5:22

Today I really feel like writing, so that's fair warning to any of you who are short on time or just don't really care to read my ramblings:)

A quick update on life before I delve into deeper things...

Joe and I have both decided to apply to take some classes at the seminary this fall. I am really excited not only for the classes I will be taking but to be able to connect with people who are interested in pursuing the same type of things that I am. I think I am going to try to complete an MA in Biblical Counseling if all goes as planned, i.e. no accidents happen. Joe is thinking of getting an MA in some type of adult ministry thing also. It will be neat if we can take some of our classes together and discuss what we are learning and what our thought processes and such are as we go through everything. It will be neat to see how we grow spiritually as we pursue this together.

We also found out that my brother Josh will be moving down here to attend school this fall, so that is really exciting. He will be moving in with us this summer, so we are hoping to be in a bigger apartment in our complex very soon. It will be really nice to have some family in the area and Joe is really excited to have a automatic guy pal to hang out with when I'm working. Hopefully Pita and Josh will be able to work out the differences they've had in the past and live in peace together...Josh isn't holding his breath on that one though.

I found out this weekend that someone was hired to fill the shift that I am currently working in the lab, which means I will be moving to my new day-shift position very soon! The lady that was hired is actually the person who's position I took. She had moved down to Florida to be by her daughter and now is looking to move back. She will not require much training, meaning I will get to move to days much faster than I would if they had to train someone new to our lab. I am really looking forward to being on a normal schedule! Right now I pretty much don't see or speak to anyone three days out of the week because I am working when everyone else is available for me to do that with and sleeping when everyone else is working. It will also be nice to be able to spend more time with Joe and to be more flexible as far as hanging out with people at night.

There are a couple of things I will miss about working nights, one being the solitude that sometimes comes with the shift. I have had a lot of time to think, ponder, pray, even cry out to God on third shift. Because I don't work with anyone else in the lab and things tend to slow down in the ER after midnight, there are usually one or two nights a week when I can count on having 2-4 hours of time with no human contact. Some people would hate this, but I thrive on it. I am definitely an introvert by nature. Anyway, this morning was one of those mornings where I was by myself for a very extended period of time. Recently I've been using some of it to write out my prayers and thoughts to God and to read my Bible. I haven't been real consistent in it...or in time with God at all for the last couple of years really.

For a long time I had loved to spend time with God every day. I looked forward to it. God was showing me new things every day in His word, I was having wonderful prayer and worship times with Him, I was listening for and hearing His voice in regard to my life, decisions I made, even regarding the speed limit when I was driving. Anyway, a bunch of not fun stuff happened and I ended up feeling tired, hurt, angry, and bitter. I struggled for a while with legalism. Then I struggled with the church and Christians in general. Then I struggled with whether Christianity was even worth it. There were a lot of 3 a.m.s spent in agony wondering if I was even saved. Why couldn't I connect with God in the way I used to? Why did I feel so far from Him? God had to remove some influences from my life that I had allowed to have a larger voice than His and I started to see more clearly what had happened. He used sermons and Sunday school lessons, He used podcasts and emails, He used His Word, and He spoke to me.

I'm not going to get into everything I've realized prior to today...this isn't supposed to be my memoirs or anything and you didn't expect a book when you started reading. Anyway, today I figured out one of the last pieces of the puzzle. Selfishness. I don't think I realized until this morning how much I expect everything and everyone to revolve around me. It made me sick to my stomach. Has anyone else experienced this? Even the times I've thought I was being selfless, my motives haven't been. To make a long story short, I had to repent. After I did, I experienced joy like I haven't felt in two years. It physically felt like a burden had been lifted off of me. The wall has been broken down. I know selfishness is always going to be a struggle...I think it is for everyone, as everyone just tends to look out for themselves, but I was reminded today that Jesus died and rose for that and that I don't have to be a slave to that any longer. Praise God, He has set us free from sin! I am dead to sin and alive in Christ!

Now that I have freaked all of you out at 8 a.m., I will go. Just be glad you aren't Joe, he got to hear a much more detailed and animated version of this at 6:30. I love having joy at 5:22 in the morning!

The Walk of Shame

For some reason, I cannot change my font and color on this posting, so no fun colors today. Sorry everyone.

Anyway, I really am only writing this blog because I am thinking of where I was at this time yesterday (that would be 7:13 a.m. precisely) and laughing out loud to myself, unless you count Riley, who just gives me a look like I'm completely crazy any time I make an audible noise. He doesn't count.

A few weeks ago, Joe's car would not start, and because we have been putting dollar after dollar into keeping this car running, we decided it was not worth fixing anymore and are now down to one car. (We have an interested buyer in Joe's car, by the way, so keep that in your prayers!) Because of this, Joe has been picking me up at work and dropping me off at home before he goes to work. If I am not working, I will usually just drop him off myself so I can have the car for the day. Yesterday, however, he was dropping me off at home because I had to work that night so I was just going to sleep all day anyway.

A few minutes before he picked me up from work, I called him to ask him to please leave the door unlocked as I had left my keys at home. He said he would and we hung up. I was so glad I didn't have to walk home that morning because I had been feeling really sick all night and was just ready to crash. A warm bed and some strong pain medication were calling my name.

Joe picked me up and brought me back to the apartment. A garbage truck followed us into the complex and was waiting for the car to move, so I said my goodbyes quickly and ran to the door. I jiggled the knob and it was LOCKED. I ran back to the parking lot and Joe had just sped off. I then ran to the back of our apartment building because there is a road Joe takes to one of his jobs that winds around back there. Unfortunately, that was not the job he was going to yesterday, so he went a different direction. I then checked the patio door. That was locked, too. By this time, Riley had heard the commotion I was making and starting barking at me. I burst into tears. I had no phone to call my husband and no keys to get into the apartment. I could've waited until the apartment manager came in, but she wouldn't have been in until 8. Not wanting to wait an hour and a half on my cold patio for this to happen, I began the walk of shame to find a pay phone.

If anyone has tried to find a pay phone in the last, oh, several years, they may have noticed that there aren't many left due to the rise of the cell phone. Yesterday was my day to find this out. I had not stopped crying earlier and upon realizing that there was no pay phone to be found, I cried even harder. Needless to say, I walked all the way back to work and called Joe from there to come and let me into the apartment. He came and got me at 7:13.

That was my adventure for the week. Oh, and I broke a lab instrument. What a boring life I lead!

I just can't get started...

For the few who have been checking for an updated blog, here it is.  Maybe the title is inappropriate now, as I have started this blog three or four times and have not yet made it past the first paragraph.  Today may be my lucky day.

Anyway, being that it's 5:58 a.m. and I slept for approximately 5 hours in the last 36, this may not make much sense, so bear with me.

I guess a lot has happened since I last blogged.   New developments in the Martin household include:  Joe's car completely died, my car is completely fixed:), the apartment is in process of being painted, I got a day-shift position, and Riley is no longer allowed on our bed.  That last one was only added due to me being lazy and not wanting to go back and restructure my sentence.  I guess that is sort of a new development anyway!  

It seems like this year (I can't believe I'm writing this after all three months of it) has been a mixture of blessings and, well, frustrations, but it has been sort of neat to see how God has provided for us through everything.  Joe and I have both been on a spiritual roller coaster over the past 2 years and even at our lowest points God has taken care of our every need.  I was just telling my grandma today that if all the events that have taken place in 2008 for Joe and I had taken place in 2007, we would not have made it financially.  So praise God that He is faithful even when we are not!  

Now that I have written another completely random blog, I will try and get some sleep.  This blog is dedicated to Beth, as I know she will appreciate the time and thought that was put into it:)

Decisions, decisions...

Sorry for the random empty post...I was writing and I think it got erased.  I guess I didn't realize it would still post the title!

Anyway, this week has been interesting thus far.  I had to work last night and have to work the next few nights also.  Last night someone came in that was losing blood so I had to issue my first units of blood to the ER.  The paperwork is a bit daunting in that process and that is something that really scares me to screw up because it can really hurt someone if their transfusion history gets messed up.  

I made a reservation for Riley at a kennel here in Louisville yesterday since we are heading up for Eric and Paula's wedding this weekend.  I feel a bit like a mom leaving her child for several days.  I hate to think how I'll act when I have a real baby because I already cry when Riley freaks out if I have to leave him at the vet.  I don't think he's going to be very happy being left, but at least he will have constant attention, which he wouldn't have up north since Joe and I are going to be so busy up there.  I haven't been this excited to be  in Grand Rapids...ever I don't think.

Joe and I went to an informational meeting on a mission trip to Chile in October through our church.  I guess we will be doing a lot of Scripture distribution, maybe some creative ministries, prayer walking, etc.   We have to decide by March 30th if we are going to go.  I would really like to go on this for a lot of reasons.  It will be interesting to see if it pans out since the last...hmm...three mission trips I have attempted to go on have been cancelled due to things like September 11th, pregnancies, etc.  If any of you who read this could be praying about this decision for us that would be wonderful!  It's going to be a bit of a job raising money for two of us to go instead of just one, so we really want to be sure this is what God would have us do.

Well, now that I've written pretty much one of the most random and hard -to-follow posts EVER, I suppose I should get ready for work.  I hope you all are enjoying your week!  

Introduction

Well, my husband seems to think that I need to have a blog, so here it is.  It's been a while since I've done this type of thing so bear with me while I get reacquainted with sharing parts of my personal life over the internet;)  

Anyway, things in Kentucky are going fairly well.  Riley had an eye checkup yesterday and it sounds like his vision is going to be fine.  He has to wear the cone on his head for two more weeks, but in some ways I kind of like it because he can't get to Pita as easily and he stays out of things he shouldn't be in.  It will be sad when that check isn't there for him anymore.  Joe has started his new job at the hospital and has picked up several days both there and at another hospital in the system, which is really nice.  We found out yesterday that we are going to have to pay a truckload of money to get my last two wisdom teeth out; apparently I have to have a biopsy on some tissue around one of them because there is some sort of cyst there, which makes the extraction a lot more expensive. It will be good to have some extra money coming in for that purpose.  At least we'll have met our medical deductible for the year and it won't even be March!  I don't like dealing with insurance stuff...makes me miss being an irresponsible child. Oh well though.

We are going up to Michigan next weekend for Eric & Paula's wedding, which should be fun.  I think we are going to be able to see almost every friend we have from the college days so I am looking forward to it.  I bought a sweet dress and a clutch and may be naughty and buy some shoes and a new shrug or something today.  Funny how when you find out that you actually need to start spending your money a little more wisely you want to spend more of it on stuff you really can't justify needing...at least in my case:(  

Joe wrote a little on the spiritual analysis that we took when we joined the church, and I have to say, I'm a little jealous of his gifts.  My primary gift seems to be discernment...the gift of the hated.  As if I need any help in making people mad at me; I do it well enough with my sin nature;)  The others in my top five were teaching, knowledge, hospitality, and shepherding.  I was a little disappointed that counseling wasn't in my top five.  That is what I had wanted to go to seminary for and even though it scored relatively high, there are other areas where it seems I am more gifted.  I know that this analysis is just supposed to be a guide to help you figure things out, but in my own opinion, I don't feel like it's wrong.  I have been thinking and praying about how God would have me use my gifts and am now considering not doing the counseling program at the seminary but still taking classes and possibly pursuing some sort of degree; not sure what type yet though.  While I think that doing counseling would be good, I'm starting to think that it may not be the best use of my gifts.  What the best use is, I'm not sure of yet, but I'm starting to think it wouldn't be that.  Who knows.

Well, now that I've bored you all to tears, I suppose I will go to my step aerobics class.  This ended up being a lot longer than I had planned...probably because I haven't really talked to anyone about these things due to working and then falling asleep at 6 p.m., missing all phone calls from the people I love.  I won't be so long-winded next time...hopefully.