One Thing

I've been trying to blog since early this morning, and now it's after midnight on Nov. 9th...hate that! Oh well. I'm at my mom's for the night, so the computers have been tied up by my sister and my mom. The whole house is still awake, except for Grandpa Wally who was in bed at 9pm of course ;-)

So many topics I could write about today. I started this morning with the sentence, "As many of you may know, Jamie and I have been house hunting the past week..." As the day has progressed (and now past), I have found far more important things to put down to remember for November 8, 2007.

Wally was hired for a new job today, which is exciting, especially since he wasn't even in the market for a new job! It's not only better pay, but also a job that he feels he will enjoy more. It's a top-secret stuff kind of job, which will allow Wally to tell his usual suspense-filled stories ;-) Get this!!! He'll be flying cargo planes piloted by the Polish, carrying some kind of military trucks designed by Russians...ha! Maybe he will really will have a good story or two to tell ;-)He'll fly out of Charleston, SC to Baghdad (yes, Iraq!), and be gone for seven to ten days at a time. On the flights back, he'll be stopping in Kuwait, London, and NYC, then returning to Charleston. So that's that...well, except for the fact that when Wally called to tell his mom in WV about the job, she told him he's pretty much going to die and go to hell and that she really believes it's all my mom's fault he's not right with God...yeah, now I'm done with that subject...for now at least ;-)

My mom has had a very stressful week at work. She's the director of a long-term care facility, so she's responsible for EVERYTHING! After hearing about her day, I told Jamie we should grab some salads from California Dreaming and head to her house, so Jadon could help take her mind off of things. Jadon did the trick! He was his ususal cheerful self, smiling and jumping all over the place :-)

My sister has been in her usual stressed out mood, especially since she's trying to get things in order for her internship in NYC (more about this at a later date). Not sure which way to go with this subject. Maybe I'll just leave it at this: My sister loves God and she's doing her best to allow Him to have control over her crazazy mind...yes, I said crazazy ;-) No, Emily, I don't think you are crazazy, just your thoughts are...I love you :-)If you're a praying person (only to Jesus, the Son of God, please), just pray for Emily to be able to quit smoking and stop trying to have complete control over her own life. Amen, and thank you very much!

So onto the most important thing I need to make note of...today (well, yesterday now) is my birthday!!! Not my earthly birthday, but my spiritual, re-born by my faith in Christ birthday :-) Yay! It was six years ago today that I asked Jesus to come into my heart and began to do my best to life my life according to His will. I placed my faith in God's Son, Jesus, that He was born of a Virgin, lived a sinless and perfect life, died on a cross, and rose again three days later (in a nutshell). Mainly what I was thinking on this day six years ago was that I was losing my mind. My world was crumbling quickly all around me. I felt desperate. I was hopeless. I admitted I was a sinner in need of a Savior. No human or earthly thing could help me...not my mom, not my preacher, not my best friend Jessica :-/ Life was a mess. I had been crying everyday for a month. I had lost 20lbs. in two weeks. I was only sleeping on average of two hours per night.

On November 8, 2001, I came home from work at 10pm, went upstairs to my bedroom, sat in my chair broken in tears, and said, "God I can't take this anymore. Please help me. Please come into my heart and fix it. My heart is broken, and I need you to put it back together." My life has NEVER been the same since...honest! Sure I've experienced struggles since then. I've made a million mistakes since then. I still argue with my sister, as always. I am not patient enough. I desire to have earthly things some days (like a house at Spring Lake). I complain more than I should. I make fun of people...not people who can't help their circumstances kind of people, but mostly people like my crazy aunt Carla ;-) I blog, when I should be reading my Bible more. I listen to Christian music and send comments to my friends on MySpace, when I should be volunteering at a homeless shelter. I don't just accept these shortcomings about myself...I'm a mere work in progress, and maybe I'm not doing my best to live the life I know God has in store for me :-/

I feel unworthy, yet blessed. I feel clueless, yet I have the Answers. I yearn for more, yet I am completely fulfilled. I am broken, yet whole. Ya get me? I love the Lord! In a mere six years He has turned my life around and brought me to a place I never could have dreamed! My preacher at the time, Kenny Kendall, told me that God has a "perfect plan for my life." I'll never forget that! No one had ever told me that before, and I found it so comforting...both then and now.

I was dancing around the kitchen this morning, while holding Jadon as close as I could get him, listening to a the song "One Thing" by Hillsong. I was talking to the same God who saved me six years ago, thanking Him for the life I have today...for the beautiful baby I held in my arms who sleeps on my lap as I type this...for the amazing husband who works so hard to take care of us...for his parents, for my parents, for our siblings, for all of the provisions (a place to live, food to eat, physical health, organic baby food, two cars to drive, money in the bank, Jamie's job, a new Hillsong CD to lift my spirits...sushi and Starbucks!)...for struggles and triumphs!!!

Life is hard, isn't it? Life is full of ups and downs...sometimes more downs, but life is so worth it! He knows the plans He has for us. He knew you, before you were born!!! He knows how many days each of us will live and the choices we will make...unbelieveable!!! I love Him! He loves you, me, and even though Wally's mom says he may die and go to hell (oh Lord, help me)...He most certainly loves Grandpa Wally too. I mean, of course He does!!! Let us not forget that He knit him together in his crazazy mother's womb! Geez! ;-)

Okay, I'll sum today up...anybody still reading this??? I don't know if Grandpa Wally will like his new job. I don't know if my mom's job will be any less stressful next week. I don't know if my sister will ever not be stressed or quit smoking (please, Lord, please). I don't know if I will ever have a home at Spring Lake. The point is: Stop stressing about unnecessary things...you'll never add a day to your life by doing that! Love the Lord and be kind to others :-)

Below is a video of Hillsong singing "One Thing." Enjoy!

Be blessed, and know that you truly are!
<3 Andrea

P.S. Happy Birthday to me!