Happy New Year!

Its hard to stay focused sometimes with all the troubles in the world. whether you look at the economy or your own personal finances, sickness, disease, family issues, friend issues. This world is fleeting and nothing will last! Thank God for Christ! The only thing we can put our hope in the only thing that will last is Jesus Christ! So i wish all of my family and friends a very Happy and Hopeful New year but not in the riches and the fading things of this world that we may all grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. I do have a New Years resolution...to not fight God in his sanctifying work in my life to allow the Lord to refine me no matter how hot the flames are. Because i trust His promise when he says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who Love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

So be like Paul whether in want or in plenty be content for "my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

May your 2009 be a new year of growth in the Grace and knowledge of the Lord!!

Christmas Pics

Rechoice????

My darling little boy was singing a song yesterday and i was trying to decipher just which christmas carol he was so intent on singing. This is what I heard:

"Rechoice! Rechoice!
O he mad at me Rechoice!"

I can only assume the sweet innocent Garrett was trying to sing:

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emanuel!" I've never laughed so hard! So I try to teach him the correct version and well it still comes out Rechoice!

Praise God!!

Well i have a job! its in a different role but my pay is the same! so i'm a very grateful person! but there are a lot of people who are getting bad news today so please pray for them!

Today...

I find out today after about two months of not knowing if i'm laid off or not. I've emailed several faithful friends to pray for me that God would give me peace regardless of the outcome and i already feel the prayer and God giving me grace. My meeting is in an hour and a half and i'm not nervous because i know and trust that God is in control. Plus the bible (God's word) gives us so many promises like:
"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him." Lamentations 3:25

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

and my absolute favorite promise of God:
"'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' " (Isaiah 41:10)

God is so faithful and we can trust Him in all things and with all things we just have to submit to Him. Thank you Lord.

Snow Day!

Garrett what are you doing?

"I'm building Mama." What are you building?

"A baby snowman!" Just in case you wondered Garrett's snowmans name is Jefferey. HAHA!

Now thats Christmas!

Check us out we have snow!!! :)

Garrett had a blast playing in the snow and building his first Snowman! and of course the snow ball fight!!! and garrett thought daddy was just the coolest when he made a snow angel.

Depend on God!

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. " (Proverbs 3:6)

Charles Bridges explains how this works out in everyday life:
“Take one step at a time, every step under Divine warrant and direction. Ever plan for yourself in simple dependence on God. It is nothing less than self-idolatry to conceive that we can carry on even the ordinary matters of the day without his counsel. He loves to be consulted.”

Why is this so hard to do? well namely its Pride. Thinking we can do anything apart from God is Prideful. Proverbs tells us "In ALL your ways" not some, not only when you want to, or only when its too hard. All is a big word!

"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. " 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18

I think this is another verse I tend to gloss over. "Rejoice ALWAYS" Theres another big word. always not sometimes not when life is going your way but Always! and my weakness "Pray WITHOUT CEASING". So we are to always be Rejoicing and Always be praying. And thirdly "in everything GIVE THANKS". These are just a few things God has convicted me of today :)


My prayer for my family and friends this Christmas Season is that we would focus on Christ and the true meaning of why we celebrate. To experience the amazing gift that God gave to us so that we would be saved. Dont let Christmas be Hollow.

Sweet family!

Thought i would update with some pics of the family!!

Dont i just have the cutest family! haha yeah i'm a little bias! :)

Rejoice in Tribulations!

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

I was reading today on one of my favorite websites (www.desiringgod.org). A ministry by John Piper. well and i was looking for a sermon to read (as i often do when i'm bored, down, sad or whatever) and i came along this verse. I read over it once and was like yeah i like that one i've read that before then i read it again....God's word tells us to Rejoice(Exult) in tribulation.... i had to pause there. do i do that? do i rejoice when something bad happens? God tells us that tribulations (of any kind) brings about perseverance. so my troubles my heartaches my bad things whatever they may be will bring about perseverance. that means that when bad things happen and i look to God for my hope and strength and not complain or get angry or become bitter then my faith perseveres. ok then that brings about proven character. Piper uses the analogy of steel as faith and tribulations being fire. once the steel has been through the fire its 'proven' or 'genuine' or 'authentic'. so once my faith has perservered then i'm proven to be a real child of God. and after i'm proven then that brings hope! So once i've went through the fire and looked to God for strength to perservere then i'm proven to be a child of God and that gives me hope and hope doesnt disappoint. That may all sound like its our doing but then Paul tells us that God pours out his love in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Thats the hope and thats what we are to rejoice in! God love's us and will help us through whatever fire we are going through. We have to be willing to look to Him and not at the flames.

I cant keep up!

Man I went and started a new blog and cant even keep up with it! so sad! Well lets see what's new....oh yeah i've lost a total of 30lbs so far! woohoo! i've kinda hit a plateau...yeah called the holidays! I go next Thursday for my last (hopefully) Adjustment on my band so i should start really seeing results! I'm also going to start working out after christmas! so that will help too. Lets see what else....well i have a new job at Healthways as a Data Analyst. They are going through lay offs right now i should know next week if i make it or not! But no worries God is in control! Ok well thats all for now but i promise to keep you updated regularly! ;)

The Beginning...

This is me in 2006 me today looks the same but add about 25 more lbs. i cant find a good recent picture. If i do i'll post it later.

I had the lapband surgery on September 16, 2008. I decided to have the surgery for a ton of reasons mostly for my family and for my health so i can be around a long time! And Darrell and I would like to have another baby and doing at my current weight is just not safe! So i went to a seminar and researched the lapband and the gastric bypass surgeries. I decided on the lapband because it was less invasive and a quicker recovery and it could be reversed if there are complications. So I jumped through all the insurance hoops and got approved and found an awesome surgeon and viola! So the two weeks before my actual surgery i had to do a all liquid diet to shrink my liver (the surgeon makes everyone do it). During that time i lost 13lbs! I'm not gonna lie it wasnt easy but with God's help and strength and will power I did it! So the day of my surgery came and my sweet husband accompanied me to the hospital and we prayed and were nervous but we knew God was in control. Everything went smooth the surgery only took an hour and i was in recovery. I was home by 4:30pm that evening! A couple days of pain w/ meds but its been 10 days and i feel really good! and i've lost 4 more lbs!! at first i could barely eat a 1/2 of cup of anything. Now i'm good at a cup of food. I can tell the band isnt restricted at all because as each day passes i can feel myself eating a little more even though i'm trying to stick to the 1/2 cup rule! I go next thursday to see the dr and get some stitches out and then 2 weeks after that i'll get my first fill on the band woohoo!!!