Major Prayer request

(this was also sent as an email to many of you--this is a reminder to please pray for us)

Hi Friends and Family~

Some of you may already know (either from the email update or from Joshua's blog) that Joshua is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed on this coming Tuesday (9/26). Over the last months (years is probably more accurate) he has experienced discomfort due to the pressure of the impacted teeth, as well as pain simply from the presence of them in his mouth. While we are excited that he will finally be able to have them removed, it is also coming at a hard time for us--both academically and financially. Joshua will likely miss several classes (one of them potentially being his very first at Harvard) because of the recovery time involved in this kind of surgery. He will be dealing with the more nasty side of recovery and probably taking pain medication, all the while trying to keep up with his reading and studies for classes. The surgery is also going to cost considerably more that we had first anticipated. The original quote that the surgeon gave Joshua was almost half of what we are now expected to pay. While neither of us had any illusions that this would be inexpensive, we certainly were not prepared for the burden of the final bill that will be handed to us. Though there is some money in our savings account that can (and likely will) be put towards this, we were hoping that would be a nest egg for the (future) addition of children to our family. There is the possibility of various credit cards with little to no interest, but we are loathe to add that kind of debt to our lives.

All of this to say...please be praying for both of us in the following ways:

1. That the surgery would go well and that Joshua's recovery time would be swift
2. That Joshua's teachers would be understanding and gracious, and that he would be able to keep up with his studies and not get too far behind
3. That God would provide financially in a mighty way

Thank you all for your love and support in our lives! Thank you also for your prayers for us, on this occasion and always.

the begining of the end

***these are pictures representing my classes this semester: The English Reformation (Queen Elizabeth I)--the link for this is currently not working; Puritanism in America; Jonathan Edwards; and Introduction to Islam***

So this week was the first week back at classes for me. I must admit that I was dreading it just a little bit. With so much freedom over the summer (ie: no classes) I was worried that I just wouldn't be able to get back into the groove of school. My fears, I admit, were premature. I've been doing the student thing for over six years, so it's not to hard to jump back in. So far, I've started off with a bang--I already have one book under my belt and am on track with my reading. I have two of my four paper topics chosen, and some of the books that I will need checked out. I have mapped out my reading requirements, and added all of the critical dates to my calendar. Both my desk at home and the one I use in the library are organized and stocked with resources.

What does this all mean? Well, practically, it means that I may survive this hectic semester without going insane. It also means that after all these years, and now being so close to the end of it all, I might actually know what I'm doing as a student. Funny thought....

I may from time to time share what I'm learning in my classes, or post brief "did-you-know" comments...but overall, I will likely disappear from this blog until the end of the semester. So, keep me in your thoughts and prayers...for my sanity, my marriage, my study habits, and for finishing my master's degree well.

May you be blessed by the Lord as you approach those things which He has called you to, and be strengthened by the mercy and grace that He pours out on us all through the Blood of the Lamb.

meeting famous people

One of the perks of working at CBD is that every once in a while, we have authors, musicians, and other wonderful folks come in to meet the employees and customers. I had the privilege of meeting Karen Kingsbury over the weekend. This woman is a brilliant writer. Seriously though, how many people do you know who can bust out eight novels in one year!??! She's truly gifted. Plus, she completely shattered my paradigm of Christian fiction. I was always a little (well, okay completely) snooty when it came to Christian fiction. I thought, "it's all sappy junk that doesn't deal with real life issues and just makes Jesus a warm and fuzzy friend." Don't we all think that sometimes? Well, maybe it's just me. Anyway, my brother's girlfriend Mandy really likes Karen's books, and since I think Mandy has a good head on her shoulders and doesn't just read lightweight stuff, I figured I'd give KK's books a try. Was I in for a surprise! She writes about hard stuff...the things that people go through in the real world...divorce, unplanned pregnancy, anger, bitterness, etc, etc... And in the midst of it all, the Light of the world shines through. I can understand why books like this can be life-changing for people. Anyway, all this to say--she's a wonderful writer and a very genuine person. I felt like I have known her for years while we were chatting. Plus, she's from Washington state...which automatically qualifies one as cool. :)

For anyone who is curious about who this woman is and why her books affected me in such a way, check out her website www.karenkingsbury.com. You might even find a picture of me on there!

May the Lord bless you and keep you in His amazing grace!