Sean & Shey: October 2009

Another House Project

Friday, October 23, 2009

One of the good things about being in a home more than a year is all the fun house projects! Remember this project from a while back:

Thanks to my handy dad and husband, this big gaping hole that would never hold our flat screen tv....

Turned into this pretty build-out and mantel! Afterall, what is a fireplace without a mantel? I have the fall decor up now... still need to change those pics on the side and get some bigger decorations for the mantel, add a chair in the corner to balance out the blank wall space, put the cover backon the light switch, (and I still have to actually paint the mantel... shhhh its just primer on there right now!) etc... but you get the picture.

So here's my newest thing... well, its actually a secondary project. First, and hopefully soon we are going to put in hardwood floors. THEN we can start my next project, which is sprucing up this area of our dining room:

PS- Its not empty anymore... these are from when we first moved in! But taht's our dining room above. Below are my inspiration pics for what I want to do. I want built ins on either side of the window with a seat underneath. BUT, I want cabinets on the lower part of the built in and shelves up top, kinda like this:

I really like the pull out desk in the picture above. My idea is similar to that... I want one side to be a full cabinet, and the other side to be a desk area. We're losing our office for a nursery (!) and need some place to keep papers and pay bills from. The storage underneat the seat will house our files and papers and stuff. And maybe even room for a pull-out shredder. That would look something more like this seat:

This next picture below is my absolute FAVORITE! I love it... the whole thing is just GORGEOUS!

Here's one more idea with more of a buffet look than a window seat. Our window is pretty low, so it really just makes sense to make it a seat. But I like the look of these cabinets on the lower part.

So what do you think? Do you have any projects that you are working on or, better yet, dreaming of??

passion

Passion and Action

Friday, October 23, 2009

This could be a long post, but in my attempt to keep it short, I'll just say a few of the thoughts that have been running through my head.

I firmly believe that God gives us all different passions. And we are each to seek after these passions because somehow, in some way, they all fit into the greater puzzle that is the Big picture of God. Too often, we disregard our passions as dreams, and therefore as anamolies that are most likely unattainable. We may say, "Wouldn't it be great to help the homeless in my community?" Knowing full-well when we say that, that we truly do have a burning passion for the homeless. However, we don't quite know how to do anything about it. So we disregard it as something that would be "nice" to get involved with, but don't really pursue it.

It has been my experience that God places on our hearts people and things that he wants us to feel a passion for. Oftentimes, though, I have wondered how or when I would ever be able to do anything about that passion. In college, through an experience with my roommate and the local pregnancy care center, I developed a passion for women who find themselves hurting after extra- or non-marital sexual experiences. It took several years, but that eventually turned into a fulltime position at the pregnancy care center. That passion for hurting women has continued to grow, and after a 3 year hiatus from actively pursuing my passion, God has once again shown himself faithful, and presented my current position working with women in crisis. And I am so greatful to him for that. I have learned through the years that God will not put something on our hearts that He will not allow us the opportunity to do something about.

But that's where it gets a little tough for me... I want to do it all and I want to do it all right now! (There's my worldly self trying to rush things again!) I am learning that God's timing is perfect, though. Sometimes it is even comically perfect timing. If my life were a sitcom and God were the screenwriter, he would have exquisite comedic timing. As my close friends and family know, Sean and I have a passion for orphans. We have the desire in our heart to adopt, and to advocate for the fatherless. I know that by getting pregnant now, God is telling us this is not the right time to adopt, but I'm kind of baffled by God's timing in that. However, I am excited to see just how perfect that time will be when God does bring it about. Like I said, I don't think he will give you a passion without opportunity for an accompanying course of action. And who knows, loving the fatherless may look like something totally different than Sean and I thought it would when it actually comes to fruition.

Can I tell you another passion I have? I don't know that I have told many people this, so here it is for the entire blog-o-sphere, but I am passionate about helping women on the street. The prostitutes, the night club dancers, the women who are so often overlooked and discarded in our society. Again, I have no idea how this passion is going to become action in my life. I just know that it is there in my heart, waiting and praying for the day God brings it to life. Being downtown 5 days a week now, I see some of these women. They need to be told that they are beautiful and that they have a Father who loves them.

Can I tell you one more cool thing a little bit off subject? At the pregnancy care center just this past month, 31 men and women came to know the Lord! Is that not amazing?!? That is more than came to the Lord at our church this past few months! In September alone... 31 men and women had a life changing encounter with Christ at our center... 31 new brothers and sisters in Christ. We're praying that they will continue in their journey and hook up with our Bible study partners and churches. But isn't that awesome? God is moving and he is working in this city!

Baby

Blog Update

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

He Is Faithful

Thursday, October 15, 2009

I'm re-using this title, and honestly I don't remember what the first post I used this title for was about. But its still true... He is faithful.

People all around me are hurting... from the temporary inconveniences of sickness, to the longer lasting pain of spousal separation and even death.

Every where I look, I see the evidences of a fallen world. The evidence is in the friend I talked to earlier this week... she wanted to be the first to tell me that she and her husband are separated. I was in their wedding, she means the world to me. And I hate to see her hurting.

The evidence of this fallen world is in the 14 year old girl I met today who's mother left her alone to care for her 4 young siblings.

The evidence of this fallen world is in the death of man who just last week chose to end his life instead of walk through the hard times.

The evidence is in friendships that Satan wants so badly to build walls and distractions in... he causes rifts and disillusionments where there shouldn't be.

But as always, in all things, God is good. And the evidence is EVERYWHERE.

The evidence of His goodness is in the young woman I saw last week who wanted so badly just to be out of her current situation, but this week she came in for an ultrasound and chose life for the little one God is creating inside of her.

The evidence of His faithfulness is in the way he is protecting loved ones from illnesses in delicate times.

The evidence of His almighty saving grace is in the young couple who both came to know and accept Christ today-- they thought they were just coming in for a pregnancy test. But because of HIS goodness, not just two lives were changed, but the third life, of their growing little one will be forever changed, too.

God is good all the time. I am reminded of that over and over. Sometimes it is so much easier to see the bad things and to recognize the presence of Satan, but we have to fight against that and see all the GOOD that God is doing!

So where are you seeing the goodness of God in your every day life?

New Blogs I'm Loving

Thursday, October 15, 2009

I ♥ Nancy Grace

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Baby

Wordless Wednesday (More or less)

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Baby

Totally MIA

Saturday, October 03, 2009

I know, i know... I've been totally M.I.A. lately. There's been a lot going on! In between growing a human and starting a new job, I haven't had much time to do anything else. My pregnancy is going pretty well. Every day I am just so thankful that we have been so blessed with this unexpected life inside of me. I am now 12 weeks and 2 days! Another week and I'll already be in my second trimester! I had a dr. appt. on Wednesday this week and I heard the heartbeat! But I was too concerned with trying to remember all my other questions for the Dr. that I didn't ask what the heartbeat was! I go back on the 28th, then next month, before we go to Cincinnati, we will hopefully find out the gender!

I am loving my new job. Its a TON of work and there are lots to do, but ultimately, God is in control of all the timing of the new programs I starting and growing. Sean likes me a lot more because I come home so much happier than I used to. There's just something about being where God wants you to be that brings true joy. This week alone he's given me several glimpses of why we are where we are. (Thanks God, were you reading my last blog post? Totally kidding.) I am so pumped to see what He has in store! Thankfully, I have felt so much better this past week and have gotten a lot done.

Now I am just praying for God to bring the right people who want to serve alongside us both in the Mobile medical unit and the Adolscent Sexual Health Education. I need lots of new educators and volunteers to go into our schools and out into our rural areas. In a couple of weeks, my director and I are going to go down to Watts, L.A. (where the riots began several years ago in L.A.) where there is a mobile unit. We'll ride along for the day in the innercity as they provide medical care, pregnancy test, ultrasounds and life-giving truth to the men and women down there. I can't WAIT! Can you see why I'm excited about this?!

It has FINALLY cooled off a bit out here... last weekend was over 100, but thankfully this week dipped back to the 70's and 80's. We've had our a

/c off for a few days now, and i am really hoping we dont' have to turn it back on!

Sean and I were at Target earlier today, and just for fun, I went over to browse the baby aisle. Oh My Goodness. I know babies are expensive, but as I was walking up and down the aisles, I got so overwhelmed with all the stuff we need!! And its not cheap!! I'd never priced all those items at once... the car seat, the crib, the swing (which I know from nannying is a MUST), the baby carrier, the pack-n-play... oh my! And I didn't even LOOK at diapers and wipes and all that stuff... just the "hardware" essentials were enough to make me run! Its so tough not having family out here to get hand me downs from or things like that. But, I know that God will provide...I just have to keep reminding myself o

f all of that. Needless to say, today was a bit of a reality check!

My sister is having her baby (a little girl) the first part of November. Well, she actually thinks the baby will come later this month, but we'll see. I bought a plane ticket last week direct from Fresno to Phoenix for a great price! AND great flight times, too! (Not too early) So I'm super excited to get to go see my niece, Emmalia and my new niece (who's name they have yet to reveal)! My mom will also be back in the States, so I'll get to see her too! Yay!

Speaking of my mom... she is keeping a blog while she is in Egypt... you should add her to your Reader list or favorites... its really fun to hea

r about all the things she is seeing and doing in Egypt! Here's her site: http://samandkimintulsa.blogspot.com/

I'll leave with a few pics from our missions weekend at church, which was last weekend. With Sean being a missions pastor, we are always praying for our entire church to catch the vision of what God is doing in the World... we want them to see His heart for the nations. I think our church is taking some great steps toward this awareness. Next is to put our awareness into action...

James 4:17

¹⁷Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Proverbs 24:11-12

¹¹ Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death.
¹² Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.

So our theme for missions weekend was

"Finishing the Task"... we had a 'memorial wall' made with all of the names of the unreached people groups. We had flags from countries that are represented in th 10-40 window, too. After the message, the congregation came out to the wall and laid flowers down and prayed for these people groups. For most of our church, this is probably the first time they've ever really heard about how many people there are who do not know Jesus. I am praying that God stirred some hearts and that He will begin to raise up workers for the harvest. Our church is a big church and has been in existence for decades, but in all that time, we do not have one single missionary who is on the field from our church. We support a lot of missionaries around the world, but as a church, we have yet to send anyone out. I am hopeful and prayerful that God is working in the hearts of our men and women... I know He is. One example: We are hosting a class called "Intro To Islam." Its a college level course, 12 weeks (I think) that looks in-depth at Islam. There are more than a dozen people who are in the class already and the number has continued to grow the past two weeks. People are coming out of their comfort zones and asking God what He wants them to do.... its exciting! Ok, so on to some pictures...