Fun with the Smith's

Thanks you to all who were praying for me to get all better. The flu has finally left me but the runny nose and cough remain. I'm so grateful to be done with it. I just want to give another shout out to my wonderfully fantastic Luke. He served me with such genuine joy and compassion in his heart and God protected him by not letting my yucky germs get inside him! I love you Luke!!! By Friday night, I was alot better.

Luke and I were having some people over for dinner, and though I was better, I didn't have the strength to cook a full blown dinner for 8. So, I played it easy and made a big pot of chilli. Good thing it was a chilli/chilly day. The dinner was for Jeremy, Anita and Callie Smith. They are international missionaries and were home for Callie's birth and the mission's festival at Providence.

Luke knew Jeremy from high school, I think, or maybe just from his parent's living room that always had NC State students around. I only just met Anita this summer and we were instant friends. This was our first opportunity to hang out with them and the new baby since last summer. We spent the evening eating and talking, laughing and praying. Our dinner table only seats 4......6 if we squeeze. So with 8 of us, we just gathered our bowls of chilli around the living room.

After dinner, Mike and Nancy Corson left and the rest of us spent some time praying for the Smith's as they head back to their home abroad, but this time with a newborn. Our good friends Drew and Jaime Watkins also joined us. I just had to add this following picture. Sorry it's slightly baby x-rated: Everytime Callie went for a diaper change, Anita had to go prepared with the papertowels because Callie always waited until her diaper was off to go #1 while getting cleaned after going #2. It was so funny to see Jeremy holding Callie up in the air while Anita cleaned the changing pad. It was encouraging for us non parents to see Jeremy and Anita portray such good teamwork! By the end of the night, the boys had migrated to the kitchen to talk about boy things while the girls stayed in the living room talking girl things, but mostly passing the baby around and watching her. Turns out she was dedicated at Providence on Sunday!

We had a great time socializing and in fellowship. Please pray for the Smith's as they make the long journey home with a baby and transition back into ministry.

On a Personal Note

Luke and I had a wonderful weekend at the Weekend To Remember marriage conference in Charlotte. This was our second. We went to one when we were just engaged and "naive". This was a good one because we had a better context of life to put into the conference. We also got to see my best friend Pam for a few hours on Sunday.

That's when the weekend went sour. I'd been sick about 2 weeks ago and was finally getting over it thought I still had some congestion in my lungs. The achiness started coming, and the runny nose and the worst, the painful chest coughs. By the time we got home that night, my temperature had shot up to 102 and I was miserable. I can't even remember the last time I had a fever. So we called luke's mom and she confirmed that it was most likely the flu. I've never had the flu before, which is why I've never thought it neccessary for me to get the flu shot. That's what I get. I have, from this moment on, become the biggest advocate for flu shots in the world!!!

So I haven't been to work in 3 days (actually 5 counting the weekend), have spent most of those 3 days in bed or on the couch with a fever ranging from 99 to 101 and nothing to do about it just waiting for to work it's way out. Although I absolutely hate taking medicine, I've given in some, thank goodness for NyQuil. I have truly never felt this miserable before and I've spent time crying in agony. There's nothing worse than taking a tepid shower when your fever's up and the water literally hurts your skin.

All this to say, times like these help me realize the weakness of my body and though we were created in a perfect world with perfect bodies, sicknesses like the flu are a direct consequece of the fall. So my prayer has been for God to bring His healing touch on me because I know He can. Psalm 103 has been a comfort to me through this time.

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his
holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his
benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Praise the Lord indeed. Praises even more for my absolutely wonderful husband who's been so Christ like in his servant's heart. I'm so blessed to have him in my life. He has taken such good care of me and has been so very compassionate. As he prays for me daily, he always ends his prayer by praying that I will "suffer well".

Please pray for me as I continue to heal and that I will indeed suffer well and give more glory to God.

Rockie Turns 13!!!

Ok, she really turned 27 on Wednesday, the 13th, BUT, I like to joke around with her because every time she goes to a doctor/dentist/stylist, they are like "What? Your husband? I thought you were only 12 years old!" She looks pretty young for her age, which, as everyone that is old says, "you'll appreciate that when your older." I still think it's funny that she gets those "where's your mom?" comments though.

So, on Saturday night, we had a burfday potty wiff sum fwends (Dwew & Jamie & Patwick Watkinseses) and famwee. Mom made some stinkin SWEEET tacos (and taco salad) and we opened TONS-o-presents. Rockie was VERY excited! She actually got a lot of cool stuff.

Next we ate some ice cream cake and...ice..cream?

Aww...look how happy she is. What would an evening at the Mehaffie house be without a game? HA! I am trying to picture it but it is unpossible. Cranium TURBO EDITION was 1.5 years in the waiting to be played for the first time.

Here is one more picture:
Rockie is sewing Mom the hem she showed all by herself on her "usedtobetoolong" pants.

Thanks everyone for contributing to the joy my wife experienced on her special day. All of the calls and cards and emails were much appreciated and spoke lots of love to her.

WE WON!!!

Remember this: Our beautiful Christmas Balcony. Well...... we actually won the contest this year that our apartment has for decorated balconies! WOOHOO!!!! We got 2nd place which is $50 off our rent. We didn't win last year so we were really excited to win this year!!! YEAH!!!!

The Road to Emmaus

Providence was awesome today. Luke and I had our media duties this Sunday which means we get to be at church all day and listen to the sermon 2 or 3 times. Today the following Scripture (Luke 24)was referenced. Luke and I came across it a few weeks ago and read it with "new eyes". I don't think either of us had really paid attention to it before but it blew both of us away.

13 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem.
14 And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.
15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began
traveling with them.
16 But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.
17And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with
one another as you are walking?" And they stood still, looking sad.
18One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"
19And He said to them, "What things?" And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people,
20and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.
21"But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened.
22"But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,
23and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a
vision of angels who said that He was alive.
24"Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see."
25And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the
prophets have spoken!
26"Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"
27Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.
29But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." So He went in to stay with them.
30When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed
it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was
speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?"
33And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found
gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
34saying, "The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon." 35They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread."

The verse that we like the most is verse 27. The disciples were just walking along and they talk to Jesus, not knowing who he was, asking him, "don't you know anything?" And as they walked, Jesus told them all about himself starting all the way from Genesis to Malachi. WOW! Just walking along. Then, when Jesus allows himself to be made know by them, He just up and disappears. WOW WOW!! Then they say to themselves, that their hearts were burning while Jesus was "explaining the scriptures". WOW WOW WOW!!! Like I said, it blew us away.