Just an update...and a successful sales pitch?

Aww......?

Yes, this is what we all said.

A few weeks ago, a friend came to our house and in light of our pitiful lack of pets....*cough*...provided us with three hamsters. Awwwww.....
We soon discovered that we have one male...and two glowingly expecting females! 15 days ago out come two of these little pink critters the size of a calcuim pill. :) So, for the very low price of $24.99, you will get a snazzy CritterTrail hamster cage (complete with wheel!) and a two-month supply of hamster food. And if you comment this blog within the next year, we'll give you a FREE HAMPSTER. But no, that's not all...need stocking stuffers?! Take advantage of this limited time Holiday offer and we'll send you not ONE but THREE hampsters. That's about a $150 value all for just $24.99!

Ah ha ha ha.

So how have you been, friend? I hope very well, whether busy...or busy!...as the holidays are now upon us. As for me, LeAnna dear told me once that our candle doesn't shine brighter when we're burning it at both ends....at least I think that's what she said? :) But I still am, and with no motives of trying to be shiny. I've been working full-time for Nature's 1st, which I'm thankful for! Though nearly ten hours a day in a 6x8 office gets a little wearying. Hopefully we'll have our new office ready to go in January...a wonderful 16x16 space of organized loveliness! I'm also still at Sears on Saturdays, but prayerfully, that will only be a few more weeks. Sad as the thought is, I can't believe after three years it's time to move on. :( But I will be happy to have my weekends free again.

SWAT's Bible studies on Wednesday nights have been really good, though I've been having a hard time getting the girls to "discuss". I'm a big "discusser" and I ask alot of questions, so I've been patient and prayed that they glean good things from it, even if I don't hear them say so. For the month of November, we split into guy/girl groups and last night was the final sessions of our particular studies. We girls did "Unveiling Beauty"--a pretty in-depth study on the definition of real beauty against the world's standards, the pursuit of real beauty (which turned out to be our pursuit of GOD, Himself), and our example of real Beauty. It's was really convicting for me, but refreshing, as real conviction usually is. :)

Cameratismo has unofficially been put on the shelf, though I didn't mentally mean to do that. It's simply been put there until the first available 3-hour slot, and it will be finished. I suppose that has suffered with the same excuse my blog has as far as the writing world, and I believe this next issue won't have a contribution from me (but I'll be back!). I haven't been journaling as much as I used to--and I still consider myself an avid journal...er?--and the other day, while I attempted to, I skipped back to earlier this year. Wow. Not only has so much of ME changed, but my whole writing style has been affected. I pray for the better, but it's been a bit different lately and more and more I find myself ripping out journal pages and deleting e-mails, and five-paragraph blog entries...yes, I really did that just two nights ago. :)

I think the season of silence has been good, though for what I don't know yet, He knows. But I pray I will have fruitful things to share when the clouds clear. :)

Well, I have chatted updates into a novel, as I usually do...huh Tim? :)
I'll share a neat quote I read in Lion & Lamb last night, and may the Lord Jesus bless the rest of your week as we daily learn to trust a little bit more.

"For many of us, trust does not come easily. Trust does not come from discovering in philosophy or cosmology some proof that God exists...ultimately we trust God because we love Him. Not the other way around: not trust first, then love. Job trusted because He loved.
You will trust God only as much as you love Him. And you will love Him not because you have studied Him; you will love Him because you have touched Him--in response to His touch..."