Greetings from Eli!!!!
Our pup is getting so big!
Surely I have not been a faithful steward to all of you when I invited you into our life from our home in Columbus, Mississippi through the means of this blog. I sincerely apologize and I will now proceed to catch up where I have left off many months ago!
We have now completed Phase II and are now in the midst of Phase III… which means Andrew has switched planes on you! He is now flying the Talon 38, also known as the T-38 (here is a link to give you an idea about what Andrew is doing now and what a T-38 is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLC-qZ-_Xyw&feature=related). I think you would consider it the sports car of the sky =) God has been so kind to us and we know that this opportunity is a nothing less than a gift and definitely not deserved. Yet He is using it for His gospel purposes!
Andrew and I at his track select!
They went to the desserts of Arizona to visit the centrifuga, which is a place all the guys who get the T-38 have to go so they can pull many Gs--aka gravity--to ensure they can endure what they signed up for.
My crazy husband in his G suit!! Haha!
His friend Nate just about to pull many Gs at the centrifuga
Andrew before he pulled Gs-- he did great!!!
..but he got g-easles! (little bumps that looked like messles-- happened after he pulled 7.5 Gs!)
Andrew's new training class
It’s crazy how different this Phase was from the previous phase. But I am sure the main reason is because of God’s grace that has waken us up so that we might be given fullness of joy through Christ’s presence (Ephesians 5:14) He has given my wonderful husband favor to remember what foolish confidence (Psalm 49:13) is compared to true living, which is in Christ Jesus. Andrew now strives, with God’s Spirit, to share hope and the Lord’s salvation within his perimeter of ministry: boasting in the Lord continually as He interacts with his flight daily (Ps. 44:8). It is such a change from the T-6 days where anxiety would quickly extinguish where God desired to work in our lives for our good and His glory. Already God has blessed him with conversations that have given him an opportunity to point out the difference Christ has made in our lives compared to standard worldly living. Please continue to pray that He gives us many opportunities to talk with others about Christ Jesus and that He fill our mouths with boldness for the gospel (Eph 6:19)!
Marriage
(This is Lorato's finger with Jenna Barbee, Jenn Japp, Loren Simmons, my ring and her own ring!! I love my friends!!)
Can I also just praise God for the joy He gave us in coming home to spend time with a church that walks by the word? We left Knoxville greatly rejoicing after being so encouraged and refreshed with truths we have past learned but have been unfaithful to apply daily. Refreshing our memory with WHY we do what we do in our marriage has encouraged us greatly to take some steps back, purge what has not been glorifying to God in our relationship and step forward with a new game plan to carry out God’s blueprint for our marriage. Thus far, there has been much joy in doing so—but so much work still needs to be done! Be praying for both of our hearts as we learn the meaning of not using corrupting talk within our conversations (Colossians 4:6, Ephesians 4:29) and learning how to communicate within our home and outside of it so to display the mystery of the gospel through out marriage. Pray for Andrew’s leadership throughout this battle (as he has already begun to grow significantly in this way since we have returned from Knoxville) and my submission since I have a grave temptation (and a strong one, might I add) to take over my husband’s role. I want to be a gentle and quiet spirit as to please the Lord’s heart, not to please men or to be an eye-pleaser in itself (Colossians 3:23, 1 Peter 3:1-6). I want to fight to act in faith as if God has already given me these things—please plea with God that I pray and act on faith as Jesus commands us to in Mark 11:20-25 so to share the gospel through our marriage!!!
As far as fellowship goes, we have had A LOT of it! It is so wonderful to be fighting the faith with a group of believers that do not neglect to meet with one another but make it a weekly habit (Hebrews 10:24-25). We have been so encouraged in our Saturday morning fellowships (Navigators), in our Bible Studies (on Monday night) and in our accountability groups (Friday mornings). God has been presently and actively working in all of them and we have rejoiced for what we have witnessed amongst the believers we are associated with; particularly with some friends that just experienced a very trying hardship:
Our friends here (also pilots) just entered the realm of Phase III, as they too got the opportunity to move on to the T-38s, when the couple hit a deer on a date which resulted in temporary blindness for Adam, the husband and pilot. Within the following week, he regained eyesight, 20/20, in his left eye (praise God!) but his right eye, however, has not improved much nor worsened. He has gone to many doctors since the accident and they foresee two possible outcomes: either his cones (which are the damaged element) are temporarily discolored and will eventually heal, recovering his sight or the cones have been permanently scarred and his eye will never be used again. This, as you can imagine, is very confusing for the couple as they try to discern where to go from here. We have had many prayer meetings to pray with them and over them. We rejoice in the restored peace that is active in their lives again, but above all, we treasure how God has been most glorified through this situation. Adam has touched many lives here in Columbus before this incident and now, the Lord is making His name FAMOUS through his servants, Adam and Kristi, as they share the hope in which they cling to throughout this time. We are so thankful for them and count it a gift to be friends with them! Please continue to pray for God’s work here as they press forward in this time and for God’s will to be done in Adam’s situation.
In addition to the larger current events, many activities that I have been occupied with in the Phase II have undergone reformation or extinction. For example, I am no longer tutoring as I was a couple of months ago (consistency was lacking on my part in as a result of two different perceptions that both I and Sherry—the woman of whose children I tutored—held) and the little girl that I have babysat for almost seven months is now moving to Little Rock at the end of the month. Her father, previously Captain John MaGee, has now made Major (yey!) and received a new assignment. I am very happy for them all, but sadness is very present in this process as well (I actually choked up for a second as I looked at the pictures that I took in July of Alyssa and Eli when they were both much younger!!).
The girl I co-labor with in the Student Spouse Representing has also received another assignment that will move her and her husband to Alabama for helicopter (aka helo) training in the beginning of March. We discerned this possibility early, thankfully, and are in the process of training two other girls who will be taking over our job as our chapter for this opportunity is now coming to a close. Thus, my job as a spouse representative is also waning. Along with that, our wife bible study suddenly fell apart before completion, but what we considered bad God saw as good (Genesis 50:20 just continues to encourage me to remember God’s character never changes). He has given me other areas of opportunity to harvest where labor is lacking—like in the church, in the women’s bible study there, and encouraging girls/sharing Christ’s hope to new comers on base that are struggling to find a safe haven as a new resident of Columbus Air Force Base. I am also finishing up my last class for my degree and am FINALLY walking in the spring! Hooray!! Thus, good and new things have happened in our lives as a result of old things departing. Not to say that it gets easier in time—by no means! It is still hard saying goodbye and moving forward, but nothing is impossible with God (Phillipians 4:13).
Speaking of goodbyes, here was the last 1/2 Marathon I ran with a dear friend, Jac! Still praying whether this will be a last until after children or if I could pursue another one before that...
A funny from the kids ministry here at our present church, Mt. Vernon.
With all of that said, please continue to pray for Andrew and I as we walk out living by the word daily. Pray we fight our flesh and reclaim our inheritance where we have given it into Satan’s possession as he intends to wield and work against God in these areas.We are thankful for each one of you, that you should desire to keep up with our lives and pray for us! I thank my God for you always (Philippians 1:3-4) and pray he is filling you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9-10) so you too might shine as a light in dark places for the glory of God (Matthew 5:16)!!
Here's something to leave you with: a craft Andrew and I did on Valentine's day! Isn't this awesome?? I have a creative husband (his is on the right-- isn't that spectacular?!)
This blog entry is dedicated to Melissa Hodgson and also (and always to my dad), who encouraged me to post this blog, thus I have been inspired to write again! Thank you both for stirring up this good work in me through love. THANK YOU—you both are dearly loved and missed!
May Grace be with you always….
