Found, one blog!

Do you have any idea how long it's been since I last posted on my blog? It has been so long that I actually had to go back and look at my last post. It's been 5 full months since I even visited my blog much last posted. I'm sure many of you thought I abandoned my beloved Home Away From Home but I didn't. Okay, so maybe it could be considered short-term abandonment but I'm back!!! I've come back to stake my claim to what is rightly mine and begin a new relationship with my blog and earn back some of the lost months.

They're slowly leaving the nest.

So as you have guessed from the activity on my blog, I'm back home. Being back home means that life slows down enough for me to even think about blogging.
Our short 2 month furlough was a whirlwind. We were in 25 churches and got to spend tons of time with family and friends. We also got to watch our second son Joshua graduate from high school. Then we said goodbye to him on Tuesday as we flew out of Dallas and left him behind.

I can't even tell you how hard it was to leave Josh. It was so much different leaving him than it was leaving our oldest son Cody. I've thought about it many times in the last few days and I think it has to do with Josh being our last boy in the house. Here we are with only a daughter. It's so strange having only Johnny's clothes in the wash, I mean all the boys socks are his. I don't have to look at the size in the jeans to figure out who they belong to, they're all his cause he's the only male in the house. It's strange and I'm defiantly feeling "empty nest" even thought I still have Hannah. 

We had a great time seeing good friends, 

and adorable nieces whom we adore. 

I loved being with my boys, both of them. I cherished the time with Josh knowing we would soon be leaving him. He's doing wonderful though, he has a plan for his future and is preparing for Bible college in the fall. 

It's been a very hard two years here in Croatia without Cody and I loved being with him while in the States. It's crazy to look at your son and see a man. I'm so proud of him and my prayer for him is that he'll make the Lord proud of him. 

Our life is changing whether I'm ready for it or not. Here we are the 3 of us watching The King and I in our slowly emptying home. I better get ready cause I only have a few more years and they'll all be gone. Since I can't do anything about it, guess I'll just have to give it to the Lord.  

I'm in control...

...and that's the way I like it. Really, I don't have to be the boss but I do need to feel like I have control of my situation. Call it rebellion or stubbornness but I've always been the sort of person that likes to be in charge of my situation. I seldom would put my safety into the hands of another growing up and even today I tend to be a bit of a control freak when it comes to me. There are certain people I totally trust with "me". The Lord has never let me down nor will he and my heart safety trusts in Johnny. In these two I relax but in the rest I'm always bracing myself just in case. 

Through the last 15 years of being a missionary things have always been exactly how they should be. We knew where, when and how. There have been some pot holes in the lanes of our lives but for the most part they have been tree covered and smooth. The Lord has always showed us exactly where He wanted us and how we were to conduct business. Still we know, ministry wise exactly what His will for our lives is but in personal life it's a different story altogether. Lately I feel very out of control. It seems like so many facets of our lives are our of sorts. Things just aren't like they should be. 

We have one son half way through Bible college and another about to start, that is if we can find a college for him to go to. We have had the hardest time finding God's will in this matter. It's vitally important that Josh attend the college God has for him. College is the tool God uses to direct a young preacher and we want Josh to be pointed down the old paths and get a start in the right direction. With everyone theoretically swimming downstream with the rest of the fishes we want Josh to spend his life swimming up stream. We want him to fight against the landslide of compromise and apathy that is all about us today and the choice we make about his college will determine which way our little fishy swims.  

Turning 40 has been an adjustment and with it has come some realities. Along with our aging we are facing the reality that our parents are aging. We both have parents that are in bad health and mobility is beginning to be a very big problem. Johnny's parents are still doing okay even though they are making more and more trips to the hospital these days. My mother however is alone and has no one to take care of her. I struggle with knowing that I can't be with her and worrying about her well being. The fact that missionaries are so far from home makes dealing with aging parents very difficult especially when those parents aren't prepared for retirement and live financially week to week and sometime day to day. It's difficult to know what to do for them and still keep the will of God first place in our lives. We're dedicated to finishing His will in our lives but along with that comes sacrifices and they're not easy. 

A midst all the problems in America we have a people who love us and need us in Croatia. We have a trust that God has put us over that we can not neglect come what may here in the United States. We stood and said out little goodbyes to our church folks and some of them cried for reiteration that we were going to return. We have a people 5000 mines away that God gave us and they are our ministry, our call in life and we will not neglect them. We will continue to life up the name of Jesus in Croatia until God tells us point blank that we are finished. 

Until I have the answers or until these situations work themselves out I'll just have to trust the Lord. I'm just gonna have to stop and wait for Him to work things out, for Him to show the solutions to these problems  

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Nahum 1:7 says: The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 

I'm just gonna have to trust that He sees far in advance and is working this story out for His glory. I'm just gonna have to wait and trust and trust and obey. 

**btw, I've heard preachers say many times as they began to preach that their sermons were more for them than the congregation, well that's the case with this blog post; it's more for me than it is for you. 

Graduation Prep

I can't even believe it's that time again, but our second child is getting ready to graduate. How can I possibly be only 27 and have two graduated kids?? HA! Anyhow, when Cody graduated 2 years ago it was difficult finding graduation rings for home school students. Well things have gotten much better.

Fist off Homeschool Diploma is a great site for all things home school graduation.

They have to most options for home schools and the new site is great. Homeschool Diploma has class rings and they have 5 home school options for the text around the stone and you can add your own text for and extra $75. 

I also found another great source for class rings. Limoges Jewelry allows total customization of the ring and the price is very good, the best I've found. We Josh just finished designing his ring and I love the fact that there is total customization. I will say that there aren't as many symbols for the sides as I've seen at some other places but it was exactly what he wanted. 

Obviously the finished ring will look different but I love the choice he made for around the stone. Proverbs 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

There are others who accommodate home schools also but they are few.

Jostens also do rings for home schools but the options are very basic when it comes to the text around the stone. 

There are so many options when it comes to class rings and you're not going to find one place that offers everything but maybe you will find something that works for you and your graduate.

When our first son graduated the only place we could find that would allow the customization that we wanted was a smaller company and we were very unhappy with the ring.  Beware to shop at larger and more well known companies. 

Here are a few others that I found:

the ring company

artcarved

dunham ***this is the place we ordered our oldest son's ring from so beware***

Oh yea and if you have any other great links, leave me a comment.

Happy 16th Josh!

I can't believe we are celebrating Josh's 16th birthday already. It seems like yesterday he was running around naked through the house. Well not actually naked but we sure couldn't keep clothes on that kid. He was forever without at least one shoe and sock.
Anyhow, Josh is 16 now and I just wish I could turn back the clock for a few moments and hold little Joshy one more time. I know I can't so here are 16 things I love about the Josh we are blessed to have now.

1. Joshua is very smart.
2. He loves Jesus.
3. He is a hoot in a crazy sorta way.
4. He loves his brother and sister.
5. He is always ready to stand against the crowd if need be.
6. He is a positive kid.
7. Josh is very forgiving.
8. He makes friends very easily.
9. He loves his mother.
10. He has beautiful hazel/brown eyes.
11. Joshua is very good at math.
12. He's creative.
13. Joshua has a very tender heart.
14. He is a gentleman and always opens the door for his mother.
15. Joshua writes great books.
16. Joshua trusted Jesus at youth camp this year and he was very proud of that.

A very proud Mama

This year the Joshua and Hannah got to go to teen camp for the first time ever. They have been to teen camp in Croatia before but it's not quite the same for them.
Anyhow they went to camp at Lake Texhoma and some great things happened. While both Hannah and Joshua made decisions for the Lord, Joshua made the most important. Joshua went to the front during one of the invitations and asked Jesus to save him. He thought he was saved but apparently he wasn't. Praise the Lord for Joshua's tender heart and the great thing God did in his heart.

Wednesday night Joshua was baptized at our home church in Arlington, Texas and we're so proud of him. Here are just a few photos.

Bro. Ricky Gonzales, our Spanish pastor was baptizing that night since it was the week of soul-winning. 

There is no greater blessing than to know my children are saved. Praise the Lord!!!

Just a little winter fun!

Saturday morning after soul-winning we stopped by the Old Town in Varazdin, the city where the new church plant is. Anyhow, this really old castle is surrounded by huge hills all around it. These hills make the perfect place to sled during the snowy months of winter.

Anyhow, I took some videos and I have to say, they are hilarious. There are 4 because Joshua is so funny I put two of him on.

Oh yea and listen to the dialog between Dad and the kids, way too funny!!
Enjoy the laugh.

Make sure to listen to Dad in this one, way too funny!!

MIA, or AWOL at least!

Well things have been super busy here lately. With the new church starting in a little over a week there's lots to be done. Also we have celebrated two birthdays within the past few weeks. Joshua is now 13, wow a teenager and Hannah is 11 now.Today we spent the day doing what Joshua wanted. He wanted to go into the old town and see the horse competition at the castle. It was a lot of fun and the kids we so excited to see all the horses.Town was rediculously crowded today. This is the week of "Summer in the town of Zrinskih". All week from morning to evening there is something planned for almost every hour of the day. From Old Timer car shows to acrobatic shows. Plays for the children and lest we forget, mass almost hourly. Yugoslavia was very famous for a few things, the Yugo car being one, and the Zastava being the other. Here's Cody (almsot 16) standing in front of a Zastava car. The Zastava is Serbia's claim to fame! Can you see how small it is?

Anyhow after the fun in town we took Joshua out to eat for his birthday and had a grand time. Happy 13th birthday Joshua, we love you!!

Church report: The platform is officially finished and guess what else Johnny and I made today?? A pulpit, a real one, it looks awesome. As soon as we finish staining it I'll post some pictures. What's so cool about finishing this is that neither of us have ever made anything out of wood. Pictures coming soon!

Anyhow, that's about the jest of it, been a bit busy preparing and celebrating. God sure is good and we're so honored to be even a small part of His big plan!

Have a wonderful Lord's Day!