Just roll with it.

Has it really been nearly 8 months since my last post?  So much has happened in those short eight months I'm not sure what to include or where to begin.  I have to say the main reason I continue to post here is for myself:  to reflect and remember and cherish the good and the hard parts of my life.

Shortly after my last post, Blake and I purchased our first home in Waverly.  We had walked through several homes online and in person and none had struck a chord.  My aunt had began to act as our realtor.  She works for Home Real Estate, and it was good to have someone close whom we trust to be this middle person for us in this brand new experience.  It was the week of my Spring Break and we were house/dog sitting for my mom and step-dad, who were gone vacationing in Hawaii.  On a Saturday, we had walked through a house that was in DIRE need of renovations, but had some real potential underneath it all.  Blake was sort of in love.  Robin, my aunt, had said she had a house coming on the market in the next week but she couldn't really tell us much because they hadn't finished up with the appraiser, etc.  We didn't really think much of it because, well, things weren't going so hot.  A few days later, she called us and said that the house was finally available for us to view; we would be the first.  Would we like to come see it?  Sure, why not?  We walked in and silently walked from room-to-room.  I didn't say much because I knew how much Blake liked the other house (but, man, did I feel like this was OUR house!).  I had just come up from the downstairs area and Blake had come in from the garage and we stopped in the living room and just looked at each other.  We both just said how much we love the house and how it just felt right.  Like with the person you're to marry, they say it's the same with your first home: when you know, you know.  And, the rest is history.

My summer was repetitive and monotonous with the roaring dull of summer classes.   I took three and that was that.  Nothing too exciting to share there...but with those three classes, I am 27 credits toward my Masters.  YAY!

This was a summer for change, however.

Before school ended, I began running with my new neighbor (and Blake's college friend!), Maggie.  I use running lightly because we were really walking a lot and hardly surviving thirty second jogs.  It's quite amusing looking back and seeing how we struggled, but at the time it felt pathetic.  We followed the Couch to 5K program and both ran the Color Run.  We kept at it three times a week, and just ran a five mile in Nebraska City a couple weeks ago.  We're looking forward to the 10K we're running in Springfield in two short weeks.  What a great feeling to see and feel your accomplishments when you don't give up!

This was also the summer my grandma was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  Even as I feel as though this is the new norm, seeing myself type those words makes my stomach churn.  Grandma had been having problems for months prior and it sincerely came as a shock to us all.  Surely, this could not be true.  Surely, this wonderful, amazing, devoted, hard-working mother of three and grandmother to many could not have cancer.  We leaned on our faiths and on each other as this soon became reality.  I felt God's blessings as I had time in the summer to spend with my grandma and grandpa at some of grandma's many doctor's appointments throughout the summer.  Thank you God for allowing me to have a job where I could do this.  I never knew I would learn so much about strength in hard times by pure example.

My grandmother's positive attitude is something I will never forget.  She knows her savior and knows that whatever happens, happens.  I want to be like her.  I saw my grandpa take notes, do research, make appointments, take care of what needed to be taken care of.  I saw an example of true love. Even though things have been hard and it's an awful thing to see the people you love suffer, I had to choose to see the blessings.  I was blessed to see the strength, love, faith, and devotion of my family.  And, boy, did I ever see those things.  I can't help but thank my Jesus every day because not everyone can see those things in good times, even less in hard.

I am blessed.

Lenten Lament

This is the first day of Lent.  It seemed to spring up out of nowhere and I have been scrambling to find something to give up.  I'm not Catholic, but I don't believe that means that I can't participate in Lent.  Every year I've given up something for Lent, people have asked me confusedly, "Are you Catholic?"  No.  I just love God. And, it's something I want to do.

In years past I've given up sweets, pop, facebook.  To be honest each thing was much easier to do than I had originally thought.  They weren't easy tasks, but I succeeded.  In my mind, Lent was about making some sort of sacrifice (no matter how superficial) with the help of God.  I'm a human being, so I tend to lack will power and motivation from time to time.  I love sweets.  I love pop.  I am admittedly addicted to facebook.  So, no matter how insignificant those sacrifices sound, they were difficult.  But the minute I put it in my mind that I was doing this to strengthen myself with God's help, they became less challenging tasks.  Now, if only I could apply that mentality to the big things in life all year round.

I read an article today that spurred this blog, which looks to Lent as a reminder of our weakness.  A reminder that we are sinners.  That we are imperfect and that Jesus has to do the work for us.  So, that is what I will focus on this Lent season: thanking God that He is perfect because there would be no hope if I had to be. 

Today I am thankful for: sunny days, early days off from work, opportunities to learn

Thinking ahead

I'm back to hanging out with my old friend, procrastination, again.    We're back in classes now for about the third week since we had such a cozy month break in between semesters.  The books are (THANKFULLY) much more interesting and easier to read that last semester's, so there's a praise.  Yet, here I find myself dawdling. 

There are four weeks (including this) until Spring Break, but I'm not really counting down the days yet   :-)  I'm anticipating that break and hoping to get back to that unseasonably warm weather.  I miss it!  Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I sent off little goodies for my nephews, which only remind me how much I miss their sweet faces.  I dream of the day my sis-sis and her family will move back home. 

Blake and I are in the process of getting involved with a FLOCK at church.  We've been there nearly two years and are finally putting our feet forward.  We're going to meet with a couple or a few groups to see if there's a good fit.  Prayers and encouraging thoughts are welcome.  Being involved with a group of Christians for the sole purpose of fellowship and study would be so wonderful. 

We're also looking forward to the next step in our lives- home ownership!  It's been a bumpy and anxious road already.  We have gotten ahead of ourselves and been let down a few times already, and we keep praying that God will guide us and put us just where He wants (which He would do even if we didn't ask).  We're going to keep saving and wait until we're closer to the end of our lease.  We're faithful that things will work out just the way they are intended. 

A while back I was reading 1 Peter and really enjoyed it up.  There's a passage that reminded me of something our pastor shared with us on Sunday.  The verse is 1 Peter 2:10.
               "Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received
                mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Our pastor shared with us a story of a man who committed unspeakable crimes and upon serving his time prior to execution, came to know our Savior.  He repented and spoke that he came to know the amazing grace of Jesus Christ.  People were naturally outraged and despised this thought.  But, friends, where in the Bible is there an indicator of sins in rank of worst to least worst in the eyes of our beloved?  Jesus came to save those of us in the worst conditions.  He views your "minor" sin as the same as this man's "major" sin.  There is no difference to Him.  God's grace has no limitations.  Remember, "once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Today, I'm thankful for: God's unending mercy and amazing grace, my husband who listens, loves, and cares, a steady job, health, and family & friends who continue to love me for me

What are you thankful for?