Another Day

Our weekend in Long Beach

Dad's are one of the greatest things in life:)

A few weekends ago Michael and I went down to L.A for two nursing appointments. And of course there is not trip down to L.A without hanging out with the parents and Bubba of course! Here are some pictures of the day in Long Beach down by the Queen Mary and Old Light house. I am so thankful that our families get along so well, it makes things really easy!

Just a few updates with the Paines by the chickens. We are loving living in Arroyo Grande. I am running a muck and Michael's biking a muck around these back country roads! Michael and a friend have been working on some book shelves for the house this past week and I can't wait to put them up. I just finished organizing our kitchen hutch and sewing projects this weekend. ! Next weekend we start the farm again, looking forward to some yummy vegetables. I have two more nursing school applications, but we should find out if we got accepted anywhere

the beginning of May.

For now we are enjoying each day as it comes!

Why does Michael not blog?

First Race in Los Olivos 

Go number 539!!! 

Well I can never seem to catch the man now that he has picked up biking as his replacement for running. I am sure all of you know Michael Paine as a runner but he is now road biking pretty intensely on a weekly basis.  From Nipomo to Cambria he is covering some major ground, biking 100's of miles.  And he loves that he gets to know other guys who enjoy the sport as well.  I think biking has becoming an awesome fit for Michael.  He loves to explore, he is competitive, athletic, and enjoys getting to know new people.  He did his first race back in February in Los Olivos.  Lets just say the last 50 feet of the race did not reflect the 34 miles prior.  But, that hasn't stopped him! 

Out in the Country

Today I captured a couple shots of our new little country bumpkin life, enjoy the tour.

Some of our neighbors

Pismo Beach from our kitchen window

Who doesn't like to nest? 

The Patio

Come on over anytime! We would love to have ya'll! 

Mishkan

The hebrew word for Tabernacle is Mishkan, which means dwelling place.  For the past three weeks Michael & I have been teaching the 4th-6th graders about the Tabernacle.  We dove in straight to Exodus identifying each article, purpose, and foreshadow of Jesus Christ.  Some Sunday's I thought they might leave in a bible comma.  One little boy prayed at the end of our second week, "Thank you Lord, for our freedom."  He saw the law and he knew this was not his own experience of Christ.  Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.  For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.  And so what had been in place for over 2000 years, Christ made obsolete. Not only did he make the old covenant obsolete but he perfected the new one and has left us with this promise, Hebrews: 9:12 He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by the means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.  What great news! As I am still unraveling these things in my heart and my mind of this new covenant we are under, I am amazed that I need not find an earthly mishkan but His mishkan is in me.  He is truly Emmanuel.  

Today I am thankful for our freedom in christ, little children, my husband, my sweet sister in Christ Haley, and pesto pizza.  

Goodbye Paines by the sea, Hello Paines by the chickens

Shell Beach 

Our Old Home 

Although we can see the sea from our kitchen window we are more like the Paines by the chickens; if stepping on chicken crap and being woken by roosters at 4 am is quite the  constitution for this new title or season if you'd like to call it that.  The chickens are not ours but we practically share the same living quarters with them.  The only difference is they're squaters and were renters! Ironically we live on the same street where Michael grew up in Arroyo Grande.  A place in San Luis Obispo we always dreamed of living.  It's not the french country home I dreamed of, but we have the goats and chickens as a start towards our little fantasy!  

So this afternoon as I was driving back to our new country cottage  I thought to myself how I don't miss Shell Beach like I thought I would.  Of course the sentimentality of our precious home and kind neighbors was difficult waving goodbye too but we had to trust the Lord was bringing us further into his plans.  To be frank, we did not have a lot of clarity as to where we were suppose to live.  We looked for months.  Nothing to my standards as Michael would probably say.  Which was true most of the time until the words came pouring out one night as I was in tears after having put a deposit down on a cat wreaking, pot smoking house, we resigned to because we felt desperate, "I just want something clean and odorless!"  For about a week I was a walking puddle.  When would I see the promise land?  For 6  weeks we stayed with a family from church.  Our things were in their garage and in a storage unit and we no longer had the keys to 329 Windward.  This small and incomparable trial at times seemed like a sinking ship I was aboard.  And so for the first seven days of living in our new home, I grumbled like Israel.  I wanted to go back to Egypt.  My manna was not satisfactory. 

And then I came to my senses after buying a few storage bins and totes and some paint.  I could make this place home.  And not only would I make this place home but I would find joy in the limitations.  So, this is it, joy in the limitations.  And not only is it this but it is them.  I think there is a lot the Lord wants to do in us here and in the midst of being pruned and sanctified we have some neighbors we really like but who God loves more.  I hope you can come along with us on another Paine journey as we venture through, in, and around that stinky ol chicken coup!  

A New Thing

Los Olivos Hike 

Breath of fresh air

Remember not the former thing, nor consider the things of old. 

Behold I am doing a new thing; 

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? 

Once again we are moving! I didn't realize when I married Michael the transient nomadic adventurer would our surroundings be constantly changing.  Not to put all the blame on my husband, as my mom always said, "you get bored easily!"  Ironically both of our nature's are to seek the new, yet to be honest I was not excepting another move the first month of the new year, 2011.  But, this is where the Lord is bringing us, into another new season of transition.  I am reminded though, that my God is always constant and never changing, despite my ever changing circumstances.  

We have moved out of our little beach cottage because of Michael's mold allergies and have found another home in Arroyo Grande.  It reminds us of our first little place in Shell Beach when we first got married.  I know the Lord has great plans and purposes for us in our new home and ultimately Gods sovereignty is over this transition, not the mold.  He continually reminds me, my home is heaven, and to not store up treasures on earth but in heaven.  Every move, I release more of our earthly possessions and attachments, which to be honest is very liberating.  And the beauty of change is He changes us in the process. Oh the things I have been learning about myself this past month, quite humbling to say the least.  Yet I am refreshed this morning as I cast myself upon the throne of grace, petitioning for what I need in my weakness.  Not only is He doing a new thing around us, but in us.  And that is the hope that we cling to in the circumstance.  I have a long way to go, but Christ fills up what is lacking in me today. Yes, let it be! 

Michael's Birthday

My first Fruit tart; kiwi, blueberry & blackberries with apricot & custard filling

Michael was born on January 16th, 1980 at 8:48am. Since our life has been quite the whirl wind of living between two houses, looking for a new home, starting school, maintaining normalcy with friendships and church, & staying healthy in the midst of everything today was nothing exceptional if you know what I did last year for Michael. But of course there is no birthday without a few surprises. Waking up to the crashing of the waves just two houses down from where we are staying we thanked the Lord for His purposes, protection, plans, and provisions over Michaels life. He opened a small gift of dri-fit long sleeve under shirts for his long bike rides and a hand made card. I made an egg scramble with brie and toast. And then we headed off for a day of In-N-Out and the movies with the Sunday school kids we teach. After looking at three potential places to live, we left in disappointment and decided we needed to let go and let God be God. The sunset was glorious this evening and we soaked it in while we reflected on the days events. For dinner we had spicy shrimp & lobster stir fry with brown rice. And for dessert a homemade fruit tart with vanilla bean ice cream and a red port! We celebrated with our dear friends Leslie & Tony who we are staying with currently. I am quite the proud wife as I gaze upon who my husband is and has become and who he will be as Christ continues to conform him into His image. Yah, for another Birthday Celebration!!!