Friday, February 19, 2010

Just catching up!


Spring is quickly coming here in middle Tennessee! I know a lot of people don't see it yet, but we've got daffodils that are at least 3-4 inches tall already, crocuses that are poking up, and the anticipation of the COLOR that surrounds me in spring is enticing me to forget the beautiful snow we've had here this winter! :D Kenn and I have seen more snow this winter than ever before in our marriage - that's 14 years this September! Wherever we move, the snow moves FROM. :D I guess we've been here long enough now.... :D

ANYWAY. Life doesn't stand still for us - and I know it doesn't for you, either! So, here's just a peek into what we're doing and facing! Laugh where you want, pray where you feel led - and share with me, too!

Photography business: Lots of seeds have been planted, and it LOOKS like they're going to bear fruit, but it seems to be taking its sweet time. God keeps on giving us our DAILY needs. I'd kinda like to get a new Easter dress. LOL! Kenn's working really hard, taking some FANTASTIC shots, and making lots of connections. We're teaching a photography class at a local Christian school on Friday mornings, and praying hard about if we're supposed to continue after this semester. If you feel led to pray for us in this area, praying for the seeds to ripen and be ready to harvest would be awesome! We've also got our website up for Heavenly Perspective Photography. It's pretty basic, and I need to work on the grammar, etc., of the galleries Kenn's got up, but it will get you to our photos! :D

Stampin' Up!: People have still been purchasing; I think it's because, with the economy, the ability to craft something for someone and reuse the non-consumable supplies time and again is very appealing. Class attendance is down - but that also has a lot to do with the weather lately. :) I LOVE what I do, and love sharing it with other people - I'd just like to be able to afford my habit a bit more. :D If you feel led to pray for us in this area, please pray that God would use my business (both of them, actually!) to bless others in any way He sees fit! I want to be used of Him. I have a blog, Lori's Stamping Spot, which I know several of you follow. Thank you. :D

Health: Sugars are still out of whack. There are lots of little things going on, and I'm sure things I don't even want to know about - but I know Who holds my future. I'm trying to cooperate with Him a little more, and am working hard at keeping those numbers in check. If you feel led to pray for me in this area, please pray that I do what I know I should, that the other little things I'm dealing with will be taken care of in some way. I don't want to be more specific than that - God knows, and He's a lot bigger than what I'm going through!

Everything else: Church is still AWESOME. We are so incredibly blessed with our church family and leadership - it blows me away! Kenn's been sick a lot again this winter; with his asthma, anything that gets into his lungs means it's a struggle just to get enough air to survive. He's doing better right now! He, too, is knocked to his knees with how good God was in leading us to Smyrna Assembly. :D

I'm doing two Bible studies currently - although the weather has cancelled my LOCAL one three weeks in a row! LOL! That one's the one I mentioned with the song, Priscilla Shirer. I can't wait to get back to it! :D The second is the one at church, Beth Moore's A HEART LIKE HIS: A Study of David. It's AWESOME. I'm also attempting to read through the Bible again this year; Amy gave me the WHOLE Message Bible for Christmas, and it's DEFINITELY helped me get through the beginning of the Old Testament. :D

Mom and Dad are doing pretty well. Mom's work is VERY stressful, and she's got a really bad cold right now that's been around for a little too long. Dad's back surgery seems to have been pretty much an incredible success; he's even lugging his heavy suitcase downstairs when no one's watching! :D

The house is 12 years old, and things are starting to need some help. We had the washer leak at the beginning of December, and there's now a hole in the kitchen ceiling where their bathtub leaked through. :D

Overall, we all just keep living the life, walking the path, and trusting God. Kenn and I really don't want to walk where we're not supposed to be; one of the themes at church this year has been that we do NOT want to take one step until the Spirit of God has moved ahead of us. That's DEFINITELY my prayer! If you feel led to pray for us in this area, please pray for unity of thought, discernment, and wisdom!

THANK YOU for walking by me. Thank you for not abandoning my blog, even when it seemed like I had. :D I look forward to hearing what YOU are up to! What can we pray for you? If you want to keep it private, just between you and me, then it's best to email me at pooh0612@aol.com. If it's OK for your fellow readers to know and to pray and praise with you, just leave it in the comments section! :D

YOU ARE LOVED! You are a daughter of the Most High, blessed and favored. You are the apple of His eye. As Priscilla Shirer asks, "Do you think the that God of the Universe cared enough for you to send His Son to die for you, but not enough to want to speak to you?" He LOVES you, dear one. He wants to have an intimate relationship with you! That's what I'm praying for you, right now: may you grow deeper in your knowledge of His Word and His character - and His love for YOU.

BE BLESSED!

2 comments:

Ginny said...

Lori, I think you and Kenn have as much going on in your lives as we do in ours. Isn't it great that God takes all of it and works it for good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose? How often I rely on that promise.

It's been an awful week here. First with Phil's dad dying, then the next night Grace & Anthony lost control of the car on an icy road. PTL, they are fine, and so is the car. Others were not so fortunate; two members of one of our church families, (who have been through more than we can even imagine when their youngest daughter was involved in a serious car accident just over a year ago and suffered a traumatic brain injury), along with the daughter's full-time nurse/aide and a family friend were involved in a bad wreck just down from the church. The daughter is fine, but her mom suffered a broken ankle (she also just had shoulder surgery and is trying to recover from that), their friend was injured, and the aide is in a drug-induced coma. On top of that, Anthony's mom is being very unkind to Grace - we sometimes ask if she's really saved - and is making Grace and Anthony, as well as the rest of the family, miserable. Tonight, we're all snapping at one another because of the added stress of Dad's memorial service in what was already a busy weekend. Among other things, Grace's ring attendant can't get the dress Grace chose- the bridal shop says it can't be made in time, although they can make the identical dress in another color scheme and have it in before the wedding. We have to go out Saturday afternoon to look for something else, and Grace is very unhappy because she and Anthony had to cancel other plans that meant a lot to her.

So yeah. Stress. Prayer needed!

Becky said...

Lori--You have amazing strength and in all the years I have known you, your love and devotion to God has never faltered. I am sooo greatful for that. Your influence on me is amazing. All your little trials and tribulations tho seem gigantic to you and rightfully so, are nothing but a mere speck in God's eyes, He's gotchya covered.

Ginny, I pray for you as well. Golly you have a LOT on your plate. I hope and pray that as the week comes on youll find a little peace. I am sooo sorry to hear of your husbands daddy...my thoughts are with you.

God is an awesome God and like those flowers that are making their way up thru the snow--He's always there, doing his thing, no matter how many BLIZZARDS we experience.

Love you