We went to my cousins house for New Years and had a great time. We always do when we are with them. We had finger foods and boy was there a lot of them, watched some football (not my favorite thing, but the guys liked it), chit-chatted, shot off fireworks and toasted the new year with some sparkling grape juice. Then we headed home to begin 2010. Here's how it's gone so far:
The negative perspective:
1) When we got home and got out of the van the kids heard our cat moaning and meowing in a horrible way. Patrick began looking for him and found him lying hidden behind some things on our carport, unable to do more than barely pick up his head. He died within the hour. I got him as a kitten and had him for 13 years.
2) We have suffered a major spiritual attack.
3) Two vehicles have had dead batteries this week.
4) Josh (my 23 year old step-son) left for Army Basic Training and we miss him and are terribly sad that he will be so far from us.
5) The pipes to the washing machine have been frozen all week and we have been unable to do any laundry.
6) We woke up this morning to find that the hot water pipes for the entire house had frozen.
From our true perspective:
1) We are sad and miss our cat, but I was so thankful that he died here and did not suffer long. I had been concerned that, as cat's often do, he would wander off to die and we would be left wondering where he was and if he was dead or alive. I had also been concerned that his health would slowly go downhill and was thankful that it didn't. He was himself to the very end. We are sad, but grateful just the same.
2) Realizing that we were dealing with an attack of the enemy has actually been very good for our family. We were angry and confused when we became aware of what was going on, but with Jesus we have fought hard and many positives things have happened as a result. It has been an opportunity for us to really teach our children about the Devil and his schemes, what the Word says about who he is and what it says about how to deal with him. We are doing an in depth study of the Armor right now in the evenings after our Bible reading time, we are praying with the children before bed, Patrick and I are doing some reading together in the evenings as well as praying at night and in the morning together. I believe that through this battle we are all going to be better equipped, closer to each other, closer to the Lord and stronger, and I can't complain about beginning a new year with all of that in our favor.
3)I am so thankful to have a wonderful husband that has toughed it out in the cold without the first complaint to take care of our vehicles. I am thankful that we have vehicles that run and have heat and I'm thankful that the batteries did not have to be replaced.
4) While we miss Josh so much and are saddened by the distance. We are so proud of the man he is becoming. We are thrilled that he truly sought the Lord and is now walking the path that he believes the Lord is guiding him down. We are clinging to Jeremiah 29:11 for Josh and have peace that he has made the right decision regarding his future. At the end of the day, isn't that what we all want for our children. This may not be the road I would have chosen (because I'm human and selfish and this Momma's heart wants him here and safe), but I'm so thankful to serve a Father that knows so much better than I.
5) We have had a week of almost no laundry here and, quite frankly, it has been a lovely break. My Mom is always offering to help us with laundry (she offers to help with my siblings laundry as well), she works full time and, with only the two of them at home, doesn't have much laundry to do and I guess she sees it as the perfect way to help her children. So, she has done several loads of laundry for us and will probably do more in the next day or two. Who wouldn't be thankful for a sweet Mom like that?!?!?
6) We weren't excited not to have hot water today, but my hubby didn't have to go to work until 10, so we didn't discover the frozen pipes 'til later in the morning. By the time he had worked on them and gotten the to thaw, it didn't make any sense for him to go in, so we've had him home all day with us and I love having him here, so you'll not hear any complaining from me about the frozen pipes. All of this water freezing business and waking up to a chilly house (our house was built in 1898 and doesn't have central heat and air, so we turn the heaters down at night for safety's sake) has made me think much of those whose homes are colder than mine, who don't have the clothes and covers we have to bundle up in, who can't afford the powere bill so they won't turn the heat on, who have no home at all, etc. I don't want to spend a moment of my life bellyaching because one of my luxuries is not quite as available to me as it was yesterday. I may have in the past and I may slip up and do it again in the future, but my desire is to live a life full of gratefulness to the Father for giving me so much more than I could ever deserve.
So, if God has decided that we needed to begin this year with some valuable lessons under our belts, I sure hope we do Him proud and learn 'em and walk 'em out just as He sees fit.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Moving Forward
I just posted a new playlist. It has a few worship songs on it, but the first song is one that I think should be our anthem for the beginning of every new year (if not every new day). Over the last few years God has used the song Moving Forward to minister to my heart and propel me forward so many times. Even when I don't feel like I'm making the forward progress that I need to make, just claiming the words to this song can help me begin to take even just baby steps if necessary. While God is the be all end all, the fact is that He gives us free will. We are given the opportunity each and every day to make decisions that help to determine our outcome. Are you wallowing in self-pity or accepting the trials that He has laid befor you, vowing to learn from them, be strengthened by them and rejoicing through them. Would people characterize you as joyful or as whining and complaining. Those attributes are not ones that are at all becoming of a child of the King. If you are His then the joy of the Lord should be upon you. The sister of a couple of Pastors wives at our church recently passed away. This woman loved the Lord and lived for him and the joy of the Lord was so upon her that even people who did not know her personally are speaking of how her presence alone lit up a room. What kind of legacy are we leaving? We are not promised tomorrow, so what are we going to do with today. I encourage you to evaluate this last year and ask yourself what people would say about your countenance this past year and vow to spend this year becoming what you want your legacy to be. I'm declaring that "I am not going back"!
Here are the lyrics, I encourage you to listen!
Free Chapel - Moving Forward lyrics
Chorus:
I'm not going back
I'm moving ahead
I'm here to declare to you
My past is over
In You old things are made new
Surrender my life to Christ
I'm moving moving forward
What a moment
You have brought me to
Such a freedom I have found in You
What a Healer
You make all things new
Yeah Yeah Yeah
You have risen
With all power in Your Hands
You have given me
A second Chance
Hallelujah Hallelujah
Yeah Yeah YeahYeah Yeah Yeah
You maka all things new
You make all things newI will follow You forward
Here are the lyrics, I encourage you to listen!
Free Chapel - Moving Forward lyrics
Chorus:
I'm not going back
I'm moving ahead
I'm here to declare to you
My past is over
In You old things are made new
Surrender my life to Christ
I'm moving moving forward
What a moment
You have brought me to
Such a freedom I have found in You
What a Healer
You make all things new
Yeah Yeah Yeah
You have risen
With all power in Your Hands
You have given me
A second Chance
Hallelujah Hallelujah
Yeah Yeah YeahYeah Yeah Yeah
You maka all things new
You make all things newI will follow You forward
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas 2009
December 25, 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
Our Christmas cards did not make it out this year, although, we still may send them. Better late than never, we hear. We have had a year full of blessings and trials, but what year doesn’t include both?
The last half of this year was especially marked with much sickness in our home. We rarely deal with much illness here, so it was very surprising to find ourselves dealing with so many medical issues. The girls dealt with severe reflux for several months and had an endoscopy in September. We discovered damage to their esophagus and each began taking a medication that has helped tremendously and is expected to do much healing. We love their doctor and he expects them to only have to take this medication for 6 months to a year.
In August Kristie became ill with a sinus infection that quickly turned into a long drawn out battle with bronchitis. After three doctor visits and two different doctors, she was finally able to recover. Not long after she got well Kelsi, Keeli and Mason all came down with the flu. We were very blessed that it was only a mild case and thankfully we were completely flu free within a week.
Kelsi has struggled with some sinus and hearing issues and praise be to Jesus we have finally found a doctor that wants to get to the bottom of what is going on and try to correct here issues. On Tuesday we took her in for blood work to test how well her immune system is functioning, on Wednesday she had surgery on both ears, received tubes and some restoration work to her left ear. If all heals well and her left ear improves beyond her right one, he will go back into the right ear to replicate the work he did in the left one. Sometime in January she will also begin allergy testing. Kelsi was also diagnosed with hypoglycemia this year. She also deals with asthma, so this year has been tough on her especially. She has a great attitude and considering their premature births we are so thankful to have such minor issues to deal with and we are all believing for a much healthier 2010.
We were very blessed to be able to take an amazing vacation to Disney World with some great friends and all of our children in November. We had the most amazing weather and the crowds were very slim. Homeschooling has many, many perks and being able to travel while others are in school is certainly one of them. Kelsi, Keeli and Mason loved having Josh be with them while they experienced all that Disney had to offer. Josh had to return a couple of days before we did and he was surely missed.
A year or so ago God began to stir a desire in our hearts to serve Him in a greater way. We knew this calling was within our own church and that it would be in some way connected to children, but we were very unsure what exactly he desired for us to do. Several months ago He opened the door and made it quite clear to us that we were to take over the responsibility of directing the early childhood department at our church, it’s called “Little Praisers”. We prayed along with our Pastor and ultimately were given the responsibility of being Directors over that ministry. It has been challenging, but even more so rewarding. We are so thankful that our Heavenly Father would dare to entrust us with the opportunity to speak into the lives of these little children and pray that we would impact them for eternity.
Mason is our little bundle of energy. It’s all we can do to keep up with him. In good old Mason fashion, he was thrown from a horse this year and walked away with no more than a nose bleed. He’s super sweet and super energetic and constantly keeps us all laughing. Kelsi is a servant through and through, she is always looking for ways to help others and we wonder so often what we did to deserve such a sweet girl. Keeli is her father’s child, we are constantly laughing at how much she reminds us of Patrick. One of her many talents is imitating others, that in particular keeps Patrick in stitches.
The most important update of the year to us is that Josh has joined the Army. He enlisted a few months ago and will leave for Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia on January 5th. He spent much time in prayer and felt as if this were the path the Lord would have him to take. He took a test and scored high enough to qualify for the 18X program, which is an accelerated program into Special Forces. We are so proud of him, but certainly as parents are concerned for his safety and well being. We are clinging to Jeremiah 29:11 that says 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ We believe in our hearts that this is God’s plan for Josh’s life and are trusting our Heavenly Father for His guidance and protection of him.
All in all we have been blessed day in and day out by a most gracious Father. He gives us each and every day far more than we deserve. We are so very thankful that God loved us enough to send His precious Son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our own wretchedness. We cannot imagine walking through this life without Him. We pray that you feel that same love from the Father and are enjoying celebrating the birth of Jesus and some precious time with your families this holiday season.
Much Love and Merry Christmas,
The Wetzel Family
Dear Friends and Family,
Our Christmas cards did not make it out this year, although, we still may send them. Better late than never, we hear. We have had a year full of blessings and trials, but what year doesn’t include both?
The last half of this year was especially marked with much sickness in our home. We rarely deal with much illness here, so it was very surprising to find ourselves dealing with so many medical issues. The girls dealt with severe reflux for several months and had an endoscopy in September. We discovered damage to their esophagus and each began taking a medication that has helped tremendously and is expected to do much healing. We love their doctor and he expects them to only have to take this medication for 6 months to a year.
In August Kristie became ill with a sinus infection that quickly turned into a long drawn out battle with bronchitis. After three doctor visits and two different doctors, she was finally able to recover. Not long after she got well Kelsi, Keeli and Mason all came down with the flu. We were very blessed that it was only a mild case and thankfully we were completely flu free within a week.
Kelsi has struggled with some sinus and hearing issues and praise be to Jesus we have finally found a doctor that wants to get to the bottom of what is going on and try to correct here issues. On Tuesday we took her in for blood work to test how well her immune system is functioning, on Wednesday she had surgery on both ears, received tubes and some restoration work to her left ear. If all heals well and her left ear improves beyond her right one, he will go back into the right ear to replicate the work he did in the left one. Sometime in January she will also begin allergy testing. Kelsi was also diagnosed with hypoglycemia this year. She also deals with asthma, so this year has been tough on her especially. She has a great attitude and considering their premature births we are so thankful to have such minor issues to deal with and we are all believing for a much healthier 2010.
We were very blessed to be able to take an amazing vacation to Disney World with some great friends and all of our children in November. We had the most amazing weather and the crowds were very slim. Homeschooling has many, many perks and being able to travel while others are in school is certainly one of them. Kelsi, Keeli and Mason loved having Josh be with them while they experienced all that Disney had to offer. Josh had to return a couple of days before we did and he was surely missed.
A year or so ago God began to stir a desire in our hearts to serve Him in a greater way. We knew this calling was within our own church and that it would be in some way connected to children, but we were very unsure what exactly he desired for us to do. Several months ago He opened the door and made it quite clear to us that we were to take over the responsibility of directing the early childhood department at our church, it’s called “Little Praisers”. We prayed along with our Pastor and ultimately were given the responsibility of being Directors over that ministry. It has been challenging, but even more so rewarding. We are so thankful that our Heavenly Father would dare to entrust us with the opportunity to speak into the lives of these little children and pray that we would impact them for eternity.
Mason is our little bundle of energy. It’s all we can do to keep up with him. In good old Mason fashion, he was thrown from a horse this year and walked away with no more than a nose bleed. He’s super sweet and super energetic and constantly keeps us all laughing. Kelsi is a servant through and through, she is always looking for ways to help others and we wonder so often what we did to deserve such a sweet girl. Keeli is her father’s child, we are constantly laughing at how much she reminds us of Patrick. One of her many talents is imitating others, that in particular keeps Patrick in stitches.
The most important update of the year to us is that Josh has joined the Army. He enlisted a few months ago and will leave for Basic Training in Fort Benning, Georgia on January 5th. He spent much time in prayer and felt as if this were the path the Lord would have him to take. He took a test and scored high enough to qualify for the 18X program, which is an accelerated program into Special Forces. We are so proud of him, but certainly as parents are concerned for his safety and well being. We are clinging to Jeremiah 29:11 that says 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ We believe in our hearts that this is God’s plan for Josh’s life and are trusting our Heavenly Father for His guidance and protection of him.
All in all we have been blessed day in and day out by a most gracious Father. He gives us each and every day far more than we deserve. We are so very thankful that God loved us enough to send His precious Son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our own wretchedness. We cannot imagine walking through this life without Him. We pray that you feel that same love from the Father and are enjoying celebrating the birth of Jesus and some precious time with your families this holiday season.
Much Love and Merry Christmas,
The Wetzel Family
Thursday, December 10, 2009
HP Touchsmart Giveaway
MckMama is giving away an HP Touchsmart. Hop on over to her blog to enter:
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/12/be-still-your-beating-hearts.html
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/12/be-still-your-beating-hearts.html
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