Waiting

Today's adventure is being home in Ann Arbor. My mom is having her surgery.......

We as a family are waiting on the Lord. So far, Mom has received excellent care and Dad and I are being cared for as well. Mom's surgeon spoke with us a few minutes ago, and said she came through the surgery well- Praise God! I guess her blood pressure was pretty elevated, but she made it. My Mom is one tough cookie. :-)

Amazing how God is providing witness opportunities through people in the waiting room. I was having a discussion with a dad while his son was in surgery, and we were able to encourage each other. Praise God for putting the right people around us at the right time.

Please continue to keep my entire family in your prayers. We should find out the pathology results in five to seven days.......

Praise God for answered prayers and for being with us as we wait!

Thanks!

Thanks to all the servicemen and women, past and present, who have fought and still fight for our freedom. Thanks also to their families, who sacrifice on a daily basis to support their loved ones.

It's not a popular time to be in the military right now, but I for one would like to say that I appreciate everything they're doing. Thanks for being willing to serve and protect the liberties we enjoy! May God continue to bless and protect you.

I'm proud to be an American!

Happy Birthday, Tara!

Tomorrow, it will be one year to the day since we brought that sad, skinny girl home. Tara, or "Morgan" as she was first named, was described by the Harbor Humane Society staff as, "I am about 5 years old and just the sweetest girl you will ever meet. I am really sad here so I just can't wait to get into my new family. I am housebroken and good with kids. I am very mild mannered and always on my best behavior. I am also a perfect size and only weigh about 35 pounds. Please come down soon and meet me!"

Who could resist such an invitation? We went to see her, and fell in love. "Morgan's" eyes haunted me for days after. Ryan and I weren't sure if it was the right time to get a dog, but we took a leap of faith, purchased the things we'd need, and went to bring her home.

What a year it's been! Lots of training for everyone, including enlisting the help of Al Casimiro, the Lakeshore "Dog Whisperer" for some help with the sticky spots. I've learned more about pet ownership and responsibility in the last year than I could ever have imagined. I also found out that I was a slightly neurotic dog owner at first, as I would get up several times a night the first week, just to make sure Tara was okay. She was always fine, and gradually, I understood that she would wake me if she really needed something. Granted, she tries my patience some days, and can offer some real surprises. To date, her most naughty achievement is tied between chewing up her new bed and yakking it up onto Jenny's floor in the middle of the night or the time she ran out of the yard and down the street, refusing to "come" when called.

All in all, I would have to say the HHS staff was right. Tara is a sweetheart and she has a mind of her own that wants to be expressed! She is definitely much happier and well-adjusted than when we first brought her home. Her warm brown eyes have given unconditional love and support on more than one occasion. Watching Tara chew her toys, lick my feet, get in trouble with Molly, or bike with Ryan has given me a joy and a love for her that I didn't know was possible with a dog. Ryan and I love our girl and are so grateful for the blessing she is to our family!

Count your blessings

Life is getting a little crazy around here right now. Instead of dwelling on it, I'm going to brainstorm things that are going well and that I can be thankful for.

- I'm God's kid (the best blessing of all!)
- A good marriage to a good man (second best blessing of all!)
- Loving family and friends (ties for second best blessing)
- The fact that our basement didn't flood during the deluge last week
- Our home and the homes of our neighbors weren't damaged by falling trees
- We have enough money for everything we need and much of what we want
- We both have jobs
- An intact roof over our heads, food on our plates, and clothes to wear
-Air conditioning when the summer temps spike (especially grateful for this today!)
- Being debt free!!
- The fact that God's in control and I don't have to worry about running the universe

Some of these things may seem a little trivial, but all it took was a HUGE thunderstorm last week and destruction to my in-law's property to make me realize that the most important things in life are not things! We can't take for granted all of the blessings we have.

I am my Beloved's and he is mine

Yesterday, I celebrated my third wedding anniversary. It's amazing how quickly the time has gone by. Three years ago, I had no idea what it would mean to keep my wedding vows. Oh, sure, I meant them, but living them out is a whole different idea.

Somehow, we've managed to get through all of our vows in the first year alone, and have continued that trend for the subsequent two. For better or for worse- check. For richer, for poorer- Dave Ramsey, anyone? In sickness and in health- been there, done that. To love and to cherish- to love and to cherish? You mean, as much as I love and cherish myself? Love my husband like Christ loves the Church- totally, unconditionally, willing-to-die-for-you? Love my husband even when I'm so frustrated I can't see straight?

If I've learned anything in this last year, it's how loving and cherishing Ryan is an act of obedience and respect to Jesus. Feeling love is not enough. I need to choose to love Ryan every day of my life, whether I feel like loving him or not. As the character Michael Simmons in the movie "Fireproof" points out, "And don't just follow your heart, because your heart can be deceived. But you've got to lead your heart." I need to beg God every day to teach me how to be a good wife. Every day, I need to learn how to die to myself- my "rights" and my "needs"- in order to serve my God and my husband.

God meant marriage to be for life. When most people say "for better or for worse", they mean only the "for better" part. I'm willing to die to myself for my marriage to succeed. In the eyes of the world, such talk is crazy, at best. But, as the Bible says, "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18).

I still mean every word of my vows, even though I now have some idea of what it means for them to be fulfilled. I'm excited to see what God will teach us in our fourth year!

I have been tagged!

Well, my laptop doesn't have all the photos on it that it should, but here's my fourth picture.

That masked man would be Ryan, my husband. Two years ago at Christmas he received the ski jacket he's wearing, so he had to put on his snow-shoveling get-up to see how it all looked. I think the subtitle is "Bring on the snow!!" (but not in May, please.)

In this photo-tag, you submit the fourth picture in your fourth folder. Therefore, I tag:

Kristin Vawter

Jessica Fitzgerald

John Brandkamp

Or anyone else who wants to share a photo!

And the battle rages on.....

By now, you've probably read my previous blog about the moment of truth in the dressing room mirror. For those of you who might be interested in an update, here it is.

I decided to buy the pants that were a little bit tighter and have cracked down on exercise to fit in to them. Normally, I know, this strategy doesn't work: you buy the smaller pants and promise yourself that you will starve or whatever it takes to fit into them. However, I decided to view the mirror moment as a wake-up call. This week, I am proud to say that I have exercised for at least an hour for four days in a row!! And you know what? It wasn't that bad. As a result, the tight pants are slightly looser but my self-esteem is back in the positives.

Once I get the exercise routine down, my plan is to start paying attention to what I eat. I love to eat- I really do! I love the taste, the texture, the smell: I am an honest-to-God foodie. But I have to learn the difference between appropriate enjoyment and self-soothing behaviors. Right now, I turn to food whether I'm happy or sad. Hopefully, that will change in the next few weeks, but I'm going to take this slowly and learn what it means to be healthy, in body and spirit.

If you've read my previous blog and it resonated with you in any way, I'd love to hear from you and where you are in your battle. I know there are many people out there who are struggling with their weight. You're not alone. By joining together and encouraging each other, we are more likely to succeed in our goals than if we try to go it alone. I don't want to go through it alone if I can possibly help it. Do you?