We Must Always Laugh...

We've always got to laugh...

If you have read the below post from my wonderful wife, you know that things have been going a bit crazy around us. But that is not to say things are all bad. being the optimist I must share the good things God is doing with us here in Texas.

God has blessed Diamend with a great job! She loves her bosses and the work that comes with the job. God has given me classes that seem to be overlapping. Every day I learn something in one class and it's reflected or talked about in another. This really helps me understand and remember all the great things I'm learning. God has also provided us with some wonderful friends. Although we miss our students, friends, and family in Illinois it sure is great to have friends here that are experiencing the the same things we are. God is really loving on us through our friends right now and we are truly blessed!

It is true that satan is attacking us. There are things that are happening and are testing us, but God is faithful and we will endure and give Him all the glory. There is no other reason for us to be here besides God and we know that He will provide some way, some how. Continue to pray that I would find a job. It's going to be very close or tight this month and more so in those to follow if I'm not hired. I pray that God will place me where I can do the most for Him first and the company second. Thank you all who read and follow. Please comment to our stuff so we know you are out there!

LPCG

Tony

Attack of the Devil

We knew that in coming here and following God's will for our lives the devil would not over look us. We were warned by pastors and friends to pray diligently and to watch out because Satan would try to attack us. But my goodness!!

We are just really praying for God to sheild us and protect us/our emotions/ our attitudes from all that Satan is trying to throw at us. Already discouraged in the job search for Tony and trying to completely rely on God, now just yesterday Tony's tire had a hole in it. And of course, thank you Satan, it wasn't a hole that could be repaired, it needed completely replaced. And of course, thank you Satan, if you get one new rear tire, you have to buy two new rear tires so it will ride evenly!! UGH.... We just really didn't need this, can't afford this and having a hard time handling this.

Of course, Tony handles it all much better than I do... But I mean, Come On!? Cut it out devil! I know that God will never give us nor allow us to take on more than we can handle.... But I'm getting to my breaking point and I don't think Tony can handle another one of my emotional breakdowns this week. Please Lord, I want to see only one set of footprints right now and know that you are carrying us through this and will not let us drown.


Friends, please join us in prayer and form an army against Satan in our lives!! Thank you for your prayers and your continual support you all have been giving us! We love you!!


Blessings,
Diamend

Mid-Term Madness

Yes, Mid-Term Madness. I'm half way done with the semester and I've still got a lot of work to do. I've had my first Greek Exam, 93% pretty happy about that, my New Testament (NT) mid-term has been turned in but not returned to me yet. My Ministry of Education class has been going good. I've had two book reviews, "A New Kind of Church" and "Simple Church". Both have some great insights about church and how we as a church can better reach the lost. Simple church is an easier read than New Kind, but New Kind really gets the reader involved in the idea of how the foundation of church should look and how we can build upon it.


I still have 4 major projects to get through the semester, and yes, Grace, you'll be helping me with one of them. So parents and students get ready to be apart of one of my projects. It will be a weeks worth of devotionals for parents and student to do together! More info to come!

Continue to pray for me to find a part-time job. I've been going to many places and I'm hoping to find something soon. Gonna be tough making it through the month. I really don't want seasonal work, only because I'll most likely get fired after the holiday's and then I'll be needing another job then. But if I have to, which the sooner we get to October, looks like I will.


I want to thank you ALL who are praying for us and all of your kind notes, letters, and comments. We are defiantly, feeling God working here and we know you have much to do with that, so thank you!! We are also praying for you! We hope all is well and that God is changing lives back in Illinois!


Well I got to go, laundry is about done! Yeah, Monday is laundry day here in the Bianco household.


P.S.
Diamend is missing fall so bad. It's 95 here today and she's wishing it was 75! Poor girl, she hasn't quite adjusted to Texas yet...


LPCG


~Tony B

Weekend Review

It was an interesting weekend full of ups and downs and emotions of all sorts.

We had our wonderful Thursday Nite dinner (on Friday) at a friend's house eating great food, wonderful conversation and supporting/encouraging each other and playing Wii!

Tony had another flag football game Saturday morning... they lost :( And on our way to getting our hair cut we stopped at the Taco Joint for lunch in Dallas! YUM!

My grandma called earlier in the week because she was visiting close by and wanted us to come and visit. This is where my emotions went haywire... This month has been 1 year of my dad (her son) not speaking to me. While my grandma and I's relationship hasn't changed, it is still difficult visiting the family of the man who isn't speaking to me.

So, I prayfully prepared for Saturday evening's visit...knowing how delighted I would be in seeing her, but also knowing that visiting her would stir my emotions (as if they weren't stirred enough being the anniversary month).

We did have a lovely evening visiting with her and her brother (my great uncle) who lives only an hour from us. We got to know him and are excited to have a family member near and the more frequent visits to come! It was so nice to get to talk with my grandma and be loved on by her again -- Though it was soo hard keeping my emotions controlled when she brought him up or tried to update me on him and his new life without me. It was even more difficult to hear that he was coming down that very next day to pick her up.... He was HERE, not even an hour from me... and nothing... My heart broke all over again, as if it was just a year ago.

All that said, I'm prayerfully trying to restore my heart, mend the cracks that had started to seal until this weekend. Of course the emotions of all this made me a little homesick and I am looking forward to Thanksgiving all the more!!

Tonight I have meetings in Dallas and am staying overnight so I don't have to loose much sleep... I hate being away from Tony! And poor guy doesn't even have his Xbox to keep him company while I'm gone (he got the red ring of death this weekend)

Until next time...

Blessings,

Diamend

Tony's Random Thoughts

As Diamend stated earlier this will be a shared blog so if you don't want to hear what I have to say scroll down, I'm sure you'll find much more educated thoughts and better grammar. But if you're looking to chill and try to find out what is in MY head, continue reading.

My main purpose for this blog is to share with you what I'm learning, doing, and thinking. (I rarely do those at the same time) Well, today is Monday so I don't have class. I know 3 day weekend all the time!! However, that means I get to do homework and laundry every Monday. Today I had my first exam, it was take-home, hence no class today, for my Basic New Testament (NT). 8 questions had to be answered in 150 words or less and 2 had to be answered in 600 words or less. I found that it was difficult to describe a Pharisee in less than 150 words but easy to describe the canon of the NT is less than 600. I'll let you know how I did.

Today, I'm also job hunting. I've got my apps and resumes out in many places and now it's time to "go to Wal-Mart" (this means not be picky about my job). I've got a folder of resumes and a smile on my face to try to get a job! Hopefully, someone will take pity on me and hire me based on my good looks, kidding, but that would be sweet to be able to tell people!

Below is my class schedule, listed so you will know some of what I'm talking about and so you know when to pray for me. Seminary is the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I'm gonna need all the help I can get! Thanks!


Tues/Thurs 8 AM - Elementary Greek
9:25 AM - Basic New Testament
Wed/Fri 8 AM - Ministry with Families of Teens
9:25 AM - Ministry of Education


Love Peace & Chicken Grease (LPCG)


Tony B.

What a week!

We've had a great weekend full of new friends and new things!

Tony is on a flag-football team/league, Take it Easy!! Saturday they had a game at 9 AM! - but Tony made coffee and they won, so it was worth it!

And the wives of all the players have started our own club on the sidelines! Coincidentally enough, almost all of us are in the same apartment comples as well, so we are creating bonds!

We tried out a new church on Sunday that we liked that seems promising, so hopefully we can make a decision soon about a home church! We are itching to get involved somewhere!!

This week is packed full! Although I hate Mondays, we've promised ourselves that we will go to the gym 3 times a week - So we are going tonight! Tuesday night, the group of us wives that our "wives' class dropouts" are meeting at Braums for our own wives club/bible study! Wednesday we have to go to the gym again. Thursday, Tony has f-football practive while I have Metochai (wives club on campus).

We've also started every-other Thursday night dinner's with 2-3 other couples from our complex where we rotate hosting houses/dinners! So that was post-poned to Friday this week b/c the wives will be at Metochai. And this weekend the TX State Fair begins! We are hoping to check it out!!

I think we are finally gettin into a good schedule (notice every-other night is fun and gym). We are still praying for Tony to find a PT job soon though!!

Until next time...

Blessings,

Diamend

It's finally here!

Though it's late we have finally, as promised, created our website/blog... whatever you want to call this thing! :)

We are really excited about getting this started and being able to keep up with all our family and friends!! (ps. We miss you guys!!) We will be posting at least weekly and keeping you all up to date with all the goings on of our life here in Texas and in seminary. Though I may warn you, we are not that exciting... Hopefully our writing skills can entertain, or at least, amuse you! ;)

This will be Tony and I's joint blog, so we will be signing at the end to let you know whose post you are reading.... though after some time you will figure out our different writing styles!

So, with that said.... This is our first official post!... many more to come!

Blessings,
Diamend