Part of our story,,,,
On behalf of Shelby and I, we would just like to thank all of you for your prayers and support. God has blessed us so richly, and we often have wondered, “Why us, Lord? We don’t deserve your blessings.” I am writing this letter as a testimony of God’s love for His children. I hope that God can use this to bless all who read it.
Shelby and I met at the Christian school in 1997 – a long time ago now, it seems. We were both young and twitterpated (that was evident). We were soon spending a lot of time together and becoming great friends. As our friendship grew, we knew that we had a long road ahead if we were going to get married. Five years later, in December of 2002, we tied the knot. God’s blessings were evident to us right away. We’ve never had to ask God where we were going to live because he has always provided. Our first apartment was Shelby’s Grandma Jan’s basement apartment. What a deal!!! Thank you, Jan
I started work for an electrical company in early 2001, and Shelby was working at Unicep Packing. By early 2003, it was clear that the electrical company was not doing well. We started to pray for God’s direction. Not a week later, an old buddy of mine asked if I would be interested in some work installing security and sound systems. I started part time, working a couple of hours a night. It was everything that I loved.
Ben Curto, my boss, took me on a service call to a beautiful home on the lake for one of my first jobs with Connect Technologies. It was nighttime and in the winter, and you could tell by the waves and the light behind the mountains that the moon was going to be a beautiful sight. Ben and I finished the work in the house and began packing our tools into the truck. Being such a scenery buff, I noticed the moon immediately. I then turned to Ben and said, “Wouldn’t this be great?” The sight was incredible, the moon had just broken over the hilltops, and it was BIG!! The waves crashing, the moon shining over the lake – WOW!!! – Beautiful!!! I couldn’t help but praise and thank the Lord for such beauty. Two months later Mike Thompson called and told me of a house on the lake for rent. He had rented this house for twenty years. It had great landlords and an amazing rent. It was obviously God’s amazing hand. The house was not more than one mile from the same place that I had stood and praised His name for the beauty I had seen. God is good!!
Connect Technologies was and is a dream job to me. I get to play with electronics for most of my day!! The number one drawback to the new job was a lack of insurance. I didn’t know what the Lord had in store for us, but He had lead me here, so I took the job. I’ve been working for Connect for the past three years and have enjoyed it very much. We’ve been doing well without insurance, and God has provided alternative means.
Through the past few years UPS has been from time to time asking me to work. I had worked a peak season for them before, and they needed someone to fill a part-time spot again. With prayer, I talked to Ben and then started last Christmas as a part-time hire. Being that the job was part-time, I knew that insurance was unattainable. I was just working for UPS a day here and a day there. In May a job opened at UPS for a steady 3-4 hours a day, enough to get benefits in a couple of months. In mid-July my health started going downhill, and on August first I was officially insured. God is good. On August 17th I was diagnosed with MS, and the medicine to control it is extremely expensive without insurance. God has incredible timing.
Shelby and I have been blessed so greatly in so many ways. God has been so good to us, and His hand is clearly in control of every facet of our lives. We knew that from having dated for five years that when we married, we would be ready for kids sooner than most couples our age. Within a year and a half after we wed, Kira was born. Nine months later we found out that Preston was on his way – just 16 months apart. Shelby and I have often debated on how many kids we would have, but we knew after Preston was born, and being such a surprise to us, that God would have the final word. We know that God still has the final say, but we are both very happy with the two children that we have. Since that time, Doctors have told us with the meds I’m on that it would not be smart to have more children. You see, God knows what is ahead before we do, and God has made that very clear to Shelby and I. Everything that has happened in our lives is in his perfect timing.
We thank you all for so many prayers being lifted up for us and for so much love and support that we have received. We are the luckiest couple in the world to have the families that we have and the church family that we have. I hope this will be a blessing to all and a testimony of God’s amazing love for His children.
2010
I have now worked for THREE years FULL TIME with UPS!!! as a driver,.. The pay and the insurance are amazing. God still continues to bless..... We are now renting to own the in-laws house. We have a theater room!!! Not that important in the whole sceem of things, just something we will always enjoy!! I love the yard and all of the yardwork,. I love working on something that WE will always get to keep! I am on different meds, (for the past 27 months), that make life with MS wonderful! There is some risk in this stuff but well worth the quality of life they have given.... Beats a wheelchair!!!
The kids are now 5 and 4 and still the best kids on earth!!! Shelby and I are still in love and loving our stressful, wonderful, and bessed lives!!
with love in Christ
Chad, Shelby, Kira, and Preston
