Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Our Vacation and life lessons



God has been working so much in my heart and life the last few weeks, that I hardly know were to start! So I thought I share with you our vacation and God working in my heart while there.
My brother and sister in-law

A few weeks ago my brother got married and we were SOOOOO blessed! My mom paid for our gas so we could drive down and be there for the wedding. Thank you Mom! Thank you Lord!
My sister in-law, brother, and our kiddos.

It was my first time visiting my brother's house in GA and meeting my now sister in-law. Everyone else had been able to visit him and meet her before. SOOOO that was such a huge blessing plus, just being able to partake in my brother's wedding! *smile*

My younger sister, sister in-law, older sister, and me.

Plus, our there is something wrong with our van, but the Lord protected us and we got there safely and with no major delays! Our visit was WAY too short and we didn't get to see much of Savannah, but we are praying the Lord will open a way for us to visit again soon.

Naomi and I, Joseph and Josiah.

THEN...since our van made it there...my mother in-law paid for our gas to drive to MS and spend two nights at her house so we could visit and my husband could fix the van.

All of my family that was there.

I am STILL blown away that the Lord provided us with a vacation in the midst of unemployment! I have to remind myself of that when I feel overwhelmed by our situation.
Love this picture


I could have easily ruined our vacation though! I was really struggling with going to MS. I know my husband misses it there and he is really close with his mom. It brought on that ugly fear!! It didn't help that I was really tired at that point! But I found myself hiding in our room to cry and well...have a "pity party." I was angry that we rushed out of GA, though it was our first time visiting, to go to MS. Then we found out the issue we thought was wrong with the van isn't it (we still don't know what is wrong). THEN I found out we were getting home a few days later then I thought we had planned for and had to reschedule appointments. So I felt even more sorry for myself. Oh the shame!!

The girls loved playing in this tree.

We then spent two nights at one of my brother in-law's house. He and my husband are really close so I am glad our families got to spend some time together.

Naomi staying close to Mama. :)

They day we were heading over there, there where CRAZY thunderstorms (and a tornado watch), it was flooding all over the place. So while my husband was busy trying to get the water out of my in-laws house and prevent more from coming in, I was on the phone with my sister in-law. She had gone out in that crazy weather (she is soooo sweet, they had been away and just got home and still had us over!) with there 4 little ones to grocery shop. She calls and tells us that the van battery is dead and she will be late (which is fine because now we will too. Thanks crazy weather!). She was going to get someone at Wal-mart to help charge the battery. She then calls and informs us that they can't charge it due to the severe weather. She is stranded at Wal-mart and cant reach her husband and her phone was dead (she was using a Walmart phone). Oh my!! We get a hold of my husband's brother and he rescued her and the kids. We eventually get the flooding under control and made it to their house for bedtime (it was suppose to be for after lunch!). *chuckle* My sister in-law was still her smiling sweet self (though I'm sure she was exhausted)! That is having a true servants heart!

Naomi "hamming" it up!

We all REALLY enjoyed ourselves at my brother and sister in-law's house. Their 4 kids are about the same age and sex as our 3 kids. Actually when we still had Emma the only difference in age/sex is our oldest. Their son is 2 years younger then my daughter. They get along fabulously though! Always playing cowboys, etc. Our Emma and their oldest daughter are only a few days apart in age! Then our/their next two are only a few months apart in age. So is was so fun to see them all getting along, playing and enjoying one another! We would have loved to spend more time with them.

My man, Josiah and I. :)

One of the biggest things though, is God used my time with my sister in-law as a blessing. Besides enjoying spending time and talking with her (I always do), God used our conversation as a time of healing for me. 

Everyone's family that was there.


After talking with my sister in-law I found out she IS human! *laugh* I know God allowed us to have our conversation on purpose. I realized (even if my husband still doesn't think so *wink*) that she DOES make mistakes and we have some of the same struggles as a woman, wife, and mom! Before that I had seemed she was "perfect" and it has felt like my husband feels that way. 

When we start to think, "the grass is greener on the other side,"
we all need to remember that our circumstances are different, so our lives, strengths, and weaknesses will be different. My struggles are no greater then her struggles either. They may be completely different, but her struggles are just as real and hard to her as mine are to me and yours are to you! My husband's unemployment feels like it has been the hardest struggle so far (and I will talk more about that later).

Please don't think I am saying our shortcomings/sins are ok. I'm not saying that! My husband has some good points when he points out my shortcomings. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17 I don't like, them pointed out, but need that. 

What I am saying is, it's nice to know that I am not the only person with those struggles! That someone who I see as spiritually more mature still struggles with issues  such as, respecting and honor our husbands, self-pity, not being grateful, consistent discipline, being patient with our families, etc. (I am not saying she struggles with those issues in particular. But realized she's not immune to the same struggles).

Just like it's actually encouraging to know that someone like Billy Graham struggles too! It's not that we should be stagnant in our spiritual walk and growth and I don't enjoy seeing other's struggle. But it's encouraging to know I'm not the only one and that I can learn and grow and become more like Christ.



It's easy to think, "The grass is greener on the other side." But that's not true! Every person, every marriage, every family is going to have problems. i forget where I heard this quote but love it (I believe it was Nancy Campbell):

The grass isn't greener on the other side, but where you water it!

Have you ever felt a relief and perhaps even found it encouraging to know that someone else has the same struggles?


For His Glory,



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