Pray for our Open House: This Sunday: April 3rd, 2-5 pm

We are having an open house this Sunday, so if you could pray for the perfect buyer to come, throughout the day tomorrow...that would be fantastic! Our Realtor also put an ad in the paper about this open house.

Here is the update on our house:

• We lowered the price again in the middle of March (basically in the Columbia market you are having to price a house for sale less than you bought it for...sad).
  
• I have had lots of friends help me out through facebook, and 20 people like our house through this site: http://www.trulia.com/property/3003132066-209-Gardenwalk-Drive-West-Columbia-SC-29170
• I have had one contact through facebook who might be interested in renting it in October. We will have to rent it out in the Fall if no one buys it (our house will have gone through two Springs, and two Summers without selling). We are having faith that it WILL sell before then!
  
• I put our house on craiglists last night with the date of this open house.

Please pray that at least one person will come to this open house. Thank you so much!

Update on Our House

Praises:

1. I talked to a friend last week, and got professional pictures taken of the house for only $40. They are now online at all the Realtor websites! Don't they look great?
2. I have heard of multiple stories in the last week of once a person gets pictures up online, their house sells. I really believe that this is God talking through them to me!
3. We had open house last Sunday and some neighbors came by, and one girl is interested in buying it but her work is across town (30 minutes).
4. Anyone I talk to, I ask them to pray for our house to sell, and now it is on the Community Bible Study leadership prayer list. So lots of people are praying our house will sell.
   
5. We are having an open house again this Sunday and a sign about the open house has been in the yard all week. Additionally, now 15 pictures are up and running online so we are VERY hopeful.

Pray:

1. That someone will buy our house soon in Jesus' powerful name!
   
2. That I will have patience, and glorify God through this.
   
3. That the other house in the neighborhood for sale will not hinder our house selling.

Thank you so much for praying!
Click here to see it online: http://www.trulia.com/property/3003132066-209-Gardenwalk-Drive-West-Columbia-SC-29170

Molly

Today my precious grandmother Molly passed away at 92 years old. She was one of the most positive people I have ever met. I cannot remember her saying anything negative ever (this probably had a lot to do with her living so long). She was my last living grandparent. She also was my dad's mother so keep my daddy in your prayers this week.

I will always remember:

• Her playing cards with me for hours on end when I was little, even though she did not have to.
• Our sweet trips to get her hair done. In seminary, I had the privilege of taking her to get her hair done. She would tell me wonderful stories about her being one of the first women to graduate from the college of Charleston. She had some pretty amazing stories to tell.
  
• Her being there to watch me marry my prince.
  
• Her meeting my babies. She loved babies as much as I do (she had four of her own). She was so happy to kiss and love all over them.

Lately, God has been teaching me so much about faith. "Faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we cannot see." Part of being a woman of faith is being a positive person. Positive that whatever happens in life, God has a plan. Molly taught me more about being a woman of faith, through her actions, than any other person has. I pray I can live a life where I do not say much of anything negative and have faith like my sweet Molly.

Wednesday's Word: Jesus

"Jesus suffered so that you could face hurt and mistreatment with wisdom and grace. Jesus died so that you would resist the temptation to give in, give up, run away, or quit. Jesus shed his blood so that you would have the power to edit your words and say what is wholesome even when you have been spoken unkind. Jesus shed his blood so that in specific moments you would have the power to say no to irritation and impatience and respond in kindness and self-control. Jesus died so that in the face of the death of your dreams you would take up the better dream of what he has called you to. Jesus suffered so that you would have the wisdom you need to deal with things you did not expect and don't fully understand. Jesus shed his blood so that you would have the power to grow and change."

from Paul David Tripp's new book "What Did You Expect??" One of the best books I have read.

God in his grace has still given me the ability and time to read 15 pages a day 5 days a week this year...I am so blessed.

So a quick prayer for us tomorrow that we get all our NC plates since Charlie has a court date and deadline of Friday morning to get it all in or we pay a $180 fine (I am going to Gaffney tomorrow morning at 8:30 to try to get the title to the accord). Thank you! Preach Jesus, people get saved, hold on tight it is going to be a bumpy ride.

Prayer for our House

to sell!

It has been on the market since the end of February.

If you have a prayer list it would be wonderful if you can add our house selling to your list. Thank you so much. Of course we are huge believers in the power of prayer (you could also pray right now reading this that it sells soon). We have heard from realtor friends that houses really do not sell in July and December. July everyone is on vacation, and December of course in Christmas.

Also, if you know anyone interested here is the link. It was built in 2007, 3 Bedroom, 2 Baths, Garage, Privacy Fence, etc.

http://www.realestatebook.com/homes/listing/101-3000234304/209-Gardenwalk-Dr-West-Columbia-SC-29170/

Pray Tomorrow!

Charlie is having his gallbladder taken out at Gaston Memorial Hospital at 10 am, but we have to be there at 8 am (I am very thankful for Lisa and my parents helping us out tomorrow!).

Pray that we have a peace that surpasses all understanding and that everything goes well.

Also pray for Jackson who got diagnosed with strep throat yesterday (I am on a z-pac now). Pray that Abigail does not get it!

Thank you so much for praying it means a lot to us!

It has been a crazy busy week. I started a new book this week by Paul Tripp (I met him in seminary so I love to read everything he writes), What did you Expect? Redeeming the Realities of Marriage. It is great so far. Next to God, your relationship with your husband is your most important relationship, and I think you should always be learning and growing.

Also Lost ended! I do not know why but it is bothering me that they did not answer when and why the island was under water. What happened to the island really does not matter, what matters is the people. Click here for some more answers to your unanswered questions.

Click here for an excellent "Christian" view on Lost. What did you think of the ending? I thought it was good, and I cried when they were reunited to each other. It was a beautiful show that we really enjoyed watching for the last six years.

Update on Us: Charlie is having OutPatient Surgery May 26th

to have his gallbladder taken out.

He is having it done in Gastonia, NC at 10 am, but we have to be there at 8 am.

Please pray for him that day. We are so thankful that they found out what his stomach issues are so quickly. The doctor suspects that he has many tiny gallstones that did not show up on the ultrasound. The HIDA scan showed that he gallbladder is not working and has "chronically" not been working. This explains a lot, and why he has gotten sick to him stomach so much in the last six months (the doctor also said it was hereditary with his dad having his gallbladder out).

Also, pray that my Jackson starts to sleep more. We put him to bed and two or even three hours later he is still talking in his room. This has been going on for the last three months, and we are exhausted. This week, he has been up talking till 11:30 or 12 pm at night. He obviously does not need a nap anymore, but he loves to nap and will fall asleep one way or another during the day. I make sure to wake him up if he does have a nap after 2 hours.

This staying up till close to midnight is really getting to us, and I am thinking now what is best for Jackson is to go to Preschool for two days a week with his friend Xander to get some structure in his life and have a time to get some energy out. I am going to sign him up for next year this Thursday to go to Resurrection Lutheran church and he gets to be with his friend Xander on Tuesdays and Thursdays (9-12 pm). It is very affordable (click here to see), and is the little something I think he needs. He is only going be in a 3 year old class, but he is going to be four in September (we are thankful that he is the oldest with him having speech delay).

Thank you for your prayers for Charlie next week!

Answers!

Charlie had a hida scan last Thursday and we found out last Friday that he does have a dis-functional galbladder (the doctor who read the reports said chronic which means has probably never worked very well). This explains the intense stomach pains he has had and why he has been sick to his stomach so many times (a few times where probably him passing gallstones).

We are so thankful that we have answers. I got all teary eyed in the doctor's office telling the doctor how thankful I was for him. Charlie has not been having the pains for too long and this could have taken a long time to figure out. I am so glad he did both the ultrasound and the hida scan. God is so good! It is not a big deal and we think he will have his gallbladder taken by the end of this month by Dr. Singh in either Gastonia or Shelby.

Pray for Some Answers

with Charlie's health.

He has gotten sick to his stomach a lot and has had some intense pain for the last six months.

This last time was on Sunday and we had no reason for it and we were pretty concerned.

He knows Dr. Bouttamy through twitter and made an appointment to see him yesterday. He is with Carley Family Care in Kings Mountain which is a great practice.

Praise:

• Dr. Bouttamy was wonderful and really thinks it is his gallbladder. He thinks it is either a diseased gallbladder or gall stones by all his symptoms and both his dad and his grandmother have had their gallbladder removed (it can be hereditary). Charlie is going to the hosiptal on Friday morning at 8:15 am (Kings Mountain Hospital) to get an ultrasound on his stomach (they will check all his other major organs through the ultrasound as well). By two weeks we should have some definite answers from the ultrasound and blood work.
  
• We are getting answers and the gallbladder is not too serious in comparison to some other things that it could be.
• God is good all the time; all the time God is good!

Overall, my prayer right now is that in Jesus name, nothing will be hidden with what is wrong with him, and that we will know exactly what it is and what we need to do. Also, that Jesus will compltely heal him.

Thank you for your prayers!

Abigail's 15 Month Old Stats

Weight: 22lbs 8 oz (42%)

Height: 31 1/4 inches (68%)

Head Circumference: 47 1/2 cm (87%)

Jackson at his 15 months old check up was also 22 pounds but 12 ozs, he was 30 inches and 1/4 (shorter than her!) and their head circumference was almost identical at this age. Check it out at this post.

Abigail is doing great. She is saying all kind of words now (the other day she saw a painting and the girl had a hat on and she said "hat), and while the doctor was examining her, she kept on saying "all done." Baby Signing Time videos have taught her so much. She loves to sing and can almost can sing "Bringing Home a Baby Bumble Bee" completely (I will have to get that on video). Recently, so loves to say "go potty," when her brother goes. I think I will be buying her a potty seat when she turns 18 months old since she is so interested in it, but right now she is still a baby in my mind.

We went to Dr. Bouknight said she we will clip her frenulum before she turned 7 years old, but we would not want to put her down just for that right now. YAY! The two weeks when she did not talk was probably because of all the fluid in her ears with all the ear infections she had in February.

The only thing that the doctor said that I had forgotten is that she does not need to have more than 8 ozs of juice a day. She has right about that much (I do half juice, half water).

She only had to get one Hep shot and Jackson was so sweet to her when she got it. He said, "its ok baby, I am right here (that is what I always say).

She has fallen a good bit recently, and the doctor said right now is one of the hardest times to move with a baby because they all love to explore right now.

Last night Jackson got sick to his stomach twice and Charlie (my prince) came to the rescue today. We were up from 2-4 am. Pray for him (that he does not get dehydrated like last time and have to go to the hospital), and pray that we have enough time to pack everything with him being sick! The movers will be here early Friday morning. Thank you so much for praying!

What are some of your recommendations for a 15 month old?

Piggly Wiggly Deal This Weekend

I went into Piggly Wiggly today and they said you can use your Greenbax on anything this weekend. She said each Greenbax is worth $1.50...not really sure how you earn Greenbax though so let me know if you know! I was just in Piggly Wiggly getting boxes and the nice lady in their was explaining their deal to me. I cannot believe we move to Kings Mountain, North Carolina in 7 days!

Pray that:

We have enough time to get it all packed! It has been hard with the kids to get much done. Ashley came over and packed my china one day, and I have had help from First Baptist (I have also had help from Ashley J). We are so blessed!

PS- To really save money visit http://www.southernsavers.com/