Brance, Lauren & Haddie

This concludes the story I posted earlier this morning…

Recently, I feel that the Lord has really been impressing upon my spirit that I need to learn to be content regardless of my circumstances.  I’m currently reading a wonderful biography of Amy Carmichael written by Elisabeth Elliot, a woman I deeply respect and admire.  The book is titled A Chance to Die.  As I read a biography about a woman willing to give up so much for the sake of the gospel, written by a woman who has done the same… I’m very ashamed and inspired at the same time.  It has gotten me to think about how much emphasis I put on my circumstances, which can not truly bring me joy.

My prayer has been that I too can say like Paul, “… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound.  In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  

What I have or do not have is up to God, after all it all belongs to Him.   My job and joy is to find satisfaction in Him alone, not in the circumstances I find myself. It is funny that as soon as God begins to impress something on our hearts or minds, it is inevitable that we are going to be tested on that very issue.  

As I came to the realization that I might never see the ring that was given to me on that precious day in December, by the grace of God I realized that that ring, regardless of how special, didn’t belong to me anyway.  I felt so much freedom – freedom that only comes when we learn to admit that all that we have belongs to Him anyways.  As bizarre as it sounds, I came to grips with the fact that my wedding band was forever lost in my bathroom.  If anything, I  knew that this was going to make for an interesting story to share with Haddie someday .

On Wednesday Jim stopped by the apartment to take a look at the new sink, because one of the pipes was leaking at the joint.  While Jim was working in the bathroom, I was busy feeding Haddie cereal in the living room.  Jim asked if I would assist him in the bathroom.  I said that I could, leaving Haddie in her bouncer seat with more cereal outside her body than in.  Feeding her solid foods has been quite interesting, but that is another story for another day.

As I walked into the bathroom, I was surprised to find Jim with a wounded hand.  I was about to ask him how he had hurt his hand, when I noticed that nestled in his hurt hand was my wedding band.  My heart soared.  After giving Jim a big hug, I asked him where in the world he had found it.  Jim told me he didn’t know what possessed him, but he ripped the bottom board off the sink vanity – which would explain why Jim had a bloody cut on his hand. My ring had somehow slipped beneath the sink and was sitting in a pile of dust.

The bottom of the vanity touches the floor without even the smallest crevice, which is why we never imagined that my ring was under it.  The only thing that we can figure is that the ring fell in such a way that caused it to bounce and slide over the board in a place that wasn’t fitted tightly enough to the vanity – something that couldn’t have been seen.  I can’t even imagine how slim the chances of that happening are. 

As I thanked Jim as he left my apartment, he said that he was so happy I had found my ring.  He  repeated that he didn’t know what had caused him to rip that board off the vanity, but he was thankful that he had.  Then he grinned… it wasn’t what, rather,  it was who.

There are a few things in life that are precious to me.  Of course being a Christian God is most important in my life, followed by people (with my family and friends holding an extra special place in my heart).  I’ve never been one to put a whole lot of value in material things.  Probably because I’ve never had the opportunity to .  Though, God has always been gracious to meet my needs and then some; I’ve never really been in want.  There are a few material things I own that are special to me… pictures, correspondence, gifts from family and friends – mainly for their sentimental value.  But probably the two most special things I own are my engagement ring and wedding band.

A few nights ago, Brance and I were in our bathroom getting ready for bed.  I went to slip off my wedding band to put lotion on my hands, like I do most every night.  The reason I take it off is because my ring is pavet and has plenty of crevices for lotion to seep into.  As I was pulling it off my finger, my hand slipped causing the ring to fly through the air.  I didn’t see where the ring had went but heard the clatter as it fell to the ground.  Disappointed at my careless clumsiness, I bent down to the ground to pick up the band only to discover that it wasn’t there.  Not only was it not there on the floor, it wasn’t anywhere!

Brance and I checked every square inch of the bathroom.  Thankfully the toilet lid had been down and the bathroom door had been shut.  But we still couldn’t find the ring.  We carefully dumped out the contents of the trashcan and laundry basket in the bathroom hoping to find my ring.  We searched the floor over and over again.  I even carefully searched through the contents of the bathroom linen closet, which had been closed when I dropped the ring and felt like a complete waste of time.  

After tirelessly searching, the only thing we could figure was that because I was standing near the sink, my ring had somehow went down the overflow.  Thankfully we did not run any water after I had dropped my ring.  Brance removed the trap from the sink… no ring.  He used a plumbing tool to try and push it through the overflow, if that indeed was where it was.  The overflow was rusted and clogged… couldn’t get the ring out even if it was there.  It was now beyond what we could do living in an apartment building.  We would have to call maintenance for help when the office was open on Monday (this all went down on a Friday night).

I was attending a bible study the morning that Jim came by to help.  We are very blessed to have Jim here at Carriage Hill; he and Nancy both (Nancy is the apartment manager).  They are both such humble Christ-followers.  In addition to maintaining Carriage Hill Apartments,  Jim is also a preacher at a local congregation on Sundays.  Anyways, Brance is sweet to work from home one morning a week and let me attend a local women’s bible study.  I was thankful that Jim showed up when Brance was here.  The two of them removed the sink (which needed to be removed anyways… it had broken rusty metal around the overflow… dangerous!!!) and unclogged the overflow.  Once I arrived home from my bible study, I was excited to learn that Jim had come.  I was hopeful that they had found my ring.  Brance sadly informed me that indeed there was no ring to be found.

At this point I was stunned.  Then, where could my ring be?  It was like it had completely vanished into thin air!  It hit me that there was a good chance I would never see my wedding band again; it simply was nowhere to be found.

to be continued… (Haddie needs me )

We’re mobile!  Haddie has learned the army crawl and is now able to inch herself all over the place.  It is so cute.  Though, it seems to Brance and I that crawling would be much easier !

I walked into the living room recently to find Haddie playing with her image in her little mirror.  I ran to grab the camera.  I was able to get a picture or two before she discovered I was there and got distracted.

Here she is in one of her more peaceful moments with her daddy .  She is such an active little one that she is usually only still if she’s asleep.  Though she LOVES her daddy and will be still for him.  It is so cute for me to find Haddie snuggled in her daddy’s arms early in the morning while he Bible studies or blogs.  Here Haddie and her daddy are cuddling on a couch at Barnes and Noble.  Aren’t they cute !

Mommy’s little angel …

Yesterday my father-in-law and myself, along with three other men, biked the 50 miles of the New River Trail from Galax to Pulaski. My longest previous ride was 20 miles on this trail, so yesterday was a trial of endurance for me.

We made the trip in just under 6 hours, including our lunch break, with an average speed of 11.6 mph.

Last night I was exhausted, sore, and weak. Today I’m mostly just weak, but not nearly as sore as I had anticipated.

Here are a few pictures I snapped along the way.