Prayer, Please!

So today I am asking all of you to pray for us! I know there are many of you out there who are continually lifting us up, but we, well I, am feeling so discouraged right now. It seems as if we can't catch any slack.

This morning the storms were raging here - probably some of the worst I've ever seen. It went right along with my mood. The skies were dark and the wind was howling.

As most of you know from reading the blog, we had hoped to move to an apartment. We are not going to be able to do that right now. We had hoped that our landlord would be understanding and not see us as trying to short change him or take advantage of him. We honestly felt like moving to an apartment was the right thing for our family - both financially and emotionally. He is posting the house for rent again so maybe someone will rent the house and we can move to an apartment. Please pray for us through this matter. The apartments that we liked go quickly, and there were two people in line behind us when we were looking so the two that were available are now gone. The manager has had no notices either.

Aaron has been trying to change his major to Missiology - AND we THOUGHT everything was squared away. Well, guess what? The seminary called yesterday and Aaron has to fill out another application with personal recommendations and a church recommendation. We think it's crazy because he has been attending classes this semester on campus!! It's as if he is having to be re-accepted again.

A friend said we had so much drama. I totally agree. I feel like if it's not one thing, it's another. I even am beginning to wonder if we are doing what we are supposed to. Did we somehow miss God's calling for our lives or misunderstand? I don't know. I keep thinking about Job (and I'm no saint, not saying that I will ever be) and how he had so many trials when he was living for the Lord. And the thing that keeps coming to my mind is that he CONTINUED to praise the Father through it all. That is AMAZING. Since Monday, I truly have been down and out and upset and just mottling through. And what did Job do? He "...arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and WORSHIPED (!). And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; BLESSED be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job DID NOT sin or charge God with wrong." [1:20-22] Are you kidding me? Job is a much stronger person than I!!!! But he did exactly what God wanted him to do -what he knew he should do.

I came across another verse this morning from James. It says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." [1:2-4] Wow again!

So even though I am feeling so discouraged, so down and out, asking "why," and feeling like I'm barely keeping my head above water, I should PRAISE GOD and PERSEVERE because (as we have learned in VBS this week) "it all comes back to Jesus." It's all about HIM, and the moment I become like Peter and take my eyes off of HIM, I IMMEDIATELY begin to sink. And as always, Jesus is RIGHT there reaching out HIS hand to catch me.

So I have decided that my pity party is OVER! Yes, I am VERY UNHAPPY about not being able to move, and I'm wondering what in the world is going on, but I am CHOOSING to PRAISE JESUS anyway because HE is the only thing that matters.

We truly appreciate all of your prayers, encouragement, and thoughts. We love you and WE LOVE JESUS!