So overwhelmed...

I'm so overwhelmed by what I'm going to tell you, I get tears in my eyes almost every time I share the story or think about it! I was going to post this story earlier, but I typed it once and lost it, and didn't feel like typing it all over again that day. Then Danielle posted about her little prayer warrior, and I wanted to share my story, too.

This all started on Marcy 5th, the Wednesday after we found out that our last IVF pregnancy test was negative. During the greeting time just before the offertory, I was standing talking to two of my friends, as another friend's 5 year old daughter, Abby, was walking by. She caught my eye because as she was walking, she kept looking at me like she wanted to say something, but didn't want to interrupt. As she walked past my one friend, I caught her eye and smiled at her. I guess that was her cue, because she leaned in between my two friends and softly said, "We're praying for you." Of course, I had to hold back the tears, but my heart was touched to the core. Over the course of this IVF, we have had MANY, MANY people praying for us (and we are SO thankful!) But there was just something about the sincerity in her beautiful eyes as she looked at me... to think that this little girl was praying for ME! After the service, Chris and I caught up with Abby's mom and dad. I shared the story with them, and Abby's mom, Lisa, told me, "Oh, yes, she's our little prayer warrior. She will pray for something FOREVER, sometimes even AFTER the request has been answered (surgery past, seizures controlled, etc.) Sometimes I get so frustrated with all of her prayer requests that I have to limit her to TWO at bedtime!"

Wow - to me that was overwhelming, amazing... and CONVICTING! To have the effectual, FERVENT prayer... of a 5 year old... poured out at the foot of the throne of grace... FOR ME! How often do I pray with that kind of abandon?!?!?

The story doesn't stop there, though! That following weekend, we had a big snowstorm here. Abby's dad is the pastor of our chapel in Scottsburg, IN, which only meets on Sunday mornings. They had Sunday school all together that morning (her dad told me this Sunday night), and Abby asked prayer for me (that I would have a baby) in their combined SS. Every time I talk to Abby's parents, they remind me that she is praying for me. Lisa told me that one time Abby's older sister, Sarah, told Abby, "Abby, you don't have to pray for Mrs. Heather EVERY time!" To which Abby replied, "Yes, I DO! That's how God hears me!" Oh to have that kind of child-like faith!

Then, Easter night after the evening service, we went out to Steak-N-Shake with Abby's family and another family. The kids (6 of them) were all at one table and the adults at the other. We prayed separately from the kids, but after the kids table had prayed, Abby continued to sit with her head bowed and her hands folded. Gina asked Lisa about it, and Lisa said that Andrew didn't do a good enough job praying for what Abby wanted, so she continues to pray until she asks God for all of her requests. When Abby finished, Lisa asked her, "Abby, what were you praying for?" Abby sweetly replied, "Mrs. Heather to have a baby." Again - overwhelming!

Then, yesterday, my friend, Angie, sent me a message, and told me that her girls pray for us every night, that we will have a baby. As I hear these things, I can just imagine God up in heaven, listening to the sweet prayers of this little girls on my behalf. I can feel Him wanting so much to give them their requests, but instead, having to whisper back, "Keep praying, girls, keep praying. I hear you, but it's not time yet. Soon... soon... but it's not time YET!" Can you guess whose little girls will be among the first to know when God does bless us with the answer to their prayers (and those of MANY others)?

Thank God for the parents who have taught their children to pray like that! And Lord willing, when God blesses us with a child, I will be able to teach them that very same thing! And if your child prays like that, PLEASE don't discourage them! Satan will do that soon enough!

So AMAZING!

... and people say that there is no Creator!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have prayed and are praying for us through this time. I also wanted to share these pictures with you, because I think that they are SO AMAZING! Though Chris and I would never have chosen to go through in vitro fertilization to have a baby, we have received many blessings through this trial. One of which is that we have actually seen pictures of all of our embryos (babies, in our minds!) It is just so amazing to see what God is doing and most parents have no idea that their babies have even been conceived at this point, much less SEE them!

Our embryologist, Dr. Cristina, likes to take pictures of the embryos within an hour of the transfer. We went in for the transfer at 2pm, and she showed us the first picture (taken at 1 pm). She said it was OK, but she would have liked to see a little more definition. Dr. Homm, my fertility doctor who actually does the transfer, got delayed with another patient for about an hour. So, Dr. Cristina took another picture at 2:20pm. That is the second one you see below. She was very thrilled with the growth of the embryo, and was very positive.


This is a picture of our embryo at 1pm... as you are looking at the picture, the baby forms to the right side, and the bumps on the left side are where the embryo attaches to the uterus.


This is a picture of our embryo at 2:20pm. It is so amazing to me to see how much it had grown in just 1 hour & 20 minutes! Chris and I feel SO BLESSED just to be able to see these pictures. Most parents don't even have a clue that their baby exists at this point!

There are still no guarantees... it is totally up to God to choose to give this baby life and breath. However, we continue to pray as we wait, and have faith knowing that WHATEVER God chooses to do... "As for God, his way is PERFECT."

Again, we appreciate so much your love, prayers, and support! We will know the first week of March whether or not we are pregnant, and we'll let you all know when we can! :-)

Here We Go...

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I hope that you are using this "Hallmark Holiday" to show some extra love to your loved ones around you, and to encourage others. Actually, Chris and I joke about Valentine's Day being a Hallmark Holiday (a holiday created to generate more money for card and candy makers!), but Valentine's Day is actually a "Christian" holiday. Did you know that? So take some time today and show someone that you love them!

Valentine's Day Card I made for Chris

All that being said, Chris and I don't really DO much for each other on Valentine's Day. Chris says it's too close to Christmas, and we don't usually have any money! So - for this year... we went out on 02/02 to Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse~ a VERY posh steakhouse here in Louisville. To give you an idea, the Queen of England ate there when she was in town for the Derby last year! Chris earned a free dinner for the two of us anywhere we wanted when he got the Sales Associate of the Year at the dealership... so we used it to go there. We got to dress up and take 2&1/2 hours to fully enjoy the FABULOUS dinner (that cost $360 with tax and tip included! YIKES!) I'll post pictures soon. We decided to use that as our Valentine Dinner!

Chris & I at Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse... this is our "surf&turf" dinner

Then, on Monday night, we went to the Teen Valentine Banquet at church. Because of the snow, the banquet got cut short, but we had a good time anyway. I'll post some pics of that, too. Tomorrow, we are going to a Married Couple's Sweetheart Dinner (informal) at our camp. We are looking forward to that!
WISHING we were in Hawaii with surfboards (not in those outfits, of course), instead of being in COLD and SNOWY weather! (Teen Valentine Banquet at church)

The title of this note says "Here we go..." I went to my doctor today so that they could check to make sure my body is ready for the next IVF cycle, and it is... here we go! The transfer will take place on Feb. 18th (President's Day), at 2pm Eastern time. Please pray that the embryo will survive the thawing process, and that everything will go smoothly. Although we will be happy with a baby of God's choosing, we are praying for a son. (I'm actually praying for TWIN boys, but we'll see what God has for us!) We would appreciate your prayers for us during this time... specifically that we would be able to HAVE this baby, and also that our insurance reimbursements will come through in a timely manner so that we don't have to pay for this forever! We have been fighting with our insurance company since October 2007. I will be on bedrest for 3 full days after the transfer (I have about 20 books to read!), and then I am on "light duty" for the remainder of the 2 weeks until the pregnancy test. I am looking forward to not having to work for 2 weeks, and am hoping to get a LOT of stamping done! :-)

A friend of mine sent me a CD last week... this song was on it! I LOVE it so much I thought I'd share the lyrics with you. They apply so well to what we've been going through the past couple of months, and I'm sure that most of you can apply them to some trial that you've faced in your life as well.

For My Good and For His Glory

by Rebecca J. Peck

I must admit that I don't understand

why God would let me face

this painful circumstance
All I have to cling to is His Word and His Name,

But that's enough - so I will trust

It's for my good and for His glory,

This trial's not the end of the story~

There's a bigger picture God alone can see.

Faith will take me through this sorrow
for I know He holds tomorrow

And He assures me
It's for my good and for His glory.

Because I love the Lord, He's promised me
To work all things for good -

Through tears I still believe
That His ways are higher than any of my own
Though my heart aches, He makes no mistakes!

It's for my good and for His glory,
This trial's not the end of the story~
There's a bigger picture God alone can see.
Faith will take me through this sorrow

for I know He holds tomorrow
And He assures me

it's for my good and for His glory.

Last Sat. I got to go to the Creation Museum in Cincinatti, OH. It was SO COOL... and so much more than JUST a creation museum! It is really the story of the Gospel throughout the whole museum. So - if any of you are interested, the website is: http://www.creationmuseum.org/ I'll post some pics of that soon, too! :-)

Well, that's about it for now! Happy Valentine's Day! :-)

This and that...

Well, it's been a good week. I've read 4 books... The Still of Night by Kristen Heitzman, Redemption and Return by Karen Kingsbury with Gary Smalley, and The Princess by Lori Wick. Though they are all Christian fiction "romance" novels, I was pleasantly surprised at how the authors wove in Biblical truths and true to life situations, even very unpleasant ones. I have truly enjoyed being able to read, and am thankful that the baseball playoffs are being played right now. That means that I can still sit on the couch leaning up against my husband, spending time with him, but I can be absorbed in my book, much like he is absorbed in the baseball game! :-) That way I don't feel guilty that I'm not paying much attention to him!

Thursday night, I was able to go to my friend, Brenda's house. She is a SU! demonstrator, and we did a Christmas card workshop. I made 11 cards. 5 of them were a winter snowflake, 5 of them a nativity scene, and 1 snowman card. I always enjoy stamping, and it's so much fun to enjoy the fellowship with other ladies at the same time.


I also started my Christmas picture calendar. Each year I make photo calendars for both families, with the different family members on each month. The problem that I ran into this year is that too many of Chris' siblings have kids. OK - the nieces and nephews are not really a problem, but it does make it difficult to give everyone equal space. I decided that this year, I would put pictures of ALL the grandkids on one page, and then do 2 different pages of grandkids. (Does that make sense?) ANYWAY, I am finished with the actual calendar pages (I think) with all the holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. Now it's just a matter of #1) getting pictures from everyone and #2) doing the layout for the picture part. Another thing that I am doing different with the pages this year is using background paper for most of the months. I am hoping it turns out well! :-)


We also met with our youth pastors this week to discuss what they are asking us to do as youth workers in our church. They had approached us about the possibility about 3 weeks ago, but we just this week were able to meet with them. We would be helping another couple with the 9th&10th grade SS class. Chris would team teach with the other gentleman who is already teaching the class. Other than that, our involvement or lack thereof is completely up to us. Of course, they would prefer that we be at every activity that we possibly can, but these activities are not required. Now, with Chris and I, when we commit to something, we try to be as faithful to that commitment as we possibly can. We would LOVE to be able to go to all the activities, etc. So - we have not given them an answer yet, simply because we are already involved in choir and bus ministry, and want to make sure we can work in all 3 without letting something slide. We want to "get our ducks all in a row" before we make a commitment that we can't keep.


If you think about it, would you please pray for our college kids? Monday night, one of our senior girls at the college was killed in a car accident. There were 2 other freshman girls in the car with her, and they both are OK (which, according to what I've heard about the accident, it's a miracle that they walked away.) A 19 year old boy on a motorcycle was going 80+ mph and hit them broadside. He was killed instantly as well. Our college kids are pretty shook up about it. For many of them this is the first time that they've had to deal with the death of someone close to them.

I think that's about it for what has happened this week. I'll leave you with some pictures I took the other day... I just think the sky around here is so cool!The lights and power lines are in the way, but I just think the clouds are so cool!

Here's a view of the clouds between the trees

God Answers Prayer

I'm not able to share details with you all, but I just wanted to say I'm so thankful that God answers prayer! My father-in-law called Chris tonight to share with him this wonderful news: One of my FIL's employees got saved yesterday! He came to a special church BBQ (or something to that effect) at their church yesterday and accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior! Needless to say, my FIL was SO EXCITED!
We also found out today that there has been some changes taking place in a situation that we have been praying about for years now. I'm so glad that God doesn't give up on us! What a huge blessing to know that He cares, and that just because we don't see answers right away doesn't mean He's not at work. He just chooses not to force things, but works in HIS timing! Can't wait to see what's next!

Follow-up

Have you ever wondered why you fear something so much, then when it happens, everything goes better than you expected, and you feel absolutely STUPID for the crazy fear that you had in the first place? (I know, that was a REALLY long sentence!)

Well, I am happy to report to you all that I finally faced my fear and had a good conversation with my hubby last night about my struggles. As always, he was very understanding and encouraging (why was I scared, again?), and we have made some decisions on the direction we are going to take in this matter.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's wisdom for our family, and as we claim God's promises as He wrote them in His love letter to us. We know that He has the BEST plan for us, and that it will be revealed in HIS time. So, we do what we can, and we wait to see what God has for us. I am excited to be able to look back someday and see what God has done... whether or not we ever have children.

If God never gives us children, I will still love and serve Him.

Military Pride

In honor of our military, I have added a few graphics to my blog. These serve also as a reminder to pray for our President and our military. I also want to honor those that I know (family especially) that served/are serving in the military:
My dad - Navy - Vietnam War
2 brothers-in-law - Marines
Another brother-in-law - Air Force
We also have a couple of close friends that have served/are serving in the military - Jeff W. in the Air Force currently, and Pete M. former Marine who fought in Iraq. (See his wife's post honoring him here.) Also, my good friends, the LaFlammes, have Rodney's dad who recently arrived back home from Iraq, and the Kinnan's - Dan just went back to Iraq from being on leave to see their newborn son.
I am sure that MANY of you either have family members and/or friends that are serving us and our country in the military. I just want you to know that I am VERY thankful for their sacrifice and for the freedom that those sacrifices offer me. Please continue to pray for our military, and their family members.

Spring is here!!

Last Wednesday, March 21, officially marked the first day of spring. This tree was right on time... Tuesday night the branches were bare (seriously, I noticed, because I was so anxious for signs of spring!) and Wednesday morning, it looked like this! Literally, overnight, the tree burst into bloom!

I managed to take a couple seconds on my way to work one morning to capture this sunrise on film... well digitally, anyway. I love the flag in the picture, as well.


So - today, it is 82 degrees out! I'm lovin' this weather, but unfortunately, our apt. complex doesn't really have much of a nice spot to be outside, so I am wasting this beautiful day indoors, blogging! :-) I am so thankful for the beautiful weather!

Chris made it home from his sales conference, and was very encouraged. He has done so well (please forgive my bragging!), that the company that did the conference interviewed and videotaped Chris as a testimonial to their sales training. The speaker at the conference "took to" Chris pretty well. When he found out how well Chris was doing, he told Chris that if Chris implemented the things that he learned at the conference, in 3-5 years he should never have to take another "up" (customer coming on the lot at the dealership that does not have a salesman to work with). He should be busy with all repeat customers and referrals from his customers. The speaker also told Chris that by that point, Chris should have so many of his own customers that the dealership should have to hire a secretary and finance person just to work with Chris' customers! That is very encouraging! Now, of course, we don't know if that will happen, or what God has in store for us in the future. It is encouraging to see my husband so successful, though, and all the praise and glory go to the Lord for bringing in to Chris the people that will buy the cars. We are so thankful that the Lord led Chris to this job, and don't want to lose sight of that!

Yesterday, we were able to join another couple and their 4 kiddos for lunch after church. It was fun getting to know them better. We have been able to do this for the last couple of weeks, and it has been nice getting to know the couples with whom we attend church. Thursday, I was able to have lunch with a friend, and thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with her, as well. It is nice to be making friends now.
Chris also started playing basketball with some of the men/college students after church on Sunday nights. He has really enjoyed being able to PLAY sports, rather than be coaching or in charge of refereeing the games. It's good for him to meet the guys that way, as well, just as I get to meet the ladies at stamping parties!

On a totally different note, my brother, Nathan, and his fiancee, Caroline, have made the decision to complete this semester of school, rather than sit out the rest of the semester due to Caroline's father's sudden passing. Please continue to keep them in your prayers, as I'm sure this will be difficult for them. Nathan will have one week to make up, Caroline, 2 weeks. Please also continue to pray for the LaChance family as they continue to grieve the loss of their loved one.

Prayer request **update**

Here is an update on my prayer request.

They did an EEG on Caroline's dad Saturday morning, and gave them the news around 2 pm that there was no brain activity. They did a second one that afternoon to confirm that there was no brain activity. They kept Mr. LaChance's body on life support until this morning, when they did surgery to harvest his organs... he was an organ donor. Nathan said that everyone seems to be doing a little better this morning. Apparently, the doctors believe that Mr. LaChance never came back to life (brain activity) from when they found him dead early Friday morning.

Please continue to pray for the LaChance family and my brother, Nathan, as they have a lot of very difficult decisions to make in the coming days and weeks, as well as going through the grieving process. Don LaChance was a Christian, as is the family as far as I know, so thankfully they can rest in the fact that he is now in Heaven with Jesus Christ. Nathan and Caroline are in the middle of a semester at school, so they will have to make decisions about all of that, and their wedding planned for June 30th is also coming up soon. Mrs. LaChance has a son, Danny, that still lives at home, and then they also have another daughter, Sarah, who is married.

I cannot imagine what they are going through right now. Please keep them all in your prayers.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST! **update**

I talked to my brother, Nathan, this morning. His future father-in-law's name is Don LaChance. Nathan said that when the nurses found Don on Friday morning at 4am, he was already dead. It took them 30 minutes to revive him. He is now in a coma, and they are doing an EEG this morning to measure his brain activity. He is on a ventilator, and his oxygen saturation is now in the high 90's, which is really good. Nathan said his heart seems to be beating strong, so that is not as much of a concern at this point.

Nathan said that the doctors don't know what caused this. When Don had surgery on that same shoulder last October, he had bad reactions to the pain meds. They don't know if that had something to do with it, or if it was something to do with his sleep apnea, or what. Nathan said Caroline is up and down right now, and her mom is doing worse than yesterday (I'm sure the shock is wearing off.)

Please continue to pray for the LaChance family, and my family as well as this affects us, too.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

Please pray for Mr. LaChance. (Sorry, I don't know his first name.) He is the father of my future sister-in-law, Caroline, (my brother Nathan's fiancee.) He went in for rotator cuff surgery yesterday, and had a cardiac arrest during the night last night (actually early this morning.) He is now in a coma, and I believe, on a ventilator. Apparently he aspirated (breathed in) some fluid during this time as well. He is 49 years old. My mom said that his heart seems to be fine now, but his lungs are the problem. The doctors don't know/won't tell Mrs. LaChance what the cause of this was. Please pray that the Lord will completely heal him, and that the doctors will have great wisdom in caring for him.

Nathan and Caroline are to get married on June 30th this year. My mom said that at this point things don't look good. The LaChance's have 4 children, I think, Caroline being the youngest. Nathan and Caroline flew home from Pensacola Christian College today to be with the family. PLEASE PRAY for them and their family.

Thanks so much... we will keep you updated as we know more.

Pray for our troops

America is the land of the free, because of the brave!

In light of the recent enlisting of one of our family members into the Marines, I just wanted to take a minute to remind you of the importance of praying for our men and women in the Armed Forces, as well as their families. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to know that a loved one is in harm's way every minute of every day.

Also, continue to pray for our President and our country. Thank God for America!!

~FREEDOM ~

Cherish your freedom and guard it with honor and respect

for it carries the BLOOD of those who gave it to you.

~FREEDOM is not FREE!~

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

A GREAT DAY!

Praise the Lord for a great day! Here's why:

1. My husband took the day off after almost 3 months of working 6 days a week, 12 hour days (after I begged and pleaded and grovelled!) :*) Just kidding... well, sort of... I did ask him, though.
2. Chris and I got to sleep in and didn't get up until 10:45am.
3. Chris spent 10 minutes on the phone this morning, and sold a car on his day off.
4. While Chris was dealing with his customer on the phone, our realtor called. He called her back, and she told us that we have a contract on our house in MD!! (HUGE ANSWER TO PRAYER!!!)
5. Chris took me out to lunch at a place called "Cheddar's" which is like an Applebee's... casual dining. We had delicious food, and I have leftovers for dinner!
6. I got my new stamp order in! YEAH!!
7. We spent some time at the basketball tourney the Christian school associated with our church was hosting, and Chris caught up with a college classmate he hadn't seen in 10 years.
8. We went to the dealership, and Chris' customer came and finished up paperwork on the car, so it is officially sold.
9. While they were doing paperwork, our contract for the house came through on the fax. We finished that paperwork, and so now our house is pretty much SOLD! (Our closing date is March 30, 2007)
10. I got to spend the day with my hubby!!

Praise the Lord for proof, again, that He is in control, that He is good ALL THE TIME, and that He loves us!

Prayer

Just a quick note... please pray for me. I have been struggling with a number of things lately, and I just really need some prayer. I really can't go into details, but it concerns just about every area of my life. The past few months since the move have been very difficult for me, but it seems that I've been under some incredible Satanic attacks since December. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I have allowed him to have victory in my life, rather than claiming the name of Christ and reclaiming surrendered ground. Please pray for me, and for my sweet husband, as he is forced to deal with ME!

Please pray with us

Please pray that our house in MD would sell quickly. We have had quite a bit of activity going on lately as far as the house being shown, open houses, etc. (Praise the Lord - activity is encouraging) Our realtor is showing it today to an individual, and then she is having an open house for it tomorrow, as well. We are praying that the Lord will have a buyer for us soon. We have been paying 2 sets of bills for 5 months now, and the financial burden is heavy. We would appreciate you praying with us!

Maryland house - August 2006

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES...

...HIS PRAISE SHALL CONTINUALLY BE IN MY MOUTH." PSALM 34:1

Last night, I couldn't sleep. I was struggling so much with my emotions and stressing over things that are happening in our lives. Chris has been working 6 days a week, and long hours. Over the holidays, I didn't have regularly scheduled work, so I worked all kinds of crazy shifts, including nights, Saturdays, and even a 16&1/2 hour shift. It has been a little hectic, along with the emotional ramifications of not getting to see family for Christmas, etc. Anyway... I was crying and praying to God, and finally I got up. I was reading my Bible and crying. I KNOW (head knowledge) a lot of things about my God, but sometimes I wonder if I even KNOW (intimate heart knowledge) Him at all. I was reading through the Psalms, and in my flesh, wondering why the traits that the Psalmists write about are not true in my life about God. It was then that I realized how much my sin separates between me and my God. It is not that God is not good, or kind, or loving, or merciful, or in control, etc... but that because I am not TRUSTING Him, I am only focused on my circumstances & emotions, thus leading to a huge case of self-pity. It was then that I picked up the book "Reclaiming Surrendered Ground" by Jim Logan. It deals with spiritual warfare, and how to have victory when Satan attacks you and your family. Through God's Word, and through reading this book, I started to realize that my struggles were a result of me listening to Satan's lies about God, and how God works in my life. So - all that to say... here is my thankful list for blessing the Lord at all times:

1) God is in control of my life, even though I don't always understand. I know that He is doing what is BEST for me... to help me to become more Christ-like, and to glorify His name through me.

2) God is good ALL THE TIME!

3) When my circumstances seem overwelming and threaten to crush me, I can run to Jesus Christ, who is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble!

4) God hears my prayers and my cries, and keeps my tears in a bottle... I matter to God... HE CARES ABOUT ME!

I could go on and on, but I don't really have the time right now. I am thankful that I am a Christian; that I don't have to rely on my own strength to get through the days. I am thankful for a husband that is willing to work hard and keep long hours to provide for our family, so that I don't have to work so long and so hard. I am thankful that God is blessing Chris' new job situation, and is providing money that we need to pay bills.
I am thankful that God loves me, and that Chris loves me. I can be thankful... I have a family, a home, a car, a job, my health, my church... It could be a lot worse!! :-)

Please bear with me on my ramblings... and if you think about it, please pray for me as I attempt to allow the Lord to work in my life and use my circumstances to draw me to Him.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We hope you have a wonderful year, and that you enjoy many of God's blessings in this new year.

Please pray (again) for our house situation. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch..." We found out on Friday that the people who were supposed to rent our house have not signed the paperwork, and their realtor cannot get ahold of them, which means that we have to pay another month's mortgage that we weren't planning on. However, someone called our realtor on Christmas Eve and they are looking at the house to BUY tomorrow (Jan. 2nd). We would love to be able to just sell it and get it off our hands. We'll see what God does!

Chris was able to sell 8 cars this month, and has until noon on Tuesday to finish up the month. He has one guy coming in that morning, so he may be able to get to 9 cars. He would like to get to 10 cars sold, so he can get the bonus... that would be a blessing. The Lord has really blessed him in this business so far. He is doing a great job, and his managers and the owner are very pleased with his work.

I am doing a little job change, too, in the new year. I am still working for the same company, but will be working 2 different cases. Rather than going to school with a little boy (driving about 30 minutes one way), and only having work when he's at school, I will be splitting my time between 2 home care cases. Both clients are within 15 minutes of our house in Indiana, and I will work 38 hours a week. I am working 3 ten hour shifts at one case, and 1 eight hour shift at the other. Unless they are in the hospital, I will have guaranteed work. I am very thankful for that. Also, the company office is moving across the river into Indiana, so I won't have that 30 minute drive to the office every week, either.

Well, that's the new news for this year. Please continue to pray about our house situation... we sure would appreciate it!