New Ventures

So far I am thinking that 2011 will be a year of new things for me.

On Wednesday, I start Hermeneutics. It is a seminary class through Grace School of Theology that will teach me methods for deeper study of the Bible. I am not taking the class for credit, just for enrichment. Nevertheless, I am excited and a little nervous to be back in school again.

In four weeks I will also complete my certification training as a Zumba instructor. I have never been a fitness instructor before, but I have always wanted to. I LOVE Zumba and have been attending a class 3 times a week since the end of October. Jenna & my teacher encouraged me to get certified, and shortly after I signed up for the certification, a local gym called asking me to teach. Not everything with that has been finalized so I don't want to speak too quickly, but it looks like teaching Zumba will be added to my list of new ventures this year. More details will come soon. :)

Lance (who turns 31 on Sunday BTW) and I are going to Hampton, VA for a week in February with his work. I am looking forward to getting away with him. We are driving there, and we love taking road trips and stopping at unique places on the way. It should be fun!

We are also planning a family vacation to Playa Del Carmen in May. I love the Caribbean and can't wait to relax, have fun and eat all the resort food :) Good thing I will be doing Zumba!

I am excited about all the opportunities this year holds and grateful to God, from whom all blessing flow!

A Perfect Sunday

Today was such a great day. I love teaching 3rd grade Sunday School. The kids end up teaching me more than I teach them some days.

My niece and nephew were also down this weekend, and since Mack was sick for Christmas we did not get to see them much then. It was nice to have lunch with them at my mom's after church and play with them today.

After lunch was probably my favorite part of the day. Lance built a fire and the three of us spent two hours sitting in front of the fire, talking and putting together a lego castle. We never even turned the television on today. We need more days like that.

What a perfect Sunday!

Happy Birthday Momma

Today is my mom's birthday. I won't tell you how old she is because this post is really meant to honor her, and that might just make her mad. Ha Ha.

I think I have the greatest mom ever. She is giving, loving and very hardworking. I think I get my independent and determined spirit from her. She is a devoted wife, mother, teacher and child of God.

I am so glad she is my mom, and I hope that she has the best birthday ever!

Checking Off My List

Gumbo - Check!

Puppy Chow - Check!

Taco Meat for Cheese Dip - Check!

Celery Cut for Pineapple Cream Cheese Appetizer - Check!

Gingerbread for Church tonight - Check!

Dry ingredients measured for Corn Casserole - Check!

Ding-dong cake - In the oven!

Next step...Clean my kitchen!!!

What's Cooking?

I love Christmas time. My mom always made it very special for my family by keeping Jesus at the center and filling the holidays with good food and good company. Since I am grown, I now enjoy helping to share some of that burden of cooking up Christmas.

So that's what I am planning on doing all day tomorrow. I am going to start out with cooking gumbo, which we will enjoy for lunch on Friday at my house with my parents, sister & family, and aunt & uncle. Then I am going to make puppy chow to bring to Laurie and Micah's on Christmas Eve night. I am also going to brown meat to add to the cheese dip that I will make on Friday night and start the Ding-Dong Cake for Christmas Day. That has to be frozen so that I can cut it into four pieces so I need to get an early start.

I am also making celery with pineapple cream cheese, a fruit salad that my family calls pink salad, and corn casserole. Good thing I have been going to Zumba! I better keep exercising or I will be rolling in to church on Sunday. :)

I also have a goal. My goal is to not enter another store until after Christmas. I have done my Christmas shopping and my grocery shopping so I am hoping that I do not have to get in one more line or swipe my credit card one more time. Can I do it? I guess we shall see!

Zumba

Zumba is so fun!

I have been going to Zumba about 3 times a week for almost 2 months, and it has become one of my favorite things to do. It is great exercise and the best thing about it is that it is so fun you don't even realize how hard you are working out.

I go to Jennifer Simpson's classes at Taylor Dance Studio on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30am to 10:30am. She loves the Lord, and many of our workout songs are Christian songs. They also have classes on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 6:30. I try to go at least one evening a week.

The class is free the first time then you can choose to pay $25 a month for unlimited classes or $5 per class.

Lance told me the other day that it looked like my gut was getting smaller. I said thank you but was unsure if it was really a compliment since it included the word "gut" ha ha!

I figure the only thing that could make it more fun would be if I had some friends to share it with. So come if you can and join me in some calorie-burning fun :)

Back to School

That's right...I'm going back to school. January 26th I start my first seminary class. Don't get any ideas though, I am not hoping to be a preacher. I'm Baptist, remember, I could not do that if I wanted to :)

I am taking Hermeneutics, a class that teaches you deeper Bible Study Methods from a language and cultural perspective, from Grace School of Theology. They have a satellite campus at First Baptist Beaumont, and the preacher there will be facilitating the class.

For a while now I have been really interested in learning more about the Greek and Hebrew languages because I think some of the fullness of God's Word can be masked in translation if we do not carefully study it and meditate on it. I think this class will teach me some helpful tools to appreciate the full complexity of Scripture as the Living Word.

This class is another way that God is bringing good out of a bad situation. I found out about the school's satellite campus and the course offerings shortly after my miscarriage. I knew that this was an opportunity that God was providing for me because like I said in my profile, I am promised to the King of Kings and while I am awaiting His return, I will not be idle. I want to make every moment count. So for now, I'm back to school.