Changes and Blessings

I’m still here! But, for those of you who are keeping up with this blog you know that it has been a long time since I updated things. This has been due to several factors, which for sake of time, I will try to highlight below in my list of “changes and blessings”. Guess this is kind of a random “update” blog and hopefully I will get going with more regular posts as things settle down.

• After my diagnosis Kevin and I felt it best for him to resign as academy boy’s dean so that he would be more available at home. So as of this month he is only working “1/2 time”, continuing his responsibilities teaching in the college and being religion department chairmen. 
• Over Christmas break we moved from the boys dean’s apartment to a 3 bedroom brick home across campus. It’s lovely, quiet and “off the beaten path.” After 8 1/2 years of living in “the hub” of the dorm these changes are welcome. 
• Because this change happened in the middle of the school year, it was hard to find another boy’s dean so quickly. Mrs. Clark asked our 23 year old son, Nathan, to fill in as dean. So, he still lives in “our” apartment and is doing a marvelous job of filling his dad’s shoes. He runs over for meals and it’s great having him close by. Because he has our previous 3 bedroom apartment to himself he has plenty of room for company if any of you would like to come visit. He’ll be graduating with Biblical Studies with a business minor in May so we’ll see how the Lord leads him from there.
• Hannah (26) moved home before Christmas and she’s once again sharing a room with her “bestie” Bethany (19). What a joy to have her home and helping with home duties. When she moved to work as a nurse in TN over a year ago I didn’t dream that we would one day have all our kids living close by or at home again. She will probably be getting a part time nursing job in the area. It brings me such joy to have all six of us around the meal table. 
• Because of Kevin’s lighter load and not having evening responsibilities in the dorm he is free to have evening worships with the family and go to bed early with me. 
• Early to bed, early to rise! I love our new schedule of getting up early and having exercise and extra time with the Lord. It is rejuvenating and such a blessing to have a more relaxed schedule and more time together. 
• We had such an enjoyable Christmas together with our family and several “adopted” kids who were on campus over the holidays. 
• So much more... but I will sum it up by saying obviously God is still in control! He is tenderly taking care of us, drawing us closer as a family and closer to Him in our extreme need. Amidst the move and busy holiday we did take one fun-day and went biking as a family to a scenic trail up in Little Rock. Fun memories! 

I’m thankful that sometimes trials that may seem to threaten life as we know it actually can remove the burden of “making it all work out”on our shoulders and puts it on God. Consequently we are able to experience the changes and blessings in our lives that free us to depend upon Him in a way we never have before. Today I’m headed out on a girl-date with my sister, Carol. She rented an AirBnB for us tonight in Hot Springs. It even has a couple bikes and a tandem bike at the rental, which we may try out. Thankful and blessed! More soon...