so I had to take matters into my own hands. We went to another park Friday and then Krystel watched the kids while Greg and I went on a date. We went to dinner at Michael's (do not recommend) then went to the movies (When in Rome), followed by ice cream at Carl's. We had a great night out - I miss dating my hubby! This morning I took Krystel and the boys to the train station. I have never dropped anyone off at the train before. It is much more sad to drop someone off than it is to be the one dropped off. We had a great week and I am so glad they all came down.









This afternoon Jacob asked me to jump on the trampoline with him. I really didn't want to because I have something REALLY wrong with my tooth. Every time I walk I have excruciating pain in my mouth. I told Jacob that, to which he replied, "Don't you know what it is like to be a kid with no one to play with?" How could I say no to that? I had to jump - I lasted about 5 minutes before I wanted to chop my head off.

Boasting in the Lord

Let her who boasts, boast in the Lord. So that is what I will do. God is so amazing! He is teaching me so much each day that I don't even know He is teaching me. My very sweet accountability partner just left and I can not even type fast enough to get all I need to say out before I have to leave to get the kids from the bus. Just sitting talking to Lori allows me to "talk through" all I am going through with the Lord. Reason #865 why we need good Christian friends. I was recently asking her to pray for me that I would embrace freedom in my relationship with the Lord. That I would not think that I had to do things in my relationship according to a pre-described mould. I wanted to just "chill" with the Lord. And by golly - that is what is happening. By no means of my own though. It is so weird....the most recent thing is the purchase of this "new" van. I have been praying about it and in the past I would wait for a "sign" to let me know that what I was doing was in line with God's will. Then today I was editing and came across some discussion on faith that said faith is not just "wishing and hoping", it is acting. Not just any old acting, but acting according to the Bible. I know - the Bible does not say anything specific about buying a used van, but I know we are doing the right thing. Even though at the current moment Greg does not think so. This is another test of our faith. It is like God is saying to us, you trusted Me to get you the van, are you not going to trust Me to make sure EVERYTHING is ok? I mentioned this to Greg last night. We just have to trust God - it is what He demands from us. And I am A-OK with that. He knows the beginning from the end. He knows the good from the bad. Who the heck else would you want to trust?

BTW - The "stuff" I am talking about with the van is the fact that the air conditioning compressor hisses when the air is turned on. But, oh how God orchestrated this, to have us buy this van from a Christian man who said he would cover the repair cost. Isn't God so amazing? I love it when I back off and let God reign. He is the Ultimate King of Kings. Oh, God Most High - I love you!

Lest you think my love for the Lord is conditional....I would love Him even if the repair was not covered.

I am lecturing Greg on the fact that perfection is not attainable. The sooner he realizes this the better and easier his life will be. I mean, it has made all difference in my life. Well...that and trusting God in ALL situations.

It was cool for me to hear from a girl in my Bible study that she has been using my story of how God answered my prayer about dinner. I am not sure if I blogged about that or not. If I didn't, I should have. Let me check. I did....it is "Answered Prayer" - fitting. Anyway, this girl in my Bible study just told me the other day that she has used this story to talk to people about trusting God. How cool is that?

We have a HUGE surprise happening tomorrow. So far, we have been able to keep it a secret, but it is killing me. Tomorrow Krystel and her boys are coming here via train. Last week we were home and Krystel and her boys came downstate at the end of our stay, so Jacob was only able to see Spencer for one day. He was kinda bummed about it. But we (Krystel and I) knew all along that they would get a bunch more days here. They are coming tomorrow and staying until Saturday - I am even letting my kids play hookie for one of the days!! So tomorrow night we are taking the kids to the train station to watch the train come in - you know, just for fun. Greg asked me how we were going to do it and I reminded him that HE was their dad. That means they are used to randomly getting in the van and going to obscure places at weird times. It will be great! I am almost out of my skin with eager anticipation. I know that my kids will be crazy happy too. That is what I love the best!!!! I can't wait to see their faces!!!

BTW - we got a "new" van tonight. A 2005 Grand Caravan SXT - blue in color. It is going to be great. It is a huge blessing and you know what it makes us???? DEBT FREE Baby! Woo hoo!!!!

We've Got Some Catching Up To Do.....

Easter Egg Hunt at Grandpa & Grandma Boss's House

We are back. We went "home" (to Howell) for spring break this past week. It was a good time of visiting and resting. The bad part was that we had to leave Greg home. We were all kind of bummed about that. But he was able to do some catching up at work and some looking into a "new" van for me. Tonight has been a VERY rough night for Grace. It was difficult for Grace and Grandma when we left this morning, but Grace's sorrow has continued on throughout the day and now spilled over into bedtime. Apparently while I was out, Grace spoke to Grandma on the phone and was advised to get a picture of Grace and Grandma and stick it under her pillow. She found one and while we prayed tonight she hugged the picture and sobbed. Then she told me that she need to get a picture of Grandpa too. So now she has 2 pictures cradled in her arms as she sobs herself to sleep. Very, very sad. But we have had many discussions on how we need to focus on all the fun we had and look forward to the next time, instead of being depressed over what we do not have. *Note to self* There is no point in that.

So on a way more amazing note....I believe with EVERY fiber of my being that my dad experienced a miraculous healing. You know, the kind that took place when Jesus walked this earth? Two weeks ago, my cousin Becky went to have lunch with my dad (they both have diabetes and Becky is a nurse). She lives over 1 1/2 hours away, so this was no small thing. They went to lunch and then she hung out with him for awhile. She also tested his blood sugar. It was too high for the meter to read (over 600), which is not good at all. Becky also described him as too weak to even stand, extremely tired, jaundiced eyes, and that his lips were sticking to his teeth as he talked. She left there and consulted with her doctors, who told her that he needed to get to the hospital IMMEDIATELY because the thickening of his blood would be causing his organs to work overtime to pump the blood and cause them to shut down. She told him this, but if you know my dad....he was not going to the hospital. He would "just take a handful of pills." Apparently, on his own, he went and had a bunch of blood work done the next day. Fast forward to Friday as I am driving home. I was about one hour into a 5 1/2 hour trip, when my brother calls me and asks if I was on my way and when I would be there and tells me that "dad needs to go to the hospital now." I guess Becky called her dad (Mike, my dad's brother), who called Scott (my brother), who called me. I was later told that they chose Scott because they thought he would be the most calm one - apparently not. Anyway after calling me Scott told Mike to call Dan (my dad's other brother) and have Dan MAKE my dad go to the hospital. Sure. Long story short - Dan went over and called the doctor with my dad and the doctor said to come in. Dan took my dad to the doctor and they went over the results from the blood work done on Wednesday. The results were blood sugar of 212, blood pressure 120/80, cholesterol 194 (down from over 400). The doctor said that he was doing amazing! They even checked his blood again at the doctor's office, just to be sure. When I got there Friday afternoon, my dad looked great. He had lost a ton of weight (which I am sure contributed to the good numbers), his eyes were bright and he looked healthy. This is what I am talking about when I say miraculous healing - from what he looked like on Tuesday to what I saw on Friday, was nothing short of God's Hand at work in my dad. God healed my dad - I have ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT OF THAT!!! Praise His Holy Name! This is all on the heels of me reading in the New Testament in the Bible about Jesus and the disciples and the healing that they did. As I read, I so wished I could be a part of that - that I could see it firsthand. Oh, did I get a glimpse of it! And after seeing even this one miracle...how could I not trust God Most High with everything?

I have so much more to say, but must continue tomorrow. My beloved is waiting for me.

Shoe Shopping

Tonight Grace, Jadyn and I went shopping. We were looking for tennis shoes for Grace. They had to not have ties, be cute and not cost an arm and a leg. Easy, right? Not so much. We travelled all over this city to every store that sells shoes (except Shoe Carnival) and had no success. We are all exhausted....we did not go slowly through any store. We ran in, check the shoe area and ran out. However, we were perusing the pajama clearance rack at Gordman's because I need new pjs and don't want to spend too much. Grace kept pulling things that I would barely call pajamas off the rack and suggesting that I get them. Then she pulled a purple piece of thread off the rack and started to suggest it, but then said, "You couldn't even put this on your pet bird." My pet bird? Exactly what does that mean? When I asked her she just brushed it away. Needless to say, we left those racks and continued our shopping frenzy. Which, as you already know, was a bust. I guess she has to wear her junky old ones, or learn to accept what is there for her to take.