To all our "FAMILY"

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:41

Mark and I wanted to tell you how much we love all of you! Your lives have touched ours is so many ways. Where would we be without you! Your friendships have left prints in our hearts and we will never be the same!

Merry Christmas!

Love Mark & Ruth

Me of Little Faith

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "Tell me to come to you on the water."
"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Matthew 14:28-31

Recently, God has spoken into some tough places of my heart and shown me some areas that have caused a little bit of a stunt in my growth.

This verse really impacted me today.

The highlighted parts were what I wanted to emphasize.

The story is in 6 parts and each one spoke volumes to me.

1. Peter (Ruth) wants God to prove himself real

2.God calls Peter (Ruth) to come to him

3.Peter (Ruth) experiences a miracle

4. Peter (Ruth) sees the wind and is afraid and starts to sink

5. Immediately Jesus is there to save

6. Jesus asks "Why do you doubt

I live in a subjective reality where whats real to me is not always what IS real!

God has been challenging me to not accept my perception of who He is, but to know Him through the Word; to know the very character and heart of God; the heart that says come, that creates miracles, who wants me to trust and know that He is always there to save.

All I want for Christmas...

OR

New Post...New Pics

Liv + Kenya= Cuteness

Cool Pics we took at the lake:

These are some pics I took of myself using the brightest setting on my camera:

Settling In...

AAHHH!!! Boxes everywhere!! We are almost done moving everything into our new place & I'm getting more and more excited to make it 'Home'! We still have to pack up the stuff we had brought with us like tv, stereo, etc... I just can't wait for us to be settled! I just thought I'd give you a teeny weeny update! We are going to have a housewarming party once we're all unpacked! So I'll keep you posted!

We're moving!!!!!

We have a new place and are moving this weekend...YAHHOOOOOOOO!!! Its only a rental and not a purchase, but its ours and that means a whole lot.

Just wanted to let y'all know that I won't be posting as much now, cause we won't have a computer!

Love you all!!

I want to hear from you...

Well as some of you know (if you've read October 7th post), Mark and I have a 'few' baby names! You also will see that they aren't all that common. But lately I've been liking a few very old fashioned names.

I would like to hear from you, the total truth, on how you feel about these names:

Baxter- Baker

Maverick- Wild in action & thought

Theodore- Divine Gift

Malcolm- Dove (which symbolizes peace)

Beatrix- Bringer of Joy

So now, let me know your opinion!!!

Challenge to myself...

The other night, my sister, my mom and I watched Pollyanna. It has been so long and I didn't remember the majority of the movie. But there was a message in that movie that really impacted me. Pollyanna shares a game with everyone she meets called the "Glad Game". When you are faced with a bad situation or with a person who tends to make you scream, instead of speaking that way about it, you choose to see what you can be glad about. Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. More times than not, my response in a situation is one of pessimism.

NO MORE!!

My challenge to myself is that I will find something in every situation to be happy about. To see the good in people instead of dwelling on their faults. To see what they could be and not what they lack. Because thats how I want people to see me.

So be GLAD!!

Faith & Love

"At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear. For great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. "

Max Lucado

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"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

C.S. Lewis

Me Lately...

Last Book I read...

Last Song I listened to...

'Blue Eyes' by Lolee

Person who has been on my mind lately...

Marcie

Last Person I told 'I Love you'...

Last Movie I watched...

What I am struggling with right now...

Doubt

What I've been daydreaming of...

Everything Glorious...

Inspired by Tamara's new post, I've decided to follow suit...

1. Stranger than Fiction: In my Top 5! Its beautiful & brilliant!

It'll make you cry & laugh. Always a good combo!

2. Shoes & Feet Pics: I just love them. I think feet tell a story about where you've been and where you're going! My new house will be covered with pics of feet.

3. The Book of Ruth. I recently read a fictional novella about Ruth by Francine Rivers called Unshaken. It inspired me to dig deeper into the book of Ruth, which has been life changing. But that is a whole other post!

4. Everything Glorious by Passion. This is a live worship CD done by Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall, David Crowder & Matt Redman! Its sooo good!
5. Mark. I know thats really cheese ball, right? But I am just so in love. We've been together for almost 8 years and married almost 6, and I really can't imagine my life without him. There have been some really dark days in my life where I thought I couldn't face it anymore, and there he was: courageous & strong, ready to lift me out. God has used him in my life to confront things in my life that would hurt me, to challenge me to be who I was meant to be, and most of all, to make me laugh. It has been laughter that has brought us through so much. And I really can't imagine walking this road alone!

Heaven was needing a hero...

Today I was thinking about Jachin alot. For those of you that didn't know Jake, he was one of our good friends that died in 2003. I think the reason I was thinking about him, is just all the new things that are happening in our church lately. The births of the babies especially are things that he would have loved. We watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tonite and it was a family who had lost there teenage son. I wept my face off. It made me miss Jake all the more. Jo-dee Messina was on the show and she sang this song:

I came by today to see you

I had to let you know

If I knew the last time that I held you was the last time

I'd have held you and never let go

It's kept me awake nights, wondering

Lie in the dark, just asking why

I've always been told

You won't be called home

Until it's your time

I guess heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

I remember the last time I saw you

You held your head up proud I laughed inside

When I saw how you were standing out in the crowd

You're such a part of who I am

Now that part will just be void

No matter how much I need you now

Heaven needed you more

Cause heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

Heaven was needing a hero and that's you