Out With the Old, In with the New

It's the last day of the year and if you're anything like me, you look back over this last year with many great memories as well as the knowledge that you failed in many respects. Maybe it's just me. This year was full of incredible blessings, adventures, lessons, and memories. I am surrounded by amazing family, I live in a beautiful home, I have the opportunity to attend a phenomenal school, I can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel, and best of all I have been given the most amazing and undeserved gift--the gift of God's love and redemption of a truly wretched sinner. Yet daily I face the choice to please my God and Savior or myself. I have the opportunity to serve God and the people around me or to focus on myself. I can either put God first or I can live to satisfy my desires. Much more often than I wish, I choose the path that makes me feel good momentarily.

I have struggled to put God first in everything. I have failed to daily make God my anchor and yet I never fail to prioritize facebook or other such trivial nothings. Is it any wonder that I get to the end of the day and feel like I didn't accomplish what I should have? If I can't keep the most important things in life in order I have no business making time for the insignificant things. I look back at the last year or two and I regret all the time I wasted. I regret how much time I spent on things that the next day or next week mean nothing to me and didn't draw me closer to God or to my family or even strengthen my mind and character. I do not want this next year to hold the same regrets, to be full of the same mistakes, or to have produced as little as I feel this last year has. 

In the past I've been a resolutions person. Every year I write out things that I want to accomplish, change, do, or not do in the coming year. Every year I look back at the previous list and I see many of the same things as I just wrote. I remember falling behind in my Bible reading schedule when life "got busy," or missing a few days of my workout regimen and then never really getting back on track. I got discouraged because it wasn't perfect or as easy or as glamorous as it seemed at first and the whole thing ends up in the trash. I give up way to easily. How I'd hate to be known as someone who gives up and quits because something is hard or doesn't go as I had planned or hoped. I don't want this next year to be the same. I want to look back on the year and see that yes, I did struggle to do my quiet time each day, but I didn't give up, I picked back up and kept going. Yes, I did miss several days of exercise, but I didn't just quit, I moved on and got back on track. No, I wasn't as intentional today as I planned to be, but that doesn't mean tomorrow can't be different. 

So I'm not making a list of resolutions for the year, but there are a few things that I want to set as my guidelines for this year:

"Where ever you are, be all there." 

It is easy for me to try to be planning out tomorrow while it is still today. I need to learn to live each day and each moment as it comes, learning to be intentional with my time and efforts knowing that what I do today is shaping who I will be tomorrow. 

"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Gal 5:13 

We have been crucified with Christ and need not be slaves to sin any more. Christian liberty does not give us freedom to do as we choose as please the flesh. We are children of God called to serve Him through our freedom.

"Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being." 1 Cor 10:24

To love others and seek to be a blessing is to love God and live in humility. It is nearly impossible to live in pride and self-centeredness when we are more concerned about other than about ourselves. 

"If anyone among you things he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue he deceives his own heart and this one's religion is useless." James 1:26

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be pleasing to the Lord and edifying to those around me. That my speech will be seasoned with grace and love. That criticism and pride will be far from me and that God's love will shine through me even when I find it hard to love others. 

So as we say farewell to the old year and welcome in the new, I earnestly pray that God will help me to say farewell to the "old man" and put on the new with sincerity, grace, love, and humility. However God has taught me some much needed lessons this year and I pray that I will not soon forget them. I am eager to see where God leads me this next year and what new lessons He has in store. 

Happy 2013!!!!!!!

Sometimes You Just Need A Little Home

 When I wrote my last post, which was over a month ago, I was just trying to stay afloat, and now here I am, back at home on fall break--my first term finals behind me. One of my professors said at the beginning of the year that he "will not let us drown, but [he] will let us flounder." He was right. There were times when I didn't think I would make it through to the end and I couldn't see how I would ever get all of City of God read, but by God's grace, I did. And as I said, I am HOME! Only for a week, but home with my family nonetheless. Caity, three friends, and I left Moscow at 2:30am for the airport on Saturday morning, stopping to get doughnuts on the way. When I got into ABQ, after trying to locate my luggage, we went to eat at Rudy's (our favorite bbq place). I did eventually get my luggage back on Sunday. It was a blessing to fellowship with everyone from my home church. I've missed them all a lot. We also had a dance on Sunday which was a great way to get caught up with friends who I hadn't seen since I left. I am beginning to get caught up on sleep and get my fill (it's that's even possible) of cooking. I am so exceedingly blessed to have such a great family. I love being with them and they truly love having me around. I am so thankful that I was able to come home. I miss them a lot when I'm gone.
I'll be going back to Moscow on Saturday to start the second term of school. I am really excited. I am really loving all my classes. Latin is probably my favorite which is ironic because it was the one class I considered not taking at all. I am so glad I changed my mind. It's wonderful. It is probably also the most challenging, but I love it. This term in Lordship (my theology class) we'll be reading the entire Old Testament (or so I've been told by upperclassmen) along with a handful of other books, and studying the covenants, baptism, and the sacriments. I am really excited about that! It's something I've wanted to study and understand better for a long time. I really love school and the community. I have made some good friends and I love seeing Curtis and Caity all the time. I see them almost everyday. We have absolutely wonderful professors and a lot of really great students in our class. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so grateful for it. God has blessed me tremendously. As always, I hope to post some while I'm at school, but we'll see. =D

 Caity gave me a bag of my favorite sour gummy worms to get me through finals week however, they didn't last the whole week. :-p

Sometimes studying for finals calls for a late night run to Wendy's for fries and a frosty.

 It's beautiful and BLANK! No classes, no assignments, nothing for a whole week!

 4:00am Doughnut stop on the way home.

Headed home. On cloud nine. =) 

Greeted by sweet notes from my mom and brothers on my mirror. 

Just a little taste of fall.

This year our apple trees actually produced fruit so we've been inundated by apples, but that also means we have an excuse to make apple pie, applesauce, and everything else apple, so there's no complaints at this house. 

Fill, Dump, Reload

Reading, reading, reading. My brain is so full, so tired. The thought of trying to add one more book of City of God almost makes me cringe. Not because I don’t appreciate it, but because I am trying so hard to process what I’ve already read. I struggle with speed reading, knowing I’m not catching every word. It feels like cheating, but that’s what our professors want us to do. I resign, not because I want to, but because that is the only possible way get it all done before class. My mind wanders....thinking back to the beautiful days of summer -- back to lazy days of reading, volleyball, laying in the sun, family, friends, bowling, baseball games, backpacking, and water fights -- it all comes flooding back. I begin to miss my little younger brothers all over again. Something else that made the summer so wonderful was the growth and change we saw in the boys. They grew up before my eyes, not only in height and age, but in character. What a blessing. Praise God for His faithfulness. 

I thank God for the blessings He pours out on us each and every day. My eyes fill with tears as I think of how every little aspect of life is evidence of God’s overflowing love. The fact that the sun rises and sets every day. The changing of the seasons. Finding something you lost, receiving a sweet text from your daddy that just says “hey, thinking about you. I love you.” The joy of wearing a sweatshirt on a chilly evening. Receiving a care package from your mom which includes Oreos and a coffee thermos. So often we overlook the small things that God places in our lives. God loves it when we take delight in Him, in the little things He made, and in the little joys in life. I am so overwhelmed with the idea and presence of His great love. 

It is too much to comprehend, but never to much to give thanks for. Thanks be to God for His infinite and unfathomable love for His children. And now, it is time to return to the books. City of God calls whether I feel ready or not. 

*I wrote this one night last week when I just had too much on my mind to focus on Augustine. 

Of This, That, and the Other

This is truly going to be a hodgepodge post because life is so full and everything happens all at the same time, or so it feels. The last time I updated was almost three weeks ago and I hadn't even officially started school. Well, a lot can and does happen in three weeks especially in college. Things officially began on August 10th at the NSA 2012 Convocation Ceremony where all the Freshmen signed "the book" for the first time and were welcomed to the school by all the faculty. It was a very exciting and momentous time -- the beginning of any life changing adventure usually is. =)

We got our first assignments at Convocation as well and so the weekend (except for Sunday) consisted of some scrambling to get some reading done before classes began on Monday the 13th. Weeks one and two are behind me and in those two weeks I've met tons of people, had several lectures, taken weekly quizzes, finished two books, started 4 other books, attended Christ Church, played volleyball and frisbee, studied at Bucers, walked through the Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, spent time with my dear siblings, played games, cooked, and attended CRF. In all that I've managed to find time to run and bike and get a good amount of sleep each night. No, really. I have been. Don't look at the time I posted this. That doesn't matter. ;-)
It's been an amazing experience so far and already stretched and pushed me. I think Latin may be my favorite class so far, but it's hard to have a favorite here. This week we have two paper abstracts due and we write our first declamations. A paper abstract is like condensed form of what your paper is going to be -- the ground work from which you launch into your paper. And declamations are roughly 200 words that we write on any given topic or with some specific guidelines that we then present to our class and teachers. I think that's going to be really fun. We'll see how it goes. Sometimes writing 200 words is harder than a 4 page paper.

So that was the "This" part of the post and now on to the "that" part and later I'll get to the "other" part. Just hang on. =)

At the end of week 1 Mr. N. D. Wilson gave a talk to the whole student body that I found particularly thought provoking. It wasn't something new, but rather something that I've been thinking and talking about with family and friends a lot recently. As college students, whether already in the middle of their college experience or beginning of freshman year, we should all stop to think about why we are here and what we are going to do with our time at college. What is our purpose/calling in being here? It's going to be different for each student, but one thing that doesn't change is that we are all making a choice ever day. Every day is an opportunity for one of two things -- we can either slide away from godliness or we can walk on the path of righteousness. We cannot simply coast along in the middle of the two for four years, or even one year, and get to the end and all of a sudden be firmly planted in the path of righteousness. Each day we are practicing who we are going to become. The little decisions we make today are a part of shaping who we will be down the road. It's no small matter. There is no decision that is of no consequence. Every action has a repercussion. It can either be a blessing or a curse, but there will be an outcome from your actions today.
This is something I've thought about a lot over the last two weeks have I've been faced with tons of choices -- when, where, and what do study, who to spend time with, when and where to hang out with people, what parties and activities to go to and what to say no to. Choices of honesty, friendships, time management, forming good study habits, etc. They are all things that taken one at a time in little doses can seem like a small matter and insignificant, but it is in the making of those little choices that my character will be shaped in one direction or another. You will reap what you sew.

The "other" part of my post is actually going to wait.... one because it's late and I have to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for class at 8, and secondly because it's about a talk that I heard tonight at the CRF meeting that I thought was really good, but I want more time to think about it before I put my thoughts out for all the world to read. So that's it for now, but hopefully I'll have time to update again soon.

P.S. Highlight of the day - a roommate bringing home a box of doughnuts after work and four girls harmonizing and praising God together before returning to homework. Life in and of itself is such a gift, but to add additional joys on top of it all is almost too much. God is so good! =)

Week Zero and Commonplaces

 My stack of books for this first 8 week term (minus a couple). 

"Week Zero", as it's called here at NSA, is coming to a close. This week was mainly pre-school classes geared to help incoming freshman get ready for the year and understand how things are going to work, what to expect, and tips on how to do well in college. I found it very helpful and overall I'm not too stressed out. =) I know it's going to be a difficult and rigorous road ahead, but with perseverance and God's grace I will survive. It's humbling to know college is not something I can do by my own strength and I have to trust God to help me. There will be times when I don't think I can stuff one more latin word in my brain or I can't keep my eyes open one minute longer, but I can't stop. I can't give up. I have to keep going and force myself to go beyond the limitations I think I have. Those limitations have been set in my mind only because I have never been pushed to go beyond them before. If I throw up my hands and give in when the going gets tough I will never succeed. I will never know how far I can push myself and I will have wasted all the time and money invested in my education.
As part of our preparation for college one of our professors assigned us a 300 page book, Thriving At College by Alex Chediak, on Tuesday to have ready to discuss by Thursday afternoon. It was really gratifying to finish the entire book Thursday morning and still have had time in the previous two days to spend time on other things. I know going into college, one of the challenges of this year will be learning to read faster.

This year as a part of our rhetoric class we are required to keep a commonplace book and have at least 10 new quotes a week. Awww shucks. =D
I've kept a commonplace book for several years now so it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm looking forward to it. =) I found a notebook that says on the front, "Some people dream of success while other wake up and work hard at it." I thought that would be fitting. =)

There are a couple quotes from Thriving at College that are going in my book and I thought I'd share them here as well.

You are in college to learn how to think so that you can, for the rest of your life, increasingly love God with a well-trained mind.

Thinking you can know God's personal will in advance magnifies the stress it claims to remove. Trusting in God's control brings peace and rest.

You can love God with all your mind by being fully present in your studies, knowing that God is preparing you for what lies ahead in ways you cannot fully comprehend.

You are serving the Lord when you faithfully attend classes, do your homework, complete course projects, and study for exams. 

Whatever you're doing be fully present in it. 

College is a temporary season of academic preparation and growth so that you can serve God more effectively with the rest of your adult life. If you've chosen to go to college, then God's plan is that college be a springboard into all that goes with responsible Christian adulthood.

A Christianity not practiced today becomes a Christianity that is absent tomorrow.

"There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior."

Momma, this is for you.

Getting Settled

I arrived in Moscow, Idaho on Thursday and got things moved into my house. Friday Mom and I spent the day shopping and getting things set up in my house to make it feel like a home and ready to live it. I am so enjoying the house and my room mates. We've spent a lot of time together and are all sitting around in the living room talking about personalities as I write. I am so excited about living with these girls for the next 9 months! I think it's going to be wonderful! 

Today, our landlord who is in town came over to see the house and figure out what things need to be fixed. Our carpet in the living room and dining room smelled really bad and after a little investigation we found there are real wood floors under the carpet. Our landlord, his sons, and a couple other guys began tearing up the carpet right away. Tomorrow they will sand the floors and then refinish them on Wednesday. We are all so excited and it already looks great and more spacious even though the floor is in a rough unfinished state. =) 

This evening we cooked dinner together and had a wonderful time of fellowship with our landlord and his family, the guys that are working on the house, and a few young ladies from school. It was so wonderful to be able to host 12+ people in our house and not feeling constrained by unfinished flooring, small spaces, not really knowing the people, etc. I can't really describe it. It feels like such simple hospitality, but it is so beautiful. I am so excited about this year and all that I will learn through it both academically and in everyday life. 

Here are some pictures of my house with the unfinished floors. I'll post some more pictures, hopefully in a couple days, when everything is finished and put back together. 

This is a picture from the front door looking into the living room and dining room

 This is also from the front door looking toward the hall and my bedroom (the door on the left).

 This is our scattered living room and our super comfy chairs that all four of us love....unfortunately there are only two. =)

And this is my bedroom, or at least my side of it. =) 

Wait

In reply to yesterday's blog post, a friend of mine sent me part of this poem. It is a beautiful poem about trusting God and learning to wait on His perfect timing. It fits perfectly. I love how God uses friends to encourage us at just the right time and in just the right way. What a blessing.

Wait

by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait." 

"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign. 

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply." 

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."

Let Go and Let God

Each day passes reminding me that I have one less day at home. This summer has flown by. I knew when I got home from the graduation/wedding trip at the beginning of June that I would have 8 weeks at home, and though I knew it would be short, I didn't realize just how short it would feel! I am down to 9 days at home. For 28 days straight we have had constant and overlapping company, which was a blast and I wouldn't trade for anything, but then when the house is quiet and our lives return to their normal routine, I realize just how little time is left.
Our last Sunday at our church. The last time I see different people. The last Bible Study. Last ladies' prayer. Last frisbee game. Last. Last. Last. . . Each one marches on no matter how much you want to hold on - to savor the moments and drag them out. They slip by. There is a season for everything, but sometimes it's hard.
I am looking forward to college, don't get me wrong. I know God has many things to teach me in many different areas of life, and for that I am excited, but at the same time it is bitter sweet. The uncertainty of the unknown lies ahead. How will I be changed? Both positive and (hopefully very little) negative. What will change at home? How long will I be called to go to NSA? What will come next? How will friendships change while I'm away. What new friendships does God have in store and how will those change me? In what ways will I be drawn closer to God through it all?
So many questions, and so far, no answers. Time will tell. I must let it rest in His hands.
One thing that comes to mind every time is that God is in control. He has a plan. He holds every day and every moment in His hands. My job is to live each day to the glory of God and let Him work out His will through me. He is the Potter, I am the clay. My life is His to mold and shape for His glory.

There is a really good quote from Kevin DeYoung's book Just Do Something that sums up our lives.

‎"So the end of the matter is this: Live for God. Obey the Scriptures. Think of others before yourself. Be holy. Love Jesus. And as you do these things, do whatever else you like, with whomever you like, wherever you like, and you'll be walking in the will of God."

June Birthdays

 June 11th was Russell's Golden Birthday. I can't believe he has now celebrated 6 birthdays with us now! He has grown so much in the last 5 years!!! I pray the Lord blesses him with many more wonderful birthdays and that He draws Russell closer to Him each passing year. 

His request for his birthday breakfast was to make an apple strudel with his sisters. 

His birthday cake of choice was of course chocolate with chopped up candy bar and chocolate frosting. 

 And Caity made an amazing cherry gelato with sweet cherries from our tree. 

My birthday followed on the 13th. We carried on the tradition of fajitas and cheesecake for dinner. This year my grandma was able to join us. 

 Caity made the cheesecake and an amazing cherry sauce (yes we have an abundance of sweet cherries). =D

Of Friends, Summer, and Bowling

Found this sign at a park....ummm ok?

My family teases me about my style =)

One Man

There is one man who means the world to me. 

A man that I look up to an admire. 

Who has walked each step alongside me. 

Who has shown what it means for a man to love his wife.

A man of humility who loves to give. 

Who showers his children with love and gifts. 

Who cares about raising his children in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

A man who has an amazing work ethic and never complains.

Who teaches his children that work is a good thing.

Who loves to spend time with his family and take them on fun vacations.

A man who lives out traits that I will look for in the man I marry. 

A man who I love with my whole heart. 

Thanks for being such a great dad. 

I love you!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY!!! 

What's Your Soundtrack?

On Sunday our pastor asked a question that got me thinking.

What is the soundtrack of your life?

What do you wash yourself with throughout the day? What are the things that take up the majority of your time and thoughts? What are some of the biggest influences in your life, good or bad? Are we continually growing closer to our Heavenly Father or are we being drawn down the slow and gradual path of unrighteousness by the things that fill our life?

"The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." - C.S. Lewis

The "soundtrack" of your life is not merely what you listen to, but that definitely is a good place to start because our ears are always open and generally people listen to a lot of music while they study, work, drive, and go about every day life. I know I do. I have wondered and questioned standards of media, for christians in general and myself in particular, for quite a while now. How do we determine what we should or shouldn't listen to? 

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things."

Does that limit us only to things that are strictly labeled "christian" and talk only about Jesus? I don't think so, but neither do I want to be so blinded by the idea of "Christian liberty" that I allow myself to read, listen to, watch, and be influenced by anything or everything. I don't have the answers and there's not a list of "ok" songs and movies behind the concordance in your Bible. It is not so cut and dry. Nothing in life really is. There is always room for grace. And aren't we glad?!

As I've thought about this issue, specifically in regards to music, I have thought of a couple songs in my iTunes that should probably go. But then in the back of my mind I hear a little voice saying things like:

"but it's a really fun song,"

"but I like it,"

"it's got a good beat,"

"I don't listen to it that much." 

"is it really BAD?"

I know in my own life I am sometimes tempted to hold on to things that I know don't glorify God because I enjoy them. Because it pleases my flesh. It feels good. It makes me happy for the moment. If we truly loved and feared God it would be easy to give up fleshly things so that we would be honoring Him, but we don't. We are fallen, sinful creatures. We love the things that please us. However, we do not have to stay in that rut. God has given us weapons to fight temptation; the Word of God and prayer. Spend time in God's word and seek wisdom from Him. 

So. What is the soundtrack of your life?

Time That's Never Waisted

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I just got back from an extremely busy couple weeks preparing for a wedding. In the craziness of busy schedules - running here and there, working on projects, and pulling together the small details, it was easy to let one of the most significant and most important things slip away un-noticed. It dawned on me one of the last days that I had not been spending time in God's word. I was letting myself sleep in, getting up, and then jumping into the day without first spending time with the Lord.

I woke up early the next morning, grabbed my sweatshirt and my Bible and sat out on the front porch steps, the sun low in the sky and the world a quiet and peaceful place. I sat out there, un-interupted for almost an hour! That hour was so precious and I wondered how I could ever be 'satisfied' without that time with my Father. Some times when life is busy and time is in a crunch, I am so quick to let my quiet time be the first to go. I almost feel guilty sitting down to enjoy some peace and quiet when there's work to be done. I've realized though that no matter what, spending time in God's word and talking to your heavenly Father is never waisted time. Sure, you don't always have time to read your Bible for two hours, but whatever time you do have is never waisted. 

"The person who truly knows the Lord develops a love for Him and a closeness to Him, so that He begins to shape one's character and values." 

"One does not divine God's will. One lives God's will as one comes to know Him through His will." 

(Both quotes by Bruce K. Waltke)

Have you ever stopped to consider how awesome it is that God hears our prayers when ever and where ever we are? How cool is that. We don't have to sit down and say "ok, I'm going to pray now." We can be going about our daily lives talking to Him - asking for wisdom, praying for friends, seeking His guidance, lifting up needs and concerns. He truly is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is ALWAYS there. Even when we forget, He is faithful. I've had lots to think about the last few days and I've discovered that picking cherries is a wonderful opportunity to think and pray. =) 

If God is not the focus of our lives we lose the proper perspective on everything else.

Home

I realize it's been well over two months since I last posted. The last month has been crazy. We left May 8th and drove to Idaho for my brother's college graduation, stayed there for 5 days and then drove down to Farmington, New Mexico with Caity and stayed with our "cousins" for two and a half weeks. We helped with the last preparations for our dear friends wedding last weekend and came home tired and happy Sunday evening. It was a truly wonderful trip, but after a month, I am glad to be back home with no up coming trips for the next few weeks. I haven't left the house yet. It's been awesome!

It was such a blessing to spend two weeks with our dear friends. We decorated Meg's house, ran errands, made food, watched movies, played frisbee, went on walks, talked for hours, altered dresses, made cake pops, decorations, programs, rosettes, curtains, towels, bouquets, boutonnières, and a dress, and fellowshipped with friends. It was fantastic and the wedding came together very smoothly. Saturday morning was a little hectic with running to Hobby Lobby and back and then taking stuff to the reception hall and back and then picking up stuff from the reception hall and back, all before the bride returned from her hair and makeup appointment. Pictures were taken, the flowers didn't wilt, the bride was stunning, the groom couldn't stop smiling, some of the attendants cried, the maid of honor made it through her speech (but not without tears), and we partied it up at the reception.

Sunday we worshipped with the saints at the Skeen's church and then enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of fellowship at a park before heading home. I'm eager to see all the dear people at our church back home though.
So there's a general update and hopefully I'll be able to keep up posting with more regularity in the near future.

Of Blossoming Trees and Falling Snow

The weather was beautiful all of last week; in the 70's most days with beautiful sunshine and hardly any wind. Our fruit trees have begun to blossom and the grass is greening up and growing. 

Just in time for snow today and a possible freeze tonight.