Content at Home

For those of you who know me well, or follow my blog, you know that I love to learn about nutrition, organics, eating healthfully, etc.. Well, I came across this little video tonight and thought it was interesting. I am not agreeing with all of her conclusions in this video but I did find it helpful to gain a different perspective about all of the "stuff" that consumes us everyday. I have been working harder and harder to remove toxic things [i.e. household cleaners, toxic soap, etc...] from our home and to use glass instead of plastic when I freeze food, etc... I do not consider myself super "green," but I do think it is wise to be good stewards of the things [and earth] that God has given us.

If you're interested, take a few minutes and watch this video.

I want to highlight what we were up to this weekend, so here's a quick overview for ya'll.

Friday night we went to Southern's Sesquicentennial Celebration. They had BMX bikers (stunt bikes), free food and drinks, a mechanical bull, fun rides for kids, face painting, fireworks, etc... It was so much fun! Southern has a wonderful 150 year legacy of boldly teaching truth and raising up leaders for the next generation. Kyle and I count it a privilege to be apart of such a wonderful, Christ-centered, school!

Saturday morning I worked, then came home, made my grocery list for the week, and went shopping. I made chili and cranberry-pecan corn muffins (recipe to come). It was very yummy! We sat and took time to relax and watch a movie during dinner. It was really nice because we hardly ever watch movies anymore!


Sunday we had a great morning at church, worshiping with fellow brothers and sisters. We love our Community Group and enjoy our rich discussions each week. Our community group is made up of a variety of ages and life stages, which we really like! After church we went out to eat with friends from our Group at Qudoba.

Sunday afternoon we went to my co-worker's son's memorial service. That was a very sad time. Jeremy was thirty when he died this past Friday. We still do not know the cause. He was found in bed. Please be praying for his parents, Bill and Cathy, as they are grieving his loss. Also, please pray that his passing will open the door for the Gospel to be proclaimed to unbelievers.

After leaving the funeral home, Kyle spent some time studying and I worked on our calendar for the upcoming few weeks, planning out when we have free time to show hospitality to people through our home. That was a lot of fun!

From there we went to our pastor's house for a Newcomer's Ice Cream Social. There were a good many people at their house and it was fun to get to know some of the elders and leaders better, as well as other new people who are attending Crossing. Here are some pics...

Some of the girls...

Jim and Kyle. Jim's wife, Robin, is so sweet! I have enjoyed getting to know her. They adopted a sweet little girl last year and have invited us to come to an event this Friday night about adoption where they are speaking. We are looking forward to joining them!

Dustin, our pastor, brought out his guitar and was playing with Kyle. I thought this moment was adorable! Here are two of Dustin's kiddos... they had hopped up into the guitar case and were listening to Kyle play. Too cute!!!

Dustin singing with his kids...

Dustin preached a great sermon about the role of elders in our churches yesterday. Listen to it here.

So, as you can see, we've had a packed weekend! It's been great though and we have loved the time spent with friends and "family."

Recently, I've been reading a wonderful marriage book called "Love that Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace." It was written by Gary and Betsy Ricuicci. Gary has been a Pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland since 1977.

One chapter is specifically written by Betsy to the wives. The whole book has been amazing so far, but this chapter was such a great reminder to me of God's sovereignty in marriage and His sovereignty in designing me to be the helpmeet of Kyle. Even though, as you grow closer as one, and you begin to see all the imperfections of both the husband and wife, you do not have to hold those against your partner.

Betsy states: "I can only be truly grateful for the efforts of an imperfect husband if I'm truly grateful to God for the undeserved favor he extended to me in my salvation and continues to extend each day, despite my overwhelming imperfections." (pg. 54) As women, we can relate. It's so easy for us to look at the imperfections of our husbands and dwell on them, instead of focusing on everything that he does well and on the grace that God has extended to us as women, in need of much grace!

"An excellent wife is a woman endeavoring by God's grace to give her utmost to the great call of being a faithful and godly wife - and God gives grace where he intends to reveal grace. It's about serving in humility, with a focus on God's glory, according to our gifts. It's about being committed to serving and growing and changing in these areas and being a helper to our husbands, not about having attained some particular level.... The wife who lives with biblical wisdom toward her husband will, by the enabling grace of God, exhibit love, respect, and submission toward her husband and will serve him according to her gifts." (pgs. 64-65)

Being a godly wife is no different from being a godly woman. It's all about focusing of the Lord, allowing Him to sustain us as we seek to follow Him in serving others (specifically our husbands), living in obedience to Him, and living our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to His name.
So even if you're single and reading this post, you can still be cultivating these traits of a godly woman. No matter our age, status in life, or the field of ministry that God has called us to, we can honor and glorify Him by living our lives in obedience to His revealed will for us as women as seen in Scripture.

I'm a little over halfway through the book and have been so encouraged, yet also convicted. There is always work to be done in a marriage and it's only by God's grace that we can cultivate and sustain a God-glorifying marriage that reflects the beauty and passion of God.

Along with introducing this book to you I wanted to give a shout out to a couple new CDs that Sovereign Grace Ministries has released. I have many of their CDs and I always get excited when they release a new one! The songwriters do such an amazing job with intertwining scripture based lyrics and beautiful melodies. The Lord has really used many of their songs to spur me on to greater faith, trust, and reliance upon Him. I hope that their music will be uplifting to you as well!

Their new kids CD, To Be Like Jesus, was released in June. I have their first CD entitled Awesome God which I have enjoyed listening to. I can't wait to order this new CD. I look forward to introducing my own children to this music one day! What could be better than teaching your children truths about God through music? I'm not a big fan of a lot of the current children's music that is sold in our Christian stores. Even though children are young, it is never to early to be teaching them truth... not ingraining in their minds simple songs that reflect on man... I want my children to sing of our Savior!



Tomorrow the newest CD Sons and Daughters will be released at the WorshipGod Conference in Maryland. I was able to attend the WorshipGod Conference in 2006 and have deeply desired to go back ever since but have been unable to make it yet. I hope that maybe next year Kyle and I can go together!

Last year, at New Attitude (now Next), C.J. Mahaney made an announcement at the end of the conference that he wanted SG to produce a CD that focused on God as our Father. He called for all the songwriters to begin working on songs with that theme. They have done it... with this CD.

Hey All!

Sorry it's been a while again. Life has been crazy busy with work, packing to move, and wedding plans! However, I'm home tonight trying to rest up, so I thought I would take some time to update you on our lives.

We are 12 DAYS AWAY FROM OUR WEDDING!!! We are so excited! Kyle and I get the keys to our new apartment in two days, on Wednesday night. We'll hopefully be able to move a couple loads over that night, then on Thursday Kyle is getting a couple friends to help him move all of our big furniture, clothes, books, etc... I'll be working Thursday from about 8:30am to 7:00pm so I'll only be able to help that night. But I'll be off Friday while Kyle is at work so I'll be able to unpack boxes and start setting up our first home together. Woo hoo!

Early Saturday morning we leave for Texas. It'll be another 15 hour drive, but it will be so worth it! We'll be able to go to church with my parents on Sunday and see everyone. Then next week I have a pretty full week planned out with a bachelorette party, bridesmaid luncheon, etc... and Kyle will be having his bachelor party on Friday, the day before the wedding.

Preparations for the wedding are going well. I have a few things to catch up on here but almost everything is about done. One of my main goals for this week (besides moving!!!) is getting our wedding programs printed. Hopefully that will happen the early part of this week!

Prayer request: the last several days my throat has been sore and now I've found a couple swollen lymph nodes on my neck. I was sure last night and this morning that I was coming down with mono again! I had a really bad bought of it back in December and I had heard that if your body never completely heals, it is easy to contract it again. Well, this morning I went to our emergency care place in town (since I have yet to find a primary care physician!) and they ran blood work on me. The doctor thought I may be having a small flare up of mono, but it's definitely not the full thing, praise the Lord!

However, my body is obviously exhausted and fighting to stay healthy so rest is definitely top priority over the next two weeks before our wedding! How that's going to happen with packing, moving, working, unpacking, packing again for the trip to Texas and honeymoon, topped off with a 15 hour car ride to Texas, and a week packed full of things to do before the wedding, I don't know! But I will certainly be trying to take every opportunity to relax and rest!

Also, today Kyle started feeling sick! :-( He's exhausted too and there's been times when he doesn't even have energy to get out of bed. There's a stomach bug going around and we're hoping he hasn't caught that! So he is at home resting tonight as well, trying to give his body time to fight whatever is going on with him!

So, if you think of us over the next two weeks, your prayers will be MUCH appreciated because we are definitely seeing that planning a wedding, moving, and traveling to Texas for that wedding, cannot be done in our own strength. Our bodies are but dust and it is only through the Lord's strength that we will be able to endure till June 13th! Thank you for your prayers!

Well, I'm gonna start working on some other things I need to get done before the wedding... while I relax (haha!)...

Last Saturday was Thunder Over Louisville. For those of you who don't know what that is... it's how Louisville welcomes in the Derby Horse Races every year. It's a HUGE fireworks and air show that lasts from 3pm-9:30pm. People go out EARLY that morning to save seats for the big day. It'd held by the edge of the River and the fireworks are set off on the bride and on barges. If you want to check out pictures... here's the website. ThunderOverLouisville

Our plans were to drive out to meet our good friends, Jason and Jenny Coobs, and watch the show with them. However, when I got off work around 1:45, they called and said they had been driving around for almost 2 hours and could not find a parking spot. Soooo... We all decided to go to Cherokee Park and have our picnic there. Then, when it got dark, we went to the Seminary's lawn and watched the fireworks show from there. We were so grateful that we didn't have to deal with the thousands of people who were down by the waterfront!

Jason and Jenny
Robin and Nisa (friends from Jenny and Jason's church)
Kyle and Michelle
Jenny, Mrs. Coobs, and Jason
Michelle, Nisa, Jenny
The Happily Engaged Couple...

Mrs. Coobs and her sweet Puppy...
Someone was board while we were playing cards... haha!
Jason dealing the deck...
my sweet fiance...
puppy time!
umm... yeah... she liked this!
Here we are out at Southern waiting for the fireworks... looks like the guys were enjoying themselves... haha...
Yay for getting married in a little over a month!!! woo hoo!


All the girls...
All the guys...
My dear friend and bridesmaid...
All three couples...

We've had a BIG day today... It started with me getting up at 4:30am and taking our good friends Jason and Jenny Coobs to the airport to fly home. Then, after sleeping some more, I went to my second interview for a job. I got the job (Praise the Lord!!!) and I start training on Monday. Woo hoo! It's for a chiropractor's office. I'm so excited!

Next, I met Kyle up and we signed the lease for our first apartment together! Yay!!! We were so excited!

Next we went to the Resale shop at Southern and looked for free furniture for our apartment. We didn't find any furniture but I found a fun vase and two parfait glasses for free.

Next, as we were driving to my house to study, we drove down an absolutely gorgeous street nearby. Check out the pictures... We just stopped our cars and walked up and down the street. It was so relaxing and fun!!! I'm glad my man enjoys doing things like this!


I love this picture!!! These blooms are SO pretty!!!

Aww... I love my "best buddy"!!! :-)

Next, we continued the drive to my house, got in and sat down to upload these pictures, when I got a phone call from Jenny saying that their flight had been delayed all day and now until tomorrow morning, so Kyle and I hopped back in my car and drove to the airport to pick them up. We had fun seeing them for a few minutes...

Arriving back at home, we made dinner. We made manwich and since I can't eat bread we made "manwich boats" with lettuce leaves.

Yum-o! It smells so good!

Seymour thinks so too... (look at that contented face!)

They were so good and just fun and summery!

Seymour thinks he should get a treat! Seriously, how can you turn that face down?

Once we ate we finally got to sit down and try to study (which means... upload these pictures! haha...) then up from the basement come Mrs. Vaughn and Emily... they had found a BLACK WIDOW IN THE BASEMENT!!! They had trapped it in a plastic bowl. We proceeded to pour alcohol on it to kill it, then we checked it out...


Drowned by drinking... hehehe...


Emily and I quickly got our cameras and were documenting it...

Kyle was being the man and handling the spider for us... having fun poking and proding it... hehe...

Kyle and Mrs. Vaughn taking a closer look...


hehe...

And... to end the day of taking pictures perfectly, I received a text message from my sister-in-law, with a picture of my oldest nephew, Keagan. Here's what the note said: "Can we make flap jacks when you come visit???" Talk about tearing my heart out and making me miss home!!!


He's holding a picture I took of him about a year ago when we were making pancakes together. *sniff, sniff* I love my little guys so much!!!

Earlier this month GirlTalk wrote a post about The Gospel for Busy Moms. However, what they have to say can apply to all of us. They have some great tips and resources listed on their post.

Be sure to check out their link for Gospel Scriptures.

Enjoy!

We are beginning to see spring arrive here in Louisville. The trees are beginning to bud... flowers are coming up by the roadside... our excitement is peaking as we see the hope of springtime!

Here's a tree in full bloom... they are all over the city:



Oh... and here's my sweet Honey and I on a late night walk along Frankfort with Heine Brother's Coffee...

Last night Jason took engagement pictures for Kyle and I and then we had dinner together at their house afterward. We had so much fun hanging with our dear friends. Jenny cooked a yummy chicken dish... super good!

Here are a few pictures to document the night:

My Sweetie and I...
Jason and Jenny... my bridesmaid and wedding photographer...
My sweet friend, Jenny, and I
Our yummy dinner; consisting of cranberry chicken, potatoes, green beans, and delicious ice cream!
Caught in the act...
diggin' in... except... haha... there's no food on our plates... haha! Oops! Blooper!
Jenny, digging into green beans (or wait, is that Jason's arm?)
Who's gonna get the biggest piece?