What Fall Means to Me

Most of you who know me well, know that I love football. And most of you know that the reason I love football is because it has been a huge part of my life. My mother tells the story that I went to my first football game at 4 months old. Unlike some girls, I can name all the positions on the field and can tell you what the penalty is going to be before the official announces it. Why do I know these things? Because I grew up as a coach’s daughter, a title I have always worn with pride.

Although it wasn’t always glamorous and pretty, I loved growing up the way I did. We didn’t always take a big summer family vacation, because my dad was always getting a football field ready for the fall. I can remember many trips to turn off or turn on the sprinklers on the field. I can remember helping him use diesel to mark the lines on the field in the heat of August or playing around on the field as he mowed the grass. I can remember the fall Friday nights. I can still feel the chill in the air and hear the band songs playing. Those things still signal to me that it is football season. Even though I remember all of these things, the thing I will always remember the most is my dad. He poured almost 30 years of his life into students: first as a football coach and then as a principal and athletic director. This past year, one of the players he had coached passed away. When my parents went to the visitation, the mother of the player told my dad how much he had always meant to her son. I have seen that in the eyes of these men over and over when they see my dad around town. Although I have never heard him say it quite this plainly, I know he never coached to see how many ball games he could win. He wanted to help young men. That is why I have always worn my title as a coach’s daughter with pride.

Hawaiian Sunday

Aloha! No...unfortunately Hal and I didn't just get back from Hawaii, but we did have Hawaiian Sunday at church today! :) Today was the kick off for the student ministry at church. We are really enjoying working with the students. I am having a blast writing the study on 1 John and Hal is looking forward to co-leading a 10th grade guys small group. We are also excited about getting plugged in with a group of friends including Nate and Kim and Stuart and Terra. Kim is with me on the left. There are more pictures of Hawaiian Sunday at the bottom of the page! Enjoy!

A New Task

I was a little worried if I would get bored once I finished up my time with the bank, but was I ever wrong! It seems like I have gone non-stop since the first of August. I have been doing things around the house, babysitting, helping out friends, and writing. Perhaps the most exciting and surprising project is writing. I am writing the curriculum for our youth group this fall on the book of 1 John. God has been so gracious in providing me this opportunity. I am learning so much as I am putting it together. I am also working on a few other writing projects...we will see how they turn out.

Weekend Update

Hal and I really enjoyed having Sarah L here last week. We were able to show her a little more of Houston than she saw when she was here last October. It was also really great for her to meet my friend Kim. We spent an afternoon hanging out at the pool. Yes, I applied sunscreen, but I got burned anyway! The rest of our time was spent browsing a few of my favorite stores, eating sushi, watching Jane Austen movies, and talking.

Two days to go!

My last week of work for the bank is here. I will finish up on Tuesday. The past three months have flown by! It is hard to believe it is coming to a close. I am grateful for God's perfect timing this week. I finish up on Tuesday and Sarah L flies in Wednesday morning! It will be great to spend time with her free of my Blackberry and laptop. We have a few things planned including trying to catch a theater that has the early release of Becoming Jane. The movie is loosely based on Jane Austen's early years. I am sure Hal is extremely excited that Sarah will be here to go with me!

*The picture to the left is of my hibiscus on the front porch. :)

Home at Last!

Hal and I are both back in Houston for a few weeks. We spent the week of the 4th of July near Gatlinburg, Tennessee with Hal's parents and his brother and his family. We shopped, rode go-karts, played mini golf, went to Dollywood, walked around Gatlinburg, and much more! I won the Ramsey mini golf tournament. :) We also got totally hooked on Guitar Hero on the XBox 360. I think we spent a good portion of our vacation playing it....we even went and bought an adapter when we couldn't get it to work in our hotel room! It was a great week with family!

Last week I was off to Fayetteville for my last week in the bank and Hal was in Milwaukee. I will be finishing up my time with the bank on July 31st. I am looking forward to less hectic days! I have been compiling a "Things to do when I am done with the bank" list. The first item of business will be hanging out with Sarah L when she comes to visit on August 1st.

Gulf Shores and More

I know I keep repeating myself....but the last few weeks have been crazy! I spent June 9-15 in Gulf Shores. Then mom and dad were here in Houston June 21-27.

Gulf Shores was so much fun!! It is so nice to have friends that you can not see very often, but when you are with them, you feel like you just saw them yesterday! Our daily routine was quite grueling: sleep late, go to the beach, eat lunch, nap, go to the pool, eat dinner, and talk until bedtime! I hope that we make this a yearly trip even if more babies come. :)

We had a great time with mom and dad here in Houston. We extended our patio while they were here and spent time shopping and touring around Houston.

Hal and I leave on Saturday morning for a week in Tennessee with his family. We are both ready for things to slow down......but are very grateful for the time with family and friends!

Birthday

Seems kind of weird to say I am 26! It feels like 21 was just yesterday. I had such a wonderful birthday yesterday. Thank you so much to all my friends and family who called, emailed, or sent a card. Several of the girls at the bank sent me this beautiful bouquet. Our friends Bill and Mary from here in Houston invited us over after church on Sunday for a birthday lunch. They even had an ice cream cake for me! Yesterday my friend Sarah Donaldson took me to lunch. Last night Hal took me to a fondue restaurant....which was so much fun! It took us over two hours to eat dinner.(a record for us. We are usually done with our meal in 30 minutes or less!) We had the most fabulous chocolate carmel fondue. I would go back just for that! He also surprised me on Saturday with a trip to Tiffany's....I walked out with a beautiful bracelet. (Krissi- don't be mad. I will share it with you.)

I can remember in High School praying for God to bless me with friends. By far the most difficult part of this last year for us has been missing our friendships from Northwest Arkansas. Yesterday as I talked or heard from many of you, I remembered the prayer I prayed so many years ago. I remembered how God had answered that prayer over and over again. I have been truly blessed with wonderful friendships. From my friendship with my mom that started 26 years ago, or my wonderful husband who amazes me each day, or friends that have seen me through different stages in my life, or friends that have come my way in the last few years, each one of you is so very important to me.

The e-Card Hal sent me yesterday helps me describe how I feel. The card was adapted from a chapter in a Max Lucado book. It a little girl standing with her arms wide open and looking upward. Lucado says to picture a giant dump truck full of love and you are standing right behind it. God lifts the bed until it starts to slide. It comes down until you are hidden...buried....covered in His love. I am so thankful that with His children, God is so free with His love. There are many aspects to the love He covers me with. From the mercy He showed me on the cross and shows me each day to the friendships He has given me with you. Each are part of that covering of love! "He...loads me with love and mercy." Psalm 103:4 NCV

Back in Texas

After a long week of work in Fayetteville, I am back at home and Hal is somewhere in the air over South Arkansas on his way home from Milwaukee. I am headed to the airport to pick him up shortly. We are looking for to a relaxing weekend and being at home next week. Have a great weekend!

Change

Change...that can be a hard word to take sometimes. Last Tuesday, God dropped a big dose of change in my lap when I found out that I will only be working for the bank through the end of July.
I have really enjoyed my time with the bank, and I had hoped to continue doing it through the end of the year, but God desired change. I will not pretend that my immediate attitude was 100% rosy about this change. I was angry and hurt. I said and felt some things I shouldn't have. I took this very personal, but God began to do something in me. He began to heal the hurt and change my perspective. Through Hal, my parents, others who offered encouragement, and most importantly His Word I began to have a peace about the situation. I said earlier that God brought the change in my life....not anyone at the bank. If I say I believe in a sovereign God that means I believe in a God who controls all things. It is easy to blame a situation on someone, but God didn't and doesn't want me to play the blame game. He wants me to trust Him. Ephesians 5:17 says, "Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." I stood at a crossroads. I could accept the Lord's will or I could complain about it. I chose to accept the plan God had and to anticipate what is to come. I think I will stand at that crossroad numerous times over the next few weeks and months, but I will continue to pray for God to renew my mind and give me a God honoring attitude and mind. Philippians 1:27 says, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ." My prayer is that I hold God's name and the Gospel of Christ high and not myself or my rights. That my actions and speech will be God honoring in this situation and in all situations.

New York

Hal and I spent our first anniversary in New York city. We were so glad to be away from our laptops and blackberries for 6 days! We headed to the Bronx for a Yankees game on Wednesday night. Thursday night we ate at Bobby Flay's restaurant Mesa Grill. Friday we found a restaurant, Max Brenner's, that specializes in chocolate! The rest of the time we spent walking around the city, navigating the subways, and of course SHOPPING!

This past year has gone by so fast! It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were headed to Houston after the wedding and honeymoon. We have had an amazing first year. God has been so gracious to us in so many ways. He has been particularly gracious when it comes to my job situation and allowing me to work from home. Working from home allows me to hop on a plane with Hal and be with him wherever he is(this week we are in Atlanta.) His travel schedule has been 100% crazy over the past year and our first year of marriage would have been tough if I wasn't able to go with him. God has also been gracious by allowing us to be in Houston. Some of you may be surprised that I am saying that, but it has been a blessing start out on our own. We have had to depend on each other fully since we are both 8 hours from home. Although getting settled in a new place has been and still is difficult, we know that it was and is God's best for us as we continue to go closer to each other and closer to the Lord. As we face the next year of marriage, we ask that you continue to pray the verse we used at our wedding for us. "Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying This is the way walk in it." Isaiah 30:21

Easter Cookies

My mother-in-law, Nan, gave me this recipe. She received it from a friend in Laurel. This recipe came from a very old rural Baptist Church in Jones Co. and they use this every Easter with the children. Enjoy!

Easter Story Cookies

To be made the evening before Easter

1 c. whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 c sugar
1 zip lock bag
Wooden spoon
Tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Place pecans in zip lock bag and let the children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 10:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 c sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat the egg whites and other ingredients on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isa 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonsful onto a waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matt.27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20-22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matt.28:1-9.

Amazing Grace

Last night I went with a friend to see the movie Amazing Grace. Although I am not sure how historically accurate the film is...it tells a great story of two redeemed sinners. The movie is based William Wilberforce an Englishman in the House of Commons and his quest to have the English slave trade abolished. As the title suggests, John Newton's song Amazing Grace is an important part of the story. Newton was a childhood pastor of Wilberforce and encourages his life of faith and his quest to abolish slavery as an adult. Newton had been the captain of a slave boat and was saved while on the boat. He left the slave trade shortly there after and become a priest. His redemption and reflection on his previous life led him to write the words of Amazing Grace.

I would love to give you every detail of this movie, but I won't ruin it for you! Hal and I have trouble finding movies that we want or care to see and this is one I would recommend. The gospel is presented in this movie....although not as strongly as I would have liked. :) However, it did allow me to have a conversation with my friend about what Amazing Grace really is. If you haven't seen it already I encourage you to see it. It was good for me to be reminded of God's grace and to remember what He saved me from. Although I wasn't a slave trader who had participated in the death and slavery of many...I too am Chief of Sinners apart from the grace of God. It was also good for me to see someone who passionately pursued to abolish something that he saw in contrary to God's character. I think sometimes I give up to easily....or I don't care enough to do something about it when God's name and character are defiled or called into question.

So go see Amazing Grace this weekend!

Chicago

After three weeks of being on the road, Hal is glad to be home this week and next. Last week I was in Milwaukee with him. We enjoyed a cold,snowy week in Milwaukee! Hal laughed at me when we drove into a parking lot and I was in amazement by the huge mounds of snow they had made to clear the lot. I mean....we get snow in NWA....but not like that! On Friday of last week, we headed for Chicago where we quickly learned why it was the windy city! Even though it was cold and snowy we had a great time walking around the city. We had great Chicago deep dish pizza, saw the Magnificent Mile, ate a Ghirardelli chocolate sundae, and did just a little shopping. We headed home on Saturday afternoon....and were glad to be back in 80 degree Houston weather.

Valentine's Day with the Shredder

With a title like that you are probably thinking that I spent my Valentine's Day shredding old pictures or letters. My college friends are more than likely recalling the awful days of a college relationship I had and laughing! Actually I was just shredding a pile of junk mail that I had let build up. :) Hal spent Valentine's Day with guys he works with at a Mexican restaurant in Highland, Illinois outside St. Louis. I know what you are thinking..."that stinks," but we actually celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday night. We had a great dinner at Ruth's Chris where I will now join our friend Micah Hale's love for their fabulous sweet potatoes. Even though I tend to agree with Hal when he says that Valentine's Day is a Hallmark holiday, I do think it is a great time to tell those you around you that you care about them. I hope that you all had a great Valentine's Day and you know that we care about you and more importantly God is mad about you! Happy Valentine's Day!

January

I am not sure where January went...it was gone before I knew it! The last half of the month was crazy! Our DNow weekend was great. I had 10th grade girls and Hal had 9th grade boys. We had an awesome weekend of worship and fellowship. We both enjoyed getting to lead the students through Romans 3 and Romans 12. I think I had forgotten what it was like to be that age! Their conversations made me smile, and at the same time I wanted them desperately to grasp the message of Romans 3 and 12. I wanted them to see how dirty we are before God..how sinful and nasty we can be, and how we are unable on our own to have a right relationship with God. And then I wanted them to see so clearly that God has made a way through Jesus. That through Jesus' sacrifice, we can be declared not guilty and be justified before a Holy God. We talked about how we are justified when we stop trying to justify ourselves and depend 100% on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Then we got to look at how to present ourselves to God in Romans 12. We looked at what it meant to be a living sacrifice for God...and how we could do that in our everyday lives. We looked at ways that we have been conformed to this world...and then focused on transforming our minds!

The Monday morning after DNow we were both at the airport by 6. Hal was off to Atlanta, and I was off to Fayetteville. It was a crazy work trip. I got to see snow, but we had to cancel Krissi's shower. :( Then it was time to come home...and it was February!

When You Get What You Ask For

Hal and I have been talking almost since we moved here about where we wanted to get involved in our church. We know that we need an area of service...and also that it would be a great way to meet people. With Hal's schedule, we really have to weigh different opportunities. Last week we got a phone call asking us to help with Disciple Now weekend with our youth at church. They asked us to be small group leaders for the weekend. Finally....an opportunity we had been waiting for! It wasn't a weekly commitment that would cause Hal to miss often and it was with the students which we had volunteered to help. But, just as I called Hal to tell him....fear rushed in. I would be separated from him, with new people, with students I didn't know, and the list went on. I could think of several reasons why this wasn't what we needed to do. As Hal and I talked about it over dinner, God through Hal, reminded me this was exactly what He wanted us to do! What a perfect opportunity to serve as well as to spend a weekend with other believers. How easy it is when He puts an opportunity in your lap to come up with 100 reasons why you can't do it, and then turn around and ask Him for something else. How easy it is to be disobedient and then expect Him to provide something better. So January 26-28 we will be participating in DNow. The theme for the weekend is "Clean" taken from Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Glimpse of the Future

I got a glimpse of what a future Christmas might look like this year. When he opened the box....his eyes lit up and he couldn't get it out fast enough. I realized that was the look I might see on a future child's face as they opened a present they had been dreaming about. Needless to say....I found the perfect gift when I found the MSU jersey he once wore. He had showed me the website once, and for some reason I remembered it when I was searching for a gift.

We had a wonderful Christmas with Hal's family. We have spent several days in Mississippi relaxing, and will be traveling back to Houston on Thursday.

Catching Up

It has been over a month since my last post! November was a crazy month. I spent more time in Fayetteville in November than I did in Houston. As I am sure it is with everyone else, the first two weeks of December have gone by in a flash.
Hal and I are excited about spending our first Christmas together....as I have been known to do throughout my life I have been bugging him to death about what he is buying me for Christmas! He pulled one on me tonight....I thought he hadn't bought a gift yet, and I was picking at him, he got up and left the room and came back with a beautiful David Yurman cross necklace! I couldn't even talk!

Even more than being together and getting presents, we are excited to be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ! I went to a women's Christmas Banquet last week where the message was "Redeeming the Season." The speakers literally gave over 300 ways to help families center the Christmas season around celebrating the birth of Christ. Here a just a few of the many things I took away from the night.

• Purchase a box of inexpensive glass ornaments and write a characteristic of God on each ornament. Each night after dinner, place one of the ornaments on the tree and talk about who God is.
• Wait to open your Christmas cards each day until you are around the dinner table. As you bless your meal, pray for the families you received cards from. Hal and I have been doing this the last few nights, and are really enjoying bringing our friends and family before God's throne.
• The Christmas Nail-I purchased a three inch nail that represents the spike that nailed Jesus to the cross to hang at the center of our Christmas tree. Next year, it will be the first ornament we will hang on the tree to remember the tree that Jesus hung out to pay the penalty for our sin, and to remind us that Jesus left the manager and went to the cross.

Merry Christmas!

Contentment

As I was driving to work this past week in Fayetteville...I learned a little lesson about contentment. I was looking at one of the many beautiful hills in Fayetteville that was filled with shades of red, orange, and yellow, and feeling a little sorry for myself and a little angry all at the same time because I didn't get to see the leaves at their peak. Fall is one of the many things we miss about Fayetteville. Then it hit me....for 24 years of my life, I have seen those leaves change each fall and taken them for granted. This time last year, I probably didn't even notice the trees because I wasn't content. I was wondering and worrying about when we would get married, and I was ready to move anywhere he wanted to go. And here I am one year later, I know the answer to those two questions, but still not content with where God has us....always looking ahead for what is next. God wants me to stop, take a breath, thank Him for where we are, and trust Him for where He will take us.