Up and Down, Twist and Turn...Don't Vomit

I don't do roller coasters; in fact, I get car sick.  I am just not one for that thrill ride...you can have it.  So when life decides to take me on a ride, without my permission.. well, what do I do?  I do a little of everything...want to vomit, feel queasy, excited, thrilled, faith-filled, exhausted, hopeful, discouraged, and when I finally come to the end of myself, I feel His strong arms.  The ride, even though it is still going, becomes a place of surrender.  I have heard that that is the trick of a roller coaster, if you don't tense up and just enjoy the ride, it becomes pleasurable.

So, Monday started the unexpected roller coaster ride.  After the boys were off at school, leaving me to myself and house cleaning, windows were opened to allow the cool breeze to filter through...and the ride came unannounced.

I heard my husband's footsteps in the middle of the afternoon.  "Hey!, what are you doing here?"  His answer back was a shock...he had lost his job.  Monday was the last day.  His 100% commission, supposed-to-be-temporary,-but-lasted-four-and-a-half-years-job had come to an abrupt end.

As I moved through the afternoon with my thoughts invading my being..highs, lows, twists, turns...etc.. my body called me to bed.  But wait...there is always something unexpected in a roller coaster ride. The phone rang............

"Mom, what you doing?...I AM ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" screamed our only daughter through the phone.

We knew it was coming.  The wonderful Christian young man had already discussed this with hubby..but we hadn't expected it just yet.  My husband has always said our only daughter's husband would be a cross between John Wayne and Rambo...this man comes close...he is a Marine Corporal... with a great heart.

This is how he proposed........................................................I am the mom, so I have to share!

They were having an evening picnic on the lawn of the county courthouse.  She had lost her Bible and had been complaining about it...that's my girl...very verbal.  He bought her a new Bible and engraved her future name on the cover. He gave it to her and she hugged the Bible, not reading the full name.  Now I have to say both last names start with a "W", so she just glanced over it.  He had to draw her attention to the full name.  Well, after some words...verbal girl giving him a hard time for the wrong last name... he pulled out the ring!!

Aren't they both beautiful.  The ring was created from the diamonds of his grandmother's wedding band.

This is my goofy girl in our garage, where brother and friends were playing ping pong...teary-eyed...showing off her ring!

Here is our future son-in-law...the mixture between John Wayne and Rambo.

All these sixteen and seventeen year-old boys (her brother's in the baseball clothes) acting goofy with her!  This was so appropriate for them all to hear the events of the evening, since she and future son-in-law both work with the youth at church.

Both of their testimonies of life can fill a book...labeled: God's forgiveness, God's redemption plan, God's restoration, and to His Glory.

Our prayers are with them throughout this engagement period.  We have now had two of our children engaged in one month...oh my!  I don't have pictures from the other engagement..but our prayers are covering them also.

What a roller coaster ride on this day...one that could only have been touched by God!