I just want to send out a quick request for prayer for our family the rest of this month, and especially this coming week. There's just so much going on-most of it stressful, some of it hard.
On Sunday, we had a long but fruitful congregational meeting regarding the property the church is ready to purchase...it was a unanimous vote to proceed. When the dust settles, I'll let you knwo the whole story, as God's hand has obviously been moving in great ways. But, lots of decisions, paperwork, and follow-up still to do to bring it to closure.
Last week, 3 people in MP died within 24 hrs. of each other. Two were a married couple...he had a heart attack, then she drowned herself in the lake. To our knowledge, neither of them were Christians. The other was a new neighbor next to our church (he slipped and fell on the ice, had a brain hemorrhage, and died there in the driveway). They had only lived there a few weeks, and he had come to church once, and the church had helped them with firewood. We don't believe he was a Christian, but hard to say for certain.
There was just going to be a memorial potluck for the couple that died, but we just got a call from MP a few hours ago, and the family wants Mark to officiate at that tonight.
Apparently the man next door that died really liked our church, and so they've asked us for help in planning and conducting his funeral potlatch (he was native). It's been difficult ascertaining how to work within cultural customs, etc, and now they've also asked Mark to officiate and want some music, too. That said, please pray for the service Friday afternoon, for us to share and help in the name of Jesus, and for spiritual protection (and for the coordination of everything that has thus far been characterized by poor communication, as the family is completely rattled and drained by their grief).
Saturday we drive to Anch. to get our new puppy, and have to be training her in the midst of the following craziness.
On Sunday we have a wedding, for which Mark and I have been doing premarital counseling over the last several weeks, which will continue into the new year, as well. The wedding will be after church, with a potluck following for the reception.
Then, after that, the ladies from church are having a Christmas party/gift exchange.
Add to that the kids' Christmas program that I'm coordinating, with several practices b/t now and the performance at our Christmas Eve service.
We close on our house Friday, Dec. 26th (we have written in the agreement occupancy till Jan. 5th). If we remember to put our tree up, we'll have to take it down that day.
We'll celebrate Christmas w/ my family on Sat. after Christmas, but it will have to be just a quick over and back trip, as we have church the next day.
Sunday we have yet another church meeting regarding constituting and incorporating as an independent church (trying to get that done in time for the new year). Continues the process Mark has been in of writing/adapting a constitution and bylaws to establish the functioning of the church.
And to top it all off, we need to have all of our earthly belongings ready to load into the u-haul on Sat. Jan. 3rd.
That said, we feel like we are just going to crack if anything else is put upon our back, and 'tis the season for everyone else to be too busy to help much! We're making some progress in packing...Mark and I got several boxes done last night in just a few hours. We're loading them up and taking them to the warehouse at Mark's work to get them out of the way, and then we'll just go there first with the U-Haul.
In case you're wondering, no-I'm not sending Christmas cards. Merry Christmas, love you all, but I'm not going there. I should wait til after the New Year anyway, to confirm our new address and phone #!
Anyway, thanks for your prayers for the memorial services and , and , and , and , and that 's going on here!
PS: For those of you who thought you saw a vacation post yesterday and then you didn't see it again, you're not losing your mind. I thought I was about done with all the drafts of vacation stuff, and then realized I wasn't and had some reformatting I wanted to do. So it was there, and now it's not. Sorry to get your hopes up, Karen-I did get your comment! :)
4 comments:
Wendy! WOW. That's a lot to be undertaking. You will absolutely be in my prayers. I hope everything goes smoothly. Can't wait to see/hear all about it when you settle down, probably by mid-July! Love you xxx
Ditto what Karen said. Except the xxx part.
Eric
Oh man! Wow, that's a lot of stuff going on. And around Christmas no less which is super busy just in and of itself. I'll keep you guys in my prayers. And I'll share my mantra with you when we were going through some deadline-ish, one-more-thing kinda stuff: "Just X many days. That's all I need to do. Just stay strong. Focus on today. Only X many days left." :-) I bet that's old hat for you by now!
There was also a PERFECT Third Day song, but I can't remember what it was right now. I'm so bummed. I remember I was driving down the road with all our earthly belongings in my car and the truck in front of us. Gigi was asleep in her seat behind me, and Jim was alseep in the front passenger seat. A Third Day song came on the radio and I had tears streaming down my face at the end. Basically the message was that God could take everything from me, and it would all be ok because everything that mattered was right here with me. God, Jim, and Gigi. That's all that mattered. Not where we lived, not our belongings, not our jobs. None of that. Sure, it all helps us exist in this world, but the only things that are truly precious and that truly matter, were sleeping right near me.
I will pray for strength to get you through the next 3 weeks!!
Jennifer, I think it might be "May Your Wonders Never Cease."
Father in Heaven
Lord, may Your name be glorified
Above all others
Above all this world
Above everything else in our lives
For nothing else in all of this world matters
But to live our lives for You and You alone
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