Hal's New Job

Several people have asked us what Hal will be doing in his new job in Sarasota. He will still be working for Cooper Industries, just working as a plant manager in one of their divisions. Click here to see the website for the business he will be working in. He is excited about the opportunity, but even more excited that what he will be working on will help save lives.

We originally thought he would be "officially" starting on March 17th, but that date keeps moving up. He will be spending most of the next two weeks in Sarasota. Please pray that we can get the relocation process going and get our house on the market quickly. Although we are sad to leave Humble, we aren't looking forward to him having to commute back and forth between Humble and Sarasota.

Things I Love

I love....

• My husband....he is amazing.


• Getting to travel with my husband when he is away working.


• Peanut M&M's


• My new glasses. :)


• HAFBC Student Ministry


• UNO


• text messaging


• the opportunity to study and write cirriculum for our student ministry


• honest friends- who aren't afraid to share their heart with you(You know who you are)


• Pappasito's Beef Fajitas. Yum!


• Hot tea every morning


• Guitar Hero


• Worship- Kenny and Susanna, the Ramsey's are going to miss you!


• You...for reading my crazy thoughts on this blog.

Christmas Pictures....A month late

Here are a few pictures from Christmas in Fayetteville....sorry they are a month late. Mom, Dad, Hal, and I went to Tim's before Christmas. We then took a walk around the Fayetteville Square. For those of you not from Fayetteville, each year they decorate the old Town square with thousands of white lights. It is beautiful and one of my favorite Holiday memories. Except for this year, I wasn't quite used to the cold! After a quick walk and a quick picture, I was read to head for the car. We also got to spend a lot of time with my family including my nieces. They really warmed up to their Uncle Hal.

Today we found out that Hal will be starting in Sarasota, FL on March 16th. We are glad to have a few more guaranteed weeks here in Houston. He will be doing quite a bit of travel during this transition time as well, but fortunately I will be with him quite a few of those times. Please join us in praying that we can get our house on the market quickly and that it will sell! More updates to come!

Confessions of a Control Freak

It's Official....We are moving to Sarasota, FL! Hal received a phone call last night offering him the job. We still don't know exactly when all this will take place, but we know it will be sometime this spring.

Hal and I have both learned a lot through this experience over the last month. This control freak, especially learned a lot. I guess the best thing to sum up this for me, is that I finally let it go. I was so TIRED. My mind was constantly working trying to figure out what was going on, what would be the next step, what did that comment mean, what does it mean that we haven't got a phone call yet.....and it went on and on and on. I got to the point where I was literally mentally exhausted. This was just where God wanted me to. He wanted me to admit I couldn't figure it out or control the situation, but that He was in complete control of it. There was an extreme amount of peace that came with that realization. I really stopped stressing about it....I stopped trying to figure it out. The next test of this lesson approached just as I hung up the phone from learning we were moving. I must now trust God for ALL the details to come in the next few weeks and months.

Bad Blogger

I have been a bad blogger lately! The time since Christmas has been a whirlwind!

I am back at the bank for a few months and still writing. My days fly by.

Hal and I are praying about what is ahead of us. We thought we were 100% headed to Sarasota, FL, but now we aren't so sure. For this control freak, it is a hard lesson to learn, but we know God is in control and we are just waiting to see how things work out.

More to come soon! I promise!

Going Home!!!!!!!!!!!

Hal and I head for Fayetteville tomorrow afternoon! We are looking forward to spending time with friends and family.

Merry Christmas!

It Finally Feels Like Christmas!

It was a big day yesterday....I got to wear a coat and a sweater to church! It finally felt like Christmas! I have mentioned several times that one of the hardest things about moving for me has been adjusting to the weather. It is funny how we associate times of the year with how the weather feels. Even though our Christmas tree is up and we have been going to Christmas parties, it just doesn't feel like Christmas to me when it is 80 degrees outside!

Even though the weather hasn't been what I am used to in order for it to feel like Christmas, I have been thinking a lot about Christ this Christmas season. I have been working on our next study for our students at Church. Beginning in January, we will start studying the Trinity with them. As I have been swimming in the deep theology of the Trinity, I have been faced again with the reality of who Jesus Christ is. It has been a good reminder for me as Christmas is rapidly approaching. When I think about Jesus this season, I want to think about more than just a helpless baby in a manger. I want to think about the fact that the baby Mary and Joseph cared for was God Incarnate. He is worthy of praise and adoration and should be lifted high not only during the next few weeks, but every day of my life.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Luke 2:11

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

Grateful

Okay...so I am a little behind on my Thanksgiving post, but I guess better late than never. We were in Mississippi for Thanksgiving and had a great time with Hal's parent's and his brother's family.

Here a few of the many things I am grateful for this year:

• My relationship with God. The Lord has been so gracious to be this year. it has been a great year of learning more about who He is and what He wants to do with my life.


• My Husband. He is simply amazing. Last Friday I went downtown to meet him for lunch, as we were sitting on the balcony outside talking I thought about how blessed I am to have a Godly husband. I could name a 100 things here, but the thing that comes to mind first is how he is supportive and excited about our choice for me to be a stay at home wife.


• My parent's health: After a few scares this year, I am so grateful that they are both in pretty good health.


• My friends: God continually blesses me with wonderful people in my life who encourage me in some many ways.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!!

The Big Event and More

Here are a few things I have intended to blog about for awhile, but haven't taken the time to sit down and do it!

1. I flew home from my Fayetteville trip on November 7th, a few days earlier than I might have in order to attend an event with our students at church. It was cleverly titled "The Big Event." Our students had been inviting their friends and family for months and the student staff and adult leadership had been praying for months. There were over 700 people at the event, but more importantly over 80 students and adults experienced a life change that night when they confessed their need for a Savior and asked Jesus Christ to be King of their life. Around 25 of those were then baptized this past Wednesday night. Perhaps the greatest thing about November 7th, was that the generator that was running the sound equipment went out about 5 minutes before the event was to start. Although it ended up being a little different than first planned, a backup system was brought in and the Gospel was presented. We were then able to have a time of worship at the end. I heard someone say after the event was over that maybe God was trying to remind us that he doesn't need smoke and lights....he doesn't even need a powerful sound system. All He needs is His Word to be proclaimed. Plain and Simple. It was a good lesson for me. As I continue to work on writing curriculum for the students, I need to remember that it is just about God's Word, nothing more.
2. Continuing on the writing theme....I had turned in a query letter to a publication in September. They accepted the query letter and asked me to write the article on speculation: meaning that they don't guarantee they will publish it. The article was about a very personal struggle and although it was difficult to write, I was thrilled they might be interested. I submitted the story. After a few weeks, I got an email saying they weren't interested in publishing it. Honestly, I was crushed. I don't handle "failure" any better at 26, than I did at 16. But, I learned a few lessons from this denial. Hal asked me after I read the email, if I learned anything from writing the article. I told him that I had...and he reminded me that is what was important. It was also a good pride check. I wanted and still want to get published, but I need to remember that getting published isn't any more important than the writing work I am doing for our students at church.
3. Costochondritis. This is a new word in our lives. No, I didn't make it up although I thought the doctor was making it up when he told me that was what was causing my pain. In September I began to experience pain in my chest. It could be quite sharp at times and other times it was just a dull pain. After a few weeks, we went to see a doctor. He felt that since I was young and my family didn't have any history of heart disease that it was costochondritis. He told me to take Advil and it should get better. It did get somewhat better, but never seemed to go away. Over the past few days, it had become quite painful again, so I saw a different doctor yesterday. He gave the same diagnosis, and told me he experiences the same pain as well. He gave me a shot and a prescription to help with the pain. Simply put, costo is inflammation of the joint where the ribs join the breastbone. They aren't quite sure how I ended up with it since it usually occurs in those who have chest trauma nor are we sure how long I will experience the pain. We are praying it goes away soon. See this link of you are curious. :)
4. Hal's home!!! We think he has finally made it through all of his trips for this year! He should be able to get some much needed rest. Of course we will be traveling for the holidays, but those are fun trips!

Quick Trip Home

Hal and I both headed for the airport last Saturday. He is in England this week and I made a quick trip to Fayetteville. We had originally planned on me making the trip to England with Hal again. We had tossed around visiting a few different places on the beginning or end of the trip, but we decided it was just too much travel for Hal in such a short period of time, so I decided to make a trip to Fayetteville. My days were filled! When we were in England in October, my grandparents had a car accident, and I did not want to wait until Christmas to see them. I was able to spend some precious time with them. I also got to see my nieces for the first time since last Spring. I enjoyed playing with the younger girls and talking with Courtney. I also had a great dinner with friends from college. We hadn't all been together(apart from weddings and showers) since college. It is crazy to think about how all of our lives have changed in the past 4 years. This was the first trip since we moved to Houston that I was able to come home and not have to work at the bank....it seemed kind of odd to be in town but not be at the bank on Monday morning. I did stop by the bank on Tuesday to visit. The trip flew by, but it was great to spend some time with family!

Humbled, Amazed, Thankful......

The list could go on and on for me this morning. I picked up Hal at 5:45 last night. He was tired after almost 24 hours of travel with no sleep, but he was home!

I have struggled with anxiety and worry with his travel over the last few years. I will admit that there were times that I worked myself into an all out panic where I would be in a cold sweat and feel sick to my stomach. But by the grace of God this trip was different. I know that many of you prayed the requests I put on my blog as well as others whom I asked to pray for me here. We both felt your prayers.

Studying the temptation of Christ in Matthew 4 last week also had a big impact. I don't think that I had ever really thought about my worry and anxiety as Satan tempting me to doubt God's protection and provision for Hal and I. In Matthew 4, when Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted, He uses God's word to answer Satan's temptations and he trusts in God's provision and plan for Him. When Satan offers Him food after he has been fasting for 40 days, He trusts that God will sustain him. When Satan takes him to the top of the temple and says throw yourself down for God will command angels concerning you, Jesus says not to put the Lord God to the test. In saying that, he refuses to bow to Satan's attempt to damage his pride and he trusts that God will sustain and defend him. He asserts that God isn't here to serve us, but we are here to serve God. When Satan offers Him a way to have the kingdoms of the world without having to sacrifice and die on a cross, he trusts God's sovereign plan. In all these temptations he didn't use his divine power to overcome them. He used just what I had available to defeat my temptation to worry and doubt: God's Word, Holy Spirit, and faith in God's character.

This past week, I found myself humbled and at the same time joyful at the way my Heavenly Father protects and cares for His children. Whether it was a encouraging prayer or word from a friend, a call from my mother-in-law, worship at church, or time spent with my mom and aunt, God was unbelievably gracious and faithful to me this week. In all honesty, there was only one time that I felt panicked.

As for Hal, he is still sleeping this morning. :) It may take him a few days to get over the 13 hour time difference. He was able to find decent food this trip. He navigated through all the different stops he had to make without difficulty. All of his flights were on time. God was gracious.

So...again, thanks for your prayers!

25 Years Later....

Of all the birthdays one celebrates in their lifetime, none is more celebrated than a child's first birthday. But my first birthday, my mom left me at home for a trip to visit her sister Kathy in Galveston. She took my brother, but left me behind. But this week after 26 years, I finally got to go to Galveston with my mom and my Aunt.

I love to tell this story and tease my mother. :) My mom and Aunt left today. We had a great time shopping, laughing, and talking. I hope we make in an annual event.

Company Coming

I am having a little trouble getting around this morning, but I better get it together soon. My mom and my aunt are on their way to the airport and will be here shortly. I am not sure what the plan is for today. We are going to go to Galveston one day and maybe drive to Port Arthur since my Aunt has lived there in the past. You can be sure that shopping will be involved in the weekend plans. :)

I talked to Hal a couple of hours ago. He was headed to bed to try to catch up on a little sleep. There is a 13 hour time difference, so it is always weird for him to be winding down as my day is starting. He will be spending the weekend in Hong Kong before flying to Shanghai on Sunday afternoon.

Have a great weekend!!

China

Friends and Family- Hal and I have a favor to ask you. He will be leaving for China tomorrow morning. He will be gone October 16th-25th. He will then be home for a week and leave again for England on November 4th. We have a couple of prayer requests if you wouldn't mind bringing these before the Father for us.

• Pray for travel safety for Hal. On the China trip he will be in a couple of different cities. Please pray for safety on each leg of the journey as well as wisdom on how to get to each place.
• Pray for good health for Hal. The last time he had this many trips back to back his body didn't respond well.
• Pray that he could be a light in a dark world and be able to share his faith while in China.
• Pray for a calm heart for me. Pray that I would trust the Lord with Hal's safety.
• Pray for travel safety for my mom and Aunt Kathy as they travel down here to see me Thursday-Monday

Thank you so much! We are so blessed to have your prayers.

MSU Goodies

Hal is in Starkville at State for a few days doing on campus interviews with college seniors for Cooper. He left this morning and comes back on Friday. He was happy to eat lunch at his favorite Starkville restaurant, Little Dooey's. He called me this afternoon from the bookstore....I am taking bets on how many MSU items he comes home with. You know how he loves his MSU paraphernalia. :)

I have been busy this week trying to get a few more of my 1 John lessons done. This morning I went to BSF and then had lunch with a friend. I am so thankful for the time I have to study and serve. I was initially worried about having too much time on my hands, but that hasn't been a problem!

Bloggiversary

Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary of our blog! A friend of mine from here called it her Bloggiversary, so I am stealing it. :) Last October, Sarah L was here to visit me and she suggested I start blogging. I am so thankful she had this suggestion! It has been a huge blessing to me over the past year, and has even encouraged me to try to do a little freelance writing. It has also helped to keep me in contact with many of you. So, thanks Sarah, and I hope all of you enjoy it as well! The picture to the left was taken when Sarah came to visit this past August. It is on the 49th floor of the building Hal works at. She has been to see me twice since we moved and I am running out of exciting things to show her here in Houston, but who knows where we will be the next time she comes to visit. Have a great weekend!

A Face We Can Know

One of my favorite worship leaders, Charlie Hall, has a song called Sum of Beautiful. Below is the beginning of the song.

You are the God with a face we can know
In Christ you made all things beautiful
We see Your heart of Grace in all the world
You are the God with a face we can know

I was walking through our neighborhood listening to my IPod when this song came on. I have listened to this song countless times, but for some reason, it really stood out to me this time. I kept repeating the first line over and over in my head. We can actually know the face of God Almighty....WOW...let that sink in for a minute. God is a personal, relational God. He desires a relationship with us. A relationship where we know him intimately. Just as it takes time to get to know a new friend, it takes time spent in prayer, studying God's word and in worship of Him to know Him intimately. God's character is clearly outlined in His word. When we study the Bible we can learn about Him. We learn that He is omnipotent, immutable(unchanging), holy, righteous judge, and loving Father.

Home Again

Hal and I are back in Texas. Our flight got in around 5:00 last night, and we headed for some Tex Mex at our favorite local place. We woke up wide eyed at 6:30 this morning...it will take us a few days to get back on schedule. It was great to be in church this morning. I fought back tears all through worship. Although we had a great time last week, I could not help but feel that England is a spiritually dark place. You see and hear very little if anything about the Lord. If you see a church it is usually a tourist attraction because it was built hundreds of years ago! How often I take for granted what it feels like to be in a fellowship of believers!

Back in Rainy Lodon

We are back in London. After a comical episode of trying to find our hotel room, we finally made it to our room only to find that it hadn't been cleaned. We went back down to the lobby and they escorted us to a nice upgraded room! Looks like a good start to our afternoon. It is supposed to be rainy and chilly all day. We are going to head to Leicster Square to the TKTS booth to see if we can get discount theater tickets....and who knows what else. I do know that our first stop will be Pizza Hut. That's right, we are ready for some American food!!!! We head for the airport around 8:00 tomorrow. Our flight leaves here before noon and we should be back in Houston by 4:00 central. More pictures to come soon. Have a great day friends and family!!

Weary Travelers

We made it to London by 10:00 in the morning which was 4:00 am our time. We spent Sunday afternoon in London. We took several hours to walk around the Camden Lock market....what an interesting place! You could find a little bit of everything there. I have never been anywhere I can even compare it to. Then we took the tube back to the area where Parliament, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey are located. The picture to the left is near Westminster Abbey toward the end of the day. We were both worn out! We took a train out of Kings Cross station for Peterborough around 4:00 in the afternoon. We were in our hotel room by 5:30. Yesterday morning we caught up on sleep and Hal's class started yesterday afternoon. Yesterday evening I experienced my first drive on a British roadway. For those who think I drive like a nut, I have nothing on these people. I was in the back seat and I an not quite sure how I manged to keep from getting sick! The corners were sharp and fast! A few more pictures from London are below. Enjoy...or as they say here...Cheers!