Back Home Again.... In Jackson

Once again I come to you with a pictureless post. For some reason my computer won't let me add photos to my blog. I haven't gotten around to figuring out what's wrong, but could not wait to share today's happenings.

So we returned to Jackson, MI yesterday afternoon. We were so blessed to have someone to watch our kids while we unloaded and five guys to carry our things upstairs. It's was a blessing to open the door to find soup in the crock pot and cookies on the counter for us. We enjoyed supper with some of our friends here and tucked the kids in. After a nice chat with my friend, and Kent watching a guy movie we retired to our glorious queen size bed.

Then today we had to go to Mejier. The kids did great. I also needed to mail a package to Bobbie so we went to the post office. I didn't think it would take long, so Kent agreed to stay with the kids and the pack of Mentos.

Well, the post office took longer than I thought so as I'm walking out Kent texts me, asking if they shipped me with the package to Uganda. When I got to the van Kent hands me the Mento package, baring one lonely mento, and proceeds to tell me just what happened while I was inside...

• While listening to  "Taking Care of Business" Grady asks "Daddy, what does take it to the business mean?"
• A questionable character walks up to the trash can and starts rummaging through for pop cans. Immediately, Grady questions Kent about what he is doing.
• A man in a orange jump suit and hand cuffs walks by being escorted by two well dressed men. Grady proceeds to ask Kent what the man had done wrong.
• Another song come in the radio, "Free Falling" Grady asks, "Daddy, what's free balling."

•  Grace is sitting there this entire time just asking for more Mentos.

Needless to say I was in tears by the time Kent got done telling me these things. All this happened in this space fifteen minutes! It was a good laugh that I definitely needed.

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Here, There, and Everywhere

Wow, November 8th was a long time. Lots has taken place since then. Kent and I have finished our first semester at NTBI. We will now start on our Sophomore semester when we return in a week. During our first semester we completed Biblical Foundations, Evangelism, Pentateuch, and Old Testament History. Kent also completed Biology,  Hermeneutics, and Proverbs. These studies have grown our understanding about God's sovereignty and his faithfulness. We need to always be seeking a relationship with him.

In Old Testament History (OTH) we were required to do write ups. In these we would take a story of the Old Testament, graph it's story plot and then write about how it applies to our lives. These were very eye opening. I wrote about Luke, our foster son, a lot, about how walking with The Lord will never be an easy walk, how church is so much more than just what makes me feel good, and trusting God when we're uncertain about the steps of faith he's asking us to take. The write ups were a love-hate relationship! Yet in there end we did learn a lot from them.

 The write up that hit me the most was that God was asking me to move on from Luke, our foster son. In 1 Saumel, God asks Saumel how long he would mourn over King Saul. God told him to go and annoint David as king. November 27 was a turning point for me. I realized that I had to move on from my grief about Luke. He was gone and wasn't coming back. It was a huge relief for me. I was free from a burden that had enslaved me for eight months. Now do I still miss him? Sometimes. However, I can think about him in a rational, healthy manner without crying all over the place!

Since school has been out we've been in Bluffton, IN. We're blessed enough to stay at House of Hope while the boys were on Christmas break. Kent helped with the chores and opened and closed the store each day. We were able to have Christmas morning to ourselves, which was a special to me.

Kent has been working at Fairway Flooring since December 23. We knew that he would have a job until January 1 but we didn't think it would go past that. However, Kent proved himself to be a really hard worker and they offered him job for the entire time we were home. God totally took care of this need. Kent's working hard, and I'm so proud of him and how he's caring for our family.

On December 31, we moved all our things over to the Lockwoods. Grady was so excited to be with their daughter, Emry. This was the family that we stayed with this summer. They are such a blessing to us. They received us and all our stuff with open arms. It's always a little crazy with 5 kids and 4 adults in one house but it always seems to work out well!

I'm so thankful for the time we've had herein Bluffton. We've been visiting with friends and family. Kent and I joke that we need to go back to NTBI just to be able to rest. We've also had more down time here than in Jackson, so I found a new hobby. Arm knitting! It's a lot of fun. I've made many scarves, and would love to make a blanket. I wishing could figure something else to make but that's about all I know how to make.

We'll be headed back to NTBI next Monday. That will give us two days to get settled in before we start classes in the 15th. We're thankful for all our time here in Bluffton and look forward to catching up with all our friends in Jackson.