The Rebellious Life As A Pastor's Wife

~2011~

2012-01-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

2011 has been another WiLd RiDe of a FAITH journey! It was everything BUT uninteresting! This year 'My Man and I have been in war!..."A REAL war, a WAR for sOuLs of men!" as Bob O would say! We have witnessed God perform miracles right before our eyes!!!! We have also watched the enemy try to "steal, kill, and destroy" John 10:10...Yet all the while, God's mighty hand was in control of eVeRyThInG!... including the puppet-satan himself!
In ministry I watched God use 'My Man' for the Kingdom in powerful ways!!! I was & am blessed beyond measure to stand alongside of him-- to serve and help in ministry in anyway possible! I watched God use my hubby, by taking a very spiritually dead youth group into an amazing group of students who rededicated their lives to Christ and some who met Him for the very first time! As 'My Man' taught them scriptures and led them by example, -I watched students who went from just coming to church on Sundays, BECAUSE THATS WHAT WE DO ON SUNDAYS!... to students who wanted more of the GOD of the UNIVERSE to be invloved in their lives! Watching them COLLIDE with their CREATOR was every bit of a miracle! 'My Man' got to baptize some of the precious students on his birthday~ Talk about a "Happy Birthday!!!! Love, GOD" kind of blessing that was for him!!! They were the very first students he has ever baptized!! Satan thought he'd throw in a funny one in during this time to try to STEAL the joy!..but the scheme didn't work~ just makes us laugh! A person wouldn't allow their teen to be baptized because 'My Man' wasn't ordained! So somehow I guess that would make their childs baptism not legit???!!! LOL... I wonder if John the Baptist, who baptized JESUS himself...the WiLd CRAZY looking man of the wilderness, who loved him some locusts... was ordained??? I wonder if his LACK OF ordination made the baptisms he performed not legit??? The irony is that the religious/ legalistic leaders of the day interrogated him too!!! (side note-I'm sorry if anyone finds my blog offensive, but my motto after this past year is~ speak Truth always--NO MATTER THE COST and when sin needs called out... CALL IT OUT!!!! Us christians need to stop worrying about stepping on toes, get REAL, STOP playing church & get back to the scriptures!!! Forget this don't want to be offensive crap--Let's face it: THE CROSS IS OFFENSIVE!!!.......... "Wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses." Proverbs 27:6)
That particular scheme wasn't the only CrAzY idea of a scheme that satan tried this past year. We experienced MANY trials in ministry, but all of them just made us more bold and determined to speak the Scriptures no matter what the cost was!!! The cool thing was how when satan thought he knocked us down God put a whole slew of ppl to stand along side of us and support us thru the trials! A big lesson I learned this year is that God sends people to certain missionfields, and there will be times in ministry when only SOME people who recieve the Truths...but just like what Jesus says in Matt. 10:14-15 "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement..."
After God called us out of our last place of ministry, He sent us back home with fam and friends which some have went thru very similar things in ministry! Def. has been a huge blessing to us! God immediately gave Brad a secular job, and has even opened up ministry opportunities as well! God had us live with fam for a short time, and on our 3rd anniversary we moved in our cute home that we are renting! It feels very homey!
The BEST thing that has happened to us this year is-- on MAY 10,2011, God gave us Kaeley-Belle! She is proof of God's faithfulness and grace! From the day we found out we were pregnant with her...God has shown us that He is in the miracle making business! She def. has God's autograph written all over her story! I couldn't even keep down vitamins--not even kids vitamins! And those of you who know my diet of fries and mac n cheese are def. not the healthiest!!! We def. thank God for her, and feel blessed beyond measure that He has allowed us to be her parents!!!!! She is sassy, strong willed, full of love, has joy overflowing, and def. has a unique "Kaeley-Belle quirkiness!" She SHINES for Him already! I can see in her eyes that He has HUGE plans for her!!! Our love for her is indescribable!!!!
The Truth that God never leaves or forsakes His, has been evident in our journey in 2011! Even though we faced many trials, through God's grace and faithfulness, HE carried us through them all! I'm excited to see what God has planned for the next part of our faith journey this new year!!!!

"Kaeley-Belle Squarepants"

2011-09-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I blogged...the schedule of this new mom...well to be honest the word schedule isn't even in our vocabulary these days much less our daily life. I can say the word "SLEEP" comes up frequently! ANYWAYS... we have a new, precious gift that has been added into our lives!!! DELIGHTED is an understatement as to how we feel about our daughter Kaeley-Belle! She is absolutely amazing! We simply adore her!!! She is truly an example of the power of prayer! In the beginning of our pregnancy we had a pregnancy scare...and this was very scary to us bc we had already lost one baby prior and took awhile to get pregnant again! (or it sure felt like it anyways!) This child had ppl all over prayin for her! I had a ruff pregnancy in the first half..I couldn't take ANY vitamins the entire pregnancy w/o gettin sick and for those of you who know my diet of french fries and mac & cheese are def. not the healthiest!!! So Kaeley-Belle has God's autograh written all over her! God is so good bc when I was worried about her due to the lack of vitamins,this sweet n precious pastor's wife from another church in the community we were minstering in, who brought her oldest child to the preschool I worked in, Just SO happened to tell me with her newest baby she couldn't take ANY vitamins either and he did just as well as her 1st child on the testing they do in the hospitals when they are born! Only GOD knew I needed to hear that story to ease my mind! I love when God Just SO happens to put the right person in your path for the day especially to help drown out the lies that the enemy loves to tell. Today I have another example of this Just SO happens stuff...Kaeley-Belle is sometimes known as Kaeley-Belle Squarepants in our household, and another one 'My Man' started to call her is Kaeley-Belle stinkypants! He even in the appropriate times likes to make up different lyrics everytime he changes her to the tune of the spongebob song! (Are you starting to get a visual as to why the word schedule isn't a part of the vocabulary in our house?!) If you can't tell we run a tight ship and everything is Oh SO serious!! Kaeley-Belle has been teething since we moved back to Indiana 3 weeks ago..Me being the typical "New Mom" that I am has been observing other babies around K's age! I have been noticing how opposite of a "self-soothed" baby K is! She is def a HIGH NEEDY baby! She is a spaz and sassy just like.... ME! = / In the midst of my observations, I started to do the "New Mom thing" where I started thinkin that perhaps I was doing something wrong and thinking what a lousy job I was doin as a mother! And you bet the enemy ran with it! So on top of the teething and me wallowing in the FUNK, these last few weeks have been a lil crazy! The last few nights..."SLEEP" has once again been on our dream list! SO you bet, during the days I am in mommy-zombie mode! As I was wallowing in the FUNK in mommy-zombie mode, GOD Just SO happens to have me run across Dr.Sears' website. As He highlighted characteristics of a high needy baby for me...I realized that Kaeley-Belle has every characteristic! ;) As God began to have me read more into it...the goosebumps ran from my head down to my toes! Here is my notes I took:

1. Intense babies feel deeply and react mightily...have a DRIVEN personality

2. Hyperactive babies, (in our world-a baby gymnast) as Dr. Sears puts it, "Some highly

creative, world changing people were at one time or another labeled hyperactive as a child."

3. Draining days should be called "giving" days

4. Feeds Frequently.. Rigid Schedule isn't even in high needy babies vocabulary! (sounds

familar!!!)

5. Demanding babies are DETERMINED.. determined babies often develop into leaders

who will not just take the easy, popular route!

6. Awakens Frequently... "Needs everything BUT sleep!"

7. Unsatisfied: what works this time might not work the next!

8. Unpredictable =Never boring; No middle emotion-(extreme mood swings); TRANSPARENCY

9. Super Sensitive- "Easily bothered" Doesn't accept substitute caregivers- They are

"tuned-in" to surroundings. They become kids who care/ sensitive towards others needs.

They develop great discernment. The ability to think through choices.

10. "Can't put baby down"- they love touch and physical contact.

11. "Not a Self-Soother"- they want interactaction with ppl not things.

12. "Seperation Sensitive"- they have great discernment; can form deep attatchments;

they fuss loudly bc they care deeply.

*www.askdrsears.com

Talk about Psalm 139:13-16!! And let me tell you not only do I pray those scripture verses over Miss Kaeley-Belle Squarepants but I also now pray God would use those "HIGH NEEDY" characteristics for the One whose ways are HIGHer!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. You eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

DETOUR....

2011-02-21T15:16:00.000-08:00

Our Faith Journey has been far from boring...and I can't honestly say I'd want it any other way! It certainly has had its share of up's and down's, high times and low times...but following God's call has truly been the greatest adventure of my life! Detours, a.k.a different plans than mine, in this adventurous Faith Journey are starting to be anticipated! You'd thought a LONG time ago that I would have just EXPECTED the detours as a given!!

A recent detour is one that I'm absolutely thrilled to share... I get to be a stay-at-home wife/mom! Honestly, this is something that I never thought I would do full-time. Part-time has crossed my mind, but full-time was just something I had not really given much thought to! Over the past few months God has been pressing it on my heart to stay-at-home and to get back to the BASICS! Sadly to admit, I kept ignoring Him!! To begin with, Brad being at the time, bivocational, financially it was not even a possiblity! Needless to say over and over again, God kept telling me I needed to stay home and be more of a help to my husband and also to his ministry. And for starters, my own ministry starts in the HOME!!! God began to make our household so chaotic; Our house has been a disaster, I have had tons of laundry I can't get caught up on, the dishes have been piled high (it just so happens that our dishwasher broke in the midst of God trying to get my attention!), I still have boxes that are sitting in my downstairs closet that need unpacked, I haven't went to the grocery store to stock up in months...you get the picture! Our household has had VERY little organization and been far from a serene environment! Those of you who know me, know how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE organization!!! Saying that I LOVE having a clean house would be an understatement! God, used the fact that I have been working and going to school full-time, being a wife and a pastor's wife, and being in the last months of my pregnancy to get my attention! Did I mention that on top of my husband working over full-time in ministry every week, and working at the hotel, that he was picking up MY slack, all the while I thought I was "JuGgLiNg"!!! Talk about a "BoZo on this bus"!!! God was yelling loudly that I can't juggle it all no matter how hard I kept trying!!

During this time, I also did NOT have peace about sending our baby to daycare (even though she would have went to work with me and where I work is the TOP childcare center in this area)! The baby would have been in GREAT hands, but 'My Man' and I felt TONS of conviction about having someone else raise our child throughout the day, which ultimately would mean they would be a primary influence spiritually in our child's life! That just seems so BACKWARDS to us!! 'My Man' and I want to be the primary influence in our child's life, and felt God telling us, "When it is all said and done-you both will be held accountable for how faithful you are even with this child!!!" Believe me, in all areas of our life, we want God to be able to say, "Well done, my good and faithful servants!"

After God having to use all of these things together as a megaphone to get my attention, I finally fell on my face before Him! It was obvious I had to rid things out of my life and get back to the basics!! With-in a week of 'My Man' and I praying that God would make a way for me to be able to be a stay-at-home wife and mother, God opened up a door which would allow 'My Man' to be full-time at the church without having to continue to work at the hotel- which would also allow me to stay at home! God kept giving me signs all around that it was the right choice to stay at home! Satan of course kept trying to put doubts in my mind... even to the point of trying to use christians who would ask me how we would be able to make it! Satan tried to use any possible way to make us question God...me mostly!!! I kept praying and praying, and God kept reaffirming over-and-over again!!! Yes, we will have to live tightly, but we both know it is the right thing for us to do!!! This detour will force us to trust God even more, that we wont be able to rely on secular checks to provide! I'm excited to see how God moves and makes a way! This detour is one that surely came by suprise, but it is one scenic route I don't want to miss!!

A Valentine from Heaven...Glitter and ALL!!!

2011-02-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today was just one of those days!!! Drained, Tired, ANNOYED, ready to go cRaZy (or all ready there-not sure what the case may be!),... is just a few ways to describe my mood!!! This evening we had Hang Time with the youth at church. The little kiddos were hanging out in the gym while their parents had "Parents' Night Out!" One of the little girls came running up to me, gave me a HUGE hug, and then said, "I pray for your baby!!!" Talk about TEAR ME UP!!! As if the hug wasn't enough to put the biggest smile on my face...that was just icing on the cake that pierced my heart to it's core! It was convicting and precious all in one! No doubt a great BIG, GIANT hug from GOD; a real Valentine sent by Him through the arms of a child! That sparkly Valentine that shined so BRIGHT for HIM , was no doubt one of the best ones I have ever received! Thank You God for reminding me to have faith and love like a child, and to always shine like stars in the universe--boy do I have TONS of work to do!
~ Luke 18:17, " Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
~Philippians 2:14-15, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like the stars in the universe"

Eyes to See

2010-11-14T08:04:00.000-08:00

My PRECIOUS niece J started begging my mom, aka NANNY, for some new glasses the other day!!! Now J doesn't really need glasses to help her eye sight, she wanted "SPECIAL" glasses! Come to find out the neighbor girl has REAL glasses! So J insisted that she needed glasses too! Nanny said that J begged and begged for these glasses, and did not stop talking about them until I think she wore Nanny out from all the pleading, begging, negotiating, etc.. that Nanny finally gave in and bought J the "SPECIAL" glasses! When she got these glasses, she was SO happy. J told Nanny when they went out to eat with Pappy that the glasses sure help her see her food much better!!!.. :) Love that girl!!!!
When my mom sent me the pic of J wearing her new glasses at the restaurant, it hit me how I should be begging and begging God to provide some "Special" glasses to help me see more clearly! That I should be pleading, begging, negotiating for "Special" glasses daily so I can see with my Spiritual Eyes the things that He would have me to see! In Luke 18:1-5 says, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she wont eventually wear me out with her coming!' " SO thankful that God used a little girl who had to have "Special" glasses, to remind me the simple truth to Always Pray and Not Give Up!!!...Out of the mouth of babes, Huh?!?!

A Really Painful Past Month

2010-08-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

In the middle of a very unsettled time for 'My Man' and I during our Faith Journey, 'My Man' and I found out we were pregnant last December. We were very shocked by the news. Infact, so suprised we took multiple pregnancy tests, because we were certain we must have purchased defaulted tests. Something had to be wrong...No one in their right mind would try to have a baby in the circumstances we were in! To give you an idea of what our circumstance looked like-- I was working full time in a very negative, emotionally draining working environment, 'My Man' was working two part-time jobs, we just got moved into our apartment-if you call "Moved-In" sleeping on the middle of our living room floor with a couple blankets and pillows. Everything we owned was back in Indiana in storage, except some of our clothes, few towels, 2 cooking pans, some cd's, our Bibles, and the blankets and pillows we were sleeping on! Obviously, this season of life we were in, was not how I always dreamed of finding out that we were expecting! Once we kind of got over the BIG SHOCK- our hearts began to be filled with so much love, joy, and excitement for this baby! We knew God specifically knitted this baby together and that with God there are no accidents! We kind of just started assuming that God was blessing us with this baby as a gift for our obedience and faithfulness to His call of sending us to Florida and all the trials that we had been through! We called all of our family and friends and told them we were pregnant. Everyone was really happy and excited, except for 'My Man's' mom. She actually told us, she couldn't say she was happy for us! Satan used anyone and anything to try to hurt us! Luckily though, we had plenty of other people who were there for us! Day by day we fell more and more in love with the baby! We would talk to the baby, 'My Man' would sing to the baby-we even came up with the name-we did everything people tell you not to do just incase something would happen! God began to start putting our lives back in order little by little. My sweet big brother and his friend loaded up a U-Haul with all of our large furniture and items along with the neccessities, leaving behind the rest of our stuff. My mom and dad also helped us when there just wasn't a way! Things started to fall into place, except for the prenatal care. Since 'My Man' was working part-time jobs, we didn't have health insurance. So, I just started praying to God and asking Him to make a way.. "Reminding" Him that we left 'My Man's' really good job in Indiana where we had insurance through, to follow His call. I ended up having to get Pregnancy Medicaid, which I was NOT happy about! I threw another fit to God asking Him why He would make us leave Indiana where we had good health insurance, and then had to turn around and get insurance through the government?!?! Since I had to get Pregnancy Medicaid, I had to go to the health department to fill out paperwork for the insurance. They told me I had to see their doctors, that I couldn't pick my own. SO, I took their word without looking into it! I tried to convince myself surely they had good doctors, and that it would all be okay! To make a long story short- IT WAS A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE!!! My mom ended up calling the Pregnancy Medicaid office, and they told her I could pick my own doctors. 'My Man' and I began praying about where to go next and praying that someone would see me even though I was that far along. Over a week later, I began having a little bleeding. I was in the beginning of my 2nd Trimester which was the point I finally felt like I made it to the Safe Zone! I had spotted throughout the whole pregnancy, but that day I had a really bad feeling. That evening when 'My Man' got home we were trying to figure out whether or not we should fot to the ER. My Bible study leader 'Doctor Bob' had his daughters who is a Director of Nursing call and share her wisdom. Only God knew I really needed to hear from her the things she told me! I really felt God pressing me to go to the hospital! 'My Man' and I went to the ER late that night. On the way to the hospital I began praying for really good, godly doctors and nurses; that I couldn't handle dealing with one more bad doctor. The minute I sat on the hospital bed I began bleeding alot more and the pain got way more intense. The doctors and nurses I had were amazing! They ran alot of different test. One test in particular I could feel an evil presence dancing around the room, happily knowing how knocked down and helpless 'My Man' and I felt, but it was if God put a boundary up to where it couldn't get close to us. God quickly put the scripture Psalm 91 on my heart and reminded me that He sends Angels and Warriors to guard His children in all their ways! The doctor came in really early that morning and told us the worst news we have ever received. He told us we had lost the baby, that the baby's heart had stopped developing. Our hearts were broken into pieces. We felt so alone, all of our family and friends were so far away. We were brokenhearted, confused, angry, sad.. I kept asking 'My Man', "Why?" "Why would God allow this?" 'My Man' kept telling me to hold as tight as I could to God, to not let go. My aunt and uncle had been planning a trip down for quite a few months. It just so happened they were driving down from Indiana and arrived to Florida when we left the hospital that next morning! God sent them on what they thought was a vacation, to comfort us. My big brothers also came down that week for the Daytona Race week! 'My Man' and I had a whole bunch of people in Indiana praying for us, sending us messages, and calling. Those people really helped us through some of the saddest days. Isaiah 43 and 2 Cor 1:3-7 have been my Go To verses when I felt like just giving up! Our due date was August 19th. This month has been really hard for me. Probably one of the hardest months of all! There are days I just can't keep it together. All to often, being a Pastor's Wife I do feel like a fish in a fish bowl. However, I am very blessed to have an amazing, godly husband who reminds me, to just be ME! I don't think 'My Man' or I will ever be the same- a piece of us will always be missing on earth. I'm excited to one day see what our child looks like, what our child's personality is like, I can't wait to hold our baby! Heaven truly has a whole different meaning to me now. Everytime I think of our baby I am reminded that this is not our home, that we have an Eternal Home that God is preparing for us in Heaven!

Prayer

2010-07-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Do any of you have any Prayer Warriors in your life? I can honestly say 'My Man' and I have a whole slew of them... We are truly blessed beyond measure! Our Prayer Warriors have prayed us through some of the best days of our life, down to the darkest, saddest days of our life! They have walked with us in the "high times" , and have even pulled us out of "ditches" that we found ourselves stuck in! One of my favorite Prayer Warriors is known in my home church as 'Doctor Bob'! 'Doctor Bob' doesn't have a degree or a PhD. Infact, he is just an average man- he is a child of God, a husband, a father, and a grandpa. He is a deacon, a bible study leader, a tech/sound guy, he is a PILLAR in the church!!-simply because he grounds his life in the Word and PRAYER!!!! 'My Man' and I pray one day that we will be half the life-changer that he is! Did I mention that 'Doctor Bob' also owns a TV store-he is the only human I know that can take a conversation on "TV'S" and turn it into something about being "Born Again"?! Who knew there was ever a Evangelical TV salesman, named 'Doctor Bob' without a PhD!?!? If you can't tell this guy has changed our lives forever. He has discipled us throughout our Faith Journey, and has discipled me prior! One of my favorite lessons that God used, 'Doctor Bob' to teach us was on Prayer! This lesson came via text! You read my blog correctly, this grayhaired man can text! 'My Man' always says 'Doctor Bob' teaches in riddles!- Most of the time the text contain such wise information, I am to stupid to understand!~Thank God I have 'My Man' to help me! The lesson on Prayer is a prime example of my "Stupid Sheep-ness". He had us read Matt 26:36-75. Now I am going to point out a few of the many gems that we found while reading these Scriptures. So, it would probably be best if you read them first before reading the rest of my blog. I by no means want to butcher these Scriptures for you! I love how in verse 39 it tells us that Jesus fell on His face to the ground and PRAYED!~How often do I fall on my face to the ground and pray when my "soul is overwhelmed"? Not near enough that is for sure! Verse 41 caught my eye BIG time, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."(NIV) I also love how Jesus goes and prays three times total, and everytime He comes back the disciples are SLEEPING!!! That really cracks me up!! I LOL everytime I read this passage!! God doesn't need us to pray! It is for our benefit! Just like the disciples, He didn't need them to pray either, but He knew it would be for their benefit! Jesus knew they would choose to SLEEP instead of praying! I wonder how different the outcome would have been if they chose to PRAY? Would they have been so quick to deny Jesus? Would they have acted like cowards and abandoned Him? Did they recognize Jesus was trying to teach them that PRAYER is KEY??? If we sleep like they did- we allow they enemy to gain victory! We become like the disciples- weak, scared, not bold in our beliefs, water-down Truth, play on the enemy's team, etc. It is easy to point fingers at the disciples, however I am a lot like them! So often the Spirit will warn me of what is about to happen and who and what to watch out for; Yet I still fall into the traps! I am sure I have missed out on many gems that were just for me, left by the King, solely because of my wrong choices! My goal is to make sure I am daily choosing to PRAY and not SLEEP!

~FOIL~

2010-07-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

'My Man' and I have been on this cRaZy, Faith Journey for over a year now! It has been the wildest ride I have ever been on, to say the least!!! I will never forget the day 'My Man' told me that God was calling us to Florida! We were sitting in my Jeep, on his lunch break when he was brave enough to break the news! I thought he was joking!...He had to be kidding right? How could this be? We were in a season when everything was smooth sailing.. we had a nice home, stable jobs in an unstable economy, ministry in a sweet little church, we lived close to family--the same town I lived in my WHOLE life! I always thought it would be neat to live near the beach, but actually moving there was a completely different thing! The look in 'My Man's' eyes gave it away...He was not kidding after all! SO, a month later we were packing, having yard sales, and saying good-byes! We loaded "My Man's' truck up and off we went, knowing God had SOMETHING for us in Florida...but unsure what that SOMETHING would be! This was the beginning of our Faith Journey! The Journey has had it's share of ups and downs, that I will tell about in days to come, but for now I'm going to share a story that God uses on a regular basis to remind me of His amazing love!
God's timing is PERFECT, however I have wrestled with Him on this very thing! He called us in my opinion, one of the worst TIMES of all, considering the job market is terrible! It has taken us forevvvvvvverrrr to get settled, to find a home, a JOB, you name it! With this comes the obvious...we have struggled financially since the day we left our home! One day in the middle of our "Broke-ness" and waiting on God to reveal what exactly He had for us here, I had one of my MANY temper-tantrums to God! They were the usual.."Why did YouCall us here?" "What are You doing?" "Where are You?" "We can't even hardly buy food, gas, everyday neccessities! So what are YOU DOINGGGGGGG?!!!?!" I have this routine of always putting foil on my baking pans every time I bake something in the oven..I'm really not sure why I do that, it is just something I have always done! After my meltdown, I went to the cabinet to get the foil down so I could make dinner and noticed I was out of foil! Well at this time we barely had money to buy necessities, let alone foil! So, I went about my day pouting because of our circumstance! All day God kept telling me it was going to be okay..that He had it all undercontrol, that He loved me beyond measure! 'My Man' came home from his hotel job not long after and he walks in with all kinds of stuff! You see, the hotel has a policy if guest leave stuff in the rooms, you are allowed to take it home if they have checked out!!(execpt valuables and such..OBVIOUSLY) Guess what one of the things in his hand was??? FOIL!!!! Talk about a God of detail!! Only HE knew I really wished we had foil!! Now, I know life would have went on with out foil!! But God used something as simple as FOIL to remind me of how much He loved me! 1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.." He used foil as a way to show me how much He LAVISHES love on me! It isn't just a sprinkle here and there...He POURS IT, and POURS IT, and POURS it! SO thankful He has it all under control! He knows the things I need and want, even down to the things I leave unspoken!!!!