Random things...

I absolutely love my jesus

Had such a joyful worship today

I am so very proud of my husband

I love my hubby more today that ever

I miss my best friend & I love that god brought us back into each other’s lives to share life together

I so love being at home…it’s just so wonderful

I could possible graduate in 2 more semesters…wha!?!?!

I cannot wait to start having children

I have so many questions about going into ministry…not the questioning if we are supposed to…but questions about what it is going to be like and how we should handle things

I cannot stop watching the Bachelor…I am totally pulled in…I am routing for EMILY!!!

I have the cutest Husband in the WHOLE world

I seriously hate being this chunky…but there have been so many emotional things going on that I have NOT done well staying away from food…Which makes me realize…

I hate being an emotional eater…ugh

Shockingly I am surviving Public Speaking…this said the day before my first major speech

I am going to survive this semester actually…in spite of all of the hard things that we have faced so far this year

I am still VERY EXCITED to turn THIRTY this year on EASTER

I am excited about being back in ministry…Loving it and I am learning so many different things

I am BEYOND EXCITED about what God is doing in my Hubby and the vision HE is birthing in him for OUR ministry...

I am so excited about what God has in store for US!

I am now working an hour a day at the school answering phone for the cashier’s lunch and I am really enjoying it

I am thankful that my office skills are benefiting me

Occassionally I think back on my last job and Thank My Heavenly Father that I survived that job and am no longer there…

I remember vividly the anxiety attacks I had and the horrible feeling I had EVERY Sunday when I realized I had to start another work week there

“I’ve decided that the key to being a good singer is having a big ole mouth” ~ My Hubby :-)

“Hey fire trucks, You can’t put out the Holy Ghost Fire!” ~ My Hubby :-) (as we passed a church with several fire trucks out front)

I am going to end on that note because my Husband is funny, hard working, unbelievably patient, supportive, cute, WONDERFUL, and my precious gift from God!!

Weekend Update

Friday:

Worked late in the office at CBC.

CBC Basketball Game!!

Work at Old Navy

Saturday:

Slept in.

Froze at the Driving Range.

Lunch at Red Robin.

Work at Old Navy.

Made Pasta Salad for Hubby.

Read through a cook book and plan to make some new stuff.

Sunday:

Early Service.

Children’s Church Fun!

Afternoon of Organizing and planning.

Sale Shopping w/ my Hubby. Shoes from Target. Toiletries from CVS. Groceries from Dillons. Saved lots of money :)

Fried Fish, Garlic Cheese Biscuits, & Broccoli & Cheese potatoes.

Worked on Speech.

Oscars.

Door open all afternoon and evening.

We have a full week ahead but I feel ready for it. I have a speech and exam this week and lots of other projects to work on. Lots of hours at Old Navy too.

Hubby is working A lot!! He now has four jobs. Old Navy, Nearly Famous Deli, Lami, & UPS @ the Airport.

Father, I give you our week and all the pieces and parts to is. I pray for strength, peace, and calmness this week. I pray for no emotional break downs or hormonal outbursts. I pray for Joy Joy Joy!! In Jesus name. Amen.

I HEART...

My oh so Faithful Heavenly Father

My oh so Incredible Husband

My oh so Wonderful Family

My oh so True Friends

I am Blessed & Thankful!!

Lies...

There are times when I just feel so completely unworthy!!

When I can only see my flaws and they are so loud and big!!!

When I can't see good no matter how hard I try!!!

I feel like that today and I know that it is LIES!!! LIES!!! LIES!!!

I know that some of what I see is truth but the Lies come in when I can't see the good with the bad.

I feel like I am not lovable because I am emotional, have been frustrated, moody, angry, whinny, negative, ugly, snappy, rude, unkind, don't read my bible enough, don't worship deeply enough, etc.

I know in my head that I am lovable but it is so hard to see past all of these ugly things I see in myself.

Today it is hard to find the good. But today I choose to believe that even with all of these things and the many more that I am worthy to be loved and I have a Heavenly Father that loves me, and a husband that loves me and family and friends that love me in spite of these flaws that are sometimes so vivid within me!

Father, help me to see myself as YOU see me, and help me hear YOUR voice louder than I hear my own or anything else!! I need you Father and I want you!! In Jesus name. Amen!

What a month!!! (This is Long and Real!)

What a month!

What a month!

What a month!

Have I mentioned that IT HAS BEEN A MONTH!

The month started off with us finding out that my Incredible Mother-In-Law is once again fighting cancer. It was a hard day, a really hard day, and several hard days to follow as we rallied and began to pray and seek God!!

A couple days later she went into the hospital with pneumonia. It was so hard being so far away and not being able to be there with her. She came home from the hospital on a Thursday I think and on Friday night we were on our way to Alabama in the middle of a stupid snow storm to see her. We had a free weekend for a change and I wanted my husband to have some time with his mother!! I felt like they both needed to see each other, so snow storm or not we were going to Alabama!!

The snow storm was actually a surprise to us!! But it didn't stop us. It did slow us down by several hours!!! Quite frankly IT SUCKED driving through that storm through the Ozark Mountains. I have not been that scared in a very long time. But my husband is a great driver and a very caring man and took great care of me and my fears!! I will admit I cried and got a bit hysterical for a bit...but in my defense the road was covered in snow and ice, very narrow, very mountainous, and the visibility was ZILCH!! It was scary!! Once we made it through the Ozarks though it was a little better. After that we just kept swapping drivers so each of us could get a bit of sleep. We did pull over once and sleep for an hour at a rest area. But we made it!! We left Friday night after work at 9:30pm and arrived at my mother-in-law's Saturday at 11:00am. It was THE LONGEST NIGHT!!

We had a great weekend with the family though. Mr. Wonderful sat right next to her on the couch all weekend, it was the sweetest thing!!! We spent time just being together!!! Monday we got to take her to the doctor and gave her a willow tree and card before we left for home. I believe it was good for both of them to have the time with each other. We were also able to spend time with his sister and well it was just all around a great weekend for everyone!! God is so faithful!

I had an interview that Tuesday for a job on campus answering phone for an hour a day for the cashier. The interview went well. I found out that Thursday that I got the job and would start the following Monday!!! God is so faithful!!

At the end of the week after we got home I got SICK!! Thankfully it was only for a couple of hours and then I was able to go to sleep but it was awful!!! I haven't been sick like that in a very very long time!! I had spent the day that Friday after school at the church working with Brianna the intern to put together the backdrop for the new curriculum that we were starting that Sunday and was fighting a headache but other than that felt alright. That is until I got into the car to go home and get dressed for work that night. I began to feel very sick to my stomach and my headache got much much worse!! On the way to work I stopped several times to get sick. I ended up not working and letting Hubby drive me back home. I was sick for several hours after that and then finally went to sleep.

The next day was the Saturday before Valentine's Day and Hubby took my shift so that I could spend the day getting caught up on schoolwork and getting things ready for the date I had planned for him for V-day. I slept in until noon and felt pretty puny most of the day but I had big plans for Hubby and I wanted to have a great date with him.

I planned lots of favorites for my favorite and we had a great time!! He got lots of special attention!!! I was glad he liked it and had a good time. God is so faithful!!

Sunday Hubby worked an overnight.

Monday I woke up to a VERY sweet card from Hubby that made my day cause he wasn't supposed to do anything. The card said was so perfect and wonderful!! God is so faithful!!

I started the new job, and caught on very easily. God is so faithful!!

That night while watching The Bachelor and texting a play by play to Hubby while he worked another over night, I got a call from my mom that my grandmother was in the hospital in Texas dying. Mom was very distraught as she did not have any money to get to Texas. I prayed with her and once again felt helpless. This began a very LONG week of heartache!! Mom borrowed money and left for Texas early early Wednesday morning around 6:00am, with only $100 to go on. The doctor's called and told her that granny had listed her as the only one who could terminate life support and off she went. Can't say that I blame her even under the circumstances of her and her mom's relationship. She is such a good daughter!! Such a strong woman. She went by herself. Alone. I had no way of going and being with her. Once again I felt so helpless. I wanted to be there with her so so bad!! I did not want my mom facing this alone. But I couldn't miss class and didn't have the money to go. It was so hard!

Around 1:30pm the doctor called and told her that they took granny off life support and said granny had about 4 hours to live. I do not know where the communication got twisted but somewhere it did. Well mom still being 5ish hours away from the hospital, must have punched it, because she actually made it to the hospital around 3:00pm and granny was alive and awake. Sometime that night they moved granny into her own room and also rolled in a bed for mom. What a blessing that was as mom had no where to stay and would not have left the hospital anyway. Granny was awake through the evening and night and mom was able to spend time talking to her and praying with her and reading her scripture. God is so faithful!

By the next morning granny was unresponsive. Mom called me very upset. This was all so hard on her and she was facing it all ALONE. It broke my heart not to be there with her!! Mom spent the whole day watching her mother die and awful death. I called her repeatedly throughout the day to check on her and let her get out some of her tears and pain and to pray with her.

Hubby sent me a text while I was studying for an exam with a friend to tell me that he had found another job!!! He had been looking for one for a while!!! God is so faithful!!!

Hubby had been dealing with my tears all week and we planned a date to escape from it all and have a little fun and spend some time together without tears. He made shepherd’s pie for dinner and then we went for buy one get one free ice cream at Cold Stone (the place we frequented while we were dating) and then to the dollar movies. I had vowed NOT to come home crying or cry in his presence that day and I was successful and needed the fun in the middle of such an awful month!

I called mom after the movie and she said she felt like it wouldn't be long before granny passed. She was being so strong and I was so proud of her!!! I wanted to be there with her so bad!! Granny passed away at 9:50pm that night, peacefully and with mom reading scripture to her. That's when more terror began for my mom. Not only had she just lost her mother, but there was NO MONEY to bury her. No insurance and no money. I had spent time on the phone earlier in the day trying to figure out what was going to happen in hopes that my mom would not have to deal with that stress when my granny did pass, but that was not the case. No more than mere minutes after my grandmother passed away, the nurse was in my mom's face asking what she was going to do. RUDE!! OH THIS MAKES ME SO VERY MAD AND HAD I BEEN THERE THAT NURSE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE THAN A PIECE OF MY MIND!!! Guess it is a good thing I was not there!!! All mom could tell her is that there is no money. My poor mom did not even have time to grieve. She signed some papers for indegent burial and left. There was absolutely nothing else she could do. IT WAS AWFUL!! She got in her truck around midnight, racked with sobs and realized that she had no place to sleep, so she headed home. Exhausted, Broken, Hurt, Terrorized, and ALONE, she headed back toward Bama.

I called to check on her after dropping Hubby off at work early Friday morning and she was asleep at a truck stop a few miles outside of Shreveport, LA. I told her to go back to sleep for a few more hours and I would call her and wake her when I got back up to go to school. By the time I got up and called her she was already on the road again. God love her she was just so exhausted and wanted to be home. She had begun the grieving process as well. I called to check on her all throughout the day and she finally made it home around 4:00pm that afternoon!!

She has spent several days just feeling lonely and lost and thinking about how horrible things ended at the hospital. She is struggling to find closure and to heal from all of this. I talked to her on the phone tonight for about hour and a half and just listened and let her relive it all. She didn't have time to feel the feelings while she was there because she was being strong for my granny and herself so she could just get through. Now she is feeling those feelings and now the healing can begin. It is going to be a long road for her. I am so proud of her though. I cannot imagine having to do that and do it alone!! It is unfathomable!!! But God is so faithful!!

And to top it all off...last night I started my cycle for the first time in TWO years!! I had been on birth control that kept me from having one and I loved it!! We made the decision to come off the birth control when they changed the plan and raised the price of it. We will save money without it and will be fine. However, this first cycle is really kicking my butt!!! I have been in much pain and quite sick at my stomach with it. I have been lying down in a ball since early this afternoon!!

SERIOUSLY FEBRUARY...WILL YOU PLEASE END!! AND MARCH WILL YOU PLEASE BEEN GOOD TO US!!!

I am ready for things to be simple once again and for spring to be here!!!

We are praying daily over our mother's. Healing for both of them!! Physical and Emotional Healing are much needed!! We know this is where we are supposed to be, here so far away from our families, and I am sure glad that we both have that peace otherwise going through the month that we just have would have been near impossible because being so far away when those we love go through such hard times is REALLY REALLY hard!!! But God is so very very faithful!!

Through it all WE KNOW THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL AND LOVING!! HE HAS US ALL IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND AND NOTHING IS TOO BIG FOR HIM!! WE KNOW THAT EVEN WHEN WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND, WE CAN STILL TRUST HIM AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US.

Father, we trust YOU and we lay these needs at your feet. You are the Healer and Comforter and the giver of Peace!!! Heal our mothers and meet their every need!! Thank you for what you are already doing in them and through these difficult circumstances!! Thank you for loving us and for being so faithful to us ALWAYS ALWAYS!!! We love you and trust you!! In Jesus precious name, AMEN!!!

Things I l~o~v~e...these days

> my wonderful hubby

> my precious kitty

> packages from my parents :)

> sunshine

> the sound of melting snow down my gutter

> NCIS

> Children’s Church @ Praise Assembly

> the thought of SPRING!

> talking to my best friend on the phone

> the loving look in my husband’s eyes

> getting schoolwork done and over with

> the thought of being THIRTY in a few months (yes really really!)

Valentiens 2010

Early in our relationship I decided that I would like to turn Valentine's into a holiday that I do for my hubby.

I wanted to do this for a few reasons:

1) Hubby takes care of our anniversary, & my birthday

2) I do NOT like the traditional V-day; I prefer thoughtful gifts vs. chocolates and flowers like everyone gets on that day. I like flowers when I least expect, they mean more that way!

Anyway so I have been thinking for months about what I wanted to do for my wonderful hubby.

The Theme: FAVORITES for my FAVORITE

We decided to do it on Saturday instead of Monday as hubby is working an overnight that night and I don't get finished with my day until around 4:00pm. So Saturday it was!!

My plan was thwarted a bit because I got really sick Friday night and allowed myself to sleep in a good bit on Saturday (I cannot remember the last time I felt so bad, it was terrible!). I did not get the house as clean as I had wanted but I did get it picked up at least. Ok so on to the date...

I picked Hubby up from work @ 5:00 and we headed home to shower and get ready for dinner.

Dinner: I took him to Chili's! Several reasons...I had a coupon for FREE Chips and Queso(Chili's Chips and Salsa are His FAVORITE!!) and he had been wanting to go to Chili's for a while to try their black bean burger and it is budget friendly!

So off to dinner we went. We thought the wait would be close to an hour but ended up getting a seat in the bar area (which now is NO SMOKING!!) and that is where I really wanted to sit anyway because they have TV's. This was my hubby's Man Date and I wanted him to get to watch sports while he enjoyed his dinner.

The chips and queso were awesome and did I mention FREE!!! I ordered Sirloin and potatoes and Hubby ended up getting the Buffalo Chicken Fajitas!! It was a great dinner and we both ate too much!! (We are not used to eating portion sizes that big lately!)

Next we headed to Best Buy. I wanted my Favorite to get to take in all of the big screen TV and such. We enjoy just going and walking around places like that. We had so much fun at Best Buy as we set of many alarms (the first was not intentional and the second...well it was partially not intentional) but it was hilarious and we had fun!!

Then we headed home for more FAVORITES for my FAVORITE!

I sent hubby to the bedroom to get in comfy clothes while I set up his surprise in the living room. Hubby spent the evening soaking his feet, drinking coke out of a glass bottle, and watching NCIS season two, and later I made him a snack tray out of some of his favorite things (Chips, Cheddar cheese, & jalapeno - baked & Beef jerky on the side!!).

After his feet soaked a while I gave him a good foot massage, which he greatly enjoyed!! Who doesn't love foot massages!!!

It turned out to be a really great evening and I think he felt Favored and Loved!!!

It felt so good to have him enjoy all of his favorite things and get to sit back and relax and enjoy being loved on!! I had a great time pulling it all together for him!!!!

I am blessed by him all the time and I enjoyed blessing him...MY FAVORITE, MY VALENTINE!!

Father, I am truly thankful to You for sharing such a wonderful man with me!! I am excited by all the things that You are doing in our life and I am excited for the future ahead!!

---------------Edited--------------

I woke up this morning to a Super Sweet card from my wonderful hubby this morning! It was so beautiful and so sweet and so unexpected!! Hubby picked it up when he got off work at 4:00am this morning!! Love that man!!! It made my day and I intend to read it again and again :)

I don't even know...

...what to even say

Lately I have been…STRUGGLING!

I have been emotional, exhausted, stressed, angry, frustrated, unmotivated…

I have acted out in my anger

Given in to my tears

I have panicked

I have been completely unmotivated to do my school work

I have disappointed myself

And I honestly have no idea what is going on with me and how to get control of this. I have to get a handle on myself.

Even still with all of this…I have been…

Happy, Loved, Encouraged, Excited…

Ultimately I am okay, completely okay but my behavior has not been okay, in fact some of my behavior is downright unacceptable.

I have some praying to do and some battling to do, but rest assured…I WILL WIN!!

I will win because Jesus is on my side and He is my victor.

You know life is not always easy or fun but in the process there are many things to learn from the places we are in and I am thankful to be learning these lessons. I know who my Heavenly Father is and that no matter how I feel at any given time He has got me and that I am okay.

One last thing…I am so very proud of my wonderful husband. He has been dealing with A LOT and he is holding on to our Heavenly Father and not letting go and he is seeking after God and I am just so very proud of him and I cannot wait to see what God has in store!! I know that God is at work, I can see it and I can hear it in the things my hubby is saying and I am just excited to share this life with such a wonderful, hard working man. I am blessed!!! Completely blessed!!!

Learning

What I just understood tonight while getting ready for church was this....

It is easy to be confident and sure of yourself when you are always surrounded by people who love you and accept you.

I just realized that it is not so easy to just be confident when you are always surrounded by new people and new things. It is then that you get your confidence not from those around you who are cheering you on constantly, but from searching out who you are in the Lord. It is a lot harder.

I have been struggling with walking into a room of strangers with as much confidence as I had back home. It is not that I am completely without confidence but there is a significant difference in my level of confidence these days. And what I realized tonight is that back home EVERYWHERE I went...church, work, anywhere really, even Walmart...I was surrounded by people who loved me and built me up and supported me, so I was constantly being filled with love and support and encouragement. But here I am surrounded by strangers, people who just don't really know me at all and are not vested in me.

Understanding this, I think will help me to run to my Father for any confidence that I need. It also makes me miss the wonderful people I was surrounded by back home. It also makes me eager to have those kinds of relationships and that kind of love and acceptance again. That only comes with time though and lots of time. It sure doesn't happen over night but neither does it happen in six months or a year. It takes a lot of time.

Relationships take time to build and cultivate. It absolutely takes a long time to be in a place where you are surrounded by people who love you and support you as well.

I am thankful to have gotten this understanding, it makes me feel less like there is something broken in me. I understand now that it is simply that things, the atmosphere, is different and it takes time to adjust to.

I am adjusting. Slowly.

I am learning to make friends very slowly because so easily you can move someone into the friend bucket only to be surprised when they are unable to fulfill that role and your heart gets broken. I am learning how to truly rely on the Lord in so many different ways that I never had to before.

I understand that this is how we learn...we experience different things...things that take us out of our comfort zones completely...like moving to a new state NINE hours away from all those loving supportive people, going back to school after eleven years, starting a new kind of job with new people on a completely new pay scale (one I have been on since I was EIGHTEEN years old), and starting over at a new church and slowly making this new place with all of these new things and new people your home, for at this point it is your HOME.

I am learning...it seems at a snail's pace...but learning all the same...and I know that I could not learn these things without having experienced them like this.

Thank You Father for all of the things that you are teaching us, thank You for this time of sowing for I know that one day we will indeed reap the benefits of our sowing!!! I love You and I trust YOU Father!!!

Weekly Recap with Photos (1/16-1/22)

This week I wanted to do a spin on the project 365 I see all over the blogsphere...so here goes...

Sunday: I totally meant to get a pic of Children's Church but I forgot :( Fail! We woke up too late to go to the 8:30 service but we made it to Children's Church and had a GREAT time!! We both weeped as we watched the kids pray for the kids around the world, it was very moving. After church we spent a relaxing day at home and rented some movies that evening. Hubby surprised me with my favorite treat from Mickey D's!!

Monday: MLK day so I was out of school and both Hubby and I were both off work so we both got to sleep in! I woke up first and spent some time in the Word (so thankful for this time as you just never know what each day holds...gotta be ready!!). Hubby got up later and called his mom who had a Dr. apt and we found out that the cancer has spread in her body again and she will begin Chemo again on Monday. It was a rough day for us. We cried and prayed a lot. We spent the afternoon doing some exchanging and shopping things we received for Christmas and then we lounged around the house taking it easy, and at the end of the day we enjoyed our new Foot Spa we bought earlier in the day with a gift card (we have been wanting one of these for a while)!!

Tuesday: Hubby worked 6-12 and I had classes until 2, came home spent some time praying and reading my bible while enjoying some yummy coffee, then I worked 5-10.

Wednesday: Hubby took me to class and hung out at the library until time for Chapel, while I was in my afternoon class Hubby grocery shopped, we came home made a lil lunch and then I headed off to work from 4-10.

Thursday: I took hubby to work since it was freezing and it had snowed (Hubby worked from 6-12), I came back home and slept until leaving for class at 9, it had snowed even more! All afternoon classes were cancelled because of the snow and temp dropping so I went to pick Hubby up from work and took him to donate plasma, afterward we came home (I had the night off of work) and spent the rest of the evening making dinner (Fajitas) and watching a movie (complete with popcorn)! As you can see from the pics below it was a cold snowy day!!

Friday: I had two classes in the morning then came home and studied a bit (I love Fridays because I get home by 10:45 am!!), Hubby had to work from 2-6, and then I worked from 4-10!


Saturday: I worked 9-12:30 and Hubby worked 12:00-4. After work we debated a while on what to do for dinner and while on the way to Ruby Tuesday we decided to go to Golden Corral instead. We CHEATED big time on our diets but enjoyed it very much!! We spent the rest of the evening on the sofa watching NCIS & HGTV (and me working on this post).

It has been quite a week! Full of prayer and trusting God!! Full of snow and learning to function in it!! Full of time at home which I am so thankful for!! Unfortunately NOT full of reading and school work...I have got to get on the ball and get motivated!!! Maybe tomorrow!!!

I really enjoyed taking pics each day and thinking about making this post. As you can tell some days I got carried away and some days it was an afterthought and I had to scramble to get a pic or pics for the day!! I plan to do this again for as long as I can keep it up!! I think it will be fun to look back on how we spent our days in this incredible time in our lives!!

What we know is GOD IS FAITHFUL AND TRUE!! We are trusting him completely and following His lead!!! We do not always understand things but we choose to trust our creator!!!

Snow

Today I...
*Walked on Fresh Powder

*Left footprints in the snow

*Drove on un-plowed roads...well

*Drove like a grandma

*Left tire tracks in the snow

*Donned my Rain/Snow Boots, Two pairs of pants, two shirts, two hoodies, and a hat

*Brushed off my Snow Boots before entering my home

*Recognized the beauty of God's creation covered in a soft blanket of pure white

Today I functioned in the Snow, saw it as beautiful and it wasn't so bad.

God is Good!!

I choose

TO BELIEVE IN YOU JESUS EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE HARD AND WE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

I CHOOSE

MORE OF YOU JESUS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS FATHER AND FOR YOUR LOVE AND FORGIVENESS AND FOR ALL YOU ARE AND ALL YOU DO!!

Random things...

I am...A STUDENT :) 

I think...ABOUT THE FUTURE
I know...MY GOD IS FAITHFUL
I want...TO GET BACK TO ME
I have...ALOT OF WORK TO DO
I wish...THINGS WERE A BIT EASIER SOMETIMES
I hate...THAT I LOSE MY WAY SO EASILY
I miss...MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY BACK HOME
I fear...GETTING LOST

I feel...HOPE
I hear...THE BOYS WATCHING THE FOOTBALL GAME
I smell...GRILLED BURGERS
I search...FOR MORE OF JESUS
I wonder...WHAT OUR FUTURE WILL BE LIKE
I regret...NOTHING…I’M LEARNING FROM THINGS INSTEAD
I love...LOVE
I care...ABOUT PEOPLE
I always...FORGET
I am not...FINISHED YET
I believe...IN JESUS
I dance...LIKE A FOOL AND LOVE IT
I sing...FOR MY LORD
I don't always...CONTAIN MY EMOTIONS
I write...RANDOMLY LATELY
I win...YES I DO WIN!
I lose...MY RIGHTS ON PURPOSE
I never...GIVE ENOUGH
I listen...LESS THAN I SHOULD
I can usually be found...STUDYING OR WORKING
I'm scared of...FAILING
I read...ALOT
I forget...ALOT
I just...LOVE LIFE
I am happy about...WHERE WE ARE & FOLLOWING GOD

2011

We have deemed 2011 as our "Year of Sowing"

On the way home from our visit to Alabama, Hubby and I had a wonderful conversation about what we want out of 2011.

We set goals and talked about where we are in life.

We understand where we are.

We are okay where we are.

Where are we???

We are poor college students on the search for the path God has for us. We are in the throngs of sowing the tough seeds that we know we will reap the benefits of later. We are unsure of exactly what the future holds but we KNOW that GOD HAS US SAFELY IN HIS ARMS.

You know it's is sometimes quite amazing to me that life can be so tough and so wonderful all at the same time.

2011...here we come...armed with Jesus, Our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit...seeking HIS WILL & HIS WAY...here we come!

I love planning especially when my Hubby gets involved too!!

Our life together is precious and I have said it before and I will say it again prolly forever...I never could have imagine life this wonderful.

Perfect...No.

Wonderful...Yes.

The ONLY one who deserves credit, glory, and honor for that is my precious Heavenly Father!!!

I remember the waiting...the hurting...the wondering...the planning...the dreaming...the disappointments...the long nights...the lonely moments...the HOPE...the amazing INTIMATE TIME WITH MY SAVIOR...the praying...the seeking...the WAITING...and...EVERY SECOND OF IT WAS MORE THAN WORTH IT.

I am who I am now because of it...and we are who we are now because of God's plan and His hand in our relationship.

We want to strive all the days of our lives to keep Him at the center and forefront of our lives!! We want to strive to grow grow grow in Him!!! We want to be in the center of His will and on His path!!!

Oh what a journey!!

Oh what a year 2010 was!!

We look forward to what 2011 holds!! Pray for us as we sow...financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and wholly!!

Things I am Loving Lately

>Mobile websites
>The New Testament's practical application
>Getting to be home with family for a bit
>New Clothes
>That I am feeling very ready to loose weight again
>The sound of my precious hubby snoring next to me-seriously I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT
>My iPhone
>Getting my books for the semester early
>Sharing the driving with my hubby
>Growing
>That we are getting started in a new Children's Ministry
>That God did what was necessary to bring me to a place where I can finally open my heart up to our new church by changing the way it feels to be at our church at home
>Amazing Godly friends
>Future Girl's nights
>New worship music
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2010 What a Year!

2010 – Wow what a year!! What a Wonderful, challenging, hard, journeyful year. I sure am glad that God has us in the palm of His hand and that He speaks to us in so many ways otherwise I believe I would just feel CRAZY!!

2010 brought a HUGE move…at the end of May we moved from Alabama to Missouri to go back to school. It was a huge move. It was a hard move. IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE.

We spent the summer getting acclimated to the new city and finding jobs. Hubby got a job as a cook at a Bar B Que place called the Rib Crib. I eventually was offered a job at the Dress Barn which I promptly turned down as it did not feel right at all. I soon after got a job at Old Navy. Hubby got a second job as a cook at a pizza place on the other end of town called Old Chicago Pizza. He works so very hard for us!! He also started a third job doing what he did back home a much smaller scale (four stores).

We quickly found a church home at Prasie Assembly! We felt like home the first Sunday we visited and it was only the third church that we visited!! God answered our prayers to find a home church quickly!!! We are excited to being working in their Children’s Ministry next Sunday (January 9, 2011).

In August we both started back to school. I poured myself into studying and working. I literally studied and worked and slept. My poor hubby was very neglected during this time of adjustment. I soon learned better how to balance my time and gave my studies over to God in prayer. He absolutely honored every second I committed to study after that as well as every second I was able to spend with my wonderful supportive hubby. I learned a lot about balance during this first semester.

In October we celebrated our ONE YEAR Wedding Anniversary by going on a Couples Retreat with our new church. We had a great time with some great couples and were greatly challenged in a great way!!!

My brother began dating and unfortunately it was not a very pleasant experience as I feel I reached out to build relationship with his girlfriend and received very little response in return.

My parents came up for a visit just before Thanksgiving and it was so great to have family with us for the first time since May. We had a great time and just soaked up their presence.

Hubby’s job at the Rib Crib cut him down to one day a week shortly after our anniversary trip and then right after my parents visit Old Chicago let him go as well. But God was so very faithful and in a passing conversation with my boss at Old Navy I mentioned that my husband’s jobs had cut him back and Old Navy was our only income just about. She (who never really listens when others speak) heard what I said and replied that they needed a good worker for Shipment and within days Hubby was an official Old Navy employee. He quickly gained favor and they have currently offered him a key holder position. We are both happy at Old Navy and happy to be working together again.

We WORKED hard through Thanksgiving and was actually able to have Thanksgiving dinner with my brother Daniel while it Snowed for the first time!! It was a great day!!

Finals week came and I was stressed to the max trying to get all of my papers, projects, and exams completed. I finished the semester Strong with Four A’s and One C!!!! Incredible I tell ya, all GOD!!! He is so Faithful!!!

We WORKED hard through Christmas getting any extra hours possible in preparation of going home for Ten days at New Years!! We loved being home for the first time in EIGHT LONG LONG months!!! We just soaked up the LOVE like sponges to get us through until our next visit!!!

While home I received a great push from the Lord that I really needed. I went home to our home church expecting it to be comfortable, home, and a refuge. It was NONE of those things. Truthfully it was weird. It was great to see everyone and again soak up the love everyone passed out!!! But I realized that is no longer my home and that I no longer have a place there…I am not supposed to have a place there. It is not due to anyone making me feel like I do not have a place…it is simply that I am not supposed to have a place there any longer. I drove through my home town and loved it and missed it but realized very quickly that it is just not where we are supposed to be. We are supposed to be in Missouri, we are supposed to be at Praise Assembly.

I truly needed that push! I needed it to open my heart to Praise and allow it to become my home church. I had not allowed that at all. It is no accident that we came home when we did and that we will be starting in ministry at Praise NEXT SUNDAY and this Sunday I realized all of this. God is so very faithful and that doesn’t even cover half of it!!

In Sunday school we touched on a few things that I feel like spoke to us and the place we are in. Hubby has made the decision to sit this semester out and seek God to find out what he is supposed to be doing as he now realizes that teaching is not what he is supposed to be doing. I am BEYOND proud of my husband. For making it through a semester so well in the process of realizing his path was shifting. For making the hard decision to stop and seek the Lord for direction. I am just so very proud of Him every single day. He blows me away.

I am blown away that God placed such a man in my life and allows me to be apart of his journey and him apart of mine. I know that God has GREAT and INCREDIBLE things in store for the both of us!!

I cannot wait to see what 2011 holds for us and I cannot wait to see what our ministry looks like when we get to that point!!
I am so Thankful for a Faithful Heavenly Father that NEVER leaves us or forsakes us!!!

2010 was a year of Adventure and Change. Wonder what 2011 has in store for us!!

We have decided to adopt the motto that Pastor Tim presented to KOR this morning…

LOVE God

GROW in Christ

SERVE others

…we have many goals for the new year and we are adopting this as our motto as well and pray to live it our to the best of our abilities and ALWAYS WITH GOD’S HELP!! As we cannot do this without HIM!!