Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Celebrate
I have such a wonderful husband.
In a previous post, I wrote the lyrics to Joe's favorite song.
Why those lyrics, you may ask? (It's not a secret)...the road through chiro school was a tough and rocky road.
But, Joe is a determined, dedicated and hard-working man.
Disappointment. Doubt. Anger. Sheer, maddening and heart-pounding frustration.
Trial after trial. Time after time. Trimester after trimester. Year after year.
Yes. That is how it has been.
We are, after all, quite human...
Many important people in our life did not think he could or should do it.
They thought he was a fool for leaving his well-established career.
They thought he was crazy for moving his family to the big city to live in "poverty", and accumulate a mountain of debt.
And when things got tougher in the program, they thought he should quit.
They could not understand why he decided to go this route (and many still do not...).
It was trial in itself to overcome criticism and keep moving forward without their support.
However, here's the giggle: you cannot tell my darling husband that he cannot do something.
Furthermore, what these people must not understand is the power of a dream;
the power of a patriarchal blessing;
the power of a sincere and righteous desire to follow the promptings of a reliable Holy Spirit;
the power of KNOWING that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, and KNOWING our Father in Heaven will do His part if we do ours;
the power of FAITH and a BELIEF that
the impossible and ridiculous can be made
possible and real...
You see, Joe is a man who knows who he is.
No doubt about it.
He knows our little family was sent here to complete this task, and learn many important life lessons in the midst of it all.
He knows our wise and loving Heavenly Father is ever-present and is there every second to pull us through every trial.
And, boy howdy, does He EVER!
Did that knowledge lessen the actual trials?
Absolutely not.
Did that knowledge give him the motivation to keep moving towards his goal no matter what? Absolutely.
Have you ever stepped back, and acknowledged the almighty hand of God in all things?
Psalms 34:8
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusted in him."
We have been eternally blessed by trusting in LORD (in spite our human errors and weaknesses) by the experiences of these past few years.
You will never know just how blessed, because it's actually quite overwhelming...
from the most basic of needs of food and shelter
to the most phenomenal friends, fun and fellowship...
Our God has supplied ALL our needs according to His riches...
and then some!
I'm thinking Heavenly Father out-did Himself...
The constant, overflowing support has sustained our hearts and lives.
Why in the world would a person give up on their self, their family and their dream
when blessings abound to buoy them up?
The trade-off is out-of-this-world.
And so, as a family, we have finished this course of our lives, and now stand on the threshold of a new one.
It is a black-hole mystery what is next for us;
but shame on us if we worry, have doubts or lose faith with all the experiences we now have under our belts!
Having said all that...
Philippians 3:14 says, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus."
And, this is what it comes down to:
Pressing toward a mark---with an earth-shaking determination!
...for the prize---talk about motivation!
...of the high calling of God---knowing who you are and your purpose is VITAL!
...in Christ Jesus---the ultimate "HOW" and "WHY" we do what we do!
Even though we cannot know at this time what is next for us, we can keep pressing forward as the Apostle Paul did!
in the Hearth Room at the Matt Ross Community Center. It was a happy time spent with many, many of our dear friends and wonderful family that have given their love and support over the past 6 years of this journey! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our life so fun. You are loved and treasured!!!
In a previous post, I wrote the lyrics to Joe's favorite song.
Why those lyrics, you may ask? (It's not a secret)...the road through chiro school was a tough and rocky road.
But, Joe is a determined, dedicated and hard-working man.
Disappointment. Doubt. Anger. Sheer, maddening and heart-pounding frustration.
Trial after trial. Time after time. Trimester after trimester. Year after year.
Yes. That is how it has been.
We are, after all, quite human...
Many important people in our life did not think he could or should do it.
They thought he was a fool for leaving his well-established career.
They thought he was crazy for moving his family to the big city to live in "poverty", and accumulate a mountain of debt.
And when things got tougher in the program, they thought he should quit.
They could not understand why he decided to go this route (and many still do not...).
It was trial in itself to overcome criticism and keep moving forward without their support.
However, here's the giggle: you cannot tell my darling husband that he cannot do something.
Furthermore, what these people must not understand is the power of a dream;
the power of a patriarchal blessing;
the power of a sincere and righteous desire to follow the promptings of a reliable Holy Spirit;
the power of KNOWING that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, and KNOWING our Father in Heaven will do His part if we do ours;
the power of FAITH and a BELIEF that
the impossible and ridiculous can be made
possible and real...
You see, Joe is a man who knows who he is.
No doubt about it.
He knows our little family was sent here to complete this task, and learn many important life lessons in the midst of it all.
He knows our wise and loving Heavenly Father is ever-present and is there every second to pull us through every trial.
And, boy howdy, does He EVER!
Did that knowledge lessen the actual trials?
Absolutely not.
Did that knowledge give him the motivation to keep moving towards his goal no matter what? Absolutely.
Have you ever stepped back, and acknowledged the almighty hand of God in all things?
Psalms 34:8
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusted in him."
We have been eternally blessed by trusting in LORD (in spite our human errors and weaknesses) by the experiences of these past few years.
You will never know just how blessed, because it's actually quite overwhelming...
from the most basic of needs of food and shelter
to the most phenomenal friends, fun and fellowship...
Our God has supplied ALL our needs according to His riches...
and then some!
I'm thinking Heavenly Father out-did Himself...
The constant, overflowing support has sustained our hearts and lives.
Why in the world would a person give up on their self, their family and their dream
when blessings abound to buoy them up?
The trade-off is out-of-this-world.
And so, as a family, we have finished this course of our lives, and now stand on the threshold of a new one.
It is a black-hole mystery what is next for us;
but shame on us if we worry, have doubts or lose faith with all the experiences we now have under our belts!
Having said all that...
Philippians 3:14 says, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, in Christ Jesus."
And, this is what it comes down to:
Pressing toward a mark---with an earth-shaking determination!
...for the prize---talk about motivation!
...of the high calling of God---knowing who you are and your purpose is VITAL!
...in Christ Jesus---the ultimate "HOW" and "WHY" we do what we do!
Even though we cannot know at this time what is next for us, we can keep pressing forward as the Apostle Paul did!
A reason to CELEBRATE?! You betcha!
After Joe's graduation ceremony, we enjoyed a memorable evening of celebrationin the Hearth Room at the Matt Ross Community Center. It was a happy time spent with many, many of our dear friends and wonderful family that have given their love and support over the past 6 years of this journey! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has contributed to making our life so fun. You are loved and treasured!!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Believe
I've been let down, I've had my share of doubts.
I've gone the rounds trying to figure it out.
I'm filled with questions, searching for my place.
I was reaching to find me.
The awnswer was right inside me, and it blows me away.
I feel the world watching my every move.
It seems my worth is something that I have to prove.
Don't try to tell me how to live my life.
I've got a higher vision.
It's my own life that I'm livin',
And I'm gonna fly.
I BELIEVE in the power I feel.
It's changing my heart, and I know that it's real.
I'm finding myself, I know who I am and what I can be.
'Cause I BELIEVE.
(Lyrics to Joe's "theme song for Chiro College" by Jericho Road)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wined & Dined...
The night before Joe's graduation, the president of the college wined and dined the graduates and their significant others at his expense (or so they tell me. I'm not so convinced....just sayin'...) Joe was one of 9 out of the 40 graduates to receive a Clinical Excellence Award for exemplifying exceptional service to his patients, fellow students and the institution. (How nice for him to get a little something extra to show for his hard work.) Going to this dinner was the first time I really felt like Joe was really going to graduate. There was no one hovering over us saying we need to sign this or pay that, or that Joe needed to re-do this or re-do that...You can imagine it was a great evening for us!
(The collage came out kinda' small, so make sure you click on the collage to look at it more closely.)
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Family Greetings
Thanks to our treasured friend, Heather Sheffer, we have family pictures AND a Christmas card this year!!! Thank you so much, Heather, for sharing your time. talents, patience and camera with us! I've posted many of the pics we took, so keep scrolling....
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