Change Your Perspective

Have you ever had a situation and you only thought of it from one angle until someone else showed you a different perspective? After talking with one of my cousin's the other day she gave me a completely different perspective of where Pat and I are currently. It's so hard to see the bigger picture when you're just a small piece in the picture itself and it typically takes a 3rd party to really show you a different perspective. I was watching the movie The Prince of Egypt the other day with the kids and there was a song where the guy talks about how one piece of thread within a woven rug doesn't understand it's design, but when you step back and see all the pieces woven together, it creates a beautiful design . The song starts at about 1:40.
Anyway, my cousin gave me this:
Isaiah 66:7-14
"Before she went into labor,
she had the baby.
Before the birth pangs hit,
she delivered a son.
Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?
Has anyone seen anything like this?
A country born in a day?
A nation born in a flash?
But Zion was barely in labor
when she had her babies!
Do I open the womb
and not deliver the baby?
Do I, the One who delivers babies,
shut the womb?

10-11"Rejoice, Jerusalem,
and all who love her, celebrate!
And all you who have shed tears over her,
join in the happy singing.
You newborns can satisfy yourselves
at her nurturing breasts.
Yes, delight yourselves and drink your fill
at her ample bosom."

12-13God's Message:

"I'll pour robust well-being into her like a river,
the glory of nations like a river in flood.
You'll nurse at her breasts,
nestle in her bosom,
and be bounced on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child,
so I'll comfort you.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem."

14-16You'll see all this and burst with joy
—you'll feel ten feet tall—
As it becomes apparent that God is on your side
and against his enemies.

This isn't talking about our exact situation obviously but it makes since in our circumstances. Basically what it's saying is that going through trials is like a woman in labor. It's painful and intense but you have to go through it in order to receive the blessing afterwards. Sometimes we're doing all we can and yet things still seem to be going rough. It's all part of the grand design.

This weekend

Well, I know you're all dying to know what our plans are for the weekend ;o) Tonight is laundry and cleaning (thankfully Pat already vacuumed!), tomorrow we are going to, hopefully, sleep in and then going to church tomorrow night. Sunday I'm working at church and then I have a senior portrait session! Should be a nice relaxing weekend.

On another note, a couple of weekends ago my mom and I participated in the Run for Mercy 5k and since we couldn't find the correct parking lot, we ended up walking an extra 2 miles! We had fun, I love spending time with my mom!

We have costumes for both kids and Declan's going to be Fireball Mario and Alaina is going to be Snow White. We are going to "Boo at the Zoo" next weekend, so hopefully Alaina isn't as grumpy.

Ever had one of those...

Years? It's been an interesting year for us. In March of this year Pat graduated college with his bachelor's degree, he also lost his job. In July, he got another job (both of us had been applying and looking like crazy the entire time). In August I got a job that I absolutely love and works perfectly with Declan's school schedule. If Alaina starts going to preschool it will work out perfectly with that as well. We'd only need childcare on Fridays! Harmonious Portraits (my photography business) has been picking up pace and I was also working up at church doing childcare for different events. Then, just in September, I was supposed to graduate with my bachelor's degree. My advisor forgot to mention that I still have 1 natural science class that I must take in order to complete my degree. To say I was devastated is an understatement.

In other news, Declan has finally started sounding words out and trying to read. He's doing really well in school academically, socially, he's "too talkative". I am so proud of him! He makes friends so easily and has his friends at school, church, and home and pretty much gets along with anyone. Alaina has been making strides, too. She now can recognize numbers 1-5 and we're working on her letters. The kids LOVE to be read to so we make a library trip at least once a week and usually walk out with about 10 books!

I came across the realization tonight that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can start looking up. The pain of changing usually has to be less than that of the circumstances. I know that when this is all over and done with we will have something to share with others that are going through what we've been through.

Pity Party for one

I am grateful that my hope is in the Lord because today has just been "one of those days". I had a busy day at work, came home to a super messy house (my own doing from yesterday), a letter in the mail from Lindenwood saying that I can't graduate until I finish a natural science class. WHAT?!?! So apparently, I won't be getting a degree anytime soon. If I would have known I needed this class I could have included it with my two classes that I just finished. I was incredibly frustrated, on top of it we are trying to get on top financially and it just seems like it's one thing after another trying to keep us down. When I called my advisor about the letter he said, "Oh, didn't I mention that during our last meeting, I have it noted right here that you need a natural science class." WHAT?!?! I know that next year HAS to be better. This year has been a bust.