I am in my third year of teaching – and loving it! I now only teach grades K-2 which is an adjustment, but they are still my precious ESL kiddos. I will start back to graduate school in January. I will take two classes( in the spring, summer and fall) and hopefully be done by December. That would be a great feeling to get my master’s done and out of the way. The wonderful state of Kentucky requires you to have a master’s degree to continue teaching.

That’s a little update on life…

• Married the love of my life on June 13, 2009
• Spent one glorious week on our honeymoon in St. Augustine Florida
• Finished out the summer with Josh’s 25th birthday
• Started my second year at my school teaching precious and sometimes crazy K-5th graders
• Had my third surgery in 2 years – hopefully the last one for a while
• Had my third Christmas  with Joshua and the first one as a married couple

The Lord’s will is perfect and I am so blessed to have married this wonderful man! The past 6 months have been exciting, challenging, blissful, hard and wonderful all at once. Some books I have enjoyed reading as I desire to become a wife of excellence.

Here’s a picture of us on our wedding day! Be blessed

One of the songs on the cd has a song titled “How Deep” and it is based off the prayer title, “ Love Lustres at Calvery.” If you are looking for a great book to purchase for anyone on your gift list – this is it! Also, the cd is wonderful and very filled with scripture.

Here’s an excerpt from the prayer “Love Lustres atCalvery”

O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mighest spare me,

All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished;

Help me to adore thee by lip and life.

O that my every breath might be estatic praise,

my every step buoyant with delight,  as I see my enemies crushed,

Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed,

sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood,

hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.

Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross,

 mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

I can’t even begin to express the emotion this brings to me as I think of the cross. This time of year we focus very heavily on the cradle, but we must not forget that is leads to the cross. This baby is the one who was sent for OUR SINS. His substitutionary atonement on the cross allows us to see our “sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood.”

Don’t forget those around you who do not know the reason we celebrate this baby born of a virgin who is our Savior. Share the joy! Share the peace that passes all understanding and the truth of  Romans 5:8

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Merry Christmas – May you and your family be blessed this holiday season!

I thought I would let everyone know the story of how Josh proposed. He told me earlier last week that he wanted to steal me away for a few hours on Thanksgiving. I didn’t think much of it, because he kept telling me that he didn’t have the ring and that he wasn’t sure when he would. Little did I know that was just part of his plot!

Thursday arrives and he came over for a brunch with all my family. I didn’t know where he was taking me and I only knew I needed to bring my tennis shoes. We left the house and he insisted we go by Walgreens and buy a camera. I should have clued in a little more that something big was going to happen. We ended up at Bernheim Forest, a place we have gone to hike at a few times together. I love going there and it is a beautiful place.

He took me on a walk on the path going the opposite way from normal. He was so calm and acting normal I didn’t even pick up on anything. We had almost finished the walk and he saw a bench and asked if I would sit down for a minute with him. He asked me what I was thankful for and I said him, and my shoulder, my family and I don’t remember what else. Then he started talking and telling me about what he was thankful for and had just finished saying that. He looked at me and said, ” I brought you out here today to tell you that I love you and will you marry me?” Well, you must realize that we committed to not telling each other “I love you” until he proposed. So I knew the second those words were out of his mouth that he had the ring and that he was going to ask me to be his wife.

It was a joyous day and a great beginning for both of us. A year of challenges and triumphs and ultimately seeing God’s providential hand in all of the events. I never could of dreamed a year ago thanksgiving to be engaged to a wonderful, handsome, godly man! God’s timing is perfect and I just can’t wait to begin this new chapter of our lives together.

This was a great week for both of us. Now every year we will think back to Thanksgiving of 2008 and be thankful for the first step of commitment we made to each other.

The wedding date has not been finalized, but it will be in June. I’ll be sure everyone knows when and where!

“GIve thanks to the Lord for he is good His love endures forever!” – Psalm 118:1

So be praying for both of us in this journey!

It highlights the path they traveled to end up in Africa. The preconceived notions that she gave up and instead placed her TOTAL future in Christ’s hands. We are called to do that. Christ commands us to trust and obey. Why do we struggle so much to do what in simple theory sounds easy? I just know I want to daily seek HIS face and align myself to the plan HE has for me!

I am just on the sixth chapter, but I would encourage everybody to pick this book up! It is is a call to die daily to self. It can be purchased at Amazon. I linked the title up at the top of the post.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your path straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

  Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
          Fighting all day long he oppresses me.

2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
          For they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid,
          I will put my trust in You.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
          In God I have put my trust;
          I shall not be afraid.
          What can mere man do to me?

5 All day long they distort my words;
          All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They attack, they lurk,
          They watch my steps,
          As they have waited to take my life.

7 Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
          In anger put down the peoples, O God!

8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
          Put my tears in Your bottle.
          Are they not in Your book?

9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
          This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,
          In the LORD, whose word I praise,11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
          What can man do to me?12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
          I will render thank offerings to You.

13 For You have delivered my soul from death,
          Indeed my feet from stumbling,
          So that I may walk before God
          In the light of the living.

This passage is reminding the Christian to trust – always! In all circumstances, at all times. In verse 10 we are reminded to always praise God and our Lord for the word and for who they are in our lives. In verse 12 we are told that God has a binding vow with us, his born again children. And a reminder to thank him for that offering or blessing. The very last verse is so poignant. It offers a picture of how our lives would be without our Savior, Jesus Christ. So through everyday I will walk before God in the light of the living!