Cosy and Warm

My birthday was this last weekend and it feels a little weird to be 26. As silly as it sounds, I never imagined being 26. Everyone says that turning 25 makes them really feel older. For me it was this past birthday. I has a good birthday and spent it with friends and family. It was a lot of candles on the cake!

At my birthday gathering, one of our friends recommended a set of sheet made from fleece. I know it sounds crazy but we really love them! Thanks Dawn! They are really comfy and warm. It really brings out the change in the seasons! Thanksgiving and Christmas are fast approaching!
Wow! They will be here soon!

Sew Loving My Birthday Present

Clayton and I went to Walmart on Sunday after church to pick up a few things. I had promised a friend that I would pick up the fabrick strips that were on clearance for her so she didnt have to go. While getting the fabric strips, I stopped dead in my tracks. Walmart was selling all off all of their sewing and embroidery machines at redicuolously low prices. Brother makes a nice sewing machine and thats what I use now. I never would have thought I would get an embroidery machine because they are so expensive. Walmart had the most expensive machine they carry, usually $379.00 for $100! I asked Clayton if I could have it for my birthday and he said yes! Isnt he the best husband! :) I am really excited about my new machine! I got the last one that they had and I barely know how to turn it on. They are 70 preprogrammed embroidery setting plus multiple stitching settings. It also says there is a setting for quilting! I am SO excited! Now, I just have to learn how to use it!

God Only Knows

My mom called me this evening with some shocking news. She asked me if I knew anything about the VA Tech murders from earlier this week. I told her that I did but wasnt sure why she was asking. Then she asked me if I remembered little Heidi Childs. I do.

When we first moved to Tennessee I was friends with Kristen Childs, Hield's older sister. I used to go over to their house. I used to carry Heidi around. She was such a beautiful child who always had a big smile. It breaks my heart to think that she is no longer a part of this world. I know that God knows best but I ache for her family. Its all so seneseless. I pray for them.
Please pray for them. I am going to the funeral tomorrow.

Its been awhile!

It has been a long time since I have attempted a blog post. We do not have internet at the parsonage and to get internet we have to drive 25 min into town and then find a place and then more than likely buy something to use internet or pay for the service. So, that is the reason for the silence.

I love the parsonage! If you had told me that I would like living in a parsonage, I would have thought you were out of your mind. We live in the nicest home we have ever lived in since we were married! Our dogs like it too!

School starts on Monday. I am still trying to figure out where my summer went! Oh well!

Lizards, Deer, and Bears, Oh My!

Wow! Its been a really really long time since I posted. There has been so much going on that has made posting difficult. We are now living at the parsonage and I really enjoy the peace and quiet. Living out so far, we do not have internet, cell phone service, or cable. So, posting is a bit more difficult. Clayton starts at the St. James on the 5th and we are having a semi open house, cookout after service at out new place! One the way home Saturday and sitting in the middle of the road was a Black Bear! I have never seen a bear that close before. I seem to be geting closer to nature. Our first day at the new place we saw two snakes and on Friday Clayton and his parents saw a brand new baby deer! I was so jealous! They were close enough to touch it!
Currently, I am teaching summer school, but I am looking forward to a trip to D.C. with one of my friends from Vegas at the end of the month. It will be good to see Krista again.
Tomorrow I get to go see the newest edition to the Marston Family. I cant wait to hold a new baby! :)

Movin' On Up

Today Clayton and I went up to the parsonage at Beulah. I cant quite bring myself to call it our place yet. Maybe I will be there when I our stuff is in the house. We are not supposed to be the ones cleaning the house but the man who is the caretaker has family in the hospital. Since we have to be out of the our place by the 15th we need to get the stuff packed at the parsonage. move in! We spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen, the fridge, and the downstairs bathroom. I hope to get things clean before we While I was cleaning, I couldnt help crying. God has blessed us so richly with this place! I am in amazement of how he takes care of us! The house is wonderful and so large!

Keys to the Kingdom

We got the keys to the parsonage yesterday and it feels like we were given the "keys to the kingdom." We are really excited. As I have said before, we have never lived somewhere so big! Clayton and I took some boxes of books up there this afternoon. I had so much fun going from room to room turning on lights, opening closet doors, and simply looking at the place. Every time we have been up there we have been in a hurry so this was the first time I could look around and truly marvel at God's blessing. I cant wait to move in. Our little house in Lynchburg has been sweet and its been a year of growing closer together.
I am still waiting to see where I will be placed next year. I got an email today that said it would be sometime in the next couple of days but I am starting to get a little antsy! I want to know if I am moving my house and my classroom. Summer is almost in full swing. We only have two full days left of school and then exams.
Annual conference is at Virginia Beach and we are looking forward to a few days away. Besides some trips to Bristol and a few cities within about an hour radius, I have not done much traveling this year. My friend from Vegas, Krista, is coming to visit in July and we plan on going to D.C. for two days. We are going to do the cultural thing... all of the Smithsonian Museums, the Holocaust Museum, the Vietnam War Memorial, Lincoln Monument, and the National Gallery of Art. Even though I was born about 3o min. outside of Washington D.C., I haven't really been back since I was in grade school. It will be exciting to see these places as an adult.
What a summer new house and Washington D.C..... if only there was a President that I liked in office..sigh... well you cant have everything!

Life Choices

Lately, I feel like my life is passing me by and I am missing it.
Five years ago it seemed like life was full of possibilities and adventures.
My heart feels so restless, discontented, and lacking complete peace.

How do I get to the point where I wake up every morning and say,
"This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it," ?

the good, the bad, and the complicated

Lately, my answer to everything seems to be, " I dunno." There are some really cool things going on in our lives but in opposite balance some tough decisions too. I have been recently criticized by those close to me that I am too negative. I hate to admit it but I feel that way a lot. Perhaps because I feel like I lack direction with my life right now. Not quite sure what needs to happen for it to change. Either way...



The good:

Clayton is being appointed at Beular (sp?) camp and retreat center. We get to live in the parsonage and it has four bedrooms! I cried when we walked in because I have never lived in anything so large since we got married almost two and a half years ago. It is so beautiful out in Amherst! I cant wait to see the stars at night! I have been offered a part time position at Linkhorne Middle School and have a meeting with the principal on Thursday. I have a job interview for a secretarial position at E.C. Glass tomorrow! Please pray! God is providing for us in a mighty way. I know in the deepest part of my heart this is Him working.

The bad:

We have to move. Please don't criticize me for feeling this way. Since we got married, this makes my fourth move in less than 2.5 years. I moved from Tennessee to Nevada, three months later into a new apartment in Vegas, a year later to Lynchburg, and now to Amherst. I really hate moving because something always gets broken and things you care about get lost. I still can not find the painting that Clayton and I bought on our honeymoon and we moved over a year ago!

The complicated:

I don't know what I am doing with my life. The idea of starting over at a new school for the third year in a row makes my stomach twist into pretzel knots. It means starting from the beginning all over again. With Clayton pastoring a church, I fear that too much change will put a strain on us. The position is only part time at this point, so it does not include benefits, but it leaves room for going back to school. Yet, on the flip side, it means just getting by still. If they offer a full time position I have a difficult choice to make. The full time position would mean paying off our car and other misc. items. Do I continue to work in a job that do not find satisfying so that we can have financial security? I know that I can not handle a full time teaching job and school. Does this mean that I should postpone school again? If I am putting school off again and starting another teaching job, does that mean we put off having kids another year?

One thing I am for sure about is that God is good, He is not bad, and He only seems complicated to my finite mind. If God is good then I guess He is the one to talk to!

An Appointment!

No... I am not talking about a trip to the Doctor's office but a placement for Clayton. At the present moment I am not allowed to say where but we will be moving in June. We are really excited. Its been a bit of a rough year with losing my job and the craziness that we have had with our landlord but its funny to see how God was preparing us for this! As a result of all of the hassels with our property managment company, our lease ran out while we did not have a company and by the time we had a new one I had found out that I was losing my job. So, we didnt sign a new lease and it will mean that we will not be breakind lease when we move!
I have always said that I did not want to live in a manse/pastor's home/parsonage because the idea that I am living in someone else's space freaks me out a bit. God needed to bring me to a point that I was ok with it...which basically means that we need to live in the parsonage.
God is SO good! Its been really hard to say that things will be ok, that God is taking care of us. But, it has been true all along. God takes care of us...all He asks is that we trust him to do that.

Answered Prayer

It seems that God answered some really big prayers today. We will know for sure if God is answering May 5th. Please continue to pray for us. I am still going to be without a job in June.

We trust Him. God never fails.

Roanoke and Smith Mt. Lake

Today was a very nice day. Dawn and I met up and went to Richmond together. We spent the midday downtown walking around looking at street vendors and their goods. I really enjoyed getting to know her better. We ate lunch at a little place that served the best pizza. It was like brushetta but with mozzarella. I m not usually a tomatoes person but I am glad that I went outside my box and tried something different. We also get icecream from this vendor who was using the old crank. There is nothing like homemade icecream. I saw some really cute flip flops at a boutique that had interchangable flaps but they were $50 and that is just way too much money for a pair of flip flops! Dawn and I caught up to Clayton and Troy and we went to Smit Mt. Lake, the first time for Clayton and I. It was beautiful. They actually have a putt putt course that extends out over the lake. I hope that sometime we can go back and play at the course but it was a little too much and so it needs to be a planned event!

On another fun note, I got an Iphone and I love it! Clayton was having problems with is phone and he sent it back and they sent him a replacement phone. Then they sent his original phone back to him saying that it was damamge they could not fix and they were going to charge him for the other phone but Clayton talked to a really nice lady named Sarah (no kidding) and she said that we could keep the old phone and the new one, but that his waranty was cancelled. So.... I got a new phone... for FREE! Now, isnt that cool?!

Keep praying for us.... everything is riding on next week! May God be gracious!

It finally hit 80!

The weather has been really funny lately for mid April. We have has a string of fairly cold days, with highs in the mid 50s. Today, it finally looks like spring is here to stay and summer is on its way since the high is in the 80s!

Spring Break has been nice. The list of things I have done is short, lazy, and sweet! Finished Keri's baby presents, slept, watched all of Season 5 of Dawson's Creek, slept, played Scrabble, slept, and am now cleaning the house. I think I needed a few days of nothing. Its been really nice! I just try not to think about research papers!

There is a lot riding on the next few weeks! Please, please pray for us! May God make his will known!

Muddy Easter

Today is Easter! Growing up my mom used to say, "He is Risen!" We answered back, "He is Risen Indeed!" As a kid I always felt awkward saying this but as I get older I understand the need and hope that fills these words.

These last few weeks have been difficult for Clayton and I. Two weeks ago this past Monday, I found out that I was going to lose my job. It's been frustrating trying to get through the past few weeks, feeling like work is a little pointless. Clayton went for his ordination meeting this past Tuesday. He is also feeling similar frustration since the DCOM (District Committee on Ordained Ministry) informed him that he missed a step in the process and now he has to wait a month. What was really frustrating is that he did not know this until the meeting.
All of this leading up to Easter Sunday...

We went to regular service at the 9:45 and then slipped out a little early to go to Timberlake East for their new opening. Tom had a really good message. He talked about mud and how in New England they consider it another season, the season between Winter and Spring. He went on the say that sometimes our lives are stuck in the mud. We are somewhere between the darkness of winter and the newness of spring. I feel like that right now. What really stuck out to me was the his third point, that even in mud there is purpose. That God does not give us times of mud for mud's sake but to help someone else who may go through this situation.
It was really encouraging to me to hear that these rough times have purpose and God is just not allowing it arbitrarily.

So we had a "Muddy" Easter Sunday.
Then we played croquet!

Ups and Downs and All Around

The last few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I had been working really hard for a few months to get Frank X. Walker to come and read poetry at the highschool where I work. Two weeks ago wednesday, he came to E.C. Glass and it went really well. My students really liked him and I got my picture taken with him. It was a really neat experience. In April, Sharon Draper will be coming to Lynchburg and I hope to get to meet her and get a picture as well. That was the up...

Going down.......

Yesterday, I found out that I will not have a job next year. The budget cuts eliminated 60+ people from the Lynchburg City School District. I cried, then I came home and cried, and then I cried some more. Since I am putting Clayton through school right now, this is a big blow. BUT! I know that God will take care of us. He cares for the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, how much more does he care for and love us... Please pray for us. We know God is in control but this by no means lessens the wondering about the future or the anxiety of decision making. Please pray that God will provide the right job at exactly where he wants me to be. I was thinking maybe something in photography?!

Jesus loves me this I know
Cristo me amo, bien lo se
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
Yes, Jesus loves me
The Bible tell me so

Eyes and prayers
going up....

Barbecue and Margaritas

We had a good day today. We finally got a new property management company and they were really nice. Pretty much anything could be better than what went on with the last management company.
This morning before I left for work, I put a pork butt shoulder roast into the crock pot with barbecue and it was great! We ate it with some margaritas on the front porch. It is SO nice outside. I love this weather. They are forecasting snow for this next weekend which I find hard to believe.
Gotta love the dinner on the front porch! :o)

No Snow Now Sixites!

The snow that fell earlier this week is all but gone. I went to Walmart after work to get grocieries and marveled at the snow stack that was as tall as I am but it was very warm outside. When I got home it was in the sixties! It's kinda hard to believe. I am really excited about tomorrow. My friend from work, Diedre and I are going to get together and quilt. I am teaching her what I know and at the same time getting excited about starting a new project. She is going to make a door stop. They are really neat and they insulate the door. My mother in law bought me some dog patterned fabric and I am looking forward to making my first quilt for Clayton and me! We'll just have to see how it goes!

Snow Day!!

Last night we had a lot of snow! I was glad to have one really pretty snow this year! It was beautiful. When I see snow I always think about the phrase, "and your sin shall be washed whiter than snow." It's so pure and beautiful, wet and white.

Clayton and I went outside to play with our babies. The dogs have never seen snow. It was fun to watch them play. The snow was so deep it really freaked Izzie out. Her legs arent really long enough! Gus thought it was a great big toy. He kept eating it and jumping in it so it would fluff up! You can't see it in the picture but he has snow all over his nose! It is supposed to get down into the tens tonight. Maybe we wont have school tomorrow....

Hurrah for snow days!

The End Of A Busy Week

This week has been really busy. Whenever grades are due I tend to be a little crazed!





Gus sat on me while I was trying to do some of my grading Thursday night! Isnt he cute?!










On Monday, I chaperoned taking the Hip Hop kids to R.S. Payne Elementary. The little kids loved them and they really enjoyed going. Clayton finally came home on Tuesday and I am glad to have him home. Wednesday I spent some time with Clayton and we went to the Kabob Shop on Wards Rd. and shared a gyro. I was really impressed with their food. Ethnic food can really be done badly if the cook doesnt know what he/she is doing. Their food was GREAT and we will definately go there again. Thursaday I spent the day in Roanoke, again chaperoning a group of Glass students. We went to Roanoke College, which was beautiful, and to the Taubman Mueseum. The Singer Sargent piece called Nora was lovely and very typical of his work. It was large standing at least six feet tall and of a beautiful woman! I also enjoyed some of the modern art and a piece by a new, local artist that was reminsecnt of Dalhi. Friday was a slow day and I gave out grades. Clayton and I went to Sam's club and Walmart to get necessitites for the week/month. Currently, I have a crockpot cooking a Mexican chicken dish. Yummmy! I got the recipe from my friend Diedre at work.

Before I Meet Jesus

One of the girls I knew in college, Rachel Farmer, posted on facebook that she found her Life To Do List and got to cross off "Hike the Appalachian Trail." This really intrigued me. So I decided to make my own list of things I would like to do in my life before I meet Jesus.

Before I Meet Jesus (and in no particular order)

1. Own our own home
2. Have kids
3. Adopt a child
4. Run a race (NOT a marathon)
5. Visit every continent except Antartica
6. See the Pyramids
7. See the Cistine Chapel
8. Go on a Cruise
9. Go back to Cabo San Lucas
10. Get a masters degree in Christian Education
11. Be debt free
12. Travel, Travel, and more Travel
13. Read the Bible all the way through
14. Lead another person to Christ
15. Watch my children grow and know Jesus
16. Swim with dolphins
17. Write and publish a book
18. See live penguins

Little Something About Nothing

So, Clayton has been gone for a few days and I really miss him! I don't sleep well when he is gone. I try to put pillows on his side of the bed so that I can fool my sleepy self that he is there but it doesnt really work! The only benefit to him being gone is that I can watch chick flicks as much as I want... but I would rather have him here!
In the meantime, I have been grading papers and getting ready to had out interim reports.. and there is always that never-ending pile of laundry that I do but never seem to put a dent in....

I took Izzie and Gus to the SPCA yesterday and got them their rabies shots for $12 total. That was a blessing. They love new people and they got a lot of attention. Gus wagged his tail through the entire shot. I 'm not sure that he even knows that he got one! He is such a sweet natured dog. Izzie took it like a trooper as well and she got a bath yesterday. Having a white dog in Vegas wasnt too bad and she rarely got dirty. No rain=No mud=No Mess. Since our move to VA, she has certainly gained some local color and it is usually brown dirt!

And God Says, "Be Content."

Clayton and I watched John Hagee this morning on TV. His sermon was a very convicting one for us. The sermon was about debt and the management of money. There have been few people in America who have not been affected by the economic crisis. Pastor Hagee preached that most of the economic problems that Americans face is directly proportional to their greed. As Americans we want what we cant have and also what we cant afford but this doesnt stop our desire to have things. So much so, that we pay with money we dont have; we pay with credit. Oddly enough, the Bible tells us to be neither a borrower or a lender. Christ also tells us to, "store up our treasures in heaven, where moths and rust can not destroy and theives can not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

My last post dealt with my desire to have certain things, namely a house and kids. There is nothing wrong with having these things or even with wanting these things. I was wrong because of my discontentment. God's timing is always better. Always.

Just Not Ready

Clayton and I are not ready to buy a house.
We are not ready to start a family.
I feel like we're behind.....

It's not that we don't want these things. We are just not in a place in our lives to have these things.
I know that God knows. I know that God's timing is best. Yet, I find myself frustrated with our situation. Obviously, it's not what God wants for us right now, but I find myself envious of what others have. It's not that I want to take something away from someone else or wish that they didn't have it, I would just like to enjoy it too. When friends talk about their homes, I just can't relate to that. When they talk about starting a family, I just can't relate to that either. It ends up being a bit of a double edged sword. I want to know what is going on and I am genuinely happy that things are going well; however, I am reminded that once again we are not ready. We are not ready, we are not ready, we are not ready. When will we be ready?

When God says we are ready. When His timing is right. I just keep reminding myself of that.
"I know that plans I have for you says that Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you to give you a hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

In the Hospital

Last night at about 9:30 Dawn called to tell us that Herman is in the hospital. We are not really sure what exactly is wrong. All the doctors know is that it is somehow related to his pancreas. They want him to stay for a few days in the hospital. Obviously, we are worried about him. Clayton and I called our friend Tyler and he went to check on Dawn and Herman. What a blessing! It meant a lot to them and to us. Tyler and his wife, Brandi sat with Dawn and then helped her get what she needed. When times are tough it is always reassuring to see how God brings people into the situation the show you that He is there and that He cares! Please pray for Herman; we know God listens!

A Good Meeting

I met with Janet Hawkins today. She works at a local church doing music and diaconal ministry. It was really enjoyable. We talked about faith and calling and how that affects vocation. She offered to help me find a position in a church doing Christian Education. I am really excited!

Rental Nightmare

So... on December 3, 2008 our property management company closed its doors. This wouldnt be such a bad thing except for the tiny little fact that they DIDNT NOTIFY US! We spent the next month without any information about where our deposit is (which we still don't know) and how to get our rent to the appropriate person in January. We called, and we called, and guess what? We called again! Finally, the old realators gave us the name and address of our landlady. We sent her the rent for Decemeber and January. In February, we wrote a letter about our frustration about not having a property management company with our rent. Then... (play ominous music now) we get an email from our landlord about not getting January and December rent. Where is it you may ask... IN THE POST OFFICE BECAUSE SHE NEVER PICKED IT UP!!!!! Apparently, the lawyer in California who own this place didnt have the sense to get her mail. So the rent check is getting sent back to us and we have to mail it to her again....
We want to move but its the middle of the school year and we have a nice yard for our dogs.
Sigh.....
God knows whats going to happen. I need to remember that He is the best landlord.

The First Payneful Entry

Today was a beautiful day! It was SUNNY and SEVENTY! Clayton and I met our friends Dawn and Troy at the park and walked our dogs. I am glad that it was so nice out. Its getting to that time of year when the cold weather is getting old! I just wish for ONE good snow! Las Vegas had more snow this year than we have! After we got home Clayton got ready for a meeting. I am praying that it goes well. Guess I'll find out when he gets home!