Lies

"He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

John 8:44

Oops...it's been 4 months since my last blog post. Life has been busy! I will do a life update in an upcoming entry (hopefully later this week) but there has been something on my heart that I want to share today.
Several of my friends have confided in me over the past few months and what they are going through is really rough. I'm talking 'life will never be the same' rough. I have been thinking and praying for them often, but I can't help but think, "What if they never told me?" What if they never shared what was going on behind the scenes? What if they would have just kept on living like nothing was tearing them up inside?
I fall into this trap all too often, I think I can handle everything on my own and keep pushing through internalizing my fears, worries, anxieties, and struggles until it's too much and I completely breakdown. This was most evident during a few seasons of life when depression took over, but I still struggle with it on a smaller scale day to day.
Ultimately, it boils down to this - Satan's Lies.  I think that we are all told and internalize some sort of lie that keeps us from being open and vulnerable with others around us.  My lies tend to be that no one can understand what I am going through, everyone else has their own issues to deal with and so they don't need mine, or I will be judged for not being able to handle things on my own.  I'm sure you can think of other lies that you have been told, perhaps that other people won't care about your problems because you're not worth the battle or that whomever you trust with your fears and failures will betray that trust.  I know there are many lies we are told, but what I have learned about these lies is that as soon as they are identified they melt away.  I don't mean to say that issues we have dealt with for years magically disappear - trust takes a long time to build (or rebuild), building self-worth and confidence can only be done one brick at a time, and pride continues to draw us back into ourselves and tempt us to keep everything tucked away for no one else to see.  But, when we choose to ignore the lies that Satan tells us and break barriers by becoming vulnerable and telling others about what is going on inside our heads and hearts the freedom of Christ can be revealed.

"In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence"

Ephesians 3:12

What typically happens with me is that a small issue crops up - I become stressed with an issue at work, I can't get a good night's rest, I am worrying about things out of my control - I start by trying to handle it on my own.  I do pray, I ask the Lord for help, read my Bible, but still the problem persists.  After several days (or weeks) of frustration and anxiety, I break down (usually to Bryan) a teary mess and ask him to pray for me...suddenly I can sleep, the anxiety is lifted, and Satan's lies are broken.
I continually try (key word try) to identify Satan's lies. Instead of dealing with it on my own, I concentrate on verbalizing these lies to trusted friends and family around me who can help me by praying for me and asking me about how I am dealing with whatever lie might be thrown at me that week.  I would encourage you to find people in  your life to verbalize the hard stuff to and work to become vulnerable on a daily basis.  I think that vulnerability is the hardest and best thing we can do for each other.
I am thankful that my friends decided to tell me about the tough stuff going on in their lives so that I can continue to pray for them and ask them how they are doing.  I know that it was difficult for them to tell me what was really going on, but I can see the relief on their faces once they have told other people. This is an inspiration to me to keep talking and being vulnerable. I hope that you will do so, too!
Cheers,
Amy

Welcome Watson!

So we've had our dear Watson for three weeks now....and he is wonderful! We have really enjoyed having him around and we know that Saphira likes having a buddy around. They just play and play and wrestle and play. They love being outside in the snow, but will usually come in and hang out with us later in the evening. They are both just great dogs and get a long really well. Not to mention, now Saphira doesn't bark at us all the time so that's another bonus :)

 

The last picture here is them staring down squirrels in one of our backyard trees. They love our backyard! Thank goodness for fences.

 

Everything else here in the Twin Cities is going well. Nothing new to report, we have continued to do some exploring and found some more good restaurants. Bryan has been able to pick up steady hours at the Group Home and has been able to put his CNA to good use.  We are waiting to hear if he gets an interview for nursing school this week - crossing our fingers that the Lord would provide in this!! We found a church that we really like so we are hoping to get plugged into a community group there. We've also been painting the house, both of the guest rooms are done so that's exciting! Now we are moving onto the living room, basement, and bathroom. So, overall, we are settling in nicely...which probably means I will be asked to move next week....

 

Everyone needs to come visit!! We are ready for guests! :)

Oops - It has been a few months....

I realized I hadn't posted in awhile, but I did find this draft from December that somehow never got published:

So I apologize - it has been a few weeks since my last update! In that time we had our first thanksgiving at the house and have put up all our Christmas decorations (which I realized we do not have very much of). We are settling into our house nicely, it definitely feels like home! We hang out mostly in the basement, our big sectional couch fits down there. Saphira sleeps in the basement, but prefers to hang out in the front living room, mostly because its the coldest room in the house....and she's allowed on the chairs in there, so I guess that's appealing as well. So far we have put in glass block windows in the basement and had the backyard fenced in...and that's it. We haven't painted or anything. It's definitely in the plans, but hanging pictures is about as far as we have gotten. And we're okay with that because it feels like we just finished the house in MI before we left. Update on that house - there is a contract on the house! The inspection was last week. We haven't heard an update since that, but we are hoping that the sale goes through. It would be nice to know that the house is sold. We don't have to pay for it or anything, but the mortgage stays in our name until the house sells so I would like it to just be over with. So here are some pictures of the house and our Turkey Day and Christmas decorations.

 

So now an update more recent! We were busy these last few weeks, we went home for Christmas and then again last weekend to celebrate our birthdays with family and friends. Thanks so much to everyone who made our time at home so wonderful! The house in Michigan DID sell!! YAY! We were pleased to hear that. We haven't really done much with the house yet, but we are starting to work on painting rooms and giving the house our touch. Expect more updates with changes and pictures of rooms in the weeks to come! We are also trying to get involved with a local YL group to do leader support. We are hoping to meet with someone this week to start getting involved.  Bryan has started both jobs and is busy, but glad to be working and bringing in a paycheck. He submitted both nursing applications, but we will have to wait until the spring to find out if he got in. Please pray for him to be accepted to the accelerated program for the U! My work is going well, I really like the office and the people I am working with.  Overall, the move to MN has been good! It is hard to be far away from our loved ones, but Minneapolis is pretty cool, and we've been blessed to be able to go home a few times already.  We're looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us while we are here! More to come!

Amy 

 

MidNovemberBeginWinter

So we are down to the last few days of temp housing! We close on the house THIS THURSDAY! And MOVE IN FRIDAY! We are so excited about getting our house and all our stuff back :) Not to mention having a backyard to let Saphira out in. But, as excited as we are about the house here are some things we will miss about the apartment:
1. Heated underground parking - so nice to go out to a warm car in the morning, not to mention - no cleaning off the windshield!
2. Walking distance to coffee shops, restaurants, dessert, etc. - Really easy to find something to do when you're bored on the weekends.
3. Super close to Lake Calhoun - perfect for a longish run!
But most we will NOT miss things like having to tow groceries to the apartment and wait on super slow elevators; it taking just as long to drive 10 blocks to the highway as it does to take the actual highway to work; having to walk down a flight of stairs every time Saphira has to go out; and having to walk down the street every morning so the little girl can do her business. Overall, clearly we are stoked about the house - we are ready to make it our own!
We've continued to explore Minneapolis - last weekend we went to the Mall of America!

It's crazy big!! We went first thing in the morning and walked around for a couple hours before it got too crazy. I don't know that I would want to do my regular shopping there, but it was definitely fun to experience! Not to mention there is Nickelodeon Universe inside and a really cool Lego store!

Bryan also found a store just for men who shave :) They were doing a "Movember" ad as seen below:

So the MOA (As its known around here) was fun. Good way to spend a Saturday morning! That was last weekend. This weekend we went out to eat at a place called Bryant Lane Bowl. It was awesome!! Its a bar/restaurant/bowling alley all in one! And they serve a great breakfast, w/GF toast! Perfect! So it was a great start to the day. We decided to drive downtown and see if there was anything exciting going on down there. There wasn't, but it was still good to explore the downtown area. We also drove around our new city of St. Louis Park a bit and so it was nice to get to know the town a little better. This morning we have already done our Costco and Rainbow shopping, and good thing too because..... it snowed today!

So the rest of today will probably be spent watching football on the couch :) And enjoying these delicious sugar rushes...

Bryan got a cinnamon roll and I got a mint/chocolate/caramel apple. What better way to spend a cold snowy Sunday? We'll see how long Saphira let's us sit here....oh she's already whining so I guess not long!!

More about the house next weekend!! Cheers for now!

Week One in Minneapolis = Crazy

So we have been here a total of 9 days and so much has happened, here's an update from my post last week....

House Hunting:
As you know we saw many houses last weekend, like 20! So this week we went back to our favorites to try and narrow down the field. We finally decided on one and put in an offer on Thursday about 3:00 pm. About 3:45pm I get a call from Bryan who tells me that the owners have countered our offer with 2 things, they wanted to keep some curtains and they wanted $3,000 more than we had offered on the house....So clearly we accepted! The acceptance was official on Friday! The current owners are actually moving in 2 weeks and so we close in just 3 weeks, if all goes well we will be in the house before Thanksgiving! We have the inspection tomorrow so hopefully there are no major issues with the house. If everything goes well, we will have a house here! YAY! Below you will find a link to the house so you can see the listing pictures :)

http://www.cbburnet.com/property/details/1912667/MLS-4188096/3228-Hampshire-Avenue-S-St-Louis-Park-MN-55426.aspx?SearchID=4192291&RowNum=6&StateID=29&RegionID=0&IsRegularPS=True&IsSold=False

Work:
I started work this week and everything went really well! I think that I will like the office and everyone I am working with. I also think that I can bring a lot to the office and hopefully help everyone be successful. I'm still getting to know everyone (obviously) but I think that we will get along well. The thing that I really like about the physical location of the office is that there is a gym right in my building! I can go down at lunch and walk or do yoga and then go right downstairs and run after work! It's so convenient and then I don't hit much of rush hour either, wins on both sides!

Saphira:
Saphira has actually been doing really well. She goes from sleeping

To getting into something she shouldn't....

But overall she has been doing really well for being in an apartment. I know it will be a lot easier once we are in a house, which is part of the reason why we are so excited to move into a house so quickly!

 

Half Marathon!

So I had been training for a half in Columbus, but in interfered with the move so I found another half to run here in Minneapolis! I actually got to run through St. Paul so that was neat to see the other of the twin cities and I got to check a half marathon off my list! WOOHOO! It was definitely hard and my legs are really achy today, but I am pretty pleased with myself for finishing. Here are a few pics of the race!

 

We also found a spot to get GF pizza! So that was exciting as well. Tonight we are meeting up with Marshall to try a new restaurant so we will have to let you know how that is. So far we've been pleased with the food scene here! In the coming weeks we will be focusing on getting Bryan a job, finding a vet for Saphira, finding me a chiropractor, and, most importantly, finding a church. Now that we know where we will be living (or we're pretty sure as long as the house isn't falling apart or something) it should be a little easier to get the rest of these things in place. Keep praying for Bryan's job and getting into nursing school. Bryan is thinking that he will wait until summer/fall semester to start classes since he wants to establish himself in a job before asking for a specific schedule around school. So hopefully he can find a job soon!

So far so good Minneapolis - can't wait to see what's in store next!





Made it To MN

So WE ARE HERE! It seems crazy that just last week we were preparing for tests, packing frantically, and trying to decide what to do with the dog while the movers were at the house. Now we are in our temporary housing (which is awesome by the way) and finding our way around the new city. We are in a really fun part of town, called Uptown. There are shops, parks, and restaurants all within walking distance, so we may find it hard to leave and move into an actual house. Speaking of houses, we looked at about 20 this weekend and have narrowed it down to 3 possibilities. House hunting is exhausting and stressful so I am looking forward to decided on a house and getting settled. Thankfully, we like our temp housing so it's no so bad. Saphira has done really well overall. She was great on the ride (not that I would know first hand, but Bryan said she did well in his car) and is doing pretty well in the apartment. She did wake up the first morning at 4am central time and then she wouldn't sleep in her crate last night, but maybe tonight will be better. Saphira and I went on a long run/walk this morning around Lake Calhoun (pictured below...all stock photos btw). It was great! We are really close to the green way which is about 80 some miles of biking/walking trails that connect Minneapolis. So I am enjoying that. Tomorrow starts work for me and learning a new office and new reps and managers. I am nervous but excited. Mostly, I am really thankful that we have had time to settle into the apartment and find a grocery store and get unpacked before I started work. On top of that we've found some potential houses! So overall, a good start to Minneapolis. Overall we have a great impression of the city and we are really excited to keep exploring. Now it's time for me to sign off because I need to eat dinner before Marshall Segal arrives! YES! We have A FRIEND in the city already and he promises to introduce us to more :) I am trusting that the Lord has good things planned for us here and just moving forward on that idea. I know he will provide!! Keep praying for the perfect house for us and pray that we are wise about how much we spend. Also, be praying for Bryan as he begins to search for a job and a school to transfer to in order to continue with his nursing program. More updates to come!!

Lake Calhoun - just minutes from our apartment!

Moving

So as most of you have heard, we were asked to move to Minneapolis, MN a couple weeks ago. We decided that it was the right thing for us and decided to take my company up on their offer. Since then it has been a whirlwind of finishing up house projects, painting, cleaning, organizing, and of course doing all our normal things like take care of the dog, work, and go to school. I am thankful, in a way, to be so busy because it really limits my time spent on worrying about moving and being sad to leave A2 and Michigan.
When we were offered the move I had mixed emotions. I love our house and our life in Ann Arbor. I love being close to the majority of my family. We have a great church and a great community group we are a part of. There are so many positives of Ann Arbor and our life here. But, when thinking about the move the thing that kept coming to mind was that God often challenges us with things that we do not want to do, but are going to be the best things for us. When I took this job and moved to Rhode Island it was the last thing I wanted to do. I remember praying that God would give me any other job than the one offered to me, but the more I prayed the more I realized that God was calling me to this particular job. The same thing happened with this offer, the more I prayed about it the more I realized that it's what God wanted for our lives.
Even though I know that God has a plan and that the best thing for us is to move to Minneapolis, it doesn't make the move easy. Not only is it hard to move away from everything we love here in The Mitten, but it's so stressful to move period. We have been busting our butts getting the house ready and I just feel exhausted. Thankfully, after today, most of the hard work will be done. We will just need to keep the house tidy but all the projects should be done.
So, on October 16the the movers come to pack us up and we could be driving as early as the 17th. Until then we are praying for a quick sale of the house and that the Lord would prepare a place for us in Minneapolis. We will start the house hunt as soon as we get there and we are hoping to find our home very quickly. Bryan is finishing up his CNA class this week and will be taking his test as soon as possible so that he can transfer his certification up to MN and get a job as soon as we get there.
We know that the Lord will provide for us in our new city and get us through the last couple weeks in Ann Arbor. More updates in the weeks to come!