Well it appears to be time for what has become a YEARLY update, instead of the occasional updates, that I had originally intended. But in light of the fact that we have had one CrAzY year, I guess yearly updates will have to do for now.
Our CRAZY year began last year, as what appeared to be a normal Hubbard family summer, but just became one trial and test of faith after another and another and another.
Trey graduated high school, left for Florida and started his first real job. We had our VBS kickoff, went to CentriKid camp and sent Leeann to Colorado for Young Life camp. While at kids' camp we got the news that our evangelism/outreach pastor had passed away after a yearlong battle with bone cancer, then YL bus to Colorodo continually broke down and had no AC on the way to and from camp. Emma Faith broke her elbow on July 4th, (just days before we left for camp) but we didn't know it was broken until 24 hours later on a Friday afternoon when ALL the dr offices were closed.
We didn't find out until AFTER we got to camp in Charleston the following Monday that she had actually broken the growth plate off her elbow and required surgery, so I had to come back home that same night to take her to sign paperwork to authorize her surgery. Needless to say I missed the entire week of camp except the last day, but God had bigger and better things in mind for our youth and I didn't necessarily have to be there for Him to work.
Summer continued on as usual until we started back to school. We went on a family vacation to FL to visit Trey and the Hubbard families. and brought Trey home for orientation @ NC State. He then went back a couple of weeks later to audition for the marching band (since he missed auditions @ orientation) and made it through with flying colors to become and official member of the NC State Wolfpack marching band, and he left for band camp and school the middle of August. All the other kids started the school year off with a bang in Kindergarten, 4th grade, 8th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade. I went back to work at the elementary school as a kindergarten assistant and bus driver.
Everything was going as expected, until our pastor announced he was retiring at the end of September. So in just a couple of months time we had lost not one but 2 of our pastoral staff, leaving Artie and our music director as the ONLY ministerial staff. Even though we have a somewhat smaller church, that was still a lot of responsibility for just 2 people. Artie had already taken on a lot of responsibility when our evangelism pastor died (visitation, outreach, making sure our older members were taken care of) and then he had to take on EVEN more responsibility helping preach, lead services as needed, funerals, weddings, on top of his regular ministerial duties as youth/children's pastor (Sunday school, wed night youth bible study, afterschool pickup for church on wednesdays, kids church on Sundays, helping with Wednesday night meals so we could feed the kids we brought to church EVERY Wednesdays. We also had to deal with a lot of issues within our group/church.
It got to be a LITTLE overwhelming. Then I had to have some minor surgery, Artie was diagnosed with sleep apnea, then he got sick with what we thought was asthma related symptoms and was also given antibiotics for what his dr thought could possibly be infection in lungs, but his xrays were clear, so she had referred him to cardiologist to check his heart, because he was getting EXTREMELY short of breath just getting out of bed, walking to the bathroom and/or taking a shower. Needless to say, he didn't make it to the cardiologist because he ended up in the ER and was admitted to the hospital for blood clots in his lungs and was hospitalized for a WEEK. So I also had to miss a week of work and LOTS of sleep taking care of him and ensuring myself that everything was going to be ok and convince myself that God had bigger and better plans for my husband, otherwise he would have already been dead. You see I had a co-worker who had the same diagnosis with a blood clot in her lungs and she was dead just hours after they discovered the clot. It was a VERY emotional roller coaster ride that week and I felt as if I was being pulled and torn between needing to be with my husband in the hospital, being at home with and for my kids (luckily they had school to keep their mind off of things), and worrying about my job and having to miss work and not know if I would get to return to work for any length of time due to the possible long term care my husband may or may not need once he was home.
Thankfully the cardiologist and hospital dr ruled out any heart condition, but did discover that along with blood clots, he was also in renal failure. He was also put on pretty consistent diabetic diet while in hospital. He couldn't drive or go upstairs to bedroom for about 8 weeks and was referred to kidney.specialist due to his kidney function. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney disease and referred to dietitian and ordered to be on a low protein - no sodium diet. He was later referred to Urologist to check out a "cystic" spot on one of his kidneys, which thankfully was merely a cyst on his kidney that had been there for several years (but he didn't know it) that had not changed).
So he is now under the care of his family physician/PA for his regular checkups, blood work, blood pressure, diabetes, etc; pulmonologist for his sleep apnea; kidney specialist for kidney disease/function; dietitian to keep an eye on his diet /protein intake.; and urologist for his kidneys. Needless to say, when school got out for the summer in June I was more than ready to get the heck out of there, because I NEEDED A BREAK and so did my family. I worked my mandatory days,turned in my keys, left school property and never looked back. Even considered NOT going back when school started, but truthfully we just needed some TIME off , TIME away, and TIME for family. Thankfully we had postponed VBS until later in the summer, and me and the kids HIT THE POOL at the Y!!!
Summer proceeded as usual - kids camp then a week or so "off"/at home, vacation to FL and another week or so "off"/at home, celebrated Artie's birthday AT HOME - then when we were getting ready to leave for kids camp Satan tried to attack yet again. Just 2 days before leaving for M-Fuge, the day AFTER Artie's birthday, Artie had a TERRIBLE kidney stone attck and ended up BACK in emergency room. So he went to camp all drugged up on high dose pain medication and other meds to help pass the stone and spent his days in bed while our youth, myself and our other leader went off campus to do ministry/mission work. Thankfully he was able to pass the stone on his own, and was able to be up out of bed for the last day of camp, even though he stayed on campus all day, while we went off campus with our kids!!!!
Even though we had experienced Satan's attacks and endured the pain and discomfort that goes along with it, God still came out on top and set out little groups of 7 youth on FIRE. We saw the potential for them to go home and literally turn our church upside down and on Fire for God with a GREAT awakening of the Holy Spirit!! After we got home, the summer went on as usual, with kids/youth activities, VBS, visitation, service projects, etc.
School was quickly approaching and Artie was still trying to convince me that I needed to stay home and not go back to work at the school. Something kept telling me NOT to do that just yet. I told him, I had been there 9 years so far and needed to at least give it another year before seriously considering it. I was actually helping with band camp for the 2 weeks before staff returned and got a call about a week before I was supposed to go back. It was my principal, and she was calling to tell me they were making some staff changes at school and wanted to move me from Kindergarten to EC this year. I wasn't too sure about it, but basically told her that if that's where she needed me and thought it was where I needed to go, then that is where I will be!!
So I started back to work that next Friday after Faith had surgery to remove her screw from her elbow on Wednesday and we took Trey back to school on Thursday.
Even though I was going to miss my Kindergarten family & wasn't sure WHAT I would be doing or how different it would be from what I was used to, I was actually excited to see what God was going to do. After a week of school with my new teachers and ALL 50 kids that we see every day, I absolutely LOVE my new position. I feel like I am really making a difference as a TA. I am constantly busy and our classrooms are like a revolving door, as students come and go every day, I know that this will be the most rewarding thing I have ever done for our kids and for me (besides being a wife and mother).
Plus, after nearly a year without a full time pastor, our church is finally on the brink of possibly hiring/calling a new pastor in a couple of weeks, who will hopefully lead our church in sucah a way that we can't help but share the gospel and let people know that the people of Crestview Baptist are seriously in the business of sharing the gospel and doing the work of the Lord to reach a lost and dying community around us!!!
So even in the midst of ALL the craziness, uncertainty and need for reassurance that God is still in control and on HIS throne orchestrating our life symphony, I have come to a conclusion that as long as I have my FAITH, that EVERYTHING is going to work out and me and my family are going to be just fine!!!!
And just as we learned and were reminded of today in my middle school Sunday school class:
"Now FAITH is the SUBSTANCE of things Hoped for AND the EVIDENCE of things UNSEEN." Hebrews 11:1
AND just as we have been trying to teach ALL our youth girls and learn ourselves as adult leaders, we are to be
". . . anxious for NOTHING, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING, make your requests be made known to God. AND the PEACE that passes ALL understanding will GUARD your hearts and minds until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7.
There is sooooo much more I could tell you and in greater detail, but there is not enough time and space for me to do that right now, plus it is passed my bedtime and I didn't get my regular Sunday afternoon nap today.
So here are yet again on this roller coaster of life with a sophomore in college, a senior - junior - and freshman in high school AND a 5th and 1st grader at the elementary school. This is actually the FIRST year since Trey began middle school that we don't have ANY children at the middle school. AND this is the LAST year we will have 3 of our kids in the same school TOGETHER at the same time.
So we are just continuing on with life's journey and trusting God to get us through whatever storm that comes our way. So please pray for us as we pray for all of you, trusting that God will take care of us and supply our needs in EVERYTHING we face!!
Until next time (or should I say NEXT YEAR) may God grant you joy and peace!!
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