Even the little things we don't pray for

Most of you know how many times Eric and I have moved over the last 25 years. Moving creates its own stress let alone the reason why moving has to happen. Eric and I spent our first 5 years of marriage living in Ames in married housing. We moved to Winterset for his first job and literally exploded into our park house. I still don't know how we lived in that tiny apartment with three small kids. But I never remember grumbling or complaining. Life was simple and God helped us enjoy it. Our first park house is full of wonderful memories. God provided that house for us for almost 5 years. Brady and Brenden both started kindergarten in that house. We brought Laramy home there and had 11 puppies there. We also started our family game with our trampoline called trampoline tag.

I don't remember praying for our next house but God provided the W. Jefferson house quickly and simply. I loved living there even though it was built in 1890 and the upstairs floor was a little swayed...okay..a lot swayed. In that house, I remember Brady screaming and hollering at the top of his lungs because I was taking all of his toys that he "put away" under his bed. We brought Ayden home to that house and I loved snuggling up with my five sons while Eric traveled.

Watching our next house be built was quite a learning experience for the whole family. Brady even helped with the electric at 11 years old. I started homeschooling in that house. I fell rollerblading in that garage and whacked my head. They (my family) say I've never been the same since. We also did some red-neck rabbit hunting out the kitchen window to save our peas.

We really learned the most invaluable lesson in the next house. God provided the second Pammel Park house when we didn't even know it existed. We moved there after Eric lost his job. It was a devastating time. Before we moved we knelt as a family around our bed and prayed for God to take care of us. Little did we know how He would do that in every way.

With every move, I have a problem.... toilet seats. I just want my own new toilet seats. But when we moved back to Pammel Park we were broke. And there was no money for toilet seats. I ended up buying two very cheap $5 seats about a month after we moved. A bit obsessive, I know, but it is my obsession and I am owning it. They were awful! They would dent in if you tried to sit on them. But they were mine. I didn't pray about them. I didn't think twice about toilet seats again. I'm sure I said outloud how I wished I had real new toilet seats. Eric came home from work one day with TWO BRAND NEW in the package toilet seats. They were being thrown out at work because they weren't what they wanted.

If God cares about my toilet seats...He most certainly cares about bigger things in my life. I have wonderful and horrible memories in that house. But I will never forget my toilet seat lesson from God.

So this deployment is much bigger than toilet seats. God knows what He is doing and has it all under control. Watch for those things in your life and just prepare to be truly amazed.

Prayer Requests:
Please pray for my brother-in-law, Larry, as he is having complications from his surgery last week. Pray for healing and no more complications. And rest for the family, too.

Continue to pray for a laptop for Eric. I want to be able to keep my laptop so that I can take it with me when I travel, etc. and be accessible to Eric whenever he is available.

Pray for melting snow and no complications this spring with flooding. We have so much to do before graduation that water in the basement would not be good.

Pray we purchase the right car for me before Eric leaves. We are looking and will be trading in our silver van, selling the purple van, and possibly selling one or two of the other vehicles so that we don't have a lot to take care and park through the year.

Matthew 6: 25 & 26 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat , or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?

Love,
Monica

Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday

I often hear everyone state how busy they are and how one day runs into another. There are certain things that come with raising families that just make us busy. There are other things that we choose that make us busy. When my boys were fairly young, I found myself scheduled to insanity with doctors, piano, soccer, Awana, etc. I only did the running craziness for a short time then because I realized it was taking away from our family. We drastically cut back and unscheduled everything. I remember thinking long and hard about it and feeling like I was stepping out of our busy culture. I think it was one of the best decisions I made at the time. I saved us a lot of money and gave us invaluable hanging-out, play time. In fact, we went so far as to not enroll our last two in preschool. Today I can't tell the difference between my boys that went to preschool and my boys that didn't. They did not turn out to be socially inept....for the most part. :)

What I do wish we spent more time doing is understanding and teaching our boys about days like Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday. I never really knew that Mardi Gras was attached to Ash Wednesday in any religious way. I thought it was just a huge, incredibly sinful, excuse for a crazy party with lots and lots of beads. Okay..well, it is for some people. But I'd like to give you an opportunity to think about it in a different way.

I had often heard that Catholics use Mardi Gras as an excuse to be excessive. True in some cases, maybe in most cases. But Catholic or not, Mardi Gras does precede Ash Wednesday and could be and should be used in a very religious way. I know the history of Mardi Gras and that's not what I am concerned with. It has it's modern day flair now. How can we use it today in the 21st century?

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. Lent is a period of time for fasting and denial before Easter. It is a time to prepare for reflection and understanding even more about Christ's crucifixion. It is not a time to try and be good by giving something up and make up for all the stuff you didn't do through the year. It has deep spiritual significance if you choose it. And it is a part of the liturgical calendar which continuously follows the life of Christ to remind us why we are Christian. It gives us participation in our faith and our beliefs.

So I am choosing to be excessive today. We are going out to eat for lunch and dinner because I am giving up eating out for Lent. I love, love, love to eat out. I gave up eating out last year for Lent. I was unprepared for how difficult it was for me. It was a constant reminder that Christ gave up his life so that I might live eternally. It saved me money so I could do for others or for my children. And when I failed and forgot, I was miserable. Christ has never forgotten me. Being excessive today and abstaining will actually help me to understand Christ's sacrifice even more.

He gave His life for all. He gave everything he had. How can you show your faith in Christ and how much you love Him? Maybe you should give up something to make your life less busy?

What can you give up to deepen your faith this Lenten season?

Prayer Requests:
Thank you so much for your prayers! We have toilets that flush easily and an almost finished bathtub! Paperwork and planning is slow but started.
Please pray for us while we are in this holding pattern...waiting for deployment...it is very difficult in many ways.
Pray Eric has the stamina for his work and all the things he needs to accomplish for each family member.

Hebrews 13:15&16 Through him let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Love,
Monica

Coconut delight..not

So most of you know how much my sweet husband loves the smell of coconut. It is the summer time suntan lotion type coconut smell. He particularly loves it when I smell like coconut. So I bought him some coconut smelling air freshners for his car for Christmas. But he never put them in his car. So yesterday I decided I would put one in his closet...with all of his military gear; basically as a joke. And it was pretty strong...okay, very strong. And I kind of hid it....because I figured every time he opened his closet it would make him think of me! :) But he just doesn't want to be a coconut smelling uniformed man. Not really manly, huh? So I guess it won't be something he will be packing to take along.

We are hoping Brady will have more information about himself after this weekend. The best way to get detailed information is to speak to us in person and spread that information in person.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday and Super Bowl evening!

1 Peter 5:6&7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Love,
Monica

Pugh University Ragbrai team hiring

When we found out Eric wouldn't be available for RAGBRAI, I immediately thought we would just take the year off. And he said, "You need to go anyway!" And Ayden said, "Mom, we need to ride at least one day!" And for a moment I was letting my anxieties get the best of me. Then my college roomie, Lisa, called and said, "It's starting in Sioux City. You're riding aren't you? We're following you the first day." And so I finally got the chance to check the route. It is one of the flattest and shortest....good towns...ends in Dubuque. And without hesitation I created our new team which Eric, Ayden, and I decided on last year. Team Pugh University was born! And I have been riding my bike every day since.

So..we are looking for someone/someones to fill Eric's shoes for the whole week or part of the week. Eric drives our van and all of our gear and enjoys all the fun of RAGBRAI without all of the pedaling. He usually gets to the next town very early and sets up camp and hangs out..meets the neighbors, etc. He sets up our tents (we tear them down) and makes sure the coolers are iced and our wet clothes are in the sun drying. We took along a mattress for the floor of the van last year and he had prime sleeping arrangements. If interested, email or call me. Eric...if you have any comments, please add them.

Prayer Requests:
1) Great weather for RAGBRAI week
2) We are still needing a laptop for Eric
3) Biggest need is our downstairs bathtub....we really could at least use some guidance. I believe we need plumbing, drywall, and tiling done. We have all of the plumbing done first, right? And what kind of drywall are we putting behind the tile? I have my tile picked..it is simple and self-spacing. Words of advice are greatly needed. Please pray we have time and money to get this all done.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Love,
Monica