Back to School

So I wrote this post back on the 5th of March and just never got around to publishing it. So here's what happened 3 weeks ago:)

Well, Bob and I have decided to go back to school. No kidding! Bob came to me a while ago and said "Honey, I look like crap on paper, I think I need to go back to school." Well, let me explain. You see Bob has a Biblical Studies degree. If he wanted to be a Pastor or work in the ministry, he would have a fantastic resume. Apparently for Business, Management and Technology careers, a Biblical studies education has a hard time making the grade. So Bob has decided to go back to school in the hopes of one day holding a Masters in Information Systems Management.



Yeah, my jaw almost dropped too. I am so proud of him. He just applied to the ASU School of Business and Management. The competition is really stiff. Bob heard that usually 130 applicants apply each year and they only take 70 at most. Bob also found out that he has to have 4 prerequisites, College Algebra, Information Systems fundamentals, Calculus and Statistics. If he gets accepted into the program this year it will start in June so he is head first into Algebra and IS fundamentals. Poor Guy! He has been out of the studying and school zone for a such a long time that x's, y's and z's are causing quite the stir in the Longmire House! He is getting it but having to put 4 hours per day into the book. The classes are 8 week courses and if he gets past these two he will tackle Calculus and Statistics. Whoa! Good Luck Bob!

I on the other hand have decided to go back to Real Estate Broker School. Ever since I got my license I have always wanted to hold the Broker designation. I would also some day love to run my own real estate company. We'll see. My school is a 3 week program where I will go to classes from 2-10 Monday through Thursday. The school is way over in Scottsdale so it is quite a drive from home. On top of this I am going to be working the rest of the hours and a full day on Friday. Yeah, it is going to be a bit stressful around here for the next couple of weeks. That is why I thought I would post a blog now since you may not hear from me in a while.

OOOO, this is exciting. We got patio furniture! Ever since we finished the patio we have been looking for good patio furniture. Most of the furniture out there is either really cheap and cheesy or gorgeous with the price tag to match. Bob and I have had the hardest time making the final decision. So the other day we got a notice for an online only sale and we got this fantastic little set for 50% off. What a deal. It is so nice and really comfy. We love it!


In other Longmire News, Bob and I are back to running after being horribly sick and Bob having a knee injury. Poor Rocky had so much cooped up energy he could have run around the neighborhood in about 5 minutes flat. The first morning I put on my running shoes again he was all up in my business, barking and whining like you couldn't believe. Talk about motivation. We have also been catching up on the show LOST. Oh my goodness, that show is crazy!! What is going on? Bob and I haven't watched it for over a year and a half so we just watched all of season 4 and 5 in about 3 weeks. I know what you are thinking, "Come join the real world." but the show is so good and so addictive. I think that we have two more episodes before we are officially caught up. I just don't know how they are going to resolve all of the mystery!

I have been singing at our church for the past couple of Sunday's. I am really enjoying it! The worship team is a huge time commitment, but well worth it. I love to worship with others.

Bob has been rock climbing with a couple of young guys when not in the books. He takes them up to Fish Creek Canyon on the weekends. I think it is a great ministry for him. Outdoors, rock climbing and hangin' out. Perfect. Rocky gets to go with the boys and he loves it.





I guess Rocky got stuck on a rock out in the middle of the water and he wussed out and didn't want to swim so he whined and whined until Bob came and rescued him. Such a sucker. Poor Bob had to wade in the freezing cold water pick up all 105 pounds of him and carry him across.



Other than that it has been a lot of work, work and more work. Looking forward to April when we head to Tucson for the Country Thunder Weekend. More about that later.....

Mountains of Faith

So many of my blogs are just about life in general and all of the good things that are happening to us on a daily basis. Bob and I are so blessed. Still, I want to share with you some of the pain that we have been dealing with too. The past several months have been an overwhelming experience of fear and uncertainty mixed with confusion. We have spent so much time in and out of doctor's offices. When we got married, never in our wildest dreams would we have thought that having children would be so difficult. With so many doctors pouring information, test results and frustration into our lives, I have noticed that the still small voice of the Holy Spirit has become muffled and inaudible. The still small voice that has always told me that Bob and I will be parents, the small voice that has told me that I will experience the joy of being pregnant, the small voice that has always told me that we will have our own little miracle. A couple of weekends ago, I had an amazing conversation with a couple of women who encouraged me and gave me a lot to think about. After the conversation I wanted to share my heart.

Recently, I have been so amazed at how easily doubts and fears can rob us of our joy and decrease our faith. This is especially the case when it comes to having a family. Sometimes the crisis of infertility has clouded my heart and burdened my soul. The fear of the unknown has been a staple in Bob and my life and yet I know that this is not godly. Our church has committed to reading through the entire Bible this year. Over the past week the Lord has brought out so many awesome verses. Matthew 5:3 says “You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.” Then again in chapter 16 “You're not in the drivers seat, I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it.” How awesome is it that we serve a God who is in control and that our circumstances and hardships create in us a strength we could not have imagined. Proverbs 24:10 says “If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place.” I pray that the hardships Bob and I are facing continue to strengthen our faith as we daily put God back in the drivers seat.

I love in Matthew 17 when Jesus is talking to the disciples. His followers came to him in frustration wanting to know why they had been unable to throw a demon out of a possessed man. They asked Jesus, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" Jesus responded, “Because you are not taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle.” The disciples had allowed doubts to affect their faith and they missed the Glory of God's miracles working through them. They had no idea the power that the Lord had given them. I realized that the power we have in Christ is beyond our imagination. If only we would tap into it, mountains would be minor compared to all that we could move. Somehow through our world, our culture and our lives we as God's disciples have forgotten the power that we have. Again in Mark 9, a man had a son that was demon possessed and constantly in a fit of seizures. The man came up to the Lord and asked, "If you can do anything, do it. Have a heart and help us." Without missing a moment Jesus clearly responded, “If? There are no 'ifs' among believers. Anything can happen.” How many times a day do we use the word if? I realized that when I speak about children and a family I have always talked about it with an 'if' and not a 'when'. I want to have faith that moves mountains, a faith that says when not if. I love Proverbs 3:5-6 in The Message, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart, don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go.” The phrase "Listen for God's voice in everything you do" is a beautiful reminder to me to trust that still small voice. I love how the Lord reaches out of the pages of the Bible to meet me where I am at, love me in moments of weakness and strengthen my faith. I have a renewed sense of confidence and hope. Proverbs 21:31 “Do your best, prepare for the worst- then trust God to bring victory.” I am claiming the victory of a beautiful baby.

As an act of this renewed faith, Bob and I went out and bought our first newborn onesie. This one literally jumped off of the shelf. It says "Kiss Me" on the front. One day, this little item will be worn on our little miracle. Until then, we will continue praying fervently, hoping unconditionally and trusting God to bring us a victory.