When It Rains....It Pours...{Update}

I'm sure everyone has heard the expression "When it rains, it pours".... Yup - that seems to happen, and I used to get SO frustrated when life would take us to this place of "I-can't-control-anything", but I've learned something about it. Not only do things happen for a reason, but whenever it rains, do you know what comes after the rain? Beautiful green grass, flowers and the sweetest, most beautiful time that you can possibly imagine! Sometimes the rain may seem torrential, but it is used to encourage people around you and show the work that is being done as the spring comes again.

As you can tell from my picture above - we had car trouble this past week. Today ends the third straight week of Jason being off, and last week we were blessed to have my mom and Joe visit us in Texas. We enjoyed our time together, but on one of the days that I took them up to look at housing communities, the van died...

It was quite possibly the hottest day in Texas - amid a drought in which there hasn't been rain, so the heat radiates off the ground....

 And there's seven people in the van - which now lacks the ability to cool everyone off....and we are 45 minutes away from our house....and it's lunch time....

 And Jason is an hour away at an interview... Although he is able to come up to rescue us, on the way - he got a flat tire....

 So after about three hours, we got the tow truck to tow the van home - mom and I rode with him and Jason hauled him, the four kids and Joe with him in the truck...

 It cost about $1000 when all was said and done for four new truck tires, a new van alternator and battery and to be towed home, BUT God took care of it. Not only that, but other things too.....

When Jason left Lexus, we had to withdrawl his retirement.... that covered the issues with the van....AND we were able to pay off his Snap-On tools.....AND we were able to enjoy our time together with family. There's going to be a beautiful picture that God is painting with our family....just allow the rain to fall so that the flowers to follow will be gorgeous! Stay tuned for another update... :D I anticipate GREAT things!

Summer Week 1

An unexpected blessing has allowed us to have our first week of summer spent together as a whole family. We have decided to utilize this "time in between" to enjoy what God has given us.... to spend the time we always wished we had investing in our kids and growing our family. It's been such a blessing, too! How many times do we really take the time to look around us at what God has provided? The beautiful kids; the financial provision thus far; the promises of His word; His creation around us?

It's hard to not get caught up in what people expect: the fear and panic of not having a paycheck come in every two weeks. We got Jason's last work check today in the mail, and that did kind of make a new set of reality sink in.... But then I remembered God's promise to me and my family - "I promise to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11)

In the midst of filling out numerous applications, visiting dealerships (and actually having an interview at one!), cleaning and preparing the house for my momma's visit, we decided to STOP..... and enjoy each other - to encourage and build each other up - to remember the things that are imporatant in life....

Here's what we did this week:

We rode bikes and played with chalk

Helped daddy unload his toolboxes

Played with waterguns and bubbles

Someone didn't like being hit with the watergun...

Practiced getting ready for Pre-K!

And best night of all - we got to go over to one of my closest friend's pools and hang out. The kids had a BLAST!

 

Is it me, or does Josh look entirely too grown up in this picture??!! Where's my little boy?

So in the midst of the storms of life, remember to be thankful for the rain it brings, and the refreshment you get out of it - you always come out renewed and stronger than before...