Catch Up

Sorry, I have not been on here in a while. Life has been SOOO busy! But, good! We are attending a new church, and have been so blessed since being there! So, since attending, I now teach Sunday School to the preschool and Kindergarten age kids, with sweet Miss Evelyn (a 76 year old woman from Illinois, who has 'adopted' me - being orphaned as I am!)

I now sing with the Worship Team, and feel blessed to be singing with so many who love the Lord and truly want to serve Him and not glorify themselves! I was also asked (by my dear sweet friend Nicole, the Women's Ministry Director, and who is also on the Worship Team) to sing with her and another lady on the Worship Team (Sylvia) for the Women's Retreat. I was so touched, that I cried!

She (Nicole) also asked me to be the Director of Fundraising for Women's Ministies, and so I am going to the first meeting for that this Thursday. As well as having been invited (by another very dear friend of mine, LoRee Feltz, Nicole's mama!) to come to a Master Planning meeting, to be a part of the planning that is in the works to build a new church building and to include a school - which I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for that! and how He will (once again) use me in the development of that school. As well as several other women there who are so blessed and talented!

Paola is one. She has 3 sweet little children, and a wonderful husband, Froy, (who does the sound for our church, among many other things), and she used to be Kindergarten teacher! She now teaches the Youth at church, but has experessed an interest in teaching again, once we get the school going! She is an amazing young woman as well! (This church is blessed with talented, amazing people! I feel blessed to be a part of it!)

LoRee also has expressed an interest in being part of the school, as Administrator, or something like that. She would be very good in that role! She and I have talked about getting other ministries up and running at the church too! She is just as ambitious as I am! If not more!

On top of all that, I go with Miss Evelyn, and her great husband, Melvin, to a Bible study, with some older women from the Baptist church, at the convalescent home on Fridays. These women are already near and dear to my heart! Especially Miss Lynn, and Miss Phyllis! Miss Lynn has some past pains and hurts similar to mine, and so she and I connected almost immediately!

Miss Phyllis was so sweet to give me a very dear gift: her King James Bible, as I saw how my New Living Translation (as well as all other translations of the Bible, apart from the New American Standard Bible) did not have a verse in Acts! It was Acts 8:37! Missing! So, she parted with her very special King James Bible and gave it to me - something I will cherish!

Yesterday, Miss Evelyn, and another very sweet woman from the church, Miss Nola, started a Bible study at the Assisted Living place where Nola lives! We had a wonderful time of fellowship and sharing our testimonies, as an effort to get to know each other better and where each oher has been, and where they are coming from. It was quite interesting hearing everyone's stories!

Especially another lady, who was there with us from a non denominational church here in Layton, Alpine - her name is Pat. And she shared about how she has been on missionary trips to South America, specifically in Peru. And shared some of her experiences there with us. It was quite interesting and very humbling. Especially, she was on one trip there for 3 months! The others were shorter, but not by much. One was for 2 1/2 months, and the other a few weeks. One was for medical reasons - to assist the Peruvians with medical care. Another time was to build an orphanage. She told us how the bricks to build the roof were carried up a ladder, but not what we consider a ladder. It was just rungs! And that the bricks were in large buckets, tied to a rope that was put over their shoulders, and it was 103 degrees!

She also shared how their water supply, because of the lack of rain, came from the mountain, and so was very dirty and not very sanitary. She also shared that if a child made it to it's 10th to 12th birthday, then it was more likely that they would live to see adulthood. It was very sad.

After taking Miss Evelyn home, my husband and youngest son, Austin and I went to the church for Accountability Group, which is every other Tuesday. We get a chance to fellowship and to share with one another what is really going on in our lives, as well as whether or not we are reading our Bibles daily, praying daily and praying for a lost person daily. Then, what do we believe God is speaking to our hearts. It is a very great time of fellowship as well, and an opportunity not only to share what is on our hearts, but to hear what is on other people's hearts, as well, and thus to get to know each other and to pray for one another, as we know how to pray for one another.

Between all of these activities in my life, plus keeping a house, being pregnant, seeing to all of my kid's activities, and making sure they get the things done they need to get done, as well as doing my school, well as you can see, life is very full and very busy! But, because I get so depressed when I do not feel that I have a purpose to live for, I love being busy! But, busy doing the right kinds of things. As I said, things that give my life meaning and purpose.

I have noticed too, that doing all of these things get my focus off of myself and on to serving others, and that has assisted with removing selfishness from my life and self focus. I love to serve! I love to serve the Lord! And I love to be used by Him to make a difference in the lives of others! It has been so long since I have been used by Him in that way, that it is refreshing!

I am no longer working doing taxes. I was fired (due to my lack of knowledge - didn't know as much as they thought I did, based on how I was trained at my first place doing taxes) And I tell people, "God fired me!" When I was fired, and they were nice about it and felt badly about it, but just knew it was getting difficult for me and it was making things difficult on them, especially as we were nearing busy time, so I was ok with it. So, when I was fired, I said to God, "Well, obviously You have a plan in all of this. Please make it clear what You want me to do. Do You want me to look for another job? Do You want me to just focus on school? Do You want me to homeschool Austin?"

I did not get an answer right away, of course, but I was open to whatever He wanted me to do, trusting Him implicitly! A few days later, I was minding my own business, doing the dishes in the kitchen, I think and He spoke to me and said, "I fired you so that you would have more time to serve." I was like, Ok. At the time, we had just started attending our new church. I was not serving yet then. I was not involved yet then. We had attended just once or twice.

But, right after that - BOOM! I was doing Sunday School! Then on the Worship Team! Then going to the Bible study with Miss Evelyn! Then singing for the Women's Retreat and the practices for that. And on and on it has gone! and I am pregnant! and yet, God is sustaining me!

I have not had the morning sickness that I have had with my other 3 pregnancies! I have not been as exhausted as I was with my other 3 pregnancies! I have had more energy and don't even feel pregnant! I have my first dr's appt. next Wed, and I will be anxious to hear what she has to say! Because quite honestly, I feel great! But, I am also taking better care of myself this time than I did with my other pregnancies too. But, I cannot take the credit, and refuse to!

I believe, with all my heart, that God is giving me the ability to do what He has called me to do! And honestly, I would not have it any other way! I prayed and said, "God, I want to be all used up when I die! So, use me up! I don't want there to be any regrets! I don't want to say, on my death bed, 'oh, I wish I had done this' or 'oh, I wish I had done that'! I want to feel fulfilled and blessed! To know that I did all that He called me to do! And that others were blessed as a result!

I may not even know this side of heaven all of the impact of the work He had me do. But, that is ok, that is not the reason why I'm doing it! I'm doing it to honor Him and to glorify Him! To obey Him and to please Him and to serve Him! So that one day I will hear, "Well done, Thou good and faithful servant." And know that I gave my all for Him! And in heaven, when He shows me the lives that were touched by what I did for Him, that will make it all worthwhile!!!

God bless you all! And may you make Him your focus and your source of joy!!!
Love you all! June Marie Richardson

God's Blessings!

Well, this is very interesting! I am 44, almost 45, years old. My husband is going to be 51 in a few months. And we have a 5, almost 6, year old son, as well as an 18 year old son and a 15 year old daughter. And we have been blessed by moving to Layton, and then God led us to an amazing church family! We have been so blessed! We have a beautiful home. Great friends. And so many opportunities to be used by God to serve others. It has been amazing to see what God has done in our lives in just a few short months!! (we moved here in May)

But, the hugest blessing of all, I just found out about last night! In our "advanced age", Bruce and I are expecting our 4th child! I am in shock! Yet, at peace! I feel so blessed! I know God has a plan and a purpose for this child to be born at this time. I cannot question God and His sovereignty! Nor His perfect timing! I feel so blessed to be the one chosen to carry this child and ot being it in to this world and train him/her up in God's ways!

Austin's response was: "You mean I'm going to have a friend? I want a girl."
Aaron's response was: "What? You're pregnant? I'm scared and excited at the same time!"
Alyssa's response was: "Wait! Your'e pregnant? Ohmigosh! I'm going to cry!" When I asked her if they were happy or sad tears, she said both.

We lost a baby 4 years ago, and it was a very difficult time. For Alyssa especially, as she desperately wants a little sister and has for so long! For her sake, and Austin's, I do pray it is a little girl. But, I know we will graciously accept whomever God places in our lives!

When Bruce got home, I said to him, "So, do you remember what God promised to Abraham in his old age?" Bruce said, "A son." I said, "yeah, and how old was Abraham?" Bruce said, "90? 100?" I said, "100. and you are half his age." He said, "Wait, where is this conversation going?" I said, "Well, where do you think?" He just looked at me and then I said, "God has blessed us with a child. I'm pregnant." I think he is still adjusting to the idea of being a father at this point in his life. He said to me, "I was still wondering how I was going to be able to stay up with Ausitn."

So, I have been praying for him, constantly! That God will bless him with the strength, stamina, motivation, etc. to be a godly father for this baby, and our other children. I will continue to do so, because that is the ONLY way we will get through this time in our lives! It will definitely drive us further to our knees! As we continually need to be surrendering ourselves and our will to God's will for our lives, and not depend on ourselves nor on our own will/abilities, etc.

The funny thing in all of this: I have thought manytimes before that I was pregnant and ended up not being, so I was afraid to take a test and discover that I was not once again. I was afraid to go through that disappointment again. And I did not want to take my daughter nor my husband through that roller coaster ride again emotionally. So, I did not say anything to anyone.

I ordered a day planner from a Christian company that makes family planners. I received the package when my oldest son, Aaron, was home, and he was sitting next to me at the table when I opened it. When Idid, there were 2 planners in there: the one I ordered, and another one. It had a note on it that said, "Congratulations! You have been specially chosen to receive one of our Expecting Planners free of charge"! I looked at it, and laughed and said, "God, what are You telling me?"

Then my son said he wanted the planner I ordered, so I chose to go ahead and use the "Expecting" Planner. 2 days later, I discovered I am pregnant! God is funny! I LOVE His sense of humor! Even when He's laughing at me!

So, I will keep all posted as to the progress of this new little life developing within me! I will post pics, as well as write notes, on the progression of this pregnancy. God bless to all! June Marie

Life in this economy

So, there has been some hard hits to us financially, I'm not going to lie. A cut in Bruce's hours. OUCH! A reduction in some monies I was receiving from my dad's investments. OUCH! I'm working now, doing taxes again (I am such a numbers geek! I LOVE doing taxes! Guess I get it from my mom!) but it is not even enough to replace what I lost from my dad's investments!

We are doing a Crown Financial Small Group, and are finding out some mistakes we have made, in attitude, and in choices, decisions, etc. OUCH! But, at least we are learning, and FINALLY getting on the same page! It has been good for our marriage to do this together. It has been good for us too, in learning how to manage our money more wisely, and how to, well, here is the amazing thing, live below our means!! What a concept!!

Crap! My kids are yelling at me to come eat dinner!