Organization Maintenance

Fifteen to thirty minutes a day. This is all it should take to maintain an organized lifestyle, once you have your processes in place. Look at these rules as routines and habits that hopefully become as natural as the habit of brushing your teeth or drinking coffee in the morning.

Use a List to Stay Organized
Get into a routine of writing a list once a week of projects that need to be completed. If possible, break each project into smaller projects. Then get into the habit of crossing out completed tasks from your list. Most tasks are repeated every week, so create a master list with space at the bottom to add additional tasks, and then make copies. Make a goal to cross out a certain number of projects every day so that the list is completed by the end of your week. Remember to post the list in a visible place.

Keep It Simple
The smaller the task, the easier it will be to complete; and completing a task feels good. If time is an issue, keep in mind that it is better to do a small project compared to doing nothing, even if the project is to only organize the bottom shelf of the medicine cabinet.

• Make it a goal to complete one small project every day from your list that is outside of your standard "master list".
• Divide your standard list into doable daily projects and cross them out every day.
• Save larger projects for the weekend or any other day you have more time.

Put Things Away Immediately
Sometimes, instead of putting things back where they belong, items are placed on the nearest flat surface or in the closest drawer. This small form of procrastination can later end up being a large organizing project. Saving a couple seconds by putting something near you instead of back where it belongs can waste minutes later.

• Get into the routine of touching something one time. Put dinnerware in the dishwasher after use instead of on the counter. Put clothes straight into the hamper instead of over a chair or on a bed.
• Deal with things right away. For example, when mail is brought into the house, either take care of it immediately or put it in an inbox that you will deal with at a designated time.

Clean As You Go
Instead of having small cleaning tasks become a huge cleaning project, clean every time you use something. For Example: After you use the toilet, shower, or sink, quickly wipe it down. Make your bed as soon as you get out of bed.

and Finally......


Don’t Let Clutter in the Door!

Prevent clutter by asking these 5 questions before buying:
• Who owns this already and might share it with me?
• What do I already have that is like this?
• Where will this be stored?
• When will I have time to use it and maintain it?
• Why do I want to buy this?

Must Have Organizational Tools

What a difference a basket or container could make when it comes to getting organized. Here are 8 organizing tools that would benefit most anyone.

1. Checklists: A checklist is the best way to get organized for any event. Most of us make a grocery list before going to the store, why not make a list for everything else in life? The benefits greatly outweigh the time that it may take to make one. The more checklists that you make, the faster you will get at it. So what kind of checklists should you make?

• Household maintenance: Develop a household maintenance list divided into months. Check the list a few months in advance to see if you need to schedule specific maintenance people to do a job for you.
• Christmas preparations: This could include special dinner preparations, gift shopping, Christmas Card Mailings, etc. This will alleviate a lot of stress for you during the hectic holiday time.
• Packing list: Packing for vacation or for just going on a business trip can seem like a daunting task. Make a list of everything that you need to pack. Include on your list things that you need to arrange before leaving on vacation such as stopping your mail, giving the neighbor the needed information, turning down the thermostat, etc
• Weekly cleaning list: A weekly cleaning list should be developed and hung on the wall for everyone to see. Beside each job include the person's name that is responsible for the job that week (We had one that went on the refrigerator growing up, a great tool for parents!). Make sure they mark through the job when completed.
• Weekly To-Do Lists: This can include anything you need to action, or simply remember. It can include anything such as grocery shopping, making phone calls, paying bills, sending emails, etc.

Developing checklists for your life will go a long way in reducing stress. Having a list will also make it easier to delegate tasks to other people in your household. The great thing about these checklists is they can all be stored on your computer and printed out as needed. Or if you prefer, create a special binder for all of your checklists. Once you start making checklists, you will wonder how you ever lived without them


2. Notepads: These are wonderful!!

• Magnetic notepad - Always handy because you keep it on the side of the fridge. You can use it to write things throughout the week to build your grocery list. You can also use it to keep track of your to-do’s for the week. I do both!
• Small purse notepad – Ever been in a store and want to write down a website on a package, a quick recipe, or a phone number when you receive a call on your cell? With a small notepad always in your purse you can easily have a place to make these notes and know exactly where to find it when you get home!
• Journal/Bigger notepad – Part of a bible study? Maybe belong to a reader’s club, or a Ministry Team? Chose ONE Journal/Notepad that is strictly used for that project, or purpose. By having one book specifically for that area in your life, you have a collection of notes to reference, a history of events and to do’s for the group, and a reflection of your experiences all in one place.

3. 3-ring binders: These are perfect for keeping similar themes of paperwork together in one place. Three possibilities are:

• Home Decorating Binder: Add tabs to make a section for each room and insert blank pages to jot down tips you read, pages from magazines and furniture or art from catalogs that you'd like to order.
• Warranties Binder: Include all of your household warranties for furniture, appliances, games, tools and electronics.
• Recipe Binder: Do you have a ton of recipes that are scattered or in a pile in your cupboard or drawer and you always spend 10 minutes finding the one you need. Or if you were like me you bought one of those cute little recipe boxes and never used it, or your recipes were too many different sizes and did not all fit in the box. By using a binder for your recipes you can easily use tabs to categorize such as Desserts, Appetizers, Main Course, etc. You can also use Sheet Protectors and tape or copy smaller recipes onto blank white paper in case you want to keep the sentimental recipe that was in Aunt Mildred’s handwriting.

4. Pocket Calendars: Never again miss an appointment, or double book your time.

• Keep a purse size pocket calendar with you at all times, so you always have your appointments handy.
• They can be used to enter in events, doctor visits, deadlines, reminders, etc.

**Very Important Rule! – NEVER keep more than one calendar! It is inevitable that the calendars will not always match and it will totally defeat the purpose of keeping your schedule in one place to stay organized.


5. Plastic Storage Totes: What better way to keep a room or a closet organized, than with these essential tools. Try them for:

• Rummage Sale Stuff: Store everything you plan to sell at your upcoming rummage sales in these storage totes. Have one for each category, such as Clothes, Toys and Kitchen Items.
• Make a Rainy Day Box: Include toys, crafts and activities that your kids only play with when the weather is not nice enough to play outside. The contents will be more special because they're not seen on a daily basis.
• Holiday Kits: Get one plastic storage tote per holiday that you normally decorate for. Label each with the particular holiday such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter, or use more general categories if you wish, such as Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Include your seasonal decorations in the appropriate boxes.

6. Baskets: Since these come in so many different sizes and shapes, there are baskets to fit every need and style. Three basket thoughts are:

• Sewing Repair Basket: Hold anything you need to set on a button, mend a tear or make a hem.
• Reading Basket: Hold bookmarks, your reading glasses, a dictionary and sticky notes to tag pages when necessary.
• Pet Toys Basket: Corral all pet toys for your furry friend in one basket so they're not lying all over your house.

7. Portable File Keepers: These containers with lids and handles hold your hanging file folders, so you can transport your important paperwork from one place to another. Three ideas:

• Office-on-the-Go: If you're regularly on-the-road to get from one business appointment to another, these can work nicely for you. You can keep anything from contracts, to proposals to price sheets organized and a cinch to locate.
• Student Paper Finder: Have kids who are always bringing home papers that need to be signed, notes about upcoming school events or weekly lunch menus? If you use one of these file boxes, you'll never lose another important school-related paper again.
• Event Holder: Keep all aspects of your child's birthday party, your parents’ upcoming anniversary party or your wedding contained in one place.

8. Shelves: Wall space is so often forgotten about, but if you use it properly, you can free up tons of space. Wall shelves help do the trick. Here are three uses:

• Display Shelves: Get your family photos and decorative figurines off coffee tables and dressers, and onto display shelves. They're less likely to get damaged when your friend's little angels come to visit.
• Shelf with Pegs: Display your kids' trophies and special awards proudly. Shelves with pegs serve double-duty. They allow you to hang caps, umbrellas and other essentials underneath the shelves.
• Bathroom Shelves: Add some pretty glass shelves to your bathroom wall, and you have the perfect place to keep a waterproof radio, your toothbrush holder or cosmetics.

The beauty of organizing is that you can use whatever you want! Be creative! One thing is for sure, use any or all of these tools and you will be well on your way to having a more organized, and peaceful environment!

Devotion of a Father

My parents were not what you would call “young” when they had me. We are a blended family. My dad had two daughters and my mom had five daughters when they got married. Instantly they were past the 3.2 kids that the “typical American family” has…and ALL girls at that. So you would think that at their age of mid to late thirties with already seven girls that they were done. Well, my dad loves my mom so much that he wanted just one more…with her. My mom thought he was crazy. He was…crazy in love. It didn’t take much convincing. About three years after they were married, I arrived. My dad was 34 when I was born, my mom just one month shy of 40. Sure, nowadays that is very common, people have kids in their thirties all of the time. But back in 1980, that was “old”.


I remember growing up and all of my friends parents were in their thirties…when I was in grade school and junior high. Most of their parents had them in their twenties. That was the proclivity at the time…the way it was. I grew up being very aware that my parents were different than all of my friends’ parents. Mine had been around the block a few times (7 actually), so they were more laid back, didn’t worry as much, many times just let things take care of themselves and didn’t over-react. That’s not to say there were not very clear rules, and consequences in our home growing up. In many cases I saw a wisdom and maturity in my parents that the other parents seemed to lack. Nothing wrong with being younger parents, I just saw the advantage mine had being “older” and “wiser”.

One thing was for sure and that was they brought me up to be very conscious of the world around me. My father was always very careful to point out that we each have choices to make as individuals that will impact our future. “If your friends jump off a bridge, would you?” was one of his many mantras. He taught me to be an individual, and be proud of it. I didn’t have to wear the certain clothes, hang out with the “in” crowd, nor do certain things that might have helped my peers perceive me as “cool”. My job as a kid was to find out who I was, be me, and be the best I could be.

My parents were great examples. They always made it very clear to all of us (kids) that their number one priority was our family. Everything outside of that was secondary. My father showed this loyalty by going to work every day, six days a week, many times for ten (plus) hours a day. He loves his job, but more importantly he loves his family and providing for his family. Working has gotten increasingly difficult for him as the years have gone by since his diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. It’s a disease that slowly progresses through the joints in your body, limiting your mobility and increasing pain each day. I have watched my father throughout the years suffer, some good days, some not so good. But he puts all of that aside, thinking only of his love for his family and his duty to take care of them. He loves us so much that even in the last 10-12 years as his disease has in many ways crippled him, he still pushes himself every day, for those 10 hours, those 6 days, to provide…for his family. This past week my mother told me that my father has been talking about how proud he is that I am such a great mother. What an amazing example I have had in my life. To this day I see devotion in my father that just amazes me.

My father will be 65 this Sunday. More importantly, after many years of convincing, he has finally planned his retirement. January 8, 2011 will be his last day of work with a company he has worked with for over thirty years. In the last few months that he has been planning his retirement I have found myself concerned for him. He has made working for his family such a mission for his life, that I was worried he may find no meaning for himself in retirement. I have asked him how he feels, if he is going to miss the people, the job…if he will be happy. To my surprise he looked at me with a sense of accomplishment, and fulfillment in his eyes and told me “I am ready, and I am looking forward to it.”

His retirement has been an entire emotional process for me. We are all moving on to new phases of life. We are beginning a transition of a type of role reversal I suppose. No longer do they have to take care of and look out for me so much as I am learning to take care of and look out for them in their later years.  No matter how old they become, as a daughter I always want to think of my parents as young. He is no longer the young father who used to playfully toss us in the pool, just as I am no longer the young daughter who could sit on his lap. But I will always be daddy’s little girl.

TRUST in God

I know I don’t have to tell you that times are tough for a lot of people right now. There is a good chance you may even be one of those people. I talked to my Grandmother the other day, and she was telling me how she remembers the Great Depression. She told me she remembers her mother and father sitting at the kitchen table crying, trying to figure out a way to keep the family farm and not have it foreclose. As she put it, fortunately the President at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt put through government programs that allowed them to save it.

What about us in today’s times? What do we have to look forward to? I won’t tell you I know the future. What I do know is that God is in control. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Philippians telling them just that. In (Phil 4:6) it tells us that we are to worry about nothing! Not only that, but worrying is a sin. What we are to do is pray and ask God for all of our needs, and to TRUST God for all of our needs. That is not all. After this He makes a promise (Phil 4:7) He will give us His peace which surpasses our understanding, and it will guard us.

What is most interesting in (Phil 4) is that He says Rejoice always….not just in the good. In our society we seem to think that in good times things will always be good, and in bad times things will always be bad. This down time is just that; only a time. Everything will come back. We MUST look to God in this, for He will provide.

Consider (Matthew 6:25-34). Even Christ himself says do not worry. He tells us to seek after God and His righteousness and He will provide all of your needs (Matt 6:33). These times will pass, and tough times will come again. The most important thing to remember is God is in control of all things, and he will take care of all of the believers needs as he sees fit.

So maybe all of us need to remember that if we are going through these times and there is something we lose or do not have we must not pine away. God knows what we need and He will provide, so if we are not getting it, then maybe we need to consider that it is not needed. After all, as long as we have our faith, hope, and love, everything else is just trivial.

Something Special

Something different has been happening this week. Beyond all of the daily happenings of diaper changing, baths, running errands, making appointments...something is stirring. It is like I am more aware of things. I find myself slowing down and enjoying the sound of my boys play and giggle together, I walk down the hallway and notice my husband tickling our 5 ½ month old and just something within me that feels so divine.


I just feel so connected. Reminds me of a song I used to sing with my worship team last year. LOVE this song…and Jesus!

Room By Room Organizing

Pick a room. Any room. If you're overwhelmed at the idea of organizing and de-cluttering your home, these 11 tips can help get you started. Step One: Don't be intimidated.

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier. For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room.


Follow these steps and you're well on your way to an organized home:


1. PICK A ROOM - ANY ROOM. Decide on what room to start on. Write it at the top of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This will be your Action Sheet.

Example: BEDROOM A

2. CHOOSE AN ENTICING REWARD. Designate an appropriate reward to give yourself on the Dumping portion of the job. The reward concept serves as your motivation, so be sure to choose something that you’d really enjoy! Write this reward on your Action Sheet.

Example: Treat yourself to a pedicure or go out for a nice dinner -- whatever it is that you love to do. Write it on your Action Sheet.

3. SET A DEADLINE. Set a specific Dumping Completion Deadline for this one room. Write it on your Action Sheet. Example: DUMPING DEADLINE: APRIL 30

4. SCHEDULE TIME TO DUMP. Schedule 3 specific dumping dates (one hour for each). Hopefully this will be enough to complete the dumping portion of the job. Write it on your Action Sheet. Then, post the Action Sheet in a prominent place where you are certain to see it every day, like your bathroom mirror. It will serve as a reminder of your goal, deadline and pending reward.

Example: DUMPING DATES: APRIL 18 from 8-9A, APRIL 21 from 8-9A, APRIL 24 from 8-9A

5. KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT. When the 1st dumping day arrives, keep that appointment, just as you would any other important appointment. Bring a bunch of large garbage bags. Play your favorite music in the background.

6. TIME IT. Set a timer for 1 Hour -- one that sounds off when the hour is up.

7. SORT THROUGH IT. Pick up one item at a time, and start dumping. (If you come across items you want to give to charity, designate a special bag for those items) Whatever you are going to keep, just put to one side of the room.

8. DO IT UNTIL THE TIME IS UP. Continue doing this until the timer goes off. If you prefer to continue, keep going. Otherwise, stop and follow the same procedures for your next two scheduled dates. Don’t let the garbage bags sit there. Make sure they are thrown out now (or donated), or on Garbage Day at the latest.

9. CELEBRATE. Once you’ve managed to dump everything you don’t want or need in that one room, it’s time to celebrate . Take advantage of that reward you designated.

10. KEEPING IT ORGANIZED. Now that everything in that room that you wanted dumped is gone, you’re ready to begin putting everything you are keeping back in an organized manner. Be very careful not to put anything else in this room that you don’t want.

11. REPEAT. Repeat this process for each of the other rooms in your house.

Living Hope

What is hope? Is it a kind of unsure optimism? The idea or “definition” of hope is “to wish for, to expect, but without certainty of the fulfillment; to desire very much, but with no real assurance of getting your desire.”

In Scripture, according to the Hebrew and Greek words translated by the word “hope” and according to the biblical usage, hope is an indication of certainty. “Hope” in Scripture means “a strong and confident expectation.”

It is tangible, we can put our trust in, and it is what will happen. The type of hope we can put a sound faith in.

Hope, if biblical, makes us heavenly minded rather than earthly minded.

Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Hope affects how we use our talents, time, and treasures in our lives.

1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Hope gives us protection

Psalm 33:18 (NIV)
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Hope gives us joy and peace

Romans 5:2 (NIV)
2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[a] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

In summary, hope is the confident expectation, the sure certainty that what God has promised in the Word is true, has occurred, and or will in accordance with God’s sure Word.

Hope is one of the most amazing things that God could have provided us. It’s a promise from Him that we can be confident knowing His promises are true. Apply that to daily life and no matter what you are going through, you can live with joy, love, and hope knowing that everything is in God’s hands.

(Portions of this explanation of Hope was written by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.)

Our Story

Just a few months ago marked the two year anniversary of something you would think my husband Dan and I would want to forget. Yet we both look back at it in awe of where we are now, coming from all that happened since then. I remember it like it was yesterday. Our first son was six months old at the time, and I had just settled into an awesome position working for a company that I had previously worked for, and was very excited to go back to. We were blessed to have a big increase in my salary when I went back to this company. I was finally adjusted to being a working mom, and life just seemed to be going pretty darn good. Then I got the call.

It was about 10:15am at work, and it seemed to be a typical day supporting a VP in the company as her Executive Assistant. I was sitting at my desk, and my cell phone rings. I worked in a very secure building, I NEVER get cell phone reception. For some reason this day I got cell reception just long enough to receive a call from my brother-in-law (my sister’s husband). My brother-in-law? My family is close, but not that close…something was up. I was confused at first, but now really nervous. You see my brother-in-law was in construction and by an odd coincidence just finished working on a job with Dan and the company Dan worked for the week before. The conversation was short, and to the point. He said to me “Becky, Dan had an accident at work. He is okay, but he asked me to call you and let you know that you need to call him on his work phone, because his personal cell got broken in the accident.” Accident? He worked in construction. This could be any number of things. Just a few weeks before he had to go to an Urgent Care because he sliced his finger on something and it wouldn’t stop bleeding. But wait, he broke his cell phone? My mind was wandering all over the place wondering what had happened, but I remember the entire time having this amazing calm and peace about it.

John 14:27 (NLT)

27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Without even having to ask, God was right there telling me that this was exactly in His will, and everything would be fine. I just knew it. I called Dan, and he sounded okay. He proceeded to tell me that the ladder he had been working on buckled on him; he fell to a cement floor, and landed on his chest with his arms underneath him trying to catch himself. He was at the hospital with his work partner, and they were pretty sure he had broken his arm. Ok…could be worse. As quickly as I could, I let work know I had an emergency, and left to drive to the hospital. In my 30 minute drive there my nerves got to me. I started thinking what if it is worse than just a simple break? What if there was permanent damage? How long will this put him out of work?

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I realized what I was doing, and knew I needed to leave my worries to the Lord. So I prayed, then I started calling friends and starting prayer chains. For some reason at the time I felt I needed to ask for prayer of 3 specific things. I asked them to 1. Pray for Dan to be in little pain; 2. That he could have complete healing; and 3. That his injuries would not require any kind of surgery.

Here we were a young family settling into our dream house, enjoying our first born, being comfortable in our jobs and finances, and serving the Lord through a church plant with some friends. Life seemed great. Dan’s accident was just the beginning of our life about to be flipped upside down more than we could have ever imagined.

To our dismay, Dan’s ER visit was not the end of his injury, or our problems…it was just the beginning. Dan went through two surgeries, months of physical therapy, and a constant battle with workman’s comp. Dan and I always chose to be positive, so after Dan’s second surgery three months later we were optimistic about getting back to “normal” life and have him go back to work. He tried…it didn’t work. The doctor told us he just needed more time and put Dan back on full disability. A few weeks later (six months after Dan’s original injury) I got word from my company they were about to go through a big layoff. Out of five Vice Presidents they laid off two, and the VP I supported was one of them. This meant without the VP…there was no Executive Assistant position…so I was jobless as well.

From there things just seemed to pile on, one on top of another. It wasn’t just taking a financial toll on us, it was a huge emotional battle. We thought we had it all together, we thought we knew what it was all about. I mean, we were being responsible, providing for our family, serving the Lord! We had a huge heart for serving and were constantly coming up with new ways of ministering by outreaching and serving people. Why is this happening to us Lord?

We went through the motions for a while but when it was confirmed Dan has a permanent disability and the workman’s comp became a lengthy legal battle we began to face reality. The reality was that we were about to lose everything we had worked for in our married life. We already both lost our jobs, and now we were losing our home, our cars…our life as we knew it. Even some of our relationships suffered because no one could understand what we were going through. So almost a year and a half after that ER visit, and about a year after I was laid off we hit bottom. We realized that all along when we thought we had our life together, we thought we knew what it was all about…we felt lost.

Philippians 3:7-9 (NIV)

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.


We knew that God was using these things in our life to teach us. Had we REALLY surrendered ALL to Him like we thought? It is funny how you don’t know what you need, or how much you really need it until God puts it right there in front of you. This began a whole new spiritual journey for us beyond what we ever thought God would take us through. Our whole lives we had a tug in our hearts, a passion to serve God, serve others, to share Christ’s love and spread the gospel…and yet the whole time without realizing it we were trying to do it our way…instead of HIS.

Psalm 51:7-13 (NKJ)

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.

9 Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

So here we are over two years since Dan’s accident. Most people would expect us to describe the last two and a half years of our lives as heartbreaking and incredibly trying. Dan was asked one time by an acquaintance who knew our story and watched the way we lived our lives “I don’t get it…after everything you are going through. You still have a smile on your face, you still have this joy. How?”… As I said to someone recently who heard our story for the first time “It has been an awesome ride”.

Why do we say this? How do we have such joy? Because we live with a hope that only God can give.

Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT)

18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

We have prayed and prayed each and every day that God would use this story for His glory, and that He would do a mighty work in and through us. There hasn’t been a day that goes by where Dan and I don’t see the Lords hands in our lives. He has been incredibly faithful in providing for our every need, even when we didn’t know what we needed or what to do next. We have completely surrendered all to Him, and because of that we know that no matter what happens it is in God’s will, and we are just along for the ride.