i've sat down so many times to update the blog and knew there was so much to update and just couldn't get myself to take the time, so tonight i am.
get ready there has been so much going on! interesting enough after the excitement in my last post and GREAT hopes to be in our bldg. by easter, we are not. it would've been the perfect time to have our first sunday, to celebrate, to be among those churches that holiday church goers have to choose from to attend that sunday. unfortunately, the delay came when our storefront neighbors moving truck backed into our side of the bldg., shattering our front door and pushing in all the other glass, which then had to come out. (see pic below)
Soooo, all renovation took a hault for almost 3 weeks. I do happily report that we were able to get back in a couple of days ago and ben has been working hard on finishing the electric, which has been inspected and ok'd and then drywalling the bathrooms. Our glass should be put in next Wed. and hopefully we'll be in a couple weeks after that. This process has definately been slower than molasses, but the Kingdom of God here in Aiken IS advancing through Ebenezer Naz!! Here are a few more pics from the progress of the past couple of days. dylan loves to go and "help daddy work on the church building"...pic below he's helping chad, holding the wall so he can put the nails in. i love that he's a part of this.
there today with dad as he was sanding.
he got a little lesson in mudding and did a bit himself!
ben sanding what will be the bathrooms.
on a personal note, i started leading our ladies here in beth moore's "breaking free" study at the end of february. it could NOT have come into my life in better timing. i cannot emphasize enough how this study should be a part of EVERY woman's journey!!!!! this is CRUCIAL for both new believers foundations and for us who have been walking! God is doing amazing things in my life through this study and i'm grateful for the freedom i've found. i have to say i feel like i'm in the best place i've been in my life in a long time. the grief that comes with the loss of lisa lingers very much still, some days overwhelmingly...and that's to be expected, but i'm excited about where i am in my journey in everything else. and that feels good to say.
i've decided to give sewing a try. i picked up a purse pattern and some material/supplies the other day and a friend here let me borrow a sewing machine and i'm going to give it a whirl. i'd really like to see if its something i could do to create some income. people here would really go for handmade purses, thinking i may be able to sell in local shops down here, so we'll see how that goes. i'll make sure o document my progress :)
our home in michigan is STILL on the market..we're going on 19 months now, yep, you read that right. we thought 2 1/2 weeks ago we were on the journey to a sale, we were, and then the buyer backed out after we accepted his offer 2 weeks before the closing date. soooo we're back to square one. this obviously brings along questions, mostly why God would allow us to go so far in that process and feel that weight lift and allow us to think forward with housing here for it to not go anywhere...but, i'm choosing to believe that these are the things that continue to test our faith, to test our trust, and as much as this feels like he's giving us a stone when we've asked our father for bread, he has promised not to do so...so i'm choosing to rest in that somehow, beyond my understanding its bread...so we continue on.
on a random note, if i didn't know better, i'd think i had the nesting itch. i've been on a mission to declutter this townhouse, feeling more ok with getting rid of things than ever. it's been a GREAT feeling and have gone through about everything but the kitchen. i've cleaned things out and reorganized pretty much every closet! its good motivation to keep things that way, such a liberating feeling!
my kids continue to be amazing...warm weather here returned about 2 1/2 weeks ago and we've been enjoying several days at the park, which really has become our backyard, or yard at all since we don't have one. dylan's compassion, sensitivity and love for others keep showing itself on a regular basis and i am excited about how i see God shaping his heart already. Grahm continues to be a bundle of joy and the girl i've always wanted, haha. that boy is a mama's boy (which i have to say parts of me secretly love) and a bit of a drama queen which we're quickly seeking to tame before it gets out of control. he makes us laugh and smile all day though and seems to know those days when i need extra hugs. here's a few pics of our latest adventures.
dylan and i went with a group of kids to see a marionette puppet show, he loved it, particularly because it was all about dinosaurs.
my kids LOVE the slide!
a ride at the park today, grahm was so excited about his outfit today. the kid is obsessed with thomas. he loves carrying him around and typically only wants to play with him when he and dylan play trains. i think we have a small obsession on our hands. i showed him his shirt today and he immediately started humming the thomas tune!
the weekend brings some more excitement with my sister and her family coming into town for their spring break! dylan can't wait to have ariana here to play with, he's made lots of plans for us :). it'll be so great to have some family here and to have time for them to really see where we live and to spend time showing them around and enjoying the places we like to go. i hope to be better at getting this updated so they don't have to be so long. if you finished reading all this, thanks :).
