I find myself in need of a Savior

I've been thinking alot about the true meaning of Christmas lately. This year, we have less money to spend on presents and I've focused so much more on celebrating Christ's coming as a baby. I have the poor economy to thank for this. It has been such a blessing to focus on Christ's love for us in the fact that He came to earth as a baby to be a sacrifice for our sins.

I was praying today thanking God for His grace in my life. Thanking him that He forgives again and again .. for the same sins that I struggle with daily. So as I was praying, I thought to myself how much I need my Savior. For many reasons, but especially because of my daily struggle with sin. Because of that, I find myself in need of a Savior. Daily!

I'm so thankful that He came. That God in flesh came down to give himself as a sacrifice for me. Knowing that I would disappoint him time and time again didn't thwart his love for me or his coming. He still came BECAUSE I would disappoint him time and time again.

and so.. I find myself in need of a Savior.

Why

Have you ever questioned why God lets things happen to people? Why He allows such awful pain in his children's lives? I wonder that from time to time. And this morning is no exception. This morning I watched a slideshow of pictures of Kate McRae and her family. These pictures were taken this past weekend by a photographer that flew from Texas to Arizona just to photograph Kate and her family. Her story has touched so many lives. This photographer is a cancer survivor so she understood everything that Kate and her family is going through. As I watched the slideshow and sobbed like a baby, I cried out to God to heal Kate. I have cried out that prayer to him for months now on Kate's behalf and I still choose to believe that He is able to heal her and that He will. But it still doesn't make it any easier to swallow that she is having to suffer like that at only five years old. She is starting her third round of chemo and it is supposed to be a really harsh round, but at least now we now that the chemo is working. The tumor is shrinking and God is still in control!
So I continue to trust Him. Not because of the circumstances, but because of His Character! I don't have to know the answers to my questions. I just need to know Who is able to answer them. Even if I may never know those answers until I see his face in heaven one day.

To check out that slideshow go to : www.ohsoposhphotography.com and then click on blog... scroll down and click on the white arrow on the first picture of kate.

A lesson from the nursing home

I have had the interesting experience of getting to do my clinicals for my Certified Nursing Assistant class at Adams Farm Center for Living and Rehabilitation. It has been both a sad and wonderful experience. One of the most wonderful things that I have seen happened on our first night and it stuck with me. We were taking our tour of the facility and a lot of the residents there were sitting in the halls in their wheelchairs lined up and observing us. We passed this one section of residents and I heard a lady singing, "Hallelujah, thine the glory. Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah, thine the glory, Revive Us Again." I smiled immediately because I recognized that hymn as one that we used to sing at the church I grew up in. My dad was the song leader so I was very familiar with those hymns.
Anyway, when I heard it,I smiled and thought to myself,."Even though that poor little lady has lost her mind, she had that hymn so deeply engrained in her memory that it came out when nothing else could." After I left that night, I thought about it a lot. It is interesting how some people who never cursed in their life, curse like sailors when they lose their mind. And then others, like this little lady, sing hymns. It is my prayer that I would love my Savior and have the things of Him so deeply engrained in my mind and soul that I would sing hymns or songs of worship to my Savior even when my mind is gone. What a testimony.

My experience in the unemployment line..

This morning, I had the pleasure of going to the employment security commission office. The office opened at 8:30 but I was told it would open at 8:15, and being my punctual self, I got there at 7:45.... that's right.. I ended up being 45 minutes early. Nevertheless, when I got there, there were already several people in line.. lined up outside the door. It was crazy. By the time, they opened the door, I bet there was 40 people in line. It was crazy. And sad. I heard stories all around me of people losing their jobs after 30 years with the companies. There were people of all ages, all colors, all backgrounds, yet we all had a common bond... UNEMPLOYMENT. The dreaded word. One guy that I stood in line beside was a minister to people in prisons and he said the most important thing we have is our hope in Christ. That is so true.
I have been depressed in the past about being unemployed, depressed about our money hardships.. but in the past week, my outlook on things has changed dramatically. My dear friends' daughter has brain cancer. How could anything I'm going through even come CLOSE to that? I still have my health. I still have my family. No one in my family is fighting for their life. I would say my life is pretty great.
So- I say all of that to say this: We should use this time to remember what is really important. Our faith in Christ, our relationships with our families and the people around us.
Don't get bogged down by things that really don't matter.

And keep praying for Kate and the McRaes. They desperately need you prayers. Kate has a long road ahead of her until God chooses to heal her, which I believe that He will.

Update on Kate McRae

Her very delicate brain surgery is set for today 9:00 a.m. MT in Arizona.
Her parents posted this video yesterday and asked that we spread this any way we know how, so I don't know how many people read my blog, but even if one person sees this video and prays for her then my blog will have served it's purpose.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ese3zYZ-NA4
This video broke my heart to watch some of my dearest friends world shaking on the verge of shattering. Please pray for this family and their daughter Kate.
I remember when Holly was pregnant with Kate. She had early contractions in like her 5th month of pregnancy in the middle of the night. I went to stay with Olivia their older daughter that night while Holly and Aaron went to the hospital to get the contractions stopped. They got the contractions stopped and Holly had a healthy pregnancy after that. I know that even then, the Lord had big plans for little Kate. He still does. Plans for a hope and a future. We don't know what those plans are but I am trusting the God who created little Kate to do big things for her and go on to use her in a mighty way one day.
Please pray hard today. God is mighty. He always comes through.

Pray for Kate

My heart is so broken for my friends in Arizona, Aaron and Holly McRae. They are church planters out in Pheonix and their little girl, Kate, has just been diagnosed with a massive brain tumor in her basal ganglia. She is undergoing a MRI as I type this to determine exactly how large it is and if it has spread to her spine. Please pray for little Kate, who is only 5 1/2 years old. She is so scared as are her dear parents. Pray for her sister Olivia and her brother Will. They are going through a terrible time right now. Pray for healing for Kate and for strength for Aaron and Holly.

If you want to follow this beautiful little girl's story, the website is www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

The family is updating everyone by this website while they go through this horrible experience.

I know we serve a BIG GOD! He is able to shrink this tumor and make it easily operable. He is able to make it go away completely. But more than anything, He is able to hold the McRae's in His mighty hands and shelter them during this storm.

I Pet 4:19 Trust in the God who made you!

Please join me in praying for this family.

A Mighty Fortress

"So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you." I Pet. 4:19

I have read this chapter many times and never noticed this verse. And it is such a powerful verse! It sticks out now because I know so many believers suffering right now. People that are unemployed and unable to pay their bills, women are have lost babies, marriages that are falling apart, family members that are dying. My heart is breaking for these people. But God gave those that are suffering a special word through this verse. He says if you're suffering and it is something He allowed to happen as part of his will, then keep living for Him. Keep doing what is right. Keep obeying him and looking to him. Trust Him because he's the one that made you. Why should you trust him? Because he will NEVER fail you. That's a pretty amazing promise. That promise makes suffering a little more bearable.

He is our mighty fortress.

"A mighty fortress is our God. A sacred refuge is Your name. Your kingdom is unshakeable. With you forever we will reign. "-A Mighty Fortress, Christy Nockels.

Faithful..

God is so faithful. I'm so thankful for his consistency and stability. Our life is not consistent these days.. and not really stable.. but I have a Father who is both of those things! Yesterday, the pastor preached on the Fear of Unemployment. We are experiencing that and have been for a couple of months. But it is so amazing how He continues to provide for us. He really is the Great Provider! There are days when I worry about how I'm going to be able to finish school without a job, and how will I finish school while I work a job that isn't Builder's Fireplace? But, I was reminded yesterday that He holds my future and He wouldn't have led me back to school if He didn't intend on finishing the work that He started there.
God is GOOD!
If there is anyone that reads this, I hope they will pray for our family, Pray for our finances. Pray that God will continue to provide for us and meet our needs. But pray for all the families out there that are struggling. There are so many that have been affected by unemployment. Pray for God to provide for them as well.

On a different note, Yesterday I discovered Fifer had become infested with fleas. YYUCK.. so I spent all night ridding him of those nasty things.. today I only found one on him so I think they are starting to disappear.. Hopefully they will not come back. I think he may have become infested with them on a recent playdate.. One that will never happen again! YUCK YUCK YUCK
I still feel like I have fleas crawling all over me.. EWWWWW

A New Stage of Life

Next month I will turn 27. And I'm starting to feel old. I know that I'm not old, but sometimes I feel like it. It is interesting how much has changed in my life in the past several months. I went back to school. I got a sweet puppy. I got temporarily laid off from work. And as of yesterday, I am permanently laid off from work now. Business just is too slow for them to have me back in July. This was not surprising for me but it still made me really sad. Not just for the obvious reason that we are officially poor now, but because I worked there for almost five years. It was like the end of an era. So much of my life is changing. I'm a student now and sometimes I feel like my future is up in the air. But even when everything around me continues to change ( and I HATE CHANGE).. I can find some peace in knowing that my Lord never changes. He is always the same. His love for me is always the same. His provisions continue. His mercies are new every morning. I can be sure of my future because I know He is in control of my future. There is a Matt Redman song that says, "Praise you, the God of our yesterdays, Praise You, the God who is here today, Praise You, our God as tomorrow comes. So whatever lies ahead Whatever roads our grateful hearts will come to tread You'll be there, Lord We will fix our eyes on You And know that there is grace enough to see us through You'll be there, Lord You'll be there in the struggle You'll be there in the fight You'll be there all the time .." God is so good. I'll praise Him through all the struggles and be thankful for who He is!

Getting back into shape.

I had no idea just how out of shape I had gotten until I joined a gym this week. Actually, Corey and I both joined a gym. They opened up a new one about 2 minutes from our house and it's open 24 hours a day so I have no excuse for not making time to go.. even when I go back to work and I'm going to school!
But- back to how out of shape I am.. sheesh! I had not worked out in an entire year! Not even a little tiny work out. I broke my ankle a year ago and had to have surgery on it so I obviously couldn't work out for a couple of months due to that... however, I didn't realize that it doesn't take long to lose that buff body you have when you do absolutely nothing. All I've done for the past year is sit around on my butt and eat.. and I have clothes that don't fit anymore to prove it. So, since they opened up the gym so close, Corey and I both decided it was time to do something about our rounded middles and big butts.
The first day working out was embarrassing... no just plain downright SHAMEFUL! But, slowly and surely, I'm getting back into shape.. It's a slow process but I know in the end it will be worth it.. My goal is to lose 10 pounds. That is reasonable enough, I think. I just wonder how long it will take to do it.. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

How He Loves Us

Sunday, Corey and I visited a church for the second time and they did a song called "How He Loves Us" and I wept when I heard it. If you know me well at all, you know that I cry pretty easily but I haven't cried at church in so long, I couldn't even tell you how long it had been. As I sat there listening to the words, I felt the Lord draw me close to himself like I can't ever remember Him doing.. And I have felt His presence so closely since. He used this song to awaken something in me that had been asleep for several years. I had forgotten how much He loves me!
Here are the lyrics.. and if you want to hear the song, you should google Kim Walker's version of the song. It's pretty incredible.
He is jealous for me Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so Oh, how He loves us How He loves us so. Yeah, He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves.
So we are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes If grace is an ocean we're all sinking So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss and my heart turns violently inside of my chest I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way That he loves us,
Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves He loves us, Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves us Woah, how He loves

All I can say is that my heart is absolutely overflowing with His LOVE FOR ME!

To go back...

I have not blogged in awhile. It is final exam week and I have been really stressing out and studying as much as possible. Tonight is my last final exam and I will be finished for the semester. Thank you Lord for getting me through this semester! There were definately times when I questioned whether I would make it or not.
So, Last night, I was reading a blog of an old college aquaintance of mine and she had blogged about regret. In her blog, she said she hates it when people say they don't regret anything in their life because they wouldn't be where they are today if they hadn't made those choices. I agree with her. If I could have some do-overs, I would do them in a second! I have made some really bad choices in my life. I have been through some things, that quite frankly, I wouldn't go through again if I could change it. I believe I went through some of those things because of my own stubbornness and my own sin. I was rash in making some decisions, I didn't pray through some things before I went barrelling ahead. At the end of her blog, she challenged herself to start thinking before she made a choice, " where will this decision land me in 10-15 years"...
I've decided to take her advice. I would like to start taking a little bit more time when I make a decision. I would absolutely like to start praying a little longer before making a decision.
Don't get me wrong, there are also things that I wouldn't change in my life for all the money and fame in the world. I am so glad I married my husband after only 11 months of being together. Some people may call that rash, but he is my perfect match and I truly believe I got God's best in that department! I don't regret going back to school after all that time of being a working woman :).. I know that that is a decision that will land me somewhere great in 10-15 years.
But since I can't go back and change those things that I wish I could, I am thankful for the lessons learned and the challenges of recent blogs to think and pray before I start rushing into things.
Thank you Lord for life experiences and that you work ALL things for good ( good AND bad decisions alike). You are truly good all the time.

Latest News

Yesterday I received news that I will be laid off for the next 2 months from work. It's sad that it will obviously be less money for us, but we are trusting our Lord to provide for us, and we are confident that He will continue to take care of us financially and physically. He has been so good to us. Praise Him!
To look at it positively, I am very excited that I have been given this time to concentrate on my school for the summer and to focus on Corey and our family. It is a great gift that has been given to me... an opportunity to be a housewife for two months! I'll keep you updated on how I like it.

HAPPY EASTER

I used to get excited about Easter because I LOVED hunting eggs. My friend Jamie Stone and I seriously hunted eggs til we were about 14! Call it immature if you want, but all I know is it was FUN!
This morning, I woke up excited to celebrate that my Lord is RISEN! I've been looking forward to this day more than usual this year. I honestly don't know why except I sure have sensed His grace so fully this year and today is the reason I can experience that grace. My heart is swelling with thankfulness for his sacrifice and at his power because he CONQUERED DEATH.. for me.. for YOU!
Thank you my sweet Savior, for your sacrifice of your pure life on the cross and because you didn't just stay in that tomb, you rose again on the third day just like you promised. Thank you for keeping your promises to us. Thank you for paying it all for me so I don't have to. You reign victorious! Praise you, Lord.
May we celebrate our Risen Lord today.

My beautiful Dog-Child

So these are the latest pictures of Fifer Bernard Dalton. I seriously think he is the most beautiful toy poodle that God ever created. Not to mention the smartest! These are of him after his grooming visit. The ladies there tied a cute little Easter egg kerchief around his neck.. How adorable is that?? Even though it does make him look a little like a girl. That's ok.. He can be metrosexual ;) By the way, he knows how to sit now!

Life Updates

So I was just thinking about posting a blog with some updates on our life and I realized how BORING our life is.. but as boring as it is.. I really love it.
So.. here are updat
Our dog-child Fifer just turned 4 months old on the 20th and he is growing like a weed. It is time for another grooming visit tomorrow morning so maybe I'll take some pictures and post them on here tomorrow if I have time. He is almost completely potty trained except when he can't hold it all night. Now he goes to the door and sits down when he needs to go out and if he's on the couch he'll go to the edge of the couch and sit and stare at me if he needs to go. We discovered he loves shredded cheese and that is the treat that finally trained him! He also knows how to "sit" now. Thanks to watching many episodes of the Dog Whisperer, I am becoming an expert trainer.. heheh
Our last Sunday doing the youth will be the last Sunday of April and thus will begin our new season of life.
Corey's job is going well despite the economy and the big layoff they had several weeks ago, so he is hanging in there and we are thankful for the Lord providing for us. We have still been able to pay all of our bills and I am more and more assured that He is a GREAT GOD!
School is going well for me. I'm pulling a B in the second semester of Anatomy and Physiology, so that hopefully will be enough for me to get into nursing when I apply in the fall. I'm just praying that His will be done.
So, that isn't too exciting but simplicity is always a good thing in life and I do love my life.

walking in faith

I was reading Oswald Chambers this morning before work and he had an amazing quote in today's reading.. it said living in faith is not mounting up on wings, but of walking and not fainting.
These days I am praying and trying my hardest to walk and not faint. Things can look so dreary with the economy getting worse and worse, people losing their jobs and not being able to pay their bills. Corey and I are just now starting to experience what other people have been experiencing for a while now. Our cash stash is getting smaller and smaller and we're really having to tighten our belts where spending is concerned. I'm working less and less and I've been starting to get depressed about it. Then this morning, I felt like the Lord really spoke to me and reminded me in his love that living a life with Him was never promised to be easy and wouldn't necessarily always be full of success by the world's standards, but He has promised to sustain me and keep me walking.. and keep me from fainting. What an amazing promise that he will keep me close to Him and hold me up when I'm tired and feel discouraged. Thank you Father for your mercy in my life.

It must break God's heart...

It must break God's heart to see the state of the world today. It must break his heart to see how people smear his name by calling themselves Christians and then living their lives as if He is not important. My heart is so burdened for the Church today, I literally want to cry. I have lived only a mere 26 years and yet I have seen so much hurt evidenced in the church. So many people hurt, so many sins swept under the rug and excused with no consequences. Am I any better than those people?? Absolutely NOT! The only difference between me and a nonbeliever is that my sins have been covered by the holy blood of Jesus Christ. But I pray with all of my heart that I will glorify His Name with all of my actions. I pray that He would give me the strength to stand up for Him daily. I don't want to be the reason that someone falls away from Him. I don't want to give someone an excuse or reason to belittle His bride.
How long O Lord will you allow this horrible sinful state to go on in your Church? God Break our hearts for the sin in our lives, for the sin in our land. We cry out we need your help, come back to our land. We confess we've lived in sin. PLEASE SHOW YOUR POWER ONCE AGAIN

Seasons

I am loving the weather we've been having here lately. I actually laid out in the sun on Saturday and Sunday and got burned! Craziness.. but it's going to turn cold again this weekend. YUCK! I am so ready for spring. This winter has been a really cold one, obviously.. with the huge snow we had last week. I think I have discovered that I am a spring lover. I don't like summer all that much because it is just too hot and fall is ok but not my favorite and after the winter we had, I'm pretty sure I hate winter! So,I have really been holding out for spring.
Something that I have learned from life recently is that our lives have seasons too. Our spiritual life has seasons and our life in general has seasons. This past Sunday, we announced to the youth and their parents that our "season" of helping with the youth was ending. We resigned and will be finished at the end of April with our committment. It was a really tough decision for us but it was the right one. With Corey's work schedule being about 60 hours a week and my working full time and going to school at night, our family time has really suffered. So, after praying about it for a while, we felt a peace in knowing the Lord had released us from this season of service in our life. While we were sad at the thought of not spending that time with the kids, we were excited at the thought of having more time for each other again. It's something we've really missed and we're just thankful that the Lord used this season of service to teach us so much.
I'm thankful that the Lord gives us different seasons in our life. It keeps things exciting and interesting.. and we're looking forward to our season of rest now.
Thank you Lord for knowing when it's time for rest for us.

Thankful for Grace

I honestly don't even iknow where to start this blog except to thank my Lord Jesus Christ for his sacrifice for our salvation so that we can truly experience the miracle of HIS GRACE. I saw on the news this weekend where a friend on mine from college who is a youth pastor in the area was arrested on charges of having sex witha 14 year old. He is married with a toddler and a baby. I was absolutely nauseated when I heard the news. I was disappointed and just completely heartbroken for his wife and kids. The affair with the teenager had been going on for several months, so it wasn't just a one-time "mess-up". When I found this all out, I honestly didn't know how I was supposed to be feeling about it.. how a Christian is supposed to react to news like this. My first instinct was to reach out to his wife, which I did, just letting know I was praying for her and their family. All I can really say about it now is that our God is merciful and full of grace and that He can restore anyone back to a perfect relationship with Him because He is able! Over the years, I have known several pastors to make some pretty big mistakes like this and while some recover and their families survive the heartbreak, others do not. But it ultimately comes down to accepting Christ's grace in your life and getting started on the long road to recovery.
I obviously will not mention any names here but if you're reading this, I'm asking you to please pray for this family. It is going to take a long time to recover from this and there is going to be some jail time he will have to serve because he was charged with several felony counts of sexual assault and indecent exposure. Please pray for God to restore the young man and to surround his wife with a special peace and a heart of forgiveness.

My Soapbox brought on by The Bachelor!

Ok, so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and write a blog about the reality show, "the Bachelor"... I don't know how many of you watch it, but if you did.. shoot, even if you don't, you've probably heard what happened Monday night. The guy, Jason, picked one girl at the end of the show and proposed, only to ( 6 weeks later), decide to "follow his heart" and dump her on national television and proceed to ask the other girl that he had dumped 6 weeks ago for another chance. For any of you that know much about me, you know about an experience I went through about 8 years ago. I got engaged my sophomore year of college and we had set a wedding date, and I was honestly in love with this guy. Then, a couple of months later when I went to visit him out of state, we spent a whole week together, only to have him dump me the day before I was supposed to come back to North Carolina. I was heartbroken and really really angry.
So, watching this show on Monday night brought back some pretty horrible memories on my part. Am I glad now that I didn't marry this guy? Absolutely! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from a huge mistake.. But the problem that I have with this guy in my life and with Jason from the Bachelor is that it sure seems like nobody takes engagements very seriously anymore. This frustrates me because if you are a girl, you know what a big deal getting engaged is.. and it only happens for the first time once.. so, when a guy goes back on his engagement and breaks it off.. this girl can't get that first time back ever again. He has stolen that from her.
I was so incredibly blessed to find a man like my Corey. While we were dating, he was so careful with my heart. He didn't rush things and he was always very careful to pray and know what God wanted before he ever made any kind of decision. He didn't even tell me he loved me until he knew for sure that God wanted us to get married. That is the kind of man that girls are looking for.. not the kind that makes rash decisions and in the process breaks girls hearts..
so... Men.. take some advice from a girl who got hurt by a very rash decision.. be careful with girls' hearts because one day you will give an account for what you did with it.

ok = so I'm off my soap box and I feel so much better now! heheheh
me and my guilty pleasure of reality tv

snow

we got an absolutely beautiful snow last night and this is what we awoke to this morning.. north carolina doesn't get snows like this often, and quite honestly I haven't enjoyed it like normal because the dog refuses to pee outside. so.. I have towels down all over our hardwoods and he has proceeded to pee on most of them.. sheesh.. I hope this snow melts soon. But it sure is pretty despite the inconvenience of it all.

Being Winsome

I read during my devotions the quote : To win someone , you must be winsome". The dictionary says that winsome means engaging, that someone who is winsome wins friends easily. I don't really know if I am "winsome".. I kind of don't care if I make someone mad... well at least if I don't have any respect for them as a person, but I do care what people think about me. It is hard for me to be winsome because I am one of the moodiest people I know. I remember when God was doing a serious work in my life a couple of years ago. He was teaching me that I couldn't use the fact that" I inherited this from so-and-so, so it's just who I am" as an excuse for not being loving and compassionate. Being loving and compassionate is not my nature.. Why? because my nature is sinful. I'm thankful that although I still have not learned this lesson, God is patient enough to continue teaching me until I do learn it.
May my life be one of love and compassion today.

A week without Corey :(

It does not feel like Wednesday. I have thought it was Thursday all day long. I think my routine has been so messed up with Corey being gone all week. I absolutely hate being home without him. I thought that the puppy would keep me company and he has, but it's just not the same. I miss him so bad today I can hardly stand it.

This is the last night without him though. And I have school tonight so that will pass the time. And THEN:...................LOST... my favorite tv show in the whole wide world. But even it won't be the same without my Corey :(

You know.. I used to be so independent.. and now look what happened.. I fell in love

it's my anniversary

Today is our 2 year wedding anniversary.. February 24.. one of my favorite days..
I love remembering what our wedding day was like. It was one of the best days of my life.
So- in honor of my wonderful husband Corey Allen Dalton...
here is my list of things I love about him..
1. His beautiful eyelashes
2. His laugh.
3. His sense of humor
4. The way he listens to the Lord
5. how hardworking he is...
6. that he is so sensitive
7. that he encourages me about school
8. that he loves music even though he can't sing.. ;)
9. that he calls me bunches just to talk
10. that he cares about what I think
11. he is a TRUE Carolina fan!
12. He loves the Lord!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe I ever found someone that I could love the way I love him. I love him much much more today than I did 2 years ago when I married him, and I didn't know that was possible. I'm excited because God continues to whisper in my ear about our marriage that.."the best is YET to come"..
Corey- if you're reading this.. I miss you terribly and I can't wait for you to come home. Happy Anniversary my sweet best friend.

Somebody's got a case of the mondays....

It's Monday.. and I hate Mondays. And today I'm especially sad because my husband is leaving to go to Maryland for a business trip. Not to mention the fact that tomorrow is our anniversary. Some people might think that I am pathetic but I can't even go all day without talking to Corey. He is my very best friend and I tell him everything. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. We have so much fun together. I'm just going to have to try to make it until Thursday night when he gets home....
Poor me.. All alone with the puppy. at least I have the puppy now.

Pictures and Updates

Fifer after being groomed by a professional

Me asleep with the puppy

Fifer after being "groomed" by me

Our New Family Portrait!

allergies

ok, so I'm allergic to my puppy and it seems like it's getting worse the older he gets.. I'm already taking Benedryl and it helps but it makes me so sleepy I can't stand it. I'm too attached to get rid of him but I'm miserable ... I sneeze nonstop and blow my nose constantly.. I've tried finding some ideas on how to deal with pet allergies online but most of it I'm already doing.. If you have any ideas besides getting rid of him then I'm open to trying just about anything!!!! Please help!

Anniversary

Tonight Corey and I are celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary by going to P.F. Changs and maybe to a movie. I thought I would post my favorite pictures of us from our second year of marriage..

It's been an incredible year.. full of ups and downs, all-the-while bringing us closer together and closer to our Father.

Why oh Why??

Sometimes I do things that make me shudder... why? you ask? Because I realize that I just did something that my mother would have done..Last night was one of those moments.. I did something really stupid and my poor puppy is having to pay for it.. I decided to be thrifty and groom Fifer myself. We have hair clippers with guards on them.. and I thought.. why pay money to have someone else do it when I can just do it myself? It took me about 30 minutes to do it and finally I just gave up because he wouldn't let me anywhere near his head or neck and so....my poor puppy now looks like he has the mange, not to mention about 10 pounds lighter. He looks scrawny and uneven and Corey says his head looks bigger than his body now too. After I did it, I thought, Oh no, Corey is going to kill me. So, I called him and warned him on his way home. He ended up just laughing at me and feeling sorry for our puppy. I'll post a picture of him later and hopefully it won't embarrass him! :)

TGIF

It's Friday and I'm so glad it's finally here. Corey and I have big plans this weekend. We are celebrating our 2 year anniversary tomorrow. Tomorrow is not actually the 2 year anniversary, but he is leaving to go to Maryland for a business trip on Monday and will be gone most of next week. I hate that he'll be gone, not to mention the fact that I HATE being home alone. I find it very creepy. I have a really great gift for him that didn't cost that much money and I'm excited about giving it to him.. I can't put what it is on here since he reads my blogs though! :) And we have reservations at one of my favorite restaurants at 6:00 tomorrow night!! We're going to P.F. Changs and I already know what I'm going to order. I get more excited about food than just about anything. I think I might have a problem... one of these days when my metabolism stops working I am really going to be in trouble..
It's going to be a GREAT weekend!!!!

Lessons from Fifer the Puppy..

It's Thursday and I am laid off again today. This will be the last day I am laid off this month, so I'm actually excited about it. I have so much to do and here it is almost 8:00 and I'm still in my lounge clothes. I did get up at 7 though which is early for a day off!!! Fifer has been a great source of motivation to get me out of bed early in the mornings. I feel terrible about leaving him in his crate for any longer than that and I am really looking forward to the day he is housetrained so he doesn't have to sleep in there unless he wants to! But I know it's for his own good that he's in there. It is a teaching exercise. You know.. this may sound so stupid but since I've had him, I feel like I'm being taught how God must feel trying to teach us things. I celebrate when he does what I want him to... and I am so angry when he disobeys me! But I still love this little puppy.. do I love him anywhere NEAR the amount that God loves me? Absolutely not.. but I feel like the Lord is using my sweet puppy to teach me more about Himself. A couple of days after I got Fifer, I was home sick from work and I decided when I was taking Fifer out to pee and poop that I would walk down to the mailbox. Of course, Fifer did not want to stay where he was... he wanted to follow me down to the mailbox.. I wasn't watching him the way I should have been and he took off running behind me and fell into our ditch at the edge of the road. The ditch is where the water drains off of our property and it has some pretty big rocks in it and it is a pretty big ditch.. especially for such a small puppy to fall into. He let out a yelp that sounded like a small child screaming and he continued to "scream" for help.. he was stuck and scared and dirty and wet.. and for as much as I knew, very hurt.
of course, my heart stopped in my chest and I took off running to rescue him. I picked him up wondering if he had broken something or if he was really hurt and clutched him as close to my chest as possible just wanting him to feel safe. He trembled and shook for a good hour after that whole experience. Luckily, he wasn't hurt.. just scared, but I'm sure that was a really traumatic experience for my little puppy. I was pretty shaken up myself. By the time I got him in the house, I had tears streaming down my cheeks and called Corey immediately to tell him what a terrible pet owner I was for letting this happen.
But in this experience, what hit me the most is the fact that , that is exactly how God comes running to us when we scream to him for help. Believe me.. I've been screaming for help a lot lately and even though I can't see him or physically feel Him, I know that every time, he comes running and scoops me up and holds me to his chest. It may take me awhile to realize that I'm safe.. but I always do. I know that He holds me in the palm of His hand and His heart is grieved when His daughter is in pain. I'm so thankful that He holds me when I need Him.

Thankful yet Sorrowful

So- Corey still has a job after multiple layoffs at his company today. I am so thankful that the Lord is providing for us today like He always does. Yet, I am full of sympathy and my heart is so heavy for those that lost their jobs. I try to stay away from the news these days because everything is so doom and gloom, but occasionally I will read something on the internet reporting how many people are unemployed. Just about everyone I know has been affected by the economy in some sort of way and I know how stressful it is when people don't have the money to pay their bills. It is a reminder for me to be faithful in giving to those who are struggling, to listen to those who just need someone to lend an ear, and to be a friend to those that are feeling so alone in their time of need. God has blessed us more than we deserve and I want to be a good steward with what He has given us.
The Lord is so good, He is faithful, and we can TRUST HIM!!
I was listening to the latest "Passion" CD "God of this City" today and there is a Matt Redman song on there called "God of our Yesterdays" and it talks about how God is Sovereign and we can trust Him. In the middle of the song, Matt Redman quotes a scripture and says "Those who know Your name, put their trust in You."
Well, I know His name.. Jehovah Jireh, my Provider! and He is FAITHFUL

Trusting God in the trials

A lot has happened with us financially as of late.. My company has made everyone take one week of lay off each month, so that has hurt us financially, but we've cut back and God is providing..
Then today, Corey sent me an email letting me know they are having lay offs today at his work. So we don't know if by the end of the day if he will be laid off or if he will still have his job. It is so hard in times like this to rejoice and be thankful, but it's a commandment.. God has commanded us to be thankful and rejoice at ALL times..
so because I'm having a hard time today, I'm going to create a thankful list.. I haven't done one of these in a while but today is a perfect day to do it..
God, I am soooo thankful for:
my wonderful husband, my sweet parents, still having a job, being able to go to school to better myself and our future, great friends that will pray for us, lessons learned in hard times, my SALVATION!!!, grace when I don't deserve it, the way You provide for us when sometimes I don't know where the money is coming from, a beautiful house, and a sweet puppy.

Thank you Lord that you provide!

Fifer...

Here are a couple of pictures of our sweet puppy Fifer

The Gift of Time

So... this is my first blog I have ever done, and quite honestly, I don't know who would want to read it... but I figured it was a good way for me to document my life. I forget things way too fast and I want to be able to remember the important things and be able to share them with whoever might care.
I have been given the gift of time. In the midst of my busy, busy life .. I asked God to give me more time in my day to get things done. I've been working full-time, going to school at night, doing homework, trying to take good care of my husband, be a good wife, do laundry and have meals for us to eat, meanwhile helping my husband with the youth at our church on Sundays and sometimes on days when we have activities planned. We also just got a sweet puppy, Fifer, who I'm housetraining. Well, God answered my prayer. I got laid-off from work.. (sort-of).. I now am laid off every three weeks from work.. Will that put a strain on our finances? Absolutely. We are going to have to cut back in our spending in a major way. But.. instead of worrying, I'm thanking the Lord for answering my prayer. He didn't answer it the way I would have liked, but He answered it nonetheless! Isn't God good like that??I now have one week every month to spend extra time catching up on housework, cooking, doing homework, and studying!
Thinking about this answer to prayer reminded me of the verse in Isaiah.. "His thoughts are not my thoughts.. His ways aren't my ways"
I'm thankful that He answers my prayers.. even when it doesn't come the way I would have liked.

I'm learning how to trust Him with everything and that is a really important lesson.