Two great things...

I wanted to share two things that I have discovered so far this year that I think are great. First, some of you may be familiar with the Heaven Bible study that a few of the Sunday School classes at church went through. Well, a sweet lady at church gave me the study because she wanted me to be encouraged by it in light of Brenda's death, and I was changed by it.

This may not be new information to some of you, but the Bible study transformed the way that I think about Heaven. Basically, the author, Randy Alcorn, encourages Christians to think about the idea that God never gave up on His original plan, Earth, and Heaven will actually be a perfect Earth. Not spirits playing harps in clouds, but a physical place with physical people and physical things that have a redeemed spiritual nature. He rejects the Platonian idea that spirit and physical are opposites and believes that God created humans for earth and that Heaven will be redeemed humans experiencing a restored earth. I know this sounds complicated, but I find his ideas exhilarating because I never wanted to admit it, but I was not all that excited about the idea of singing on a cloud for eternity. But Heaven is so much more.

So anyway, I loved the Bible Study so much that for Christmas Lance bought me the full novel that the Bible Study was written from. I am learning so much. I definitely recommend this book if you want to learn more about what's to come for those who have asked Jesus into their hearts. If anyone wants to borrow it when I finish let me know or you can pick it up at Lifeway.

The other thing I have discovered this month is called "Group Groove." It is a urban/salsa dance aerobics class at Exygon on Tuesday and Thursday nights. It is so much fun that you don't even realize you are exercising. Basically it is cardio aerobics with a dance flare. The best part is that they turn off the lights and turn on a disco ball, and they cover the mirrors so that you can't see yourself acting a fool! My favorite cardio routine is to Vanilla Ice! Burning calories while having fun - it's a great thing!

Perserverance

Tomorrow is the first day of Lance's last semester of school. I know that he is ready to get it over with. I know that he is tired of all the studying, tests, and projects that come along with college, and I am praying that God will give him the strength to make it through one more semester.

I also thank God for a husband who chooses God's way, even when it's not the easy way. When I think about his college career, I am so proud of him. He could have chosen the easy road and found a job with his first degree, but instead he chose to answer God's calling and perservere through four more years of school because he knows that God's ways are higher than our ways. And when the studying got long and the nights got late, he never waivered. I think it's because his eyes are not fixed on a BS in Mechanical Engineering, his eyes are fixed on the Great Engineer - the one who designed a perfect plan for His life.

So Lance, as we embark on your final semester of school, I just want you to know how very inspired I am by you. Your perserverance is a testimony of the peace of the Holy Spirit and the joy of your salvation. Thank you for accepting His call. It's an amazing journey to walk through life beside you because you choose to follow God's direction. I love you.

Happy Birthday Momma!

Today is my mom's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is, but I will tell you that I think she is still young :) I love my mom so much. She is one of the most important people in my life. To honor her today, I wanted to share 10 things about life that I have learned from my mom...
10. You can show people that you love them by knowing how they take their coffee.
9. Eating crackers in bed is OK if it's on Daddy's side and he's not home :)
8. Use the china at Christmas, and really anytime, because it does no good in the cabinet. Plus it really does make the dinner more special.
7. Wear a dress sometimes, even if it is more uncomfortable, because being a lady has value.
6. Don't quit something half way through. There really is a reward in finishing something difficult.
5. Value your teachers and your children's teachers. They are there because they want to teach you, not for the money!
4. Value family traditions and make time for them. They may be your legacy.
3. Be a doer. God has put us in the game, not on the sidelines.
2. Never leave the house without telling your family that you love them. You may not have another chance.
1. Put God first in your life and He will lead you through everything in life. He never leaves you.

Happy Birthday Momma! I love you!

Promised to the King

Well, I finally did it - I made a blog. I thought for my first post I would tell you why I picked the title that I did. It really has dual meanings for me.

First, God has been so faithful to our family by keeping His promises to us. Four years ago, Lance and I were very surprised to find out that we were pregnant. During that same year, we learned his mom had pancreatic cancer. God always knows what he is doing.

In August of 2005 we welcomed a beautiful new addition to our family. In July 2006 we temporarily parted with a wonderful woman of God. These have been the two major events that have shaped our life for the past two years. And through the joys and heartaches, God has kept His promises - His promise to lead us, to guide us, to heal us, to give us hope, to restore us, to calm us, to protect us, to provide for us, to never leave us. We would not be who we are were it not for His fulfilled promises.

There is another promise that I know He will fulfill in His time, and that is His promise to bring me to that special place that He has gone to prepare for me where I can live forever with him and those who love Him. I am promised to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who created me and then paid a very high price for me. He is coming back for me. While I am waiting, I want to make every moment count.