O-Hi-O

I'm home. Still unpacking. Still promise to catch up with pictures. Eventually. If I can find that camera...

God's timing amazes me...several job opportunities have come up in the last week, and according to the principals I've spoken to, these are "late" in the season. Hmmmm...God is never "late", is He? Yep - these openings are right on time for me. God saved them until I got to Ohio! :)

I have 2 interviews tomorrow morning - please pray. I'll be sending an e-mail to my "list" with the specifics.

I also managed to get me and the boys on Ohio's medical program right away...so we have no lapse in coverage! Praise God!!!!!

It's things like this that keep reminding me that no matter how often I second guess myself with this move, He has orchestrated it. So even though there are and will be tough adjustments, and I miss my friends, family, church, co-workers, etc. in MN (and I miss the state, believe it or not - and I'm REALLY gonna miss the fair), I'm where I need to be for this season of my life. Thanks to all of you who are leaving me e-mails, voice mails, IM's, Facebook comments, etc. Due to unpacking, I haven't really been able to respond to all of you, but I will - I have no intentions of moving on without all of you! (love)

And even though it all still hurts, I can already see and feel where it's going to be easier to forget him here...and move on as Lori, Ethan, and Noah. Two things I ask prayer for as I forge new relationships...1)that people won't be apt to jump to conclusions. I didn't ask for or want the label "divorced", so I certainly don't want the "scarlet letter D" attached to my chest with everyone assuming somehow I had to have some fault or just gave up or whatever they tend to believe about divorced people and 2)that I will be able to help establish many Godly father figures for my sons. I know and accept I cannot teach them masculinity, or what it means to be a man. But neither can their father...for he doesn't know himself (or knows and just doesn't care). I pray for family and friends to reach out and willingly take up my boys as their own - because they WANT to, not out of pity or feeling like they have to. I don't want Ethan and Noah to grow up feeling like they are somehow less or stunted or cheated or disadvantaged because of the failure of their father. I hope all three of us can see it as a blessing (sounds weird and hard to swallow) - we were saved from physical, emotional, spiritual destruction by Rob's removal, and made available to experience something amazing that God has in store. But learning to fill the void correctly is crucial.

PS - in case you didn't notice, the blog is public again. In honor of my "new life" and "new start", I'm working hard to just focus on God, my boys, my family, and me.