T&T

Yup, trials and tribulations!!!!  Things that we are all going to experience, know they are going to come along, and still get surprised and frustrated when they appear!!!  A right response would be to give thanks and to praise God because he does ALL things well and he is worthy to be praised no matter the situation.  However, over the past few weeks, even amongst all of our blessings, I have found the stress mounting and my patience to be short. 

You know, most of the things are little, small, teeny, insignificant things......and a couple of things are well, just a teeny, tiny bit bigger.  They have seemed to accumulate into a big pile of little things, turning into one big thing.  Then, I let it get out of control, get irritable with my family, and find myself on my knees praying, asking for forgiveness and asking Him to help me. 

It started with our tenants.  They have began to not pay us rent nor will they return any form of communication.  A little stressful.  Especially since that makes our finances uncertain.  Now, we are not going to renew their lease and have the new task of finding new renters, once we can get the current ones to vacant. 

I also have been looking for a PRN job (I DID GRADUATE WITH MY BACHELOR'S IN NURSING ON JULY 14TH!!!!), but have had almost no responses with a gazillion job applications floating around out there.  Does not help with the financial uncertainties!!!!

Last week I accidentally cracked my laptop screen. 

Last week also happened to be the week that Andrew, Ryan, and I would catch stomach viruses.  I am thankful that Hunter and Sean managed to stay well!!!!

This week brought a broken washing machine, which decided to break while washing a load of dirty cloth diapers (the water wouldn't drain either-yuck). 

So, this pile had become a mountain and I am fervently praying instead of giving thanks and praising and seeing that many other peoples problems are way bigger than mine.  Within a few hours, God gently reminds me how much he loves us and cares about us. 

I got a surprise ultrasound and was able to see our precious little blessing after a little scare of not finding a heartbeat.  A good reminder of the gratefulness I have that God has seen fit to gift us with a new baby for these last 11 weeks.  :) 

Then after my OB appointment, I picked up Ryan from his violin lesson and headed to Wal-Mart.  On our way out, lying right next to our car, was a pile of money!!!!  Almost $2 in pennies.  Ryan and I scooped them all up and put them in a bag.  But the best part about that was my conversation with my delightful 4-year-old.  He asked why God dropped pennies from Heaven just for him and how was he going to get some of them back up to Heaven to give back to God?  I explained that God loves him very much and that sometimes he likes to give us special things.  I also explained that we can give the money back to God by helping God's people.  Ryan decided he wanted to give some of the money to really sick kids at the children's hospital.  Can you say melt a mama's heart!!!?????  And if that wasn't enough, on the drive home, there was a little red toy truck on the side of the road that we stopped and picked up!!!  Talk about double blessings for Ryan.  He also said that God must have given him presents because he was so sick last week.  Awwwwww!!!!!  

And then there is the washer.  Sean was at the store, just a few moments away from purchasing a new one, when God gave him wisdom and advice from one of the employees on how to possibly fix it on his own.  One $45 lid switch and a little of Sean's elbow grease later and laundry in this household has resumed!!!!!  :) 

Whatever trials and tribulations we are facing, God is here for us and he loves us very much and he is waiting to bless us, if only we will trust in Him with all of our heart and lean not unto our own understanding (Pro 3:5).  In everything give thanks (I Thes 5:18).