Monday, December 1, 2014
I cannot believe I just wrote the word "December" for the month! We had a great Thanksgiving, but it is kind of sad how quickly our break went by. I know in a blink of an eye Christmas break will be here and gone, so I am really trying to enjoy these next few weeks and try not to wish them to go by faster. We went to my parent's house on Thursday and came back home on Saturday. We had a yummy meal for Thanksgiving and I love that when we are at my parent's house for a holiday we eat on plates that my dad got my mom when he was in Korea. I love that my mom always makes me my favorite chocolate fudge and this time found a cute owl container to put it in. I love that my mom always makes me a cherry pie knowing that it is my favorite. I love just being lazy on the couch after the meal and shopping on Friday. My mom and I went shopping Friday but did not go early in the morning. Chloe went with us and the other two stayed with Jeremy. We drug her from store to store and she really was a trooper. She is a different child when she is by herself :). Saturday we came home and I tried to put some things away but mostly put them to the side and put them away this morning. Yesterday our core group was out of town, so we went to church at a local church.
This is the part of the post that I have struggled with posting about it. It is also a part that may be deleted later today. Jeremy and I have had a rough few days trying to sort out our questions about the church plant. In the past two and half years we have never questioned if this is where God wanted us. Oh, we have selfishly wanted to pack up and head out of town, but we never questioned if this is where God wanted us. There have been several factors that I think have got us questioning our future here in Chicago. 1.) We really need help. We need people to come and help. We have had several people over the past five years that have shown interest but none of that has panned out. The only family unit that did move up to help only stuck with us 4 1/2 months and has already decided to work with an already established church. We have the sinking feeling that nobody is coming. Help is not on its way and we cannot continue without help. 2.) After this school year Jeremy will have to find a job. The program he is doing does not automatically place him in a school. The chances are extremely high that he will get an assistant principal or principal position, but not a guarantee. So I think the last few days the evil one has been using discouragement and personal comfort as tools to persuade our feelings and thoughts. With Jeremy's degrees and experience this year the opportunities are endless. I even went to the TN department of Education website and was excited to see that both of our teaching certificates are still good for another 5-7 years. The thought of moving to a more comfortable city where we can buy a big house and live the American dream has been dangled in front of our faces. We can throw in that God is calling us to our desired destination to make ourselves feel better and who would question our calling. Isn't that what most people do when they want to do something more comfortable? Now before rumors start spreading that we are leaving Chicago, let me tell you that things happened yesterday that confirmed that God is not finished with us here in Chicago. We don't know what He is up to and where He was lead us in the future, but as for right now God is still working through us in this city. We really need your prayers and we really need workers.
I don't want to leave this post on such a heavy note, so here are a few funny things the kids said this week.
Thursday morning we were trying to get around and get going to Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Samuel needed to get dressed, get his things together, and then help Jeremy clean out the car. I was joking around with him and he gave me the most serious look. I said, "I am just joking." His response, "Mom, I don't have time for jokes this morning."
At the mall on Friday we went into Victoria's Secrets to purchase some of their lotion and body spray for a Christmas gift. My kids are in this stage in life that bathroom words and undergarment words are funny to them. As their mother I am constantly on them about not being crude and not talking and laughing about those kind of words. We walk in the store and Chloe tugs on my arm. I look down at her and her hand is over her mouth and then she says, "Mom, I don't think we should be in here. This is a bathroom word place." She really flipped out when she saw that there were some boys in the store!
Friday evening we were eating pizza at my parent's house and my dad asked Samuel is he knew what it meant to call the Friday after Thanksgiving Black Friday. Without missing a beat Samuel said, " 15% off at Kohl's."
Yesterday on the way to church Chloe was arguing with Samuel saying that she did not eat cows. Emma piped in and said everyone eats cows, chicken, turkey, and any kind of meat. Jeremy then explains to Emma that some people do not eat meat or meat products and they are called vegetarians. Chloe gets excited and says, "Oh, I know a vegetarian!! I wrote them a letter a few weeks ago!" We were both puzzled for a moment and then realized. "No, Chloe. You wrote a letter to a VETERAN."
This is the part of the post that I have struggled with posting about it. It is also a part that may be deleted later today. Jeremy and I have had a rough few days trying to sort out our questions about the church plant. In the past two and half years we have never questioned if this is where God wanted us. Oh, we have selfishly wanted to pack up and head out of town, but we never questioned if this is where God wanted us. There have been several factors that I think have got us questioning our future here in Chicago. 1.) We really need help. We need people to come and help. We have had several people over the past five years that have shown interest but none of that has panned out. The only family unit that did move up to help only stuck with us 4 1/2 months and has already decided to work with an already established church. We have the sinking feeling that nobody is coming. Help is not on its way and we cannot continue without help. 2.) After this school year Jeremy will have to find a job. The program he is doing does not automatically place him in a school. The chances are extremely high that he will get an assistant principal or principal position, but not a guarantee. So I think the last few days the evil one has been using discouragement and personal comfort as tools to persuade our feelings and thoughts. With Jeremy's degrees and experience this year the opportunities are endless. I even went to the TN department of Education website and was excited to see that both of our teaching certificates are still good for another 5-7 years. The thought of moving to a more comfortable city where we can buy a big house and live the American dream has been dangled in front of our faces. We can throw in that God is calling us to our desired destination to make ourselves feel better and who would question our calling. Isn't that what most people do when they want to do something more comfortable? Now before rumors start spreading that we are leaving Chicago, let me tell you that things happened yesterday that confirmed that God is not finished with us here in Chicago. We don't know what He is up to and where He was lead us in the future, but as for right now God is still working through us in this city. We really need your prayers and we really need workers.
I don't want to leave this post on such a heavy note, so here are a few funny things the kids said this week.
Thursday morning we were trying to get around and get going to Grandma's and Grandpa's house. Samuel needed to get dressed, get his things together, and then help Jeremy clean out the car. I was joking around with him and he gave me the most serious look. I said, "I am just joking." His response, "Mom, I don't have time for jokes this morning."
At the mall on Friday we went into Victoria's Secrets to purchase some of their lotion and body spray for a Christmas gift. My kids are in this stage in life that bathroom words and undergarment words are funny to them. As their mother I am constantly on them about not being crude and not talking and laughing about those kind of words. We walk in the store and Chloe tugs on my arm. I look down at her and her hand is over her mouth and then she says, "Mom, I don't think we should be in here. This is a bathroom word place." She really flipped out when she saw that there were some boys in the store!
Friday evening we were eating pizza at my parent's house and my dad asked Samuel is he knew what it meant to call the Friday after Thanksgiving Black Friday. Without missing a beat Samuel said, " 15% off at Kohl's."
Yesterday on the way to church Chloe was arguing with Samuel saying that she did not eat cows. Emma piped in and said everyone eats cows, chicken, turkey, and any kind of meat. Jeremy then explains to Emma that some people do not eat meat or meat products and they are called vegetarians. Chloe gets excited and says, "Oh, I know a vegetarian!! I wrote them a letter a few weeks ago!" We were both puzzled for a moment and then realized. "No, Chloe. You wrote a letter to a VETERAN."
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