Update.

So many of you have been asking what's going on with Sticks and Stones, the motel and us in general.

If you've known us for any amount of time you know our lives tend to take drastic, or sometimes-not-so-drastic, turns every now and then without any warning.

While this can pose as a chance for me to freak out, I'm learning to take every bend in the road with these two verses in mind:

Acts 17:26 26 "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

and

Psalm 139:16b "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

With these verses I know that my today was known long before I ever came to be. I like to think of it as if God journal or blogged about my life, and yours, long ago. So if He knew, He planned, He wrote, then who am I to worry or "fret and frown", as my great-grandmother would say.

I won't, I don't need to- why waste my time!

OK, so about the changes.

Sticks and Stones: has gone to wholesale, delivery only. We have eliminated much of our overhead and run the company out of our home. We can still hook you up with rock, mulch, soil and stone- just give us a call!

Motel 44: we're in the process of exiting out of our lease. This is more complicated but it's been clearly God's will to leave this endeavor.

Steve's schooling: Steve has gone back to school, he's currently enrolled in 2 classes for his master's degree at Liberty University. This has been a long time coming and since he had some military benefits for schooling that needed to be used by Oct '08- he saw this as the perfect time to go back. Although reading 8 books in 8 weeks is a lot, not to mention the writing. He would appreciate all your prayers I'm sure.

Steve's p/t job: Yes he has another p/t job. We figure he works like 80-90 hours a week. And honestly I feel like I see him a lot- so do the boys... oh the joys of working for one's self. Anyway, He's delivering the News Journal. Again another God thing, the events leading up to it were not of anything we could have planned- it was just meant to be. Although it was this job that required mt to get up at 5am and exchange cars due to a flat tire!!

As for me I'm still at the church and still homeschooling- which went incredibly well this week! Praise God! I hadn't had a "good" home schooling day in a long time! I've also had a few hours to spend in my garden, that's been a treat.

For those who cared, there it is.

Crazy this whole process is, you know, the refining one.

it hurts,

it burns,

it stinks and I often want to run out of the fire,

throw some stinkin' water on my face please!

It's worth it.

it's a rush,

it's fun,

it opens my eyes to things above,

it blurrs out the yuck and muck,

it's pretty cool!

I'm so excited to be part of god's kingdom!

-Michelle
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