Resolutions... No Just Realizing the Importance of Faithfulness

Well, 2010 is drawing to a close.  There has been a lot that's happened in the last year, and the common theme throughout is faithfulness.  With Steve's ship out date drawing near, I am not getting nervous or scared of the new changes coming, but I'm excited for the adventure.  I know we serve a God who is faithful and if I am faithful in following him I will experience blessings far greater than I could ever know.  And that is why I'm ready to move.  To finally see his plan come to fruition and start this adventure.

I've been reading a book called Love & War by John and Staci Eldredge (it's been off and on for about a year now oops!).  I picked it up again the other day, and what is the chapter about, but the need for a husband and wife to share in adventures together.  I realized in that moment that this is exactly what God has planned for us.  While I've been a little apprehensive about moving our future children from town to town or across the country perhaps, I have to remember this is God's exact plan.  He wants Steve and I to share adventures.  John & Staci talk about how couples need to make time to share experiences like hiking, horseback riding, or sailing.  Adventures don't have to take the form of outdoor experiences though, just something that the couple likes doing together...disc golf is an adventure for Steve and I (especially if those disc accidentally end up in the woods!).  The Eldredge's say that too often couples put all their time and energy into rearing children and when the children grow up and move out then they have nothing left in common anymore and more than likely end up divorced.  So our Coast Guard adventure is more than just a career, it is a way to strengthen our marriage.  And that is how I am going to look at it from now on. 

As we are planning to move into a new house, in a new city and more than likely a new state, verses that I've come to stand on are Joshua 24:14-15:

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

We will serve the Lord...through involvement in a new church, to making new friends, to our new jobs and future children...we will serve the Lord...through our shared adventure moving around the country, and our shared activities and hobbies.  I am excited to continue following this plan and walking by faith. For me there really is no other way to live.  I've had struggles before in trying to manage all the details, but He is a God who takes care of those details.  That too has been evident in our lives the past 12 months and why should I think that he won't take care of the details in this upcoming move? Matthew 6:25-31 comes to mind regarding this:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

So, my new year's resolutions are to rely more fully on the God of details and not on my own way of planning things.  It is just too stressful; He really does take the stress out of life when you just let him plan and you follow.  Why should I make myself sick by worrying about what will happen 2 weeks, 6 months, or 5 years from now...each day really does have enough trouble of its own. I will continue to focus on the day at hand, life is really a lot easier that way, and this way I won't miss out on those little moments that I might otherwise when trying to plan out my life far into the future.  I will continue to walk by faith, live by faith and share my faith with others as we head into 2011.  I'm excited for what God has in store for us!

Better Late than Never

Merry belated Christmas!  I know I haven't posted in forever, but I've had lots of things going on including holiday festivities.  It all started with a work Christmas party, then a birthday party for our 3 year old niece and our annual Christmas party with friends, and finally a Christmas breakfast at our house with Steve's family.  We are now in Ohio to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with my family; puppy, brother and his fiance included! 

I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy after celebrations with family and friends, and I hope that you all had a blessed Christmas!  I know I have!

And don't worry...there will be more posts in the coming days.  Including: updates on the Coast Guard, Christmas pictures, and New Year's celebrations.  Stay tuned!

The Case of the Missing Christmas Cards

Problem solved!  So this is a long overdue post due to unforeseen circumstances such as no Internet at our apartment.  I signed up for Shutterfly's Christmas card promotion because 1) We haven't sent out a card since we've been married  2) we have a letter to send out as well and 3) I lost misplaced the cards I ordered from Shutterfly a few months ago.  I hope everyone reading this knows about Shutterfly, but if you don't, they have awesome Christmas photo cards, photo gifts including calendars as well as thank you cards, and pretty great deals (if you sign up for their e-mails!) for printing your own digital photos.  I will receive 50 free cards for writing and reviewing their products and I think that's pretty sweet.

The cards I have picked out that I like are:

The cards I ordered when I received an offer from a co-worker's Shutterfly party looked similar to these, although they were the 5x7 folded cards where I could put my own text inside.

The main thing that HAS to be in my cards are the words Merry Christmas.  Because any other card would not be a "Christmas" card.  Am I right?  Anyways, here in random order are some of my other favorites.  I think I know which one to go with...now I just need to pick out that right picture.  My mom took some of us at their house in front of an evergreen tree over Thanksgiving, but a co-worker of Steve's has mentioned he got a new camera and would be willing to take some pictures in front of the lime green fire trucks!  So we'll see how those turn out as well.

So there you have it...my top 10, er 5 Shutterfly Christmas photo card picks for 2010.  I have been happy with the products I've ordered in the past, including my missing cards and a photo scrapbook of our wedding pictures!  Hopefully the cards will be found, but for now these 50 free cards are looking like a fantastic deal for many reasons.

A Simple Thanksgiving

So I am very sad, I had to change my whole background because of one slight misjudgment.  I was helping my mother "fix" her blog (i.e. make it look nice).  I made a really neat header and was trying to find the perfect background to go with it.  I found one that worked, but for some reason the previous background she had kept showing up.  So I looked in the FAQ's as to what to do about this problem, and went to fixing it.  I did and was like wow...that looks awesome now!  So I immediately went to my blog and did the same thing to mine WITHOUT previewing it first.  Sad day...it was not the awesome blog that was my mother's.  It turned out the background I used before contained fall foliage that I was unaware of, and it hindered the reading of the text.  I was thinking it would just show up white like it was before, but I was oh so wrong.  So I had to go about finding another new background and "fix" my own.  I loved how it looked before this all happened, but I guess I'll just have to get used to this one. Or maybe when Christmas comes closer I'll just redo it all over again?  We'll see...

On another note, it's Thanksgiving and I had wonderful day with my parents and husband.  It was quite quiet around the house, Cam and Kristen were unable to come this weekend so it was just the four of us, plus 2 dogs and a cat.  There was a lot of lounging around and it was much needed after a hectic week and a half.  We ate cinnamon french toast for brunch and then watched the Lions do well, and proceed completely blow their 3rd straight game.  Grandpa came over for supper later and it was good to see him.  The food was fantastic!  I love the Thanksgiving meal: turkey, taters, swiss-k beans (my mom's specialty), corn casserole, broccoli salad, and Grandma's pumpkin pie and strawberry tapioca (which was newly added to the menu this year).  MMM...so good.

Tomorrow we're headed to Bass Pro Shops for some black Friday deals.  I am scared...I have never been out in the public on black Friday.  I don't prefer to be mobbed by people, or stand in long lines just for a good deal.  Granted, if my husband was all for it, I'm sure we'd go, just the two of us, but since he's not a big shopper I don't push it.  But my mom and dad want to get some deals and I thought what they hay, it could be fun.  It'll be an adventure for sure.  I'd best be getting to bed though, since I have to get up early in the a.m.

Finally, it wouldn't be a Thanksgiving post if I didn't write about what I'm truly thankful for.  I need to remember the spirit of this holiday year round, and I haven't done the best job at it recently.  I am thankful most of all for my Savior, the LORD Jesus Christ and a God who loves me and has awesome plans for my life.  I praise him for all the blessings I have: a mother and father who love me and the Lord (and will do anything for Steve and I as well as my bro and future sis-in-law); a husband who is doing all that he can to provide for our little family and seeks God's will in all that he does; a puppy dog who, even though he lives far away, still sleeps in our bed when we come to visit; a brother who I can share anything with (and also has found me a new sister); a family of in-laws who are there whenever we need them; and a job where I have another extended family of co-workers and bosses who love what they do and in turn make me want to be a better teacher.  God is so good!

It is Well With My Soul

Ah...the 1/4 century birthday.  It has come and gone, and yes I do feel older.  For the first time in a very long time, this birthday made me think about the fact that I am getting older.  I don't know why I felt that way (I told Steven maybe because I'm married, but have no child yet...he had no comment ha ha).  Or maybe it was because I used to think 25 was so old.  I know it is no where near old, Steven also pointed out I have barely lived my life.  25 is young!!  I also still feel physically young...my metabolism is still high and I can exercise without too many aches and pains.  It was just the thought of turning 25, a quarter of a century old, that got me all anxious about this birthday...maybe I just thought too much.

Anyway, it was a great birthday.  All is well with my soul (we sang that at church yesterday too!) and I have so much to be thankful for.  Another year added to my life is nothing to be anxious about.  I have an awesome church family whom I love so dearly and I know God brought us there for a reason.  I received so many happy birthdays from fellow members and friends that it didn't feel like I was miles away from my own family.  I also got to celebrate the day along with so many other special people in my life.  An older gentleman from church turned 80 yesterday, our pastor's mother turned 85, my husband's best friend turned 25 as well, my two very good friends from camp turned 23, my b-day twin from college turned 25, and another friend from camp had a birthday as well (although I don't remember how old she is).  That's a lot of years there...and I think it's fantastic I share the same birthday with so many great people!!  I didn't know anyone else with the same birthday until I was in 8th grade...and now I can't even count them all (I'm sure I'm forgetting a few friends and I apologize)!!  I am so blessed, and I need to remember to be grateful for ALL of those blessings all of the time.  I am glad I call Christ savior and have a Lord that is so good to me (although I forget how good sometimes).  He always has a plan for good, not for evil.

Terrific/Terrible Tuesday

I realize I have not kept up with this blog like I intended to.  I wanted it to be about our Coast Guard journey mostly, but so far I expended that topic.  There isn't much to write about when all we're doing is waiting.  So since the name of my blog is We Live By Faith I've started writing more about what's on my mind and heart as well.  I still feel I don't have enough time to research topics and/or thoughts regarding scripture (seeing that I want to back up my thoughts/ideas with an exegetical blog rather than just rambling about my own ideas of what I think it might mean).  Therefore, I have decided to do some weekly posts and since our saying around the center on Tuesdays is either "Terrible Tuesday" (if a ton of kids show up unexpectedly/staff is gone for some reason or other) or "Terrific Tuesday" (if numbers of children may be a tad lower than normal taking a little stress off the teachers).  I am officially posting my highs and lows on Tuesday each week.  (It also helped that I had a particularly great day today and I praise God for it!)

The Terrible's

-scraping ice off my car this morning for the 3rd time this week

-taking knock-out sinus meds last night causing me to be slightly groggy and unwilling to get out of bed when my alarm clock first went off

-having to be creative when figuring out dinner with less than desirable grocery items in the pantry, fridge & freezer

The Terrific's

-SUNSHINE

-the heater is finally running at work

-playing Duck, Duck, Goose with 3 year-olds and getting paid for it

-watching a group of 3 year-olds run, gallop, crawl, waddle and roll around the climber on the playground -hearing the kids' laughter knowing they are having a ball (and secretly hoping Ms. Ashley is their favorite teacher)

-lots and lots of hugs from a little blond boy before he left, and his goodbye words "I love you Ms. Ashley"

-not having to close (i.e. clean the classroom/bathrooms) tonight

-voting with a pen and paper, old fashioned but it still works (I hope all you of voting age did the same!)

It started off a little rough, but by the end the day turned out great.  All thanks to a little a lot of patience given to me from the Holy Spirit and a Father who knows exactly what I need to make me smile.  God is GOOD!  ALL THE TIME!!

We Got A Date

No this is not a post about date-night with my husband (nor one about a due date to clarify for those of you who are curious).  Which reminds me, we haven't had one of those in awhile. One where we go out to eat at a nice restaurant or go to a movie...oh where was I?  A date you say?  Yes, Steve got a date! 

His lieutenant/CG recruiter reserved him a spot for March 1, 2011.  What does this mean?  It's finally official.  He's in.  He shall be deemed seaman/airman/fireman recruit in a few short months.  So where do we go from here?  Well he will be heading to MEPS to swear into the delayed entry program (DEP).  I am slowly learning what all these abbreviations stand for, but I still have a long ways to go.  Steve informed me I better start learning now because everyone uses them and since I will be a Coastie wife, I too must know what they mean.  YIKES!  Anyways, he will leave for boot camp on that date, which is in Cape May, NJ.  It is 8 weeks long, so he's looking at an April 22, 2011 graduation date (as long as everything goes well and he doesn't get reverted i.e. have to repeat a week for some reason or other).  Then he will move to the new unit and get settled in, which we will find out where during the 5th week of boot.  I plan to finish out the "school year" since I was graciously moved up to a coveted spot in the preschool room at the beginning of the "school year."  Then I will join him at the end of May wherever he is stationed.

The details aren't all worked out yet, but I know God will provide housing for me for a few months (seeing that our apartment lease is up January 31st).  I have also been praying that He puts us at a station where Steve and I, both separate and together, will be able to bless and serve others in our new community.  As scary as it might be to move to a new place which will more than likely be fairly far away from our immediate families, I am excited about this change.  God has place this dream on Steve's heart, and he is leading our little family as best as he knows how, with lots of God's guidance and help.  Knowing the hand of God is in this whole process makes it easier to be excited about the move as well.

Oh and God defintely answered prayers in allowing Steve to have a reservation spot for March 1; it is better than what we could have even asked for had we asked for a date ourselves.  God is good all the time!