As the year drew to an end, we were, of course, getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and began winding down the school year, taking way too much time off to enjoy the cooler weather. But the days grew colder and dreary all too fast, in so many ways.
Our Bible study on Thursday nights with Mom, Thomas, and Scott coming came to a screeching halt with everybody's busy holiday schedule. We had really taken in the time to become reacquainted, and looked forward every week to fixing some kind of dessert, putting on some coffee, and getting in the Word together. Scott was making strides in his personal walk with the Lord, and we all got to witness miracle after miracle in his life all through last year. That was FUN! Mother and I had prayers answered that we both had prayed concerning one another, and witnessed the healing power of the Lord remedy in just a few months what had taken years to mess up. God is so very good! Rick and Dot Overpeck attended it all with their faithful presence and support, as always.
But, as January came around, we all had new things to tend to that were blessings, yet they smothered out the opportunity to get together as regularly. Kind of sad. A reminder to me to soak up whatever life presents to you at the moment. Nothing is guaranteed to remain the same.
As you can see in the pictures above, though, there is always beauty to be found, even in cold, foggy days. On the lighter side of life during these months, Curtis received the promotion with his company for which we, as a family, had been believing for more than a year now! With it came a significant pay raise, and the opportunity to make more based on the profitability of the company. Most exciting was the fact that Curtis realized that he had won the absolute trust of the owner of the company, and would be allowed to execute his own business plan to grow this organization. What a man God has given me! I've watched as Curtis has been passed over so many times during the last 16 years while others received the credit for his ideas and successes, as he waited in frustration, yet yielded to the Lord, and trusting ultimately in God's timing of man's favor. I prayed often that God would prosper him as his soul prospered, not wanting anything to do with pride or man-made ambition. Only God could have orchestrated the events of the last two years so precisely!
With this new office he now holds, travel has become a big part of our lives. Curtis has to go to Houston just about once a week. The neat part of it is that he can take one of the older children with him on many occasions, allowing for some wonderful discussions and bonding time free from distractions and constant interruptions. They've really enjoyed that opportunity! I remember reading in Vicki Farris' book "A Mom Just Like You" how Michael, her husband and founder of HSLDA, would take their older children with him on his travels, and how it enriched their lives. We, at home, have a special night with the little ones taking turns "spending the night" with Mom. I'll usually rent a movie, or scour the library archives, for a good vintage film, and we pop some popcorn. It's really been fun!
But, the most pressing and intrusive addition to our lives over the last five months has been something none of us expected or planned to be a part of: fighting the daytime curfew city ordinance in Bedford. That, my friends, will take an entire post or two to detail, and "Boy, Howdy!" is it one you'll want to see! I can hardly believe myself the track this thing has taken! Who knows what a month holds, much less a year, or a lifetime! This thing that God has so graciously given, called life, is gloriously unpredictable!
As you can see in the pictures above, though, there is always beauty to be found, even in cold, foggy days. On the lighter side of life during these months, Curtis received the promotion with his company for which we, as a family, had been believing for more than a year now! With it came a significant pay raise, and the opportunity to make more based on the profitability of the company. Most exciting was the fact that Curtis realized that he had won the absolute trust of the owner of the company, and would be allowed to execute his own business plan to grow this organization. What a man God has given me! I've watched as Curtis has been passed over so many times during the last 16 years while others received the credit for his ideas and successes, as he waited in frustration, yet yielded to the Lord, and trusting ultimately in God's timing of man's favor. I prayed often that God would prosper him as his soul prospered, not wanting anything to do with pride or man-made ambition. Only God could have orchestrated the events of the last two years so precisely!
With this new office he now holds, travel has become a big part of our lives. Curtis has to go to Houston just about once a week. The neat part of it is that he can take one of the older children with him on many occasions, allowing for some wonderful discussions and bonding time free from distractions and constant interruptions. They've really enjoyed that opportunity! I remember reading in Vicki Farris' book "A Mom Just Like You" how Michael, her husband and founder of HSLDA, would take their older children with him on his travels, and how it enriched their lives. We, at home, have a special night with the little ones taking turns "spending the night" with Mom. I'll usually rent a movie, or scour the library archives, for a good vintage film, and we pop some popcorn. It's really been fun!
But, the most pressing and intrusive addition to our lives over the last five months has been something none of us expected or planned to be a part of: fighting the daytime curfew city ordinance in Bedford. That, my friends, will take an entire post or two to detail, and "Boy, Howdy!" is it one you'll want to see! I can hardly believe myself the track this thing has taken! Who knows what a month holds, much less a year, or a lifetime! This thing that God has so graciously given, called life, is gloriously unpredictable!
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