Random Things

There are literally no words to describe the feelings and emotions that came about this afternoon. Brian and I are in absolute awe of the greatness of God....

We've been attending this church for a few months now and God has really been putting a lot of things on our hearts and it has been amazing! Wonderful! Awesome!

Brian quickly learned that our pastor was a hunter so he had started talking to him about hunting and found out he bow-hunted and well...they became instant buddies. Brian's been wanting a new bow for a while now and we were at the point of choosing which one to buy. The pastor invited him a week ago or so to come up with him to this store in Jay to check out some bows with another gentleman from the church.

So on Sunday - BIG NEWS - Brian got saved! HOORAY!!! What an awesome day....wow! I am really cutting some good stuff, but it's late and I do need to get to bed so you'll have to suffer through the short version :)

We've really been spending a lot of time in prayer and have been meeting some really great people and have become involved in the church and serving the LORD! It's been so great! I just feel like I can't get enough and want to do whatever I can to serve. It's really been laid on my heart to get back into music...and so I joined the choir, but I feel like this is just the beginning...oh wait, this isn't about me today, this is about Brian...back to the good stuff :)

So we realized we could spend about *this much* on the bow. I fully expected him to come home with a new bow and was excited for him to get home and show me what he got!

He came home with a new bow.

A reallllly nice bow.

And so he says to me something along the lines of the following....I tried a few out and picked one. It's about the same price as the one I had picked out at this other store but it is soooo much nicer. I had them set it aside for me and went outside to try to call you (I had left my cell phone at home when I went to pick Katie up from school) to talk to you about buying the bow, if it was ok to buy it, etc....and when I went back inside to go pay for it I asked the lady at the register how much I owed her and she said "nothing! it's already been paid for".

Can you believe that?!!!

I was like "wait, what?!" paid for? who paid for it? huh? what? **ok, so just imagine mass confusion"

He said "God laid it on this man's heart to purchase this bow for me."

Wow.

I mean I don't even know how to describe the feelings/emotions that came over both of us. Absolutely amazing. God is good!

I had to head over to choir rehearsal quickly after Brian had gotten home and I just really enjoy being a part of it all! It's so great to get back in there and sing sing sing!! I have been an alto for about as long as I can remember. I remember that Mr. Gemar tried to put me in with the sopranos my first year in high school but umm...I just felt better as an alto. The music pastor wanted to place me so I had to sing for him tonight...I just had this feeling that he was going to put me as a soprano. I knew it. And sure enough - hahaha - he told me that he wants me to be a soprano. I can't wait though! I am so excited!!!

We finally made it in to the doc today for Kasey's 3 year old checkup. It didn't go as I had hoped, but not too bad...he didn't have to get any shots! :-)

But...he's got allergies, a double ear infection and probably needs his tonsils out.

Poor little guy! And he's only gained 2 pounds in the last year. But if you remember last year the doctor told us he was a bit hefty...hahaha. He's still in the 50th percentile for weight and has jumped up to the 75th - 80th for height. The doc wasn't concerned and neither am I. He is a good little eater and runs around all day.

So now he has to be put on a daily allergy medicine and this antibiotic and we go back in a month to check out those ears and tonsils.

I will pray that the Lord heals him and that he won't need to go in for surgery...I remember going through that surgery myself when I was little. Not so fun. Not at all.

Well it's Friday night and it's late and I need to head to bed! Rain in the forecast tomorrow so we probably won't be able to get our border all setup with the new flowers and rocks! That's ok...maybe a project for next weekend.

***This was posted yesterday on my pastor's wife's facebook page. She wrote this and I just wanted to pass it along.***

Hmmmm...a spotless bride. What does that mean? Has anyone watched any good BRIDE shows lately? On occasion, Sarah and I will catch one together and dream of her special day. Unfortunately, as we watch these shows I have to edit out the profanity...and the fact that the bride is anything but innocent...and the wedding dress leaves nothing to the imagination... and in some cases the couple has already been living together. We try to look past all of the stains and wounds that this unGodly world has left on God's beautiful picture of what a bride was planned to be...before we turn the channel.

Our daughters deserve the entire dream: the icing and the cake. They should get the sparkling, white dress: white because of their innocence not because of their color preference. They should have the Godly, young groom ready to take care of his bride for the rest of her life smiling at the end of the aisle waiting for her to become his. They should experience the delight of the honeymoon experience sharing the beauty of first-time intimacy with a husband that has been equally committed to being pure before marriage. What is wrong with this picture? This is how God intended marriage to be. It seems almost foreign today...and is often mocked by this world.

I praise God that He forgives us when fail Him. I am thankful for His grace. I am overwhelmed that He can wash away our shame and mistakes and sin. I am also thankful that because I am saved...because He gave Himself in one horrible death...that I am changed. I can put on my spotless, white gown and be ready for my groom when He returns to take His spotless bride home. As a mom, having experienced this great salvation, I am even more committed to pass on this beautiful love story to my daughters and my son. I must fight the world's definition of beauty and happiness. I must help steer my children toward God's purpose for their lives: to live holy like our amazing Savior. His Word is clear. He is coming back for a spotless bride...one without stain...spot or blemish. I want Him to be able to look into the mass of His sons and daughters...those that have accepted Him...and see them living pure, spotless lives for Him...excited and ready for their BIG day! Instead, I fear that He will have to really look hard to find his church mixed-in with all of the darkness of this world. Our call is to live different..not to live as close as possible to the world....but as close to Jesus as possible. Our call is to say NO to the movies that defame His name and His way of life. Our call is to dress ourselves in modesty and purity. Our call is to carry His glory. Imagine that.... carrying the glory of God through our lives and dress and conversations and hobbies.

In the Old Testament, often the temple of God became a place of sin. In the New Testament, it was one of Christ's ambitions to clean up the temple. In many foreign countries, there are traces of a former religion that can be seen in the beautiful, old buildings that were once Houses of God. Even in God's House today, where we are called to be a Temple of the Holy Spirit, there are only traces of whom God has called His people to be marred with the marks and fashions of this world.

Thinking about that white, sparkling wedding dress...my heart is so grieved. How can I represent Christ to my daughters in this atmosphere? How can I show them that God's call to holiness is not about atiquated rules and law! His call to holiness is about beauty, freedom, innocence, love, purpose and purity. God will look past an unholy church. That fact may seem scary and move some to action. For me, it is a matter of pleasing my Father. I understand His sacrifice and my responsibility to lead my children in lives of holiness. On their wedding day, I want each to experience God's promise of the beauty of the marriage covenant. I commit myself to setting an example for them. We have a great influence over our daughters and sons. My prayer is that we all can say, "follow me as I follow Christ." We can do it! Our children deserve all that God has planned for them! We belong to Him...His spotless bride.