Better Late Than Never...

Today, the very last day of October, I would like to show my appreciation for the staff members at our church and let you know what great men we have serving, because I care so much about them and appreciate the hard work that they do so very very much.  You see, October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and I believe that pastor includes all the men on staff, not just the teaching or preaching guys.  Now, I know I am a little behind, considering today is the very last day of October, but hey, better late than never, right? :)

Ok here goes:

R- Minister of Education and Evangelism (...and Church Administration and...pretty much anything else that gets thrown at him).  R is one of the most hard-working men that I know.  He puts in so much energy and so many hours, I seriously do not know how he does it!  But I do know that our church would not function nearly as well without him!  He and his family have been such a great support and encouragement for us, I can't even truly express what a joy it is to not only know them and serve alongside them, but to call them friends.   

W- Children's Minister.  It is truly a joy to see W work with our children.  He has a gift and passion for reaching kids that is such a pleasure to watch.  He works incredibly hard to keep all aspects of our children's ministry not only effective and fun, but safe as well.  I also love that he is always open to new ideas and constantly working to improve how things are done, never being satisfied with the status quo.  All the kids love him, and that definitely includes my daughter!  Sometimes, I swear she is more excited to see him than her own mother or father! haha!

N- Youth Minister.  Although N has only been at our church a short time, I can tell that he is working very hard to reach our youth and ignite a passion in them.  Youth ministry is always a tough job, but ours has been through quite a bit over the past few months, and so it has been a challenge for him, to say the least.  But he continues to press on, and never compromises.  I've recently begun helping with the youth some myself, and look forward to getting to know him even better.

J- Music Minister.  Ok, I know maybe I am a little bit biased considering J is my husband, but I'm just gonna come out and say it: He is the BEST music minister I know.  He loves music, loves worshiping our Creator, and loves to have fun at the same time.  He works so hard to sing a variety of songs and not let things get boring, but most importantly makes sure that whatever we do, we do to worship and honor God.  I cannot even tell you how much I admire not only the work that he does, but the heart he puts into it.

Each of these men does so much more than what I have touched on here.  I mean,  I could really go on and on, but I will just say this:  They work each and everyday, doing whatever needs to be done, to serve both the people in our own small congregation, as well as the people in our entire community.  And they always do so with an honest, humble, servant's heart.  I appreciate each of them more than I can even express in words, and our family has been uniquely blessed by each and every one of them.  Thank you so very much for all the hard work that you do.

If you have not taken the time lately, please spend some time this week letting your pastors know just how much you appreciate all their hard work, most of which you probably do  not even see.  It will mean so much to them!  
    

My Two Loves

Have you ever seen a more precious sight?

Sometimes Life Ain't Good

There's this song, you probably know it, with the line: "God is Great, but sometimes life ain't good..."  I don't know who sings it, and I don't know the title of the song, and truth be told, I don't even really like the song.  I find the lyrics silly and well, a little asinine.  HOWEVER, I heard it on the radio this evening, and was suddenly struck with the simplistic (albeit grammatically incorrect) reality of that statement.

God IS GREAT.

In fact, God is so much more than that.  God is the author and perfecter of our salvation.  God is the beginning and the end.  He is Almighty, and omniscient.  He is father and friend, ruler of all and righteous judge.  And His strength is sufficient.  

But also, sometimes life ain't good.  

Sometimes life just explodes in our face.  Sometimes jobs are lost.  Sometimes loved ones hurt us.  Sometimes our children act like well, children.  Sometimes adults (unfortunately) act like children.  And sometimes life is not fair.  Things just do not go our way.  Plans change.

In fact, sometimes I am so frustrated with the unbelievable unfairness of things, I want to bang my head against the wall.  That's right, sometimes I feel like more would get accomplished if I threw my big head against the wall and struck it over and over.  That is just how fed up I get with life, immature people, and the utter ridiculousness of it all sometimes.

But I realize that would  not do anyone much good, particularly my poor head.  What I try to remember instead, is that God is GREAT.  God's grace and power are sufficient for me.  And that while I may not be able to change life's not so great circumstances, or change the hearts and minds of certain people, or change the immature and irresponsible behaviors of those around me, I can focus on my relationship with God.  I can choose to trust (Ps. 9:10, 28:7) in God's sovereignty, and continue to press on to the prize ahead.  I can choose to rely on God's strength alone, and pray for those who hurt me.  I can choose to stay focused on the right priorities-God's priorities.  And I can choose to believe that God will handle all things according to His will, and His purposes, in His time (Romans 8:28).   

Don't let life get you down.  Yes, sometimes life stinks.  Sometimes it's hard.  Sometimes it is downright unreasonable.  But continue to trust in God's wonderful and perfect plan.  He will not fail you.   

More Than You Will Ever Know

Today is a VERY important day!  Today, my daughter is only two months away from her VERY FIRST birthday!!  Yup, she is exactly 10 months old today.  She's getting so big, it makes me want to cry.  Ok, sometimes I actually do cry.  You are already 10 months old, and are a teeny tiny 17 lbs. with approximately 1/2 of a tooth.

10 months old and crawling (well, scooting/crawling/wiggling) everywhere.

10 months old, and chattering like a monkey.

 

10 months old and even more beautiful than the day you were born.

Today, little pumpkin (aka Pumpkin Head, according to Aunt A), you are a full 10 months old, and I love you more and more everyday.  More than you will ever know.

Savvy Entrepreneur

So although I am not actually, currently, technically teaching, I still consider myself a teacher.  I don't know, I guess it's in my blood or something.  Maybe it goes back to the sixth grade when my teachers awarded me the "Peer tutor-most likely to be a teacher" superlative, or something.

But the fact remains-right now, I am not technically a teacher.  So, to give myself something to do/get back in the classroom/make some connections/earn a little extra money...etc. I have started substitute teaching.  Not exactly the same, but it's something.  Needless to say, it has been a joy... a privilege... well, an adventure, anyway.

Some days are fun, some days are rough, and some days are just down right hilarious.  Seriously, these kids* just crack me up! But today, I was at a complete loss for words. 

*High school juniors and seniors, to be exact

It was my last class of the day, and I was really ready to go home, so I was walking around the room trying to make sure everything was ready to go so I could get out of there.  The kids were finishing up their assignment, it was pretty calm, and I noticed three of the kids sitting together all had a Dr. Pepper.  Ok, not that weird, but they each had a can, like they got them from the same place.  Whatever, not a big deal.  I moved on, and continued to circulate throughout the room.    

Well, a few minutes later, I look over and one of the kids with a Dr. Pepper is conversing (mouthing, as opposed to yelling across the room, which I greatly appreciated) with a young lady on the other side of the class.  Next thing I know, he is walking over to her desk with two Dr. Peppers.  Seriously? So I follow him over and watch as the young lady hands him a $5 bill and patiently waits for her change.

Well, at this point he realizes I'm standing there and gives me a side glance, and an overtly guilty grin.  "What?" he asked, ever so innocently.  I stood there for a moment, then glanced down at the drinks, then back at him and said, "Really? You sell Dr. Pepper's out of your backpack?"  His response: "Oh, you know, I just happen to have some in my bag, um everyday, and you know, sometimes other people want one too."  Ok, I'm not gonna lie.  I cracked up, shook my head and walked away.   By the end of class, seriously half the kids (in a class of at least 26) had their hands on a Dr. Pepper, only 50 cents a piece.  And of course, I was offered one as well.  I was even told they were nice and cold.  Too bad I'd already had my Coke for the day.  I felt like I was missing out or something.  

Now, you may be asking, how in the world did this boy keep that many Dr. Pepper's in his backpack? And how in the WORLD did he keep them cold??  I have no idea.  I do not ask questions.  Trust me, ignorance is bliss.

What I do know, is that this kid is making a killing off those drinks.

Chasing Balls

My daughter has this wonderfully fun toy called a Busy Ball Popper.  You simply hit the button and silly (loud) songs play while the plastic balls fly out of the top, roll down the shoot, come back around and fly out of the top again.  My daughter absolutely loves it.  She watches the balls go around and come back out again, dances to the music, and loves it when she is able to start it herself.

The problem is, sometimes the balls pop out of the top a little too hard and go flying across the room.  I try to sit with her and catch them, or keep them contained with my hand, but it always seems that no matter what I do, I inevitably end up chasing balls.  They pop out and fly all over the living room, and I have to go pick them up, put them back in the toy, only to begin the process all over as soon as that little red button gets pressed...again.

Do you ever feel like life is like that?  Like no matter how hard you try to keep a handle on things, stuff just goes flying?  Like life is never quite calm and under control?  Like all your efforts to serve, obey and rely on God are fruitless, and despite your best efforts, you just end up in a vicious cycle of chasing balls?

I know I do.  I get frustrated when life doesn't go my way.  Or when God doesn't answer a prayer on my terms, in my time.  Or when I feel like I'm trying so hard to follow Christ and live the life that God wants for me, yet continue to get knocked down.  Discouraged.  Mocked.

But I continue to press on.  Because I know who I serve and to whom I belong.  And I know that in the end, that is all that matters.  That when I stand before God one day, He will be proud of the work that I did for His glory and His kingdom, and while it was certainly not perfect, He will know that I served, loved, and lived for Him with all my heart. 

Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."  There are many things in this life that can cause us to lose heart: tough circumstances, losses in this world, the ungratefulness of some.  But Paul tells us we must never lose heart or grow weary, but at all times, in all seasons, continue to do good.  We have to carry on, never ceasing to do the work that God calls us to do.   "For in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary."  The important thing to remember is that in due time means in God's time, not mine.  God promises that we will see the fruits of our labor, but it may not necessarily be on this side of heaven.  So all we can do is persevere, be patient, and continue to do good.  Press on in what God has for us and never stop thanking Him for each and every blessing.    

Blog Party Introduction!

This week, Lynnette Kraft at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground is hosting the Harvest of Friends Blog Party!  If you would like to participate, create a post introducing yourself, link to the party via her blog, and then go explore other fun blogs and make some new blogging buddies!!  It's going to be a great time!  (p.s. Feel free to use all, some or none of the 20 questions below to help us get to know you a little better!)

So, I guess I will introduce myself now.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and try my best to live a life that honors Him.  I am married to my high school sweetheart who is the Music Minister at our church.  We have one beautiful baby girl, and are now expecting baby number 2, a little boy.  We are still trying to finalize his name, but once we do we don't tell anyone because we like for something to be a surprise, which drives all our friends CRAZY.  :)  We also have a slightly neurotic cat who thinks he's a dog, and keeps us pretty entertained.

I went to school at the BEST school in the country, James Madison University, and received a degree in Mathematics and Teaching.  I then spent one whole semester teaching high school before going on maternity leave and staying home with my baby.  I am contemplating going back, but change my mind every other day.  While at JMU, I marched with the award-winning Marching Royal Dukes, because, yes, I am a band geek, and I'm not afraid to admit it!  

I suppose I could go on and on about myself, but for now I'll leave it at that and answer some of these fun and silly questions:

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?  Honestly I don't usually eat while on the computer, but if I am snacking, it is probably a bag of chips.

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?  Ok, I'm going to cheat a little and say two things- my family and my bible.

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?  BEACH- I'm from the beach (in Virginia) and miss it terribly.  I also miss the beautiful beaches of Nicaragua.

Morgan's Rock, where we spent our honeymoon

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?  Cleaning the bathroom...

5. Who do people say you remind them of?  I used to hear Katie Holmes a lot...although I have to say I do not see a resemblance at all.

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?  99% of the time I would rather just spend time with my family.  I'm not usually a social butterfly.

7. What's your all time favorite movie?  Wow, I have a lot of favorites, but one of them is definitely Gone With the Wind.

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?  Well, being a Mary Kay consultant, I better say I always remove it :) (But honestly, I am 6 months pregnant and tired all the time...so every once in a while, I sleep in my makeup...)

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?  I definitely do not have any hidden talents, but I do own a guitar that I would LOVE to be able to play one day!!

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?  Again, no hidden talents...but I am good at math, which is probably strange to some people!

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?  How different he was from all the other guys I knew.  He was passionate about what he believed, and I really admired that.

12. What is something you love to smell?  My husband's shaving cream or hair gel.

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.  Hmm...I can't think of anything right now...I'll ask my husband, I'm sure he can name some things! haha

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?  My first instinct would be to buy something for my daughter, or for our house, but then I know the responsible thing to do is to use it to pay off debt.

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?  I think I am only a loud laugher when something is really really funny.  Like an episode of the Office or Psych

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?  Target.

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?  Go on walks with my family.

18. Are you a big spender or frugal? Definitely frugal.

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)  The main character in the book "The Measure of a Lady," by DeeAnne Gist (Can't remember her name right now).  I can relate to her a lot.

20. Would you want to be famous?  As a Christian, I would like to have that kind of influence to be able to reach more people, but that would be a lot of responsibility and I'm not really sure I could handle it.

Hope you will join in the party as well!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.  GOOD TIMES! :)

This week, I definitely did NOT let me daughter play on the floor of the doctor's office just to try and distract her to keep her from screaming.  And then I did not join her on the floor to keep her away from the trash can for hazardous waste.  What mother would let their child play around such expensive equipment and dangerous materials? Certainly not me!

I would also never use her lack of sleep and her "need" to get out of the house and drive around as an excuse for my husband and I to go out to dinner.  No, I would never substitute the 15 minute drive to the restaurant for a real afternoon nap!  And of course, once we were there, I would not let her munch on my french fries to continue to keep her quiet while we enjoy a relaxing dinner.

And what kind of irresponsible, unprepared mother would I be if I went out shopping without a sufficient supply of baby wipes?  I, of course, never leave the house without them, so I would never have the need to wipe off my daughter's spit-up covered face with my hand.  And I certainly would not then proceed to wipe the spit up on my pants, because that is just gross!

This week I definitely did not leave my poor baby in a dirty diaper because we were running late to get to the airport.  I absolutely would never sniff to see if it was poopy, then shrug and say, "Um, it'll be ok.  I can change it later." 

And finally, this weekend, I most certainly did not dress my entire family in purple and gold from head to toe to celebrate the Homecoming that I was bitter about not being able to attend.  We then did NOT spend the rest of the evening in mourning because our usually tremendously successful football team got destroyed at our homecoming.     

Join me next week to see what other crazy things I did NOT do!!

25 Weeks and Counting!

Well, I am 25 weeks pregnant today, and already ready to be done!  Not that this has been a difficult or challenging pregnancy.  Not that I am suffering from morning sickness or in a great deal of pain (aside from the occasional back pains).  And not that I am even swelling or overly huge.

I just hate being pregnant. 

That's right, I said it.  I hate being pregnant.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the joy that comes with knowing that a wonderfully perfect child that God created is steadily growing inside of me.  And I LOVE every single movement and kick and flip and roll that I feel.  But I hate the actual being pregnant part.

I hate that I am constantly adding to the pile of clothes that no longer fit. 

I hate that my skin is never clear no matter what combination of skincare products I try.

I hate that pretty much all food upsets my stomach.

I hate that it takes a good 4-5 months before I have a clearly defined "baby bump," and no longer look like I just gained some weird weight in weird places.

I hate that everyone and their brother feels the need to touch my stomach.

I hate that I never feel caught up on my sleep.

I hate that strange things, like how cute my cat looks sleeping, or an episode of The Office, make me cry.  

I hate that I can't walk anywhere for more than 30 minutes without having pain in muscles I didn't even know I had.

And I hate the number I see when I step on the scale and the fact that there is nothing I can do about it until this sweet little boy is out of me. 

But, I love the fact that God has yet again blessed us with a healthy, growing child.  And I love the knowledge that God trusts us enough to raise him.  And I especially love the moment when a brand new little person enters this world, is placed in my arms, and looks up at me for the first time.  In that single moment, I forget everything I went though during pregnancy, forget the pain and frustrations I felt during labor, and know without a doubt that I would do it all over again to experience the indescribable joy of that moment just one more time.    

So for now, I have 15 weeks until my due date.  But maybe he'll come a little early.  I'll just pray to that end!

A Day of Remembrance

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  While I am unbelievably blessed to have never experienced this immense loss personally, this is a subject that is very sensitive and near to my heart.  In just the past few months, I have had three friends lose their precious babies due to miscarriage.  I am not even going to pretend to know what this kind of loss feels like, but I have wept with them and for them, and prayed with everything in me that God would give a peace and understanding that only He can give.

While it may seem easy to say, the truth is, each and everyone of these babies was created and planned by God.  I don't know why they had to go to be with Him in heaven before their mommies and daddies got to meet them here on this earth, but I do know that God is sovereign and in control.  He has a reason and a purpose for taking them away so soon, and whatever is was, it was for His glory.  I pray that through each and every loss, as unbearably painful as they had to be, my friends were able to draw closer to God and rely on His strength, and experience His love and peace in a way they have never known before.

"The word of the LORD came to me, saying,  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart,"  Jeremiah 1:5a 

God knew these babies.  He created them.  He loved them.  And in the midst of all the hurt and pain of loss, is God's amazing and perfect plan.  Today, as I remember and pray for all the babies who we have not yet been able to meet, and each of my dear friends who has had to go through such a difficult time, I cling to this promise.  Through all the tears I remind myself of the loving and perfect God that we serve, and His plan that is perfect, even if I do not understand.

Please take a moment today to pray for anyone you know who has lost a baby due to miscarriage, stillbirth or SIDS, as well as all the people who this difficult loss has affected across the world.  Thank you for your love and prayers.

The State Fair of Texas: Serious Fried Food, Pig-Racing FUN!

This weekend, along with my husband, daughter, in-laws, and sister-in-law, I went to the State Fair of Texas for the very first time!  It was actually the first state fair I have been to ever, so the whole thing was quite an experience.

Unfortunately, it was unseasonably cold for October in Texas, which was a bummer.  But we didn't let that stop us!  Everyone bundled up, including my little girl:

One of the first attractions was a stunt dog show.  Quite entertaining!  They were such adorable dogs and had been rescued from shelters, which made it even better to see.  I even got it all on video, so my little girl can watch it again when she's older.  I think I can safely assume that she will not remember seeing the live show.  Although, I guess I could just take her to the fair again, but it'll never be her "first" again.  :)

We also got to see a pig race.  That's right, a pig race.  One of the most hill-billyish, hilariously entertaining attractions I have ever seen.  I don't think I can even describe it to you.  You just have to go and see one for yourself! (And yes, this is also on video!)

The fair grounds are so huge, and there are so many things to see and do, I could not even believe it.  But probably some of the most famous "must-trys" for the state fair are the multitude of fried foods.  Just about anything you can think of is deep-fried or on a stick, and this year's list of Big Tex Choice Award finalists included green goblins (green peppers stuffed with chicken and guacamole and deep fried), fried butter, fried peaches 'n cream, fried pecan pie, twisted yam on a stick, fried pork chips, sweet jalapeno corn dog shrimp, and fried peanut butter cup macaroons.  My mother-in-law and sister-in-law were determined to check off every single food on the list, and although it would be quite a feet, and I wish I could say I accomplished it right along with them, I just could not bring myself to eat some of these foods.  Ok, any of these foods.  Being pregnant, my stomach has a sudden aversion to pretty much all food, so I can never really tell what will upset me or not.  Maybe next time I will be a little more daring.  I did enjoy some very tasty curly fries and a burger, however!
 
A few more pictures from our fun-filled, albeit looooooong day:

Ahhhh, good times were had by all.  If you are ever in Texas during the fair, make it a point to stop by-there is definitely something there for everyone!!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.  GOOD TIMES! :)

This is officially my first "not me," so I'm pretty excited!  Hope you enjoy all the crazy things I absolutely did not do this week!!

This week I certainly did not put some of our groceries back at the grocery store so that I would have enough money to buy pumpkins to decorate our front porch.  No, I would never put pumpkins before food for my family!

Nor did I stuff my child's face with corn puffs, just to get her to stop crying.  I would obviously never encourage that kind of behavior!  I would also never leave her hanging out in her crib playing just so I can have a few more moments to myself.  No, I am not so selfish as to ignore my daughter like that!

And of course no one as polite and sweet as I am would ever sneak off with her husband for drinks (cherry coke of course!) and dessert at Applebee's for an impromptu date when they were supposed to be buying formula at Wal-Mart, leaving the fantastically patient and understanding in-laws at home with the baby.  No, I would never ever be so sneaky as that! Nope, not me!!

Let's be honest...

Ok, so scripture has a lot to say about jealousy. For instance: "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime...not in dissension and jealousy." Romans 13:13. Or: "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" 1 Corinthians 3:3. And so on and so on. So, I think it's safe to say that jealousy is not really seen as an admirable character trait, or something the godly, mature Christian is aspiring to. But does it always have to be an emotion worthy of condemnation?

Because let's be honest...sometimes I get jealous.

But not in a oh-my-gosh-that's-so-not-fair-that-I-can't-have-what-you-have kind of way. No, I don't ever get jealous like that. (Well, at least that's not what I'm talking about tonight...I am human, after all). But, surely I can be jealous in a righteous, Christian, I'm-so-proud-of-what-you're-doing-and-wish-I-could-do-it-too, kind of way, right? Maybe?

Because if I am totally, completely, from the bottom of my heart, honest today, I would have to say that I am struggling with jealousy.

In the past few days, some dear friends of ours packed their bags/tubs/backpacks, boarded a plane, flew to Nicaragua, and then proceeded to get settled in for their new life in the heart of Central America. Let me be clear: they not only flew to Nicaragua, they moved there. To live. To serve. To love. And yes, suffice it to say, I am just the tiniest bit jealous. Ok, maybe more than a tiny bit. Because as much as I love Texas (like Texas?), Nicaragua is where my heart is. I was admiring their recently updated photos tonight and found myself pining for the beauty of the beaches, the hustle and bustle of the city, and the take-your-breath-away (due in part to the gushing sulfur pouring out of its mouth and into your lungs) volcanoes. Ah, how I wish I was there.

I mean, look at that view!

Isn't it beautiful?

Such sweet children, ready and willing to serve the Lord. What a precious sight!

Sigh. Oh well. I guess for tonight I will just have to pray for forgiveness of my jealous heart, and for the protection and provision of my friends. And, of course, begin the countdown until I get to visit and share in everything they are accomplishing!