So... I haven't posted on Pleo in forever, so I thought I'd write an update "as if someone cared" -which is how a new acquaintance referred to blogs as- haha
Tim and I have moved - yet again! after living in SC for 6 months, We are now living in a small town in Florida. The population is about 1,000 and we couldn't be happier with this small community. The people are wonderful and so friendly! You hear terms like "ye-haw!" when someone drops a fork and "did ya'll make it in ok?" when you've been traveling. They're very down to earth, and very wonderful and hospitable. It's farm land, rivers, springs, caves, incredible heat, snakes, crocodiles, and good BBQ. God has really blessed us!!! :)
Tim is a full-time preacher here, and there is a lot of potential here. The congregation is eager to get started and we're really excited about the prospects. Tim is getting into prison ministry as well. If anyone from Chillicothe is reading this, the man who came from Florida to tell us about his prison ministry is not too far from us and several of the church's here are involved in that work with him.
I have gone back to school full time for elementary education. I just made the comment to mom that, in a way, I wished I could live another life. There's so many things I want to do and it's hard to narrow down to just one - but education is something I have wanted to go into since I can remember. I only recently thought "if I had it all over to do,knowing what I know now, I would aim for being a doctor with a concentration in OB." sigh - oh well. I was never good at chemistry or anything to begin with! haha
We're renting a house for now. We have agreed to be in the area for a year (we're both hoping it will be much longer!!) and if all goes well we may make this move permanent.
My parents just visited and are leaving in the morning at 4am to head back to Ohio. It's hard not to sit here and cry, because I do miss home. I love the life here, and I have come to absolutely love our church family ... but it's so hard to be a long distance from my parents. I'm praying for their safe travels in the morning ... and for you, whoever reads this, that you are doing well...because if you are reading this then it's probably been a loooong time since I've talked to you!! ;)
God Bless!! 3
at 10/25/10 11:36PM
Just wanted to let everyone know that Caleb is doing much better! He is responding well and the doctors have told the family that he is going to survive
Thanks for all the prayers! God is great! :)
at 10/20/10 2:02PM
This is Tim's cousin's baby. Please please pray for them!! This was taken from chanel 4 news:
A 2-year-old Antioch boy was injured this weekend while visiting Fall Creek Falls State Park with his parents when a boulder broke free and hit him in the head.
The child, Caleb Brown, is now fighting for his life in a Chattanooga hospital bed. But his parents said he wouldn't have even had a chance to survive the incident if not for hikers who helped.
Parents Tim and Tiffany Brown said they took their two children to the bottom of the fall along the water's edge. Tiffany was holding Caleb when the peace and serenity was broken by the sound of a falling rock that hit the ground and then hit her 2-year-old.
“He went limp, and we thought he was dead at that point. There was an EMT down there who took his pulse and found he was still breathing,” said Tim Brown.
The family quickly tried to make it back to the top of trail to get help.
Tim made it halfway and ran into some of the people hiking the trail. One of the hikers was another EMT and grabbed Caleb. That man helped get him farther up the bluff and handed him off to a firefighter to get him the rest of the way to the top.
“God completely orchestrated that. By the time we got to the top of the hill, there was a pediatric nurse, a doctor, at least a couple of other nurses, a police officer and a firefighter. Everybody was surrounding him. They knew exactly what to. They were just hiking that day,” said Tim Brown.
Investigators are trying to figure out if the rock fell naturally from somewhere up above or if someone may have thrown it.
"We may have had a couple witnesses seeing somebody at this time. We don't know if they were just walking the trail or what may have occurred,” said a park official.
As police investigate, the Browns are focusing on prayers for Caleb and sending a message to all those emergency responders who just happened to be enjoying the park Saturday.
“Thank you. If they had not been here, he would not be with us. If he makes it, if he lives, it will be because of them,” said the Browns.
As of Monday evening, Caleb was still unconscious with severe head trauma.
at 09/17/10 12:13AM
The Three Trees
Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: " I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on it's way to the ocean. " I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world! The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.
Years, passed. The rain came, the sun shone and the little trees grew tall. One day three wood cutters climbed the mountain. The first wood cutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall make a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said.
The second wood cutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It's perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. " I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!"
The third tree felt her heart sink when the last wood cutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the wood cutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.
The first tree rejoiced when the wood cutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or treasure. She was coated with saw dust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the wood cutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing ship was made that day. Instead the once strong tree was hammered and awed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river, instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the wood cutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. " All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."
Many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him." Her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood. " This manger is beautiful." She said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and a thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She new she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awoke. He stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the king of heaven and earth.
One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten wood pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hand to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.
The next time you feel down because you didn't get what you wanted, sit tight and be happy because God is thinking of something better to give you.
at 09/05/10 7:35PM
It's always nice to get that change in your life that you've been needing. It's refreshing and a new start... a new you... and new beginnings.
So far our move went well. All the furniture is moved and now the rest is up to me -- decorating. Which, I don't mind. I enjoy it and it'll give me something to focus on. There's nothing like moving though, to make you realize how much "stuff" you have that you need to get rid of. Tim's mom is into selling things online and at flea markets so she said she'd help us get rid of a lot of stuff.
Last time we moved... a lot of things happened we had a lot of transitions transpire that took patience I didn't have, faith in God that I didn't have, and faith in my husband that I didn't have. It really tore me down and I had to lift myself up out of that. I learned a lot about my faith in God that I needed to work on, as well as my relationship with Tim that needed work. Thankfully he and I made it passed that and I feel that we are the better for it. However, at the time I was going through my mental crisis I felt as though nothing was worth fighting for. I'm so glad that I have walked that and now I can say "I've been there" and I can see how not reading my Bible daily and not putting God first really effected EVERYTHING.
This time that we're moving... I can't really say the situation is worse, but it's not better. We're not in our own house... we do have a seperate apartment that we don't have to pay rent for... we have a lot of privacy ... but financially we're still not better off. I NEVER thought I would worry about finances I always thought it was a stupid thing to worry about and that I would just always allow my husband to take care of that ... I've never been one of those women who go to the mall and buy the store anyway, so I never had a problem with money. The last couple of months proved me wrong though, when a bill was due and I wasn't sure we could pay it.
Even though things are in the current situation that they are in... and even though our finances aren't where we thought they would be by this time in our marriage.... I can honestly say that I am happy with our decision ... that this is right for us... and that I have NO worries about the future. If God has seen us through from day one of our marriage until now... He's not going to change for He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever.
...and I'm really looking forward to this time that I have to focus on me. I know that may sound selfish... but I have a lot of reuniting myself with God and with myself to do.
OH! and prayers do work! I had a friend visit me right before Tim and I left for SC and she prayed for me before leaving, asking God that there would be someone here that I could relate to. ... We got here and there is a couple who recently moved into the area. Recent converts and have no children. I got to spend some time with them today and they're a very nice couple and we seem to have a lot in common with them... so yay!! :)
It's great to see how God has blessed you over the years! May He continue to bless you both as you serve Him.