Expectations

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn. 

Luke 2:1-7

           Expectations can be tricky things.  Sometimes we base our plans on those strong beliefs that something will happen or someone will behave in a certain way in the future.  When those expectations are unmet we tend to become frustrated, disappointed, angry or even bitter.  In this blog today I’d like to finish our initial journey from Newburgh to Illinois and close with something Brad reminded RCC about just a week later from the platform, and both deal with expectations.  I hope it will encourage and challenge you as much as it did me and help you reflect on our Savior, the greatest gift ever given.

        Saturday, December 1, we woke up at the Hampton Inn in Evansville and I was packing up our rooms while Brad got the children breakfast downstairs.  In a very short time he returns to the room and informs me his cell phone was stolen at breakfast.  This was not exactly a good start to the day and was not anything we expected.  Nonetheless, it happened.  The search was on.  We asked others in the breakfast area if they had seen it.  We asked the front desk staff if someone had turned it in.  Brad deactivated the phone, and others helped join in the search.  Eventually, about 30 minutes later, the phone was found near the elevators.  We think the person who took it just decided it wasn’t worth the trouble.  Fortunately, we found the phone.  Unfortunately, we were now about an hour behind schedule.  We had a group from RCC meeting us at 1 p.m. to help us unload, and we knew up front we weren’t going to make it in time.  Those unmet expectations of a smooth morning and being in Illinois on time led to some frustration.

 The journey to Illinois itself went very smooth, and with only a few pit stops we made fairly good time.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather, sunny and warm.  As we pulled onto the street where our little red cabin is located, we were greeted with a lovely sight - cars lined the street on both sides, people standing around eating lunch and waiting for us.  The first trailer was already unloaded, and Brad let someone back the other one in the drive.  We were welcomed warmly.  A delicious, hot spaghetti dinner with fruit and salad greeted us.  While we ate, they unloaded the trailer.  Helping hands soon had the beds put together, kitchen items unpacked, kitchen table assembled and the washer and dryer well on their way to being operational.  It is so true many hands make light work.  It was very overwhelming to see the smiling faces and hear the kind words.  New neighbors introduced themselves, and a few of the ladies had even drawn me a map of the houses on both sides of the street complete with names of their family members and phone numbers in case we had questions or needed anything.  It was such a wonderful way to start life together as a family in Illinois!

           So many good things were going on outside, but internally I was struggling with some unmet expectations.  You see, once we walked in the house it was clear that the house had not been cleaned up as we had anticipated.  I was extremely frustrated and disappointed.  When we walked through it a few weeks earlier, we had asked for it to be cleaned before we arrived.  I had fully expected it to be done.  Those unmet expectations really knocked the wind out of me that day.  The house was filthy.   It smelled.  One of the previous owners must have been a smoker, and so the air had that aroma even with the windows open.  There was a dead cricket in the sink and grime built up on the stove, counters, sink, and cabinets in the kitchen.  The ceiling fan and light fixtures had dirt hanging from them.  There was dirt everywhere, and the bathroom had not been touched.  There were light bulbs burnt out throughout the house, and the smoke detectors did not have batteries.  In my mind the house was not prepared for us.  It was completely unacceptable.

Brad’s parents had tried to help get things set right before the moving crew arrived but there just wasn’t enough time.  The furnace guy had come to check the furnace for us, and then people from RCC began to arrive to help unload and get us settled.  The only thing I could do was remember we were “camping” in our little red cabin.  I had a choice.  Choice A was to focus on the unmet expectations.  Choice B was to get busy and start cleaning up our camp site.  Resolutely I chose B, because to focus on the filth and dirt might have meant I missed out on something even better that God had in store for me. 

            So when our new friends left, we got busy.  Brad replaced light bulbs and smoke detectors and that brightened things up a bit.  We discovered a mixture of ammonia + white vinegar + baking soda will do wonders on removing smoke odors from walls.  The floors were scrubbed with a Murphy’s Oil mixture and soon those were much improved as well.  The living area floor was peppered with staples from where it had been carpeted at one time.  Here and there some were sticking straight up – ouch!  In the scrubbing process those sticking up were removed.  Now feet, big and little, are safe!  The bathroom and kitchen both cleaned up well with disinfectants and elbow grease.  I will also note that I am so very, very grateful for the person who invented Fabreze!

Finally, after a few days, our little cabin was tidy.  The cabin transformed from this dirty, stinky, unacceptable place into a cozy place for us to reconnect as a family.  It has been such a blessing.  We are so very grateful for how God has used this place to fulfill a need for our family!  Had my focus stayed on the filth and dirt and unmet expectations, then I would be missing out right now on something better.  I am reminded once again that God uses the unexpected to do some pretty amazing things!

 

            I find it no coincidence that the next Sunday in worship the sermon touched upon unmet expectations!  God is always working and moving in our lives, using the everyday things to bring His truths to light!  Brad taught from Luke 2, a traditional Christmas text, however, he began to lay out some of the historical background about the text.  Surprisingly, instead of jumping right in to the baby in the manger, he began to paint a picture of the current political and cultural conditions that surrounded the birth of Christ.  He brought to our attention God’s hand working and moving even when the world couldn’t see or hear Him. He also challenged us to see beyond the noise, busyness, and hustle and bustle of Christmas today.  He challenged us to really notice Christ and what God did for us so many years ago.  We were reminded that the King of Kings was born in a filthy, dirty, smelly, damp, noisy, and unkingly place instead of the neat, tidy pictures we have in our minds or under our trees in the pretty nativity scenes.

Mary had no sterile room, no pain medications, no comfy bed, and no monitors.  She had no nurse call button, fluffy pillow, or warm blankets from the warmer.  There was no fully staffed medical team complete with NICU in case there were complications.  The manger was most likely carved from stone and was a cold, dirty, germ filled feeding trough with bits of animal feed still in it.  Was there even any clean hay in the barn?  Jesus didn’t have a nice warm sleeper complete with cute little hat or sleep sack to be clothed in or a portable crib stocked with diapers, wipes, A and D ointment, pacifiers, or extra blankets and onesies; he had strips of cloth.  The stable that night was not prepared for the birth of our Lord and Savior, the King of kings.   It was entirely unacceptable.  Yet that is where God chose to have His Son born.  It is in that dirty, damp place that the prophesies were fulfilled and God’s plan prevailed.   

 

On that night so long ago, while so many were gathered in one place for the census, the Savior was born.  Because they were expecting an earthly king to arrive and establish a new kingdom to free them from the Roman Empire, the people missed out on the Messiah’s arrival!  What Messiah would be born in a dirty stable?  His birth almost entirely went unnoticed.  Throughout Jesus’s entire lifetime people misunderstood who He was and what He was about.  I’m so grateful that those expectations were unmet because they led to something better than we could have ever imagined, a Savior!  God used the unexpected to do something amazing!  Jesus came to earth as a baby to save us and establish an eternal, everlasting kingdom that will never wear out or be overthrown. 

As we head into this Christmas, stop and reflect on the baby born in the stable.  Don’t let your busy schedules and unmet expectations of who He is cause you to miss the bigger picture.  Take some time to reflect and notice our King and Savior lying in a dirty, smelly place so that one day He would be able to cleanse our dirty, smelly, lives of sin.  Notice who God chose to use to fulfill his plan – a young girl, a carpenter, an inn keeper, shepherds….ordinary people like you and me and ordinary things like a census.  Scripture not only records his first coming, but promises He will be returning.  We have a job to do!  We need to spread the word concerning Him just like the shepherds did.  Rejoice in the gift God has given you, rest in the love He has lavished on you, and share this free gift with others! 

Merry Christmas!

"I tell you, life doesn’t get any better than this!"

     I am writing tonight from the school area of our little red cabin.  We have been here two weeks now and are settling into a new routine.   Now that things are more settled I can begin to share some of the other things that happened on our journey to Illinois.  Today I am going to tell you about our last night in Newburgh.

    Friday, November 30, a group of dear friends came over to our house and helped us load up two trailers.  In a 2 ½ hour time span they had not only loaded the trailers but also helped us clean and stage the house for our open house and future showings.  It was amazing what they did in that short time.  When they left we finished up a few things and then had lunch.  Afterwards I finished cleaning the bathrooms really good and tying up loose ends at the house while Brad was running last minute errands he had to do in Newburgh at the bank and utility offices.

     By six p.m. we were exhausted.  Finally, it was time to load up the van and say good-bye to the house until it sells and head to the hotel.   As I walked through each room I remembered so many memories from the last 13 years.  What a blessing that home has been for us!  Pulling out was difficult but also at the same time kind of a relief.  It marked the end to the separation of our family and that was comforting.  We spent our last night in town at the Hampton Inn.  I find that ironic since our first night in Evansville/Newburgh was in the same hotel – Brad, myself, and a cute little 2 year old boy.  This time we had to have two rooms and were leaving with four children and two dogs.

     I took the three younger children to the pool and let them swim and burn off some energy.  They had spent the day sitting on our couches in the house while we loaded and cleaned and got things ready to go.  After about an hour, three happy and wet children accompanied me back up to the adjoining hotel rooms where Neil and Brad had returned from yet a few more errands and some scrumptious Chick- fil-a for dinner.  So we camped out in one room and ate our dinner together.  While we were finishing Sarah, the seven-year-old, sat back on the bed and let out this big sigh and announces very emphatically and contentedly, “I tell you, life doesn’t get any better than this!” 

      I have to be honest and say it took me completely off guard and my first thought was, “Seriously?”  Then it hit me.  I had to look at things from her perspective.  For the first time since June we were together as a family again.  We got to go stay at a hotel which is one of my children’s most favorite things to do.  They got to go swimming which also makes the top five list, and eat Chick- fil- a!  What more could we really want or need…except maybe one of those yummy Chick-fil-a brownies?! J She was right.  We were reunited and somehow all the other stuff just didn’t matter.  Perspective is an interesting thing and I’m so glad for Sarah’s that night.  It taught me a lot about gratitude and gratefulness.  It also brought a smile to my face and made me chuckle.  No wonder Jesus loved the little children so! 

Little Red Cabin in Southern View

Well, we made it to Illinois and the rental house!  It is a 2 bedroom /1 bath home in Southern View.  It is a cute little red house and has a terrific backyard.  There is a loft area where Neil can hang out and a basement that houses our washer/dryer and a very interesting conversation piece.  We found out from neighbors that a “Catholic family” with six children had lived here at one time so they renovated part of the basement into a second larger kitchen.  The upstairs kitchen is very small so I can see why they did that, but at the edge of that basement kitchen is this interesting conversation piece.  For that reason, we are using the upstairs kitchen.  I just can’t picture myself cooking down there and knowing that this fixture is at the end of the counter!  We have told the children that we are camping and so the little red house in Southern View is affectionately known as our cabin.  It reminds me of a cabin to be honest.  So in future posts if I say cabin….you’ll know what I mean.

If you look directly to the left of the kitchen sink, I think you will see our "conversation piece" in the basement!
This has to be one of the most unusal household features I have ever seen in all our house hunting!

As our journey to Illinois has continued to progress more interesting things have happened, and I will share those in time.  For today however, I will just let you see where we are for now and give everyone an update on the Ferris family.

First and most importantly, the six of us are under one roof again, and I can’t even begin to share how good that is!!  Brad had shared with us that one of the things he had missed most these past months was dinner together around the table.  One of the first nights in the cabin our dinner conversation turned silly and everyone was in tears laughing.  It’s not surprising that Brad was the instigator in that dinner time event.  There is something about watching your husband transform back into a kid that is charming and makes you kind of fall in love with him even more.  His presence back into our daily routine and lives has brought about peace for me in knowing I’m not a single parent and also security for the children.  Sam and Sarah are still having some separation anxiety, and they get upset when he leaves the house because they think he is leaving for a long period of time.  Brad and I both have to reassure them he is just going to the office and he will be back later in the day for lunch or for dinner.   With time together again and prayer I know this will get easier.

Upstairs kitchen and eating area.  No interesting conversation piece here :)!

Secondly, we have enjoyed getting to know our new church family at RCC.  We have met so many kind and wonderful people.  God’s kingdom is so big and encompasses so many people and personalities.  I love the fact that I have even more brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world and someday will get to meet them as well.  Until then, God has planted us here to serve and minister and I eagerly look forward to doing just that.  For now, I am visiting Sunday School classes and Brad and I are looking forward to participating in a small group.  The children have been able to go to their Wednesday night classes and Sunday morning programming.  While it has been different for them, they seem to be enjoying their new teachers and making some new friends.

We were able to get internet and Wi-Fi up and running so we were able to get school back underway again.  That alone was a big blessing and allowed us to get back into a routine again.  There is something very comforting about the routine of daily life.  We have been able to get a library card and visited the library yesterday which was a big thing for Maddie, Sarah, and Samuel.  They were able to check out books and even found some of their favorites from back in Newburgh.  Sam said he liked this library and they asked when we were going to go back! 

The backyard is very large.  The few warm days we had the children enjoyed playing outside.
It will be a great place for the kids to enjoy snow if we get some!

The rental house is very different from what we are accustomed to and it has taken some time to adjust to some of the changes, but God has used this experience already to teach all of us some very important lessons.

1.        Simplified Life:  Because the house is small we were only able to bring the necessities.  Remember we are going from a 4 bedroom/2.5 bath home to a 2 bedroom/1 bath home.  Beds, washer/dryer, refrigerator, kitchen table, 1 love seat, school, clothes, and bare essentials for kitchen were all that we brought with us.   Our dressers are 50 gallon grey Rubbermaid tubs.  I went to “clean” house on Saturday and it took about 30 minutes….instead of three bathrooms to do I had one, etc.  Learning to live with less is not a bad thing.  It makes you realize how much you really need vs. what you want or would prefer to have!

2.       Strengthening family relationships:  In a 2500 square foot home we had room to spread out and not really see one another if we didn’t want to (please don’t take that the wrong way).  We are bumping into one another here and the children, especially, have been forced to be together more and get along.  While that hasn’t always made for quiet, peaceful moments, it is teaching us about how to truly love one another (love is patient, love is kind, it is not rude or self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no records of wrong).

3.       Being joyful while waiting on the Lord:  While we still don’t understand what God is doing, we are learning to trust Him and our faith is being strengthened.  We are learning lessons we never could have had our house sold quickly.  No matter our circumstances we are, as Christians, to have joy.  We are learning about having a joyful attitude while we wait.   Some days I do well and have such a peace and then other days I struggle, don’t understand why we have to wait, get frustrated, and have a Mary moment.  Waiting is difficult but we have been encouraged by so many of you who have been where we are.  You have told us it is just temporary and how God used your time of waiting to do something bigger.  We are encouraged by your prayers on our behalf and are so humbled and grateful for each one.

2839 O'Hunter Avenue - Our Newbugh house. 
Please keep praying it will sell!

Lastly, I just want to ask that you continue to pray for us as we settle in together under one roof and for our house in Newburgh to sell.  God’s timing is perfect.  Until then, we’ll be keeping in touch with you all from our little red cabin in Southern View!

Blessings and Battles

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:12

            Our journey continues and we are moving forward again in the relocation process.  Soon we will be reunited as a family under one roof in a rental home in Springfield, Illinois but honestly, not at all how I had envisioned it.  Before anyone gets real excited…the Newburgh house has not sold.  Our realtor, Jenna, has been working so diligently for us and has produced showings and even some people walking through at an open house, but still the right buyer has not emerged.  So again, I appeal to you all to be faithful in your prayers for the sale of our home in Newburgh.  God has a plan for this sale.  Brad likes to say, “God’s not going to show up, God’s going to show off!”  Please keep Jenna and the sale of our home in your prayers and if you think about it, tell God I’m ready for him to show off at anytime!!!  Anyway, I had envisioned us selling our house within 4 months and being moved by Thanksgiving.  Neither happened, so we wait and see what God is going to do.

            Currently I am looking forward to cooking Thanksgiving dinner for Brad’s family here.  It’s going to be a great day because not only is it Thanksgiving, but my birthday as well.  So not only pumpkin pie but birthday turtle cheesecake from Sam’s Club for dessert!  YUM!  It will be the last big holiday we celebrate in Newburgh and so I want it to be special for everyone.  Then the days that follow will be busy with packing and sorting what to take and what to leave behind and staging our home for showings and open houses while we are away.  The rental house is only a two bedroom one bath home…so we are taking just the basics with us.   It’s going to be an adventure for sure and again, we covet your prayers in the transition period of being a family again under one roof, transitioning the children and me from our home and friends in Newburgh to a new place, church, community, and settling into the rental house.  We are grateful for the opportunity to be together again and begin serving RCC and the community as a family.  This home allows us to rent month to month, have our two dogs, and do exactly that.  What a blessing!

            Lastly, I want to talk about the verse I posted above and share with you where we are right now because over the last several months our situation has grown from just trying to sell our house and reunite again as a family into an all-out spiritual attack.  I’ve grown up in church, knowing the Lord and loving Him and have read this verse many times but never really experienced it until the day Brad left to start as the Preaching Pastor at RCC.  Since that time our family has been engaged in a spiritual battle we’ve never experienced before.  It has been one continual thing after another, after another, after another for the last six months.  This past week we had the smoke detectors, which are hardwired (so when one goes off….the other seven go off), go off at 4:30 a.m. and then three more times in the next 2 hours.  An appliance broke, and another item in the house broke within the next two days.  We have just had the refrigerator replaced under the home warranty and the van had a part recalled on it and while they were repairing that found another issue. 

            When these things started at the beginning of the summer it was annoying to be honest to have these “inconveniences” take place and even more annoying when they wouldn’t stop.  Since September it’s become tiring and I find it no coincidence that it is continuing.  Personally I have been experiencing things I’ve never experienced my whole life and at some point I hope to share that part of the journey with you, but until that time, I am asking you all to please pray for God’s protection for our family as we continue on this journey to RCC.  That He would be a shield about us.  That we would be able to put on the full armor of God so we will be able to stand up under this onslaught so that when this battle is over, He can be glorified and praised for the victory!

            As believers our only offensive weapon is the sword of the spirit, God’s word.  So if any of you have Scriptures that would be appropriate for us, I ask that you message me with those please.  We also as believers have the joy of coming alongside others as they go through these trials in life and so many of you have done that for us so I want to take this time to say, Thank you!  Thank you for your encouragement, prayers (please don't stop those!!!), and support.  We would not have been able to make it these last months without you.  I am so grateful for God’s family.  God bless you all and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Hospital gowns, IVs, and Beds on Wheels

It started on Monday afternoon, a small pain in my lower abdomen.  Nothing significant I thought.  There was so much going on to really stop and take notice at the time.  My parents had arrived for a short visit and we were also in the process of preparing to visit Brad and our new church family in Illinois the day after they left.  My “To Do” list was long and time was running short.  We had a few miscellaneous things to finish for school Monday afternoon, and then we all loaded up in Grandpa’s van for our annual outing to Goebel Tree and Pumpkin Farm.  It was a gorgeous afternoon and we had such a lovely time.  Later that night the pain seemed a little worse but I could handle it.  Had I pulled a muscle?  Well, I’m sure it was nothing and all I needed was a little rest.  So with no other thought, I went to bed.

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Farm

Tuesday began wonderfully and we enjoyed our time with my parents.  As the school day went on the pain remained.  Was it worse?  Well, I’d keep an eye on it, and when I got home from Illinois I’d call my Dr.  There was still too much to do.  The house needed to be cleaned and I had preparations for our trip.  After all, we had pictorial directory pictures for RCC and I had shopped for some clothes for the kids to wear!   Dad and mom took us out to eat that night so I wouldn’t have to cook and it was such a treat.  We ate a nice dinner, enjoyed good conversation, and returned home.  Soon after arriving home my symptoms worsened, and I texted Brad to let him know I was going to call the Dr. in the morning.  Within a short time, however, I went downhill quickly.  Now I had hot flashes, chills, and nausea, but no fever.  Mom and I managed to get the kids in bed.  Once they were settled I told my parents I needed to go to the ER.  Mom stayed up with the kids and Dad drove me.
 
The staff was wonderful and soon had me checked in and back in a room relaxing in my personal taxi (bed on wheels) with an IV, and a simply gorgeous hospital gown.  I have to say the personal taxi rides to my tests were nice.  A person could get used to being taken from place to place reclining with a nice warm blanket.  The nurse that put the IV in gets the highest praise as I’m an incredibly hard stick and he did it on the first try.  Typically when needles and I get together, I pass out.  His ability to get it in quickly meant I was conscious the entire time.  It was nice to be able to remember the entire visit and know I didn’t mumble anything embarrassing or inappropriate while passing out or coming to.  Hospital gowns have to have multi uses.  I think mine could have doubled as a grill cover but it only had two ties so maybe not.  Even though it was plenty big….it just didn’t close the way it should have to make this self-conscious girl feel comfortable.  I’m sure I had to have flashed several people including my dad and that is just plain wrong. 



On my first trip to the ultrasound lab, I had a few moments alone in a room to actually stop and be still.  I had uninterrupted time to think.  Time to start processing all the things that had happened for the last few days and start to process what was going on with me and my health at the present time.  I began to get teary and I wanted Brad with me but he was in Illinois.  I began to think about the kids and what if what was going on with me was serious.  My mind began going 100 miles an hour.  I didn’t have time for this, you know?  Moms don’t get sick.  We have too much to do, right?  How was I going to drive to Illinois?  What was I going to do in the morning when my parents left?   Yes, I realize now how ridiculous that sounds, but I was still in denial that the plans we had made had changed.

While waiting for all the preliminary tests to come back, my dad joined me in my cozy ER suite and the nurse gave me some REALLY good medication in my IV for nausea and pain.  That warm, tingly, floaty feeling was so weird but it did help me relax.  It was at this time that Dad informed me he and mom would be staying with me until I felt better.  I felt so bad.  They had other plans.  They had reservations in other places later in the week.  They had other things they wanted to do and 40+ years later, they were still being terrific parents and with no second thoughts gave it up to be with me.  I kept thinking about how I had messed up their vacation.

After another test, I discovered I had an irritated digestive tract issue and should be fine over time.  So I was discharged with a couple prescriptions.  I had to give up the hospital gown and bed on wheels.  One was so much easier to give up than the other!  Then I was able to call Brad and talk to him personally and let him know I wasn’t going to be able to make our originally planned trip. We were not going to be able to get our pictures taken.  I was so upset.  Again, somehow I had messed things up.   This was not how it was supposed to be.   I had plans and pictures and I was going to get to hear Brad preach!

In an instant everything changed for me, my parents, my husband, and our children.  All the plans that had been made, all the things on my to do list, all the chores still left to do, it all changed.  I now had to be flexible and there was a new plan.  I do not excel at being flexible and it causes pressure to build up inside of me at times but I’m learning.  Brad ended up coming home to help take care of me and the kids.  It was the best medicine I could have had.   You all can have the Avengers….I have my own set of super heroes here and they are awesome – Brad, my parents, Neil, Madeline, Sarah, and Samuel wore their super hero capes with pride.

It’s been a different kind of a week.  It was nothing like what I had planned.  It was scary at times and full of questions.  It was a week where I experienced the love of my family in a new and different way.  It was a week where God continued to take care of us and our daily needs.  It was a week where I was blessed in ways I would not have imagined.  It was a week of changed plans.  I’m so grateful for good medical staff, my handsome husband guy, wonderful parents,  and terrific kids.  I am so incredibly blessed!!

 

I’m not used to being the one who is being taken care of.  I prefer being the caretaker.  I felt fragile for the first time in a long time and realize even more how precious the time is that God has given us to be upon this earth.  There is still a lot of work to do.  So as I was in the hospital this week, the experience made me reflect on my daily goals and as a list maker, my "To Do" list.  I was reminded that plans change, and sometimes very quickly.  What are the things that really matter?  Do the things on my to do list fulfill His purposes for my life, or my own desires?  Am I living for Him and to please Him or am I just living day to day to please myself and fulfill my own goals?  It is so easy to get caught up in my own agenda and my own plans.  The day to day activities of living life and being a mom and homeschool teacher can crowd out God’s plans for me that day. I am ashamed to say I don’t pray over my list with the right attitude.  Too many times I have made my list and asked Him to bless my day and give me strength to complete my tasks without a second thought to what He might want to do in me or through me that day.  How many opportunities have I missed because of that?

 

Thankfully today is a new day.  I’m not sure what’s ahead, but God does and He promised to go with us and never leave us.  So I continue to rest and heal and look ahead to a new day.  As I make my  to do list for the next week and go over my plans for the week ahead, I’m thinking differently.  I want my life, every part, even small things to honor him.  I want to see His plan for me more than my own plan for my day.  Please keep us in your prayers – prayers for continued healing for me and for the sale of our home. We are so blessed to have you all in our lives. Thank you!

 

 

The Secret Recipe for a Lasting Marriage

September 30, 1962 my parents were married on a Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.  They were married on the half hour so as the minute hand on the clock traveled its path back around it would “catch” all the blessings.  They spent their wedding day doing what I’ve always known them to do on a Sunday.   They spent that morning in worship.  My dad had just started his first full time preaching ministry at Kingman Christian Church in Kingman, Indiana in July of 1962.  He got up and went to worship and preached the Word.  My mom attended Second Church of Christ in Danville, Illinois and so she went to Sunday School and worship there that morning.

It was a simple service and the ladies of the church decorated the reception area so mom didn’t have to worry about any of that.  I found out last weekend that my grandfather Hibbs told my mom if she started crying as he was walking her down the aisle that he would start skipping her down the aisle.  So she didn’t cry because she told me, “He was serious!”  I find that hard to believe because my mom is a very sensitive and emotional being.  Her sensitivity and tenderness are such precious qualities.  In fact, Brad and I sometimes judge a movie by how my mom will react and usually have a few we want to watch with her just to see her reaction!


Mr. and Mrs. Larry McMillan
September 30, 1962

 My mom was originally from Memphis, Tennessee and it was her southern drawl that attracted my dad to her.  My dad’s red Plymouth caught my mom’s eye.  Then they were introduced by a mutual friend but this friend told my mom that Larry wasn’t her type.  Come to find out this friend liked my dad!  Oh we women are something sometimes aren’t we?!  Mom decided she’d like to find that out for herself!  They dated a long time and were engaged two years before a couple of the ladies at church gave them money for a marriage license.  I think my parents were just content knowing they had each other and the ladies of the church were the impatient ones! 

 

 

Over the course of the past 50 years they ministered 10 of those years in Kingman and had three children, Tim, Paul and me.  When I was a year old they moved to Oxford Indiana and started a new ministry at the Oxford Church of Christ where my dad is still ministering at that local congregation of believers.  In my lifetime I have watched them go through good and challenging times together.  I’ve seen good, bad, and ugly.  However, they have stuck together even when things weren’t so rosy.

While I’ve never asked them what the secret is to a lasting marriage, I already know the answer because their actions have always spoken louder than their words.  It’s because of the relationship they each have with the Lord.  I have fond memories of waking early in the mornings and finding my mom in her chair reading her Bible or starting her day in prayer.  I have fond memories of going downstairs to my dad’s office of a morning and finding my dad reclining in his chair with his feet crossed and kicked up on one of the desks in his office with his Bible or devotional on his lap and his eyes closed in prayer.  This relationship has provided a foundation for not only their individual lives but their marriage as well.  It is the rock they cling to in the bad times and rejoice on in the good. 

Larry and Roberta, still precious 50 years later!

This foundation in Christ has taught them that love is not a feeling or emotion but a choice to love for better in the good times and for worse in the bad, during times when money was plentiful and when it wasn’t, the healthy periods of life and now during sickness when my mom and dad deal with diabetes and as my dad deals with asthma.  They try to model a love that will honor, respect, cherish and treasure the other above their own needs or desires.  A love that is patient, kind, unselfish, humble, seeking the good in the other, refusing to speak badly about the other and one that doesn’t keep score or gets angry when things don’t go their own way kind of love. 

Don’t get me wrong.  They struggle at times and fuss at one another and have moments of intense fellowship, but in the end it all comes back to what their marriage is built upon.  Their marriage is built upon the Rock, and during those storms He is faithful and immovable.  When the storms have passed, their marriage has remained intact and their relationship to God and each other has not only endured but become stronger.


Saying their vows to one another again

This past Sunday, September 30, 2012, we had a wonderful celebration for Dad and Mom in honor of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.  My sister-in-law, Sheryl did most of the planning and all I can say is…it was beautiful!  50 years later though,  they were still about the Lords work.  Mom taught in her Sunday School class and Dad was preaching the Word!  After service, we surprised them with a vow renewal ceremony and my dad serenaded my mom with Irving Berlin’s song, Always.  My mom wanted my dad to sing to her at their wedding but he thought he’d be too nervous so he didn’t.  It was so romantic and precious to hear him sing to her Sunday.  Many wet eyes in the sanctuary!  He thought he was going to surprise her at the reception but when he found out about the ceremony he sang it to her there.  There was a luncheon with the church family and then from 1-4 p.m. a reception held that was open to the community.  It was a great day!


I’m so grateful for my parents and their example to me, our family, their grandchildren, and those in the community where they serve the Lord.  I’m so blessed to have them in my life and grateful that God has blessed them to reach this wonderful milestone in their lives this side of eternity.  My prayer for them is that they get to enjoy many, many more Golden Years together as they walk hand in hand with each other and with the Lord!  Congratulations Dad and Mom!  I love you!

They make such a cute couple!

 

A New Name

For the past year, Neil has been asking me about coming up with a new school name for our home school.  At first I didn’t know what to think...what was wrong with Ferris Home School?  I kind of thought he was being his silly self and it would pass. I was wrong.  It didn’t.  He kept asking.  We’ve always taught our children that their identity isn’t found in earthly things or affiliations, but in who they are in Christ.  That’s what makes them significant.   After some thought and discussion, I realized he just wants to have some common ground or an identity on a common level to connect with his peers.  I revisited the reasons we home school and his motives for this requests and realized that by providing these simple things I was not compromising anything we were trying to teach or accomplish here at home.  In fact, it could be an opportunity to enhance those things.  So Brad and I began the process of working on a new name. 

Here is where I have to stop and make a confession to you all.  When we made the decision to homeschool April 2007, we did a lot of investigating and praying and interviewing people over the course of several months.  When it came time to withdraw Neil and Madeline from public school I had downloaded a form from HSLDA and on that form there was a place for the name of our home school.   A name?    Hmmmm.  Well, from some of the research we had done initially, I knew people just took their last name and added home school to it and that was it.  So, I wrote on the line Ferris Home School and with no other thought our school had a name and that was that.  I was really ready to just move onto the more fun part of curriculums and co-ops and lesson planning.

Now six years later, I realize while that was the easy thing to do at the time, it wasn’t necessarily the best thing.  Did their education suffer from that?  No.  They have continued to learn and grow and it’s all been so good.  However, our school name will appear on our children’s transcripts and I want more than anything to create a family bond and a school identity that they can be proud to be a part of.  Brad an I put our heads together and began to brainstorm ideas.  It was actually a very fun process for us and today I’m pleased to reveal to you our new school name.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

 Psalm 127:3-5

 

The Ferris Home School has become Heritage Day School, home of the Warriors.  Our logo was created by a new friend who is a graphic artist in Illinois using the arrow from the verse.  Now we can print transcipts with our new logo and also print t-shirts and sweatshirts for the children.  Our school colors are red, white, and blue:  red for the blood of Jesus, white for purity, righteousness, and victory, and blue that is associated with God and His Word and service to Him.  I’m excited to have a name that reflects what we hope to accomplish here at home - to raise up godly men and women in service to their King leaving a legacy for generations to come.  Upon graduation we will pull each from the quiver and our prayer is each one will fly straight and true as they follow God’s plan for their lives.   

I am so very, very blessed to have Neil, Madeline, Sarah, and Samuel.  I am doubly blessed to have the opportunity to be their teacher as well.  I cherish them and the time I get to spend with them teaching them about the Lord as well as reading, writing, and arithmetic.  It’s an exciting time in our lives and the life of our school.  God is working and moving and we are so grateful.

Go Warriors! 

What God is doing while we wait....

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

The countdown has been on here at the Ferris house for about a week.  Madeline was going to have a sleep over with her best friend and it has been one of the longest weeks for her.  Each day she has given us the new countdown:  6 days left, 5 days left, 4 days left…..two hours left, etc…  It just makes me smile!  It’s so hard to be patient when we long for something so much.  Many of you know of our journey to Rochester, Illinois and the holding pattern we are in due to our housing situation.  Waiting has been so difficult, yet I write today to share with you what God has done and is doing in this waiting period.  He has not wasted this time and continues to do amazing things.  He deserves all the glory and praise!

August 3, 2012 on our way to visit Brad, we were caught up in the traffic that was backed up due to the double- decker Megabus crash that took place on I-55.  Both directions of I-55 were closed.  Our four hour trip was extended to a seven hour trip that day.  When I merged onto I-55 that afternoon, Brad called to tell me about the accident and how to get around it.  Unfortunately, traffic was so backed up that we got caught up in it anyway.  I was amazed though at the people around me.  These people had no idea what had happened up ahead and were angry and frustrated.  We watched a UHaul Truck drag a car on the shoulder just so they couldn’t reenter traffic.  I was sure another wreck was going to take place.  People driving down the shoulder of the road zoomed by our van in an attempt to avoid waiting.  I knew what was up ahead so it was easy to wait.  It’s so much easier to wait when we know the reason why or when we know the end is in sight.  However, where’s the faith in that?  God used that day to show me I was just like those around me.  I was being impatient with Him and his plan for us.  Ouch!

I’m a person that likes a neat calendar and to do list to guide each day.  When those details are missing, I tend to struggle.  That’s where I’ve been the last two months.  I’ve been struggling with how things are right now with the separation of our family.  Has God forgotten us here in Newburgh? Everyone else seems to be moving on, but why not us?  Is there a sin I need to repent of?   Has God been listening to our prayers and those offered on our behalf?   Do we need to take a step of faith somewhere?  Is there still work here left for me to do before it’s time to go?  Maybe our house there isn’t ready yet?  Is God protecting us from a bad situation with a different house?  Do we drop the price on the house?  Make more changes or updates to the house to attract sellers?  Do we rent the house??

We want to honor God with our choices and stay within His plan for us.  The Bible is full of stories where people tried to take matters into their own hands to “work” out God’s plan and trouble was the result – Sarah gave Abraham Hagar to fulfill the promise for a child, Saul went ahead with the sacrifice because Samuel was late, Jacob deceived Isaac for the blessing.   Jumping ahead of God or trying to work ahead of God is not a good idea.   It’s so hard to know what to do sometimes because while we need to wait on the Lord, we also need to do our part and be prepared.  As I look back to what has happened these last four months, God has been silent, but He has been extremely busy working things out for our good.  

Brad has been rock steady this whole time and has tried to encourage me by reminding me that God is going to do something great for us.  While I KNOW God has plans for a hope and a future and He can do things beyond our imagination….there are times my feelings don’t line up with what I know.   So when he says that, there is that part of me that wants to just stick my tongue out at him and go, “PTHTHTHTHTTHTHTHTHTH!”   It’s so irritating!  However, that isn’t the mature, respectful or appropriate response because the bottom line is that he is right.   God has a plan and we need to wait on Him.  Waiting on the Lord is hard.

These last few months have made me rely on God in a new way and God has strengthened my heart just as the Scripture above stated.  My faith has been stretched and I’ve been challenged to discover the lessons God may be teaching me during this time and to trust Him even when He is silent.   It’s been an opportunity to teach our children about God’s timing and waiting on God.   God has allowed Brad and me to reconnect in a deeper way than we ever would have otherwise.  We’ve been courting again these past months and have been able to talk about things we never have before in 19 years of marriage and learn and discover new things about each other.  There is a deeper appreciation for Brad has the head of the household from the children, too.  We have learned to treasure our family time and one another.  All things we couldn’t have learned otherwise had we transitioned sooner than later.  God has taken this situation and is working it for good, and we are being blessed through it.

Today God has opened a door for us and we dropped the price on our home again in hopes this will be the step that will bring us a buyer.  Will it?  I don’t know, but He does and that’s enough.  There is a peace in my heart again and so I wait knowing His plan is better than mine.  I will wait when He is silent.  I will wait when it’s hard.  I will wait when I miss Brad and when I am tired and when things break.  I will wait so He can be honored.  I will wait so He can be praised.  I will wait so He gets all the glory!  I will wait on the Lord!

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD ; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.  Micah 7:7