A Lesson from 1st Grade

Lauren told us that her class was doing the lesson for chapel this week at school. So, Nolan and I went to watch her...little did I know what was in store for me! First, they did a "play" about Noah's ark and acted it all out (Lauren was the dove). Then, the teacher talked about God's faithfulness - she said God was asking Noah to do something that didn't make sense to him or his family or anyone else around him...BUT he chose to obey anyway, even though he didn't understand. This was when the waterworks started for me. Then the kids sang a song and the lyrics were:

"First you do what God tells you to do,
Then you wait for Him to follow through,
'Cause you know God's word is always true,
He'll do what He says He will do."

So, here I am, standing in the back of the room at an elementary school chapel, crying my eyes out - I mean it, I could NOT stop!! Poor Nolan was looking at me and saying, "Mommy ok?" as I'm pulling tissue after tissue out of my purse. It was like that whole service was just for me...and Lauren had never even mentioned what their chapel was about! The Lord works in the most incredible ways and I was so thankful that he chose to use the mouths of 1st graders to remind me of His faithfulness today!! Even though we don't understand why we are going through this time of uncertainty and we don't know where we will end up, God is calling us to obey Him by doing what He tells us to do and going where He tells us to go. And the best part? At the end of this storm will be a rainbow (just like Noah)!

Craft of the Week

This week I decided to do something less seasonal and more fun! We just made a big trip to Costco so we had a lot of empty cardboard food boxes. While it didn't end up being that structurally sound (I'm no architect)...we had fun making it and he loves using his new double-decker parking garage for his matchbox cars. You can make anything work with some duct tape! :)

The Search Begins...

Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since Ryan lost his job. He has been hitting it hard, networking and getting his resume out there. And the response has been very encouraging. The last time he was laid off, it took 2 months to find something. This time, we aren't even at the 1 month mark and he has already had interviews! The companies he has interviewed with and are interested in him are located in very different places:

• Savannah, GA (just about the cutest Southern town ever)
• Winston-Salem, NC (we wouldn't have to move)
• Rochester, NY (brrrrr)
• Oregon City, OR (yay - home!)

Obviously, we have our ideas about which one we would prefer, but we are really wanting to follow the Lord's will for our family. Ryan has stayed very positive and, amidst all the job hunting, has really been enjoying his time at home. He has been able to take Lauren to school in the mornings, play cars with Nolan and have lunch-dates with me!! We are definitely making the most of having him here, but also prayerfully seeking God during this time of uncertainty. Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement - we will continue to keep you posted as things progress!

Hard Working Man

Nolan decided he needed to do some yard work this morning...













"Bye mom, I'm off to work!"














Mowing the front yard














Thumb up for a job well done!

Let the Waters Rise

Ryan lost his job with Remington today. We had a hint that it may happen soon - the company didn't have the best year and had laid off in other offices. So, it wasn't a huge shock, but still a big disappointment because he really LOVED his job. There were several others who were let go along with him - the company has some new management and they were wanting to reorganize.

As scary as it is to be in this place again, we can't help but look at all the ways the Lord has provided for us and blessed us in the months leading up to this - He did not allow our house to sell (being stuck up in Madison would have been awful!). We just recently made the decision not to go back to Oregon for Christmas, to try and save money (so glad we hadn't already spent the money and bought our tickets). We also just bought a home computer and an external hard drive and Ryan spent the better part of last weekend moving all our family pictures and videos off of his work computer and onto the hard drive (otherwise we would have lost all those memories)!!

It's so amazing when you can look back and see things God was doing, even though you had no idea at the time. He definitely works in mysterious ways! He has carried us through difficult times before and always provided exactly what we need...so we are choosing to stand unafraid and face this storm with confidence in His goodness and His plan. There is a song by Mike's Chair that keeps playing over and over in my head...

"Don't know where to begin,
It's like my world's caving in,
And I try, but I can't control my fear.
Where do I go from here?

Sometimes it's so hard to pray,
When you feel so far away.
But I am willing to go where You want me to.
God, I trust You.

There's a raging sea right in front of me,
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees.
So let the waters rise if You want them to.
I will follow You, I will follow You.

I will swim in the deep,
Because You'll be next to me.
You're in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea.
You're never out of reach.

God, You know where I've been,
You were there with me then.
You've been faithful before, You'll be faithful again.
I'm holding Your hand.

There's a raging sea, right in front of me,
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees.
So, let the waters rise, if You want them to.
I will follow You, I will follow You."