Waiting..

You know the average person spends five years of their lives waiting...waiting in lines and things like that? Well I was wondering how much time to we spend waiting for answers. Yep you guessed it the TN house has not yet sold and we are waiting...and have been waiting for the past 7 months. Every day I pray and I hope and I wait. At the end of the month I stress because our mortgage and rent are due on the same day. Luckily we have the money saved to pay for both but I feel like our savings/retirement is swirling down the drain and it will only be but a moment before the rubber ducky hits the bottoms with a slight squeak.
It is not by coincidence that our pastor has been preaching on faith...and a couple of weeks ago on the faith in waiting. Thank you, Lord and Pastor Bill...I promise I am doing my best but this is tough!! Peter 1:25 says "....but the word of the Lord stands forever." So I will continue to trust, continue to pray, continue to wait for something to happen with the house.
One thing we have been waiting for that has been answered is Joe's promotion. Joe is now officially a Captain P (P meaning promotable). He should be promoted to Major in the June July time frame. One thing is is that if the TN house hasn't sold by then this pay increase will make a huge difference in being able to afford both houses. Anyway I am very proud of my man. We have been joking about Major jokes...major pain...major problem...major goober...and other jokes that aren't appropriate ;).
The kids are pretty good. I am slightly worried about little Joe. He needs a tube change and his behavior at school hasn't been all that great. He also told me he threw up today...which since his second fundoplication 4 years ago he has not. So it concerns me a bit. Fortunately we see the doctor at Vanderbilt in a couple of weeks so I am praying this can be fixed. Garrett and Katie are doing well being as cute and sweet as ever.
Again I have stayed very busy between FRG duties, diaper cakes, and fundraising projects for post. We are getting excited as my Dad and his lady friend as coming to visit for Easter! I miss him so much! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and praying all of waiting times will come to a close soon.

"Having a Mary Heart..."

I have been attending the PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) on post for about a month now. The book we are covering is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I've known for quite some time that I tend to fill my plate with too many obligations. I'm the one who raises her hand if no one else does. You know the gal in college who had to have assignments and papers finished a day early...yep that was me too.

This book follows the New Testament story of Mary and Martha who have Jesus into their home. While Martha is rushing around preparing and keeping up with the needs of the guests Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. And when Martha complains to Jesus, He tells her that Mary has made the right choice. Weaver's book is not about giving up our duties but about serving God while we do them. It also brings up that people who tend to be "Marthas" often take on not only their duties but others' as well. ....that's me. I always take on so much that I cannot find the joy in the things that I wanted to do in the first place. This book is greatly changing my everyday life and even the way I parent. I consider myself a fairly strict mother. I often forget the ages of my children and expect them to be perfectly....Martha like. I used to raise my voice a lot at my kids...mostly out of frustration and the thinking that if I yell they will know I am angry and they will stop whatever they are doing. I have learned that is not always the case. It also seems to encourage my kids to yell more. And since one of my duties is to be a good mother I have decided to have a "Mary heart" while doing so.

I have also always been one to try and keep a clean house. Not because I wanted to (Mary), but because I thought I was expected to ( more like Martha). Now I still do the same thing (mostly because a touch of OCD is also involved) but I WANT to do and I am happy to because I am serving God and my family.

This book is really great for all kinds but for those who feel overwhelmed with the busyness of everyday life and those who think think they "must do it all", Weaver's book is very inspirational. It's funny, an easy read, and for me has painted a clearer picture of how I should view my duties as a wife, mother, and child of God.