we're going for FULL...

A good friend of ours (you might know him from our blog as "The Man Who Brought the Ice Cream Cake") once told us that he was NOT busy.

"Not busy? Common' man. There is just no way. Senior pastor of a big church. Five daughters. There is no way!" we told him.

"No, I mean it!" he told us. "My days are happy and full. But I don't let things get crazy. I plan times off in advance. If I know I'm doing a wedding all day Saturday, I spend Tuesday off with my family. If I know I'll be away for ministry for a few days, I take a day or two off in advance. I don't try to do things outside of my calling/talents/gifts. I delegate those things to those who are gifted in those areas. Except for the unplanned emergency, I can honestly say I am not BUSY. Not hectic."

I literally choked back tears, realizing how refreshing it was to hear AND see in this man a healthy work and family life. I felt PERMISSION to pursue the same...full, healthy days spent in my giftings and talents. Not days of going non-stop from dawn to dusk only to fall into bed exhausted, knowing that tomorrow would bring the same.

(the men's dorm...almost finished!)

Fast forward 6 months. We have had at least 2 guests (WONDERFUL guests) since the day after we moved 3 weeks ago. Matt is teaching two classes. We are driving back and forth from the new EBS to the current EBS every morning, afternoon, and many days again in the evenings. Most days I don't know where we live :)

This is a busy time! But as people keep asking us, "How are you doing? REALLY?" I have been able to honestly say, "Things have actually been ok!" Our days have been full, but not crazy. We work hard all day, but sit after supper and talk and laugh and watch Lily squash avocado in her hair.

This is a busy time, but we are thoroughly enjoying teaching, thoroughly enjoying our family in Sakenville AND in Vaudreil, and are thoroughly enjoying our guests, each other, and this happy ornery daughter of ours. Not that there have not been rough patches. Yesterday Lily had a high fever, we had an evening meeting, got home at 6:40 pm with hungry men and a hungry baby, and my attitude was LESS than peaceful!

There have been some hectic, panicky days, but in them I just keep hearing the Lord say, "Can I not take care of this, Stacey? Am I not still God? Have I changed? Do you trust me? Do you trust me?"

And EVERY time that I stop to listen to that voice, and say, "Yes. Yes Lord, I trust you!" it is as if time slows down, He puts a song in my heart, and suddenly, I am not busy. Just full. And being full of Him is the most I can offer ANYONE, anyway! Coming to the table each day FULL of Him and empty of me is the most I can give.

Take this as permission to do whatever it takes to let Him FILL YOU today, and trust Him enough to allow all the things that "must be done! must be done!" fall by the wayside. How better can we complete our work, how better can we love one another, how better can we walk with Him, but when we are brimming with Christ!

Our dear friend Don has been having some trouble staying in bed at night. After one particularly treacherous fall, we started a count to encourage safe-sleeping :)
Lily turned 11 months old yesterday! Apparently, we allow her to watch too much Elmo, because now everytime she wants to watch TV, she goes and gets the remote and waves it at the TV.