Kentucky, along with a number of other mid-western states, has been hit by a major snow/ice storm.  My husband and I, along with the school I attend, are among those one million without power.  Since the semester began only last week, I am not only caught up with my school work, but I am now on the verge of being ahead.  I also have a very clean oven!  This is the second worst power outage in Kentucky history, and the top of the list happened only a few short months ago, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.  So needless to say, we’re a little weary of the stress that comes along with being electrically challenged.  However, in lieu of the circumstances, I am attempting to look for the silver lining and find God’s grace through the mess.

We both still have the opportunity to work, which forces us out of the house for a few hours each day.  I get to head off to the restaurant in the morning where it’s warm, there’s free food, and I can catch up on news and weather.  I have also been allowed to spend the evening with Marshall at work.  Hanging out in an IT room with my husband is not such a bad thing – electricity, super fast internet connection, caffeine, and my sweet husband just a few feet from me while I study and look at pictures of funny cats.

Along the lines of being thankful for our jobs, Marshall’s boss and his wife have been incredibly gracious in allowing us stay with them tonight and possibly tomorrow night.  After that, we will be heading up to Madison, WI (hooray…more snow!  But at least they know how to deal with it up there) where Marshall will be ushering in a wedding for one of his friends from church and high school.

The reports are saying that it may be up to a week until power is restored.  Trees and lines are down everywhere; ice and snow are making the work incredibly difficult.  In the meantime we’re praying for safety, patience, and resourcefulness.  We’re hoping that when we return home on Sunday evening, the lights will be back on and our apartment will be nice and toasty.  But if not, we’ll just keep hanging onto the grace of God until….

The long and short of it is this: God has called me to serve Him in full-time ministry. I love working in the preschool department at our local church. I even chose to attend a Bible college committed to preparing students for vocational ministry. I have loved every minute of it. However, that is not my most important calling.

Since God brought Marshall and I together (the story of which is a number of posts in and of itself) and led us into marriage, I have come to understand that my highest calling is to be his wife. It is amazing to me that I can fully honor and glorify God by loving, serving, and submitting to my husband!

To that end, I desire to be a better wife. I also desire to prepare my heart, mind, and body for the children I pray the Lord will bless us with in the future. And so, as I learn more about the biblical model of a wife and mother, as I develop practical skills of homemaking, and as I seek to strengthen my mind and body, I will share. I will share my triumphs and growth. I will share my failures and weaknesses. But more importantly, I will share myself…and I hope you will do the same.