Les Mis; answered prayer/miracles

A couple of Thursdays ago we went to see Les Mis with Amanda and Carrie. Amanda was about to go to New Mexico for nine months for schooling. So we met up with her two days before she left to see this. When we were going to the Fox to see some plays, we saw a few really great shows. I thought I would love Phantom, but it wasn't so great. I didn't think I'd like Hairspray or Les Mis. But it turned out they are so good, though complete opposites. Hairspray is flashy, funny, and so much fun. Les Mis is dark, sad, and intense. Hairspray has loose morals and lacks God. Les Mis is all about how everyone thinks they are pleasing God and about redemption. When we saw that it was playing at the outdoor theatre, even though it was hot, we decided to see it. Of course it wasn't as good as the first time. Since that one was indoors, the sound was stronger. But there was a lot I missed the first time because I didn't know what it was about. This time I knew what to look for. It was emotional. "To love another person is to see the face of God". I'm glad we got to see it with them. Of course Mina came too. We went to their apartment first to have homemade pizza. It was good. Then we drove us all to the show. So now Amanda is gone and probably lonely. I don't want her to be lonely.

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Now for answered prayers and miracles.

First, there's a lady I know who has tons of family that are all incredibly close and dependant on eachother. She has a husband, two grown daughters, and a 9 year old son. She got cancer at least two years ago. She went through tons of chemo. It just kept coming back. Finally, she had one last option, faith not being it, to try. She went to Pennsylvania, I believe, to a clinic. They do a vicious treatment that can kill a person. It just drains you, so that you really are about dead. She came back home and wouldn't get results until months later. She didn't really want them in case it didn't work. This way, she could go on pretending to be ok. She finally got the results and the cancer is gone. Now, it has been gone before and came back, but I don't think that will happen. I know that I've prayed for it to go away and stay away. I'm sure there are other people who have done the same. I told my sister I think that's a miracle, but she didn't know if she wanted to give God the credit or give the credit to modern medicine. All good gifts come from God.

Second, we have had some serious sewer problems. Over the last few years, our toilet has gotten sluggish at flushing. We prayed about it and it made the flushing better, but one day I went down to do laundry and I saw the big bucket that the air water goes into was full. I went to open the hole to pour it out and instead water came up. Eventually it went down and I closed the hole. I started my laundry. Mina was taking a bath. I was upstairs and I heard a loud sound like water bursting up something. Mina yelled for me and I couldn't get in the bathroom because she locked it so I told her to get out of the tub. When she opened the door, it wasn't the tub at all, but the toilet bowl was empty. I went downstairs and there was mildly soapy water all over the floor from the washer. When the washer went to empty again, I heard more water splashing. The sewer was so blocked, that the water busted off the lid on the side of our main pipe in the basement and the water was coming out of it. So we couldn't flush the toilet or shower or wash dishes or do laundry. Even washing our hands and brushing out teeth was difficult. We had a guy try to auger it but it would only go 15 feet. Last time they came, they said it would cost $1700. So I was getting really worried. We only have some money in savings and it's going down because of lots of stuff. A very good friend of ours was praying for us and wanted to know what to do. God told her to look in her receipts book from a cleaning job. She found out that she didn't get paid for a length of time, but didn't realize it because of being sidetracked. She called to verify and they told her she was right. They are giving her a check for $900. She talked it over with her husband and they are giving it to us to help pay for our sewer. Of course, I have thanked them, but I know that if it was us with the money and them with the problem, and I prayed about it, I would know that that money was no longer mine. It was from God and for us. I am amazed at that. I think it's the most obvious miracle we've had. Of course, there have been others. Tony doesn't have asthma anymore and he has eaten peanuts in food accidently, twice, and hasn't gotten sick at all. In the past, he had a cookie with some peanut butter in it, and it made him so sick he had to go to the hospital. At the very least, it will make his throat itchy, then make his skin blotchy, then close up his lungs, then kill him. Soon after, he ate something at a chinese restaurant that had peanuts and he went to the hospital again. Now, when he accidently eats peanut stuff, he might get an itchy throat. That's it. Nothing else. Unbelievers can say that he is just getting over the allergy. All good gifts come from God. Anyhow, I told my sisters and parents about the money and though they did think it was really nice of our friends to give us money, they didn't seem to be that impressed with the God part. I told a lady at work who tries very hard to believe and has more faith than my family does, and she thought it was pretty amazing. I agree with her.

Third, yesterday the sewer people came and were able to get the hardest part done, right in between the house and our neighbors driveway. The driveway is rock and it had cement rectangular stones, that go down in the ground to edge their driveway. When they dug out down to the pipes, the "dirt" ended up being sand and it was not cooperating. It kept falling back down, and making more of the ground collapse, even when one of the guys was in the hole. When they got finished with that part for the day, the main guy told me that the cement blocks all fell into the hole. He hoped that our neighbors wouldn't notice or be mad. And if all else failed we could get the city to tell them that it had to be done and there isn't a @#% thing they can do about it. I didn't want to do that. I kind of lightly prayed about it and told Tony. I keep being anxious for it to be done, and finally they start work on it only for another problem to stress me out. So I worried for a minute then tried not to. A few minutes later, the neighbor came home. I rushed out there to talk to him and he was just like "It's no problem". Then he said he wants to pour a cement driveway anyway and that he hates rock. And not to worry about it. I was elated. It was absolutely the most perfect outcome. I expected him to be mad, because if it had been my decent driveway, I wouldn't want it to have been touched. He shouldn't have to pay for our problems. But he didn't mind at all. I was just giddy. All good things come from God.

And fourth, yesterday was my first day back to work. I needed to have this Friday and next Monday off for a wedding in Kentucky. So I had to already ask for both of my personal days off, only four days into the school year. I was worried because it's so early in the year, and I'm working a new job and a new person is taking my old job, and because we have a new principal who might want to make an example of me. So I prayed about it ONE time and left it alone. Sometimes, out of habit of negative thinking, a doubt would come in my head. And very quickly I would say no, don't think that way. It will be fine. I WILL be going on this trip. I never prayed about it again though. So I went to work and thought about asking if the principal approved it yet. Then I thought if he hadn't, then it would make him irritated that I'd asked. Then I forgot about it until the end of the day when I was filling out my time. Then I asked my boss if she had heard anything about it. She said yeah, it was approved. She'd gotten a paper saying it was. She said it as if I should've known already. Faith works. There are times, I believe, when you'll ask for something and will not get it because it isn't ok or the right time. But I knew that this had to be ok. I was certain it would be ok. And yet, when she told me, I felt even more happy like it was settled. All good gifts come from God.

A little thing that happened was that I had to go shopping for a skirt and shirt for this wedding. I HATE shopping. I went and kind of got overwhelmed at first. But I quickly found two shirt that looked pretty good, which is all I can hope for. I still needed a skirt. I went to another store and found a skirt at the last minute and another shirt. I was so happy. Quick and painless. I didn't even get to the point of feeling dizzy. It wasn't the most important thing, but I still have to praise God.

We leave Friday afternoon for Kentucky. Our friends are coming to our house around noon. We're coming back Monday. Right now we're trying to clean everything. With the sewer problems, it has slowed us down a lot. So I have a day and a half left to clean like mad. I work best under pressure. This house should be spotless.

house church things

Last Sunday we went to a Randy and Mary's house. Tony had met them once or twice. I never had but he spoke highly of them, and had been emailing Mary a little. One of the times when Tony met with them, he also met Alvin and Margaret, We had then to our home over a month ago, with their youngest child, Eleanor. They we really easy to get along with and they also brought a simple salad, but it was made with lots of vegetables, lettuce being a minor ingredient. It was really good.

At Randy and Mary's house there was also another couple, Chuck and Jackie. They're nice and are fairly involved with their church, but they want to move to Texas. She is noticing that the church, even though they have given the church plenty of money, that the church isn't there for them in return. And I'm sure that's true. Alvin talked about his job situation. We picked them up because their car wouldn't start. Chuck and Jackie offered to take Alvin's family home, which was really nice because Mina had to sit on my lap, without a seatbelt so that we could all fit, this while driving on 170. We talked about how we should be, as house church people.

This week we went back. Jackie wasn't there because she went to Tennessee for a wedding. Alvin brought his other children, Addison and Mya. They were really cute. The kids took a while to warm up, but eventually were talking quietly together. They took turns playing Mina's DS. Alvin and Margaret ended up getting a minivan that would've cost them $900 but they got it for free. The air doesn't work and they're in need of some kind of gasket that will cost $1700, but I believe that either it will be fixed for them, or this car is temporary and when it dies, another will be there for them. Alvin is trying to find work, but is having a hard time. I think he wants a job where he can get paid for his ministry. He feels like he won't have enough time to work a normal job and still have time to give his all to helping people. We also had our first communion with them. Margaret brought Mogen David wine, which was really sweet and good, and I think maybe Chuck brought bread. Maybe not. We had dinner with that. It was a nice time.

Next week we're going to Greg and Kathryn's. Not their house. Kathleen is getting baptized, which is awesome. I think we're going to a hotel to do it. Travis and Roberta came into town from Texas. Their hotel might have a pool.

Saturday, we went to Miriam and Allan's wedding. It was very simple. They had a big wedding party. They both wore sandals. Roberta played the guitar and sang before the wedding and while they walked up and back down the aisle, and after the wedding while everyone cleared out. The reception was normal except that we got to eat right when we got there. It was like a cafeteria line. I've only been to receptions where the bridal party, then the family, then everyone else goes to eat. I found out that Miriam has three Japanese siblings. I think two brothers and one sister. The oldest brother was cool, with japanese anime hair and a skinny torso. I almost did the dollar dance with Allan but then it felt embarrassing. Mina met a boy, maybe named Josiah. He's 10, lives in Wisconsin, goes to a christian school, and Mina says he's cute. Also, there were these great origami decorations on the tables. Little birds and some balls kind of shaped like the Epcot ball. It was typical though. Macarena, Cha Cha Slide, the Chicken Dance. I'm guessing we left around 4:30.

It was my family's convention this weekend. Leah asked me if it felt weird knowing that they're at the convention and I'm not. I said it can a little, but I don't always know when they're assemblies are. And since my weekend just feels like any other weekend, I don't notice too much. But for them, the convention is an event. Me not being there has to be weird. This year is the first convention I have ever missed. In 28 years. THAT is weird. Leah said she misses me most when she doesn't see me at the assemblies, because it's smaller, like 700 people, and we used to sit a few rows in front of them. Mina would sit with them for the second half sometimes. It makes me sad that it has to be this way. And yet I feel good about my decision. It's bittersweet.

In less than two weeks we're going to Jeremy and Erika's wedding. Tony is officiating. Gil is Jeremy's best man. We're staying in cabin. We'll leave Friday, around noon, and come back Monday, late afternoon. It's a 6 hour drive. Gil and LeAnn are coming here, maybe to our house. We'll have to take two cars, but we'll probably trade people so we can have more fun. I haven't talked to Gil in at least 2 weeks. I've been trying to stay off of Skype because it's distracting. I did talk to LeAnn, just about the trip plans. I'm excited about it now that I've got my clothes shopping done.