Evangelical Update

Just want to keep everyone in the loop concerning Jason's schooling in the fall. Pastor Tim spoke to the Dean of Admissions. Basically, we have spent the past week putting together a "portfolio" of sorts. This included 2 pictures ~ one of Jason & one of our whole family, a completed application, 2 500-word essays, 3 reference letters, a completed housing application, the notes for the Sunday school curriculum that Jason is developing, & a 13-page book review of Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias!! Trust me, it was just as exhausting as it sounds! :)

The portfolio was turned in today & now it is in the hands of the Lord (not that it wasn't all along). A committee will review the material & decide what, if any, additional schooling Jason will be required to do before enrolling in the seminary for the fall (like taking an English course or 2 at RACC or a summer course at the seminary). Please pray that God will make His will clear to us ~ that He will SLAM the door shut if this is not where He wants us.

We are thrilled at the prospect of going to Evangelical. On Sunday, Jason & I & the girls took a little detour through Myerstown on the way home from Hershey. It was love at first sight! We were able to drive around the campus & got a good look at the townhouses (which I received a brochure on last night & I'm thrilled . . . washer, dryer, storage, patio, backyard :) ). To quote Jason, "This feels like home."

Please don't misunderstand ~ if God wants us at PBU, we're there!! We have not stopped pursuing that avenue. Jason is still enrolled for the fall (we have until May 1st to back out). But I have used the analogy before (perhaps in an earlier blog, so forgive me if I am repeating myself) ~ we are wondering if perhaps PBU was our "Isaac on the altar" & now that we showed our willingness to give it all up to live in a tiny apartment for 4+ years, God is providing us with our "ram in the bushes."

Please continue to pray with us & for us. We are so willing to go wherever God wants us. Pray that He will make His way plain.

It's Here!!!!

Okay, okay . . . the masses have requested & I have finally answered!!!! Morgan Marie Designs has a website!! There are only a few items listed (as I'm trying to save some of my pieces from my big spring show in April), but I will add more pieces frequently.

The address is . . . . . drumroll, please . . . . . . . .

www.morganmariedesigns.etsy.com

Happy Shopping!!!!!

Little Blessings

Have I mentioned lately how much I love staying home with my girls!?!

We were just hanging out in the playroom yesterday & decided that it was definitely a Kodak moment!!!

BTW ~ notice the new 'do!!!

News, news, news . . . .

A huge thank you for those who knew & prayed for my family this weekend as we traveled up to Maine for my grandmother's funeral. We all made it home safe & sound. And although we wish we had all gathered for a more joyous occasion, it was good to see our family.

For those who are keeping in step with "The Great Adventure," you probably noticed that I alluded to a new schooling possibility that was looming on the horizon. I was hesitant to say anything about it out loud because it was such an extreme long-shot. But our God seems to thrive on the impossible odds . . .

We have often expressed to our pastor that we would love to be able to stay in the area & remain at our church. We have grown to the love the church body & enjoy the ministries that we have been able to be a part of. {Obviously, we cannot commute to our church from PBU.} He would like for us to stay as well, so he started kicking around some ideas with us. He attended & is currently teaching at Evangelical School of Theology in Myerstown, which is not too far from us. Jason had been looking into the school as a place where he could possibly do his seminary work. The seminary has a program where they will accept life experience in lieu of a bachelor's degree. And this program is only 2+ years, as opposed to PBU's 4 year program. However, you must be 32 to qualify for the program (called the Certificate in Ministry). Forsooth, Jason turned 28 yesterday (Happy Birthday, Babe!).

This past Tuesday, Pastor Tim went to speak to the Academic Dean about Jason. His answer to enrolling Jason in the CiM program was a prompt, "Yes!" UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!! Not only that, but if he does well in the program, he can then go on for his Masters of Divinity & with the CiM, he will already be 2/3 of the way there!! When all is said & done, Jason will have in 3+ years, what would have originally taken 7+ years. Our pastor e-mailed the dean an official letter & the dean forwarded it to the head of admissions. Then the dean e-mailed our pastor a comment that our pastor graciously forwarded on to us . . .

"Sign him up and don't let him head toward

Philadelphia. You may want to consider taking the air out of his tires."

What a shock!! All the details are not ironed out yet, but here are some things that we are very pleased about: 1) Instead of apartments, the seminary's married student housing are townhouses (complete with attics, sheds, patios, etc.), 2) the rent is less than half the cost of an apartment at PBU, 3) the townhouses are located right there on the campus as opposed to 1 1/4 mile away, 4) the area around the school is quite a bit safer than the Langhorne area, 5) we would be able to continue attending our home church.

What next?? How can you pray?? On Tuesday, Pastor Tim will be going to see the man in admissions. Although the Academic Dean can say that Jason is in, it is the admissions department that has a legal obligation. They will discuss when Jason can start & the possibility that Jason may have to do some extra work to show that he is capable of working at the graduate level.

We are ready, willing, & able to go wherever God is calling us. Please pray that God will make His way plain to us . . . be it Evangelical or PBU.

Prayer Warriors, Arise!!

I just heard from the woman in charge of housing at PBU. Here's the deal: she expects to have 9 apartments available & we are . . . drumroll, please . . . ninth on the list. She is still waiting for official termination of leases & to hear from prospective tenants #1-8 to make sure they are still interested.

However, another possible schooling option has come up. We don't want to say too much because it is a very uncertain possibility.

Please continue to pray with us that the Lord's will is done & that we will know it when we see it.

Our Trooper

First & foremost ~ a HUGE, heartfelt 'thank you' to all who prayed fervently for Caleigh (& Mommy & Daddy) this morning during Caleigh's surgery. Everything went extremely well.

For those of you who are out of the loop . . . Caleigh had surgery to have tubes put in her ears this morning. After 10 ear infections in 2 years ~ the last one resulting in loss of hearing ~ we felt that it was finally time to bite the bullet. We had a consult with an ENT specialist 2 weeks ago & he assured us that we were doing the right thing.

Don't ask me what happened . . . I left the office with the distinct impression that we would be with Caleigh when she was put under & would also be there when she woke up. Not so. When the office called yesterday to get some information on Caleigh, I thought it best to double-check a few things. When I asked about being there with her, the nurse informed me, "No, you won't be there when she's put under & you won't be in the recovery room either." *Panic!* My verbal response was, "She's two. Do you have a lot of two year olds who go to the operating room willingly?" She very nonchalantly replied, "No. They usually scream & cry. It'll be harder for Mom than it will be for her. She'll wake up crying for you too." *Gulp, PANIC!* So much for her bedside manner!

Things weren't looking too much brighter this morning. As we sat in Caleigh's hospital room, where she was being prepped for her surgery, we saw the little girl before her being wheeled down the hall . . . . screaming, crying, & trying to crawl off the bed!! *Gulp, PANIC!!!!!*

After being given a sedative, it was soon time for Caleigh to go. Mommy very bravely told her to lie back & hold on to Buddy (her elephant). Her lip quivered for a moment & that was it! Not a tear, not a sob, nothing! She was so brave & we were so proud! Watching her being wheeled down the hall was possibly the hardest thing I've ever done. Needless to say, I fell apart after she was gone.

I wish I could say things went just as well after the surgery. I know she will never remember what transpired today, but I will & it was rough. I could hear her crying for me in the recovery room loooooong before they came for me. When I was finally able to go back & see her, there was blood on her pillow & she was practically inconsolable (which I do realize was mostly from the anethesia). But I put on my Mommy Game Face & crawled into bed with her. We cuddled while I sang, stuck stickers on Buddy, & blew bubblegum bubbles.

So now we're home. She's in a bit of pain & is tired & cranky. But other than that, she's great!!!!!

Thank you for all the prayers, phonecalls, & concern. God is good!!