Being without a car in America is like being unable to walk.

These were the words of my neighbor and new friend, Ban. Ban is precious woman from the country of Jordan in the Middle East. She and her two young daughters (Miriam, 5 and Rima, 3) moved to American 9 months ago with high hopes for a better life. For reasons that I can't completely understand, Ban has not seen her husband face-to-face in 4 years. He had to work far away from the family (when they lived in the Middle East) and was unable to come to America with them. He is working with the Embassy now in an effort to join his family in America, but the process is slow and frustrating. So, Ban is here alone with two little girls. She is unable to get a job. She has no car. She goes to a center in town where she learns English and receives some financial support. However, it takes her 2 to 3 hours to get to this center by bus, even though it is only a few miles away. Ban's situation is difficult and she is facing so many trials in her life right now, but she has hope! Ban is a follower of Jesus Christ. I befriended Ban with hopes that I could be an encouragement and help to her, but she has ended up being an encouragement and help to me. I am so blessed by the strength of her faith. She is often tearful as she expresses her loneliness and weariness to me, but her final words are always the same: "I trust God. I trust the time of the God." She rests on the truth that God is sovereign over every aspect of her life. He is sovereign in providing her daily bread. He is sovereign over the timing for her being re-united with her husband (partner and provider). He is in control and He will provide for the needs of His children. I try to encourage Ban by reminding her that faith is strengthened through trials, all the while wondering if I could ever endure the hardships that she faces. Ban is a God-send. When I think that I am suffering, I need only to look around in order to realize how comfortable I truly am. When I think I am in want, I look at Ban and remember that people all around me have no transportation, while our 2 person family has 2 cars! Oh, how blessed we are! But, oh how ungrateful we are! May we, as the Church of Christ, be continually reminded of God's faithfulness and His many, many good gifts to His children!

Lately

Well, lately I have not been blogging, and I have the same ole' laundry list of excuses. Namely, the busyness of spring. We've had a lot going on (as always). So, let me catch you up on what's been happening lately, as well as what's coming up (since there's a good chance I won't post again until the end of the semester).

About two weeks ago, Adam and I got to go to Destin, Florida for a work trip for Adam. He is now working part-time for the seminary in the office of Institutional Advancement. Each year, this office puts on a retreat in Destin for the Foundation Board members, and we got to go help out. It was great to get away from the "grind" of work and school for a few days. We met so many nice people on the Foundation Board (truly awesome people), and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the people that Adam now works with. Of course the warm weather, beautiful scenery, and nice hotels of Sandestin were a perk. I was bad about taking pictures, but here are a few that I snapped before....

Bay
Our hotel
we swiftly returned to real life. We returned from Destin on Sunday to immediately begin churning out a 10-15 page Hermeneutics paper due on Thursday (which neither Adam or I had started) JOY! Needless to say, it was a week of lots of caffeine and little sleep. I was up until 5 a.m. Thursday morning finishing up. But, we survived, turned in our papers, and slid head-first into SPRING BREAK (well, the school calls it "spring reading days," but, you know). The first weekend of SB was especially great, as we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus! Words can't express my thankfulness for Christ's sacrifice and my joy because HE LIVES! We didn't get to go home, but we celebrated with our "family" of sweet friends here. PF Changs for Easter lunch isn't exactly traditional, but it was pretty darn good. Again, no Easter pictures. I really should get better at that. And to top it all off...THE WEATHER HAS BEEN WARM...almost hot, to be honest. It has truly been glorious. So, Adam and I decided to fire up the grill and sit around outside for a little while tonight. We tried a new recipe...Greek Chicken (below). It was just ok. Not a favorite for either of us.

The grill master!


So, SB2010 has started off great. After I finish typing, though, I will begin doing research for BIG paper numero dos of the semester, which is due shortly after SB. Should be a fun rest of the week! :) We have several things coming up to look forward to, though. Mom, Dad, and Jenny are coming up for a visit next weekend (we will miss Will). Then, the next weekend, Adam and I run the Kentucky Derby 1/2 marathon! WOOHOO! I'll try to document some of these events in picture.

Happy Birthday Jenny!

Yesterday was this pretty girl's birthday, and I am so thankful for her life! God was gracious to bless me with a sister so close in age. Although we are different as night and day, we have always been close. Jenny is probably the smartest, most talented, and most well-rounded, person that I know (and I'm not just being biased). She's a dynamite athlete. Seriously, the girl can pick up any sport and excel. When she was young, she played Little League with the boys, and she set all kinds of records during her softball days. Her athletic talent is always something I've admired since I was the girl who was scared to even play T-ball (yes, laugh). When she was 13, Jen taught herself to play the guitar, and she is currently working on mastering the piano. God has gifted her in leading others in worship. In addition to this, the girl's got brains. She can study for one night and completely ace an Organic Chemistry test. She's blown through a Biomedical Science major with practically straight A's (as a college athlete for 2 of her school years). Jenny never meets a stranger. Everyone that meets her instantly loves her. She makes friends faster than I've ever seen. While I have always been so proud of my sister and, clearly, LOVE to brag on her, all these things I have mentioned mean nothing if I don't also brag about her love for the Lord. I am continually encouraged by Jenny's walk with Christ. She truly KNOWS and LOVES Jesus Christ in the most intimate, personal, and passionate way. She's the real deal. The theme of Jenny's life is "Love God--Love people," and she truly lives this out. Jen is a "champion of the underdog," and she has truly shown me what it means to minister to "the least of these" both spiritually and physically. Through Christ, she has overcome a period of intense bondage in her own spiritual life, and she is using her own trials to reach others with the Gospel. I am blessed by her passion, sincerity, and faithfulness. I could go on, but I think I've made my point. I am so proud of my sister, and I am so thankful for her 22 years with me on this earth! So, Happy Birthday to YOU, Jenny (just a day late)!

Provider God

Over Christmas break, my sister asked me, "What's God been showing you lately?" I really had to pause and think about it. Throughout the past year or so, I have been acutely aware that God is working in my life---sanctifying me and conforming me more to the image of Christ. However, I really had to think hard to give her a specific answer about exactly what God was doing in me. Over the past few months, Jenny's question has really made me think more deeply about the things that God is teaching me and the ways He is working in my life. I thought it would be beneficial to blog about some of my "lessons learned" so that I may be constantly reminded of and encouraged by God's faithfulness in my life. So, it is my goal to blog (on a somewhat regular basis) about what God is doing and how I am being changed by His gracious hand. So, with that said...

I think that, more than anything else, God has been teaching me to trust him as faithful provider. As simple as that might sound, completely trusting God to meet every need (physcial and spiritual) is not easy for me. For some strange reason, I think that I know what I need more than God does. I also seem to think that I can meet all of my needs if I just earn the right degree, get the right job, and work hard enough in any particular area of life. Ultimately, it all comes down to my need to control my own life. So, when things don't go as I've planned for meeting my own needs, it causes heartache, worry, and stress. Praise God that Christ is stripping me of this obsessive need for control by providing for me in ways that are so completely out of my box. When things don't go my way, God's faithful provision comes soaring through in some unexpected way. It's as if He's saying, "I AM God. Be still. Trust Me!" When we moved to Louisville, it took us so long to find jobs, and we did not end up getting the kind of jobs we expected. I planned to work full-time, while Adam went to school and worked part-time. Adam ended up getting a part-time job that, while somewhat stressful, became our primary income source. I only found part-time work, which enabled me to start taking classes (which was really what I wanted to do). There have been several months when business at Adam's job has been slow, and I've stressed that we wouldn't be able to pay our bills. I'll freak out and worry, and then a check will show up in the mail from some precious person whom God has led to bless us. On days when I think I don't have the strength to balance everything going on in my life and continue faithfully, God's strength becomes sufficient for me. I am continually amazed at God's faithfulness to provide despite my lack of faithfulness to trust Him alone. I pray that He will continue to prune away the faithlessness in my life as He continues to show Himself as provider for every need. I am continually driven back Matthew 6:25-34, and I am continually thankful for these words of Christ.

Winter, Winter, GO AWAY!

I love cold weather. Really, I do. Maybe it's because I never experienced "true winter" in south Alabama. I don't know, but coats, scarves, crisp air, and snow all make me happy. So, it sounds a little out of character for me to say, "winter, be gone," but I just have a deep longing in my soul for the warmth of spring. Don't get me wrong, snow is beautiful and mystical and fun....for about 1 or 2 days. After that, not so much. Here are the top four things that make me ready for spring:

1. Winter is making me late! (well...later than normal)

In my morning frenzy of trying to get out the door for work, I often forget that my car is going

to look like this.....

and that it is going to require 15 to 20 extra minutes to clear off the snow, defrost the frozen windows, etc. I usually end up driving slowly down the road trying to see out of one, tiny clear spot at the bottom of the half-defrosted wind shield... and I'm even later to work.

2. Consistent Exercise is 10x more difficult.

I don't think I've mentioned that Adam and I are training to run the Kentucky Derby 1/2 Marathon at the end of April. We are running to raise money and help our friends adopt 2 children from the Ukraine (which, by the way, if you are interested in sponsoring us $1 a mile or more, let me know). Anyway, it's hard enough to be disciplined to run when the weather is pleasant, much less when it's 20 degrees out with snow on the ground. Needless to say, it has been challenging to get our runs in. We've been going to the seminary gym and running on the track (12 laps=1 mile....we feel like hamsters). We're thankful that we have the gym, but we're not getting much training on hills.

3. My skin feels like Iguana Skin.

My skin is literally drinking lotion, and it is still ALWAYS dry. It's truly disgusting.

4. The 3 wild things (children) that I nanny have been cooped up in the house for WAY TOO LONG!

If you haven't heard any of my stories about the wild things, you should ask me...seriously. I love these kids, but they are super active and have LOTS of aggressive energy. They need to be out racing each other around the tennis courts, riding bikes, and splashing in the pool. Too much time in the house is never good for anyone involved....and the poor house gets destroyed! Wild as the kiddos are, I have to admit that they are also pretty darn cute. The girls went to a "father/daughter" dance with their dad last friday, and they were so precious! I just had to share some pictures. Also, they've just started taking violin lessons, so they wanted to hold their violins in all the pictures.

Caroline (left) and Rebecca (right)... primping!
Really excited about their violins.
Becca is a doll!

After my winter gripe session, I should say that winter does have its benefits. Adam and I enjoyed a relaxing snow day today. School and work were cancelled. We slept late, did some reading, took a long winter walk, and ate some yummy black bean soup! It was a nice break at the beginning of the week.

6 inches?!?

Sweet Sixteen Vitality Foods

Adam recently decided that he needed to have his cholesterol checked because the men in his family have a history of heart problems. Well.... unfortunately, the results weren't great. It's good that he had it checked now, though, so we can start being more conscious of the things we eat. The seminary doctor told him that if he starts eating "heart healthy" and exercising regularly now, he might avoid heart problems in the future. At first we were kind of worried that eating was going to become horrible. Nearly everything has at least something bad in it (cholesterol, fat, sugars, etc). What could we eat that was somewhat good AND healthy? We called my dad several times asking what we should eat (we are so thankful that we can just pick up the phone and get medical/health advice :)). So, Dad was kind enough to send us this handy little list of things we can and should eat on a regular basis. This list comes from Dr. Steven Masley, a family practice doctor and author of the book "Ten Years Younger." These foods help lower cardiovascular risk in a number of ways. We're trying to incorporate most of these into our diet. Thankfully, our grocery bill wasn't too much higher than normal after this last trip for "healthy stuff."

1. Dark Chocolate (I started with this because it is my favorite)-- NOT MILK CHOCOLATE. Must be at least 60% cocoa and eaten in moderation.

2. Lean (not mean) Protein-- seafood, chicken, turkey breast, and beans (no burgers...sad).

3. Seafood--Especially smallmouth fish, shrimp, oysters, crab (makes me miss BAMA and the beach!)

4. Fresh herbs and Spices--- thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, basil, cumin, chives, dill, tumeric, cilantro, and ginger.

5. Green Tea

6. Fresh Garlic

7. Beans and Legumes---(these are so cheap and easy to incorporate into your diet!)

8. Soy-- Soy burgers, hot dogs, sausage, soy milk, and tofu (yuck...don't like this one)

9. Nuts--Walnuts and almonds (we've been putting these into ziplock bags and grabbing them for "on-the-go" snacks).
10. Flaxseed---(honestly, not too sure what this is).

11. Whole grains--- Barley, buckwheat, wild rice, brown rice, oats, whole grain breads (we can still eat carbs. We just substitute white pasta, bread, and rice with whole grains)
12. Cruciferous Vegetables--- Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale (When we're in hurry, we buy the veggies in a bag that you can microwave in 5 minutes. They're pretty good).
13. Nonfat yogurt--(This is the healthiest dairy food you can eat)

14. Berries--Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries.
15. Red Wine---(5 ounce serving, 1 is good, 2 is ok, 3 is bad).

16. Grean Leafy Vegetables---spinach, dark green lettuce, broccoli, collard greens

Happy, healthy eating from us to you!

Bad Blogger am I

I am officially a terrible blogger. I just do not make time for thoughtful, creative blogging. However, I really want to try to be more consistent. Even if no one reads this but me, I really want to record the things that are happening during this season of our lives. It will be fun to look back and remember the joys, challenges, little excitements, and things that we learned during seminary and our early years of marriage (even if insignificant) So, all that to say, I will try to do a better job! Life in Lou is still so busy, but it's getting better everyday. I am so blessed! The Lord is shaping and conforming me...teaching me to trust...ALWAYS. I don't want to forget anything...

So, here is my little random excitement for today: A super-cute new journal. Yes, seemingly very insignificant, but I was excited nonetheless. Adam and I made a quick stop at Borders during our date-night last night, and it jumped off the shelf at me! I love to journal prayer requests, prayers, sermon notes, and other things that are going on in my life. I've have kept a journal since middle school (so why is blogging so difficult?!?). Getting a new journal is always exciting because it makes you want to write more (just like getting new running shoes motivates you to run more). However, this journal is particularly cute, so I just had to share!

CUPCAKES!!!