Today we found another possible house.  It is more expensive but is it also bigger and NOT in Helen.  I don't know if the insurance company will go for it but we are going to try.  If not we will take the small one in Helen.  It was a good day...but we are tired of looking at houses.  We just want to find a place to settle in while we wait for the house to be fixed. 
Tomorrow we meet the adjustor, and the cleaning company at the house in the morning at 8:30...so we should know more tomorrow night.  Off to bed we go...up early for our big day.

I found a nugget.  I knew there would be insight because God is everywhere, even in the storms…even lightning storms. From the beginning of this new ordeal I have been mulling over a thought.  As I have cleaned, it has become clearer in my mind.  Sin stinks.  Pretty simple I know.  When I think about God saying our sin is like a stink in his nostrils, I can understand that quite clearly now.  Even our good works are like that to him because sin is not exactly a behavior.  I think that hell-fire and brimstone preachers have give sin a bad name, if you will pardon my saying so.  It has been turned into a simple word that means “extremism” in people’s minds.  It is defined as drinking, cussing or some other behavior.  If we have to stop sinning then we have to give up everything “fun.” 

But I have a different definition of sin.  It is anything that keeps you from your freedom to love God fully.  This is much deeper that our actions. Actions are an outward sign of a deeper issue.  We can numb ourselves with “sinful” activities so we never have to face the real matter, which is our relationship with God.  We were created for this relationship and when we are in it, we are on the road to complete freedom; freedom to fulfill our purposes, freedom to love completely and be loved with no barriers, freedom to be who we are without masks.  This amazing kind of freedom is something we only dream about secretly.  We never speak of it because we do not think it exists.  It is something we all search for deep inside.

So here is the analogy, sin comes in to one area of our lives. It can come with a big bang or with a simple thought.  Then it smolders behind the walls of our heart.  On the outside all is well, you would never know there was a fire at first, even though it is burning the structure of your life on the inside.  Then the smoke begins spread.  Now sin is set in motion to permeate every fiber of your being, and I mean every fiber.  You cannot escape the smell.  Many times we think that one area of our lives will not affect another area…that is a lie.  If your heart is burning, your life is burning.  On the outside, now it is becoming obvious that something is wrong because the smoke from the sin is toxic. Still externally there is no fire, just a stink that is a huge warning that something is deeply wrong, and if ignored the flame will overtake your life.  Somewhere in this process the sinful behaviors are picked up to numb what is obvious...your heart is on fire.  So behaviors are not really the issue at all, they are merely an outward sign that you are not experiencing the freedom you dream of. 

The question is how far the sin will go.  Will you allow it to destroy your whole life or will you call 911 at the first warning sign?   This is a picture of salvation yes…but also a reminder of how repentance works.  When we fall in an area, or have a bad attitude it begins to burn us up. Usually a thought is all it takes to put the sin into action.  When we realize our area of separation we cry out to God and he comes in and puts out the fire. It is that simple, he stops the destruction we bring upon ourselves.   

The impossibility of keeping ourselves sin free quickly becomes overwhelming as we live our lives.  We can try to stop the fire, but it just keeps breaking out all over the place…it travels throughout the house popping up in a seemingly random fashion. Jesus is the only one that can prevent this from happening again and again.  It is in relationship, not outward behavior, that we find our true freedom. It is in our surrender that he finds a “sweet smelling sacrifice.”  I don’t know about you but anyone that can take the putrid stench of my sin and turn it into a sweet smelling sacrifice is someone I want to know deeply.  He knows the fibers that are woven into my life and how they smell, yet he loves me anyway.  That thought brings the beginnings of freedom if you can get your mind around it.  We do not have to do it alone.  True freedom is not a fairy tale, it really exists…now that is a nugget! 

Honey...today is 22 years!  Wow it seems like much longer :)  We have been through some tough stuff and continue to find ourselves in traumatic circumstances.  What a blessing you have been to me through it all!  I would marry you again in a heart beat.    You are my best bud and my sweetheart!  Who would have thought that two years ago we spent our anniversary in a hospital and now we are cleaning up fire damage?  You have to admit what we have is pretty special...not to mention smoking hot!  I love you!

     Today we got a lot done.  The cleaning crew came to tell us what they do.  What a relief...they clean every single thing in the house. They will move out the entire downstairs, including clothes, curtains, linens...everything.  They take it to their warehouse and clean it then store it for us until we are ready to move it back in.  Amazing work.  Then we talked to a builder that is ready to get started next week.  We talked to the insurance adjustor and then went looking for houses to rent.  It was a very busy, but productive day.  I am beginning to see things moving forward towards recovery.  We have some organizing to do before the movers come on Monday but other than that they handle it all.  We think we have found a house to rent in Helen.  Thanks to all of you that sent us numbers and names.  We are still looking for something not in Helen, since the fall is the worst traffic time there...however, this house will work if we do not find anything else.  The people were very understanding and gave us a great deal..insurance will appreciate that since they are paying.  I do not think we will find anything as good anywhere else but there is one off of 129 that is closer but we do not know if it is furnished or not. We will check it out but if doesn't work out we will be in Helen.  Bill of course is looking for houses with theatre rooms and pool tables.  Ha...all the ones he has found are  $1800 per WEEK.  Crazy. 
     We are still looking for someplace to get our instruments cleaned up. We have drums, four acoustic guitars, three electric guitars, two saxophones, one trumpet, one flute, keyboards, piano, and amps for the electric stuff.  Alot of stuff to clean. The cleaning service will clean them but doesn't specialize in musical instruments...they basically wipe them down.  We need someone who can really take them appart and be sure the water and smoke soot is removed.  My Aunt Betty has given us a few possible places but if anyone knows something close by please let me know.
All in all a good day today.  We are going to the house in the morning first thing to start sorting.  If anyone wants to swing by to help feel free.  You might want to call one of us to make sure we are there...just in case we step out.  If you come you might want to bring a mask, and some really old clothes...you will stink when you leave.  There is standing water so you need good shoes for that.  Hannah has the most sorting because she is going off to college. 
     We also need prayers for the kids. Peter came into bed with me tonight saying he wants to go home.  He has been gone to camp and he says he just wants to sleep in his own bed.  He has always had a fear that someone was going to burn our house down...and he said now he knows its possible for it to burn.  Fear is creeping up.  I am thankful that he is expressing it.  Hannah is not sleeping.  She says she doesn't feel stressed and cannot figure out why she cannot sleep.  When you internalize trauma, insomnia is the result.  I told her that even though she doesn't feel stressed that she is.  College coming up, no clothes, room destroyed...just a little stress here.  So please continue to pray as the reality starts to sink in for us all. 

     More than one person has noted my blog title "Nuggets from the Fire" and wondered what will be the nugget from this experience.  So far my deep and meaningful nugget is that if hell smells anything like my toxic smoke permeating our house you don't want to go there.  No joke...it is a putrid smell now that the mildew has started from the 2 inches of water on the floor.  Yuck.  What a mess.  I plan to keep you updated on developments here as well as insights when I get them...I am sure there will be some along the way. 
      Currently, we are going to meet the cleaning company today to determine what is able to be saved and what is a total loss.  This will help us alot in knowing how to proceed and what their timeline will be.  We are still looking for a furnished house that will hold 6...we will probably need it for at least 3 to 6 months, maybe more.  If you know of one call me.  We also hope to meet with a builder today to see what he thinks about how long it will take to rebuild.  The adjustor may also be coming today...so this is a big day as far as finding our next steps.
     As far as we go, the kids seem to be taking it all in stride.  Hannah has offered to live with friends the next several weeks if that would make it easier to find a smaller house.  That is sweet for her to offer but I do not want my last few weeks before she leaves for college to be apart from her.  Aaron has continued with his usual activities and seems to be fine.  William is a bit quiet about all of it and seems bothered to go to the house to sort through the stuff.  I think he is going to be fine but he is handling it differently in his usual "march to your own drummer" sort of way.  Peter is still at camp.  I went by and told him yesterday and his comment was "I missed the firetrucks?"  He may feel differently when he sees his room today!  We will be picking him up from camp this morning.  Fortunately for him he has 2 weeks of clothes with him!  The rest of us are rotating 3 or so outfits until they determine if our clothes can be saved...the smell in all of them is horrible. 
     Bill and I are exhausted from the adrinaline.  I recognize this kind of tired from when Bill was in the hospital years ago.  You wake up tired and sore from the stress of having to operate in crisis mode all the time.  One good thing is that our family transitions into crisis mode quite easily because of all of our traumas!  I am sure once we have plan some of that will get better.  Right now I am not sleeping all the way through the night.  I crash hard when I go to bed but when I wake up in the early morning hours I cannot go back to sleep for the list in my head of all that needs to be done.  I also am having a headache that will not quit.  I think it is from the smoke maybe.  We wear masks when we are at the house but it is still hard to breathe and our eyes burn...yuck.  We are taking one step at a time...hey, maybe this is another live in the moment lesson. Right now is all I have...cannot go back...cannot go forward in time...just right now.  We are making the best of it all.  Thanks for your prayers.  Hopefully today we will learn more about what is needed for all of you that are asking.  We love you all!

There is never a dull moment at our house.  Anyone that has known us for very long already knows this fact about our family.  Well tonight is no exception...there was a storm.  Lightning hit a tree next to our house.  While we were inside looking out the window at the damage to the tree, I smelled smoke.  You guessed it...the house was on fire.  So we are now living with Bill's parents until we figure out how long we will be out of a home.  The damage was mostly water and smoke all over, and the flame damage was limited to one side of the house. I keep telling myself, it is only stuff, it is only stuff. We all made it out safe and the dogs got out as well.  The smoke was quite toxic and once we realized it was in the house not the tree outside we called 911.  It took 5 hours for them to get the fire out.  I watched them go in with the wall hook, then the ax and then the chainsaw.  :(   I knew they were destroying my house. They took a hose through the kitchen and through the play room so they could squirt from top and bottom.  Smoke billowed out all the doors for hours.  It was sad to watch.  However, we had wonderful neighbors and family that came to the rescue.  The house will be a mess for weeks probably as we tear out carpet, walls and ceilings, but it is all fixable.  We are grateful and blessed to be here and once again watch God preserve our lives.

The holiday...the 4th of July...it is a wonderful time of rest and reflection.  I was able to go see mom and dad since my family was away.  I had a restful and relaxed day visiting and enjoying Highlands.  It is such a beautiful place.  My day was interrupted when camp called to tell me that they thought Peter had broken his arm...again.  Of course, on the holiday there are no doctors available.  On Saturday they took him to Quick Care and found out it was NOT broken.  Hurray for that.  I was able to go see him and he didn't even slow down to speak for more than a minute.  He is in a sling and a splint but other than that is continuing his time at Strongrock.  It was good for me to lay my eyes on the injury and I feel confident that if he has any more problems with it they will call me. 
The rest of my family came home yesterday.  It was good to have them back here...even though the house is no longer clean.  They had a great trip but were glad to be back to real beds after sleeping on the floor in a church for a week.  They all slept in til after noon today!  I had a doctors appointment with the endrecnologist today...I am sure that is spelled wrong.  She manages my diabetes and other hormone issues.  She was very pleased that my A1 C was 5.3...which means my blood sugar levels are well under control.  All of my other numbers looked good as well.  So another good report to go with the oncologist report that I am all clear!  That is something to celebrate.  I also had an eye doctor appointment today...I feel like an old lady with all of my doctors!  Then I felt even older when he told me I have cataracts in BOTH eyes!  I couldn't believe it.  He thinks it may be chemo related.  Yuck.  He says it is a while before I will need the surgery...but once I have it I will not need contacts or glasses anymore.  I am thinking if they can drug me to get me through the idea of someone operating on my eyes I will come out with great vision.  I will have to go back to him in 6 months to see the progression and how fast I might need to handle this latest side affect of cancer.   Still, even with the bumps that continue to come along, I am so grateful to be living fully that I will happily endure these minor irritations for more days to celebrate life.

There is something about laughter…it is fun.  I’ve noticed in our society that we are all about entertainment.  You can tell by how much we pay entertainers, athletes and movie stars.  Yet for all of our entertainment we are more depressed and busy than ever before.  It is sometimes difficult to take the time to have fun.  I have a family and a job so all of that comes before a fun time for me.  All moms can relate to this.  I have fun with my family of course, but it is a rarity to have a fun night just for me.  As my children grow these times are coming around more often than when they were younger.  My point is that we should not forget to laugh.  I went to a Braves game last night with some of my friends…my prayer buddies.  Over the years of praying for our children together we have become close.  We are bonded by the uncommon love that goes with walking through our pains and joys together.  We have seen each other at our worst and it is okay. We have fun when we pray.  We visit and we vent.  It is a safe place for the four of us.  But even then, we are getting together to pray for our families…not just for fun. 

A few months ago Peter and I went to a silent auction to raise money for Relay for Life.  One of the items was Braves tickets and Peter bid on them thinking it would be a great game to go to with Bill for his birthday.  He won the bidding war and got four tickets and a parking pass to the July 1^st game.  It was a couple of weeks later that we all realized no one would be here for that game!  Needless to say he was disappointed.  I ended up with four tickets to the game and no one to take from my family.  I was thinking of giving them away but hated to do that.  I talked with a couple of different people about going and we had made tentative plans when God brought my prayer group to mind.  I kind of dismissed the idea because, quite honestly, it is hard to get four women that have 13 kids between them together for anything.  We all work and just to get together to pray for a couple of hours is sometimes difficult.  So I kind of let the idea pass by.  When I was talking to one of the girls she said she had NEVER been to a Braves game…so I invited her to go with me.  Then I decided to chance calling the other two.  Much to my surprise, all four of us could go!  (Funny how that works when God puts it together)

The night before was like Christmas Eve for children.  We were so excited and anticipating being together for a city adventure!  Yesterday all day was planned around leaving for fun at 4:30.  (It is kind of sad that we have to write in fun to start at a certain time on the calendar.) We got there and had a blast even though the Braves lost.  We yelled and chanted and tomahawk chopped until our arms were sore.  Due to a wrong turn we ended up getting a tour of downtown Atlanta in the process of coming home.  We giggled and laughed until there were tears in our eyes.  We were like kids.  In fact, some of our teenage kids were a little worried about us when they called to check in and we were laughing so hard we couldn’t talk.  (Now they know how we feel sitting at home waiting on them!)  What a great night and the weather could not have been better.  It was both exhausting and energizing at the same time.  We have decided we need this laughter and fun…monthly. We already have it marked on the calendar for August.  We don't know where we will be having it but it is written into the schedule. Somehow in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life we have got to make time for the laughter.  It is medicine to our souls…and it is FUN.

It is 50 degrees on my back porch this July the 1^st.  Glorious. This morning I am thinking that God is giving us a reprieve from the heat these last couple of days.  With the drought, gas prices and a looming election the world seems to be heating up.  Today God says to me, “Live in the moment.”  This day is all we have.  I know it sounds cliché but the truth sometimes really is that simple.  Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow will come.  Today…this moment is all we have.  This morning God is here in the moment on my porch…in the cool of the day.  It is a glorious morning put before us.

I have been feeling an unsettledness in my spirit for the last few months…like the winds of change are blowing.  This feeling I have is not a good one.  It is similar to one I had before 9/11.  I just cannot seem to shake it.  I am praying of course…but still this quiet morning assures me once again that God is in control.  He is not surprised by anything that is happening now or will happen, good or bad.  He can see eternity, and he placed me here on this day, at this time…on my back porch.  He is so awesome. I hope you will have the opportunity to enjoy this spectacular day!

Have you ever seen the little clown cars at the circus?  You know when they are all crammed in there and they have to steer this tiny little car around the arena?  Yesterday Hannah and I went shopping in Atlanta with her future roomate and her mom.  It was great fun and they really clicked.  That was such a relief for all four of us.  They have alot in common, both love missions, God, going to bed relatively early (10:30 or 11:00) and children.  Neither really know exactly what they want to do.  They will do well together.  Whew...a load off my mind. 
So when we were shopping we found a futon couch thing for their room.  As soon as we all saw it we loved it.  We decided that had to be a God thing for us to all agree so quickly.  I bought it right away along with some organizer stuff, posters and curtain rods.  Then the young men that helped us load up said it would not fit.  Hannah never wavered...yes it will, it HAS to.  There was a moment or two I didn't think it would either...but it was the perfect thing.  We had shopped around and we knew that it was perfect.  So if we had to tie it to the roof it was going home with us and once the guys helping us realized this they became much more helpful in getting it into the car.  We took it out of the box so we could pack all the parts.  It was still a tight squeeze.  It is times like this I miss my SUV.  We finally got it in but we had to move both front seats up all the way to do it.  Driving 1 inch from the steering wheel is quite an experience and I wouldn't recommend it!  Two hours home like that and I thought I would never straighten out again!  But, we got it home and now the excitement has kicked in.  Hannah is ready to go TODAY.  She doesn't want to have to wait any longer.  I, on the other hand, am enjoying every minute we have together.

Yesterday was also William's birthday.  Are you ready to feel very old...he is 15...another driver to train!  Just when I was settling into having two teen drivers now we have three.  He had a great birthday...got a new drumset that he has been wanting for 3 or 4 years.  We have put it off as long as possible, but I have to admit the set he has had since he was 9 was ready to be passed along to another beginner.  Always sceptical of new instruments, even I could hear the difference.  They sound so much better.  It is amazing to think he is still drumming even after all these years.  On his birthday I am always reminded of when he was 2 and got his first little toy set.  My aunt Betty played the keyboard and he kept perfect time no matter what tempo she played.  It was amazing to us then...so young.  And now he is still going strong...down to his toes I like to say.  He is finally growing in height and can now look me in the eye.  He is quite a young man with his very specific ways and gifts.  I am so interested in what he will become...if we survive his teen years! :)  How I love that boy! 

I love being a mom and watching my kids grow up.  It is such a challenging yet rewarding job.  Love it, love it, love it.  I am so grateful that God allowed me to hang around to do this!