December Flashback

Hi friends (and family)!  The next few posts will be flashbacks over the past few months since I've been out of touch.  Enjoy!

Daniel's brother, Steven, graduated from Missouri State University:

I worked long, fun hours at my work's longest annual fundraiser, a Gift Wrap Booth at the mall.  This is a snapshot of one of the many great groups of people I got to work with (the great folks here are all from Corporate Business Systems):

Somehow I don't have any pictures from Christmas Eve and Christmas with our families.  Sorry!  Guess by the end of the Gift Wrap Booth month, my brain was a little fried.  We were blessed to have Daniel's family and even some great friends to our home Christmas Eve for a fantastic meal and then Christmas Day we woke up, had breakfast and headed to my sister's to eat Christmas lunch with my family.  A blessed time was had by all!  And we were all blessed as we remembered the reason we celebate - JESUS!

Oh, I know why there are no pictures.  We have video!  We were dance all-stars with the Michael Jackson Wii game and Dance Central for Kinect.  Maybe I'll post some video soon.  ;)

Weekend Update

The past two weekends have been full of all kinds of fun!

The weekend of the 12th was not only the first weekend of deer season (Unfortunately, we've got no meat in the freezer this time around.  You'll get it next time, honey!), but it was also Fresh Grounded Faith here in Springfield.  If you've not heard of it, Fresh Grounded Faith is a women's conference hosted by Jennifer Rothschild.  It's a fantastic Kingdom-focused event put on by area churches that partner together.  Jennifer goes all over for these events.  Anyhow, each event has special guests and this time around was Tim Hawkins (hilarious!), Abby Rike (Biggest Loser Season 8), and Michael O'Brien.

We're blessed to not only be Jennifer's hometown, but the church I go to is also her home church.  She and her husband were even the teacher's of one of the college department Sunday morning classes Daniel and I went to back in the day.  We're so thankful for them and their example of love and godliness!

My friend, Tanya, and I were Abby's (and her mom) hostess/driver for the weekend.  What fun!

(me with Abby and her mom, Billie)

L to R: me, Paula (our women's minister and fabulous lady), Paula (dear friend - we used to teach together in the youth department), and Tanya (a new fabulous friend and co-hostess for FGF)
So thankful for the multitude of godly women God has placed in my life!

Speaking of great women, my dear friend, Marilyn, came all the way from Van Buren to go to the conference and stay the night at my house.  So thankful for her and that she could make it up here!

Now for this past weekend.  It was filled with youth and more fun as we had our annual Engage Weekend (typically known as Disciple Now :)  ).  It was great to have a group of senior girls who "get it" and are seeking to honor and glorify the Lord.  Thanks, Lord, for the opportunity to serve you this way!

Here's to serving in the name of Jesus and having fun!

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Hope

I don't want to take too much from this video to preface it.  I will let you know it's 27 minutes long, but I definitely encourage you to take time to watch it when you can.  I was reminded of so much.  We serve a God of hope - when all seems hopeless.  We never drift toward anything good.  Grace, true grace, can only be shown to others through the power of Christ.  Wherever you are in life today, take hold - OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD!



FYI: I found this through Justin and Trish's blog called Refine Us.

Thankful

Dear Jesus,

Thank you.  For teaching me (continually and still) that I can't control anyone but myself.  For providing for our needs daily.  For giving me a husband who loves me AND tells me.  For your Word that directs, comforts, and gives us all we need.  For the Holy Spirit that convicts us and leads us to repentance.  For the example of true love that you showed us through dying on the cross for our dreadful sins.  That depiction of love is what drives us daily.  Your example reminds us that love is not easy.  But it is deep.  It is real.  It is a choice, a commitment.  It's staying when running seems like an option.  Love is sacrificial.  It calls us to put others first.  Lord, thank you for the fun, the laughter, the memories (and the ones to come!).

Thank you that today, because of YOU, Daniel and I are celebrating our marriage of five years!  We love YOU so much and give YOU all the glory!

How Beautiful Are Your Feet?

Our church held its missions conference (Global Impact) over the past two weeks/weekends.  The first weekend was focused on our local missions partners, and this past weekend was a Missouri/USA/International focus.  Of course, as the Lord would work it, the lesson we taught our students in small group this past Sunday morning focused on a passage that was our Global Impact theme a couple years ago.  

⁸But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
 ¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"  (bolded by me)
                                                                  Romans 10:8 - 15




The question we were challenged with before and that the girls and I challenged ourselves with this week:  How beautiful are your feet?  We're called multiple times to go and share the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.  But, are we going?  And are we sharing Him in our own backyard?  As the passage above says perfectly, how can they believe in Him if they aren't told (and shown, so our daily living is a party of it)?  One of the missionary couples that spoke this weekend has been working with a people group in Africa.  Before their work, there were no known believers in this people group.  Because of their obedience to the Lord, they have been used to lead people to Christ and they shared numerous stories evidencing God's work there.  Their feet are beautiful, are they not?  I was definitely challenged (and convicted) over the past couple of weeks as I reviewed my own life.  My prayer in sharing this with you is that you, too, will be challenged.  Do you go?  Or are you just comfortable where you are?  


I encourage you to ponder and pray:  How beautiful are your feet?  


And, if you don't have a relationship with the Lord, I implore you - He loves you and wants to save you!  Surrender to Him today, and you'll never be the same.  Leave me a comment if you'd like to discuss this further.


Blessings to each of you!

Belated Birthday Post to My Beloved

Oh my goodness!  I can't believe I didn't get a post on here for Daniel's birthday - it was last Tuesday, the 20th!  Sorry, honey!

We did have a great time together for his birthday, though.  We gorged at Cheddar's (it's ok because it was his birthday, right?) getting the amazing spinach dip and even topping it off with a yummy cookie monster. Seriously, we hadn't had a cookie monster since before we got married so we enjoyed every bit of it!  Then we followed our tradition of walking it off across the street at Best Buy and the neighboring stores.  :)

I'm so thankful the Lord brought Daniel into my world.  Every day, I love him more and more as we continue to learn and grow together.

Happy belated birthday, sweetheart!  I love you so much!

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him."  Genesis 1:27a

P.S. Daniel also happens to share a birthday with my grandma, my mom's mom.  Happy 80th birthday to you, Grandma!  I love you!

Because He Lives

Rejoice with me today! An old hymn says it perfectly:

"Life is worth the living, just because He lives!"

Grandmotherly Love - Nothing Like It

We were so blessed to have my grandma (my dad's mom) in town to visit us last weekend.  My grandpa went to Kentucky to fish with the boys so Grandma came to Ozark/Springfield with my mom.  Friday I was able to meet them for lunch at Red Lobster and then Mom and I took Kyler to a rodeo while Katie and Grandma rented a movie and stayed in.  Then Saturday, she got to go to Ky's first soccer game.  What a blessing she got to be here for that!  We shopped a little and then Mom and I took her to see the beautiful Branson Landing.  We walked around, enjoyed the view of the lake, ate some BBQ at Famous Dave's and then headed back home.  

You're probably sick of me saying this, but I'm so thankful for the blessed family time Daniel and I have had with each of our families lately.  We don't take a minute of it for granted! 

2 Timothy 3:15, 16
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

Mine

Mine.  From an early age we learn to use this word to proclaim what belongs to us, or at least what we think belongs to us.  How much of our life is really ours?  If we claim to be Christ-followers, none of it is; this is what we were reminded of at church this morning.  As Paul so perfectly said in Galations 2:20, we have been "crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."


This means when we give our lives to Christ, we surrender it all.  We lay it all down and choose to live by faith, not by our own fleshly desires.  The life I now live is no longer mine; it's His.  Totally His to do with what He desires.  I'm ready, Lord.  Live in and through me.  


To hear this morning's teaching from Ben yourself, just visit here and choose 2ndeleven.  (If the sermon "Mine" is not showing up, give it a day or so since it was just recorded this a.m.)


Coming soon:  See how Daniel's family reacted to our surprise at their door - his cousin, Keila, is back!  (see photos from her first visit here)  And this time for good!  Plus, I'll share some photos from Saturday when we took the fam to Branson Landing.  Check back soon!

Valentine's Day 2010

I got up this morning to make heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for my Valentine (no, not from scratch, but they're still yummy).  I even took pictures to display but have decided they didn't really look like hearts once they expanded when baked.  (Actually, Daniel said they looked like four leaf clovers because it was a grouping of four hearts, so maybe I'll do it again for St Pat's Day and you can see them then.)  He says he appreciated the effort, though. :)  I even had his strawberry milk mixed and ready to drink!  I love you, my forever Valentine!


We just had cereal and sandwiches at home today because we're both off work tomorrow so we're going to one of my very favorite restaurants:  Cantina Laredo at The Landing (in Branson)!  Mmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it.


So thankful for the sermon at church this morning that reminded us of the greatest love of all - the unconditional love of Jesus!!  May you each know and receive that wondrous love today!


Happy Valentine's Day!

Orphan Care

Catching up on my blog reading over lunch today, my friend Alisa's blog inspired me and reminded me of our responsibility to care for the orphans of the world.  The Bible is very clear that we as believers are to care for the orphans and widows:

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1:27  (NLT)

Please take time to check out yesterday's post on Alisa's blog and hear the testimony of her friend who just returned from visiting orphans in Africa.  And let James 1:27 inspire and challenge you today.  Blessings, my friends!