God's Perfect Timing

An update on our family and our lives seems to be needed. The family recently took a trip to Montana for Thomas to interview for another job in Missoula. It was a long drive but very fun and I am glad we got to see the state and obviously fell in love, it is so beautiful. The kids also did really well in the car, even on the 18 hour ride back. 

It turns out that it was not God's will for Thomas to get either of the jobs in Montana. We are not really sure what this means for our lives and for a job for Thomas. He has decided to look here in Sacramento for the time being while also looking in possibly Idaho. We want to move to a more conservative state where we can raise our kids. Our house is still on the market with no offers yet. This is where it starts to get hard for me and trusting in God's timing. I know he has a place for us and  the perfect job for Thomas but we just don't know what that is yet. 

Not to much more to tell here though. We took a trip to Disneyland about 3 days after we got back from Montana. It was so much fun and the kids had a blast. Thomas` parents were so generous and gifted us the tickets and hotel, and the help with the kids at the parks. We have been go go go since November and I think I am ready for a vacation from vacation. I pray the Lord will soon bring us to a job and a new home but I want it to be of His will and not ours. Thank you everyone for your prayers and support, we will keep you all posted and don't worry we won't leave without saying  goodbye. 

When it rains it pours

I have to say that for us when it rains it pours. To give you a little idea of what I mean. When Thomas and I got married we were both doing worship team, junior high, and I was the missions coordinator for our college group, oh yeah and my dad was deployed in Iraq. When we were having our first child we were buying a house, got into 2 car accidents and my aunt passed away. Now our life consists of loosing a job, selling our house and my son is in the hospital trying to figure out why he threw up so much blood.

I know that through all these circumstances God is growing our trust in him and growing my love and appreciation for my children. How do I handle so much all at once with my anxiety issues? Trust in the Lord and he will renew my strength. He has promised me that I will run and not grow weary if I put my trust in him.

I want to thank everyone for all your prayers and support during this time. An update on Seth: they put him under and put a camera down his throat to see if there was anything and they said it looked fine. Still not too sure what caused him to throw up all that blood. He is sleeping and they said we should be allowed to leave by tonight. The doctors are asking the sinus doctors if they want to do any tests so not sure if they want to yet. Another blessing from the lord is our health insurance is still active for another month which helps that money won't have to be a concern in all this too. I just keep telling myself that God keeps closing doors so that he can open new ones. I pray our path is ordained by God and his will is active in our lives.

For all that dont know Thomas and I are looking at possibly moving to Montana. We want to get out of liberal California and move somewhere with a slower pace of life. Thomas has family there, but we will need a job. But like I said we want Gods will to be done. We are just taking it one step at a time and seeing where it leads us. And everyone who wants is welcome to move with us. :)

Tips for an outnunbered mom

1. crock pot is your friend, its okay to use every day.
2. Spend time outside, fenced in. Parks sound like a good idea but they lie, they suck
3. Movies are okay in moderation. Don't feel guilty if you need a little quiet in your day
4. The healthier your kids eat the better behaved they are. Don't take short cuts and serve boxed mac and cheese. It makes them crazy.
5. Set the baby down, she can cry for a minute, that toddler needs a spanking more. Discipline and training are needed.
6. Bath time can be once a week, that's okay
7. Go shopping with people and if you go alone put them on a lease, those things are awesome.
8. Go on walks. The fresh air helps and its nice to have a change of scenery.
9. Kid proof your house. It makes it harder when everything is a no no don't touch.
10. Relax, you don't have to have the "perfect" family. The kids can be dirty and loud and crazy.
Our first and foremost job as a mom is to raise our children to love and honor God. So our attitude throughout the day is so much more important than whether or not we got the dishes and the laundry done. We need to discipline and train our children but remember they are learning and if we are getting overwhelmed maybe we need to lower our expectations of them. I find it difficult most days to have the patience to deal with my children in a godly way but i remember that God chose me for this job to raise these two boys to be godly men who serve the Lord and this little  girl to be a wise and respectful women.

"Submission, Suffering, and the Government"

Our pastor gave this sermon on Sunday that I found very pertinent to the current situation with our government. It was very hard to hear but you can't change the scripture. I want to write my notes out so that you can all read them.

(1 Peter 2:13-17) ¹³ Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,^[a] whether it be to the emperor^[b] as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants^[c] of God. ¹⁷ Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

God tells us to obey human authority because He rules over us all.

Submission in scripture has many forms: Citizen to Government, Employee to Employer, Children to Parents,  Wife to Husband and Slave to Master.

How are we as Christians to respond to a godless government? Scriptures over arching theme is submission.

Submission (N): willing, joyful, obedience to the will of another, even if the will of another runs counter to our own will.

Theology of citizenship: How to live in the kingdom of God while also living in this world.

Nature of Submission

1. Motive: Be submissive because the authority of God, regardless of how we view the authority over us. Jesus was submissive, even to the point of death. Our lives are not our own, we do not direct our steps (Romans 13:1-2) 13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.- Pretty straightforward.

2. Focus: Every human institution. All human authority is created by the ultimate authority. There is a God given purpose in government to discipline the bad and reward the good. However we, as Christians, feel we are exempt because government is run by sinful humans but this is not true, we are still held to submission.

3. Effect/Impact: Silence the foolish or slander of Christians  Often Christians are seen as subversive to government so we need to change the image.

4. Freedom and Slavery: Don't use our freedom as an excuse to be disobedient, be servant to our authority. We don't need to find our hope in this world because we have Christ (Galatians 5:13) ¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Through love serve one another. The government will let us down but that has no bearing on submission to them.

5. Attitude: Have honor and respect toward our authority (1 Peter 2:13). Should be more focused on having the right attitude more than the right argument, even to unjust government.

6. Exception: If the government does something or tells us to do something against God's law we graciously disobey. Shadrach, Mechach and Abednego in Daniel only disobeyed when it went against God.

Application: submit for the Lords sake, repent of our disobedience, pray for authorities. Obey all laws, speak truth of God in a godly way. Not appropriate to bash the authority over us. Shine the glory of God. Suffer according to the will of God. By obeying the will of authorities we may suffer. We will not like everything they want us to do but we are still called to obey.