Keep Moving Forward

1 Corinthians 13 for Families

2011-03-10T15:37:00.000-05:00

1 Corinthians 13 for Families by John Coblentz
Though we visit much and keep up-to-date on all our family news, near and far, if we do not love one another enough to be trustworthy and respectful of one another's reputation, our relationships are shallow and empty. And though we are talented and used extensively in our local church, and though we run a successful family business and are highly looked up to in the community, if we do not have peace and harmony in our home life, we are nothing. And though we are known for the donations we have made to church projects, and though we have family members in voluntary service, and though we may have a long Christian history on both sides of the family line, if we hold grudges and build barriers between family members, our good deeds profit us nothing.

Love causes us to be patient with younger ones who are just learning and who do things slowly and imperfectly, as well as with older ones who are losing their abilities. It causes us to share our possessions, our time, and our hearts. It makes us sensitive to the feelings of other family members.

Love . . .
• Does not make messes for others to clean up.
• Does not demand to have its own way.
• Does not put others down.
• Does not tease unmercifully.
• Does not argue or beg when a wish is denied.
• Does not belittle.
• Does not use unkind names.
• Does not compare family members unfavorably.
• Does not purposely irritate.
• Does not blame, tattle, or falsely accuse.
• Does not use others' possessions without asking.
• Does not pout.
• Does not use crude language.
• Does not say, "I told you so" when right.
• Does not make excuses when wrong.
• Is not loud, harsh, and abrasive.
• Is not boastful.
• Says, "Thank you," and "Please."

Love does not go on and on in describing how wrong a child was in misbehavior, nor does it look for faults in a companion. It finds no delight in criticism, accusation, or complaining about either the present or the past failures of family members. Rather, love delights in finding a job well done, giving a compliment, expressing gratitude.

Love looks for opportunities to encourage. Love bears responsibilities wisely and injustices quietly. It does its share and then looks for ways to help others, rather than parking on a recliner and grumping if more is asked.

Love trusts family members to do right rather than expecting them to do wrong. When a family member fails, love is there to help, encourage, and pray. And when failure is regular -- when a family member chooses a wrong path -- love fixes its hope-filled eyes on God to bring about change in His time, rather than attempting to force change on an unwilling heart.

Love keeps going. It refuses to give up, quit, or turn back. Love's commitment is absolute and final. It refuses even to think of divorce or unfaithfulness.

Love goes out to each family member freely without requiring a certain level of performance to earn it.

There will sometimes be a shortage of money; sometimes memory will fail; at times, we may overlook trials or blessings in one another's lives. But this will be only because we live in a condition of limitation and have only limited resources. Love itself will never purposely overlook needs. Through the years, love in a family will grow, commitments will deepen, marriage bonds will strengthen.

When I was a child, love made me feel secure, wanted, needed, and safe. When I became a man, I desired the same for my children and for my grandchildren. And as I grow older, I realize how little I know, and how much in life is out of my control -- where my children's paths will lead, what will happen when I am gone. But now I know, too, that it is not control that will make my world safe. It is love. By one thing only do I want to be known -- that is by my love, that each one of my family members can feel it, hear it, and experience it intensely.

There is faith -- that is good. There is hope -- that is even better. And there is LOVE -- it is the greatest.

Great Thought!!!!

2011-01-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

Heard this thought on the radio today...

"God's ultimate goal is not to make you a better you or even the best "you" you can be; His ultimate goal is to transform your life so that you become more like Christ and LESS like you.".

I love this!

The Little Bean

2010-11-16T13:16:00.000-05:00

It's offical! We are 8 weeks pregnant :)

More and Less of Me

2010-09-16T11:28:00.004-04:00

Every day I receive a devotional from the Proverbs 31 Woman Ministries. Some days speak louder than others, and today's was no exception. I felt like God had the world's largest megaphone pointed directly into my ear when I read this. After this week's Ladies Bible Study (where we are studying Me, Myself, and Lies by Jennifer Rothschild), the truths shared in the devotion below just echoed what God has been speaking into my heart.

Nothing More and Nothing Less

Rachel Olsen
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." Matthew 5:5 (MSG)

Lord, how can I become content with just who I am, nothing more and nothing less?

I'm certainly prone to want to be more, or less, than I am. To be smarter, prettier, funnier, fitter. To be more productive, perky and high energy. And then also to be lower key, calmer, more level-headed and focused.

I want to have better self-awareness, and yet I want to be less concerned about what others think of me.

I want to be a better cook, to sing beautifully and to keep the house neat without so much perceived effort. And did I mention fuller, thicker hair would be nice too? I want to be a better writer – one that's both highly creative and meticulously organized. And I want fewer propensities to run late, slack off or procrastinate.

Yes, I want to be both more and less of me.

Jesus shushes my endless listing of the things I want to change about myself – to improve about myself so I can have what I'm sure would be a better life. He asks me instead to humbly make peace with it all. To lay down my notions of a better woman and a better life by letting Him be the judge of that. To simply take what I'm given and offer it back to Him, in service and surrender. Willingly assuming that I am enough – I have what it takes to live a great life. One that pleases God, others and self.

Today's key verse is among several in the Bible that fuels a core conviction I hold: When I stop striving to create a life for myself, I find the life God creates for me. This, my friend, is a powerful truth, a divine secret. His life for me begins precisely where mine ends. My life ends in my sin and striving and begins again in God's grace and power. His empowering indwelling affords me everything I truly need and nothing I truly don't.

Do you too long to be content with just who you are in Christ – nothing more and nothing less? Jesus addresses us both in Matthew 23:11-12, ""Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty." (MSG)

Amazingly, God's grace humbles a woman without degrading her, and His favor lifts her up without inflating her. The life she finds in Him makes her the proud owner of everything money can't buy – a life of contentment.

Dear Lord, help me to quiet my critical, striving spirit today and gratefully accept who I am and where I'm at in this moment. For You are here, ready to invisibly empower my life to count for plenty right where I am. Help me also to seek and hold your definition of "plenty" – nothing more and nothing less. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Way I Was Made

2010-08-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading Chris Tomlin's book, "The Way I Was Made." It's one that I looked at, thumbed through, and then put back on the shelf many, many times, but never took the time to read. It is a quick read, but is so dense with truth that once I finally decided to give it a go, it took me 2 weeks to read it, as I would read a chapter, go back, re-read a page or two, think about it while I was driving or cleaning, and then go back and read some more.

There were several stories and challenges in this book that grabbed my heart, but this one far surpasses them all...

From the chapter, "Spirit Overflow"

One night before a concert, I got an interesting call from my friend Neil. In typical Neil fashion, he shot right past the pleasantries.

"Chris," he said in his raspy voice, "what would it look like if competence was not a fruit of the Spirit?"

That caught me off guard. I mentally reshuffled that well-known list of gifts in Galatians. Nope, no competence there.

"Neil, my friend," I said a little too proudly, "competence isn't a fruit of the Spirit."

Neil didn't even hesitate. "But we sure act and teach people like it is," he replied.

I've never forgotten that. I've always felt the pressure to have the right answer, to never be tired, to always be on -- platform ready. Can you relate? And yes, I desperately need the fruits of the Holy Spirit - "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control" (Galatians 5:22-23). But I think I'm one of those guys who, somewhere along the way, added "competence" to the list. And I think a lot of people in the audience can feel hindered for the same reason. They just don't feel good enough to worship God well.

The more I've lived with it, the more I believe Neil was right. You don't have to have it all together to be a worshiper of God. None of us do. Not one. By grace we all approach the throne of God. We live and breathe in the righteousness and mercy of Jesus.

I want everyone to know this truth.

2 Songs I'm Diggin' Right Now

2010-06-01T22:07:00.002-04:00

I keep hearing 2 songs on J933.com and everytime I hear them, I am reminded of how GOOD God is. I wanted to share them both and hopefully encourage someone with how they have impacted my life recently.

The first one is "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. John is my very best friend, my teammate, my family (I love that!), and the love of my life. There is no way that I could have gone through ANY of the events of the past 4 years if I had not had John by my side. I am so thankful for God's goodness in giving me John at the PERFECT time. God keeps showing me that He has put us together in order to make a difference in the world AND in each other's lives.

This year has been personally challenging to me and has brought several things to the surface that I do not want to admit are present in my life. While I have been wrestling with these issues and asking God to do His transforming work in me, He has gently reminded me of the treasure that He has given me in my husband, and that he is worth all of the hard work of dealing with the junk in my heart.

This song reminds me of my amazing husband, John, and reminds me of the gift that he is to me. I love you, sweetheart!!

The second song is entitled, "I Have to Believe" by Rita Springer. I literally catch my breath every time I hear this song because it forces me to take a hard, honest look into my heart and really ask myself if I believe all of the things I say that I believe. Even as I have walked through the past 6 months, I am so thankful that I can say with confidence that I DO BELIEVE every word that He has spoken, every promise He has given me, and every truth He has given me in His Word. Has it been easy? Not at all. There have been lots of moments over the past 6 months that I had no other choice BUT to believe - and I cannot tell you how incredible this journey has been.

Unfortunately, the only video on YouTube of this song is horribly cheesy, so the lyrics will just have to suffice :) It's a powerful song - I hope you'll check it out!

I have to believe that He sees my darkness
I have to believe that He knows my pain
I have to lift up my hands to worship
Worship His name

I have to declare that He is my refuge
I have to deny that I am alone
I have to lift up my eyes to the mountains
It’s where my help comes from

He said that He’s forever faithful
He said that He’s forever true
He said that He can move mountains
And if He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move Your mountain, too

I have to stand tall when the wind blows me over
I have to stand strong when I’m weak and afraid
I have to grab hold, hold of the garments
Garments of praise

I have to sing praise when the hour is midnight
He unlocks the chains that bind up my soul
My sin and my shame, He has forgiven, and made me whole

He said that He’s forever faithful
He said that He’s forever true
He said that He can move mountains
And if He can move mountains
He can move my mountain
He can move Your mountain, too
I have to believe...

The Last 3 Months...

2010-01-07T15:33:00.010-05:00

I'm fairly certain that the people who read this blog (or read it as a note on Facebook) already know exactly what has happened in my life over the past 3 months, but since I have lots of free time on my hands and since it's probably healthy for me to get these thoughts out of my head/heart and written/typed out, here goes...

At the end of September/beginning of October, my working-from-home job turned into the job from hell - trust me, working from home sounds great and does have a few perks, but it is not for me. Thankfully, God blessed me with the most incredible opportunity at the most perfect time, and by the second week of October, I was working in an office with a gorgeous lake view!! The job could not be more perfect for me, but more than that, my boss could not be more amazing! This is the 3rd time I have worked for him and going to work is more like going to an old friend's house for 9 hours a day. As an added bonus, John was super-excited to get his alone time back when he is home and has been relieved to not have to carry so much of the financial burden on his own anymore.

In November, John and I took our first BIG vacation and went away for about 2 weeks. We spent Thanksgiving in Atlanta and the following week, we traveled to Asheville, NC and spent 4 full days at the Biltmore Estate. We stayed at the Inn, I went to the spa, John spent a morning shooting clay pigeons, we toured the house (twice!), the Winery (3x!), plus toured the farm, did a lot of shopping and eating, and even braved the gorgeous hiking trails. It was the most amazing vacation ever! We were worried that after 2 weeks we would be sick of each other, but actually, we came back and were closer than ever! We realized that we have never spent that much time together before - crazy, huh????

On our way back from NC, we received a phone call that my grandmother was not doing very well and that we should get down to see her as soon as possible. We drove down to see her on my birthday and by then, she was in hospice. I am very close to my grandmother and she had not been sick for very long, so it was very difficult. The next morning, she went home to Heaven. Selfishly, I wanted her to stay around for a longer time, but for her sake, I am thankful that she did not have to suffer for very long and is now healed and whole.

After 4 straight week of traveling (for vacation and then for the memorial service), John and I finally started getting ready for Christmas. On December 21st, we received an early Christmas present - a positive home pregnancy test!! We have been wanting to start our family since June, and we could not have been happier! We told our families and friends and couldn't seem to talk about anything else except for "the baby." Unfortunately, our excitement was short-lived. The day after Christmas, I woke up in excruciating pain and after dealing with it off and on all day, I ended up in the ER that night and was told that I needed to have emergency surgery. I was bleeding internally due to an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy and without surgery, I could lose my life. John was in Orlando on a trip (thankfully he was close) and ended up renting a car (all they had was a red Camaro - Thank You, Lord) and made it to Memorial Miramar in 2 hours. He was the first face I remember seeing when I woke up in the recovery room. After a day in the hospital and (going on) my second week of bedrest, I'm feeling better (physically). The doctor said there was no permanent damage to anything and we should be able to try again in 3-4 months. There are still a lot of tears and still an enormous sense of loss, but God has been so gracious to us. Our families have surrounded us with love and support, as well as groceries, meals, Starbucks, treats, and even a clean house! Our friends have been amazing - our small group has fed us just about every day and we have been encouraged and prayed for by so many people. And I have to say that my sweet husband has been phenomenal. No one will really know just how heartbroken he is, and that's mainly because he has been so focused on taking care of me and not worrying about himself. He's done things that I know he didn't think he'd be doing until I was 88 - and never complained once! I'm so thankful that he is the one that God chose to walk through this life with me.

So what now? Well, our new church plant launches on Sunday, January 17th at Fox Trail Elementary (on Nob Hill and 595). There's a preview service this Sunday - can't wait to start!! And there's also at least 6 baby showers in my future - yes, 6 of my friends/family members are expecting - so exciting to watch God breathe life into our new church and into the lives of 6 families that we love dearly.

As far as 2010 goes, I'm looking forward to meeting 6 little boys/girls - one all the way from Taiwan!! I'm also hoping for a trip to Disney with my hubby, improving my Wii skills and my cooking skills, watching my weight go back down, and spending more time reading my Bible instead of books about it. What are you looking forward to in 2010???

30 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

2009-09-30T12:02:00.004-04:00

As part of the book, The Love Dare, I wrote down a list of 30 reasons why I love my hubby. Why this may seem like a very newlywed thing to do, I'd encourage everyone - even those who have been married forever - to try it! To make it even better, I posted one reason every day in September on my Facebook for John's 30th birthday :) Of course, my math skills are pathetic, so I actually had 31 reasons on Facebook! Here they are, in no particular order:

He is one hard-working man!
He takes GREAT care of me.
He loves our families.
He strives to be a godly man.
He makes me want to be a better me and brings out the best in me. He has a lot more confidence in me than I do!
He provides for all my needs and protects me.
He makes me laugh and laughs with me - and never makes me feel stupid for finding humor in even the simplest thing.
He is a great singer and loves music almost as much as I do.
He always asks for help when he needs it.
He usually has a good reason for everything he does.
He is the most honest person I know and walks with integrity.
He wants to make me happy (and does!)
He still makes my heart melt.
He LOVES to serve.
He is my best friend.
He's always willing to do anything I ask - like drying dishes or grilling steaks when it is 90+ degrees outside.
He is my favorite person to be with anywhere!!
He'll eat anything I make.
He is usually open to doing anything I want to do - trying a new restaurant, going shopping, even going to Sephora!
Everyone who knows him - or even meets him for the first time - loves him!
He is a social butterfly.
He is VERY generous!
He is one handsome man!
He is going to be a fantastic Daddy!
He isn't afraid to try anything: flying, fire fighting, hunting, FFDO program, gardening, etc.
He always remembers to use the spray after using our shared bathroom :)
He doesn't care if the house, car, bedroom, etc. is messy, but he knows I do, so he tries to keep things tidy :)
He values our time together.
He serves me in BIG and small ways.
No one else "gets" me like he does and no one else forgives me as quickly as he does.
He loves me for me - in spite of popular opinion when we met, he loved me for me right from the start and helped me to see myself the way he sees me.

John is hands-down the best gift God has ever given to me - besides the gift of salvation, of course!!! I love you, sweetheart!!

Outdoor World and Me

2009-09-22T12:50:00.013-04:00

About 2 weeks ago, John and I made a trip to Outdoor World so that he could look at rifles. For those of you that know me well, you already know that: 1) I hate guns, and 2) I am not a frequent shopper at Outdoor World. Within 5 minutes of standing at the gun counter with John, he knew that I would not be an asset to his purchase, so he suggested that I walk around the store while he looked at guns. I gladly left the gun counter and proceeded to entertain myself by taking the following photos of items I will never purchase at Outdoor World as well as items that prove why I am not a fan of Outdoor World, camping, hunting, or roughing it :) I hope you enjoy the following photos as much as I enjoyed taking them :)

P.S. - I heart my iPhone :) (which I am sure is proof that I am not cut out for Outdoor World!)

Okay, at first glance I thought, "Cool - I have a Crock Pot, too!" But upon closer inspection, I realized that this is a camouflaged print Crock Pot - something I hope I never have!!!

If I am ever forced to be outside when the weather is below 50 degrees, I pray that no one throws this plastic tarp at me and tries to call it a blanket. Look how miserable the guy is!! He doesn't look happy at all!!! But he does kinda looks like Joel McHale, which makes me laugh :)

As an owner of 3 chickens, I can totally believe that turkeys would be fooled by fake birds, but the thing that cracks me up about these decoys is their name....The Love Triangle!! Or as they say in France, Triangle D'amour!

Does this really require an explanation? Again, one more reason I will never go hunting!

I pray that no one ever buys this toy for my kids - I guess I should also pray that they never ask me to buy this for them! And yes, there was a Hunter Ann - and they come with carcasses!

This is a DVD series that they sell at Outdoor World - please note the title of this particular episode...Buckmen 13: Fear the Beard!!

Never, ever, ever, ever!!!

If I have to bring my own hot shower, then count me out!! Besides, it looks like you just have to shower out in front of God and Mother Nature and any other tree hugging hippie that happens to be wandering around the woods - and I am positive that there is not enough hot water in this little box for a decent hot shower!

This is the #1 reason I don't belong in Outdoor World...can you imagine walking into my house and seeing this furniture???

John eventually caught up with me after all the fun I had, but I think he had a lot more fun than I did - he is now the proud owner of a new Marlin rifle :) And no, I won't be learning how to shoot it or learning how to prepare wild boar!

The Swirls Inside My Brain Today

2009-09-08T16:48:00.002-04:00

Today is Day 4 of John's 4-day trip, and by Day 4, I start talking to myself, the chickens, the news anchors on Fox News, the vacuum cleaner - anyone who will listen - because the thoughts swirling in my head for the previous 3 days are ripe and ready to come out to anyone who will listen - even a chicken!! Thankfully, I have this little blog on which to dump out the contents of my brain and see if I am still making sense after 3 days with little to no human contact :)

John's birthday was yesterday (September 7th) and in honor of his 30th birthday, I have written a list of 30 random reasons why I love him and am posting one reason each day on Facebook for the whole month of September (and it just so happens that there are 30 days in September, so bonus!). I had written a list of 20 a while back as part of the journey of reading The Love Dare, so adding 10 more reasons was not so difficult :) I was looking over the list on Saturday to choose which reason I would post for that day when I came across this reason: "he loves me for me." My mind instantly re-wound back to a day when I was working in a church office and was called in to review a letter to the staff that was to be sent out the following day. I began to check the letter for grammatical and spelling errors and was surprised to find that my name was in the letter. As I read on, I realized that my name was classified among a list of "miracles" that God had performed that year in our church...the miracle related to me being that someone actually wanted to marry me. I laughed it off and acted like it didn't bother me, but inside I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach.

Now I will be the very first to admit that it was a miracle that John wanted to marry me - at that time, especially!! I was ultra-high-strung and ultra-rigid in my work, and was super-protective of my stuff and my "territory." John somehow broke through my intense work persona to find the real me hidden underneath all of that defensive exterior. It absolutely crushed me to realize that while he loved me for me, there weren't that many other people in my world that did - and that simple letter delivered that reality to my door!

Since that time, God has used so many circumstances and people and has broken through my defenses and turned my heart into clay and molded it to be a lot more flexible (Praise God!) and a lot less protective and threatened. I don't worry so much anymore about what people think of me or what they think I am worth, but I am definitely a lot more concerned that people see God in me - not me trying to be like God, but actually seeing God's transforming power in me! God has used so many people (John, primarily) to gently show me what I am worth and where my worth comes from - and it's not from a job title or how many pats on the back I get or even the size or brand of my jeans.

So thankful, Father, for Your love, protection, and power in my life!

What's In Your Garden???

2009-09-04T13:31:00.003-04:00

While I was working inside this afternoon, the front door flew open and my sweet hubby came running in, jumping all around and making gross faces. "Did you walk through a spider web while you were working in the garden?" I asked. "Nope," he replied, "Snake in the bushes." Alas, the gross thing is no longer with us...definitely NOT a garden snake!

Crossway Church!!!!

2009-09-02T16:07:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to the bio The Church Planting Network posted on their website about Jon and Melissa and Crossway Church! Check it out!!!!

John's Surprise 30th Birthday Party!

2009-08-31T11:46:00.002-04:00

Since April, I have been planning a surprise 30th birthday party for my sweet hubby. With the help of our family and friends, we successfully shocked John with a Cuban-themed party with over 50 of his friends and family members this past Friday night!!

John is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I thank God for him every day! It was so awesome to make this night all about him and to celebrate all that God has done in his life over the past 30 years! I am so blessed that I get to spend the next 30+ years with him!!

Enjoying the lake view at my in-laws' AMAZING house!

The AWESOME Cuban cigar roller :)

Our friends waiting patiently for John to arrive!

Enjoying Cuban cigars :)

Blowing out the candles :)

All of the guys :)

What's a party without a little karaoke??

I LOVE my girls!!!!!!

And I love this man even more!!!!

Happy 30th Birthday, John! I love you so much!!!!

Family Vacation

2009-08-10T16:10:00.003-04:00

John and I just returned from a fabulous weekend vacation with my family to Fort Myers Beach. Other than a quick trip to the ER Friday night (John caught a catfish and then was caught by the catfish!) it was a very relaxing and stress-free weekend!!

Here are some photos from our weekend...Enjoy!!

Paid In Full!!

2009-07-24T14:28:00.002-04:00

This week I received the above notice informing me that my student loan has been PAID IN FULL!!! I felt just as fabulous as I did the day I walked across the stage at FAU and received my degree - it was the same feeling of accomplishment and relief all wrapped up in one amazing package!!!! Even though my degree has hung on the wall for the past 10 years doing absolutely nothing for my bank account, my self esteem, or my marketability, it still reminds me that God allowed me to start AND finish my degree while at the same time working full time in Student Ministry. Although my degree probably isn't worth as much as the beautiful frame my mom chose for it, it reminds me of all that God taught me and did in me and through me during that time. There were SEVERAL times I just wanted to quit and focus on ministry - there were also several times I went days without sleep so that I could work AND go to school. It was extremely challenging, but with the support of my mom and several friends, I finished. I am so thankful that I didn't quit or lose focus to spend more time on my job - now that the job I planned on having forever is history and my time in full-time ministry has come to an end, it makes me glad that I didn't give up on my dream of graduating from college - and with honors, I might add :)

Not to overspiritualize this post, but when I got this notice, my first thought was of another debt of mine that has been paid in full, but this debt was one that I did nothing to repay, nor could I ever repay...My past mistakes have been erased, my life has been rescued, and my future is secure - I don't deserve it, I didn't have to earn it, and the One who paid it was happy to do so because of His incredible love for me. My student loan "paid in full" letter now sits on my desk as a reminder of all that God has done for me and reminds me of one of my favorite passages...

Psalm 116:12 (NIV); "How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me?"

BIG Announcement!!

2009-07-10T13:07:00.002-04:00

I am so excited to share some BIG news with the 3 of you who read my blog :)

Our dear friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are going to be planting a church in February 2010 and have asked John and I to be a part of the Launch Team. We have been praying through this leap of faith with Jon and Melissa and have total faith in the dream that God has placed in their hearts. We're thrilled to have been a part of West Pines Community Church for the past 10 months and have been blown away by their support and excitement for Crossway Church! It is such a blessing to be a part of a church that believes in building the Kingdom instead of building their own kingdom. While we are sad to leave numerous friendships and areas of service we have fell in love with at WPCC, we can't wait to see what God has in store for us and for the community at Crossway Church!

Check out the new website and the blog for Crossway Church and please keep Jon and Melissa in your prayers. Not only are they about to launch a new church, but they are also preparing their hearts and home for a little one from Korea! Their passion for Christ, His Gospel, and His creation inspires me each time I am around them and I hope you'll join me in praying for this fabulous couple!

The Great Elswick Adoption Yard Sale

2009-06-29T09:48:00.006-04:00

Our amazing friends, Jon and Melissa Elswick, are in the process of adopting a precious baby from Korea. Because the cost of international adoption is so expensive, they are coming up with several creative ways to raise money for Baby Elswick. One of their ideas is coming to fruition on Saturday, July 18th in the form of a Yard Sale.

If you have items to donate or if you would like to come to the Yard Sale and do a little shopping, please visit their blog for all of the details about the Yard Sale.

James 1:27 (ESV); "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Another Crazy Dream

2009-06-16T11:23:00.005-04:00

Last night, I had another crazy dream, and it has been on my mind all morning!!!! In my dream, I was "forced" (not sure why or how) to switch husbands and families and ended up with a guy that I dated in college and his 3 kids (that I am pretty sure do not exist). At first, I was a tiny bit intrigued at the thought of getting to see what my life would have been like if I had hung on to this guy, but the longer the dream went on, the more I found myself asking everyone in my dream where John was and if I could PLEASE go back home to him. Everyone kept telling me that I really wanted to be with the new guy, but I was begging to get back to John. The thought of not being with John and having to start all over again was sickening!!

Of course, it was only a dream and I am definitely not going to be submitting an application to "Wife Swap" any time soon, but it has been on my mind all morning. How many of us start to think how much "better" life would be with someone else when times get a little tough with our spouse?? How many of us still hang on to the thought of someone else besides our spouse paying us a compliment or paying even the slightest bit of attention to us? How quickly do we entertain the idea of someone new??

At the same time, how many single ladies settle for so much less than God's best simply out of fear, loneliness, or the lie that they cannot do any better than the loser they think they are "stuck" with only to find themselves in a less-than-God's-best marriage while they unfairly compare their marriage to everyone else's?? No, I'm not advocating leaving your spouse if they are not a Christian or are not doing the things they should - what I AM advocating is being extremely discerning and listening to all of the warning signs BEFORE that person becomes your spouse. Once you are husband and wife, there are so many new struggles and temptations that come along, and you don't want to set yourself up for disaster by ignoring the warning signs before you say "I do." (As someone who often settled for dating guys I KNEW were not God's best for me, I know what fear and loneliness can do to your brain!! It's DANGEROUS!!!)

I heard this story last week and it has stuck with me as I have thought about discernment...

There was an old man sitting on his porch watching the rain fall. Pretty soon the water was coming over the porch and into the house. The old man was still sitting there when a rescue boat came and the people on board said, "You can't stay here - you have to come with us." The old man replied, "No, God will save me." So the boat left. A little while later the water was up to the second floor, and another rescue boat came, and again told the old man he had to come with them. The old man again replied, "God will save me." So the boat left him again.

An hour later the water was up to the roof and a third rescue boat approached the old man, and tried to get him to come with them. Again the old man refused to leave stating that, "God will grant a miracle & save me." So the boat left him again.

Soon after, the man drowns and goes to heaven, and when he sees God he asks Him, "Why didn't You save me? I thought You would grant me a miracle and You have let me down."

God replied, "You idiot, I don't know what you're complaining about. I sent three boats after you!!"

Whether you are choosing a date, a spouse, a job, or even entertaining the idea of someone new (other than your spouse), look for God's rescue boats - they are everywhere!!! If you're having trouble recognizing them, ask a trusted friend if they see any circling around you. You may be surprised at the number of warning signs God is sending your way!!!

WPCC Missions Team

2009-06-14T21:59:00.008-04:00

The WPCC Missions Team left today for Guatemala and will be traveling June 14th-20th. I am so excited for them and for all that they are going to witness and experience while working alongside Compassion International. I had the awesome privilege of helping the Care Ministry Team to collect supplies for the missions trip and seeing the team off at church this morning. Hopefully John and I will be able to be a part of the next trip!!!

You can follow the team by clicking on this link: WPCC Guatemala Missions Team

Please join me this week in praying for each of the mission team members by name!

Robey Barnes

Rebekah Barnes

William Elmore

Sheila Englund

Cera Gomez

Matt Mashburn

Christine Sherlock

Nicole Torres

Danny Vendrell

Letty Vendrell

Completely Random

2009-05-16T15:36:00.003-04:00

I am so incredibly thankful for West Pines Community Church. I have never felt as challenged, as encouraged, or as healthy as I feel at WPCC. I have made some amazing friendships and have been able to get involved and serve in ways that complement my gifts and passions without feeling like I am under a microscope or not doing it the "right" way. I love their commitment to keeping the main thing the main thing and their unwavering belief that our job is to be obedient; God's job is to foster growth and results.
I am horrified and saddened by the new Britney Spears' song, "If You Seek Amy." I wonder if she just sits around thinking of new ways to be shocking and disgusting - she's a mom of 2 young boys - it makes me sad that she is so wrapped up in herself and keeping her image "trendy" and shocking. It must be exhausting to keep that up all of the time.
Speaking of music (if you can classify Britney Spears as music), I have found that people either LOVE or HATE the new Black Eyed Peas song. There's no in between.
It is summer in South Florida which means that pretty soon we will be able to tell that it is 3 PM without looking at a clock. When the thunder and lightning are simultaneous and you can't see past the hood of your car because of the sheet of rain in front of you, it's 3 PM. (As long as I am not driving in it, I love it!!!!)
My niece, Jordan, is the coolest girl in the whole world. She is graduating from K5 in 2 weeks and yes, I will definitely cry at her graduation.
I have recently been asked to lead the Care Ministry Team at WPCC and I could not be more excited!! I have so many ideas for our 1st meeting on May 31st, some of which involve the church's upcoming missions trip to Guatemala...more to come later!!
I am planning some BIG surprises for my hubby...more to come on that later, too!!!
I love re-connecting with long lost friends on Facebook, but it seems like everything I know about my long lost friends AND even my close friends is stuff that I have found out on Facebook and not from actually speaking to any of my people. It's kinda sad and really has challenged me to spend less time on Facebook and more time WITH my friends and family.
I just finished reading "Unlikely Angel" by Ashley Smith - the girl who was held hostage in her apartment just outside of Atlanta by an escaped prisoner and used "The Purpose Driven Life" to minister to him. Yes, I'm a little late - it happened a LONG time ago - but what an amazing story!! Check it out!!!
Colossians 2:18-19 (MSG); "Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as He nourishes us."

Nightmare!!

2009-05-08T12:04:00.002-04:00

I have very vivid and realistic dreams - so real that many times I will think that what happened in my dream is actually real and will go through an entire day believing what I dreamed to be true. I have also been known to talk, laugh, and even walk in my sleep. I once woke up at the top of the stairs in my townhouse - have no idea what I was doing or where I was going - I'm just glad I woke up when I did!!

Most of the time, I can explain why I had a dream about something - something that was said during the day or something that I saw - it's usually very logical. I have recurring dreams about being back at my old job (and wondering the ENTIRE time what in the world I am doing back there and trying so hard to get out and get away from the people there!), being back in college (usually something like I have a final for a class I forgot I signed up for), and having all of my teeth fall out (yeah, I have no idea where this one comes from).

As real and as "explain-able" as most of my dreams are, my nightmares are even more realistic, but usually not logical or rational. Most of the time, I wake up right before the really bad thing happens and I am able to go right back to sleep without any trouble. Unfortunately, the nightmare I had last night did not fall into this category...

I was dreaming that I was at a water park with some former students from student ministry (don't ask me why), and in my dream, I woke up and was in my room - so I thought I was really awake and had stopped dreaming. When I opened my eyes, there was a man standing over my bed (I am getting the creeps just typing this) and he was bent over and looking right into my face. I started screaming at the top of my lungs and threw myself over on John's side of the bed. By this time, I actually DID wake up, but didn't really have any distinction between waking up in the dream and waking up in real life. I was lying extremely close to John and couldn't move the lower part of my body. Poor John got up and was visibly shaken - apparently, everything EXCEPT for the man in my dream had been true and I scared the crap out of my poor husband (who not only had to get up at 5 AM to go and fly, but also sleeps with his gun close to the bed).

It took both of us a couple of hours to calm down enough to go back to sleep, and by the time we did, it was time to get up and go to the airport. Before we left, I asked John to check all of the rooms and closets just to be sure that it was a dream - and being the amazing hubby he is, he did just that!

I hate being scared (especially since I am alone so often) and I hate the feeling of something unknown having the power to control me and my emotions - and more importantly, having control over my sleep!!

So, are your dreams realistic or crazy?? Have you ever had an experience like mine??

Easter Is Coming!!

2009-03-30T13:27:00.003-04:00

Easter is right around the corner - hard to believe, right?? It seems like we just put all of the Christmas decorations away!! I love Easter!! It is the holiday that reminds us just how powerful our God is and to what lengths He went (and continues to go) in order to bring us back to Him. I love that it doesn't get as much hype and commercialization as Christmas - it really helps me to focus on exactly what happened on the Cross and then 3 days later at the empty tomb.

While Easter is the most reverent holiday that Christians celebrate, it is also celebrated by society with a focus on Easter eggs, Easter baskets, and Easter candy. While I love to celebrate what my Savior did for me by participating in Communion, observing Good Friday, and thanking God like crazy at the Easter celebration service, there is a smaller part of me that appreciates the good folks at Cadbury for choosing to make the most amazing candy ever for Easter - Cadbury Creme Eggs and Cadbury Mini Eggs!! Some people would even go so far as to say that Easter has the best candy of ANY holiday! Some people like Peeps (I hate marshmallows, so no Peeps for me!) and John REALLY likes the Reeses Peanut Butter Egg - he says it has the perfect ratio of peanut butter to chocolate - and then of course, there is the infamous Chocolate Bunny that begs the question, do you start with the ears or the tail?

Where are you celebrating Easter this year?? I'd love to invite you to celebrate with us at West Pines Community Church!! Just click the link for all of the information. It's going to be an amazing time of worship and celebrating what God has done - ALL of the focus will be on Him!

After you decide where you'll be celebrating, what Easter candy will you and your "peeps" be munching on????

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

2009-03-16T09:00:00.007-04:00

John and I are going to a wedding on Friday and I couldn't be more excited! I'm totally looking forward to seeing the bride and her family, who I have known since I was 8 and were an integral part of my life and my spiritual growth. There will be people there that I haven't seen in years as well as some of my dearest friends. Of course, it's also going to be a gorgeous and romantic event and I can't wait to see how the couple's personalities are reflected in the details of the wedding and both receptions.

My wedding day was the most incredible day of my life. I remember it like it was yesterday! I remember feeling so overwhelmed that there was this amazing guy standing in front of me who wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and then there were 300 people all around me who came out to support us and show us how much they loved us. I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life during our first dance, simply because I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for God's abundant blessings.

Recently, John and I have experienced some "bumps" in our marriage and while sharing these with a couple Christian girlfriends recently, I was amazed to find that I'm not alone in this. Although my friends and I love our husbands more than anything on earth and while we have all given our lives to Christ and are actively pursuing Him in every area of our lives, our marriages are not immune from experiencing problems. Last week, I picked up a book called Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas and have been amazed at the truths in it. Between the book and some amazing advice from an unbelievably sweet and caring Christian friend, I've come to realize that while I tend to point out all of the areas in which John can improve as a man and as a husband, I've REALLY missed the mark as a woman and as a wife. Instead of focusing on myself and the areas in which I need to improve, I've wasted all my time and energy focusing on the person I can't change, and he doesn't really deserve to be judged by his imperfect wife!

While praying about this last night, I had a thought that helped me to wrap my head around how I can change my focus, so I want to share it with you so that I can make more sense of it as I get it out in writing... I truly believe that we as girls really sabotage our marriage as soon as the engagement ring is put on our finger. How??? The wedding. How many weddings have you been to where it was all about the groom? How many reality shows are on TV that show Groom-zillas? How many magazines feature hundreds and hundreds of pages of tuxedos and cuff links and shiny black shoes? None, because we are told by everyone on earth that the wedding is all about the bride, and so we start planning for this day thinking that not only does this one amazing day revolve completely around us, but so does every day after the wedding. This amazing man who truly wants you to have a perfect wedding day (and who really doesn't care too much about the color of the flowers or the chair bows or whether or not the ribbon on the programs is thick enough) ends up being treated like a stagehand during the wedding planning and then after the wedding, this man who wants nothing more than to make you happy continues to be treated as a slave - someone whose only purpose is to keep you entertained, give you everything you want, not have too strong of an opinion about anything, and not argue when you ask for something - just like he was treated during the wedding planning. Now I am sure none of us would admit that we acted this way and maybe some of us gave our husbands a little more respect during the wedding planning, but I really believe that this theory still has some merit in most marriages.

I want my husband to know that no one respects him more than I do. I want him to be confident that I will follow him no matter where he asks me to go. I want him to never hesitate to share something with me out of fear of what my response will be. I want him to always choose me when there is a choice between being with me or doing something else, not out of obligation, but because he truly enjoys my company. I want him to be free to be himself and know that I am behind him, encouraging him to be exactly who God has created him to be. And I am sure that none of this will happen if I expect his whole world to revolve around me and my desires.

My prayer is that I will be so focused on my relationship with Christ and on my role as becoming a wife that treats her husband the way Jesus calls me to treat him that I can honestly say that I don't have the time or the energy or even the awareness to point out his shortcomings. I know it will be tempting to sneak a glance at what he could do better, but I know where that will take us, and I have no desire to live that way any longer!!! He gave me everything I asked for when we were planning our wedding - now it's my turn to bend to his desires as we share a life together!

Support Diabetes Research!

2009-03-09T12:43:00.003-04:00

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) is the largest research & support organization for helping to find a cure for Diabetes and helping support those who live with Diabetes on a daily basis. My dear friend, Melissa, was diagnosed on April 1, 1997 and has participated in their "Walk To Cure Diabetes" for many years! I am walking this year to show my support for my friend and my family members who have Diabetes.

If you would like to support my sweet friend, you can do so by signing up to walk OR by giving a small donation :)

(Information about the walk location)

http://walk.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=walk.walk&eventID=4583&chapterid=4132

(To donate and/or register to walk with ELSWICK TEAM ROCKS)

http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=87302530

Thanks for anything you can do!!

Chickens, Inspired By...Chickens!!

2009-03-08T15:35:00.005-04:00

When I saw "Kittens, Inspired By...Kittens!" I thought, "This is something my niece, Jordan, would do."

Well....

Great Quote

2009-03-02T14:04:00.002-05:00

"Great leadership is not about making decisions on your own; its about owning the decision once it's been made." - Andy Stanley

What's Happening in Our Neck of the Woods

2009-02-27T12:06:00.004-05:00

Life at the Orr house has been a little nuts lately - let me try to take you through what the past 2 weeks have been like for John and me...

2 weeks ago, my little girl Prissy laid her first egg. As crazy as this may sound and for those of you who know me well, it DOES sound a little crazy, but I was SO excited!! This was the primary selling point for us getting these 3 little pooping machines, and to finally have eggs is a really big deal at our house. These girls have done more than provide us with endless entertainment and fresh eggs everyday - as weird as it may sound, it's given John and I another common interest to talk about and enjoy. We love going outside and hanging out with the girls and I love giving John the daily update of what they've gotten into when he calls from his trips. I never thought that I'd be devoting this much time or energy to talking about chickens, but I guess anything is possible :)

On a side note, John's girl Georgia has also started laying - she had a nest hidden in our banana trees, and when John found it, there were over a dozen eggs stockpiled back there!! Of course, they were put in the trash - I'm not eating eggs that have been sitting outside for over a week!

For Valentine's Day, John and I were both in Atlanta and had a lovely dinner the night before at our favorite restaurant in Peachtree City, Georgia Shrimp Company. On the 14th, I was trying to fly home to Fort Lauderdale, but all of the flights were booked. Luckily, John was leaving that night on a 3-day trip that took him to Chicago, Orlando, Indianapolis, and had an overnight stop on Sunday night in FORT LAUDERDALE! All of his flights were open, so after a little shmoozing with the gate agent, I was booked on his flights for Saturday and Sunday and had the opportunity to watch him work. It was the first time I had been on a plane that he was flying - and it was so cool!!! I had to try really hard not to get cocky, (you all know what happened last time), but sitting in first class and "casually" mentioning to everyone around me that my husband was flying the plane was hard to resist!!

3 days after getting to fly around with John, I met him and his aunt's family at Disney for 3 days. The weather was perfect, the company was also perfect, and it was great to get some down time with my hubby. I came down with a killer cold the day before I left for DIsney, but it didn't stop me from having a great time!

Here's John with our super-cool Auntie Pam and cousin, Nat. We had such an amazing time - I can't wait to do it again!!!

My Valentine

2009-02-08T20:39:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day is this Saturday (hint, hint - you have a few days to make some incredible plans for the people you love) and I am looking forward to finding new ways this week to show John just how much I love him. I am pretty sure he always knows when I am frustrated or upset or in a bad mood, so I want to make extra sure he knows how much I love him this week.

In my humble opinion, John has it made on Valentine's Day. While most girls require a lot, I only ask for 2 things: 1) A card and 2) That we plan to go somewhere together and spend the day together. The card thing is a big deal - I love cards and, much to John's dismay, I spend about $30 a month on cards at the Hallmark store. When we were dating (and talking about getting married), John showed up at my house with a Valentine's Day card...it was the exact same card that my friend, Jenn, had given to me the year before. It said, "Valentine's Day is not just about romance..." Yeah, he started reading cards in the store before he bought them after that.

Our first married V-Day, we drew straws and I had to plan our day. We started the day with breakfast in bed, followed by lunch at the Harley store and an afternoon boat cruise on the Intercoastal. After the cruise, we grabbed ice cream on Las Olas and went home for an extra special home-cooked meal of steak and shrimp. Last year was John's turn, and I was sick as a dog!! Poor thing!! He made me a lovely dinner and cleaned the kitchen and took extra special care of me.

This year, we are going to be in Atlanta and my plan is to go to Stone Mountain - it is my favorite spot in Georgia!!!! I am still working on a couple of surprises for John - I have to go all out, not just because he is absolutely God's best for me, but because I have some serious competition!!!!

What do you have planned for Valentine's Day?? Whether you're single, dating, or married, it is a great opportunity to take a few minutes to show love to the people who mean the most to you! And if you're planning on buying a card, get to the Hallmark store tomorrow before all the good cards are gone!!!

Affirmation

2009-02-04T14:49:00.001-05:00

Recently I have made some tough choices - today I was extremely pleased to receive affirmation that these have been some extremely wise and beneficial choices. As I used to tell my girls, the right thing to do is RARELY the easy thing to do - but I am so, so, so glad that I chose correctly!!!!!

Sheridan House 5K

2009-01-23T08:56:00.003-05:00

FAMILY VALUES 5K Run/Walk
Stepping Out For Children & Families

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

8 AM - Event Check-In
9 AM - Shotgun Start

Sheridan House Family Ministries
1700 S. Flamingo Road • Davie, FL 33325

To participate or make a donation, please visit http://www.sheridanhouse.org/Content/SpecialEvents/Upcoming/five-k.aspx

If you would like to sign up to walk or run, you can do so at this web page. Your family is encouraged to join you.

John and I will be participating and are trying to raise $1,000 each for Sheridan House. If you would like to make a donation on our behalf, you can go to the web page above and type in either John Orr or Heather Orr at the top. We appreciate any amount you can contribute.

All proceeds will benefit Sheridan House Family Ministries.

“Honoring Christ by serving the needs of children and families.”

Random Thoughts

2009-01-16T14:29:00.004-05:00

Ever have so much on your mind that you just need to make a list to get it all out????

My sister, Michele, had her second baby on Wednesday - a boy!! His name is Jackson Charles Brewster and he is precious. Everyone in my family is hoping that this will make me want to have one sooner...not sure how I feel about that whole thing, but I know that John is jonesing to have one tomorrow!
John was in Atlanta for 10 days - the longest we have ever been apart - and surprised me by coming home early - I love that man! He has officially started back at Airtran and is on his first real flight this weekend. He has an overnight layover in Miami tonight - I lived in Miami for 25 years, but have never driven to the airport - I am a sissy!! Hoping to have some company for the ride down there tonight to pick up my sweet husband so he can sleep in his own bed tonight!
I stayed with my niece, Jordan, last night - she cracks me up!!! I hope our kids are as sweet and as smart as she is.
I am going to a dinner at Sheridan House tonight - really excited about it, but sad that once again, I have to go solo.
Did you know that if you register your Starbucks cards online your soy milk and syrups are on the house??? (I received over $100 worth for Christmas - do people know me or what???)
John's chicken, Georgia, thinks she is a daredevil and somehow manages to get up in the tallest tree in our backyard every night. I shouldn't care - she's a chicken - but it annoys me.
Speaking of annoyed, I was so annoyed last night and couldn't figure out why until I got to Char-Hut and inhaled a grilled chicken sandwich - oh yeah, I need to eat in order to stay happy - I forgot!
I hope I get paid today - I am supposed to get paid every other Friday - that has only happened once.
I have the greatest mother-in-law in the universe - seriously!
I was really mad that Love 94 is no longer in existence, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it - they play a lot of Stevie B :)
There was a plane crash in NYC yesterday - John said it was because of a bird strike - can you imagine??? Thankfully, no one was hurt - just plunged into the disgusting icy waters of the Hudson River - I guess it beats the alternative. It makes me think of Kramer swimming in the Hudson...

Fantastic Quote!!

2008-12-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney

Back to Blogging

2008-12-29T10:19:00.003-05:00

It has been a LONG time since I have felt like blogging - I've just had so much going on lately that I haven't even had time to process it all in my head, much less write it down for everyone to read!

First things first - JOHN IS GOING BACK TO AIRTRAN! Yes, we are shocked and pleasantly surprised by this turn of events!! He received his recall letter the first week of December and after taking a week to pray, seek out godly counsel, and talk to everyone he knows in aviation, he made the decision to go back. We do have to pay a large sum of money to his current company since he will be breaking his 2 year contract, but it is worth it to both of us. John has also made the decision to keep our address in South Florida and he is going to commute. Neither of us are sure how this is going to change things, but since over 70% of the AirTran pilots commute, I think that it won't be that big of a deal. John isn't looking forward to the extra flights, but I am not looking forward to him being gone longer either, so I guess we will both have to wait and see what happens. Our goal is to save, save, save so that we can move back to Georgia with a down payment - no more renting or moving, hopefully!!!

I am excited about 2009 and what God has in store for us. So many things have changed dramatically in the last 2 years - almost everything in our life is completely different than it was when we first got married, and while you would think that we would be miserable with all of the changes - 99% of which were NOT our choices - we are more content than we have ever been. I have learned a lot - more than I will ever be able to share on this blog - and I am looking forward to what lies ahead...

Deck the Halls With Buddy Holly

2008-11-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas music! I've had Love 94 on in the car for the past 2 weeks (24 hour Christmas music!!) and when I'm working at home, I have the digital cable set to the Christmas channel. Although we have yet to put up our decorations, the songs still put me in the Christmas spirit!!

The only thing that might surpass my love for Christmas music is my love for misheard Christmas lyrics!!! Here are a few that were taken from a fabulous book entitled, "Deck the Halls With Buddy Holly" by Gavin Edwards...

"Please bring us some friggin' pudding" - "Please bring us some figgy pudding" - We Wish You a Merry Christmas
"Oh come, hoggy faithful" - "Oh, come all ye faithful" - O Come All Ye Faithful
"In an eggshell stable" - "In excelsis Deo" - Angels We Have Heard On High
"While shepherds washed their socks by night" - "While shepherds watched their flocks by night" - While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
"O tanned and bound" - "O Tannenbaum" - O Tannenbaum
"Police have my dad" - "Feliz Navidad" - Feliz Navidad

Do you have any to add to this list???

On the Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave To Me...

2008-11-19T18:48:00.004-05:00

This is a tree in our backyard.

Upon closer inspection this afternoon, I found an early Christmas present inside/under this tree...

THREE FRENCH HENS!!!!

We should have gotten these girls ages ago...they are a constant source of entertainment!!!!

Congratulations!!!

2008-11-18T19:18:00.008-05:00

Congratulations to my amazing husband for passing his test - he is now a certified fire fighter in the state of Georgia and will hopefully be transferring his certificate to Florida so he can volunteer here. He worked SO hard and I am SO proud of him!!!!

Fantastic Week & Weekend!!

2008-11-09T20:45:00.004-05:00

We have just finished one of the best weeks/weekends we have had in a LONG time. This week was especially amazing because the majority of our time was spent serving in ministry as volunteers. As someone who was committed to full-time ministry for 15 years and expected to be serving in ministry full-time until the day I died, I was not prepared for the abundance of free time I experienced when I was let go from full-time ministry. While I firmly believe that being let go was the GREATEST gift God has ever given to me (next to John) and the time I have been able to spend focusing on my marriage and family has been a blessing I would not have traded for the world, there has still been a hunger in my soul to serve in ministry.

Now that I have had the chance to get my priorities in order (church does not equal God and will never come before my first ministry, which is to my family) and now that we are back in South Florida where the ministry connections never cease to amaze me, it seems that God has opened the floodgates and provided me with so many opportunities to serve in ministry. This week was spent serving at Sheridan House, hosting an accountability/prayer/encouragement group for high school girls, attending a celebration banquet for all that God is doing at Sheridan House, serving at a Parenting Seminar hosted by my church, visiting a ministry that serves foster parents and foster children, and serving on the media team this weekend at my church. Now, I am not telling you all of this so that you will think I am great - FAR from it! I'm sharing this with you because I am so excited to be reminded that God is STILL using me even though I am not on a church staff, and that even though I am a big screw up and have so many dysfunctions and hang ups and hurts, God still allows me to serve Him and sends me opportunities that excite me, thrill me, and renew my passion for Him.

I have to tell you that the majority of the weekend was spent focusing on children and families and a couple of local ministries that do a fantastic job of bringing Christ's love and hope to these families. Sheridan House is an amazing family ministry that has hundreds of resources for all types of families. They minister primarily to kids & teenagers and single moms. They also provide family and marriage counseling and do a phenomenal job of showering every person that comes through their doors with love and grace. Take a minute and check out their website - there are several ways you can be involved in what they are doing and every one of us can benefit from their resources.

Barnyard Blessings is another amazing ministry that provides resources to foster parents and foster children. Based in Cooper City, it was founded by the most amazing couple I have ever met in my life and their love for foster children is absolutely contagious. They are always in need of kid's and young adult clothing, furniture, and toy donations and will even come pick up your furniture donations. Please check out their website, too - you can even schedule a time to visit the Barn and hear their amazing stories of how God has taken their dream and turned it into an amazing reality.

One last thing...this has been the busiest week/weekend we have had in a LONG time, but I am more energized and excited than I have been in a LONG time. Especially as the holidays approach, I hope that you'll consider taking some time to serve someone - even if it's just holding the door for someone or giving someone a little bit of grace - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in YOU :)

The Snuggie!

2008-11-06T08:49:00.004-05:00

Okay, I know it probably seems like I do nothing but sit around and watch informercials, but I saw this yesterday and had to share it!!!!

"The Snuggie" is a blanket that you wear - that's right - complete with sleeves and a hood, it's a blanket and cult robe all in one!!! The commercial seems like an SNL spoof commercial - check it out!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xZp-GLMMJ0

Pedi-Egg

2008-11-03T08:23:00.002-05:00

Have you seen the infomercial for the Pedi-Egg?? It is the most disgusting commercial I have ever seen in my life!!! As someone who thinks that feet are pretty gross anyways, it's very disturbing to have to look at someone's foot crumbles being dumped out of a little egg lined with razor blades. And it's even more stomach-turning if you happen to be eating ANYTHING when this ad is shown.

Letters to the Next President

2008-10-30T11:25:00.003-04:00

In the midst of all of the transition and change in our life, we have been closely following the upcoming presidential election. We've already sent in our votes to Georgia via absentee ballot and have been praying consistently for the results. Am I worried? Trying not to be. Am I concerned? You bet!!!

This morning I went for a long walk and listened to a podcast of Andy Stanley's series, Letters to the Next President. You can watch all 3 parts here. The individual teachings are entitled Heaven Rules, Beyond Approval Ratings, and Once Upon a Time in the Middle East. What was interesting to me was that my focus when I pushed play was on the election, but by the time the teaching was over, I was focused on how the teaching applied to my life and to the lives of so many people that I know and love. If you have any kind of leadership position at all - leading a family, a business, an organization, a church, or a class - then you should really check out this series. Not only did it help me to put some perspective on my own life, but it also gave me a new way to pray for the outcome of the election. I hope you will take the time to check it out!

When it Rains, It POURS!!!

2008-10-20T09:05:00.002-04:00

I am not even sure where to begin, but needless to say, John and I are EXTREMELY blessed. In the past 2 weeks, we have been given an amazing house at an even more amazingly low price that we are moving into TOMORROW, I have accepted a job that is so unbelievably perfect for me that also allowed me the opportunity to go to Chicago for 4 days for training last week, we have received countless gifts and blessings from our family through this whole transition -including the tremendous gift of rent-free living - AND we have found a church that has totally embraced us and provided us with love, support, encouragement, and friendships that seem like we have had them for much longer than we actually have. I still don't know what God has planned for us in Florida, but I am confident that it is something incredible. Yes, I still miss Georgia and yes, I still want to go back someday, but I am blown away at the lengths God has gone to in order to show stupid, selfish, bratty me that He has a great plan for me, even when it is hard for me to see it.

Fireproof

2008-10-09T11:43:00.007-04:00

This past weekend, my in-laws took John and me to see the new movie, Fireproof. Honestly, John and I did not have any expectations walking into the theater. We were just happy to be spending some time together with his parents and happy to be getting out and doing something. Having seen Facing the Giants, we both knew that the acting would be like watching a high school play, Kirk Cameron would be the only actor that we recognized, and all of the Christians in the movie would be over the age of 65 - but still, we grabbed movie snacks, got all comfy cozy in our seats, and prepared to mock the movie.

Well, there were a few moments that John and I made comments under our breath and made up our own script, but I have to admit that about halfway through, I was really into the movie. Yes, the acting was a little bit cheesy and no, we didn't know any of the actors, and yes, most of the Christians in the movie were knocking on Heaven's door, BUT...the story and message of the movie completely made up for all of that.

I'm not going to go into the storyline, but I walked out of the theater with a very thankful heart for the husband that God has blessed me with and a huge burden for those whose marriages are struggling. After the movie, John and I went to Ikea and then out to dinner and during dinner, we started talking about the movie and our marriage and what goals and dreams we have. One of my goals is to set aside one night a week to watch or listen to a teaching and then talk about it. I also want to continue to read as many books as I can on strengthening our marriage. In the movie, the main character is given a book to go through for 40 days. While walking through Barnes and Noble today, I saw that same book on the shelf and thought about buying it. As I looked at it, there was a part of me that said, "Things aren't bad - you don't need this book." But the longer I stood there, another part of me reminded me that marriages are fragile and we should be doing all that we can to improve them so that they can reach their full potential and not just get by.

So yes, I bought the book (The Love Dare) and am really looking forward to being challenged by it. If you haven't seen the movie, go see it and know that while it won't be winning any Oscars this year, it will be worth your time and money.

Hippie Chicks

2008-10-07T21:49:00.003-04:00

As promised, here are some pictures of "the girls."

Georgia, Sheryl, and Prissy

Tornado

2008-10-05T16:51:00.006-04:00

Ever since we have moved back to Florida, I have found that I am dealing with many of the same emotions I was experiencing right before we left. There was a lot of hurt that took place here and now that we are back, so is the hurt. It seems to be lurking in the most unusual places! I have talked to trusted friends for godly counsel, prayed just about every minute, and tried everything I know to keep forgiving and not let my heart become hard and bitter. It is not easy, but day by day it seems to be getting better. Yes, being 800 miles away from the places and people made it a lot easier to let go of that pain and move on with life, but now that we are back, I find that I am being sucked back into the past and it is a place that I definitely do NOT want to return!! I feel like I have moved on, but it seems like there is a force that is trying to bring me back down and I am determined to fight it!!

I know that I have written about this before, but I think that it is a lesson that you have to keep learning as you go through life. It is never easy to forgive, and there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means. For a while, I thought that I needed to mend all of my broken relationships and forget every hurt and offense, but I quickly realized that sometimes pain can be a warning - once you have been burned by a hot iron, you learn to be extra careful and do everything you can to keep from touching it again - and in the same way, when you have been hurt over and over and over again by the same people, I think it is wise to guard your heart and move on - remember the good times and continue to pray for them, but then move on! Most of all, I try to remember how much God has forgiven (and continues to forgive) me and I ask Him to use all of this pain and hurt to teach me how to live my life for Him and for Him to use it to change me and to make me into the person He has created me to be. Part of my journey of forgiveness is forgetting the lies and holding on to His truth - and the pain is not nearly as strong as His love and truth!!

When we moved to Georgia, I would play this song over and over again to remind myself of how destructive it is to hold on to offenses and to allow bitterness to rule in your life. I find myself playing it a lot more these days...I hope it encourages you to fight against the destruction that unforgiveness can unleash in your life.

Tornado by Sara Groves

You live your life like a tornado
Destruction follows everywhere you go
And you have no plans to stop or slow

I will not let this bitter root grow in me
I will not let you leave that legacy
But it gets so hard when pain is all I see

And every time I find healing, you're making a new mess
And I am learning the real meaning of forgiveness...

And I tried to remove myself from your path
But I keep waking up in the aftermath
So I pick up again and say I won't look back

I will not let that bitter root grow in me
And I will not let you leave that legacy
But this constant fight is breaking me

And every time I find healing, you're making a new mess
And I am learning the real meaning of forgiveness...

And it hurts when you hit at the hearts of the ones I love
When everything you touch is rubble and dust
And it gets so hard to know how to trust...

But I will not let that bitter root grow
I will not let it, no no
But it gets so hard oh...

And every time I find healing, you're making a new mess
And I am learning the real meaning of forgiveness
And I could move and never send you a forwarding address
Or I could learn the real meaning of forgiveness...

Chicks, Man

2008-09-30T22:27:00.004-04:00

John and I are going to be moving into a house in Cooper City at the end of the month - yes, we are totally excited! When we first went to look at the house, the lady who lives there told us that she had pet chickens. Yes, chickens - as in Kentucky Fried, Cluckin', Rotisserie, etc. She took us out to her ENORMOUS backyard and in one corner of the yard was a little henhouse and when she called, 2 chickens came running towards her. It was unbelievable! She said that she had a friend who had them and raised them for their eggs (2 a day!). They required so little care and were so inexpensive that she decided to get a couple of her own. They stay outside, are not nearly as dirty as you would expect, and are extremely quiet. She treats them like pets and they provide her with fresh eggs - I'd like to see a cat try that one!!

So of course, John (being the redneck that he is) decided right then and there that since the yard was already set up for chickens that we should have them, too! The thought of having farm fresh eggs totally appealed to me and with the understanding that he would do all of the dirty work, I joyfully agreed to the idea.

Unfortunately, John was born without an ounce of patience so while I was in Tampa this weekend, he went out and bought 2 chicks. When I came home, he took me to pick one out for myself and now we are the proud owners of 3 chicks - Prissy, Sheryl, and Georgia - and John and I are obsessed!! John built a tiny mansion for them yesterday out on my sister's back patio and we are constantly checking on "the girls." Everyone we have told has looked at us like we are insane, but we think it is great! I would have loved to have waited until we were in our house, but I'm not complaining.

Pictures of the girls are coming soon...

My Husband, the Romantic

2008-09-21T08:20:00.003-04:00

This was a real conversation that John and I had in the car yesterday driving from a friend's wedding to the reception...

Me: "That was a gorgeous wedding! I just love weddings!"

John: "Yeah, me, too. It's like a free expensive date."

Only in Georgia...

2008-09-14T12:00:00.003-04:00

We passed this SUV on our drive down from Georgia to Florida...I miss living in Georgia!

Back In Florida

2008-09-04T10:26:00.003-04:00

I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Pembroke Pines drinking my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of 2008 while I wait to have lunch with a friend. I needed to get some stuff done (paying bills, catching up on email, working on our budget, and updating my resume) and I figured this was as good a place as any. There is a cowboy-looking guy in the corner on his laptop, 2 suits in another corner who look like they are playing Battleship with their dual tiny laptops, a guy and a girl discussing religion (very interesting!) and an annoying beeping sound that no one behind the counter seems to be hearing. Yes, I think I could do this everyday if I could only find someone to pay me to do it!

It has been a very strange week. We had some family from GA come down to FL with us and they left this morning. We've been going out to eat and going to get facials and pedicures and spending lots of time visiting with family, so it has really felt like we have been here for a visit and will be heading back to Peachtree City any moment...but we're not. We've looked at a few houses and will continue our search this weekend, which is extremely ironic since this was the weekend that we had planned on moving into our new house in GA. I've had one interview that didn't go the way I had hoped it would, but it encouraged me just the same. Yes, it has been a strange week and the Pumpkin Spice Latte magic doesn't seem to be doing anything to improve things besides increasing my craving for another one...

Thankfully, things are not as "gloom and doom" as they have been over the past 2 weeks. John has a job - a very good job - at a time when there are over 10,000 pilots in America looking for flying jobs. Yes, we are blessed. We are living with my sister and her husband and our niece who all seem to be as happy to have us living there as we are thankful to be living there. We have family here that loves us and spoils us more than anyone ever has - we are blessed. We have a handful of friends who have kept in touch with us despite weirdness and distance who are now within driving distance and anxious to see us again. We have the hope that in 2 years, we will be back in GA with lots of wisdom and maturity.

Things could be a lot worse - God has been showing me that in so many ways over the past week. Despite the rotten history and memories that seem to be hidden in certain spots all around Fort Lauderdale, it is nice to be in the place that I called home for 99% of my life. So many things have changed - including me - and I hope that I don't miss out on the changes that still need to be made in me. I'm excited to see where God is going to lead us and what He has in store for us here!

Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy

2008-08-19T13:00:00.005-04:00

While packing up the house yesterday, I came across one of my favorite books. It's called "Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy" and it is chock full of misheard lyrics to popular songs. Taken from the song, "Purple Haze" by Jimmi Hendrix ("excuse me while I kiss the sky"), the book contains hundreds of hilarious lines that people have mistaken for the actual lyrics to songs. Here are a few of my favorites that don't contain swears:

Misheard: "Cinnamon Gum" / Real Lyrics: "Should'a been gone" -- "Oh Sherry" by Steve Perry
Misheard: "The Cuervo Gold, The pinecones rush in and make tonight a wonderful thing" / Real Lyrics: "The Curevo God, That fine Columbian, make tonight a wonderful thing" -- "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan
Misheard: "She sees the hat and is she gonna touch it?" / Real Lyrics: "She seems to have an invisible touch, yeah" -- "Invisible Touch" by Genesis
Misheard: "Four hundred children and a box of oatmeal" / Real Lyrics: "Four hungry children and a crop in the field" -- "Lucille" by Kenny Rogers
Misheard: "Let's pee in the corner, Let's pee in the spotlight" / Real Lyrics: "That's me in the corner, That's me in the spotlight" -- "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M
Misheard: "Kick a chicken with it" / Real Lyrics: "Getting jiggy with it" -- "Getting Jiggy With It" by Will Smith
Misheard: "Hold me closer Tony Danza" / Real Lyrics: "Hold me closer, tiny dancer" -- "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John

These are just a few of my favorites!! Do you have any to add to this list???

The Past 36 Hours

2008-08-17T13:27:00.002-04:00

I have spent the past 36 hours lying in bed in the fetal position. No, I have not finally gone insane - I have been dealing with another IBS attack. My stomach started hurting earlier in the week with John's announcement and quickly progessed into a full blown attack with the planning of the move (8 days until we leave), wrapping things up at my job, crying hysterically for 2 days (too long to even try to begin to explain), and finally surrendering to the plans that God has for us. It literally felt like Freddie Krueger was trying to claw his way out of my insides - I have never felt pain like that before and I am not looking forward to feeling that way again any time soon. Thankfully, I was able to stay in bed all day yesterday and all night last night. After sleeping a lot and taking a really good pain pill, I feel much better today, physically. Mentally, however, I am trying to pace myself to only think about what I have to do today and not what needs to be done over the next 2 weeks. I want everything done now and I have to remind myself that I only have one week left to spend with my friends and family here. I need to make sure that I use my time wisely and don't waste it watching the Olympics or Gilmore Girls re-runs in an effort to put off the inevitable. We are moving back to Florida. Even as I type that, it still hasn't sunken in. Yes, there are a lot of positive things about going back, but it's the "going back" part that has my head spinning. I am a "moving forward" person - hence the name of my blog - and going backwards seems equal to giving up, losing, failing, and missing it somehow. I know that there is a reason for this and I know that God is going to blow our minds with what He has waiting for us in Florida - but in the meantime, I am confused, frustrated, disappointed, and somehow clinging to the truth that this life is not all that there is and that He knows what He is doing.

Please pray for my health to stay extra-strong over the next 2-3 weeks. Please pray for John and I to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on our circumstances. And lastly, please pray for us to learn the lessons we need to learn from this - I would hate to go through all of this only to come out of it exactly the same.

Our A-Mazing Small Group

2008-08-14T11:18:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday, we had our final small group gathering. I had no idea when we joined this group last September that these people would not only become great friends, but would also be the support and encouragement that would get us through this past year. With 2 other pilot couples in the group, it was so awesome to have other people around us who totally understood all of the issues that pilot couples face. John and I both feel like we have known these couples forever and are really going to miss each of them.

This is Monee and Dru. Monee has had all kinds of health problems and many of them reared their ugly heads this year. She is the most giving person I have ever met in my life! She is so much fun to be around and I am going to miss eating giant bags of peanut M & M's with her! Dru is expecting her 3rd child and is the textbook definition of the perfect mom. She is incredibly hilarious and has an amazing story of how God transformed her life. She works with the Middle School girls at Southside and does a fantastic job.

This is Daniel and Monee. They are both pilots and John and I bonded with them at the very beginning of our group. Daniel works for the FAA and thanks God every day for his job. Because of his job, Monee can no longer pursue aviation as a career, so she is back in school to get her MBA. You have never met anyone with as much ambition as this girl! Daniel also volunteers at the Peachtree City Fire Department and has really been a huge encouragement to John.

This is Jenn and Dan - our leaders. Jenn just took her test to become a Pilates instructor and is very passionate about health and fitness. She is also a great mom to their one-year-old, Karina. Dan works for GA Pacific and has had a very successful year. They have also faced some family health issues this year that have not been easy. John and I have had the privilege of apprenticing under Dan and Jenn and are really going to miss them.

This is Dru and Travis. Travis was a pilot for Turner (yes, as in Ted) and recently left there to work at Flight Safety. Their 2 kids - Caitlin and Logan - are the most adorable kids on the planet! Although these guys are much younger than us, we have learned so much from them.

Although it is hard to leave our families up here, it is equally hard to leave these friends who have become our extended family. We are completely convinced that life was intended to be lived out in community and we are so incredibly thankful for this community we found at Southside.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

2008-08-11T12:46:00.001-04:00

The list of the pilots being furloughed that came out on Thursday was not the official list. Yeah, I know - it makes no sense at all!! The REAL list came out today at 5 PM. Since John was the very 1st name on the list, there was a chance that he could be safe.

Well, at 5 PM, the same list that was released on Thursday came out again - and yes, John's name was still on it - so we have our final answer - we are moving back to Florida on August 26th! Not sure what God has in store for us, but we are confident that He has something incredible planned for us both.

Please continue to pray for us as we go through the very stressful process of moving in the next 2 weeks. And please keep John in your prayers as he deals with all of this and goes back to flying internationally. I am so proud of him and the way he has handled all of this.

News

2008-08-07T18:38:00.001-04:00

John just called me from the airport to let me know that he is being furloughed from AirTran. This means that he is being laid off, but can be called back to work if and when they decide to hire more pilots. We have decided that John is going to go back to work for Florida West (the company he used to fly for in Miami) and we are moving back to South Florida in the next 3 to 4 weeks. He has to sign a 2 year contract with Florida West, so if he is called back to AirTran during the next 2 years, he will not be able to take his position back at AirTran. This was not an easy decision, but we feel that this is the best decision for our family at this time.

As you can imagine, we have a lot to do in the next few weeks! We need to get packed up, finish up our jobs here, find a place to live in FL, I need to find a job, and we need to make the very dreaded drive back to FL. We are CONFIDENT that God has great things in store for us in spite of the mixed emotions we are experiencing. We are so sad to leave our friends, family, church, and the place we have come to call home, but we are so thankful that John has the opportunity to go back to a great job. The timing could not be more perfect and we are positive that God is in control.

Please keep John in your thoughts and prayers - he is pretty discouraged and upset, but is very thankful that unlike some of the pilots losing their jobs, he has another flying job waiting for him. Please keep us both in your thoughts and prayers as we once again make a big move. There is a bright side to all of this news - we will get to keep our flying benefits as long as he is furloughed, so we will be coming back to Atlanta to visit as often as we can!!

Thanks for all of your prayers, phone calls, get togethers, and emails over the past few weeks - we love all of you very much!!!!

New House Pictures

2008-08-03T21:12:00.004-04:00

Even though we still don't know if we are moving into "our" house or not, the house has actually been an ironic distraction from the waiting game. Watching each piece come together has been so exciting, especially since we chose all of the pieces! There's always the fear that what you picked is going to be hideous, but so far we have been amazed at how well it all is coming together. If we never get to live in it, we have still have had so much fun watching the whole process from start to (almost) finish.

Here are the most recent pictures of the house:

Painting the outside

The kitchen!

The stairs with the foyer in the background

The master bathroom

The master bedroom

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us! We should know this week what is happening at AirTran. Either way, we are ready for whatever God has planned!!

How Starbucks Saved My Life

2008-08-02T21:13:00.011-04:00

I am a huge nerd - my husband reminds me of that every other Tuesday when I drag him with me to the library. I always have and probably always will love to read. When I was little, my mom would take us to the mall just about every Saturday. I would always find a book at the bookstore and would usually have the entire thing read by the time we got home. My mom was impressed, but made me re-read that same book over and over again until our next trip to the mall.

As I grew up, I spent loads of money at Barnes & Noble, Lifeway, and Family Christian on books. I have Rubbermaid boxes full of books even after lending out (which I guess turned in to giving out) over half of my collection over the years.

Luckily for John, Peachtree City has a great library system that is just down the street from our house. They have a pretty decent selection of books - including up to date Christian books - and I look forward to searching through the aisles of books every other week.

Last week, after we saw Batman, John was kind enough to remember that it was time for my bi-weekly trip to the library. As soon as we walked in, I was drawn to a book on the "New to the Library" shelf. It was called "How Starbucks Saved My Life." I started reading it that night and wanted to spend all of my free time reading it - and here is why...

If you view Starbucks as a part of your life - meaning that you have memories connected to your time spent there or even a drink that you indulged in - then you will totally love this book. I don't want to give the whole story away, but for those of us who know the difference between coffee and Starbucks Coffee, this book explains all of the reasons why Starbucks is not just another coffee shop. If you are a reader and a lover of exceptional writing, then you should pick up a copy of this book. Be warned - there are a few swears in the book - but they do not add to nor will they take away from your experience.

Batman!

2008-07-30T18:58:00.004-04:00

Yesterday John and I went to see The Dark Knight. It was VERY intense, VERY dark, and VERY good. At one point, John and I thought the movie was over, and then it practically started all over again! I had to cover my eyes a bunch (I am such a sissy!) but I really did enjoy it.

It was so sad to watch Heath Ledger - I'm not sure that anyone else could have played that role as well as he did and I don't think that all of the hype about his performance is at all related to his death. It was incredible.

On a lighter note, was anyone else completely ANNOYED by the Batman voice?? Does he smoke 10 packs of cigarettes when he puts on that costume or is the mask supposed to be like a Darth Vader thing???

Turdle the Turtle

2008-07-26T22:03:00.003-04:00

John was walking across our "backyard" out to the parking lot when he saw something moving in the grass. Upon closer inspection, he found this turtle eating dog turds - hence the name, Turdle!!!

Mamma Mia

2008-07-25T09:22:00.003-04:00

I went to see Mamma Mia last night with two of my friends from our small group. They had seen the musical at the Fox Theater and had talked so much about it that we all decided to go see the movie together. All in all, I thought it was a really great movie, but there were a couple of things that will probably haunt me for the rest of my life...

Pierce Brosnan singing. Yes, everything you have heard is true - he should stick with the Bond movies and stay away from the microphone.
Colin Firth (who is one of my favorite actors) playing a role that made me NOT want to watch him!
A little ABBA goes a LOOONNNNGG way! I'll probably be singing Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! for the next 3 days!!
And finally, the image that has been burned into my brain is...Meryl Streep singing "Dancing Queen" with 100 Greek women behind her while playing AIR GUITAR!!!!! Horrible!!!!!

If you've seen the movie, what did you think???

The Saga Continues

2008-07-22T09:41:00.005-04:00

Yesterday John received an email from the Pilot Union saying that they had met with AirTran last week about the possible furloughs. It was a long email that basically talked in circles, but from what John and I read, it all comes down to this...

The union and the company have been in contract negotiations for quite some time now, and since the company now has this furlough card to play, they are using it to their advantage. In their current contract, it states that if there ever needs to be furloughs, the company has to terminate the 14 retired pilots who currently work in the training department. The company has been trying to get the union to agree to look past this part of the contract and allow them to keep the 14 retired guys and furlough 180 pilots. Confused??? Yeah - we are, too!! How much sense does it make to lose 180 guys for 14???? Let me try to explain...

If they get rid of the 14 retired guys, then they have to pull in 14 current pilots to take their places. They also have to spend the money to train them to work in the training department PLUS they have to continue to pay them their current salary (as opposed to the meager salary they are paying the 14 retired guys) and upgrade 14 other pilots to fill the spaces left by the pilots who were sent to the training center....so...

The union really only cares about getting a good contract and the company only cares about managing their money, so they are both using the pilots to get what they want. Now they are talking about FIRING all of the probationary pilots (yes, this includes John) so this whole thing can go down in so many different ways - none of which sound particularly appealing.

Right now, John is applying to a few aviation jobs that would allow us to stay in GA and keep the house we are building. If none of those work out, then we are considering moving back to South Florida where he has been offered a job at his former airline. Please pray for us to have wisdom beyond our years, peace that is overwhelming, and faith that God has a fantastic plan for our lives. We trust Him and know that He is going to do more than we could ever dream!!!

Time To Make the Donuts

2008-07-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

To celebrate not having any cavities last week and to take John's mind off of AirTran, we decided to make donuts last night. John is a self-proclaimed donut King and would seriously love to open a donut shop one day.

Here is what John's set up looked like...

And here are some of our creations - Chocolate and Peanut Butter (John's favorite combo) and Chocolate with Toasted Almonds (my personal favorite).

We also made one jelly-filled donut and topped it with peanut butter. Here is a picture of John enjoying his creation.

It turned out to be a lot of fun and John actually laughed and smiled for the hour it took us to make the donuts. Besides the fact that our apartment now smells like the Youth Fair, it was totally worth it!!

Anybody know what to do with the old donut oil???

The Dentist

2008-07-17T21:48:00.003-04:00

This week, John and I had our 6 month cleanings at the dentist. We LOVE our dentist up here, but we both HATE going to the dentist, so we try to schedule our appointments together so that neither one of us chickens out and "forgets" to go.

One of the reasons that I was dreading my appointment was that I know that I need to have my wisdom teeth taken out and I am absolutely terrified. I had some pretty extensive oral surgery when I was 19 and it left a huge impression on the pain portion of my brain. Suffice it to say that there was kicking involved when the dentist removed my stitches :) Thankfully, our new dentist totally understands my fear and has recommended me to an oral surgeon who will knock me out for the procedure and she promises that I won't feel or remember anything. I'm still terrified, though...

After my cleaning, (which is the best discomfort of all time - disgusting scraping followed by nauseating gritty polish in order to produce a mouth that you never want to use for eating again so that it will stay all clean until your next visit) I was given 2 products...

The first was Listerine Tooth Defense Mouthwash. Imagine washing your mouth out with lighter fluid mixed with Tabasco mixed with squirrel urine - yes, it IS that bad, but if it means that I can keep my teeth for a very long time, I will swish the nasty stuff 3 times a day.

The second was the Reach Access Flosser. Now according to my brother-in-law, Bryan, floss is something that was made up by dentists and pharmaceutical companies that would destroy your gums so that you would be forced to go to the dentist who would recommend that you floss which would make the cycle go round and round. I, on the other hand, believe that flossing is fabulous and will probably end up with huge gaps between my teeth because I am totally addicted to this flosser! I have been flossing like 3 or 4 times a day!! If you struggle with flossing, I highly recommend this little contraption - you'll get hooked!!

Any advice on the wisdom teeth??? Please, no horror stories!

House Warming

2008-07-14T08:53:00.007-04:00

John and I are in the process of building our first home with the furloughs at AirTran looming in the distance. Whether or not we end up moving into the house, we want to make sure that we are putting God's will for our lives above our own dreams and plans. One of the ways that we are putting our faith into action is by giving God this house. We are confident that God has a plan for us and whether or not it includes this house, we want to trust Him to do what is best and to be positive that He is in control. We want to give up our hold on this house and not let it control us or our decisions. The best way we know how to do this is to give it over to God through prayer. So....

Last week we invited friends and family to stop by the house and write a prayer or Bible verse or whatever God laid on their heart onto the foundation or the framing of the interior of the house. We also asked them to pray for the people working on the house, for all of the circumstances concerning the house and our plans to move into it in the Fall, for John's job situation, and for whoever ends up living in the house. For those who live far away from us, we asked them to send their verse or prayer to us and we would write it in the house.

Needless to say, we were BLOWN AWAY by the response and could not believe how amazing our friends and family are. Here are a few pictures of some of the things that were written...

As soon as I walked into the house and saw all of these promises, I burst into tears! I sat on the stairs in silence for about an hour. I am blown away by all of the amazing things God has done for John and me and I feel so unworthy to have His love and grace poured so freely upon our lives. No matter what happens with this house, I know that God is in control. John and I are convinced that we are going to stand back in awe as we watch God take this situation and use it for His glory. We are looking forward to watching Him work in ways we never could have imagined!

Moving...again

2008-07-12T15:27:00.008-04:00

My family and I lived in the house I grew up in for 20+ years. When I met John, I only had memories of 2 moves - both of which took place when I was an adult. John, on the other hand, has moved over 10 times in the last 3 years. In the almost 2 years that we have been married, we have moved two and a half times (trust me - it was two and a half!) While he sees moving as just a part of life, I see it as a MAJOR event.

Our lease will soon be up in our bug-ridden, leak-prone, overweight-stomping-neighbors-upstairs, management-couldn't-care-less apartment. Honestly, it hasn't been all that bad, but we are ready to be done with apartment living and get back into a real house. Even though we are not sure where we will be going (the theme of our lives!) we are sure that we need to start packing up and preparing for another change of address.

There are a few things about moving that I love and a few that I could live without...let's start with the cons...

CONS

Re-learning what switch goes to what light
Packing the kitchen without Peggy Nations!! She is the best kitchen-packer ever!!
The packing tape - it sticks to everything (including itself) but refuses to adhere to the box!
Not being able to find anything for a week - no mater how well you label the boxes
Filling out those change of address forms
Losing things in the moving process - John lost a pair of Abercrombie jeans when we moved to GA...it happens with the strangest items!

And now for the positive side!

PROS

A change of environment - I love new places - whether it is a hotel room or a shopping plaza I have never explored - I love going somewhere I have never been before!
Cleaning out! John can tell you that I am constantly throwing things away - I hate clutter! A move gives you the incentive you need to finally throw out that old prom "wine" glass from 1992!
Every house has something really cool in it - it could be a huge tree in the backyard, an amazing kitchen, a balcony, courtyard, or in our case...A GARAGE!!!!!! There's always one thing that you are really excited to show people when they come to see your new place!
Finding things you thought were lost from the last time you moved! Maybe we will find those jeans...
And now, for the #1 thing I love most about moving...finding things that the previous owner left behind!! So far, the best thing I have ever found was a coffee mug that says (in really fancy letters) "Way to Go, Sh**head!" I found it in the townhouse I rented from a couple in our church - priceless. To this day, John and I take turns hiding it in different spots where the other one will find it. It has brought us endless joy!

What do you love/despise about moving???

Bambi vs. Police Cruiser

2008-06-22T13:10:00.003-04:00

There are tons of deer crossing signs all over Georgia and here in Peachtree City, we have more than our fair share of deer. Being from South Florida, I am fascinated by the little Bambis and have been known to pull over to the side of the road to watch them eat on the golf course. I've seen them walking down the side of the road, crossing through the parking lot at Publix, walking across a residential street, and ironically, laying dead directly underneath a deer crossing sign - no joke!

Today was definitely my most disturbing encounter with a deer since we moved to Georgia. I pulled into the church parking lot at Southside and noticed something laying on the ground across from my car. As I got out of the car, I saw that it was a deer, bleeding pretty badly from the head and lying dead in one of the visitor parking spaces. (insert your witty line here about the deer dying to come to church!)

I walked into Waumba Land (our preschool ministry) and found one of the pastors and asked him if he knew there was a dead deer in the parking lot. He explained that the policeman who directs our Sunday morning traffic was sitting in his police cruiser, drinking his coffee while waiting for his traffic shift to start. Suddenly, a deer ran out of the woods and directly into the side of his parked cruiser. It shattered his rear windshield and rear passenger window and left a pretty huge dent. (By the way, this is one of my biggest fears about living here - yes, I love Bambi, but I love my car even more!) He said the deer was hurt, but ran back into the woods before the officer could get out of the car. "Well," I said, "the deer ended up in one of our parking spaces." He and some of the parking team guys immediately went out to cover the poor animal and take it away before any of the preschoolers saw it.

Our preschool director told us that her husband hit a deer once, pulled over on to the side of the road, put the deer's head in his lap, and petted it until it died...I had a bird fly into the front of my car once (as in the front bumper) and I went home and cried about it for an hour.

Ever have a vehicular encounter with any of our animal friends???

Faith

2008-06-20T18:59:00.002-04:00

"The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd." - Hebrews 11:1 & 2

John received an email from AirTran officials yesterday that said that there may be furloughs (layoffs) in September due to the rising costs of fuel and the strain it is putting on the economy. There are a variety of possible scenarios, none of which sound particularly appealing, but we are confident that God not only knows what the future holds, but that this was not a surprise to Him at all and He has a plan for all of this.

Yes, we are a little nervous, especially with a house being built and the financing dependent on John having his current income. Yes, we are doing everything we can to prepare for what may happen if John does in fact lose his job. And yes, the words "worried," "stressed," and "freaking out" have escaped our lips a few times over the past 24 hours. BUT...we serve a God Who is faithful and we are confident that this will be added to His perfect record of saving the day in a way that we never could have imagined.

Please keep John in your prayers - he LOVES his job and has been so excited about the house and completing his first year at AirTran that this has really knocked him off of his feet. I know that He has faith that God will provide, but like most men, he wants to do all that he can to take care of our family and he wants to be successful in his career. Please pray that we will make wise decisions and that if we need to hold off on the house that God will make it clear before we get to the point of no return.

I have complete faith in God - He has seen us through so many other things, I have no doubts that He will save the day!

We Have a Skeleton!

2008-06-20T18:46:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of the "bones" of our house!!

Less Like Scars

2008-06-17T13:00:00.005-04:00

No other song more accurately describes the last 2 years of my life better than this one! Praise God for His healing, His timing, and His passionate desire to mold us into the image of Christ!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9RDNuUz7Sk

Less Like Scars by Sara Groves
It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel You here
And You're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But You are able
And in Your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel You here
And You're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But You are able
And in Your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

Just a little while ago
I couldn't feel the power or the hope
I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing
Just a little while back
I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping
You would come

And I need You
And I want You here
And I feel You

And I know You're here
And You're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation
But You are able
And in Your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars
And more like
Character

What a Week!!

2008-06-14T16:02:00.004-04:00

It has been a very, very busy week at our house...

John has officially started training to be a Peachtree City Volunteer Firefighter (that's one of their trucks pictured above). This is in addition to being a wonderful husband, co-leading our small group, volunteering in the infant room in Waumba Land at church, kickboxing and boxing twice a day, and flying 100 hours a month for AirTran Airways. He LOVES everything he is doing, so I really can't complain! We have totally switched places - when we lived in FL, I was always going in 50 different directions and he was always asking me to slow down - my, how things have changed!! He has training about one or two nights a week for about 3 to 4 hours each night. Please keep him in your prayers - especially for his safety! He needs both arms and both legs in order to fly the plane!

On Sunday, I flew down to Fort Lauderdale to go to Sam and Shannon Watson's graduation party. I only told one person (Peggy Nations) that I was coming, so it was a really big surprise to everyone else! Since the party wasn't until the evening, I was able to go to church with my family and then out to lunch at a Benihana-type restaurant. Jordan loved it all - except for the FIRE! Check out her face!

The highlight of the whole day was surprising my little Watsons as well as most of my girls and so many of my dearest friends from South Florida. It was so good to catch up with everyone and I was so glad that I made the trip. I love those girls and their family, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything!!

Even though getting home was a challenge (long story - suffice it to say that I took the long way home - Fort Lauderdale to Newport News, VA to Atlanta) it was so great to come home and see this huge machine on our lot finally moving dirt!!!

This was what our lot looked like today when I was at work. You can see that the plumbing has been started and the foundation will be ready to be poured next week. It is hard to believe that it is actually happening!!

We have a lot coming up - a wedding in South Florida, family coming for a summer visit, the Peachtree City 4th of July parade (seriously, it is a big deal around here), and, of course, our normal crazy schedules. Hopefully it will all make for a lot of really good posts!!

Love Languages

2008-06-06T13:00:00.003-04:00

Our small group at Southside is studying the book, The 5 Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Smalley. It is a fantastic book and it really helps with every relationship in your life - not just marriage! John and I had studied the book in our singles class at FRC when we were engaged and it really opened our eyes to the cause behind many of our clashes and hurt feelings.

The basic premise of the theory is that everyone operates out of one of 5 love languages - gifts, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, or words. You tend to show love in one of these ways and it is directly connected to the language that you tend to respond to in the strongest way. For example, my top love languages (they are always tied - I know, I'm a whack) are quality time and gifts. I tend to show love to others by giving thoughtful gifts and by spending time with them. I also feel incredibly loved when I am given a thoughtful gift or when someone makes time for me. When these things happen regularly, I feel loved. When they are neglected, I feel very low and unloved.

When we first took the test, John had quality time as his top language. Because of my languages, I would show love by cooking dinner for him or by leaving cards in his truck about once a week. The clash would come when I would put my acts of service (cleaning the kitchen after dinner) above sitting on the couch with him (quality time). He would get his feelings hurt and feel as if he was not very important to me even though I was showing him love. Once I realized what his love language was, I was able to show him love in ways that shouted to him how important he is to me.

If you struggle with letting people know how you feel or if you struggle with feeling loved by the people in your world, you should really check this out. It will help you not only to realize how you best receive love, but it will also help you give your love away more effectively!!

By the way, if you know your love language, I'd love to know what it is!!!

Waiting

2008-06-04T12:05:00.003-04:00

There are so many things that I am waiting for in this season of my life...

My older sister just found out that she is pregnant again!! I was so excited that I got to be there when she found out!! Unfortunately, this time I won't be able to watch her progress over the next 9 months, so I will be waiting for opportunities to go to Fort Lauderdale and visit her.
I have a full-time job, but just found out that the boss and the office manager did not get the memo, so now I am waiting for my paycheck to be fixed and waiting to find out exactly what my new pay will be. I was told that it would be more, but I was also told that I am now full-time, so I don't believe anything they say anymore.
We signed the contract on our house on May 1st and were told that they would break ground in 8 to 10 days...it is June 4th and still nothing. Talk about waiting!!!!
I desperately want to be involved in full-time ministry again, but so far there have not been any oppportunities available. I am waiting for God to open the doors, but it is hard to not get discouraged.

We have decided to wait to start our family, we are waiting to see when we can go to Fort Lauderdale for some vacation time, we are waiting to see what is going to happen to AirTran due to the rising fuel prices and the unstable econmy, and we are waiting on a few answers to prayer. Yes, we have complete trust in God and in His timing, and yes, after all of the waiting we have done, you'd think that we would be really good at this waiting thing, but unfortunately, we aren't (well, at least I am not).

In the meantime, I will do what I know is right, keep my focus on God and His promises, and continue to wait on Him.

Unexpected Blessings

2008-05-19T17:01:00.013-04:00

Malachi 3:10 (NLT); "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in My Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put Me to the test!"

This has been a tough year for John and me. Many things have drastically changed - just a few of those things have been our address, our income, our expenses, and our margin. Thankfully, God has met all of our needs and we have been blessed beyond belief. I was fortunate to learn about tithing at an age when my paychecks were small and my bills were few. I quickly discovered that as I gave with a willing heart, my checkbook balance no longer made sense. It was as if God had a different textbook for math when it came to tithing. Although my income very rarely matched the stack of bills I owed, there was always money leftover. The question went from "can I afford to tithe?" to "how can I afford not to??" Tithing is an absolute in our house - it is never questioned, debated, or compromised. Each time we tithe, we are telling God that He has first place in our lives - not so we can check off a to-do list or so that we will be blessed by God's math - it is purely an act of obedience.

Shortly after we joined Southside, they announced their plans to expand and started a building campaign. While the money will help to complete a new building, it will also provide room for more families to come and experience the life-changing love of Christ. Although it would make things tight, we decided to be a part of the giving and committed to giving an amount each month in addition to our tithe. Does this make us better people? Absolutely not! Did we receive a big fat check the next week as a reward? Hardly! Again, since God has first place in our lives, we trust Him and are willing to give to an eternal purpose.

While we have been blessed to be purchasing our first home, it is not going to be free. With the price of gas continuing to climb and the cost of living increasing almost hourly, we are feeling the temptation to worry about our finances as we take on the expenses of home ownership. We are trying hard to live with a balance of trusting God to meet our needs while not overspending and not indulging in wants instead of needs. (And unfortunately, as much as my head tells me it does, Starbucks does NOT qualify as a need!!)

Growing up in church, I often heard other people testify to receiving money in various ways after giving sacrificially. These stories were often peppered with tales of financial struggles, unexpected losses, and unfair circumstances. I have a friend who anonymously received a week's worth of groceries for her young family - they were working hard, but were still having trouble making ends meet and were asking God to provide money for their groceries for that week as they had tithed and were left with a zero balance in their checking account. She never said a word to anyone about their financial situation - God just stepped in, responded to their faithfulness, and met their needs with His faithfulness.

Well, today we are shocked to find ourselves as the narrators of a similar story!! While our checking account is not even close to being wiped out, it IS at an all-time low. After writing our tithe and building fund check yesterday and then going to Publix and Target today (just for the necessities), I discovered that I had gone over our budget for the week. Knowing that it will be another week before either of us receives a paycheck, I started to get that sick feeling in my stomach when John called and asked how much money I spent today and how much we had left. After I came home and put all of my purchases away, I walked out to get the mail. Inside our mailbox was a check from the health insurance company for $4 OVER the amount I had spent today. There was a letter along with the check that said they had just gone through an audit and discovered that they owed us this money - we never would have known or expected it!

While the check is amazing and totally a blessing, we have also been blessed with 10 amazing friends in the most amazing small group ever, family members that never cease to amaze me with their love for us, improved health (that's a big one!), healing from the past, hope for the future, jobs that we both love to get out of bed for, the church of our dreams, talents and passions that we get to use to bless others, friends who overcome the challenge of distance, and a marriage that is better than the one I prayed for from age 18 to 31!

Honestly, I hesitated writing this post for fear that someone would read it and think that I am patting myself on the back for being such a great giver. Let me just say that is not the case at all!!! It is not easy, but as God continues to prove Himself trustworthy, I can't imagine holding anything back from Him. I wanted to share all of this to encourage you to trust God with EVERYTHING - your decisions, your finances, your relationships, and your life - and I promise you that the verse above is true - He will surprise you with His faithfulness and His blessings!

P.S. - Don't you think that the extra $4 should go towards a Decaf Soy Caramel Macchiato????

Out on the Golf Cart

2008-04-30T20:58:00.000-04:00

Today in the mail we received a Flat Stanley from our nephew, Zachary. For his first trip, we decided to take him out for a ride around Lake Peachtree on the golf cart.

On the way, we stopped by Cedarcroft to check out our lot - we sign the contract tomorrow!!

We love going to the lake on the golf cart, so we thought Flat Stanley would enjoy it as well!

It was a beautiful evening - perfect for a spin around the lake!!

Big News!!

2008-04-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

No, we are not pregnant!!

We are about to be the proud owners of the house shown above!!!

Thanks to John's uncle, we are building our first house! We will get to watch the entire process from the groundbreaking to the final coat of paint. We get to pick out everything for the house and since I work there, we will really get to be involved every step of the way. (We also were able to modify a plan and were even allowed to pick out the name - The McKeever!)

We are so blessed and so excited to be able to have a brand new home as our first real home!! Please pray with us and for us as we embark on this journey - we've heard that it can be stressful, but after what we have already been through, we are thinking this is going to be a walk in the park!!!

Beautiful

2008-04-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

I keep hearing this song on the radio and everytime I hear it, I find tears coming to my eyes. This is the story of my life - especially over the last 5 years. It stinks to never feel good enough. It stinks to not be wanted. It stinks to try and try and try and still not be worthy. It stinks to not fit into the "right" social circles. It stinks to be overlooked and flat out told that you aren't good enough. It stinks to think that you have finally made it, only to find out that you haven't and you were just being used.

This isn't a cry for help or a "feel sorry for me" post. This isn't me fishing for compliments or even apologies. This is me being honest and knowing that if I feel this way, there have got to be other women like me out there who have gone through the same feelings.

Of course, as the song says, God thinks we are good enough - good enough to die for, in fact. And thankfully, He puts people in our lives to remind us of this truth. For me, those people have been my husband, my family, my amazing in-laws, and a few close friends. Even though my bosses, my "friends," my co-workers, and society have tried to tell me otherwise, I fight through their lies to come out on the other side believing that I am "worthy of love and beautiful."

Beautiful by Bethany Dillon

I was so unique
Now I feel skin deep
I count on the make-up to cover it all
Crying myself to sleep cause I cannot keep their attention
I thought I could be strong
But it's killing me

Does someone hear my cry?
I'm dying for new life

I want to be beautiful
Make you stand in awe
Look inside my heart,
and be amazed
I want to hear you say
Who I am is quite enough
Just want to be worthy of love
And beautiful

Sometimes I wish I was someone other than me
Fighting to make the mirror happy
Trying to find whatever is missing
Won't you help me back to glory

You make me beautiful
You make me stand in awe
You step inside my heart, and I am amazed
I love to hear You say
Who I am is quite enough
You make me worthy of love and beautiful

My Big Redneck Wedding

2008-04-12T15:10:00.000-04:00

While flipping through the channels this week, John stopped on CMT to watch My Big Redneck Wedding. If you haven't seen this show, you need to carve out 30 minutes in your week to watch it. At first, I thought that the people on the show were going all out in their redneck-ness for the television show, but I quickly discovered that there are actually people in this country (and in my state) who are really, really, really serious about being a redneck.

The episode we watched featured Amber and John (shown above) and yes, they intentionally decorated the local community center to look like Outdoor World. For their reception, they went mud-bogging and had a greased pig catching contest - and yes, there was a prize - the winner received $10.

Check out this new show and let me know what you think!

Idol Gives Back

2008-04-09T20:23:00.001-04:00

Tonight the "Idol Gives Back" episode of American Idol aired. John and I Tivo the show and even vote every week, but it is awesome to take a break from the contest and watch celebrities and everyday America show a little bit of love and compassion for others.

My musical heroes - Ann and Nancy Wilson - have once again proven that they are the most talented women in rock-n-roll. I literally jumped up off of the couch when Nancy started playing the intro to "Barracuda." Fergie was pretty good, too, but I kinda got creeped out when she started getting all snuggly with Nancy Wilson - and what was up with the cartwheels????

I also loved Carrie Underwood's performance of "Praying for Time," which is one of my favorite George Michael songs. That girl could sing the phone book and it would be amazing!

I was floored when the 8 finalists busted out with "Shout to the Lord" at the end of the night. There is so much about it that I could wonder about, but for now, I am just really blown away that the song was performed at all, much less on the biggest night of Idol next to the finale.

On a more serious note, am I the only person who wants to move to Africa tomorrow and just pour out God's love on those people?? Our church is taking a missions trip to Africa with Brackenhurst Ministries over the summer and I am dying to go. I just pray that all of the money that is raised tonight actually gets to the people that need it most.

From My Brother-In-Law, Bryan :)

2008-03-30T22:00:00.001-04:00

From "Will You" to "I Do"

2008-03-16T13:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, March 15th, was a special day for John and me. Two years ago on that day, John asked me to be his wife. I remember every detail of his proposal, from the look on his precious face to the fireworks that were literally going off behind us. It was the start of the most exciting and rewarding adventure of my life and I am so thankful that God brought him into my life at just the right time.

Before John came along, I really stunk at the whole dating thing. When I was younger, my relationships were over before they ever had a chance to begin due to my enthusiasm and immaturity. As I grew up, relationships with the opposite sex were made even more complicated by jealous girls and nosy busybodies. Once that phase ended, there was a very long stretch of no prospects and no light at the end of the tunnel, but somehow, I found myself being in or being invited to an endless number of weddings - very sad. I went from being alone, to lonely, to totally desperate. I dated guys I never should have even spoken to, much less hung out with, and in addition to being lonely again after it ended, I was also humiliated and embarassed. When a really amazing guy would come along, I would turn into a spaz and either be really sarcastic and obnoxious around them or totally awkward and indifferent towards them. Where do girls get this idea that if we like someone, we should make sure that they never, ever find out??? If we were in a group and the guy I liked was there, I would hang out with other guys just so that the guy I liked wouldn't find out that I liked him. If people asked me if I liked one of my guy friends that I hung out with a lot, I would say no and go on with life. But if someone asked me if I liked the guy that I actually did like, I would deny it like crazy. Then there was the agony of trying to analyze and find hidden meaning in everything the guy would say or do - no, the thought of just talking to him never crossed my mind - I was a total spaz.

Thankfully, after I decided to give up on liking anyone and decided to focus all of my energy on my family, friends, and ministry, John walked into my life. I'll never forget being in a pretty serious meeting with my boss and all of a sudden, the side door to his office flew open and John almost fell through the doorway. His face turned bright red when he realized that not only had he mistakenly opened an office door instead of the door to the stairway, but the girl that he has just asked out that week was sitting there watching the whole embarassing event. It was then and there that I knew that it would be different this time.

I was comfortable with John from day one and never felt insecure or awkward around him. I would invite him over to the house just to hang out and greet him at the door with no makeup on and my hair in a knot on top of my head. I was open and honest with him and found that he really liked that about me. We would talk for hours and share anything and everything about our lives with each other. Being able to be myself and feel comfortable in his presence was such a drastic change from all of the other relationships I had either been in or tried to be in (unsuccessfully, of course).

John's proposal was magical and romantic and most of all, the most sincere words anyone has ever spoken to me. Our wedding was without a doubt the best day of my whole life and every day I get to spend with him is a blessing. He is not only my best friend and my husband - he is the person I know without a doubt that God created to lead me and walk with me through the rest of my life. He is mine - I love to think about that and let it marinate in my mind - he belongs to me and I belong to him - it is amazing! Then, if I let my mind drift a little bit further, I can see God's example of his love for us in His gift of marriage. We, the church, are his bride - we belong to Him and He belongs to us. I pray that as I grow in my marriage to John that I can see and also model God's example of His love and His desire to have that same bond with us.

Thankful

2008-03-13T22:39:00.001-04:00

Thank You, Lord!!!!!!!!!!

Amazing Grace

2008-03-10T13:04:00.000-04:00

I've been hurt - a lot. Maybe not any more than the average person, but still - it hurts each time. I was hurt as a child, I was hurt in high school, I was crushed in college, and then blasted BIG TIME as an adult. I am sure you can relate - I mean, who hasn't been hurt in this broken world??

I keep hearing this song on the radio by Brandon Heath - it's called I'm Not Who I Was. Each time I hear it, I think of different people in my life who have hurt me (or whom I have hurt) and it makes me wish I could play this for each of them today. Thank God, because of His grace and mercy, I am definitely not who I was, and even though I am not who I want to be yet (I have SO far to go!), I am so glad that I am not who I used to be. I am so thankful that He has forgiven me for all of my mistakes and rebellion and all of the times that I have broken His heart. I am also grateful for the strength He has given me to extend that grace to those who have broken my heart. He is changing me day by day and using each and every hurt to make me more like Him, and I am so thankful.

Check out the video and read the lyrics below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpOLyR8MwiA

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how I'm not who I was
I used to be mad at you
A little on the hurt side too
But I'm not who I was
I found my way around to forgiving you
Some time ago
But I never got to tell you so

I found us in a photograph
I saw me and I had to laugh
You know, I'm not who I was
You were there, you were right above me
And I wonder if you ever loved me
Just for who I was
When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it's a funny thing
I figured out I can sing
Now I'm not who I was
I write about love and such
Maybe 'cause I want it so much
I'm not who I was
I was thinking maybe I should let you know
I am not the same
But I never did forget your name
Hello

Well the thing I find most amazing in amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how I'm not who I was

Disney Cruise

2008-03-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

I just got back from one of the best vacations I have ever taken! My parents, my sister and her family, and I took a 3-day Disney Cruise. Let me say up front that it was not just for kids!! When John and I took a 6-day cruise for our honeymoon, I was bored after day 3 and SICK for days 4, 5, and 6. On the Disney Cruise, I felt great and didn't have enough time to do ALL of the things that I wanted to do! The weather was amazing (especially after a LONG Georgia winter) and I had a great time with my family. I missed John like crazy (poor thing had to work) but it was an amazing trip.

Here are some of the highlights...

Jordan, our cruise director :)

Family Photo

Captain Jordan Sparrow

Pirate Night!

The REAL Flying Dutchman!!

We're talking about going on another Disney Cruise in December! I can hardly wait!!!

Least Favorite Songs Ever

2008-02-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

After watching American Idol last night, John and I started talking about the songs that we really can't stand. Here are just a few of the songs we came up with:

McArthur Park (Someone Left the Cake Out in the Rain) by Richard Harris (dumbest song ever)
Ironic by Alanis Morrisette (seriously Alanis, learn the meaning of the word "ironic" before you use it in a song)
Who Let the Dogs Out - Baha Men (although it does make me think of a hilarious story about the Baha Men that Scott Meyer once told Jenn and me)
Tubthumping - Chumbawamba (ridiculous)
Kokomo by The Beach Boys (and putting John Stamos and his giant hair in the video did NOT help)
Christmas Shoes by NewSong (horrible!)
Old Red by Blake Shelton (a perfect example of why some people hate country music)
Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira (why???)

What would you add to this list??

Taxes, Cruises, and Other Random Thoughts that Somehow Tie Together

2008-02-19T12:13:00.000-05:00

Over the past 6 months, my family has been planning to take a Disney Cruise for my dad's 60th birthday. After getting over the shock that my dad is going to be 60 (which not only makes him older, but also makes me not 21 anymore), John and I started thinking, praying, and trying to decide if we were going to go or not. On the one hand, it is probably the ONLY time this will ever happen in my family. My dad is not much of a vacation person - definitely NOT a beach person - and as we all get older and our families get larger, it is not going to be as easy to get all of us to go on one vacation together. On the other hand, cruises are not free and our money is tight. We're not making as much money here as we thought we would and to spend a ton of money on a cruise just doesn't seem like something a wise person would do.

After many months of thinking it over, John decided that I should definitely go on the cruise and we could pay for it with our tax money. We have had incredible tax returns the past 2 years, so he wanted to use part of the money to send me on the cruise with my family. Although he REALLY wants to go, he doesn't feel like it would be a good financial move for both of us to go, so he's going to go to Kentucky to visit his sisters while I am gone - he can fly for free and stay there for free, so no money worries there! I called Disney, made my reservation, and started to get really excited about the cruise. It all was sounding great, until...

John has been using an amazing guy in Miami to do his/our taxes for many years. The guy specializes in doing taxes for people in aviation - there are so many write-offs and deductions that pilots can take and this guys knows all of them. John has been gathering all of our tax information over the past 3 weeks (which in itself was hilarious as I had 4 jobs and he had 3 jobs last year, not to mention all of the other paperwork we have!) and sent it all to Brian the Tax Guy last week. While John was away on a trip last week, he called to tell me that he had good news and bad news. The good news was that Brian wasn't charging us his usual price and we were getting some money back. (Brian is an amazing guy!) The bad news was that it was significantly less than what we expected due to some things that I thought had been taken care of that hadn't (like John's deductions from his paycheck). Not the end of the world, but not what we were expecting (hmmm...this seems to be the theme of this past year)

Of course, being the rational person that I am, I freaked out. After talking me down off the ledge, John assured me that it was going to be okay, that it was still enough to pay for the cruise, and that he did not want me to even think about trying to cancel. He said that he would rather spend the money than have me regret not spending that time with my family.

I talked to my mom about it the next day and was encouraged to hear her say basically the same thing. She's been reading the new book by Kerry Shook and said that it is teaching her how to make the most of each day and to be concerned about how she invests her time, not just her money. I also talked to my good friend, Holly Guyon, about it this week. For those of you who do not know, Holly is younger than me and recently lost her husband to cancer. We used to be close and have thankfully been given another chance to be close again, even though we live very far apart now. She said, "my perspective on quality time has changed so much, seriously, it's just money compared to quality time and memories that you won't ever get back...so if you're ever torn between not going or going you should GO!"

So, instead of feeling like a selfish brat for spending the little bit of tax money that we are getting back (and still trying not to feel like a horrible wife for taking a vacation without my incredibly generous husband), I am looking forward to the cruise again. I am really focused on making each moment count and to come home with a head full of memories and not just a bathing suit bottom full of sand.

Blah, Blah, Blah

2008-02-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

While reading last night, I stumbled across this quote by William Penn...

"Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keeping what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness, blow the rest away."

Anyone who has been my friend for any length of time knows that I usually have to say 999 words in order to get to the 1,000th word that actually says what I think, feel, and believe. Those first 999 words can be all over the place and make absolutely no sense at all. They can be critical and negative or they can be full of compassion and love. No matter what the topic, I will always speak honestly (most of the time, too honestly - I think most of my close friends wish I wasn't so open all of the time!) and even if I know that what I am saying is contrary to the way I am supposed to feel or act, I love knowing that my real friends will do as this quote says and be able to sort through my words with kindness in order to find the truth in what I am saying. No, this doesn't give me the freedom to say whatever I want or to hurt people with my words, but it does give me the freedom to be myself and to be honest with the people who are God-in-skin to me.

I hope that you have friends like mine who allow you to be yourself, who accept you just as you are and not for what you give to them, and who can listen to you and understand what you are trying to say. I am so thankful for my friends and pray that they would consider me this kind of friend as well, even if I do talk too much.

Humility

2008-02-06T11:55:00.000-05:00

The definition of humility is walking through the airport with your pilot husband, talking to everyone in security, being introduced to the pilot and co-pilot at the gate, getting to sit in the cockpit while they prepare for the flight, being seated in first class, having all of the flight attendants ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your wedding ring, when you suddenly realize that you never zipped up your pants when you got dressed.

Going Home

2008-02-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

John and I are going home tonight for a total of 22 hours - just enough time to see our families and get 2 much needed haircuts! It may seem silly to travel 800 miles for a haircut, but it is a great excuse to go home.

The best trips home are the ones that give me time to spend with everyone that I miss. Unfortunately, this will not be one of those trips. I am hoping to get to see my dad for longer than the drive back to the airport!

As much as I look forward to the visit, it is always weird to go back. In some ways it is like we never left and in others, it seems like we have been gone for a lifetime. I sometimes feel like every trace of my existence has been erased from South Florida and the people that I love that are still there. I know that it isn't true, but keeping in touch with everyone is a lot harder than I expected.

Speaking of keeping in touch, who have you been meaning to call or email? Well what are you waiting for??? I'm gonna go call a FL friend right now!

My New Favorite Bean

2008-01-31T12:22:00.000-05:00

I have recently discovered that my new favorite bean is the lima bean. Mix 'em with some jasmine rice and Smart Balance and you've got yourself quite a tasty little lunch full of fiber and beany goodness :)

(Can you tell that my high fiber diet is getting a little bit boring??)

I Sang With Andy Stanley Last Night

2008-01-28T16:39:00.001-05:00

Last night, we had a special service at our church for the giving campaign we are starting and Andy Stanley came to speak live. We hear him every week, but he's on video, so we were all really excited to finally "meet" him.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. My hope was that he would be really accessible and personal and want to talk to every person in the room, but reality told me that he would probably be surrounded by security guards and bodyguards and that he would be locked up backstage in some swanky green room filled with Evian water, Starbucks coffee, green M & M's, and fancy pastries. He would come out, recite his "go get 'em" speech, and be whisked away to his getaway car before anyone could get a good look at him.

John got there early to save seats for our small group. Never one to be subtle, he saved us seats on the second row! I got there about 15 minutes before the service started and took my seat on the end of the aisle closest to the middle section. After catching up with my small group and talking with John about my day, I looked across the aisle to find a very tall, thin, casually dressed Andy Stanley standing right next to me. Now, I know he is just a man and God doesn't look at him any differently than he looks at me, but this is a guy whose books I have read, whose teachings have inspired change in my life, and whose philosophy on church has shaped much of my belief system about how a church should function. Let's just say that I was a little excited to see him standing there.

I was absolutely amazed by his lack of pretense and his abundance of humility and "normal-ness." There weren't any security guards, bodyguards, butt kissers, or groupies hanging around. He didn't even have a bottle of water with him, much less the coffee and banquet that I had expected. He was talking with the people sitting behind him and even got up to walk into the Foyer to see who all was hanging out there. The more amazing thing was that no one was really freaking out over him. I think everyone there had the same feeling I did - he's a great teacher, a godly man, an incredible visionary--but he's just a guy and if he doesn't feel the need to put himself up on a pedestal, then neither do we.

When the service started, I realized that the only thing separating my seat from his seat was about 18 inches of aisle. When the music started, I closed my eyes and sang my little heart out, so grateful to God to be in a healthy church and to have the privilege to hear this amazing teacher every week. I soon forgot that Andy Stanley was just a few inches away and started focusing on the fact that God knows my weaknesses, knows my needs, and knows exactly what I need and loves to give it all to me.

So, in a way, you could say that I sang with Andy Stanley last night - I mean, we were right next to each other singing the same songs :)

Real Snow - not that 1/2 inch nonsense

2008-01-19T13:17:00.000-05:00

Today we are having another snowfall in Atlanta. This one is a little different from the one we had on Wednesday...

As you know, Wednesday's snow was a media frenzy! Last night, the news called for snow downtown and north of Atlanta, but they really didn't say too much about those of us south of Atlanta. The Weather Channel was kind enough to let us know that we may see some substantial amounts of snow, but the local news had no information for Fayette County.

I was in my usual Saturday morning routine - getting ready to go to work, watching the news, making my lunch - and the news still had nothing of interest to say about poor little Fayette County. I put on every scarf, coat, hat, and pair of gloves I could find and headed out the door. As I was locking up, my cell phone rang - my boss was calling, making sure that I was not going to work today. Literally 5 minutes later, it started snowing and hasn't stopped since. They are calling for a big FREEZE this afternoon and everything will be shut down tonight and tomorrow due the fact that the roads will be ice skating rinks! (FYI - My sweet husband is supposed to be flying home from Dallas today - let's pray that he stays safe wherever they end up sending him!)

So from now on, I will be taking my weather advice from The Weather Channel and NOT Flip Spiceland!!

Here are some pictures of our gorgeous snow day...

My poor CRV!!!

Heather's Weather (ha-ha)

2008-01-16T19:04:00.001-05:00

In South Florida, the news stations go insane over one weather event...HURRICANES!

In North Georgia, the news stations apparently go insane over another type of weather event...SLEET AND SNOW!

This afternoon, it started sleeting, which quickly turned to snow. It was really cool to look out the window and watch the snow falling gently to the ground. It was also really cool to drive home and feel like Middle School boys were throwing ice from Tijuana Flats at my car (to me, that is what it is like to drive in sleet and snow!).

While John and I were preparing dinner, we were listening to the evening news. 2 police officers were shot today and their killer is still on the loose. Such a tragic story only made the news for 3 minutes. The rest of the newscast was entirely devoted to SLEET AND SNOW.

It went something like this...

I'm Flip Spiceland (seriously, that is his real name - I am not making this up) here in Cobb County where there is about one-quarter inch of snow on the ground...blah, blah, blah snow......blah, blah, blah sleet...now let's go to Art Vandelay in DeKalb County...I'm Art Vandelay here in DeKalb County where there is about one-eighth of an inch of snow on the ground and people are freaking out...blah, blah, blah snow......blah, blah, blah sleet...now let's go to Oliver Clothesoff (ha-ha) in Fulton County... I'm Oliver Clothesoff here in Fulton County where evening classes have been canceled for all high schools and colleges (seriously! And there is talk of closing schools tomorrow!)

This went on for the remaining 27 minutes of the news - it was like the South Florida Hurricane coverage that starts when the storm is just off the coast of Africa.

It is cool that it is snowing and we were big nerds who took pictures of the snow, but I still think that 2 police officers sacrificing their lives deserves a little more recognition than frozen water.

And luckily, John and I are both off tomorrow and will not have to venture out into the frozen tundra!

Christmas in Georgia

2007-12-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

This year was my very first Christmas away from my family. We were planning on going back to FL for Christmas, but since I chose to risk flying on passes instead of actually purchasing tickets, we ended up staying in GA since every flight to South Florida was completely full and we couldn't risk not being able to get back home since we both had to work the day after Christmas.

I was completely depressed and even cried for a really long time on Sunday, but by Sunday night, I started to realize that John IS my family now and even though I miss my family, I should be thankful that I get to spend another Christmas with John as my husband AND with him in town and not out flying. I spent so many Christmases alone (single) and I should be grateful that God gave me everything I wanted and more when He sent John to me.

The other thing that I realized was that we have been blessed to have a lot of John's family living close to us. We were not alone on Christmas and I am beginning to feel like I am really a part of his family (I know that I am, but sometimes I still feel like an intruder).

The best part about staying here was that John and I had everything ready so early that we were able to relax and just spend time together for the 3 days that we were planning on going to FL. We watched movies, slept in, cleaned the apartment, and went to Christmas Eve services at our church. While we were in the service (which included worship that was co-led by Candi Pearson-Shelton from the Passion conferences!) it hit me that it was the first time in about 7 years that I had actually sat in a Christmas Eve service. When I worked at FRC, the staff served at all of the services, so I was always either singing, working at the Information Table, or coordinating volunteers. While it was always wonderful to serve, I usually was so exhausted by the end that I had little energy left for my family. I was so thankful this year to be able to worship and to leave the service refreshed and not drained.

After the Christmas Eve service, we went to John's aunt's house for dinner and then went home and opened our presents from each other. On Christmas Day, we slept in and then went to John's grandma's house for Christmas Brunch and more presents. Christmas night, we ordered Pirates 3 On Demand and ate leftovers from brunch. It was so nice!!!

As much as I missed my family and wished that we could have gone home for Christmas, I really did enjoy a different kind of Christmas. I realized that no matter where you might spend Christmas, as long as you are surrounded by people that you love, you should be thankful. Christmas is about celebrating the greatest gift the world ever received and, to me, it is about celebrating all of the people that God has placed in my life to remind me of just how much He loves me. So this year, I am thankful for the additional family that I have been given and am looking forward to having another "Christmas" with my family just as soon as the flights are open!!

Endoscopy

2007-12-20T18:31:00.000-05:00

I finally had my visit with the GI yesterday which resulted in an endoscopy today (nothing like getting it over with quickly - I love how God answered this prayer!) I really wasn't nervous - everyone I know who has had one has told me that you just go to sleep and then wake up and it is over - no pain, no memory!! John went with me and when they called my name, I marched in there like I was about to get a pedicure - no stress, no worries!!

That all went out the window when they tried to put in my IV. Usually, getting an IV hurts, but then it is over and done with pretty quickly. Well, since I couldn't eat or drink ANYTHING after midnight last night until they did the procedure, I was dehydrated and my veins were not cooperating. The nurse stuck me in the arm and I saw stars - I screamed and started crying - it hurt so badly!!! THEN, she told me that it wasn't working, so she pulled it out and went to work poking me with the world's biggest needle IN THE TOP OF MY RIGHT HAND!!!! I started bawling and then started to think...if getting an IV is usually not a big deal and this is killing me, what is this "no big deal" endoscopy going to be like????? She finally finished, saw that I was still crying and asked, "Do you want me to move it?" Ha! No way, lady!! I was not about to do that again!!

They wheeled me into recovery where I was supposed to wait for my turn. I saw some guy come out of his endoscopy - he was completely knocked out, laying on his side, and his mouth was wide open - drool and everything. I thought, oh great, THAT is what I'm gonna look like??? How is this not a big deal???

About 10 minutes later, another nurse came and wheeled me into the room where they would be performing the procedure. I saw all kinds of tubes and utensils, which made me decide to keep my eyes closed until the doctor came in to see me. The doctor came in, assured me that it really wasn't a big deal, and started to put on his coat. The nurse put this big old round, plastic device in my mouth to keep my mouth open for the procedure. The anesthesiologist came in, told me that he was going to give me something to make me sleep and I should start to feel it in about 20...and that's the last thing I remember.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up back in recovery and John was sitting with me. The doctor came in and showed us some pictures of my insides...and then I don't remember anything until the nurse showed up to tell me I was going home. John said that I just kept telling everyone, "That was AWE---SOME!!!" kinda like Chris Farley in Tommy Boy. He laughed at me all the way home - he also said that he was glad that I don't drink :)

I feel pretty good. I ate a chicken wrap when we got home and am hungry again, and being hungry is a BIG deal - I haven't been hungry in a LONG time!! They took a few biopsies and we should have the results in about 10 days. The doctor thinks it is either allergies or IBS - both of which are 100% recognizable and treatable. We have been praying for that kind of result, so we are really anxious to hear what the tests will show so that I can get back to being healthy.

Thanks so much for your prayers!!!! I really appreciate it!!!

Prayers Needed

2007-12-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

I need your prayers - I got really sick (AGAIN) while we were at Disney and I am going to see a gastrointerologist on Wednesday. I have been feeling better over the past few days, but there is always the fear of the next time I will be sick - and it isn't ever predictable. I am praying that it is something that they can find AND something they can treat quickly and easily. I am so tired of being sick and so tired of hearing, "we can't find anything wrong with you - what were your symptoms again??" This will be the 4th visit to a doctor and my 2nd visit to a medical specialist over the past 3 weeks, so I am praying that this will be the end of the mystery and the beginning of my road back to complete health. (And no, I am definitely NOT pregnant!)

Thanks for your prayers!!! Hopefully I will have good news to share soon!

My 33rd Birthday

2007-12-05T11:15:00.001-05:00

Yes, it is hard to believe, but I am now 33 years old! I had a great birthday - and like every year, it is going to be a week long celebration!!!

It started on Sunday when we went to get our Christmas Tree. I know that most people don't think of a Christmas Tree when they think of their birthday, but I haven't ever celebrated mine without one!

After moving the furniture around and dragging the tree into every corner of our living room, we found the perfect spot (it was actually the very first place we tried!). I love to come home and turn on some Christmas music, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and look at the tree. It is the greenest and thickest tree I have ever had - it could be due to the fact that it didn't take an 800 mile truck ride to get to my house :)

Monday night, John took me out for a romantic dinner and gave me the best present ever - La Mer!!!! I know, I am a spoiled wife, but he will be thankful he spent that money when I am 75 and still have skin as smooth as a baby's...well, you know :)

Yesterday was my actual birthday and I was showered with phone calls and emails all day long. Our Aunt Pam took me to a wonderful lunch and gave me MORE La Mer - I just love her! She is like a best friend/mom/sister all wrapped up in one amazing person. John's grandparents and their friends, Bill and Jeanette, took me to a delicious dinner at Longhorn and gave me even more presents!! After dinner, I went to Small Group and had the most amazing ice cream cake ever - mint chocolate chip - I felt like Meredith on The Office!

Today I am working and going to the doctor (no real birthday celebrations planned for today) but...TOMORROW, WE ARE GOING TO DISNEY!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! We are meeting my family on Friday and going to the Very Merry Christmas Party. Saturday we will be park-hopping and Sunday, John is going home, but I am staying to hang out with my niece, Jordan, for one extra day. I am SO excited and SO grateful that God worked it out so that we could go!

It was a great birthday and I am so thankful for all of the people who made it so special. What's your favorite birthday memory? I'd love to hear it!!

Update

2007-11-25T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone! After nine days in bed and 2 trips to the ER (complete with IVs, ultrasounds, and lots of waiting) I am finally feeling better. The doctors say it was a virus and that the virus that is going around takes 2 to 3 weeks to get through your system. I've lost 8 pounds and am eating a very bland diet again.

Of course, I feel better today and John left a little while ago for his very first AirTran flight. He looked so handsome and I am so proud of him. Even though Atlanta has not been very good to me, I am very glad that it has been good to John!! He is a wonderful pilot and I can't wait to hear all about his first day!! Here's a picture of him before he left...

I have 4 days alone - that hasn't happened for a LONG time. We are getting our Christmas tree when John comes home, so I have that to look forward to! I am also going back to work tomorrow which is kind of exciting. The most exciting thing I am looking forward to is going to Disney! Since we couldn't go this week, we are going to try to go when my sister and her family go in December. My mom is coming, so it is going to be a blast! I am also trying to figure out when I am going home for Christmas, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you will enjoy every day of the Christmas season!!!!

This Week Stinks

2007-11-20T16:17:00.000-05:00

I am very frustrated right now, and I know that it is all trivial and it all has a bright side, but I just need to vent for a little while....

I have been sick in bed for 6 days - yes, SIX!! I spent the day in the ER yesterday, was given medicine and an IV (I have a love/hate relationship with the IV), and was told to rest and drink lots of clear fluids. I am feeling better, but not so great that I can leave the house.

Because I have been sick for 6 days, I have not worked (which means that I don't get paid) and I did not get to go home last weekend to see my family and eat our Thanksgiving meal together.

John's parents arrived here yesterday and are staying in a hotel 5 minutes from our house, but because I am sick, I haven't seen them, nor did I get to go to the mall with the Orr girls today (as was planned before I got sick).

John and I will be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary on Sunday. We had planned on going to Disney next week for 4-5 days to celebrate. He found out last night that his 4-day in-flight training starts...you guessed it, Sunday! So much for Disney and our anniversary.

Needless to say, I am sick, homesick, sad, disappointed, annoyed, and FRUSTRATED! I know that God has a plan hidden in here somewhere, but it seems like I have been searching for it since January with no luck. I love my husband and I love that he is reaching all of his goals - I am just dealing with a lot of personal disappointment that all came to a head at one time.

Ironically, this week is Thanksgiving, so I guess I should cheer up and think of all that I have to be thankful for instead of complaining. I do have so much to thank God for and hopefully I will be thanking Him soon for working behind the scenes on something that I have yet to even hope for or imagine!

A Visit From Mom

2007-11-14T14:25:00.001-05:00

Last week, my mom came to visit us for the first time since we got here. I was ultra-excited and could not wait to show her all of the things that made me think of her here (and there were tons!). My mom and I were always VERY close - from high school all the way through college - and I loved it! Once grandchildren (for her) and a new husband (for me) were added to the mix, we developed a different, yet still close relationship.

We hit the Cyclorama, Stone Mountain (which I could go to every night and never get tired of its charm), and the Georgia Aquarium. It was amazing to share the weekend and some of my favorite spots in Atlanta with 2 of my most favorite people. John loves my mom and she loves him, so it was really cool to hang back and watch the two of them walk and talk and laugh and just enjoy each other.

Here are some pictures from our weekend - and did I mention that it was COLD???

Grandma Joan and me at Cyclorama :)

My mom and I at Stone Mountain - yes, we like to try on funny hats!

John and I at Stone Mountain - isn't it gorgeous???

John and I at the Aquarium

We had a great weekend and I am ready for more visitors! John's family is coming next week for Thanksgiving and we are really excited! Who are you going to see or who is coming to see you soon???

Starting Over

2007-11-08T14:52:00.000-05:00

There's nothing quite like a fresh start. I have been given the amazing gifts of a new city, state, home, job, car, church, and neighborhood. At first, I tried really hard to hang on to the old while trying to embrace the new - let's just say that it didn't work! Ever tried to drive two cars at once? Of course not!! It is hard to be in two places at once and it is really hard to move forward when your focus is on what is behind you. After wrestling with reality for the past few weeks, I decided that it is time to look forward and time to get excited about what lies ahead instead of dwelling on what has been left behind.

Some things have changed dramatically and others have only changed slightly just because of geography. Thankfully, family and friends fall into the latter category, so in order to help bridge the gap that the miles put between us, I plan on using this blog to share the new things that God is doing in my life and to celebrate the amazing future He has planned for all of us!

So, as Walt Disney said, let's keep moving forward!!