I’m it!
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How did I know Mandy would be the one to tag me? For those not in the ‘loop’, this is a fun little game that’s been going around blogs of girls at my church. Well, y’all asked for it, don’t say I didn’t warn you!
20 years ago- I was 9 years old, and in 4th grade. My life consisted of school, Full House, church, friends and family. My best friends at this point were school friends, Jana and Helen, and not to go into too many details, but they were probably not the best friend choices I could have made, especially as I grew closer to Helen over Jana in the years to come. I remember flirting a lot with Ryan (I think the only blonde I ever really thought was cute) until that SCARLET WOMAN Amy moved to town. I was quickly forgotten. This is so embarrassing to admit, but I actually prank called Ryan’s house pretending to be “Amy”. “Oh, you mean Ryan’s girlfriend?” his sister asked for clarification. Served me right, the jealous little brat.
I believe at that point in my life I had come to a very new and immature faith. It was around this time I had been told ( in Sunday school, or something) that we all had sin in our life, and we needed to ask God to forgive us. As a simple, childlike act of obedience, I agreed and prayed that night for God to forgive my sins. While there were teeny tiny evidences of fruit at that time, I still think I was pretty clueless for years to come.
10 years ago- I had been married to Matt for 6 months. I was in my second year of college, my first year at Chandler Gilbert CC. I was working at Bethany Learning Center as an afternoon Kindergarten assistant under Bev Klingaman and Kris Husa. In so many ways this was a great year for me, and in some ways very difficult. I still had a lot to learn as a grown woman (at 19?), a wife, and a believer. I was blessed to have had (still have) a very patient and wise husband who continued to remind me where we need to look when we need answers, and also that not everyone’s walk, or even relationship with Christ is going to look exactly the same. This was something I needed very much to hear, and still do!
5 years ago- Oh, goodness. Okay, we’ll start with the positive-I had just thrown Sarah’s wedding shower, and Matt and I were getting ready for their wedding, as well as Jerry and Christy’s wedding (Matt and Jonathan were in both of those weddings!). We had just moved into a new house that June, that we loved and still love. Our church was finally starting to feel like a church again, and the Maxwells were on their way! I was pregnant for the 4th time with a child I knew deep down was not going to make it. I remember waking up many times from bad dreams, or in utter panic, just terrified and all I could do was pray. Well, by the end of October ’03, the baby had died, been delivered and buried. In November we had a (minor) house fire, adding to the chaos! However, I had a wonderful group of girls in my small group to come around me, (Courtney Burns, Brooke Burns, Tracey Sevey, and Sarah), which was such a help and blessing. There was also no way I could have been LESS prepared to lose this child than I was with my first miscarriage, I also knew that I would have to go through the process again at some point so the doctors could figure out what was wrong with me. (Sick, I know) It was a very difficult time, but Matt and I had much more peace about the whole situation.
3 years ago- We had a little 3 month old named Noah!!! When I first became pregnant with Noah, and the doctors told me there was something WRONG with me, something they could fix, oh, my goodness that is a great feeling! (Another argument against evolution-genetic mutations are BAD, they do not make X-men!) Jonathan had just started his first year of Preschool, and Matt and I were still plugging away at Student Ministries. Other than that, and the stresses of having a new baby, I don’t remember much else except feeling very happy.
1 year ago- Round 3! Eden was 1 month old, and Jonathan had started Kindergarten. Jonathan was on a soccer team with 4 other church kids, which was a blast! Adjusting to #3 was so much easier than #2, I think when they’re 2 years apart there is much more of a rhythm to infancy that is easy to forget after a couple of years! We had taken a year off from Small group and were still a few months away from joining the Myer’s small group…it is amazing how much growth takes place in that environment! It had been many years since we were in a really solid group, and even though we had been attending church and even meeting 1-on-1 with people, it was very evident that growth is meant to happen in that type of group. We are blessed!
Yesterday- Walked at 6 am and it was actually cool outside. I bought a rad Storybook Pumpkin at Sprouts (Pictured) Sold Caramel Corn online to Leala to help out another mother in need. It was a good day, I couldn’t skip it!
Today- Dropped of J-man, ran to Target, Mike Jolly is coming over to fix our drywall (yay!). Cleaned, had a quiet time, cleaned some more, put lots of pictures in new frames, wrote this, picked up J-man, Teriyaki Chicken sandwiches for dinner.
Tomorrow- Dinner with our small group at the Myers, and we’re soon to be starting our new group Bible study. By the end of next week our bathroom should be in working order again. Phew, I am not loving sharing a bathroom with 2 little boys!
Next Year- I have absolutely no idea, I mean that, no plans! I can only hope that I will be thinking of myself less, thinking of Christ more, and somehow, somehow being an instrument to draw my children toward Christ. I can only pray we will all be in as good of health and mind as we have been for these last few months.