Our New Home...Snapshots

The man cave in Nathan's bedroom

Ceramic tile being laid in the sunroom

Fireplace and hardwood floor in the great room

Back view of the house

View from the front

As you all can see, the end of construction is in sight! Hallelujah!!! Our builder is working on staining and trim this week. The flooring people have all of the hardwood laid and are starting on tile. Next will be vinyl and carpet. We were able to finalize the order for our appliances today and will start working on ordering furniture next week.

Please pray with us that every part of this process will be honoring to the Lord and that this home will be used for His glory!!!

By His grace,

Chris for all the crew

Drywall and Porch Railings and Flooring...

Yes, 'tis true...our lovely new home really does look like a home now. Logs are stained. Windows and doors are in. The doors have handles that are locked.

Drywall will be finished this week. We have ordered flooring and the hardwood will be delivered next Tuesday in order to begin acclimating to the temperature of the house before it is laid starting on the 26th. Carpet, vinyl and tile have also been selected.

Cabinets have been ordered and should be delivered within the next few weeks. Countertops have also been selected.

It seems like things are moving along very quickly now and we are very excited.

But the most exciting thing is that we are preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus and are enjoying these days of Advent.

"The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

He is with us...Emmanuel!

Chris for all the crew

Move In Date...3rd Week of January

We have windows and exterior siding.

East end of the house showing walkout basement and sunroom.

Back of the house.

As you can see, the house really looks like a house now. Interior framing is done. The mechanicals are roughed in...plumbing, electrical and HVAC. Tubs/showers/hot tub is in. Roofing is done. Doors should be on this week.

We'll be working on picking out cabinets, countertops, vanities and flooring later this week. Lots of decisions!!!

Our prayer is that every inch of this home will be honoring to Him who has so generously given it to us.

By His grace,

Chris for all the crew

My Latest Creation

Just thought you all (if there are any of you left!) might enjoy seeing something I've enjoyed making for a dear baby girl I know. The skirt was knit with Bernat Floral Jacquard yarn on 24 inch size 4 circular needles. It took 1 week to complete.

The shirt is just a little onesie to which I added a bejeweled iron on.

I just LOVE having an opportunity to create something unique for a little one to wear. :-)

Blessed to be a blessing,

Chris

Tecumseh

Nathan, Rachel & Faith with "Tecumseh"

One of the beautiful horses used in the drama

One of the actors demonstrating the high fall

Firearm demonstration

Behind the scenes tour - Faith, Nathan, Emily,

Brian and Rachel

What a fun, fun evening we had going to see the outdoor drama, Tecumseh, on Friday! I came away inspired to learn more about the life of this gifted Native American leader. We had some good discussion about how Tecumseh's decision to leave his younger brother, Tenskwatawa, in charge was the downfall of what he had worked for 10 years to build. Tenskwatawa was hungry for power, but not at all ready for leadership. Not only that, but both Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh led the people to believe that Tenskwatawa had a gift of prophecy that in reality had been given to Tecumseh. Deception and lust for power...very dangerous combination that resulted in a tragic end.

Ohio history...here we come this year!

By His grace,

Chris

Lots of Cement

Basement floor and garage floor are being poured today. Woohoo!!! Framing should start by the end of the week.

Will try to post pics this evening,

Rejoicing in forward progress after weeks of waiting!!!

Chris

Closing Date!!!

Yes, 'tis true....after weeks of working out details and waiting, we will close on the loan for the new house on Friday afternoon!!! HALLELUJAH!!!

Our builder will be able to get back to work next week. The original estimate of a timeline for the new house was 4 - 6 months. We would LOVE to be in by Christmas, but we'll take whatever time schedule Jesus has in mind. :-)

Just a word of encouragement about dealing with local businesses...we ended up going with a private, locally owned, smalltown bank and it has definitely been the right decision! They have been so kind and have provided us with a loan that will allow us to have the new house paid off before Mark is ready to retire. Not only that, the loan officer is interrupting her vacation this week to come in and do the closing. How's that for service?!?!?

Ephesians 3:20 &21

By His grace,

Chris

Thought for Your Tuesday

Read this on a friend's blog and thought it might encourage someone else like it did me!

"God can turn a MESS into a MESSage, a TEST into a TESTimony, a TRIAL into a TRIumph and a VICTIM into a VICTory."

By His grace,

Chris

Georgia Tech pregame speech before Notre Dame game

I have no idea if this is going to post the way I want it to or not...first time for everything...like posting a video to our blog. But here goes!

Pastor Wendell shared this with us in our morning worship service. Mark & I immediately identified with it. He (Jesus) has called us to this ministry of parenting, Christian foster care and adoption. It is rewarding like nothing else ever could be, but it can also be more difficult and challenging than any other task He has ever asked us to do.

As long as He continues to call us and give us strength for the assignment, we will, in the words of this amazing speech, "fight until we can't fight no mo. Gonna lie down, bleed awhile, get up and FIGHT SOME MO" for every single child that He trusts to our care!!!!

As an old Baptist missionary in Haiti once said, "Refire, but NEVER retire because He says, 'Occupy 'til I come!' "

By His grace,

Chris

Surprise Gift from the Lord

Don't you just love those times when the Lord gives you a surprise love gift out of the blue??? Today was one of those days for me and I am so grateful.

As a foster mom, one of the things dearest to my heart is an opportunity to receive an update on one of the little people that has graced our lives over the years. Those opportunities are so valued because they are VERY rare.

Those of you who know us in real life know that we had the privilege of caring for a precious tiny angel named Baby "A" last summer. She was very dear to us and we all treasured her. After she had been with us from the age of 6 weeks until about 14 weeks, she was securely placed with her loving aunt and uncle. We have not seen her from that day'til this, except for a picture that her aunt e-mailed a couple of months ago.

Guess who was walking out of Children's Hospital today as I was walking in??? Baby "A" and her aunt!!! Only my loving Heavenly Father could have arranged that timing for me. :-)

We had a lovely visit and I came away so blessed by this totally unexpected gift.

His love for us knows no bounds. He delights to bring joy to our hearts. Oh, that we would have that same level of desire to bless His heart.

By His grace,

Chris

Panic Stricken!!!

Yes, that's what I was tonight as I was following 3 other vehicles to the Kidz Trek destination for the evening and looked up, from glancing to the side for only a second, to discover that the other vehicles were stopping to turn around after missing the intended driveway.

I was just about to hit the vehicle in front of me, but with slamming of brakes and squealing of tires (including black marks on the road), Jesus mercifully spared us from what could have been horrible.

After not having been in an accident for 10 years, this was VERY traumatic!

Pastor David shared with the kids about grace...receiving a wonderful gift that we don't deserve...before we took communion tonight. An acrostic for grace is God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

I'm so thankful for that undeserved grace tonight and am reminded of the words to that chorus:
"It covers me. It covers me. His grace falls down and covers me."

By His grace,

Chris

Thought for the Week

From the book "Taking on Giants" by Joe Portale, a YWAM missionary : "I began to see a pattern in God's dealings with me. The brick walls He allowed in my life became the steps of a stairway that led me to the heart attitudes necessary for the ministry He was calling me to."

Have you run into any brick walls lately??? We surely have! May more Christlike heart attitudes be the result.

By His grace,

Chris

Still Here!!!

Esmirna, Chris, Esmirna's mom & Rachel

Arni crew lined up against the new foundation

The pyramid of miracles - Arni sibs 2011

Our six priceless blessings at Myrtle Beach

Old foundation gone; ready for new foundation

Dear blog readers (if there are any of you still left after 4 months!),

Please forgive us for lack of posts!!! Life has been very busy over these last few months as you can imagine and blogging just didn't get priority status. For today, we'll try several bullet points and a few pictures to bring you up to date. Is that a deal???

* April 26th - Our first dumpster was delivered to the site of the old house and we began clearing debris. Took us 2 weeks and 2 huge dumpsters to go through everything shovel full by shovel full. Found some very precious treasures including a tiny Precious Moment Christmas ornament, 2 cannonballs that once sat on the frieplace mantel and a steel rod bent in the sign of the fish and given to the little boys at the Ohio State Fair 2 years ago. Never found the smallest sign of the fireproof box or anything that had been in it.

* May 6th - Completed clearing debris and sifting through ashes. Picked Sarah up from Cedarville and happily brought her home for the summer.

* May 8th - Celebrated the most special Mother's Day ever!!! So very grateful to the Lord for preserving ALL six of our precious blessings. :-)

* May 9th - Rickett's Excavating arrived with their huge equipment and began tearing out the old foundation. Took them 2 days to take it all down to the dirt.

* May 21st - 28th - Amazing family vacation in Myrtle Beach. Again, FAMILY vacation has never meant so much to us!

* June 15th - Spent a day in Amish country and returned to the place Mark & I had been when we first got the call about the fire. Very surreal, but Jesus helped me walk through the day in victory.

* June 19th - 25th - Sarah, Faith, Nathan, Rachel and Chris traveled to Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic as part of a Work & Witness team. Quite a wonderful week of ministry and joining Jesus where He was already at work.

* June 20th - Logs for the new house delivered to the site. New foundation completed including underground plumbing.

* July 7th - Our newest little person, Toddler Boy "B" came home. Very cute and interested in everything around him. He is the 41st little person we've had the privilege of caring for via the ministry of Christian foster care/adoption. He will be with us until he is able to be reunited with a member of his birth family.

* July 2nd - 9th - Sarah flew to Atlanta to spend a week with her dear friend, AnnaBeth.

* July 14th - 24th - Sarah served a a counsleor at Sebring Camp and had an amazing 10 days of drawing closer to the Lord and making new memories.

* July 25th - 29th - Mark completed his 4th doctoral class at Asbury Seminary.

* July 30th - Mark & I celebrated 23 years of walking together in marriage. This year will certainly go down in the history of our family as a HUGE milestone!

* August 7th - Mark preached the Homecoming 2011 service at Mt. Carmel Community Church.

* August 10th - Nathan marked almost 4 months of working nearly full-time construction for Pine Valley Construction. What a wonderful opportunity he has had to learn so many practical skills!!!

* August 10th - 13th - Faith and Nathan served as part of Implosion (a work team based right here in our hometown). They had a grand time and built some great relationships!

* August 13th - Moved Sarah back to Sarah and spent 12 HOURS putting her room together and decorating the hall where she will serve as RA (resident assistant) to 11 girls this year.

There...you're now all up to date! This week we should be closing on the loan for the new house and construction will resume. Yayhoo!!!

Know that we love each of you and would enjoy hear your updates!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. :-)

He is risen!!!

Still sweethearts after almost 23 years of marriage!

Our six blessings ALL together on Resurrection Day

What a wonderful day we have had as a family celebrating the truth of His resurrection! I rejoiced as I sang with the congreagation, "Oh, praise the One Who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"

I wonder...do YOU know Him??? I challenge you to watch a video of Dr. S.M. Lockeridge's famous message titled "That's My King!" Look for the 6min. 30 sec. version on youtube. He IS Who He says He is and He desires to live in relationship with you...to know and to be known intimately.

This week, we are going to be working on sorting through the rubble of the old house for anything that might be salvageable. I still hold out hope that we may find the "fireproof" box.

Matthew 28:6 "He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

We serve the RISEN Savior!!!

By His grace,

Chris

Coming and Going

Faith and I with sweet Michelle Duggar at the homeschool convention 2 weeks ago.

Nathan demonstrating that he can easily hold his older sister.

Sarah after she looked in the garage to see her birthday present...a car! (Daddy got a new to him used car and Sarah got Daddy's old car.)

Sarah and her birthday table first thing in the morning on her birthday.

Psalm 121:8 says "The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Isn't that such comforting reassurance, dear ones???

We have surely been coming and going. This past weekend included 2 round trips to Cedarville so that we could have our beloved Sarah home for her 20th birthday. What a wonderful time of celebration we had together as a family. :-)

Today, we were able to get a few more things moved over from the white rental house AND I got my garden planted...just 8 raised beds. Two are for flowers only and six are vegetables:kohlrabi, beets, zucchini, acorn squash, watermelon, cucumbers, peas, beefsteak tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, wax beans, green beans, carrots, 2 kinds of radishes, eggplant, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lima beans and green peppers. We'll see what comes up. I just get such a blessing out of growing things!!!

Later this week, the excavators should be starting their work at the site of the old house. They literally have to take it down to the bare earth. Not even the foundation can be saved.

We were finally cleared to start going through the rubble late last week, Some of the most exciting finds thus far were a few pieces of china that used to belong to my granny. They are intact, but definitely reflect that they have been through a fire.

I'll leave you all with a few happy pictures of our birthday girl. :-) OK...you got to start with them because I don't know how to put them where I want them in the post. :-(

By His grace,

Chris

We're Still Here...But We've Been Busy

Dear beloved readers, I beg your forgiveness for my lack of postings! Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate these unfamiliar waters that we now find ourselves in. To quickly bring you up to speed on the status of rebuilding: Because the investigation into the fire continues, we are not allowed to disturb the site. Thus, our dear builder is on hold. At this point, we are considering moving the site of the new house 50 feet forward so that the builder can get started on the new house even while the investigation continues at the old site. Meanwhile, we are now staying at the bigger missionary house. What a blessing to be able to spread out in a 5BR, 2.5 BA house again!!! We are still bringing things over from next door, but hope to have that process completed by the end of the week. Last week, we had the privilege and opportunity to speak at a local church on the topic of orphan care/foster care and adoption from a Christian perspective. What a blessed time we had with a body of believers that truly gets it!!! Here is the message that Jesus gave us to share that morning. May it be a blessing to you! "THE MINISTRY OF CHRISTIAN FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION: PARENTING KIDS FROM HARD PLACES" Ten Lessons Learned by the Arni Family 1) THE CHRISTIAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN ORPHAN CARE IS NOT OPTIONAL. James 1:27 says, " Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." EVERYONE can be involved in some way. 2) PARENTING KIDS FROM HARD PLACES IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME AS PARENTING CHILDREN BORN TO YOU. You will need to be willing to expand your knowledge base and add to your skill set. II Peter 1:5 - 9 "For this reason, make every effort to add to you faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 3) PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL. James 5:16b, "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Phil. 4:6 & 7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." 4) A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM WILL ENABLE YOU TO PERSEVERE IN THE TOUGH TIMES. Gal. 6:2, "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Let people help you; don't rob them of the opportunity to come alongside and serve. 5) LEARN ALL YOU CAN ABOUT SPIRITUAL WARFARE. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Eph. 6 :12 6) REDEMPTION IS COSTLY, HARD WORK. I Cor. 6:19b & 20a, "...You are not your own; you were bought at a price..." That great price meant the Cross for Jesus. As we daily lay down our lives for these little ones, there is a cost involved. 7) DO NOT TAKE ACTING OUT BEHAVIOR PERSONALLY. You just happen to be the nearest target. :-) James 1:19b, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,..." Listen for the message coming from the child's hurting heart. 8) YOU WILL BE THIS CHILD'S STRONGEST ADVOCATE. Matt. 7:7 & 8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease (and the services)! 9) THIS CHILD OR CHILDREN, FIRST AND FOREMOST, BELONGS TO JESUS. We must always remember that He loves them so much more than we ever could and that He has a perfect plan even when we don't understand. "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a furture." Jeremiah 29:11 10) JESUS IS IN THE BUSINESS OF RESTORATION AND ALLOWS US TO PARTICIPATE WITH HIM. "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me; because the Lord has annointed me to to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion-to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." CONCLUSION: Did you know when you entered into this sacred ministry of foster care and adoption that you would become these things through Him???? Listen to this list again... 1) Good News preacher 2) binder up of the brokenhearted 3) freedom proclaimer to those imprisoned and in darkness 4) proclaimer of the Lord's favor 5) proclaimer of God's vengeance 6) comforter of those in mourning 7) provider for the grieving 8) bestower of crowns of beauty for ashes 9) bestowers of gladness for mourning 10) bestowers of garments of praise for a spirit of despair What is the result of participating with Jesus in the lives of hurting children in this way??? "They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." We challenge you to join Him where He is already working...get involved in some way in this wonderful work of foster care, adoption and orphan care!!! By His grace, Chris

Shopped 'Til I Dropped

Well, I've pretty much been shopping for 2 days straight at the Mid-West Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati. What a job to try to think through what we lost and what needs tobe replaced! The hardest thing has been trying to remember all the shelves full of children's books that we had collected over the years...especially the antique ones that my granny used to read to me when I was little. But the Lord has been my constant help and He has so very graciously shown me what a gift He has given us through this opportunity to start all over in building a curriculum from the ground up with the benefit of 20 years of experience behind us PLUS His leading in some new directions. Our curriculum is going to look very different than it has ever looked before with the primary emphasis being on family discipleship. Saw Tim Hawkins in action and laughed 'til I had tears in my eyes. Very, very funny!!! Nathan really picked up on his joke about it not being unusual to see a homeschool mom talking to herself...she's just having a parent/teacher conference. :-) Ended the evening by talking to Michelle and Anna Duggar. Anna is Joshua's (the oldest Duggar son) wife. Both ladies were so very warm and easy to talk to. I'll try to get pictures up the first of the week. My prayer for each of you this evening comes from Colossians 1 verse 9, "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives...". By His grace, Chris

Guess What????

This is a picture of Claudette who lives in Cazale, Haiti. She is recovering from severe burns suffered as a result of falling into a fire. Rachel drew the picture that Claudette is holding and we scanned and e-mailed it. Amazing the joy that a simple thing like a picture can bring! Please be praying for this precious angel as she still has a LONG way to go in her recovery. One of her big challenges wil be learning to walk again. OK...on to our BIG NEWS of the day...

The blueprints for our new house arrived in the mail today!!!! Woohoo!!!! It is far beyond our wildest dreams and expectations. :-) LOTS more room for hospitality and ministry. Bring it on, Lord...we're preparing the soil for whatever You desire to plant and harvest for the Kingdom through us and this new home.

Was able to get a much needed perm today. My hairdresser is one of the dearest ladies ever...so caring and interested in her client's lives, not just doing their hair. As I put on my coat to walk out the door, she sweetly handed me a gift certificate for the total cost of TWO more perms!

Rachel and Faith got to spend the day being loved on by the Gambills. Nathan had another day of work with Brian. Drew had a date with Emily and Jon had the privilege of hanging out with his mama and Granny all by himself.

Mark received a beautiful little scrapbook filled with Scripture, notes of concern, encouraging words and many thoughtful gift cards from the corporate staff of OPRS. We are so blessed that he has the privilege of working for such a wonderful company. In addition, the staff and residents that he works with at WTC have loved us sacrificially in so many different ways.

"The steps of the godly are ordered by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives."

Psalm 37:23 NLT

Resting in Him knowing that He has all the details under His very capable control,

Chris for all the Crew

What To Say...

"...do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matt. 19b & 20 Early this morning, we met with our attorney friend who is lovingly shepherding us through this process of working with insurance. She talked with us for a bit and then led us in prayer before going with us to meet the Cause and Origin Investigator called in by our insurance. He began by introducing himself and then told us that he would be interviewing both me and Mark separately. Mark went first and was questioned for 30 minutes! Then it was my turn. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the investigator was very personable and easy to talk to. He asked LOTS of questions, but also just let me tell the story from my perspective. When he had finished interviewing both of us, he then began examining the site in detail and took LOTS of pictures along the way. He started with the least damaged area of the house...the fireplace and garage...and worked his way to the most damaged area of the house...the center of the basement. After about 3 hours of work, he was able to tell us A)that he had ruled out both me and Mark as suspects, B) the fire had started in the center of the basement in the area of the downstairs stove/furnace which were back to back with each other (only a wall separating them), C) the fireplace and anything in it had absolutely NOTHING to do with the fire and D) he could not rule out a possible electrical or furnace problem as the cause in addition to propane. All in all, the investigator was on site for 5.5 hours today! The next step is that the investigator will be in touch with the adjuster who will then determine, based on the investigator's report, whether there is enough evidence to pursue subrogation against the propane company OR whether the insurance company will just choose to eat the expense of the loss themselves. If the insurance company chooses to pursue subrogation, more intense investigation of the site will be required which could take weeks. If not, we should be free to start searching and clearing the site later this week. Please pray that the insurance company will have wisdom and that Truth will be revealed on all fronts. By His grace, Chris

Such a Fun Day!!!

One of my favorite activities all day long...8:30A to 5:30P...a consignment AUCTION fundraiser for Clearcreek Township Fire Department!!! Oh, how I do love auctions! :-) What a blessing to contribute to one of the fire departments that responded to our fire two weeks ago and gave their all on our behalf!!! Was able to get many, many nice things that we will be able to enjoy both now and in our new home.

Watched a family movie and laughed 'til we nearly had tears running down our face. Laughter is definitely healing. :-) Enjoyed another delicious supper prepared by someone from our church that we are just beginning to know. We are getting VERY spoiled!

Basking in the warmth of His grace,

Chris for all the crew

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

End of Week Two

Seems very hard to believe that we've now been on this unexpected journey for two whole weeks. The rental house is really beginning to seem like home and we are truly settling in.

Received a very special gift from the Lord today...I had e-mailed the Midwest Homeschool Convention about being able to go to the exhibit hall for even 1 day just to connect with various vendors, pick up catalogs and look at curriculum in the hopes that my memory would be jogged and I could begin compiling the list of what we lost for insurance. Within a short time, one of the coordinators e-mailed me back and asked me to contact her ASAP. Come to find out, a Canadian family who had hoped to come suddenly needed to change plans and wanted to transfer their registration to another family. They had a full conference registration which included all 3 days for 4 people, the Worldview Teen Track AND tickets to see both Tim Hawkins and the Duggar family!!!! Woohoo!!! We are SO excited!!! My mom & I, along with Nathan and Faith, will be heading to Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon. Can't wait!!!

Was asked by The Homeschool Foundation to write a little summary of some of what we've been learning through all this. They published it on their facebook page today. Here's the heart of what I sent to them:

Every day we are asked by multiple people how we are doing. And every day we tell them we are doing very well by His grace and through His strength He is all sufficient to meet our every need. There are all three principles from the teachings of Elisabeth Elliot that have been instrumental in our healing and adjustment to this new normal.

1) DO THE NEXT THING - From the time that we first got the call about the fire until now, our days have been packed with more tasks than we could ever begin to complete. Reminding ourselves to just do the next thing has been very freeing.

2) IN ACCEPTANCE LIETH PEACE - Multiple times each day, items come to mind that were lost in the fire and can never be replaced ... my wedding dress, baby books, every snapshot from almost 23 years of marriage, heirloom Christmas ornaments, love letters and the list could go on endlessly. As we choose to accept these things that cannot be changed, the peace that passes all understanding encompasses us.

3) EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE OF OUR LIVES, WHEN OFFERED UP TO HIM, BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A GATEWAY TO JOY. As the hurtful menories surface and painful moments come, we simply say, "Jesus, I am offering this up to You." The joy that Jesus gives IS NOT dependent on our circumstances.

"Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing." Nehemiah 13:2b We have been truly blessed in these last 14 days of the new normal.

By His grace,

Chris

Amazing Discovery

We hit upon a gold mine today in the form of a place called the Waste Not Center. It is located on Fisher Rd. in Columbus and is open every Thursday from 2P - 6P as well as every second Saturday from 9A - 11:30A. This is the description from their website: "The Waste Not Center receives donations from individuals and businesses that would otherwise be discarded and makes them available to teachers, artists and non-profit organizations at no charge other than a small membership fee." A 2 year membership for me as a homeschool teacher was only $50. I am free to go any time the doors are open and take as much as I want. This is what I came away with today...all for FREE!!!!
1) ceramic dish with lid
2) 2 figurines
3) cardboard dollhouse
4) 7 egg cartons
5) 1 floral arrangement
6) 1 ice cube tray
7) 2 divided trays
8) 1 divided plate
9) 1 plastic ice cream bucket with lid
10) 2 ceramic coffee mugs
11) 1 Thomas Train floor puzzle
12) lg. piece of material
13) sm. stained glass frame
14) 1 drink bottle with lid
15) sm. calculator
16) embroidery hoop
17) travel coffee mug
18) kitchen tongs
19) wooden wallhanging to hold keys
20) wooden picture frame
21) sm. bottle brush
22) Bible cover
23) sm. game
24) Farm & Ranch Living magazine
25) 2 c. paper clips
26) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecake Cookbook
27) Insects Do the Strangest Things - book
28) Mrs. Mike - book
29) Roget's II The New Thesaurus
30) Volumes 7,8,9,12,15,17,18 & 19 of Golden Book Encyclopedia
31) Pippi Longstocking - book
32) Miss Pickerel Goes Undercover - book
33) Roget's New Pocket Thesaurus in Dictionary Form
34) Frightful's Mountain - book
35) After Many Days - book
36) counted cross stitch pattern
37) The New Read Aloud Handbook
38) Scholastic Children's Dictionary
39) Highlights for Children - magazine
40) greenery arrangement

Thus I leave you with this Scripture for the evening: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20 & 21

Oh Happy Day!...Scoops is now open!!!

Yes, you read that right...yummy deliciousness is available once again at Scoops! And now I live right around the corner from that wonderful place. How cool is that?!?!?! Ice cream...here we come. :-)

Put together a bookcase today to help with organization of toys, games and books. Rearranged the living room a bit. Got a little bit of laundry done. Stopped by Big Lots once again and found a handy dandy little tool kit to use around the house.

Nathan and Brian got started on the new portable chicken coop...can't wait for them to get it finished so we can bring a few of the best hens over here to the rental porperty. There's just nothing like fresh eggs!!!

Planning to check out a place called Waste Not Center tomorrow. For a small membership fee, you can go any time the doors are open and take whatever you would like for FREE! Many of the things are designed for teachers so we are hoping to be able to start replenishing our homeschool resources. Check it out at www.wastenotcenter.org (I think.)

From the Word: "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3 He is revealing much to us in these days of the many ways that He is working for our good in and through the experience of the fire. Praise His Name!

By His grace,

Chris for all the crew

Another Love Gift from Jesus

I worked on preparing bills to mail whilst the little boys painted wooden helicopter parts. Note to self: better to spread a huge drop cloth when little boys paint than to rely on a simple paper grocery bag to contain the mess. Nathan worked with Brian again all day and Rachel went with Emily to learn a little Spanish and help clean house.

Mom graciously came over yet again and took Faith, Drew and Jon to lunch at McDonald's with time at the PlayPlace afterwards. So fun for them and gave me a chance to run several errands.

Found a bird feeding station at Aldi's that I had spotted in their weekly ad. Also picked up some more seed packets for 10 cents each at Sutherlands and a couple more raised bed kits at Big Lots. I just have to be able to grow something even if it isn't my regular garden this year. :-)

But the big find of the day for me was at Tractor Supply! Just 2 days before the fire, I had purchased a wall hanging which read, "Children are God's flower buds just waiting to open." I placed it on the wall right beside our front door so that anyone coming into our home would know how we feel about each child's potential. Guess what I found at the Circleville store today??? You guessed it...that very plaque!!! It was the only one like it left. Jesus saved it just for me. :-)

I leave you with this nugget from His Word: "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance."

By His grace,

Chris

We Found Duchess ALIVE!!!!

Such a wonderful day!!! And one of the sweetest parts was finding our dear Duchess alive in the briar patch by the old house. I had stopped by Mom's to pick up a few things and decided to go back to the site for a bit. I spied something in the rubble that looked like it had words on it. As I went around to the walk out end of the basement to retrieve it, I heard scrambling over in the briar patch. As I glanced over to see what was making the sound, I saw a blur of black & white and heard what sounded like meowing!!! Sure enough, there was our precious Duchie...alive and seemingly well. It took a good bit of coaxing, but I was finally able to lure her close enough to pick her up. She just wrapped her paws around my neck like always. :-) Life from the ashes again!!!

Worked on errands again today. Sutherlands, Big Lots, Bank, Aldis. Oh, and DQ...can't forget that in the interest of full-disclosure. :-)

Blessed by another delicious meal prepared by a family from our Connection Group at church.

Then finished out the evening at the Tragedy into Triumph service at Circleville Nazarene. And the worship leader led us in singing our new family theme song..."Out of the Ashes...WE Rise!" That song sure means a whole lot more to us today than it did 10 days ago. Mr. Wayne Huizenga, Jr., president of Huizenga Holdings Inc., an investment conglomerate, spoke about his experience of finding success in business, but remaining unsatisfied until he entered into a personal relationship with Jesus. He discovered that a relationship with a church does not equal a personal relationship with Jesus. Only Jesus truly satisfies!!!

Scripture for the day: "...and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the dsiplay of his glory." Isaiah 61:3

By His grace,

Chris

Quiet Sunday

A wonderful morning of worship with our dear church family followed by a delicious meal and afternoon of fellowship with good friends. And the bonus was getting to love on their beautiful labradoodle, Rosie. :-) Nothing like some sloppy dog kisses to brighten one's day!!!

Worked on paperwork and organizing receipts this afternoon and evening. Finally have it all recorded in an orderly fashion. What a relief!!!

Looking forward to an an early bedtime after having a difficult time staying awake from time to time today.

Will leave you with this nugget from the Word, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

I Peter 4: 12 & 13

Polk, Nathan's grand champion breeding turkey, survived the fire along with the other tom, 2 turkey hens and the chickens, Praise God that their pens are as far away from the house as they are or the tremendous heat and sparks would have gotten them.

Another Great Day

I'm so sorry for the late post, but when I went to post before bed...no internet connection! AAAGGGHHH!!!

So here I am for just a quick post...woke up with Jesus showing me some things that I knew I needed to get down on paper while they were fresh in my mind so I wouldn't forget. And if course I had to check to see if internet was up so you all are getting a quick middle of the night post. :-)

Kids got to go to COSI yesterday with Brian and Emily...came home excited after having a blast. Then went on to their first 4H meeting of the year last evening and had fun there, too.

Meanwhile I stayed home ALL day (imagine that!) and got a ton done. What a relief to begin to get all our paperwork organized and get a gift list started so we can begin to get thank yous out to all who have so very generously poured into our lives this past week!!!

Looking forward to a special morning of worship tomorrow!!!

These last 8 days have taught us to look at everything through the perspective of the Cross. How are YOU doing with that truth these days???

Hugs to each of you who are following along with us on this amazing journey!!! :-)

Chris

The Lord Is My Rock

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior...In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." II Samuel 22:2&3, 7, 19b and 20

Truly He is our Rock...our very firm foundation in the storm...our source of peace that passes all understanding. We are resting in Him. :-)

I was able to stay home all day today. Woo hoo!!! Several angels passed in and out through the doors. One came to organize the pantry, do laundry and organize the boys' room. Another worked on sorting, labeling and putting into bins the mountain of clothing in the garage. One of my computer heroes loaded software, fixed the printer and explained a little more of the mystery of blogging. A sweet baby gave herself and was a minister of encouragement as she let me hold her and spilled a bubbling brook of laughter throughout the house. Still another precious soul ran errands and made needful purchases. Delicious pizza and salad appeared right on time for supper. A person I had never met before brought homeschool supplies, curriculum, toiletries, toys and games. Someone came and took Faith and Rachel for a delightful outing.

How very, very blessed we surely are!!!

Tomorrow the kids are headed to COSI for the day. Some of them have never been there so it will be quite an adventure. :-)

Mark & I are planning to work here at the house until time to head out to 4H meeting in the evening.

Meanwhile, bits and pieces of our former life continue to surface at the site. Today, an antique ax head, a china doll head, 2 china doll arms and 1 china leg were found.

I'll leave you with a happy picture before I fall asleep typing.

Blessed by a Special Gift

Sometimes we think that what we do is of little significance. The mechanic may "just" be fixing a car. A teacher "just" teaches the same concept one more time. Some farmer "just" works the ground and plants the next crop.

But the Word says that, "God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them."

Today He gave me a BIG love gift and it came via the Verizon salesman "just" doing his job serving a customer. I came away from the store with a car charger (so that I am not halfway through the day & have a dead phone because I am using it so much), a bluetooth headset (so that I don't wreck the SUV trying to drive one handed becaue I am constantly on the phone with one thing after another these days), a phone for Faith so that she has some means to communicate to the outside world when Mark & I both have to be gone and she is watching the others; no land line in the rental house), a microSD card (so that I can take pictures with my phone when needed and then transfer them to the computer) AND.....................

some pictures that I had on my cell phone which included this one of Abby and Faith!!! Woo hoo!!! What a blessing to see that sweet little pug face!!! (And might I add that I am so proud of myself for figuring out how to get a picture from my cell phone microSD chip to the blog post...even if it is sideways!)

• Because I am longing for my bed, you all are going to get bullet points for the rest of this post:


• A divine appointment sitting at the dog pound from 5:30A - 10:15A (but that's another post in and of itself)


• Very teary while explaining to the dog warden and the Humane Society that Abby, Cocoa and the 2 birds died in the fire


• Stopped by the appliance store to start the process of picking out new appliances so the owner can get a price quote for insurance


• Stopped by the furniture store to give them a heads up about needing to do the same thing with them


• Grabbed a shredded chicken sandwich and coke on the run for lunch


• Went to the post office to get stamps for thank you notes


• Visited the county auditor's office to fill out their form required for total losses


• Purchased thank notes at Christian book store so I can get started with what will be a BIG job...we are so, so very blessed!!!


• Bought groceries with a voucher from Charity Newsies


• Visited our burnt kitty at the vet...needless to say, he was very glad to see a familiar face. :-) The most pitiful part is seeing how painful his little burnt paws are to him. :-(


• Unloaded groceries at home and had just a little while before Mark got home, supper was delivered and more visitors arrived with additional donations.


• Enjoyed the first meal with all of us around the table at the same time since last Friday (although I was falling asleep with my head in my hands while my beloved was trying to lead family devotions).

May I leave you all with this challenge?? Consider..."But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Genesis 9:16

Are YOU allowing His power to be revealed in you that His matchless Name might be proclaimed in all the earth???

By His grace,

Chris for all the crew

P.S. I promise I'll try really hard tomorrow to write the story of what happened to us just 1 week ago...the day our lives changed forever.

Exhausted!

That is what I am, BUT the rental house no longer looks like a cyclone struck it. :-) My OCD tendencies kicked into very high gear after everyone else was in bed and everything is fairly in order now. Hallelujah!!! It drives me bonkers to have clutter everywhere and not know where things are.

Met with the insurance adjuster yesterday. Positive experience! He is supposed to be getting us the "large loss packet" this week. Sounds a bit ominous to me, but we'll just wade through it one form at a time.

Also met with our builder yesterday. He was to meet with the log manufacturer this morning to get some drawings going for blueprints. If everything goes well, we should be able to start the new house in about 3 weeks. Yay!!!

We continue to be astounded by the lavish blessings being poured out on us. In many ways, this fire has really been a gift to us. Just tonight, the youth group from Crossroads Church came and sorted clothes for hours. What a HUGE blessing!!!

Talked with our older daughter tonight. She's back on campus to finish out the semester. As we talked, she shared that people continue to ask her how she can have such peace & be OK in the midst of this. She replied that it is only through Jesus that this kind of peace is possible. How true!!! Both of us feel like we are done crying and are ready to move on in this new adventure. I'm sure there will be many more times where a particular memory will bring tears again, but today we've reached another milestone in the process of grief.

Will try tomorrow afternoon to begin to write the story of what took place beginning on March 10th.

Psalm 116:12 "How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?"

By His grace,

Chris

A New Beginning

Our God is Greater

Water you turned into wine, opened the eyes of the blind there's no one like you none like You!
Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Into the darkness you shine out of the ashes we rise there's no one like you none like You!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
Then what could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
Our God is greater, our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!

By Chris Tomlin