freedom...

Wow, I don't even know where to begin, but then I don't want to write to much... Bill said... "blog for 10 minutes people like reading it".

What a week and a half we have had. I literally feel like the Lord has put this family through... I don't know, something like a Grape Press??? I guess I am trying to say, it has been excruciatingly painful but only good has come from it!

To be in the middle of the complete stress, and I mean complete, of Operation Christmas Child and to have your son call you with the harsh reality that his life is immediately unraveling right before his eyes as he is speaking to you... O.K. beyond stress, I do not know a word to descibe what happens to your heart, soul, being.... I suppose despatate descibes where I have been for the last 4 to 5 days. The funny thing is, I can only praise God. He is so faithful, beyond all we can ask or imagine. I thank Him in this trail that we have been thorugh and are going through. He is right here with us directing the way. I am so thankful!

I guess what I can say is.

I am thakful for my children. For all 6 of you. For your love for one another. Your encouragement to me, your brother, your prayers, your wilignness to do whatever it takes to make things better.. You are wondeful. I love you all so much. My husband. What a dad. To just drop everything to be there for his son. He is a fine man and a finer father. It was eye opening to go through one of the most difficult weeks of my life and not have him here. I appreciate him so much more. I made it, but barely.

I resigned with OCC half way into the week. Don't get me wrong. I finished my commitment for this year. We got just over 5300 shoe boxes! Woo Hoo! I will just not be serving in the ministry at the capacity I have any longer. Of course I will still do as many shoe boxes as I can!!!!

Anyway...for two main reasons. I simply can not stand the Area Director and the way he lords over me Collection Week. This bratty little Lawson girl does not need am incompetent leader telling her how to handle the responsibility she has been given.

Secondly, I want to be available to my family. You mean the world to me. The way OCC ties up my calendar from Oct - Nov is so frustrating to Bill because it is a good time to visit our kids and such. Lord willing we will have Grandkids someday that are not dogs and I want so desparately to be involved in not only your lives but theirs.

So I am free, atleast feeling free! (o: Exhausted from almost no sleep but free and humbled at God's hand on our lives. I wish I could write how this whole chain of events has been so carefully orchastrated. It's just to much to write. I can say that it has been a week of seeing the hand of God move in our life and I am thankful.

LGC