Jehovah Jireh

He. Provides.

I'm tickled already and I haven't even started. :)

After my "re-group" last week, my days went a lot nicer. Of course I still worried and thought about it, but to a much lesser degree and made a point to follow up every worry with a "but You have this, help me to remember that." I said it out loud too just to make sure the devil knows whose side I'm on. But I still worried too- just so no one thinks I'm sugar coating this.

On Wednesday morning I tell Heath I just need to make a decision on choosing a daycare and go with it. I feel that I'm wasting time and being silly. I fully intended to follow through with turning in those registration papers this time.

My sweet hubby listened to me tick off reasons why this just couldn't wait any longer and asked me, "Just wait until Friday." Of course I asked him why Friday, and he said he didn't know, but just give it a few more days. I agreed. On Friday, a call I had put in to a home childcare center weeks before, called me back. She apologized for not getting back to me earlier. I was in the middle of walking out the door, trying to get a coat on Easton and convince him to put the toy down and get buckled already and was feeling frazzled, but instantly felt calmer after one minute of talking with her. That peace I have been so desperately seeking finally came back during our conversation. I don't know how to describe that feeling, I just knew this would work. This woman taught elementary school for 9 years and then decided she wanted to be at home with her kids, but needed the income to support the transition. She's in Jefferson, certified by the state, she keeps ages 2 and up, and had one more spot to fill for January. She shared about their schedule and how she has circle time each morning with the children, and asked if I minded the short Bible lesson she also teaches. Are you for real? I was so pumped I could have driven to her house right then to meet her. We set up a time to meet a few days later just and that gave me the time I needed to really pray over this. Was this the place for Easton? Please show me if it's not. Help me not to just be excited that it's in Jefferson. I wanted my eyes WIDE open when we met.

Heath and I went to her house one evening with Easton to visit. It was perfect. The playroom did indeed have the circle rug with the calendar, and the pledge, and other morning tasks around the area. The big fenced-in backyard had a play set, picnic tables, and many outdoor toys. Her personality matched mine too- I am drawn to happy, bubbly people and can excite easily. I feel like I can see right through the ones that truly enjoy what they do, and those that work. She shared how she is selective about who she lets into her home, and she felt just as comfortable with me as I did with her. It was perfect. We didn't even pull out of the driveway and Heath said, "this is it, isn't it?"

I am so, so happy and relieved that God didn't make me wait one minute longer to answer that prayer for us. It was huge. The more I couldn't find a place for Easton, the more thoughts I had about withdrawing from the program. Easton can start 2 mornings a week now, and that gives him plenty of time to adjust and slowly increase days before I start January 6th. HUGE sigh of relief. Feeling so thankful for God the provider.

 

*Just a side note that we don't have tuition answers yet. I hesitated to even share this b/c I don't want it to take away from the blessing we were just given. I did want to keep you updated though as some have asked. Thanks again for praying for us! We're thankful for your friendship!

Red light, Green Light

Thank you sweet friends who have prayed for me. I really appreciate you guys. I've had some ask me if I've gotten that lottery check yet, and while I know they're teasing, I'm thankful for them caring. So thanks to YOU for just reading my blog anyways, and I'm extremely grateful for you caring enough to pray for me. I love you guys.

Well I've gotten some answers with school which is the good news, but so far it's just which way I'm not going to go, which is not quite what I was expecting or hoping for.

After being told that ATC doesn't offer federal loans, I decided to try the private loan route and started calling banks. That's when I got my loan answer: I'm not approved for a loan with or without a co-signer.

So I feel like God is showing me a definite "no" and has shut that door, which is awesome, because I wasn't too pumped about the idea of having them to pay off anyways! Where will the remainder of the funds come from? That He has not shown me yet. The clock's ticking, and yes, I'm feeling the squeeze.

Some Scripture I've been reviewing this week:

 

So most of us are familiar with that verse, in that we've at least heard it. I had the meaning taught to me by Mrs. Wanda Bagwell one Wed. night and I've never forgotten it, or scanned that verse quickly again. Wanda explained the "lamp onto my feet" as God showing you one step at a time, just enough to see where your next foot will go. He doesn't show us everything all at once- how would we walk in faith if He did show us all the answers? We wouldn't rely on Him to provide them. I'm not sharing this b/c I've got it down pat, it's the complete opposite. I'm sharing it b/c I think He's teaching it to me now.

 

 

 

Faithful in prayer. Well....I've been faithful to call/text friends about this situation. I've been faithful to continuously ask my husband where in the world we're going to get the money from. I've been faithful about becoming impatient with my kids because it interrupts the "replay" button in my mind. God's word says to be "faithful in prayer". Have I prayed half as much as I've thought about how to fix it? No. Have I lost time enjoying my family because of it? Yes. Is that of God's will? Absolutely not.

 

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:24

 

I've had to do some re-grouping this week. :)

 

 

 

 

 



 

Cory Football

LOVED watching my baby play football!! I never knew how excited I could get as a Mom watching my baby play and watch him love what he's doing.

I cannot say enough good things about Galilee Christian Sports either. Andy was a super awesome coach, and I loved how much one-on-one the smaller teams were able to receive. Upward is family friendly and I actually looked forward to his Sat. game, instead of feeling like we had been at football practice all week. I'm all about some sports, but not when it becomes something I have to run Cory to 3x a week, plus church on Wed., and the Sat. game. Upward was very good about having only 1 practice a week, they were respectful of our time, and the games were all at the same time, same field, every Saturday. At halftime Coach Andy would give a short devotional, we'd pray, the cheerleaders would cheer and throw out candy, and they'd get right back in the game. I really had so much more fun than I thought I would!

My little Nikon wasn't too awesome at it's "sports" setting, so I was thrilled when at the boys football banquet, they shared ALL of the coaches pics from the field. Really, it's a better view and I love that they thought to do that, AND not try to make money off it. They just gave the pics to us. Nice, right?

 Here's a picture overload:

 

There were no hidden fees, you just paid the registration fee and that's how much it cost. You'd think that's how it would be with every team, but not so!

HIGHLY, highly recommend Upward for your son or daughter! They'll have a blast!!!

This clip shows the whole season, but please take 10 seconds and watch my cutie. He's at the 3 minute and 15 second mark, running a touchdown. It also tells more about Upward if you're thinking about it for your kids!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWhsVQ3W1cg

Dodge's, Daycare, Diagnotic Medical Tuition....and other prayer requests.

I haven't blogged since we got back from the beach b/c it's been craziness in the McEver household. We got back on a Saturday and as most of you know, my acceptance letter was waiting in the mail!!! Yay!!!

HUGE, HUGE blessing to us. Again, I'm continually amazed at God's blessings for our family.

While we were on our vacation my sneaky little gallbladder started giving me fits again. We found gallstones on accident during another routine exam, and my doctor advised me to have it removed before they started bothering me. My reasoning? It doesn't hurt- why have surgery to take it out? Plus I was in school full-time and I really didn't want to take time out of the classroom. You students of Mr. Nichols know what I'm talking about- each week rolled out a lab quiz and a med term test- it's no joke! So we chose not to do anything. Then slowly the symptoms started coming. I have no idea how to describe it- it kind of feels like a claw in your chest that pokes you sometimes? I've heard others say it's in their shoulder or back, but mine was in my chest. I could mainly deal with it, b/c the cleaner I ate, the better I felt (thanks Advocare!). Wouldn't you know that I ate fried shrimp at the beach and that's all it needed to go cuckoo. After a few nights of "the hook" coming out to play, I was done. I knew it was another way for God to say- "Get it out now while you're not in school." I met my surgeon the Tuesday we were back and had it out Friday. I was told it was out-patient surgery and easy-breezy. Wrong!

 

No that's not a fuzzy maternity shot. That's how my belly looked for weeks after the surgery. Ugh. They put air in your stomach to give them room to get to the gallbladder and it's the strangest thing to feel like you just need to burp but can't (sorry, just telling it like it is). My post-op was last Thursday and they still are restricting me from lifting more than 20 lbs. Easton weighs 32. I think that's been the hardest part- I want to hold my baby! Try to count how many times a day you pick up/hold your baby....it's a lot, right? I'll have Easton lie down on the floor with me, or I'll crawl in bed with him, but I'll be glad to actually pick him up again.

Before the surgery I had about 2 days to visit some daycares and meet with my financial aid office at school.

Y'all.....I'm having a hard time with the thought of leaving my baby. Every place I visit is fine, it's just not home. Heath and I toured a couple together and neither one of us likes the idea. Not much else I can say on this subject.

My financial aid trip didn't fare much better. The WHOLE time I was working towards applying, I knew how much the program would cost and assumed I'd get a student loan. I *almost* wish I could have seen my face when the financial aid officer informed me that no, Athens Tech doesn't participate in student loans because they're a technical school and the fees are much more reasonable than a traditional 4-year school. True, but we don't have $12,000 just the same. They don't accept HOPE for the program either and I've just hit a huge stumbling block with the news.

Just because the devil wanted to mess with my head some more, my car's been dying. Ha. We knew that was coming too, I was just praying it'd last 2 more years. All you car people reading this- it tries to die only when I'm turning? Like I'll slow down to make a turn, and as soon as my tires turn, it just shudders and turns itself off. Anyone know what that is? It did it to me crossing traffic, getting on 85, with the boys in the back. I turned on a green light with a break in the traffic, and it died. Thankfully I had enough momentum to make it to the grass, but it scared the macaroni out of me. Any turn! Take a drive-thru for example. Nothing but a big circle, right? My car died 3 times in the Starbucks one last week. They probably thought I was crazy...or ghetto. Your guess as to which one is true.

SO- here's my BIG OL' LIST of prayer requests:

• I have got to find a place for Easton. And get used to the idea.

• I'll need a car sometime in the near future. My Dodge with 190K miles ain't gonna kick it for much longer. This is not a "can't make up my mind on which one, b/c I have so many options," this is a "we're broke and can't afford a car payment while paying for daycare and tuition." So if anyone has a Grandma with a Buick sitting out in the driveway that she doesn't need.....!

The next request is where I'm ready to see God work BIG things- hope you'll stick around reading the blog so I can tell you what He does! I can't see it yet, but I'm sure He'll show me in His timing. It's just not my timing, b/c of course, I'd like to know right now.

• Tuition. We 100% relied on getting a student loan to not only cover the cost, but also some of the living expenses, i.e., daycare. Want some scary numbers? Cory's after-school care will be $30/week. Easton's will be around $120/week. That's around $600/month. I obviously won't be bringing in income while going to school, so we have no clue where we'll get that. Tuition will be around $12,000 and Pell should cover around $9,000, so there's only a $3,000 difference there. When you start adding $600/month to it though...

Y'all didn't know I was so needy with the requests, did ya? Like I said, I know they're huge requests. I know we serve a mighty God with whom "nothing is impossible" (Luke 1:37) so I'm asking for your help in praying for us! Trying not to let my faith waver. He got me this far, He can work through the details. Trying not to get discouraged or feel like I want to give up. It'll happen. Just don't know how/when/where/why and my Type A personality says it all needs to be in place....like, yesterday.

Destin: Last Day

Rachel was so sweet to call us Thur night and warn us of tropical storm Karen coming in our way, but luckily it wasn't supposed to hit until Sat night or Sun morning, so we were able to stay the whole week. We soaked up our last day before leaving early Sat morning!

 

Wasn't it beautiful? I actually got burned that day (I try so hard not to!) because it felt so good with the wind blowing that I just didn't feel hot and wasn't paying attention.

 

The red flag was out. The waves were something serious. Heath tried to fish at the water's edge but even he was getting tossed around.

 

 



I wouldn't let Cory go out in it, and Heath took Easton out for a few minutes but I didn't like that either. You guys should have seen these waves!

 Precious face. He loved it.

Then we all played safely on the sand.

Finished up at the pool for the day and after eating some dinner at the condo, we went back out so I could try to catch the sunset on our last night.

Or do you prefer a full moon?

Ha! Sorry. But that cracks me up.

Here he's "helping" unload the dishwasher.

We had such a fantastic time! I don't know if it was the time of the year, but Destin in October is pretty remote. There was some families, mainly older people, and we saw a lot of the property owners. We met our property owners while we were there, they came down and stayed in their other condo. Must be nice!!! But seriously, it was very family friendly, very calm and quiet, no crazy waits at restaurants and the weather was beautiful. The condo was about 10 minutes from what I would call "downtown" Destin, which was perfect enough for me to feel close, but not walk out my door and see a bunch of shopping malls. We could eat anywhere and there was a Wal-Mart and drugstore within minutes. The couple who owns the condo was super sweet, and they thanked us for coming and already invited us back for next year. We loved it and will be back to Destin!

Our 5am wake-up call--- LOOK who's awake STILL:

Yep, he stayed awake the whole ride again. Never slept. From 5am-1pm. I slept, Cory slept, Easton didn't. At least he wasn't fussy though? I guess I shouldn't even complain...I just think it's weird. Who doesn't sleep on a car ride? He was perfectly happy and content the whole ride home.

I miss the beach but it's good to be home too!!!