A lesson in trusting the Lord.

There are some days when I really need to be reminded that God is in control. And Thursday was one of them. I had spent the afternoon Christmas shopping with a girl from my youth group in a city about an hour away. I had a work Christmas party that night, so time was short and we were in a rush most of the afternoon to make it back in time for the party.

After I got home and was frantically changing into clothes for the party, I came to a dead stop in the middle of my kitchen when I looked down at my left hand. My engagement ring was missing!! As any normal married/engaged woman would do, I FREAKED OUT. I began running around like a chicken with its head cut off, frantically shaking through the clothes I had just changed out of, digging through the garbage and the bags of items I had come home with, and searching the corners of the floor and under hutches and shelving units. I definitely reached my heart rate for the day....

Because of my work party, I only had about 10 minutes to scour the little bit of my house that I had been in since getting home, so, needless to say, I didn't find anything. And decided I'd be better off going to the work party and then coming home to search more. That way I'd avoid being more upset at the party than I would have to be.

After what seemed like an agonizingly long dinner with my co-workers, I hurried home and began the search again. This time digging out my trusty Mag Lite flashlight and searching in every nook and cranny inside, digging through my purse, sweeping the floor, dumping all of my Christmas gifts out on the floor and shaking out the bags they were in, and practically crawling back and forth along our walkway outside (in 5 degree weather), as well as hunting through my car, car trunk, and the ground all around my car. All to no avail. I then called all four of the business that I had shopped in that afternoon, and gave them my phone number and the information regarding my ring. None of them had seen it or had anything turned in. I found myself in tears, terribly upset, and wanting nothing more than to talk to my Mom.

God knew what He was doing when He gave us mothers....she was able to listen to my dreadful story and sympathize with my raging emotions. And she prayed with me. Prayed that the Lord would be glorified through this somehow, and that He would direct us to the ring at just the right time. And that it would be a testimony of how great our God is and that He is in control of every detail of our mundane lives.

I finally decided to go to bed, after talking with my hubby, and he promised to help me look harder in the morning, when it was light out. Then he left for work (he works the night shift). So I was left to my own racing imagination and anxious ponderings of the outcome of my most precious gift of love. So I turned to the Lord. I begged Him to help us find it somehow, but I also asked Him to help me have a good attitude, regardless of the outcome. Even if *gulp* we never did find my oh-so-special ring that carried a hundred memories and was a public declaration of my husband's love and commitment to me. I also spent time focusing on verses such as:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Prov. 3:5-6

and

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
Psalm 118:8

I also had a song running through my head from when I was a kid. The words to it say,

"When I am afraid I will trust in You, I will trust in You, I will trust in You. When I am afraid I will trust in You, in God whose Word I praise."

I found great comfort in these, and though it wasn't easy, I commited the fate of my ring to the Lord, and restlessly drifted to sleep.

The following morning I was having a rough time getting ready for work without tearing up at the thought of losing my ring for forever, and yet continually telling myself that it was just a material possession and not that important in light of my eternal destiny. As I was wrestling with myself mentally, Joe came home. He walked through the door saying my name in such a way that I knew something had happened. And indeed it had -- he had found my ring!! It's amazing really. After praying about our situation all night at work, he had come home, taken two steps from his car door, and "just happened" to look down at the ground and saw my ring. Amazing. God is soo incredibly good.

And it gets even better...

My mom had prayed about my situation after getting off the phone with me, and she had specifically asked the Lord to show her through what she read in the Bible that night whether or not I would find my ring, all the while feeling a little silly about asking God to do something so bold. So she opened her Bible, and her reading for that night was on the Shepherd and the Lost Sheep, and how he searched for it until He found it (Luke 15:4-7). Coincidence? I think not....God knew. And He led Joe's eyes just to the right spot to find it. And I am forever grateful to Him!!

And I plan on getting my engagement ring and wedding band sautered togehter as soon as possible....

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

an abnormal week...

I haven't been posting much about what's been going on in our life, mainly because it's been so typical from day to day: get up, work, eat, sleep, etc. Nothing too interesting. But this past week has been spiced up a little bit from the humdrum of normality. Let me share a few of the tidbits with you, starting with a week ago, Sunday...

sunday-tuesday:
I was blessed with the delightful opportunity to spend 2 days with my mom, who came up to visit me. We had a grand time, did loads of shopping, ate at great restaurants, soaked in a hot tub, and talked on just about everything. It was great. I love my mom... :)

tuesday:
My husband, Joe, had been experiencing an upset stomach for about 2 weeks, so he went in to the doctor to have it checked on. It turns out he had an ulcer! Weird. But at least we found out the source of the problem....he was assigned meds and suggestions on a milder diet, so we'll see how well he sticks to that. He's looking forward to an excuse to moan and complain about his ulcer...so watch out! :)

wednesday:
Joe, in retaliation to me leaving him for 2 days, left me for 2 days to go pheasant hunting with his dad and brother-in-law. Not really...they had it planned even before Mom and I had our plans, it just seeemed like retaliation to me. :) They spent two days in crazy winds and cold weather, and came back with only 1 pheasant. Sad for them. But they had a good time and great conversations.

thursday:
We had an unpleasant surprise early in the morning on Thursday. As Joe left for work, he discovered that someone had stolen our cd player, cd player adapter, and our case of 200 cds from our car. Gr. It was quite unusual, especially since our cars sit under a street light in a church parking lot that is way out in the open....it would be difficult to do anything secretively without being noticed. But oh well. Though we are saddened by our loss of some of our favorite tunes, we are glad that the perpetrator ended up with a PILE of Christian cds -- many with a Christ-centered message that will hopefully convict his/her heart and help them to see their need for a Savior. We filed a police report, and they promised to keep an eye on our place...so we'll see what happens.

friday:
Every year, Joe receives a free turkey from his workplace as their Thanksgiving gift to their employees. This year, Joe ended up with TWO turkeys...due to a small mixup. But it actually works out great, because we're helping supply the turkey for our Thanksgiving meal. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, eh?

saturday:
I had the unique and not so pleasant opportunity to confront a difficult bank customer. It involved lies concerning a stolen (or not so stolen) checkbook and the process we needed to go through. I'm a very non-confrontational person, so this was......interesting, to say the least. But the Lord is gracious and gave me strength for the moment and wisdom to know what to say. And for that I am thankful.

sunday/today:
We celebrated Joe's sister's birthday with an AMAZING homecooked meal...though it tasted exACTly like something you'd eat at Olive Garden. Many gold stars go to Joe's mom and all the effort she put into making it taste Olive Gardenesque. Amazing...plus great time with my nephews, niece, and the rest of the family.

Though there were ups and downs this week, I am so thankful that the Lord blesses us with an abundant life - no matter how bland it might seem at the time. A perfect thing to be reminded of as we approach Thanksgiving. And in case I don't get a chance to post again before the holiday...have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!!

"My Song is Love Unknown"

Today, while flipping through a hymnal, I found a song with profoundly touching lyrics and a beautiful haunting melody that I want to share with all of you. (It's #162 in the Hymns of Truth and Praise hymnal -- the red book) Enjoy...

My song is love unknown, my Savior's love to me
Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be
Oh who am I, that for my sake my Lord should take frail flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne, salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none the longed-for Christ would know;
But O, my Friend, my Friend indeed, who at my need His life did spend!

Sometimes they strew His way, and His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King:
Then "Crucify!" is all their breath, and for His death they thirst and cry.

They rise, and needs will have my dear Lord made a way;
A murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He to suff'ring goes, that He His foes from thence might free.

Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine;
Never was love, dear King, never was grief like Thine,
This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.

My hubby makes the world go round...

I have a wonderful husband. I don't mean to brag (or maybe I do) but he's wonderful. Amazing. Super. Splendiferous...ok, you get my point. :)

Why is my husband so terrific, you ask? Well, last night when I came home from work, supper was waiting for me on the table. Still warm. That's a feat in itself in my book! Plus the dishes were already done. Beautiful. AND....(there's more you ask? indeed there is...) I had a gift and a very sweet card waiting for me. In a gift bag. How awesome is that?! The gift was simple and small, but one that I will use regularly, a pair of fun socks -- Christmas socks, so I can wear them during the Christmas season, rather than afterwards!

As for the card, I won't give it to you verbatim, but I will let you in on the general message -- because I thought it was so completely appropriate for us (as anyone who knows us will attest).

The outside showed a squirrel holding an acorn and saying:

"I think I'm a squirrel, because I like you, and you're a big nut"

And then on the inside it said,

"I'm also skittish and prone to indecisiveness"

Isn't that great!! He's the greatest husband. EVER. And I love him so...

the weather outside is frightful...

Today, I was astonished to look out the window and see flurries of snow! It wasn't enough to stay on the ground, but it solidified my sneaking suspicion that winter is just around the corner. In fact, it's already here! Tomorrow the high is only supposed to be 39 degrees! Yikes!