Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday...



This is Sophia, she is my niece and I love her to the moon and back! I apologize for the blurriness of the video...she just couldn't stand still!  :)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

See, It's NOT All About Me...

Originally posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009


See, It's NOT All About Me...

It's about my Hottie Husband too...

(I got this idea from a fellow blogger, thanks Terri! Now I seem less selfish)! ;)

1. Hottie Husbands real name is Mark. Come on, you didn't really believe his name is "hottie" did you?

2. Mark has an uncle Mark that he was named after. Although they share the same first and last name...they DO not share anything else in common. If you know who Mark's uncle Mark is, then you fully understand that statement.

3. Mark is a year younger than I. I robbed the cradle.

4. Mark is a graduate of Lincoln University with a degree in Criminal Justice.

5. When Mark and I met he was the General Manager of the Capital 4 Theatres. This is where my "free" movies began.
6. Mark is in the National Guard. He is adamant about serving his country. The National Guard is extremely important to him and he takes it very seriously.

7. I get weak in the knees for a man in uniform...therefore I think the National Guard "looks" hot on Mark! Oops...that was about me...

8. Mark is 6'4"

9. Mark is EXTREMELY intelligent. I mean seriously people...he knows EVERYTHING.

10. Mark is very strong in his Faith and has an incredible relationship with Jesus Christ.

11. Mark is not afraid to cry. It is one of the many things I love about him.

12. Mark is really witty and very funny.

13. Mark is somewhat shy...he tends to stay quiet most of the time. That may be because he can't get a word in edgewise with me around! ;)

14. Mark knows how to fix anything. Electrical, cars, remodeling, plumbing, gadgets...you name it, he can fix it.
15. Mark reads ALL the time. He has read more books than anyone I know. Maybe that is why he knows EVERYTHING!

16. Mark is an investigator for the State of Missouri. (Mark works full time for the National Guard now in the aviation division!)

17. Mark is extremely loyal, trustworthy and honest. It truly is admirable.

18. Mark is the most patient and loving father. He adores our boys!

19. Mark is an awesome cook! He also does laundry and irons all of my clothes!

20. Mark is the middle child of three. He has an older sister and a younger sister.

The list could go on and on...but then we would be getting into things like: Mark snores, Mark takes too long in the bathroom (and I'm not talking about primping), Mark doesn't understand my shoe obsession....

I love my Mark. And if I had to do it all over again...I would have picked him the first time! ;)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Fear Of Not Mattering...

Originally posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2009


The Fear of Not Mattering...

We have the most AWESOME pastor at our church! As a matter of fact, he is a HUGE part of why hottie hubby and I chose to join Memorial Baptist Church. Pastor Mark is one of those people that you instantly adore...he's funny, witty, intelligent and he's YOUNG...meaning that he's hip! ;)
Pastor Mark always has stories that speak to my heart, and this past Sunday was no exception. Our church is in the beginning chapters of a new study by Max Lucado called "Fearless." (It is an amazing book, if you haven't read it I would highly recommend it!) Sunday's sermon covered chapter two of the book, "The Fear of Not Mattering." Here is a small piece from the chapter:
"Ah, there it is. There is the question. The Amazon River out of which a thousand fears flow: do we matter? We fear we don't. We fear nothingness, insignificance. We fear evaporation. We fear that in the last tabulation we make no contribution to the final sum. We fear coming and going and no one knowing."

Towards the end of Pastor Mark's sermon he told us a story. It is a story that I have told over and over in my head because it truly touched my heart. It is a story that I want to share with you because maybe it will touch you in the same way it touched me.

The story goes like this...
****
On an evening not any different from most, a competitive swimmer walked into the gym and headed towards the indoor pool. Outside the only light that shone was the light of the moon and the stars. Inside, the gym was dark and quiet. The young swimmer walked into the pool room without switching on any lights. He wanted to swim in the dark. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. You see, this young competitive swimmer had been an atheist. He didn't believe in God. He had no reason to believe. Lately he had been having second thoughts, but nothing to really verify that God truly is real. Nothing to prove to him that God had been by his side even when this young man didn't believe...

Slowly the young man climbed the ladder to the high dive. 30 feet above ground, the young man walked to the edge of the platform in the dark. He was alone with his thoughts. He had reached the end of the platform and turned to face the wall. Ready to dismount he closed his eyes and raised his arms perpendicular to his body. He took a deep breath in and slowly he opened his eyes and was stunned at the sight on the wall. Behind him a window let in the light of the moon and the young man's shadow was displayed on the wall. His body had made a Cross with his arms outstretched. He was consumed with the Spirit and he dropped to his knees at the edge of the diving board. He cried and out loud he asked for forgiveness. He cried to Jesus and asked Him to come into his heart.
Overjoyed at his new found Faith, the young man stood once again at the edge of the platform, facing the wall and stretched his arms out once again, ready to dive below. Just then, the janitor walked into the room and flipped on the light...startled the young man turned to see who was below and he realized that the pool had been drained to be cleaned....
****
Did the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Mine did when I first heard that story. You see, we do matter. It isn't a coincidence that our bodies, arms outstretched, create the shape of the Cross. The Cross is the symbol of the triumph of good. By His sufferings on the Cross our Lord Jesus Christ washed away the sins of mankind, conquered the devil, abolished death and opened the way to eternal life for man. The Cross bears witness to God’s infinite love for sinful mankind. But the Cross is much more than a symbol; it possesses spiritual power.



Here is another piece from the chapter...

"Why does he love you so much? The same reason the artist loves his paintings or the boat builder loves his vessels. You are His idea. And God has only good ideas. 'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago' (Eph. 2:10)"

Go out and pick up a copy of "Fearless" by Max Lucado...I promise you, you will love it!