Test Run

So, I had to get a new phone yesterday because the old one's charging and data transfer port got damaged. Mostly due to the user (i.e. Me). Sprint rep said most likely charging problems are problems beyond normal repair so I'd have to pay my 100 dollar deductible to get it fixed. Or she said I could get the new BB curve for 50 bucks since I'm a premier customer. So knowing I had to have a phone for this weekend and not wanting to spend 100 dollars I chose the cheaper option and went with the new phone. Come to find out, probably the best option because now I can post from my phone. So here's my test run post from the new BB Curve :) (oh and if it all works ok be sure to come back and check Saturday or Sunday because I will have a CG update!!!)

Almost Official

Here I sit in a nice Quality Suites with my husband, his best friend and my mom-in-law.  Taking full advantage of the free wireless.  What am I doing here you ask?  Releasing my husband into the hands of the US Coast Guard.  Yes the day is finally here, and I haven't done the best at keeping everyone updated, so here is a mess of need to knows (or if you just wondered where I've been since January). 

First, we moved in with Steve's grandma when our lease was up at the apartments.  It's taken a little bit to get used to, but it's definitely going to be good with Steven gone.  For both of us.  Unfortunately that meant we had no internet though.  But no fear, Steve's best friend hooked us up with a new laptop and wiped clean my old one so now we have 2 working laptops.  Steve also put a new plug on my charger so now that works too.  He's the best!

We had several going away parties in the past few weeks as well.  The first wasn't really a going away party, but everyone from Steve's discipleship group at camp went to Bair Lake to cook for the weekend back at the beginning of February.  It was good to get together with old friends even though it was a busy weekend serving 200+ middle and high school students.  This past weekend we went out to eat with one of the Lieutenants on the fire department and his girlfriend, the fire department threw a going away party for him at a local restaurant, and then my parents came last night and we went to Applebee's.  What a crazy week it's been!

This past week didn't go anything like I expected.  We woke up Monday morning to no power, a big ice storm knocked power out for about 41,000 customers in our county.  Fortunately my work still had power, but so many families didn't there weren't many kids there Monday and Tuesday.  Last month Steve booked a room at the Motor City Casino/Hotel as well as got 2 tickets to the Red Wings v. Sharks game because his step-sister and her husband were in from California.  So after several attempts to hook up a generator at his g-ma's, Steve and I headed to Detroit for the game.  It was a fun night and just what we needed after a couple of stress filled days due to the power outage.  Wednesday we headed back home at about 1, but decided to stop at IKEA to look for some furniture for our new place.  We were only going to be there a half hour, but ended up being there an hour and a half writing things down and figuring out what we want for bedroom, kitchen/dining room, and entertainment furniture.  We didn't buy anything because we have no idea how big our new place will be, or if it will be gov't housing, an apartment or rental house.  Thursday was worship practice.  Friday was out to eat.  Saturday was running last minute errands and the party.  Yesterday we had church, Steve picked out the songs for his last Sunday, so it was excellent!  Then this morning I took myself to immediate care because my cough kept me up half the night both Sat and Sun.  I knew it didn't really require an IC visit, but we needed to head to Lansing by 12:30 so I went in as early as I could.  Ends up I have bronchitis.  Wonderful.  Oh well...

On to more important things.  All the paperwork is signed and as long as his physical and weigh in goes smoothly tomorrow he will swear in to the US Coast Guard about 8:30 am.  Prayers will be much appreciated for travel safety!  So it's almost official...Steve will be Seaman Recruit Schink tomorrow and on his way to Cape May.

Wow...how fast the time has gone.  It doesn't seem like a year ago that we started on this journey, or even 4 months since we found out the date he was to leave.  I just hope and pray the next 3 months go as quickly.  And everyone I'm sure is wondering...how are you doing?  I'm okay now...got the tears out this morning when Dawn asked, but that's because I had just gotten back from the doctor and still felt horrible.  I know that we're in the center of God's will, and as long as that's the case everything is going to be just fine.  He will take care of both of us, and will put us where HE wants and needs us.  That was the prayer of some friends from church, that He would bless us as we head to our new city, and that He would put us exactly where we are supposed to be.  And that has been my prayer as well.  I am at peace, even though I may be a little worried about taking care of things while he's gone.  But the inevitable has come...and I must face this challenge because I want to come out stronger on the other side.

Moving Out and an Award

February 4th is coming closer and closer.  Only one more week in our apartment.  It's kind of bittersweet, once again I'm moving out of a temporary home into another one.  Steve and I are moving in with his grandma until he's all done with bootcamp, then I will join him at his unit at the end of May.  We were discussing this morning about the military life and moving every 3 to 5 years.  I'm not super thrilled about this, but Steve pointed out that I've moved at least once a year in the past 4 years.  So in comparison, waiting 3 years is going to be no big deal!

Anyways, we're getting things packed up and moved into our storage unit, and it's kind of sad to see bare walls and empty cupboards.  But there's this excitement too.  I know this is not my final place in life...not my final earthly place and for sure not where I will spend eternity because that place is with my Savior in heaven.  There's excitement for the things to come, like finding a new apartment or rental house (even if it is gov't owned), making new friends, helping out at a new church (not that I'm really looking forward to another search process for a new church, but that's another post for another time), and exploring things in our new city.

Oh but how I wish I knew where that city is located right NOW!  We won't know until April where we'll be moving, so moving right now is a little tough.  I like our city, the area where we live is great, and it's not too far from either family.  But like Steve is (and has been for awhile) reminding me...this is our adventure and we don't want regrets.  So we're moving.  Away from family and friends into the unknown...but God is going ahead of us so I'm excited to find out the things He has in store.

Honestly, I think that is what I'm most excited about in this whole moving experience.  The doors God will open for me.  He's already opened a huge door for Steven and our future family is this Coast Guard career option.  He can go to school and get a degree (or 2 or 3 like Steve thinks he wants ha ha!).  He'll be serving and getting to do most jobs he's already capable of doing as well as doing something that is his passion: helping others. We'll have insurance for future children, as well as his job will hopefully allow me to stay home while our future kids are young.  So I'm ready to see the jobs, service projects, and any other ministry opportunities that the good Lord has in store for me. I can just feel there's something great lying ahead, I just have to be patient.

*****

On another note Steven's fire department had their annual awards banquet last Thursday night.  He won the award for recruit of the year (which makes leaving all that much harder)!  I am so proud of him!  What makes it hard to leave is that the guys on his dept. are great.  They're encouraging and very professional.  Steve loves being and EMT and firefighter, it gets his blood going no matter the time of day or night that his pager goes off, and he's had lots of calls the past 2 months since he's been off probation.  He said tonight that maybe this is just God's way of helping him hone his skills for the Coast Guard.  I think that's a very good way to look at it.

Packing Has Commenced

I started packing a few weeks ago when I took all the Christmas decorations down, but this past week we got quite a bit of our "spare room" items packed up.  I normally hate packing, but I was actually enjoying it and am fairly motivated to keep going.  We have to be out of our apartment by February 4th, so I am definitely thankful that I've found this motivation.  I'm not sure if the excitement is from the idea of moving to a new place, or if it is just a gift of grace so that my husband won't have to hear me whine about packing for the next 2 weeks.  God is good, that's all I've got to say.  We need some more boxes/storage containers so the packing dwindled towards the end of the week, but hopefully this coming week I can get the whole spare room packed up.

We've also been debating about new living room furniture.  Do we get rid of all our unmatched furniture to get new?  Do we get rid of just some things that we know we don't want?  Or do we wait?  Steve and I went to Sauder Outlet on Saturday to get some ideas for an entertainment center, end tables, bookshelves and even some bedroom furniture.  It was fun looking but we can't seem to come to a decision on what color we like the most.  I think though we'll probably go with living room furniture in Jamocha wood finish which is a very dark brown.  I'm not an interior decorator by any means, but I really want our next home to be neat and not look all crazy with mismatched colors and patterns. 

In our first house we didn't paint because I liked the colors there already.  In our apartment we didn't want to take the time to paint because we didn't really have time in the first place.  We also weren't sure how long we'd be living there and didn't want to have to paint and then a year later prime everything before we moved out.  So I'm excited for the opportunities to decorate in a new place.

I digress...painting and decorating won't happen for another few months, so I'm getting ahead of myself.  Thankfully Steve found a storage place that's really nice just a few miles from our house, and since the Coast Guard will move our stuff for us, putting all our stuff in storage instead of at my parents' or his grandma's will be better for us.  Plus, one of Steve's friends from the fire dept is going to go in on one with us making it cheaper per month!  Talk about a great deal. 

I can definitely see the Lord working in little ways.  From me actually being excited to pack and the storage unit to just a peace about the whole process, I know this is exactly what we're supposed to be doing at this time in our lives.  And I can only imagine the blessings we'll receive for walking in faith.

Celebrate in Pictures

Here are some glimpses of our Christmas celebrations in 2010.

A New Year's Prayer

I found this in my inbox this morning from the worship training website Steve and I use through our church. I thought I would share it with my blog readers. It's so appropriate for my life today, and I just may print it out and keep it with me for the rest of the year as a reminder that everything that happens in 2011 is by the will of God, that my trust is in HIM alone and HE will carry us through the highs and lows of the coming year.

With You, We Walk

A Family Table Prayer For New Year's Week

Another year has turned its page, O Lord.

We feel promises about to be fulfilled, hopes that may be realized,

And sorrows unknown – that may become ours to bear.

All of this, we carry into a New Year.

We declare at the doorway into this year, that our trust is not
In any man or woman to fulfill us, 

Nor is our trust in circumstance,
Or a belief that the days ahead will be easy.

We do not expect, in this New Year, for our every prayer
To be answered in a way we would like.

You are in control, and we release our lives to you.

We put our trust in this:

That You who have been with us through this past year, Immanuel,

Will be with us in this New Year.

It is in You, Immanuel, we trust.

If you go ahead of us, we will go; if you go behind us, we will go.

If you will lead us in a cloud by day, and if you will
Light the night and its shadows with Your fire, 

we will faithfully follow.

This is our prayer: In all things that happen this year we ask

That we would be aware of Your presence, O Lord.

In this walk that will always be by faith and not by sight,
Let us percieve Your nearness.

We will stumble and fall, and we will also succeed and triumph.
We will laugh, and we will also weep. 

But in those moments in which we cannot sense You near,

Let us see with the eyes of faith the marks of Your presence all around us,
Beneath us,

Carrying us boldly into Your future.

With You we walk, with confidence and trust, into this New Year.

In Your Name we pray, living Lord Jesus,

Amen.

(prayer written by Dan Wilt, M.Min.)

Resolutions... No Just Realizing the Importance of Faithfulness

Well, 2010 is drawing to a close.  There has been a lot that's happened in the last year, and the common theme throughout is faithfulness.  With Steve's ship out date drawing near, I am not getting nervous or scared of the new changes coming, but I'm excited for the adventure.  I know we serve a God who is faithful and if I am faithful in following him I will experience blessings far greater than I could ever know.  And that is why I'm ready to move.  To finally see his plan come to fruition and start this adventure.

I've been reading a book called Love & War by John and Staci Eldredge (it's been off and on for about a year now oops!).  I picked it up again the other day, and what is the chapter about, but the need for a husband and wife to share in adventures together.  I realized in that moment that this is exactly what God has planned for us.  While I've been a little apprehensive about moving our future children from town to town or across the country perhaps, I have to remember this is God's exact plan.  He wants Steve and I to share adventures.  John & Staci talk about how couples need to make time to share experiences like hiking, horseback riding, or sailing.  Adventures don't have to take the form of outdoor experiences though, just something that the couple likes doing together...disc golf is an adventure for Steve and I (especially if those disc accidentally end up in the woods!).  The Eldredge's say that too often couples put all their time and energy into rearing children and when the children grow up and move out then they have nothing left in common anymore and more than likely end up divorced.  So our Coast Guard adventure is more than just a career, it is a way to strengthen our marriage.  And that is how I am going to look at it from now on. 

As we are planning to move into a new house, in a new city and more than likely a new state, verses that I've come to stand on are Joshua 24:14-15:

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

We will serve the Lord...through involvement in a new church, to making new friends, to our new jobs and future children...we will serve the Lord...through our shared adventure moving around the country, and our shared activities and hobbies.  I am excited to continue following this plan and walking by faith. For me there really is no other way to live.  I've had struggles before in trying to manage all the details, but He is a God who takes care of those details.  That too has been evident in our lives the past 12 months and why should I think that he won't take care of the details in this upcoming move? Matthew 6:25-31 comes to mind regarding this:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

So, my new year's resolutions are to rely more fully on the God of details and not on my own way of planning things.  It is just too stressful; He really does take the stress out of life when you just let him plan and you follow.  Why should I make myself sick by worrying about what will happen 2 weeks, 6 months, or 5 years from now...each day really does have enough trouble of its own. I will continue to focus on the day at hand, life is really a lot easier that way, and this way I won't miss out on those little moments that I might otherwise when trying to plan out my life far into the future.  I will continue to walk by faith, live by faith and share my faith with others as we head into 2011.  I'm excited for what God has in store for us!