IMB Suspends Appointments

See link below:

http://www.imb.org/main/news/details.asp?StoryID=7805&LanguageID=1709

If we don't give, we can't go. 

The Riddles

SLEEEEP - where are you?

Here it is ANOTHER sleepless night for me.  I seem to have so many these days.  My body is ready for bed, but my brain is anything but.  It has been going non-stop all evening.  Driving me crazy!  There's so many things swirling through it right now that I'm not even sure what to write!

One thing for sure is a prayer request for some dear friends: their 5 year old son is having open heart surgery tomorrow at 11 am.  Please lift him up.

We are thinking of moving to an apartment.  There are some right down the street, and we are thinking it will save us about $50.00 a month.  It will also give us the opportunity to meet more people and hopefully find some more playmates for Briggs.  Please say a prayer for us, too, that we will know God's perfect will.

We went kayaking for the first time in forever on Saturday.  We paddled Floyd's Fork.  Briggs rode in the dry storage in my boat and it worked pretty well.  The water level was pretty low so we kept getting hung on the rocks, but overall, we had a really enjoyable day.  The only bad thing: we didn't take the camera so we missed getting a pic of Briggs in the boat for the first time.

Briggs and I enjoyed time with new friends on Monday, and Aaron joined us once he got off work.  We had lots of great food and fellowship!  Briggs loved playing with Josiah.

Tonight while Aaron was at work, I had to get up in the attic and I found the dvd of my Brasil trip back in 2004 (in Portuguese, the name is spelled with an "s" rather than a "z").  It seems like so long ago that I was there.  I immediately had the sense that I wanted to go back - or at least go on some foreign missions trip.  The things that a person experiences on a missions trip are indescribable.  I believe that every believer should go at least once.  I remember how happy the people seemed there - and they had nothing.  I missed my family and friends that week, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I can only hope to see those people in heaven again one day.

I must not forget to say how AWESOME God is!  His provision and love and mercy and grace have been so abundant in our lives, and I am so GRATEFUL for the honor and privilege to serve such a wonderfully caring God.

One more thing - I was reading back over some journals the other day, and I came across something that a friend told me as I was talking to him one day about "getting on with life."  Aaron had gone back to school and was working on his undergrad, and I was ready for us to be settled and start a family.  This is what my friend said, "Life is not always about the destination, but about the journey."  So many times I only focus on the destination of things and forget that there's a journey to be made on the way to that destination.  I've learned so many things along this journey that we are on right now; I often wonder if the destination really matters at all.  Anyway, the point is that sometimes we need "to stop and smell the roses."  Take in where you are now in life and ask God what He has in store for you at this particular point in your journey.  Enjoy every moment of the journey along the way.  I am learning to do it! 

Sometimes You Want to Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name

How true!  It was SO great to be back home in Easley, SC where everybody knows us and we are not the new people.  We got to spend great time with family and friends while there.  We left on Wednesday morning and headed out.  We arrived in Easley around 3:00 and visited with some of the office staff at BCBC.  We went to church Wednesday night and saw lots of friends.  We ate lunch on Thursday with Eaden at her school.  It was fun, although Aaron couldn't take 5th and 6th graders for long!  We hung out with our friends, Todd and Amanda, on Thursday night.  It was fun to sit outside sipping coffee and eating DD.  That was our past time.  Friday we spent the morning with my mom at the park and Friday night we went to Ted and Sherry's for Kellie's 40th birthday celebration.  Saturday we hung out at Raquela's and had lunch with her and the boys.  Briggs loves Ethan and Griffin so much.  Saturday afternoon Eaden, Caden and Briggs played on the slip 'n slide.  The adults participated a little too.  Fun, fun, fun!  Saturday night we had burgers and hot dogs at Pa Pa Riddles with most of the Riddle clan.  Sunday was church and then we left on Monday morning to head back to Louisville.  As you can see, we stayed busy, but we enjoyed every minute of it. I did cry some of the way back to Louisville, but not as much as the previous time we came back.  It is always difficult to be around the people you love the most and then have to leave them.  If I didn't know 100% that this is God's plan for my life, I would load a truck in a skinny minute and head back down to SC.  I tell people this: "I live in Louisville (KY), but Easley (SC) is my home." Maybe I will get to the point that I begin to call Louisville home, but for now, I have not been here long enough and developed the ties and bonds that I have in SC.

Again, I can not begin to brag on the people of Brushy Creek enough.  God has brought that church through many ups and downs and made it into the kind of fellowship that is absolutely unbelievable.  We were blessed by Jim's preaching and the awesome musical performed by the kids on Sunday night.  We were also given an unexpected monetary blessing by someone.  God has ministered to us so much through the servants at BCBC.  We love each of you so much.

Please continue to pray for us.  We want to follow Him in all that we do!

Riddle's Ramblings

Whew!  It's only 5:00???  My day has been sort of boring!  Aaron's at work, and Briggs is on his 2nd round of Franklin after watching 2 rounds of There Goes a Fire Truck. 

I'll be heading out here in just a little while to a VBS meeting at Highview.  I am SO excited to be teaching VBS this year instead of being "behind the scenes" so to speak.  Don't get me wrong, I loved being on the steering committee and working with the great ladies from BCBC, but it is great to not have to worry about all the "big" stuff this year!  I will be teaching 2nd grade with two people I've never met; none the less, I am looking forward to it!

Wednesday, May 6, Aaron and I celebrated 9 years of marriage!  9 years!!!  I can't believe how the time has flown.  Though we usually don't do gifts, I bought him a small tool box to keep inside the house b/c it was much needed, and he bought me a devotion book for us to do together every night b/c that was much needed too!  Our journey together has been an exciting one thus far. I can only imagine what the next 9 will hold. :)

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Aaron and Briggs got me the cutest card.  It's one of those where you can record something so Briggs said, "Happy Mother's Day. I love you," and then the song I Second That Emotion played. I could just listen to it over and over, but don't b/c I don't want the batteries to go dead!  It was also the first time ever that we have been away from our moms on Mother's Day.  I hope they all had a great day.  Aaron and Briggs also got me a new Bible.  It's this pretty pink color with a design like vines on the front.  I didn't really need a new Bible - I got a new one about 6 years ago.  BUT I LOVED IT when I saw it in Lifeway and kept on talking about it, so Aaron got it for me.  I do feel a little guilty b/c I know there are people out there who don't have Bibles at all, and right now I am looking at 6 just in the living room, and I think there are at least 6 more up in the attic.  But at any rate (that just made me think of my 7th grade science teacher), I have a new one, and I am SO loving it!  Can't wait to mark it up with good stuff from God!!

We are making the 6-7 hour trip home this week (it all depends on how many potty stops we have to make as to how long the drive is).  We are leaving on Wednesday and staying through Monday morning.  I am looking forward to being in SC, but not looking forward to the long drive.  From Knoxville to Asheville is the LONGEST part of the drive.  It will be a busy time for us trying to visit all our family in friends while we are there, but I have to be honest - I think I am looking forward to hearing Preacher Jim just as much!  I can't wait to worship at BC on Sunday!  On Sunday night, we will get to hear the Children's Choir at BC perform their spring musical.  I know it will be good!

Now on to the ANTS.  I never realized I could dislike a critter/bug/pest so much!!!  We have had a problem with ants since about March.  Pest control has been out 2 times already, and we have called them back to try to get them back out here.  I swear, I think they are in the walls and have been hiding out there.  Ughh.  Nasty.  Between the snakes and the ants, I am ready to move!!  We haven't seen any snakes - I think a stray cat in the neighborhood took care of them!  I am also, sort of, regretting my emphatic decision to move into a "house."  Aaron and others (Jenny) tried to talk me into moving into an apartment, and I wanted no part of it.  I honestly (thinking back on it) believe that it was my way of controlling things (or at least trying to).  While I knew we were supposed to move to KY for Aaron to go to school, I wasn't quite ready to leave my wonderful life in SC, and so I was resenting the idea of "seminary" life.  I have since realized how crazy that was.  While I do have friends that are not seminarians, I am now realizing the importance of having friends who are.  Right now, those friends are few.  Thus, another reason for me wanting to move.  Most seminarians live in apartments near the seminary, and if we moved to CHN, I know I would be able to meet many more seminary wives and kids.  Moving again would be a HUGE pain, and honestly, I don't know that we are up to it, but it might also be a little cheaper for us to live in an apt as well SO .... Please pray that we will make the right decision.  I certainly don't want to move if God doesn't want us to move.

Well, I guess that's enough rambling for now. Thanks for everyone's continued support and prayers.  You guys are awesome!

Drinking Coffee, Crying and Typing (Sounds like a country song!)

Oh, so here I sit while Aaron is at work contemplating.  I have lately become addicted to Kroger's Hazelnut Creme Coffee (I guess addicted isn't accurate since it is decaf).  I drink a cup about every night.  

Today I am saddened at the loss of Patty Magnelli to us here on this earth.  While I am happy that she is in the presence of the Lord, I mourn for her here.  What a sweet lady she was.  She kept Briggs at MMO when he was just 6 weeks old and also had him in nursery.  She was always there, and I know she loved him so much.  I felt like she was another grandmother to him, and I told her that often.  My heart aches for Ernie.  I can't even begin to imagine what he is feeling.  I can only picture Patty, once she saw Jesus, heading straight to all the little babies who have gone before us all to eternity.  She served the Preschool Ministry at BC faithfully for so many years.  She will be truly missed.

I am also thinking about Wednesday, May 6.  That will mark 9 years of marriage for Aaron and me.  I can't believe that it has been that long already.  Time seems to fly.  I love him more today than I ever have, and I am so thankful to be his wife.  God has truly blessed us.

I will stop to ask for your prayers for Aaron this week as he takes final exams on Tuesday and Thursday.  I never thought I would make it here in Louisville, and here we are at the end of the semester.

I'm not sure if I will be back on here blogging before Sunday, so I'll go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day!  It is a joy and an honor to be a mother.  I hope all of you enjoy your day!

As always, I want to thank each one of you who support us and who have helped us on this journey.  It has been quite a journey up to this point, and I'm excited to see what God has in store for us in the coming weeks, months, and years.