Daniel Fast Part 2


So for the second year in a row, Jared and I have decided to do the Daniel Fast during Lent. Last year however, we only did this for 21 days. This year we are going for the full 40. So far it has been 2 days, and I'm feeling pretty good. Since we eat much lighter foods, you find yourself getting hungry much faster then usual-but I try to prepare myself for that by bringing snacks to work with me. I've also set some Spiritual goals for myself during this time:
-Learn to be content with what I have
-Learn what dependancy on God really means
-Choose to NOT complain
-Spend more time thinking about God and talking with Him


For those of you who may not know what a Daniel Fast consists of, this is what we will be eating:
-Veggies
-Fruits
-Beans and Lentils
-Eggs (we are adding these)
-Whole Grain/Wild Rice

This means: No Bread, Sugar, chocolate (some people don't consider this as "sugar" just to clarify), meat, coffee, pasta, dairy.

I will be frequently updating the lessons learned and the temptations of cake and coffee we face:)

Detroit Auto Show!!!

Yesterday Jared and I decided to head to the Detroit Auto Show to relax between weekends of Winter Camp.

We were both really impressed with many of the new cars that have come out this year--not to mention that the displays themselves were pretty amazing. Some of my favorites would be the MINI, Honda (very plush carpet), and Maybach ( a $1 million dollar vehicle) were some of my personal faves. However, when we went to the Suzuki display, they were handing out coupons for $500 off one of their vehicles if you get it in the next month. And they had this new Crossover SX4 that looked really appealing. We are considering selling one of our cars and getting it! We'll see how it goes!!! Here's a peak at it.

The Passing of Friend


A friend of mine from Spring Arbor University passed away yesterday. Tim Davis was a great friend to me while we were in school. Since my graduation in 03, I had lost communication with him-but upon learning about a week ago that he was battling stomach cancer, my heart dropped. Remembering all the wonderful qualities Tim possessed just made me think that God would help him pull through and defeat this awful disease.
Tears flooded my eyes early this morning as I found out he lost the battle with cancer yesterday. It's so strange the emotions that come along with death. There is of course the natural grief--feeling the loss of someone, that although I have not recently been in touch with, still appreciated and cared for. The grief just knowing that you will never see that person on this side of life.
But then, there is the joy that comes-almost in the same breath. The joy I feel knowing that Tim is right now in the place that God has been preparing for Him for the last 28 years. The joy that comes when I realize that earth is not our intended destination--that Tim is celebrating Christ with those brothers and sisters who have gone before him...he is with Vanessa, my precious "little sister", and with my Father in Law who I never met.
And this is how it will be for each of us. Oh Lord, may we remember to live each day as it were our last. Each day to the fullest. Giving, loving, and serving as if there were no tomorrow. Because on that day we return home with You, we will leave everything behind us. I pray I may be able to leave nothing but your love and grace to those waiting for their eternal home as well.

Amen.

My New Christmas Shoes


What do you think???

New Years Resolution:

So I've never been too big into New Year's Resolutions, but as I was at one of our Christmas parties, someone asked what mine was, so I decided to try it out this year.

So here they are, my resolutions for 2008:

-Stop Biting my Nails (and grow them out)
-Run a marathon in April

DELAYED FLIGHT--Will we make it home???


So we received a call early this morning that our flight out of San Fran is delayed by an hour and a half-cutting our next flight out of Chicago really close..like 30 minutes close. The next flight out of chicago doesn't leave until the next morning! Do you think we'll make it home for Church tomorrow?? I HOPE SO!!!!

Merry Christmas to us from Papa!

Papa gave Jared and myself some Christmas money to spend as we choose. So after buying clothes and shoes and a few snowboarding things, we got the grand finale...

Photo of the hottest man ever!

Why My Husband is the Most Amazing Husband


So Jared and I are celebrating Christmas together today since we will be in Cali. with his family on Christmas day. Since we decided our Snowboards would be our Christmas gift to each other, we decided the only other thing in our budget would be the stocking stuffers. Sounds like a good plan huh?

Well today I had a hair appointment at Reve to get my hair shaped up for our family pictures. Jared and I had seen this promotion at the mall for Reve where if you bought a $100 gift card, you received a free cut. So here I've been debating on whether or not it's a good deal...and so I asked advice from my bestest friend Emily--who gave me some excellent advice. DO IT! Well no sooner had she told me it was a good idea then she was telling me not to do it...she convinced me not to buy the gift card and I just decided to forget it and pay for the regular hair cut.

Little did I know that Jared was scheeming....very sneaky! He bought the gift card for me as an extra Christmas surprise! Thanks for spoiling me Jared-You're the best!!!

Christmastime is here...

Sometimes I wonder if heaven is going to be like Christmas, you know that amazing anticipation you have when you wake up in the morning...

NO CHURCH SERVICES TODAY


In light of Blizzard Bill's instructions to us all, we don't want people to leave their homes, so we have cancelled both services this morning at CrossRoads... Sad sad day.

Also, the Gift Wrapping Fundraiser we had planned at the mall is no longer happening due to the weather.

Now Jared and I are wishing we were still boarding!! Pictures of that event to come!

(The picture is a live shot from the Toledo Airport)

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!!

So I already know what my Christmas gift from Jared is...and vice versa-we found these sweet snowboards at Dick's Sporting Goods-several hundred dollars off the board and bindings! Since Jared is already an avid snowboarder, and he likes to do crazy things, I also asked him to purchase a helmet so he doesn't kill himself while jumping off of something. So here our amazing snowboards are sitting at home in our office...and we are just dying to try them out! So...road trip!

We are headed to "Bittersweet", a small "mountain" on the other side of Michigan-We leave later tonight!!! I can't wait!!!

I'll be sure to post some picture of the massive bruises I'm sure I will get from the fake snow this weekend:)

Check out me and Jared and our nephews Evan and Aaron!!!!


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1310388549

NO SURGE TONIGHT!


We are having freezing rain all day-therefore, we will not be having Sr. High SURGE tonight Dec. 9th.


Sorry everyone-I don't want you high schoolers driving around!

MILEMARKER

So today I set a new mile marker in my running "career".

8 miles!!!

If someone would have told me a few years ago that I would be going that far that fast, I would have never believed them!

Marathon---HERE I COME!

Thoughts on Communion:


Tonight at CrossRoads we will be remembering Christ through the sacrament of Communion. As the time approaches, I've decided I want it to mean more then something we do once a month (plus I was asked to give a devotional tonight on it).

You see, taking communion is a time where we "remember" Jesus and what He has done for us (Luke 22:19). My deal, is that I understand the price Jesus paid, all He went through--and boy do I appreciate it--but I've got this problem with letting go of those things I know He has already forgiven me for. I know I probably sounds crazy--maybe I'm the only one who feels this way--but the guilt that I feel I carry around sometimes seems to suck the life out of me!

And then I read this from "Grace for the Moment" by Max Lucado (we're tight)
"Regardless of what you've done, it's not too late. Regardless of how far you've fallen, it's not too late. It doesn't matter how low the mistake is, it's not too late to dig down, pull out that mistake, and then let it go-and be free. What makes a Christian a Christian is not perfection but forgiveness."

Let it go and be free...Let it go and be free...

Psalms 103:11-12 says "For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." and then i read this other amazing verse:

Romans 8:3 "So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins."

So here I go...let go...let go...because God wants me to move on.

4, 6, 5, 7

So running...I really like it. I think my favorite part about running is pushing myself to accomplish something I never thought I could! Since college I've run 2, 3, maybe 4 miles, but not on a regular schedule, and I didn't really like it that much-it was more of a punishment for eating ice cream. Since Jared is really smart and everything, he's helping me come up with a training schedule that will push me so we will eventually do a Marathon in the spring! So this week-it's 4 miles (today-at a 7.5 min-8 min mile pace), Tuesday 6 miles, Wednesday 5 miles, and Friday 7 miles! Yee haw!!!

One Year Later

Our First Anniversary-it is truly amazing all that can happen within a year. For me, I've seen more growth and changes within myself this year then ever. Living with your spouse is definetly different from a college roomate. There is so much adjusting and responsibility increase. The joy level in my life has probably increased most of all in my life. It is so amazing to me how much joy my husband makes me feel on a daily basis...how special and loved I feel when I'm around Him...and how I feel more beautiful then I've ever been because of Him.

I know at the core of my being that it is Christ who completes me, fulfills me, and brings unending Joy. And God has added a beautiful gift to my life in the last year-the Joy that can only come through a marriage founded on Him.

Through this year, as my love for Jared has grown, so has my love for the Lord. It's in our faithfulness to eachother that I see more clearly the faithfulness of God. This marriage covenant that represents the very covenant God has made with us is an incredible blessing that I know is not only meant to bless me or Jared, but all those around us.

I look forward to celebrating 1 year of marriage this weekend as Jared sneaks me away to some secret place. But even more then that, I look forward to all God has in store for us to be and do together in the future.

LIKE JONATHAN

Don't miss this FREE concert this SUNDAY night

6:30-8:30

All 9th-12th Grade Student are welcome to join us!!!!