What We Have Learned...

Henry got a clean bill of eye health today! I am really glad because his glasses have been broken for so long and he was adamant on the way to the doctor that he would not wear new ones. One less "battle" is always a good thing!!!!! He did get to sit and use the fancy eye machine today so he thought that was really cool!

Anatomy and Physiology is interesting and tough!! There is an overwhelming amount of information to process. Detailed information. I can grasp the concepts, it is the little details that are going to get me. I am having to develop a whole new way to study!!! And I have my 1st test next week!! Deep breath. On the other hand, it is also incredibly re-affirming of my faith in God who knit us together and knows every little detail about us. All it takes is one chapter or one lecture and I find myself asking how can ANYONE who knows anything about this stuff question the existence of THE CREATOR. How hard they must have to fight it. Carrier proteins that maintain a sodium/potassium balance in EVERY SINGLE CELL in your body don't evolve from slime. Not no way, not no how.

I have learned it feels really good to watch the number on the scale decrease each week. 10 pounds down, lots more to go, but I am feeling encouraged and less squeezed into my clothes! Pretty soon, I will be wearing an old pair of jeans I love! Woo hoo!!!

I have also experienced the faithfulness of God. His provision, his many blessings. We are still walking through challenging times with Jason's job. Somedays things look up and some days we are still not sure. This is what I have learned:
Not once has there been a time when we did not have money for something we needed. Sometimes it gets pretty low, but I have been able to quit worrying so much about it!! We paid for TWO surgeries last year. Paid for! We still have no debt. I gave my testimony about this in our SS class a few weeks ago. As I was preparing for it, I was studying Matthew 6....you know...the "Do Not Worry" stuff. I usually like to forget about that "do not worry" part, I am really pretty good at that. But I have become convicted of that this past year. Do not worry? Oh, but I really like that control. Really.....(Shhh, I know I am fooling myself!) But then I read something that said most of what we worry about never even happens. And every time I found myself worrying, I thought about that and then I began to see how true it is. The other thing I came to realize as I was preparing was that God provided for us in an interesting way this past year. Yes, there were times we got a random check in the mail or a gift card left on our car at church. I believe those were over and above blessings. The provision occurred 2 years ago when Jason and I did Financial Peace University. We didn't have lots of debt when we started. We had plenty of money every month but NOTHING in savings. We began at that time to really look at our budget and spending. We paid off the car loan and then began to put money away each month. We were able to build up and emergency fund of 6 months living expenses. That money was suposed to sit there for a rainy day. Little did we know...that money became God's provision. Money he had already given us. Money we had not been stewards of before. It was there, he had already provided it and what a blessing it has been!!!

Back to Matthew 6...from The Message this time.

"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you?

What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. (I love that part!!!) People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

All the time... GOD IS GOOD!