Worry and Joy.

So we're getting ready to leave for Chesapeake VA on Sunday. We're bringing about 20 students. I'm so excited for this trip! We have an amazing group of people going (I adore our students and am looking forward to the fun and bonding!), and we're going to be working with a great church. Tally Wilgis is the pastor. Cool guy. I've only met him once. I was hugely pregnant and not quite myself, so I didn't really get to know him. He came up to PA to be a friend and crying shoulder for my husband and our worship pastor, Steve, while our church was hurting. I admire him for that alone. Oh, and he broke my kitchen chair. Which was totally fine because I desperately wanted new ones, and now I (Finally!) had a reason to go and buy them. Also, we froze him to death. No heat in the room he stayed in. I still feel awful about that! So yeah. Sorry, and thanks for the new chairs, Tally!

Anyway. We're headed down there to help out their children's ministry. We're meeting up with another group of students from their sister church in Texas, and sort of joining together to help build up a great tool for Christ to use. Like I said, I'm totally pumped about this trip.

However, everything that can go wrong, has gone wrong. I'm overloaded at the church with work that needs to be done. So is Tucker. The stress is getting to us. We're combining services for the summer, which is going to be amazing, but that means that my schedule for the nursery and preschool needs to be redone. Before I leave. On Sunday (Or "Suday"...). Tonight, we had a terrific rainstorm. My husband left for worship practice, went through a "puddle", and the car died. Not sure why, but we're guessing something got wet that really, really shouldn't have. So now I'm stressed about that.

I put the kids to bed, Tate first, Rory second. I read her a book, and laid down with her to pray. Let me tell you, she's adorable when she prays. She lists everything she loves (Everything. Favorite clothes, toys, people...) and prays for each one. "Gank you Jesus for my GoGo (Diego). Gank you Jesus for my shirt. Gank you Jesus for my Tates." As I lay there listening to my two year thank Jesus for all of her "Loves", I realized how easily I've been distracted. I forget there's a powerful spiritual war going on, and I lose sight of the big picture. I let myself be pulled from ministry into worry. I realize that, as strange as this may sound to my non-Christian friends, Satan is doing everything possible to suck the joy out of me. And I'm letting him.

No more.