Slaughter Jam

I would like to warn friends and family that this blog post is not for those who do not believe in killing and eating animals.  This post is about the process involved in killing and eating one of the most common meats we find in the grocery store, chicken.  So if you don't want to see chickens die or if you think chickens have voices and souls like in the Disney movies, this video is probably not for you.  But if you follow with gusto when God told Peter in the bible in Acts 10, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat", this is for you.  We had a blast learning about what was involved in getting that meat into the grocery store.  Also if you are curious to see if chickens really do run around with their heads off this is a good blog post for you.  It really is wacky. After the Chicken Fest we all got out instruments and praised God for chicken and for Jesus Christ!  Also very enjoyable. 

Geoffrey and Eric with Cotton Puff and Fufu. 

 Our friends Kelsey and Truett. What a cute little dude. 

Also this month we were praising God that our friends Ernie and Lisa Blanco gave birth to a healthy baby boy!  Our friendship with them began when they gave birth to their first son Haddon. However God took Haddon home and the Blancos were struggling with the loss of their first born when we met.  It was amazing to see their trust in God through this very difficult event and to see God giving them joy and peace even in such a trial. Specifically at the funeral of their son they reminded us that we have a joy that shines even in death.  We have joy of eternal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It was precious to be able to share in the joy of the birth of Ernie Jr, Jr, Jr and praise God with them.  The Blancos are a reminder to us that God is in control and working his love and goodness out even in difficult circumstances.  I encourage you to read their processing of this tragedy on their own blog.  Blanco Blog >

Transitions

Job Change for Bethany

Two years ago in April 2010, I, Bethany, started working for Tom DeBerry's State Farm Insurance agency and a few months later got licensed in property and casualty insurance.  Over the past two years I have learned a lot about the insurance world and have gained confidence in picking up the phone and interacting with people everyday that I don't know at all.  My office administrative skills have been developed as well as my customer service.  I am very thankful for that job and was not searching for a new one at all.  I thought I would be there until we had kids and I stayed home with them.

You can imagine my surprise when my boss came into my office last month and asked if I would be interested in taking over the position of office administrator at our church which would mean no longer working for him.  The church needed a new secretary and had not been able to find anyone to fill the position so my boss had recommended me and let them know he would be willing to send me to work there.  I agreed to the switch as a chance to take a slower paced job and to serve at the church.

Since the end of April I have been slowly transitioning over to the church and next week I will be there for a full 30 hours a week doing office administrative work, cleaning and helping the pastors with whatever needs to be done to get ready for Sunday.  The church office is a much quieter environment than State Farm but I am adjusting to the change.

Eric and I have also been asked by the pastors to help out with our youth program called Cross Encounter.  The first major event we are working on is the youth retreat which will be in the White Mountains of AZ in the beginning of June.  We have been working on fundraising for the event with another couple at church and are enjoying the chance to get to know them as well as working closely with one of our pastors.  The commitment to working on the fundraising has certainly increased our busyness level but it is a great chance to get to know the youth a little better which is a blessing for us.

Family Planning Update


Our latest development in our path to achieve pregnancy is that Eric had another analysis done which came back completely normal!  You can imagine our surprise at this and even the doctor was quite puzzled.  According to this latest test, he should be able to father children quite successfully.  That means it is time for me to go to the fertility doctor and get checked out.  Please pray for us during this continued time of waiting. I have a bit of anxiety about finding out either that there is something wrong or that there is nothing wrong and they can't explain why we aren't getting pregnant.  Thankfully, I have a friend here who has undergone all of those tests so she is able to help me know exactly what to expect when I have my appointment.

Eric's Career


Eric continues to excel at his work and we are thankful because his office has decided to move into a building right down the street from us on River Road.  This is essentially like getting a raise because he can walk to and from work and we will save a boatload of gas money!  (This is also great because the Corolla still has a check engine light on that we can't afford to fix right now so it can stay parked most of the time while we save up to fix it.)  He is also studying for his Net+ certification after passing his A+ and receiving a raise the very same day from his boss.  We are so thankful for the gifts God has given him and the way He has blessed Eric to work in a field that he has no degree in.

Prayers and Praises

We praise God for the blessing of our church family, our jobs, our continued good health and the love that He is growing in our marriage and in our relationship with Him.  He has been kind to us in so many ways--big and small and we are thankful.

Please pray for us as I transition into a new job and as Eric gets ready to take his Net+ exam.  Please also pray for contentment and peace in our hearts as we wait for God's timing to grow our family.  We have seen abundant grace as we wait but also have hard days when it feels like everyone around us has cute little babies and didn't have any trouble getting pregnant.  We continue to wait on the Lord in hope.

We sadly failed to take any pictures during the month of April so we promise there are some coming in May!