November!

I have a precious new friend at work...MUCH younger & totally creative, and she was showing me her darling blog the other day & I realized, "Oh No! I haven't updated mine in months."  You probably have picked up from facebook or elsewhere that major changes have taken over since I posted last in February.  I'll hit the highlights & then TRY to keep up from there. I'd really like to do more with this...I think getting paid to write, create, etc would be pretty awesome!! Amazing what some of these ladies are doing making a career out there in blogosphere world!!

P is very happy at his "new" job, which he started at this summer.  We realized not long after my last post that the job we moved here for was not what we had been led to believe it was going to be.  That was pretty heartbreaking.  Depressed beyond belief & rather strapped financially, we considered packing it all up & moving "home," but since we had purchased a home, his previous position had already been filled, etc, we determined: we are stuck for the time being!  So I didn't embrace becoming a "Roman" for quite a while, and hence (probably) the reason I stopped posting.  While "wallering" (as Grandmother would say) in the mire of despair, we decided to pray about the situation, and P got not one, but two job offers in the same week.  That gave us a graceful exit to the company we came here with & now he is happily settled. 

As family accountant, I quickly saw that it was back to work for me, so in MARCH started pursuing my nursing license here in GA.  LOOOOOOOOOOONG story short: I now have my GA nursing license - again - but that took until SEPTEMBER! The bureaucracy at the state board level is unbelievable.  It has been an ardous adventure, but I am now employed & have a job that lets me have "mommy" hours for the most part.  It's for the same company that P works for, so that's a bit of fun.  We're located in two separate buildings, but can meet for lunch.  I like holding hands walking across the hospital campus.  Sigh.  Still a teenager at heart sometimes.

On a positive note, we have met some VERY kind, lovely people, who have been nothing but a total joy & blessing to us, and I'm sure as time & life goes by, we will develop deeper friendships. It just takes a while.  And when you've had a lot of "life history" it's hard to find that same depth.  And, of course, we're all busy busy with kids. But, I see promise.  Lots of promise.

Kids are doing AWESOME.  Maturing quickly...much too quickly! Really into sports & music & friends, but we are all still homebodies at heart.  We've seen some beautiful fall weather & the trees have been lovely.  I hoped to get some last pics today of the colors before they completely faded away, but we stayed home & had some "down" time after church.  Speaking of...it's only taken us 11 months, but I think we might have found "the one" today.  I'll let you know.  It's been an adventure of its own.  LOTS of tears & discussions over this one!  Moving a family is hard!! 

Had a particularly interesting pity party the last week or so, missing my girlfriends as well as the familiarity of our old church (lots of new excitement going on there...) & the closeness of family.  Then today, in 2 separate events, but now I see were tied together at the beginning & end of my day came this:
     a.  "Maranatha" - the "hello, how ya doin?"  members of the brand new early church greeted each other with whennever they would see each other.  See, life was hard for them, being persecuted & all.  It means...& they would grab each others hands & intently look into each others eyes..."Hang on...He's coming back soon!" Thank you, Craig Groeschel.  www.lifechurch.tv today's message.
     b.  My heart goes into a nosedive when the expectations I have in this world aren't fulfilled.  Really...I think this has been my issue lately.  Do you ever get tired of just being "heartsick" & trying to put on the happy face?  Found this: "...set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." (1 Peter 1:13)  FULLY on Jesus & His return...NOT on the things I want/expect/desire from this life now.  "The kingdom of Jesus is coming, & with it, the life I am longing for."  Thank you, John Eldridge. www.ransomedheart.com

Pity party over.  When I get that "feeling" in the pit of my chest because things haven't worked out the way I thought they were going to, and when I hate that my house is full of mismatched furniture & I can't get it decorated the way I want, blah, blah, blah...I shall say to myself:
   "Ahem! Self...set your hope FULLY on the GRACE you have been given & that will be given to you when JESUS gets here...and He will be getting here SOON.  This is a short, brief, blip on the spectrum of eternity.  The life I am longing for is coming when Jesus' kingdom arrives. Now...what am I supposed to be doing here in Rome, GA for HIM???"

Talk to ya soon...I hope! I'd love to hear from you...post some responses!

Just a pic of my 3 crazies that makes me smile on a great day in Cloudland Canyon a couple of weeks ago.  My heart. She was singing & dancing to "Buttermilk Biscuits."  Sir Mix-a-Lot.  80's.  Don't ask. It's the little things that make my heart truly full. I just have to remember that.