Coloring outside the lines...

You might be a House Mom if...your Stress-less class involves coloring in a coloring book and chatting it up with a bunch of girls only to realize that one of  the girls can't use her regular hand to color because its in a sling so you insist the WHOLE GROUP color with their wrong hand to just be fair...and you actually realize it was more fun to color with the wrong hand then the right one...if that makes any sense?

SUCH GOOD conversations tonight and so many giggles!

All things made new

Quite the day.  Reliving hoped dreams, restoration to old scars, battling through painful rememberings...some how we made it to the Community Prom.

A mom danced with her son...the same mom got to waltz with a senior gentlemen and remember past dances with her deceased father.

Another women braved facing past memories.

God was there and God surely reminded me how much he loves His daughters battle scars and all and how He makes all things new and beautiful.  It is a day I will not soon forget.

And what girl doesn't need a corsage for such an event!!!  The hand models are two of my roommates.

Underwear that is fun to wear

So I'm going to add new snippets to this Blog and NOT notify people on Facebook to see if ya'll are paying attention.  These random posts will sound something like... You know your a House Mom when....

You LOVE LOVE LOVE random kid comments and will never quite get enough of those. 

My major house mom moments so far have been Frozen Pizza Education, preventing a kitchen fire my 2nd full night on the job, halting Bible Smuggling from church which was a total oops, and shopping for socks / underwear for the house.  Yes...I really do LOVE my job and all the quirkiness about it.  Learning more and more about God's humor DAILY!

They say its your Birthday...

For someone that hasn't had a legit B-day party in awhile...we have one very happy boy in the house tonight.  It was a crazy pizza makin'...ice cream cake almost meltin'...what on earth were we thinkin' putting confetti on the table kinda day.  Very wild...very blessed.  God is very very good! 

Thank you for all your prayers and keep them coming.  There are honestly times of the day that I can sense God's peace and know that someone has been praying for Naomi House or myself personally.  Love it!

God is doing something very cool in bringing just the ladies He needs in this house right now...amazing stuff going on.

D a women that is going through some tough times had a group of godly guys come and help her move her things so she can get better situated.  Praise God!

And now we begin preparations for PROM...oh my!

PROM 101

So...I never actually went to my Junior Prom.  I recall seeing the Grande March in jeans and such but it just didn't end up coming together for me.  I am going to Prom this Sunday...the Community Prom in town with a live band and lots of Senior Citizens.  Its kinda a long story but my roommate is going with me and it will be a very special, very blessed time together.

Lots of Praises...Lots of Prayer Requests.

Praise and Prayer Request would be that that paperwork for the family that wants to rent my apartment would go through so I can officially be out of my lease this upcoming Tuesday.  Would be a HUGE answer to prayer and one less thing off my very full plate right now.

Prayer for Endurance and for God's voice to continue to be very evident in how to minister to the families I'm working with.  For new families coming, learning how to shop for a full house instead of just myself, quality sleep, and time to just enjoy Jesus.

Praise...was able to speak at my local church about my New Zealand trip, got a mission application in, and am just waiting to hear back.

For "D" who is going through some very tough times that she could find the resources she needs to get back on her feet.

For test results for "L".

To finish my out the after-school year strong and begin gearing up for the 2012-2013 year.

I TRIPLE DOG DARE YOU!

So... I think back to nights / weeks even as a camp counselor where I'm like WOW I survived that day/week...everyone is safe and sound and had a blast.  This week has kinda been like that so far.  So many new and unusual experiences and moments...learned a lot already.  Just reminding myself that life is a marathon not a sprint and taking deep breathes... you know all that important kinda stuff...oh yeah...and that God is still super crazy about me / you...cool yes?

P.S.  If your reading this I DARE you...no no I TRIPLE DOG DARE you to comment about anything going on in your life..keep'er PG.  I have a lot of folks viewing my Blog but would love cool, random, unusual comments por favor...ie PLEASE. : )

I'm a Mom?

Yes...it's true....and NO my non-married status has not changed. I moved into Naomi's House yesterday and am the House Mom / Manager to some lovely families.  It's horribly entertaining to think of myself as a mom but I am not at all shocked by God's sense of humor.  Already growing in leaps and bounds in lessons learned and funny ah ha moments from the kitchen.  Wisdom seems like a good thing to pray for...that our community would bond and we would learn how to be one family in Christ.

Love affair with an apartment...what?

So... I'm not surprised that since taking my 2nd job that I've been feeling kind of beat up spiritually.  Packing doesn't seem to bother me...its more the moving.  The house I'm moving to needs a lot of TLC...and while I'm excited about that...I'm a bit overwhelmed and forget to take things one minute, one hour, one day at a time.  God is doing this and I just need to TRUST.  I need to get over my love affair with my "cute" apartment and my comfy surroundings and STEP OUT and know that God will walk...shoot carry me if need be through this exciting new time.

Pray for Monday that it will go smoothly...there's some office furniture in my new bedroom and a lot of switch-a-rooing that needs to happen with overall furniture to make things work.  I think I'm going to end up buying stock in rubber maids when this is all said and done but other than that LIFE IS GOOD and God is soooo FAITHFUL to meet me where I'm at.

Pigs fly!

Happy Happy Joy Joy Happy Happy Joy!  So thrilled to share with you what God has done in a matter of a week...thanks so much for  praying for me to find a part-timeish job.  I had two separate friends from two different churches encourage me to apply to a local ministry called Naomi’s House in Wautoma.  Naomi’s House works with displaced women and their families teaching them all sorts of life skills, providing them heaps of  encouragement, grace, a part-time job when they are ready, and eventually restoring them to live and work in their community or wherever the Lord leads.  The ministry was looking for a live-in manager and this very single gal sure thought she had as much chance of getting this job as pigs flying. Apparently, pigs can fly?

This is going to be a huge challenge between working my full-time job and getting ready to head overseas...but a challenge I am ecstatic to take on.  It provides me with free room and board (food), and a small stipend.  I will be able to pay down my debts and save up for my trip to New Zealand. WOW!  Simply amazing to see what God did in such a short amount of time.  Go God!  Would love your continued prayers for this ministry and this time of transition... packing, moving to a new house, learning my new role in this ministry, and getting to know these lovely women and their children.  Crazy exciting times!