My First Blog Entry

Well, here we go!! My purpose in creating this blog is three-fold: I feel as though sometimes I go through each week looking forward to the next "big thing". I hope that by documenting the normal, routine adventures, I will discover the intrinsic joy found in every day. I also want the opportunity to write down my thoughts and expepriences, sort of a release for me. Lastly, I hope this new site can serve as a useful tool for our friends and family, keeping you updated on the happenings in our life!! We'll see how faithful I am in updating.....I'll do my best to post at least twice a week...

Right now, my little man is sleeping, my big man is working, and I'm enjoying a little quiet time. It's a beautiful day, and Abe and I are looking forward to going swimming with Erin and Oliver later this afternoon.

Abe started walking this week! He is still very feeble, and today, when I tried to get him to practice, he refused to stand, kept trying to sit when I lifted him. Perhaps his apprehension is due to the tumbles he took yesterday! He's progressing pretty well though, and I anticipate he will be walking more independently within a few weeks.

For those who don't know, we are re-applying to medical school. We were only going to tell close family and friends, but the news seems to have been exposed, and it's actually been a blessing and lesson in humlilty, AGAIN!! As if we haven't had enough of those lessons... But so what if people know? The fear of not getting in again and having to tell people we didn't get in is what drove the decision to not tell people, but that's prideful. The fact of the matter is that we felt God leading us to apply again, against our will, so we moved ahead in obedience. If we don't get in, we don't get in, and God is good. We can tell people without fearing their thoughts toward us, feeling as though we somehow failed or are dumb or that we don't have it all together or that people need to feel bad for us. It's okay. God has provided bountifully since we've been married and we have no want for anything. We are blessed. And if we do get in, PRAISE GOD!! It is not because Ryan is so smart or because we are so great or because we have big things to do, it's simply because God desires to use us in that way, so the door has been opened before us. We're excited to see what happens, regardless of the outcome.

Regarding the application process, the primary application is in, and AMCAS released Ryan's applications to the schools he selected yesterday, so we should be hearing about secondary applications within a few weeks. It will be a flurry of acitivity for Ryan for the next month or so. Advisors suggest that you have your secondaries in within two weeks of receiving them from the college, so that will be Ryan's goal. With 23 schools to write essays for, it will consume most of his non-working time for a while. After that, we wait, AGAIN. More waiting. Until, hopefully, he gets some offers for interviews. I feel like our life for the past 2 1/2 years has been a trial of patience. And yet, even though we've been waiting, God has allowed us to have such joy and contentment here and now. I love the song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller; when I first heard it on the movie FIREPROOF, I cried. It is perfect for us. I'll post the lyrics below:

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

I'll post more about our journey in the days ahead for those who don't know. But for now, I think my first post is long enough :)