Long OVERDUE Update!

Wow, time has flown, and much has happened since my last blog! About 3 weeks ago, my daddy finally went to Sunbelt Rental to look into air conditioning units. Much to my dismay, it was going to cost almost half of our wedding budget to cool the barn, and even then, we couldn't guarantee it would be sufficient. Add to that the fact that the bathrooms were a little skeezy, the kitchen prep space was minimal, and the director wasn't keeping the grounds, it was very necessary to find a new venue. Momma didn't tell me this news until she had found a new possible venue-wise woman! The next day, we went and looked at the Greenville Little Theater. I tried to have a good attitude, I really did! We got out to the car, and Momma asked " So what do you REALLY think of it?" I told her I didn't like it, it wasn't what I wanted, etc BUT.....it was air-conditioned, ample free parking, bathrooms were more accessible for Gram and there was plenty of space for rehearsal food prep....I felt a lot better about it once John came with me to see it! So I had to rework my wedding vision. Needless to say, I was on the verge of tears for the next two days!
In the last two months, I have been taking a drug called Imuran. It's an immune suppressant drug, a type of chemotherapy in pill form. For the first week, I was nauseated every day, no appetite, headaches, and lethargic. I did eventually adjust, and haven't had any other issues with it. However, I have to be very careful to not get a cold or something akin to it, as it could quickly turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. Unfortunately, even though I had the Pneumovax, all bets are off with an immune suppressant drug. So I started feeling yucky about a week and a half ago. A Sunday, I think. The next day my throat was scratchy, and the following morning my chest was very heavy. So I called and got an immediate appointment at the GHS clinics. The doctor that I saw commended me for listening to my rheumatologist and coming in right away. We were able to catch the cold before it settled in my lungs. SO he put me on a beastly antibiotic for 10 days....my colon is thrilled-but I'm almost done with it. Most likely, after John and I get back from our honeymoon, I will up the dose of Imuran to a whole pill, which will be 50 mg. Awesome! I hate splitting pills! Momma was a little concerned that my rheumatologist wanted to up the dose, but I told her that it must be making some kind of a difference, sufficient enough that she didn't suggest Cytoxan ( the aggressive immune suppressant that can cause infertility). Immune suppressant drugs and another drug called Lopressor make it very dangerous for me to get pregnant.Obviously not a problem right now, but in 11 days or so.....:)So I made my appointment for the Gyn and went through that horrible experience, and survived. I think I would rather have blood drawn every 4 hours for 48 hours, than do that again!
For the last several weeks, John has been painting our house....every room but two! He's exhausted, and sick of painting-but it's done, and the house looks so much brighter and cleaner. As he painted, I cleaned; Baseboards, doors, trim BLINDS! My momma graciously helped me degrease the kitchen...and that was a HUGE job!
We got our bathroom and bedroom ready to finish and we went to BedBath&Beyond to get our bed set and shower curtain and new hooks, and Target to get our towels with gift cards we had received. we got home and washed the towels and sheets for our bed and got the bed on the frame. I was so busy unpacking stuff, unloading and reloading the dishwasher, I didn't really pay attention to the bed...until we tried to put the sheets on and I realized that it was not a queen-but a full. Ooooh man. We had been hoping to just get that room done! The next day we painted the kitchen and picked up a queen sleigh bed we bought on craigslist. Yesterday John cleaned the frame and vacuumed the mattress while I did some more work in the kitchen. After febreze and a new mattress pad, it feels like new. Our bed set looks GREAT on the bed, and it's finished!
I'm thankful that John LIKES the colors I chose, and he had such a loving attitude about painting for me. He's a good man. In character-very much like my Daddy! I am tired, and still have to drive home, so that's enough of an update for now! 11 more days of this craziness! And the Browns come this coming week!! I'm not sure who's more excited, me or my Momma and siblings! Can't wait to see our people!

"I just keep trusting my Lord, as I walk along...

....I just keep trusting my Lord, and He gives a song. Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heavn'ly trail, I just keep trusting my Lord-He will never fail!"
God sees fit to keep me on my knees, not literally, because I would be in rough shape! But spiritually speaking, of course. Yesterday my boss, Angelena, came home and informed me that she had lost her job. GHS had found a hairdresser who could live on site and have full availability to take care of the residents' hair. Angelena was stunned but thrilled to be home for the summer, and the possibility of reopening her salon later. God gave me MUCH grace to let my face speak joy ( my face talks pretty loud, I'm afraid ), instead of panic. Just this week I received a reply to an application I had sent to a family with triplets. So God allowed me to have something in the works before I even lost this job.
I just sent the resume/references tonight, and I'm praying for grace to trust God with the outcome-good or bad, job or no job, God is still good and he's worthy to be praised.
God has prepared my heart for this through combined Bible study this week. We were in Psalm 136, every verse ends with the promise of God's steadfast love enduring forever. So Ben gave us a sheet to fill in our own "good things" that God has given because of His steadfast love. Some of the things we came up with: "O give thanks to God who gives peace in the midst of my trials, for his steadfast love endures forever, who gives a song to the heavy heart, for his steadfast love endures forever. He provides for my daily needs, for his steadfast love endures forever."
I can see how he prepared me to increase my faith through what he taught me last week. By God's grace alone, I'm not freaking out. By His grace alone, I'm relearning to trust, to depend, to lean, and find joy in my God and his all-wise plan, for my life and John's.
"Near the cross! Oh Lamb of God, bring it's scenes before me; Help me walk from day to day with it's shadows o'er me. In the cross, in the cross be my glory ever, til my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river."