Building the Circle.

It's been nearly a month, but we had our first REPEAT visitor from home.
Dig that.
Not just any visitor. Jarrett. If you know us and/or Jarrett, you know that with Jarrett comes...shenanigans...

Exhibit A. The sparking scooter.

Entertaining themselves in a gym FULL of chanting volleyball players.

Smitten.

Spouse & Jarrett built us two corn hole sets because they are NOT BUMS! 

Look at that concentration.

This.

Yes, they built the corn hole because they are not bums, but also because I wanted to have this crew of lovelies over to play.

Is this just so happy? These sweet ones are starting to understand that Mel's Diner is where it's at.

The Lord is gracious. He is building my little circle.
It is a beautiful, Jesus-loving, world-changing, big-dreaming, circle.

There was some Jesus-talk going on at that table.

Family pic.

Sunset in the burbs.

Meghan, Holly, Caroline, Sage, Keri, Sara, Me, Maddy

After the food, after the encouragement in Jesus's name, it was Game On.

Lovely form.

Do not let the smile & spontaneous dancing fool you. Sister schooled some boys in corn hole.

Pretty sure there was smack-talk going on here. 

The lovely Sara. Sometimes, she tell stories.

Holly. I wish they all could be like this California Girl. No. Really.

Keri's very first S'more, People. Her first S'more!? 

Sara's first tandem ride.
(Thank you, Kirkpatricks, for this bike. This has been the most fun.)

I'm extraordinarily happy in this picture. Good grief.
I must have been overjoyed to share the moment with her. 

So, after the Cornhole University lesson from the Californian Buckeye, Holly, the girls gave Spouse & Jarrett a ping-pong lesson.

Look at that form. 

Bless em. They look so cute.

Since my Circle Girls (I just made that up this very second)  love us so much and wanted to show Jarrett a little Bayou City flavor, we went out for crawfish lunch after an exhausting sermon on Sunday. (And I do mean exhausting. This may be another post, but you can listen to "Building Babel" on iTunes Podcasts from Bayou City Fellowship.)

The Sisters want to adopt Sage. She's grown. We're doing it anyway.

Holly, Sage, Micah & the crawfish.
I can smell the Old Bay.

Holly giving a crawfish lesson. (Are you seeing a theme here?)

Homegirl went to town on some crawfish. I was so proud.

People keep asking us, "How are y'all settling in out there in Houston?" 

This. This is how we are settling in. 

With a full house and a beautiful circle. With room for more. 

                        ________________________________________________________

I leave you with this parting shot.

Top 12 of 2012

A blog about blogs that I read suggested that bloggers repost a list of the most read blogs this year. This got me curious.

This was sort of a neat exercise, just to see what types of posts resonate with my people.

It says a lot about you readers, ya know. ;)

Here's the list of the 12 most read Spouseisms posts of 2012.


12.  Door. Closed. This was definitely in the top 3 worst days of 2012. A hard post to write and I didn't even like looking at it again just for this list.

11. Beautiful Singleisms. This is one that I hope readers share with some single folks.

10.  Straight Talk about THE Talk. This one, too. Talk to your kids before anyone else does.

9.  Paradox of Going and Leaving. Tough stuff.

8.  BIG BELIEFS, Little Beliefs. I wrote several of these "Beliefs" posts, but this one was the most read. I know why, too! Cause some of y'all straight up knew that somewhere in this post was the phrase "best sex"! Boom. Boost in readership right there. Just sayin'. I know what y'all are thinking!

7.  Revisitng Spouseisms for the Betrothed. Share them with newly and nearly married couples. Not everyone will agree with all, and that's okay. I still stand by them.

6.  Big C Church & Little c church. Loved this one.

5.  Spouseisms for the Betrothed See #7.

4.  Definition of a Bum. I dig when my Spouse writes.

3.  No Words. Whoa. Jesus showed up.

2.  Might + Should = Might Should Challenge to write for my friend over at Most Illustrious Mother.

1.   House Hunting as a Spaz. Our crazy search for a house was the most read? I don't know if I believe  it. Must be the wanna-be hackers. I had two random realtors post on my page. Gets on my blessed nerves.

So, there they are. Top 12.

Door. Closed.

"...What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. 

I know you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and 

have not denied my name." Revelation 3:7

Grateful.
Disappointed.
Happy.
Relieved.
Embarrassed.
Sad.

Wrap it all up, and more. That's where we are right now.
Add a dash of bummed. And a heap of Trust in the Lord--add that, too.

After a few months of praying and waiting and waiting and praying, we finally have an answer.

It looks like we will take another trip to Houston and then come home. Period. No Manila.
We don't really know what after that.

Well, that's not really true...
We will follow Jesus to Houston and we will follow Him to Plant City.
We will serve Jesus in Houston and we will serve Him in Plant City.
We will love the people of Houston and we will love the people of Plant City.

Our emotional responses have been all over the place in the last 24 hours.
We are grateful because God is sovereign. We are disappointed because we thought we wanted what God wanted. We are happy to be coming home because it's home! We are relieved because now we know. We are embarrassed because I should have kept my mouth shut. We are sad because of what could have been. We are bummed because it's just a bummer! Mostly, though, we trust in the Lord.

Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., said,
"You can't pray for open doors if you aren't willing to accept closed doors." 

Welp, that's where we are.
We are trusting the Lord. We have no understanding to lean on! :) Yes, we are acknowledging Him and He has the right to change the path at any time. It's His path!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge Him,

and he will direct your path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

New. Redeemed.

This is what the LORD says,

"Forget the former things;

Do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now, it springs up; do you not see it?

I am making a way in the wilderness,

And streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

A new thing.
That is what God is doing.

He is doing 'new' all over the place! It seems as if we are sending out folks all the time! We have friends heading out to Papua New Guinea, sweet friends in Miami, some leaving tomorrow for Ethiopia to meet their new sons, and today, we learned that our good friends are going to be a part of a church plant San Fransisco! Gracious! That is not to even mention all those in the local business sect who are pointing the way to Jesus in their hometown, students being a light to the world in their classrooms, and families being faithful in the day to day.
Beautiful.

"Now, it springs up; do you not see it?"
Yes, Lord! We see it! We are grateful!

God is doing some wonderful work in the lives of His children, and we have a front row seat! Although, I want in on the action, not be just a spectator! :)

I am so amazed that the Lord even lets me and my stubbornness be a part of it. I am Israel!

This past week, I have been an emotional mess. Packing. I don't even know for sure what we are packing for! What date will we leave for Houston? Where are we going to live when we get there? How long will we stay? What do we take with us? Will we rent our house? Packing. What activities can my girls do here before we leave? How can we serve in Houston while we are there? What activities can we do when we are there? Are we going to Manila? Packing.  Are we just foolish?  Have I been unfaithful? Are we squandering our time and resources? If He sends us, what will we do? What is the best way to help our girls adjust. Lord, please unite our hearts.  Is the Lord closing the door? What will we do then?

Yet, the Lord said,
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you,
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you..." (Isaiah 43:1-2)

I am a mess. Israel was a mess. My mess and theirs has been redeemed.
When you become a follower of Jesus Christ, your mess has been redeemed.

Not only is the Lord redeeming my mess, He will use it. He will work it all together for His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

We are moving forward, mess and all!
Hoping that the Lord will use us wherever we are.
If we do all this, and He keeps us here, then we have to trust that, too.