When God was Busy Weaving

This is what happens when God starts spinning and weaving a woman's life so fast that she has no time to think or breathe, much less blog about the blurry visions surrounding her. She goes months without updating but has more than a mouthful of life-changing updates!

Indeed, God has been hard at work in my life, and I am seeing just how long he has been threading this yarn around and across my days and years. It has been an incredible summer of learning to truly trust God with what matters most and finding out how delightful are His gifts.

Allow me to indulge in a whirlwind, categorized update with few details because that is how the last several months have felt to me. Life has come so fast and so wily that it has taken all I have to keep up with processing these events in heart and mind.

Event: Heath's brush with cancer
Details: I am most happy to report that we found out in April that Heath does NOT have skin cancer after all. It was an abnormal growth but not cancerous. So thankful that was not in our script.
Lessons Learned: Our family unit is precious and the relationship between Heath and I is the most important one we have on Earth. We need each other desperately, and we need to keep the communication lines open and time spent together as a priority.

Event: Non-stop car problems
Details: Our silver Jeep Liberty has had no end of issues over the last several months. Friends have come to help here and there, we have taken it to professionals, and yet the car still limps along on its last leg. Currently, it can't drive for more than 10 minutes without overheating.
Lessons Learned: We can actually survive with just one car, and it does, in fact, make it easier for Heath and I to connect--even if just for 10-15 minutes as we drive each other to various things.

Event: Elraen's arrival

Details: Round about the beginning of June, Elraen, one of my dear friends from CleanPlace, rolled into town in her car to live with us for the summer and possibly longer. She had just graduated from college and was entering into a stage of transition before the next big life adventure.

Lessons Learned: Elraen needed rest, and somehow, in the midst of our family chaos, she could find it here. She is kindred spirit going through a lot of soul stretching that coincides with what my heart is stretching through too. Through day to day observation of her steadfast commitment to God, my own relationship with Him has deepened as we both actively practice listening to and obeying Him. We have really needed each other this summer.

Event: The mountains caught on fire
Details: The Waldo Canyon fire started at the beginning of June and continued for days, destroying homes, neighborhoods, and landmarks that have stood for decades. Whole sections of the city were evacuated, families displaced, as the flames ravaged the landscape. Our mountains are not the same today, and so many lives have been shaken.
Lessons Learned: Even through evil, God shines brighter than any flame on this earth. A young family at our church lost their home, but God has cared for them in ways no one could imagine. Today, they are closer to Him and each other than ever before. Their testimony of God's care and compassion wrenches my heart with gratitude of all that God can do.

Event: Cousins reunited
Details: My cousin Kristi and her family just happened to be coming through town at the end of June. We were able to meet up with her and see her kids, most of whom did not exist last time I saw Kristi.
Lessons Learned: Family ties cannot be broken with time. There was no weirdness or awkwardness between us, and we talked as though we had been in touch all the time over the last decade, though I haven't seen her since 2001. Not only that, but all of our kids got along famously!

Event: The sun sets on Pulpit Rock
Details: At the beginning of the summer, I received the news that, due to the economic state of the church, Pulpit Rock would need to reduce my position in such a way that I would really no longer be able to work there. The new salary would not be able to support our financial needs.

Though I broke down and cried over the loss of a job I had held for 12 years, I knew that God had something in store for me--something big. He always does when life does a dropkick. I had until the end of the summer to find a new job before the changes went into effect, so I began looking in earnest, trusting that God would do something amazing.

However, it wasn't until I actually gave official notice that my last day would be August 15, completely blind as to what the future held, that God provided an opportunity to apply for a position at Got Questions Ministries, an organization that provides biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually-related questions online.

To make a long story short, I went through a multi-step application process (which began June 18), experienced my farewell luncheon at Pulpit Rock (August 6), and was then offered the job at Got Questions (August 10). Talk about cutting it close! But God doesn't waste a minute at all. His timing was flawless.

Lessons Learned: Wow. God is awesome. XD I am floored by how He has brought me to this point in my life. I couldn't have planned a more perfect place for me to be. This is a job that combines everything I am passionate about: writing, webmastery, art, and working with teens. Honestly, does God know how to take care of a girl or what?

------------------------

Coming up in the next blog post: A bulleted list of various little goings-on that have been happening around here, complete with pictures. :-)

Easter, Blurry Week & the News

Sunday, April 8, was Easter. Sadly, Heath had to work in the morning if he was going to have time to spend with us in the afternoon. So I took all the cupcakes and both the kids, and we headed to the church. We got there in plenty of time to drop off the treats where they were supposed to be and get everybody to their classes. Easter service was wonderful, and for the second service, I was helping in Julie's class. Their Easter worship service was a lot of fun too, and it was clear that the bunny cupcakes were a huge hit!

We came home and had a bit of lunch before the four of us took off for an Easter egg hunt. We went to a school park in Manitou Springs that was absolutely deserted. (Seemed like every park we passed was swarmed with people.) I stayed with the kids in the car while Heath went and hid all the eggs, then they were unleashed, armed with collection bags.






After all the eggs were found, they showed us everything they got. It made me exceedingly happy to see Heath really enjoying time with the kids. With all the tasks he has to do for work, those times seem very rare indeed.




Since Heath's biopsy from the week before, we were reminded a few times a day of what we might be going through as I helped change the bandages and clean the wound to keep it from scarring. We talked a lot while I was tending to him. My eyes have been opened to so much during these times--through fear of loss, through realizations of my deep unconditional love for Heath, and through God's clear direction about my place in this man's life.

Monday, April 9, we started the first work week with a single car. Julie made it to the bus stop, and we drove Everest to school. Then I took Heath by Starbucks (some students gave him a substantial gift card!), then to work. It was actually unexpectedly wonderful because we got to have about 15-20 minutes together in the morning--again, attention undivided. We talked about what we had to do that day for work or kids, what the dinner plans were, when I needed to pick him up, etc. It was incredibly valuable to have that connection time first thing in the morning. I treasured it so much during that week.

Everest and I had lunch at my mom's again that afternoon. Always a fun time. :o)



After school, we had Julie's friend M over for a homework playdate. She ended up coming with us when we had to go get Heath at work, which was fine. The girls actually got their homework done too--even if it took them the whole time and they only played together for about 10 minutes. Oh well. At least we knew it would work and could plan on trying it again.



The rest of the week is rather a busy blur. I enjoyed having all the extra time with Heath, forced upon us due to the single car. We did a good job of cooking meals at home (I even made homemade peanut butter) and spending quality time together as a family. The kids were much better than they had been in awhile. I think they somehow sensed that Heath and I were uneasy and off before, but things were starting to look up. Still, we had a lot of waiting going on until the very end of the week when Heath heard back from the dermatologist.






We got the results back: NOT CANCER. Hallelujah! The spot was merely an irregular mole, but the doc advised that we keep an eye out for strange spots like that. We will definitely be doing that! Also, Heath is going to take extra precautions about protection from the sun when we goes hiking and rock climbing outdoors.

God has taught us so much through this and brought our family together.

I pray that we will hold onto these lessons and continue on with what we have learned about ourselves and each other and the way we do things individually and as a family.

God's Most Efficient Way of Teaching Us

Well, being caught up didn't last long, did it? Shortly before I did get caught up, we were faced with a situation that I wasn't sure I wanted to publicize until I knew the scope of what was going on. I'm still processing it a bit, and considering what God has taught us through this trial.

You see, the week that I took Everest to the doctor, Heath also went to the doctor. He had a strange spot on his forehead that looks suspicious, so he went to get it checked out. The P.A. on duty examined him and said that it looked...well, just to be blunt: cancerous. Skin cancer runs in Heath's family, so this was not a totally impossible fact. Also taking into account the amount of time he spends in the sun and at higher elevations, it seemed very probable indeed.

He was referred to a specialist, but his appointment wasn't until the next week. We spent the rest of that week waiting and wondering and wrestling with questions we had never had to consider before. It was an eye-opening time. Heath and I talked, and while we weren't sure what God was doing, we were sure that He must be doing something. I was interested to see what He was teaching us, though not exuberantly so. Who truly can love suffering after all? Even if we are to find joy in it. But still, I had a silent but stirring calm about it--that it would all work out the way it should and that we would be stronger because of it.

Heath's appointment came on the next Monday. The dermatologist actually said that the thing on his forehead was nothing to be worried about--not cancerous or ever would be. It was, however, something that would get uglier if not removed, so he froze it like you would for a wart. But then Heath asked them to do a whole body check for anything weird. Well, they found something weird. On his back, there was a 7mm mark of some kind that the doc couldn't identify right away. They did a biopsy and then more waiting came.

That catches you up to where my blog left off. I shall try to reveal the rest of the story through the following posts for the next few weeks.

Wednesday, April 4, Everest and I went to my mom's for lunch after school. She is now making kids meals, so the kids can have mac n' cheese while the grown-ups enjoy their Thai food. Everest sure appreciated it!



I took a couple pictures retroactively that day. Our new screen door and the dinner post-it notes that the kids can choose from each day.




Thursday, April 5, I was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from work and life. Heath was going to be gone all day, teaching a CPR class up north. It was unlikely he was going to make it back that night because class ended at 10:30 p.m. We figured he would probably spend the night in a hotel. I had a meeting in the morning, plus work to do at home and juggling Everest after picking him up. I mostly burned dinner that evening, though the honey carrots looked delicious when they started out. :oP The kids were fine with it though; we had some alternatives.



Around 5:00, I got a message from Heath: "Jeep's engine is dead." At this point, I actually had to laugh. It was getting rather humorous, this whole thing God was doing. With all of these things to go "wrong," surely this meant that God was teaching us something really good! I arranged to have my mom come be with the kids (while they slept) that night so I could go pick up Heath. After all, if we had car repairs coming up, a tank of gas was much cheaper than a hotel room. I put on my Sherlock Holmes audiobook and drove up to Denver to get Heath.



On the way back, something amazing happened: Heath and I had 1.5 hours completely to ourselves. That hasn't happened in months, if not years. We had each other's undivided attention, and we talked the whole time about everything. It was an incredible breakthrough moment for us.

Friday, April 6, I was basically a hermit and stayed at home with Everest all day. Heath took our only car and went to get a bunch of work done. I didn't even meet with Puella and Legolas because I needed to do some prep work before my newest writers group started the next day.

Saturday, April 7, my newest middle school Inkaholics group began. I have four teens in this one, all repeat participants. The characters we came up with are in line with the usual insanity that comes with these middle schoolers. It's going to be awesomely fun! It was great to be back with the kids and writing again. I didn't realize how much I missed them until we were sitting there, laughing together.




That night, I made a bunch of cupcakes to take to the elementary classes for Easter at church. (I was one of many parents who volunteered to do this.) The recipe and supplies were given, and we were to make the cupcakes and bring them in on Sunday morning. It was a nice time actually because the kids were in bed and Heath was working at the kitchen table. We chatted a bit while I worked, otherwise, I listened to my Sherlock Holmes audiobook while decorating bunnies.

Dinner Planner

Monday was a lovely, blustery day. I love the wind. It's fresh, clean, unpredictable, and nice and cool. I even like it when its cold wind--provided I have adequate warm clothing. XD

After picking up Everest at school, we stopped by Kangaroo Coffee because they had $1.00 16-oz. coffees and hot chocolates that day. The kids love going there. They even have "kids coffee," which is basically sugared up decaf. Then it was off the church for my staff meeting. (Don't even ask about the big hand clapper thingy in the senior pastor's hand.)




That night, I made the kids chicken noodle soup while Heath and I had pan-seared chicken and roasted veggies. Nom nom. The kids got to watch The Aristocats, a video we got from the library, and a classic Disney movie. Heath went rock climbing after the kids went to bed, which was very good for him. He's go to get out to exercise regularly or he doesn't function well. Sounds familiar...

Tuesday (today--look at that; I'm caught up!), we woke up to snow on the ground. I'd heard it was going to snow, but it was hard to believe because just Sunday, we had to turn the AC on in the car because it was over 80 degrees out and hotter inside the car. What wacky contrasts! I love this state. :o)



After getting Everest, we went to the library to pick up some holds and return DVDs. Then it was off to the grocery store. We did a major cleaning out of the fridge, chest freezer, and the pantry over the last couple days. I had clearance to restock some of our staples and get enough food to keep us from eating out for at least two weeks. I believe I have managed to do just that.

While Julie was doing her homework, I made eight breakfast sandwiches (egg, cheese and ham on an English muffin) to put in the freezer for quick breakfast. I'll show Julie how to heat them up, and she can get them ready for herself in the future. Also made eight meat and cheese sandwiches, ready to grab for lunch on the go.

Finally, I hard boiled some eggs and made two loaves of garlic bread, using a half-size French baguette split in two, butter, and crushed, fresh garlic. Those are in the freezer now, waiting for spaghetti or lasagna night. I plan on making some French bread pizzas for the freezer as well, but those will have to wait until tomorrow or Thursday.



Today, I devised a new system for choosing what we have for dinner. I wrote down a bunch of ideas that would use food we already have or that I was going to get at the store. Every dinner idea is on a sticky note. Each day of the week, someone in the family gets to decide what we're having from the choices and puts the note on the stovetop so I can prepare. Because Heath forfeited his day, the kids each get two, and I get one. The weekends are going to be a free-for-all with leftovers or whatever is around; there will be plenty!



Tonight was my choice. We had oven "fried" chicken, roasted bell peppers, and a rice/pasta mix. It was pretty delicious. Even Julie enjoyed the chicken, and she's not much of a meat person. Roasting veggies is SO the way to go. The method makes any veggie much tastier.

Tomorrow is Julie's day to pick, and she chose pancakes, bacon, and fruit salad. Should be pretty yummy!

Parting Shot
Tulips at the grocery store. So many colors and so pretty!

Day at the Museum

Sunday, the kids and I drove up to Denver to meet Mike and Kate and their little ones at the museum, an outing we had been trying to nail down for weeks. The museum was a convenient place to get together because it's roughly halfway between us. My kids had a ball with their cousins--of course, Nikko is just a wee one, but still... How lovely it was to meet him for the first time!

We started out by visiting at the park behind the museum for a bit. Mike and Kate were finishing up a picnic lunch, so we went ahead and joined them in having a snack.




Space Odyssey was the first stop (after the bathroom). Amazingly, some of the shuttle controllers were open for play. That rarely happens when we go in there.




We continued on to see the Snakes & Lizards exhibit (again!), which was way cool. Much less crowded than last time. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed inside, so I have no pictures. Next stop was the dinosaur exhibit.





Everybody else made their way to Expedition Health after the dinos, but Everest and I took a short detour for a snack and a break. He was getting pretty frustrated and tired. Julie and Tessa were practically attached to each other, he couldn't play with Nikko or Kate, and his mother and uncle were trying to keep an eye on everybody. Taking a 15-minute break was really good for him though. He calmed down a lot, and the snack helped, as well as the individual attention I could give him.




Everest took that picture of me. He was very intentional about including the deer. :o) We joined everybody else at Expedition Health after that. Such a fun exhibit! There are lots of things to do, try out, and learn there. Very neat.







Nikko went between states of being underwhelmed (sleeping) and curiously interested in who was presently kissing or hugging him. :o)





After the museum, we got dinner at Toyko Joe's. Mike and Kate had never been there, and I think they liked it. It can get a little pricey, but the food is definitely worth it. We were all pretty exhausted at the point, but it was nice to slow down and have something yummy.







We made it home in record time--barely over an hour. Heath had cleaned the entire house while we were gone, did all the laundry, and even did some spring cleaning of the outside closet and patio areas. Sometimes you just have to do that. I was everso grateful to come home to a bleachy-smelling house. (Yes, I love the smell of bleach because it means things are CLEAN.)

I spent the rest of the evening folding all the laundry and doing some writing/editing. It was a good way to end the crazy busy weekend.