My mom, Merrily, has been sick for over a week now. Initially, they thought it was pneumonia – but a very weird strain.  In fact, they asked her if she’d left the country recently.  (She hadn’t)  Today she sees a disease specialist.  We are starting to suspect Valley Fever.  It is a fungus and needs to be treated completely differently.  Please pray for her today as she needs them to listen to her and help her to feel better.

Unrelated, her older brother just died this morning following a long illness. :(  Please pray for his wife, children and siblings as they grieve his loss.

Today J3 (7.5) was baptized by his dad.  We were sitting in the back but my niece went up front with my mom and got a few pictures.  One funny thing.  The pastor had been doing baptisms, but when Eric and J3 came in, he moved out.  Eric commented on how warm the water was.  When Eric and J3 exited, pastor got back in to do more and said “Hey! It’s warmer now!” lol  That got a big laugh out of everyone!

Eric and J3 after 🙂

First, prayer request – It is time for a big tune-up for our van.  In order to save some money, Eric and his dad were going to do the work.  His dad is a retired mechanic but working together has not always gone well.  They spent the morning gathering the required parts ($$) and then put the van in my FIL’s driveway and jacked it up.  Well, within 5 mins disaster struck.  We don’t know why – but all of a sudden the key won’t work.  Something has locked up.  My FIL had to be somewhere and Eric is freaked out.  I’m freaked out – this is our family vehicle.  We do have another, older van – a conversion van – but it is so big that I don’t like to drive it.  I will learn if I have to — but other newer van is better for me.  Please pray that (1) they will figure out what is wrong, (2) there will be no other problems and setbacks and most importantly (3) that they work well together.

Yesterday, I tried to get video of JGirl jabbering – a momento for when she is all grown up.  It didn’t turn out to well – she thinks the camera is a fun toy! But I enjoyed it all the same:

Everyday, I’m surrounded by blessings…but two are really standing out lately.

Little:

Our niece is getting married next week on the 4th of July. It’s an outdoor wedding followed by a late reception where we all will watch fireworks together. (Well, that is assuming JGirl allows that – I suspect she and I will be in the motel. Oh well)

I kept remembering and forgetting I needed a dress for the wedding. I’d remember usually just before I fell asleep – not a great way to get anything done. My mom came over last week to see if I liked a dress she found for me. But while she was here I remembered a dress I bought last fall on super clearance – like 80% off. However, after buying it, the one time I did try it on – it was too small! Yikes!! But I tried it on this time and it fit! And, I have shoes! And, I bought the perfect necklace a month or so ago – no idea it would work with this dress!

I know it’s small but I am definitely feeling blessed! Matthew 6:28-30

Big:

All this house stuff. We have been married for 21 years. Due to our choices in life – mainly moving out of state and attending Seminary – we delayed what many people thought were normal married life activities. Thus a couple of my old friends welcomed grandchildren the same time I was welcoming home our newest child.

A few times I would watch others buy homes and wish it was me. Mainly after moving so many times and having upheaval after upheaval, I just wanted the stability that home ownership offered. In the mid 90s we looked into home ownership for the first time, but our debt was too high after Seminary. We started paying down our debt. When we moved to another community, we looked at it again. And, while our debt ratio was better, we didn’t have any money on hand and we were fairly sure we didn’t want to be that far from “home”.

Then while pregnant with Joshua, I really wanted to go home. When Eric came to that decision too, we had a pretty good idea of what we were giving up. Not just a career we’d spent most of our marriage preparing for, but we truly believed that home ownership here was just too expensive. But we both felt a huge need to be “home”. And, I’ll be thankful until the day I die that we were here when Joshua died. I don’t think we could have survived that ordeal without our family support and familiar surroundings.

Anyway – I’m getting off topic. It just amazes me that in a matter of 30+ days we could be moving into OUR home. A home where we can decide what doors stay and what doors go….or what color to paint walls…of if we want carpets or to show the hardwood floors.

And, it’s the little things in this BIG adventure that are tickling me…

  • There is a sprinkler system in both front and back yards. A luxury we’ve never had before.
  • There is a huge brick BBQ out back (and Eric’s gas BBQ just quit LOL)
  • There is a water softener system already installed
  • There is a water filtration system already installed
  • I get to learn how to cook on gas!
  • There is a fireplace – and it appears to be in perfectly good shape!
  • There are beautiful dark hardwoods under this carpet that is sooo much nicer than what we are living with right now. So keep it or dump it, we are doing good!
  • And, I just had a thought – if we are careful when we pull up the carpets, my mom might be able to replace some of the older carpets in her bedrooms of her house! Cool!

I’d better stop – I could do this all day – the physical therapist will be here anytime now!

From my mom’s daily Oswald Chambers Email list…..

He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be My son. Revelation 21:7 …and Ozzie says, “God does not give us
overcoming life; He gives us life as we overcome.”

I just got a call moments ago from a dear friend (C) from Paradise.
Half that community has been evacuated due to a fire that flashed up from
Chico and as she has been evacuating many animals (she alone has 3 horses,
dogs, cats and a goat) she has seen devastation like you might see in the
end times. At this moment she and limited others are being escorted back
home by police to get needed medications, and she is seeing, on Skyway
between Chico and Paradise, what was once lush green is charred and still
aflame. Please pray for these people to overcome as many have lost their
homes already and the fire is only 10% contained. C worked all night
to get others animals out as this is an area that has many little horse
ranches. (Also), Our friend M has lots of family in Paradise ~ please
pray for L and A plus kids, grandkids and greatgrandkids. I will be
meeting C (a single mom with a little boy with respiratory problems) in
the next few hours to get her son M out of the smoke ~ she is already
speaking of miracles the Lord has performed just throughout the night.
Lord, have mercy on this little community and our friends, and give up
opportunity to show mercy ourselves as the needs arise. oxMerrily