Christmas In Yankeeland...

“Joyful are those who obey his laws and

 search for him with all their heart.”

~Psalm 119:2~

Lots of big changes in the Hill household since I last posted.

First off, I got not one, but two new jobs!  Before, I was working in St. Paul which is about 40 miles (one way) in white-knuckling traffic to a job that was less than desirable for my personality type.  Now, I get to work way closer to home at jobs that are perfect for my personality type and skill set.

I am currently working 2 part-time jobs.  During the day, I work for the City of River Falls as the Assistant to the Director of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and in the evenings/weekends, I work at The Home Depot.  Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about HD, but as it turns out, I love it.  By far, one of the funnest jobs I’ve had- the people are great to work with and definitely not your typical retail.

I love working for EMS – it’s so great to be back in a job that’s so involved in the community and really makes a difference in people’s lives.  I work with a really great group of folks there too.

Secondly, I am no longer dating the guy I was seeing before.  He had some family stuff come up that required his full attention and after seeking the Holy Spirit for wisdom, I decided to end things between us.  We ended on amicable terms, but for the record- I’m still available for Mr. Tall, Dark, Handsome, and Independently Wealthy.
I’m also eligible for adoption by someone who is wealthy.

Thirdly, I am beginning to make some friends.  I know my time in St. Paul was not in vain, there were people there I was destined to meet and I’m so grateful I did!

I’m starting to really see God’s favor in every area of my life.  One of my co-workers at HD mentioned to me tonight that he didn’t know of any other employee that had won the hearts of their coworkers as quickly as I have.  I’m grateful for the unmerited favor I’m walking in right now.

This has been a welcome change of scenery- I’m finally coming out of a season of just overall feeling beat-down and depressed and walking into one where I’m joyful.

I don’t really remember the last time, if ever, I was actually this joyful. 

As a single person, the holidays can be a little lonely, but this year, it’s a little extra hard.  This will be the first Christmas that I’ve ever spent really alone- I’ve never not been with my family and/or friends for the holiday.
Lisa and Charles are back in Texas to be with their families and while I have friends, I don’t have many.
Just to show that God is not surprised by this- He placed me in a job, with people who are required to work 24/7/365 (EMT’s, Paramedics, First Responders, etc) just in time for the holidays.  I’m developing a great relationship with my coworkers and now have somewhere to hang out should I get lonely.

I can finally say that I’m confident I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.  I still get made fun of for my accent (that may never change) and I still can’t understand people up here half the time, but I’m doing really well.
I still love Texas with all my heart and I miss my people there, but life is getting really good here.

Obedience comes at a cost, but things worth doing are always worth the sacrifice.
I trust God- I don’t always understand His plan, but I trust it.

I know He’s doing a deep work in me- He’s healing some deep-seated wounds in my heart from my marriage and divorce, wounds from my childhood, and bringing restoration in areas of my life that I thought may never come.
He is just so good.

He is the keeper of promises and it’s so amazing to watch them come to fulfillment in my life.

Thank you to all those who love me, pray for me, and encourage me.

It takes a great deal of courage to press on when I start getting really homesick.  Some days, it’s more appealing to pack up and move back home, especially when there are so many that want me to come back.  I wish it was that easy. 

For those that encourage me to stay the course, keeping doing what God has called me to do (even when they don’t understand why I have to be so far away to do it!) – you are my life-savers.  I could not do this without your support.

I pray that God reveals a new part of Himself in a special way to you this Christmas.

Have a Merry Christmas and Be Blessed, Y’all!!

~Pamela, Chester, & Daisy Mae

I can be reached at Pamela@ACreativeWord.com

Visit our website at www.ACreativeWord.com

Howdy Y'all! (part 1)

“For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness.

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19

Well- I did not fall off the planet.  

I mean, sometimes, it feels like I did, but alas, my faithful 4 followers- I did not disappear completely.
Turns out, I was right- they do have The Facebook up here, they use The Internets, and they do have cell phone coverage.

Where do I begin??

First off, the bed & breakfast thing did not happen, just wasn’t God’s timing- however, that was not the purpose for why I was coming here- I came here simply because God called me to minister to the people here.

The treacherous drive up here was soul-changing. 

It took me and the dogs 2 days to get here.  I was pulling an extremely full U-Haul trailer with an exceptionally full truck.  Twenty (yes, 20) hours of driving and 3 pukey stops (poor Chester) and a constantly peeing mommy (I have fantastic kidneys!) – we made it.

Before the vomiting ensued...

During that drive I experienced every emotion possible.  I was in awe of how beautiful this country is – shocked and irritated at how extremely WIDE Oklahoma is, and just how long the non-tollway highway in Kansas is.  (FYI- there is NOWHERE to stop and pee in Kansas.  No. Where.  Not even a bush.  Seriously, y’all; take the tollway, it’s worth the ten bucks.)
I was angry at the important people in my life that just couldn't accept that I had to be obedient to God's call, sorrowful for the best friends I was leaving behind, excited for a new start, and terrified for too many things to name here.

When I first got here, we lived in Rice Lake, Wisconsin- by ‘we’, I mean, Lisa and Charles Jett.  They have been gracious enough to take me in and help me get on my feet.

I was there for 3 weeks – Charles and Lisa had purchased a home about 2 hours away in River Falls so I stayed in their awesome RV until we moved (again).

Secluded, homey, and so relaxing - except for the bears.

The night before we were to move to River Falls, tragedy struck.  I was loading my truck, for the move – getting all my junk out of the RV, when I missed the bottom step and broke my ankle and foot in 2 places.

Could not have happened at a worse time.

I went from being a fully functioning adult to someone who wasn’t able to go to the bathroom by myself.

For. Real. Y’all.

Talk about being taken down a notch or 10.  I will never be able to thank Charles and Lisa enough for how graciously they helped me.  They had to help me do everything all while moving (them and me) to a new place.  They took care of Daisy and Chester, took me to doctor’s appointments, helped me get around, fed me, entertained me… and loved and prayed for me.

Because of my injury, I was in bed a lot- less mobile than usual.  I wasn’t really supposed to get up and do much so I had a lot of time to think.
This was my hardest time- besides, Charles and Lisa, I had no one.  I had no job, no church, no friends, no people at all.  I could feel myself going down emotionally.  This is when I really started the grieving process… I was mourning the life I had in Texas.

When I first moved here, it felt like I was on a perpetual vacation – that wore off pretty quickly.  

About 2 weeks before my final doctor’s appointment, I began job-hunting.  I got an interview for a company in St. Paul.

The interview itself was really interesting- it was less about my actual skills (my resume speaks for itself, I guess) and more about what my purpose up here was.  I was sort of grilled about my ministry views and I began to realize that this wasn’t so much about a job, it was more about what I was really doing up here.  I know from an employer’s point of view, they were concerned about me getting homesick and leaving, but I know from a spiritual point of view, I was in some unknown territory.  It was good though- it really helped me define what I was doing here.  Bringing people to freedom in Christ.

Shockingly enough, they offered me the job and I started there on July 1st, got my walking boot off on July 2nd, and moved into my new townhouse July 3rd.  Whew!  Talk about going from sitting in my bedroom catching up on Gilligan’s Island to being a grown up in a matter of a couple of days! 

For those of you that actually know geography (I do not so no judgement here), I live in Wisconsin and work in Minnesota- it’s only about 40 minutes from where I live.

Let me state something here… Dallas drivers are nothing compared to Minnesota drivers.   

Oh. My. Cow.  Welcome to the Passive/Aggressive capital of the Universe.  I got cut-off by a cop!!  These people don’t wave, don’t use blinkers, don’t even give you the finger, they just cut you off and assume you’ll move out of the way. 
I also went from driving 4 minutes to work one way, to over an hour (some days) one way – white-knuckling it all the way to work.  J
Needless to say, this has been an adjustment.

So far, since I moved here in May, I’ve been back to Texas twice- both were short trips for ministry purposes and I’m about to come back in October for a couple of days to serve at Tres Dias.

You can take the girl out of Texas, but you'll
never take the Texas out of this girl!

I’m pretty positive this will be my last trip to Texas for a while.  It’s expensive and I have to board my dogs while I’m gone – which can get super pricey in a hurry.

I miss Texas.  So much.  I miss my life there- my job, my house, my friends, my family and it’s been so much more difficult than I could have ever imagined.

I feel like I’ve been in this constant state of grieving since I moved here.  I realized that part of my problem is that so far, I’ve been living here but still trying to maintain a life in Texas.  The problem with that is, I don’t live in Texas, I live here.
I must create a life here.  Until I manage to do that, it’s just going to be hard.

That is also part of the purpose of waiting so long to come back to visit – I need some distance.  I keep finding myself counting down the days until I get to go back home and that is no way to be present here. 

This has to become my new home.  To be quite honest, that’s been a painful revelation.
I had a great life in Texas but I have to be obedient to what God is calling me to- right now, that’s up here.  I have no idea what the future holds, and I have no idea where it might take me but I do know that I have to trust Him.

I don’t fully understand what I’m doing up here, and some days, I really question why I’m here and He always reassures me that He’s got it all under control.
Starting a new life somewhere else might seem exciting, it might seem like a great new adventure, but what most outsiders fail to see, is that it comes at a cost.  At least for me.

I’ve sacrificed a career that I loved, I’ve lost some friendships, I’ve sacrificed some potential romantic relationships, and I’ve even lost a relationship with an important family member because she just wouldn’t accept my decision to move.
Some may even be shocked to learn that this has made me softer- more emotional than I think I’ve ever been (or maybe it’s the hormones?! Lol).  There hasn’t been one day since I left that I haven’t cried at some point or another. (I’m now that lady at the airport that cries at check-in, you’re welcome) Sometimes it’s sad, sometimes, I’m just dealing with my life.
This has changed me- I hope for the better, but being brought to a place of humility like I have, has taught me so many things about myself. 
Not the least of which is this: it’s not about me, it’s about Him, and it’s about what He wants.
I want His best for me and if this is what it takes to get to it, then so be it.

And don't even get me started on how they talk up here......

More to come… 

Be blessed, y’all!

~Pamela

I can be contacted at: Pamela@ACreativeWord.com
Visit our website at: www.ACreativeWord.com

Back to Work!!

  Psalm 34:4-7 (NLT)

 

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.

He freed me from all my fears.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;

he saved me from all my troubles.

For the angel of the Lord is a guard;

he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

 



April 15th 8 days post surgery!

 

 

Wow.  I can’t believe how long it’s been since I last updated, and I apologize for that.

Where do I even begin?!

Let’s start off with the really, really, really important news: I AM HEALED!!!!!

God promised to heal me through brain surgery and He most definitely did.

I continue to shock and awe my surgeon and neurologist because of how amazing I’m doing.

I have no more headaches, definitely no more migraines and they can’t really explain it.

It’s opened amazing doors to share just how awesome my God is.

 

I’ve had multiple opportunities to share this miracle with others- including nursing staff, ICU staff, doctors, internist, and just the Average Joe at Wal-Mart.

God is so good and He is most definitely a man of His word.

 

Let’s talk about the scripture above- I go back to work on Tuesday and I’m a little anxious about it.  I had a neuro-cognitive test done about a week ago and did really well.  I’m having some minor short-term memory issues (more so than average people do) and some difficulty finding my words at times.  This is all normal and my brain will learn to‘re-route’ itself in due time.  It just may take 6 months.  Most of you know how patient I am, so you know I was ready for it to be back to ‘normal’ yesterday, well, last week.

 

I’ve been off work for the last almost 8 weeks so it’s a little intimidating to come back- full time.  If I attempted to do part time, I’d just wear myself out trying to cram an 8-hour day into 4 hours.  Also, I’ve been gone, stuff has happened that I haven’t been a part of and I’m sure that a little feeling of being ‘left out’ of the loop will happen.  I think I’m also nervous that I’ll get really tired, really fast and just not be able to keep up.  I also have this nightmare that my desk is covered with paper and the phone won’t stop ringing and I’m completely overwhelmed and have a meltdown at work.  Yeah, had that dream twice now.  Super fun.

I know that I work with the best people and I have a lot of support and understanding and I so appreciate that.

Truthfully, I don’t want to be babied or treated differently than I was before.

I will say this- it will be awesome to get through a workday with no pain!

 

I really can’t express how much I LOVE not being in the pain I was in before.  I get tension headaches from time to time because I haven’t quite gotten totally comfortable sleeping yet and I keep pinching a nerve in my neck- doc says that will eventually work itself out too and that it’s to be expected.

 

There are no words for how much better I feel, just all the time.  I get tired, but I’m not sick anymore and it’s amazing.  I don’t keep emergency meds on me anymore, I don’t take any kind of pain medicine anymore (except for the tension headaches occasionally) and I just overall feel better.

 

People keep telling me that I look different- not just the hair, but that my face just looks different.  I look relieved and relaxed, not like I’m masking how bad I really feel.  I say it’s because I got half a face-lift.  Seriously, when they stitched up the left side of my head, it felt like my braid was entirely too tight for about 3 weeks.  I can actually see a slight difference in the beginnings of crow’s feet around my eyes.  It’s less noticeable on the left side. Lol

 

During this time that I’ve had off, I’ve rested.  I’ve rested my body, my soul, and my mind.  It’s been great, but I’m so ready to get back into a regular routine with my job (I’ve really missed my job) and people.  I’ve spent time with my family, my dogs, and worked on my home some when I had the energy.  I’ve spent time with myself and a lot of time with God.  It’s been amazing.

I knew that this surgery would change a lot of things about my life, but I don’t think that I fully grasped what it would do for me until I began to heal.  I’ve watched God intervene and do incredible things in my world- even still.

I’ll save that for another blog post, but I wanted to update everyone.

 

To everyone that came by, sent cards, texted, brought meals, and just visited me- I’m overwhelmed with the amount of love that’s been poured out on me.  I wish I could give it back 1,000 fold because y’all surely deserve it.  I am so grateful to the people that God has placed in my life.  Know that you have been noticed and I’m thankful to have you part of my world.

 

Once I get back in the swing of things at work, I’ll start posting again on a more regular basis and let you in on some incredible things God is doing in my life.

 



May 23rd, 2014

There is no end to His good.  There’s just not.

 

Blessin’s Y’all!

Pamela

 

 

 

I can be reached at Pamela@ACreativeWord.com

Please visit our website at www.ACreativeWord.com

 

Visit us on FaceBook at: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JennaLangHelpForRealLife

I'm Bucklin' Up and Gettin' Ready, and It's Already Bumpy...

 

As I get ready for these huge, possibly life-changing tests on Wednesday, my anxiety is at an all-time high.  My trust is where it should be, but my physical body just won’t get on board.

 

I'm leaning so heavily on one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible today.  Psalm 18.

 

It’s my favorite depiction of how God rescues us.  I've posted it from the New Living Translation because it's just so vivid.

 

Sometimes we like to keep God in this snuggly Father figure box (which He most definitely is) where He just scoops us up and loves on us and kisses our boo boos; but sometimes it's important to have Him really reveal Himself to us as the powerful Almighty God of the Universe.

 

I love the way that David describes Him in this chapter because He is my rescuer and today, this is how I need to see Him.

 

The Almighty God of the Universe. 

I Am.

My Redeemer.

My Healer.

My King.

My God.

 

I need Him come down on His angelic beast and fight for me. 

 

All because He has heard my cry and He delights in me.

 

Not because of who I am, but just because of who He is and because of how much He loves me.

 

Yeah, I need Him to be that God today.

 

Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me.

5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path.

6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.  The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.

8 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth.    Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

9 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.

11 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.

12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded

    amid the hail and burning coals.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;  his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.

15 Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.  

16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord  supported me.

19 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

22 I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees.

23 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.

28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.  He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

31 For who is God except the Lord?  Who but our God is a solid rock?

32 God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.

33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

34 He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

35 You have given me your shield of victory.  Your right hand supports me;

    your help has made me great.

36 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. 

37 I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.

38 I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.

39 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

40 You placed my foot on their necks.  I have destroyed all who hated me.

41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.  They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.  I swept them into the gutter like dirt.

43 You gave me victory over my accusers.  You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me.

45 They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds. 

46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!  May the God of my salvation be exalted!

47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he subdues the nations under me

48 and rescues me from my enemies.  You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.

49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

50 You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.

 



 

 

 

 

I am forever convinced that no matter what I do, what I go through, no matter how ugly it gets, and no matter how awesome it gets, there is absolutely, NO END TO HIS GOOD!

 

Blessin’s Y’all!

Pamela 

I can be reached at Pamela@ACreativeWord.com

www.ACreativeWord.com