We are a little more than halfway through Jon's first semester at DTS. Whew! We can see the glimmer of a tiny light flickering at the end of the tunnel (for this semester anyways). He has done so well in all his classes and I am so proud of him. The task of balancing school, family and work is overwhelming to say the least, but he has done well. He is in the middle of a break from school with this week being the World Evangelism Conference and next week being spring break. He's doing his best to get ahead on some assignments so as to not be buried by them at the end of the semester when we'll have a newborn on our hands.
Yes, little Ezekiel James will be making his appearance on Friday, April 16, 2010. The c-section is scheduled and I am SOOO ready to have my body back to myself. Not to mention being able to fit in tight places (like my narrow kitchen) again. (Um, that's not to say that I can't fit in my kitchen now, it will just be easier to share the kitchen with other people when I don't have a basketball sticking out from me. No offense, Ezekiel.) Graci and Isaiah are very excited to meet their baby brother. They both talk to him regularly and give him kisses daily. Graci loves to put her hand on my belly and feel Ezekiel squirm around. I love seeing her face light up in amazement at what she's feeling.
We've had a busy last couple of months with Jon beginning work at Sprouts Farmer's Market, me beginning a job from home (in addition to CEO Moms) working for an Allstate Insurance Agency just outside of Dallas. and figuring out how to find time for one another and family time with the kids too. For my job, I call people 4 days or evenings a week (10 hours) to ask if they want a free auto insurance quote. If they say yes, then I get some info for my boss to give them a call the next day. If they're not interested then I just thank them for their time and move on to the next number on my list. It's a super easy job that I get the privilege to do from home! Jon's job is going well. He's enjoying being a cashier and is well liked by his co-workers and superiors. Both of these jobs combined don't cover all our monthly expenses, but they do help stretch the savings account, which is a blessing.
I joined one aspect of the S.W.I.M. (seminary wives in ministry) group at DTS called Triple S (I don't remember what the S stands for at the moment and I'm too lazy to go look it up). I get to read 16 books over the course of Jon's time in the THM program (many of which are books that he is required to read as well). I get matched with a faculty wife as an accountability partner and we talk about each of the books once I've finished them. I get to write a short summary of each book and discuss it with her. I get a special certificate of completion at the end of the 4+ years (or whenever Jon graduates). Pretty cool, huh?! I haven't been matched up with anyone yet, but I've had fun rummaging through the book list and am excited to get started!
The last few months have been full of its ups and downs. It's easy to lose focus on God and all that He has so richly blessed us with. It's easy for me to put my faith in Him and His provision on the back burner and let my anxieties overwhelm me...like finances, jobs, school, new baby.... The list can go on and on. I think God allows me to have those moments of "What were you thinking, God?!" in order to bring me back to Him for a recommitment of trusting that He knows perfectly well what He's doing. He just hasn't let me in on His plan yet. Please keep us in prayer as we do our best to keep Him in the forefront of our minds; trusting that He has a reason for every adventure He takes us on.
