10 Things.

Well 2009 is coming to a close.. I can't believe its almost over... I remember starting my Freshmen year of college and thinking 2009 is a so far- graduation seemed forever away! This year marked some big changes and accomplishments for me and Jonny. I graduated college, we moved back to Arlington, bought a house, started new jobs, and celebrated our 1 year anniversary together. This year had its troubles and hard times but it also came with many blessing. I learned so much in just one year. Here are some of the things I learned or discovered. Some are more serious than others!

1. Patience. My patience was definitely tested this year. Graduation was a scary time for me. Although, I was EXTREMELY excited to be done with school forever, graduating with no idea what I was going to do or where I needed to be was hard. Being unemployed for 3 months was definitely challenging. God stretched me so much, teaching me to rely and trust in His provision. His timing is perfect and He taught me just that! I finally got a job nannying and I love it.


2. God knows best. So simple, right? I graduated wanting to work in sports (still would like to) but I got a job nannying. And even though its not what I imagined after graduating, it has been awesome! I love it and that little boy has captured my heart. I love working with kids and God has given me a heart and spirit for it. Its just where I need to be AND I am content with it :)


3. Communication. I learned a lot in my first year of marriage, especially when it comes to communication. I am such a stubborn person and being married has taught me a lot about compromising and communicating in a positive way.


4. Humility. I have been humbled a lot this year. I have a hard time admitting when I am wrong. God has been breaking me of this and teaching me to admit my mistakes and ask for forgiveness when I am in the wrong. Its a long process but God is working on my heart!

5. Me and Jonny both have learned a lot about being homewoners! We were very blessed this year and bought our first home!! It is beautiful and we love it! We have learned a lot about finances, mortgages, upkeep, and so much more. We are enjoying every minute of being a home owner!


6. I learned that I suck at painting- haha. I am messy and not very good at paying attention to detail. Jonny is much better at it :)

7. Jonny is a lot more handy than I thought. He is a stud! He built a cabinet in our bathroom and is remodeling our kitchen!


8. Our parents are inspiring. I have always known this but this year they have been beyond amazing to me and Jonny. They have given so much to us this year and helped us with our home so much. They are the most giving people I know and I aspire to be like that. We are lucky to have such amazing parents!



9. I learned that I don't want any pets EVER. For the longest time I have wanted a dog. BUT I am cured of that. Me and Jonny have watched peoples dogs a lot this past year and we have decided that they are needy, costly, and too much work. Fun to watch but not to keep!


10. God is ALWAYS good. He is my joy and strength! I have fallen more in love with my savior and learn everyday what it means to have an intimate relationship with Him. He has given me an amazing husband, awesome friends, a beautiful home, good jobs, and great family!

Follow Through.

So.. Me and some friends of mine have decided to start training for a half marathon- thats right, a HALF MARATHON. I am really excited about it and pray that I will be able to keep up with the training so I will actually do it. I always tell myself I am gonna do thins like this (things involving exercise and eating right) but never follow through. I get really pumped for about it for a week or two and then it fades. BUT hopefully with some friends encouraging me and going along side me- I will follow through! I am also gonna pay for it up front so I won't back out :) I start my training tomorrow! We are gonna run in the Cowtown Half Marathon on February 27! So get excited!

Christmas.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Our Christmas was so much fun and filled with family and great memories. I am sad its already over. We enjoyed our much needed break and it even snowed :) Thank-you Jesus for the white Christmas! Well here is a breakdown of what we did:

Christmas Eve Eve- We celebrated Christmas with the Van Hoy's in Red Oak, TX. Jonny's family on his dads side came over and we ate a huge and delicious dinner and opened gifts. Tracey (Jonnys sister in-law) and the kids made a surprise visit which was great. We missed Chris though- sad he had to work. Me and Jonny got lots of great things but mostly enjoyed the time with the family. We always have fun with them!

Christmas Eve- It snowed like crazy and it was AWESOME! We slept in and pretty much stayed in our Pjs all day. We were completely lazy and loved it! That night we went to the Christmas Eve service at the church and then it was off to Dallas to celebrate Christmas with my dads side of the family. My Aunt and Cousins came in from Montana. We haven't seen them in years so it was great to spend time with them! We ate another huge and delicious dinner and then opened some more gifts. It took us 2 hours to get from Dallas to Arlington (a trip that normally takes 40 minutes). We got stopped on a bridge for 45 minutes because of the weather. They eventually made us back up off the bridge and turn around. It was crazy but made for some great memories. The snow was beautiful and there was soo much of it!

Christmas Day- I was kindly awaken by a present striking me across the head- haha. Jonny wanted to open our gifts to each other so bad but I wanted to sleep lol. He kept hitting me over the head with it! So I finally got up- we exchanged gifts and then headed to my parents house. I gave him some things for his xbox and I got a new phone and a beautiful nativity set! We ate breakfast at my parents and then headed to Arlington Life Shelter. This year for Christmas, my family decided not to exchange gifts but instead to volunteer somewhere. It was such a neat experience. Nothing like it. There were lots of kids in the shelter. These kids and adults had no home and no where to go. We showed up with playdough, coloring books, games, and lots of toys. Those kids had nothing for Christmas and were soo excited about the simple things we brought them. It was truly the best Christmas ever. God showed me so much and although it wasn't the Christmas I was used to- I was more satisfied than ever! Those kids were amazing and I loved sharing my Christmas with them! After that we came back to the house and ate another huge but delicious dinner! I am pretty sure I gained ten pounds this week- lol!

Day After Christmas- Nathan and Jenny (brother and sis) came over and me and my mom made some Chicken and Dumplings- they were delicious!! Then we played some games all day! It was great fun. That night we went and saw Sherlock Holmes- LOVED it. I highly recommend going to see it!

It was a GREAT Christmas and another great reminder of how blessed I am. I am so thankful for what God has given me and for loving me so. God sent His son and thats only the beginning! Glory to God in the highest!

Happy Birthday Jesus.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!! I pray that everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas filled with friends, family, and great memories. May we not forget the reason we celebrate! God bless!


"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register.So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told." Luke 2:1-20

Its a new day.

Last night I worked my last night at Bjs Restaurant! I gave my two weeks notice to them last night and asked off for the next two weeks so I am officially DONE working there. It was a lot sadder than I thought it was going to be. I have worked there since July and have enjoyed getting to know all the hosts that work there. There are A LOT of things that I won't miss but I will miss the friendships that I have developed. There were a lot of opportunities there to share my faith and what God has done in my life. I definitely was a light in the dark. So I pray that although I will no longer see those people as much, I will still be able to keep in touch and minister to them. I am glad that I will have my weekends completely free now :) I can already feel the weight being lifted off my shoulders! I am so thankful that God gave me the opportunity to work there and have a job but I feel He is moving me to something better!

On another note... This weekend was fun! On Friday, I went with some good friends to see the Nutcracker Ballet. One of our friends was performing and so our bible study went to see her! It was fun- even though I am not much of a musical person. Jonny spent Friday night hanging with his cousin! Saturday me and Jonny finished/started our Christmas Shopping. We went after helping out at the Salvation Army for a couple of hours. We split the list in half, braved the mall, and knocked out everything in less than 2 hours! Now I just have to wrap them :) We only had to buy for his side because my family is not exchanging gifts this year. We are going to volunteer Christmas day instead. I don't like fighting the crowds or driving around parking lots forever trying to get a spot but I DO love giving. I would so much rather buy a gift for someone else than for me! That night I babysit and Jonny went and saw Avatar with friends. Sunday, we went to church and I worked! So it was a very good weekend full of lots of fun. Only 2 more days of work and then I get a 10 day vacation :) SOOOO EXCITED!!! Thats all for now. GOD BLESS and have a great break!



"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." Luke 2:4-10

Costly Faith.

To be a disciple of the Lord, it costs EVERYTHING! I am doing a bible study with some girls and we are going through a book called Experiencing God. Its been really good and has impacted me so much. It has been a great reminder of the foundational truths that I so often forget. It has challenged me to look at what my faith looks like and how my life is suppose to be a living testimony of the God I serve. It has challenged me to a deeper, intimate love relationship with my savior. I have been convicted over and over again about the sin in my life and God has been telling me to lay it all down... Over the past weeks- thats what I have been doing. Before I can join God in the work He is doing- I have to be right with Him. Lay down my flesh and take up the cross. I need to Know Him before I can tell others who He is. This weeks lessons was all about the cost of following Him and how you can't stay where you are and go with God. Its gonna cost you and others around you something. It requires total dependence and obedience to God. The cost, honestly, scares me. But I am trusting in His provision and saying YES to what He has called of me. I might not know what the costs are yet but I am saying yes- "Lord, whatever you may ask of me today or in the future, my answer is yes!". Below is a prayer by David Livingstone (was a missionary in Africa) and I pray that it would be the cry of my heart. God has a plan and His purposes will prevail. He wants to use us- all we have to do is say Yes and sacrifice our lives.

"Lord, send me anywhere, only go with me.
Lay any burden on me, only sustain me.
Server any tie but the tie that binds me to thyself." -David Livingstone


"Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.

I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.

From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that will I bring about;
what I have planned, that will I do."
-Isaiah 46:9-11

Update.

While Graham was sleeping for 3 hours today- this is what I did. Spent countless hours on my blog- updating and adding cool features to it! Hope you enjoy! It will probably change often haha... There are a few new post over the past couple of days so make sure you keep reading!! Love yall!

Friends are a Blessing.

This weekend was great! We got to spend most of the weekend with friends and family. Friday, I got to eat dinner with my family and babysit sweet Graham. Jonny and Billy did a bonfire for the Fusion small group out in Grandview. They teach 9th and 10th grade small groups for the church and they decided to have a get together outside of church. Jonny said they had a good number of people show up and it was lots of fun. I got to have the house to myself Friday night because Jonny stayed out in Grandview with Billy. I really enjoy having the house to myself every once in awhile. I played my music really loud and cleaned- haha! I do like to clean though- relieves stress! Saturday, Jonny helped Pantego Bible Church in their Christmas Day of Fun for the youth. He drove kids around all day while they went ice skating and did a canned food drive. He was gone from 11am-10pm. I got to spend the day with my dear friend Hilary Smith (my roommate in college). She lives in College Station and was in town for the weekend. We met up with Ashley and Callie in Dallas later that day (friends from A&M). It was lots of fun! We went to North Park mall and went out to eat! I had an enormously horrible headache all day but it was still great to spend time with sweet friends. We laughed a lot (probably didn't help my head much). Hilary stayed with me and Jonny Saturday night- our first house guest :) Saturday night, me, Hils, Stephanie, and Jonny stayed up till like 1:30 talking- really enjoyed it! Sunday, we went to church and then went out to eat with my family. Maddie was in town for the weekend so we spent the afternoon with her. I worked @Bjs Sunday night! It was a busy weekend and me and Jonny didn't really see a lot of each other but it was fun. Great to spend time with dear friends! I can't believe Christmas is only 10 days away!!!!! Its going by sooo fast. I haven't even begun to Christmas shop BUT I plan to this week- we will see how that goes! I love this time of year and I am sad its almost over :( I am gonna try and make the days go by as slow as they can! Well thats all right now! Hope your holiday is going well!! God bless!!

Verse of the Day.

I love the holidays. The creator of the Universe- my Savior. My stud of a husband. Family. My job- that little boy has my heart. Friends. Christmas lights. Fudge. Movie nights. My new home. Fire in fireplaces. Bible Study on Tuesdays. Naps. the month of December. Snow. Praise Jesus I get to/got to experience all these this break!!


"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Our Christmas Tree!!! I have been meaning to post pictures but haven't got around to it yet. Isn't it beautiful? It makes our whole house smell like Christmas and I LOVE it :)

"Everyday, the Choices you make. Say what you are and who your heart beats for!"

Lately, I have been feeling extremely exhausted and completely drained. This past week I worked almost 72 hours and that's pretty much the story of my life right now. Working 7 days a week at 2 jobs is exhausting and tiring. Honestly, I feel like my faith and insanity is all but gone. I have been keeping it all together pretty well but today I hit a wall. I just broke down- wanting to give up and crawl into my bed and never get up. So, while Graham was sleeping I just let it all go. I got on my knees before my Lord and gave my burdens to Him. I have been dwelling in the negative and continually been relying on my own strength. The Lord has been tugging at my heart these last couple of weeks and I have been ignoring it- and we all know what happens when we don't give it all to Him- we fail. Its something I am constantly having to remind myself of. I am someone who likes to control things. I am organized and want to know whats going to happen. Surrendering my strength and energy to Him is something I daily have to pray about. I opened my bible and began to think about how the way that I live my life is a testimony of what I believe about God. If believe in Psalm 73:26 ("My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.") then I am called to live like that. God has been convicting me about this in all areas of my life. "Do everything without complaining or arguing"- a verse we hear often but something I struggle with so much at home. I ask myself, is my life a living testimony of the Creator of the Universe? Can people obviously see Christ in my life? Am I living a life worthy of the calling? I am blessed to have 2 jobs- there are so many people who are unemployed, so why am I complaining? I desire and I am trying to pursue a relationship like this. An intimate love relationship with my Savior. Not to say that I am never gonna struggle but God is definitely changing me and challenging my faith. He has given me an AMAZING husband who encourages me daily. Always reminding me of how much he loves and appreciates me. He brings so much joy into my life and is always serving me. He is a great reminder and example of God love! Anyways... That's whats been on my heart lately.

"If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." Isaiah 7:9