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| Oh my sweet Xanga, how long it has been. What is that I see, over a year!!! I admit, I have been unfaithful. This new thing came along called MySpace and what can I say, I was tempted and lead away by it's shiny newness and the unmatched ability to find absolutely everybody and anybody on that thing. (ok, that was scary) Well anyway, now it is October 4th 2006 and lots of things have happened, changed, gone on, etc. It would take an entire day to get you up to date so I will just give you the basics. I am blessed to have the greatest job ever. God is continually revealing Himself to me and the direction that He has for me and it is amazing. It is a daily struggle to surrender my selfish will and what I want for my life to His, but I'm getting much better at it and I know that He's got way better plans for me than I ever could. FUMCITUSA is the greatest place every. We are a family, and yes that means that sometimes we don't always get along, but I am so excited about the places that God is leading us. I have the greatest kids in my youth group and they have no idea how much they teach me everyday. My family is great. My sister-in-law is having trouble with kidney stones, but "this too shall pass", it's just gonna hurt like hades. And my g-ma, Nana, moved in from Houston and let me tell you, she is one funny, funny lady!!! Dad quit Omron and is now back again with a different boss, so that is much better. Mom is doing tons of stuff at church, PPUMC, and taking care of Nana, Cliff is still at good ol' FedEx, Dana is finishing up her student teaching, and I am now an expert in front water irrigation and sprinkler systems. (sigh, dad and his projects). School is fabulous. I have the greatest mentor for my journey along the Ordination process. I work with the greatest people here at FUMC. I love and miss my amazing Abilene peeps!!! And I cannot conclude without saying I have the greatest dog ever. (Why don't they make a mutt category in all those dog shows. He'd win paws down!!!) Hope that life finds you well and good. May God continue to watch over, guide, and protect us all!!! Luv ya and God bless!!! B ><>  | | |
| Wow, it's been forever. What is there to say?!?! So much has happened in the last five months. It seems like yesterday that I graduated and started a real life in the working world, and yet sometimes it seems like I have known my amazing kids forever. FUMC is such a blessing in my life. It is amazing how the Lord blesses you when you are open to follow and do his will.
The road has not been without bumps, flat tires, and road blocks, but it has been a lot of fun. Every day I find myself falling more and more in love with my Savior. He has put so many amazing people in my life and blessed me with so much.
Since I last posted
- Heather is working down in League City (near Houston) as a youth minister. It is amazing to watch God take us down very similar roads as we struggle with many of the same things. What a blessing to have a friend who knows just how you feel.
- Megan has graduated from McMurry. The last of the fabulous four. Now we are all here in the big scary real world trying to make it. I know she will make an amazing teacher and that God has such great plans for her. God has blessed me with the greatest friendships I could have ever hoped for.
- Kayla is back after spending the past five months in Kibera (Africa's largest slum in Niarobe, Kenya). God has broken her heart and soul for those people. She is in the States till August when she will return to finish the work that the Lord started through her. I am continually reminded how rich and truly blessed I am and that what God has blessed me with is not mine, but is His that He has given me to share.
- I am having a blast getting to know my new Sister. I've never had a sister before, but July 24th, 2004 I got one. Dana is amazing and it is such a joy to see she and my brother so happy and enjoying life together.
- I have gotten to see some of the greatest choir concerts, softball games, baseball games, basketball games, musicals, plays, and even a Tae Kwon Do black belt test (congrats Steph!!!). I have the greatest youthies ever and I can't wait to get to spend even more time with them this summer on choir tour, fun trips, camp, and just hanging out. Yall have such a love for life and energy that brings joy to my soul. And it's not just my youthies that are amazing, but all my parents are wonderful. I don't know what I would do without all your love, support, and encouragement.
- The people that I work with at FUMC are such a blessing. I have made some wonderful friends over the past five months. Betty, Connie, Barbara, Linda, Suzie, Sondra, Rusty, George, and Paul & Paula. It is truly a blessing to get to work with such amazing people.
- I am continually blessed by my relationship with the Hartmann's!!! They are such an amazing family. As if my own parent's aren't a great enough example of a great relationship and marriage, God has blessed me with Alan and Tracie. Their love for each other, their family, and others just overflows to everyone they meet. And it is so amazing to watch Michael and Ethan grown into the wonderful young men that they are becoming. (I am definitely in no hurry to get married and have kids, but the Hartmann's remind me of just how much joy, love, and compassion there is to be found in the right relationship.)
- My youth in Abilene continue to be a blessing in my life as I hear amazing things happening in West Texas. It is so hard to leave the people you love most, but I am a firm believer that we never run out of love. God just keeps pouring it on us so we can give and give and give. I love you Abilene!!!
- My parents have been wonderful too. Yes I am one of those statistics. I graduated from college and I am now back living at home, but I have a full time job, I will start grad school in August, and I pay rent, so it's not like I'm completely a free-loader. It is such a blessing to have such a wonderful relationship with my parents. My mom is my best friend and my dad is such a great encourager, always coming up with new ideas for my ministry. I couldn't find greater parents anywhere.
- And I know I'm forgetting someone or something, but if you have made it reading this far, you must really enjoy wasting time. Either that or you really care about me, so thanks.
I hope the Lord has blessed you as much as He has blessed me in the past five months. Maybe if you don't think He has, you should stop and look around. Are the people you love healthy, is there a roof over your head and food in your stomach, do you have a good education and a job? If you answered yes to one of these questions you are a lot better off than a lot of people in our world.
Count your blessings this coming week. See if you can count that high!!!
B ><> | | |
| Oh my gosh, it has been like two whole months. I am sooo sorry. Well I guess here is a quick recap
November 16th turned 22, guess that makes me old. So I was not able to be with my birth family for my birthday, but I was surrounded by family and friends who I love. It was quite possibly the greatest birthday I have ever had. Selah and the rest of the crowd at the concert didn’t sing happy birthday to me, but the Hartmann’s and all my roomies who I love like crazy were there!!! It was awesome
Thanksgiving was fun. A great chance to get to see family that I hadn’t seen since the summer really. There was lots to be thankful for this year!!!
Then December came and that was a roller coaster of emotions. As I finished up my undergraduate career, it was hard to say goodbye to the people who had been my family for the past three and a half years. Yet it was exciting to be closing that chapter of my life and starting a new one as I started my career.
Christmas was more great time with family and friends and then it was off to work. Well two days in to the real working world we left for ski trip. I don’t know if you would really call that work, but it sure was a blast.
It was such a blessing to get to know some of my new youth and their families. Thankfully no one got hurt. We had a little stomach bug that went around, but that was much better than broken bones.
Well, we’re back from ski trip and that meant hitting the ground running when I got back. Except, the bug that was going around on ski trip caught up with me Monday afternoon and I spent the next 36 hours sleeping.
Last night was the Middle School First Friday Fun Night and it was a blast. I had so much fun. I cannot wait to get to know these kids better and to spend more time with them. What a blessing!!!! | | |
| Ok, so the other day one of my favorite professors posed this question to class:
Can a soldier justify being a soldier after becoming a parent, or is his/her responsibility to that child and family too great? (or something to that affect)
After careful pondering all throughout class I came up with this response. I would like to share it with you and find out what you think. Here are my feelings on the issue:
I am not a parent, nor do I plan to be any time soon unless Jesus is coming back the same way he came the first time and my name is Mary. Anyway. But I know that if you talk to any grandparent or parent that one of their main goals in life is to leave this world in a better place than they found it. They wish to make a safer, happier place for their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Some people choose to do this by being an educator, they challenge young minds and teach and instruct them and give them knowledge. Some people choose something in the medical field, from searching for a cure for cancer to delivering babies, to healing the sick, they bring health to the heart, minds, and bodies in this world. Still others choose careers in business where they drive the economy that drives our great nation. Some are domestic engineers or stay home with their children to raise them in the way that they see fit and to be there every step of the way. Some are ministers and religious leaders who help people in their spiritual walk. Still more go to work everyday and bring home a paycheck so that their family can live the comfortable life that they enjoy and eat the food that they enjoy and wear the clothes that they like to wear. These are all great professions and very necessary to the productivity of our great nation. Yet there are some who chose to sacrifice their very lives for their children and other’s children. There are men and women who give up the comforts of home to go settle conflicts and win wars to ensure that we can continue to live our comfortable lives.
So if you ask me can a soldier justify being a soldier after becoming a parent, or is his/her responsibility to that child and family too great? I would say to you that it is every parent’s job to be a soldier. I would say that you need to think again about being a parent if you are not willing to lay your life down for your child. It doesn’t have to be on a battlefield in Iraq, but it could be on that battlefield of drugs, sex, or alcohol. It doesn’t have to be capturing a member of Al Qaeda, but it could be confronting your child about the decision they are making and the kind of life they are leading. I think all parents are called to be soldiers. There are so many battles to fight domestically and abroad. It takes an army of parents willing to stand up and fight for causes all over. | | |
| I would ask you to please pray for the Doug Martin’s family and friends. Sometime last week Doug was involved in a motorcycle accident. It appears that he lost traction on some gravel and hit a tree. He was found about two hours later by his good friend Alan Webster. He was rushed to the hospital where he rested in a coma, not sure how much brain damage there would be if he woke up. Any paralysis was ruled out, but yesterday he had an aneurism in his brain and was considered brain dead. Mom told me last night that his organs would be harvested today to help save others lives and that services would be later in the week. He is survived by his wife and at least one child that I know of, his mom, dad, and sister who was in my class and youth group. Doug was one of my brother’s friends and it is scary to think of what life would be like without my brother. He is one of my best friends and I can’t imagine the loss in the hearts of the Martins. It hurts to lose anybody, but especially the young and when they are taken so suddenly.
This truly makes me more grateful for the men and women serving our country. Everyday their lives are on the line. Their families wonder and wait and hope that the next phone call will be from their loved one, and not from someone calling to inform them that their love one has been lost in the battle for freedom. What a high cost that we take for granted.
This song was written by on of the guys from Mercy Me when his dad passed away. It’s on there Undone CD which came out the week before my Papa died. The words of the song were so powerful then and are still powerful now. Sometimes when a loved one dies it’s so hard to put into words what you feel. This song did that for me:
You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home
I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again
And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now
May God be with you as you go throughout this week. May you see what a blessing your family and friends are and tell them that you love them. You never know when your last chance to tell them you love them will be. I love you all and God bless!!!
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