The last two weeks have been such a growing experience that Derrick and I both are still learning from. Mid November I was having a really rough week just feeling so overwhelmed with being in Chicago with all the changes and just feeling like I was existing. Derrick would ask me all the time what was wrong and I just would say the usual, "I'm fine" but with my emotions all over my face Derrick kept probing me (thankful for a husband who cares about how I feel but at that moment lets just say I wasn't so thankful;) Finally Derrick sat me down and just helped me sort through all the emotions I was having. After many tears I finally realized I had allowed my heart to harden and become bitter. Bitter towards Chicago, bitter toward Derrick for traveling, questioning church planting, and not enjoying pregnancy. All this bitterness is exhausting and in return it left me with this gross harden heart. I wasn't able to do life well or even enjoy life.
After Derrick and I talked it became so clear to me that I wasn't giving myself any grace. I struggle with having too high of expectations for myself that just aren't realistic. Derrick reminded me that
God lavished grace upon us because he loves us not because of anything we have done.
GRACE! What a beautiful gift that is so hard to accept sometimes. I was so excited to get rid of that bitter heart! I literally felt lighter! I couldn't wait to share with all of you just what the Lord had done, but it had to wait until after Derrick preached at Parkview Christian Church(a total of 8 services in 2 days).
 |
| Derrick preaching at Parkview. |
We had a great time spending the weekend at Parkview. Derrick did a great job teaching us about trusting God through the mountain tops and also the valleys. If you missed it you can listen to it by going to
http://www.parkviewchurch.com/orland and click on Impossible is Nothing Week:1 Derrick Puckett. Little did we know God would be using that very message to minister us that weekend. Before Derrick preached the second service on Sunday I got a call from our landlord saying that someone had
broke into our house. Derrick was in another room and after I hung up with our landlord Derrick came in to say he was about to go up and he could see something was wrong because again it was written all over my face. Thankfully I got him to leave by saying something convincing and he went up to preach for the fourth service. After Derrick was done and joined me in the audience I shared the news. We both had those thoughts "if only", "why" along with many different emotions, sad, mad, and fearful. Along with all of these emotions I could hear Derrick's sermon ringing in my ear,
"Impossible is only nothing with Jesus Christ" and
"in our brokenness God can truly be all." After the service concluded we were meet with a line of people who wanted to talk with us and pray with us. After we spoke with the last person in line we were rushed to the basement of the church with everyone else because there was a tornado in the area. All this time we are trying to keep calm and not let our minds wonder with worry. We shared with some of the church's staff there about what happened and they freed us to miss the third Sunday service. With that we were off to the house. The whole ride home we kept thinking about what they probably took and just how it was just the perfect time for them to break in. We were out of town that weekend, we didn't have the alarm on (first time ever) because a friend was coming to stay at our house, and what a beautiful coincidence that while Derrick was preaching about trusting God in the valleys our home was being trampled through by strangers who helped themselves to our belongings. When we came home we were met with glass on our patio floor and in our bedroom. They broke the glass on our door to our room and came through. We saw all the things that were taken, the most heartbreaking was that they took my laptop, external hard drive and a PlayStation. These three items held all of our girls baby photos and family videos. They were all gone! A week had past and we still were still realizing some things that were stolen. We are still recovering from the break in, but God has definitely been near through this tribulation. We are so thankful for the Body that has been covering us in prayer and encouraging us. Like Derrick said in his sermon when we are going through a storm we have to fix our eyes on Jesus and we won't be consumed by the storm. Through this God has been teaching me more about who He is and all that He has promised so that I can truly trust Him and KNOW HE IS GOOD! Please continue to pray with us as we heal from this event.
 |
| Elyana turned 2!! |
 |
| Birthday girl and sissy at the playground:) |
