One Excited Dude!

Right now Chris is on cloud nine!

He is so excited,

and it makes me excited to see him to happy:)

Since leaving Southside, where he was preaching 2 sermons every Sunday,

Chris and really missed being behind the pulpit.

When we go to different churches he just tells me that he has such as strong pull and urge to be standing up there presenting the word!

Welp, last night Chris got a call from

New Orleans Chinese Baptist Church,

and they want him to preach on November 13!

Now... my first reaction was..

um...

Chris....

Honey, we aint Chinese.

Are they thinking that we speak Chinese?

Did you tell them that you don't speak Chinese?

because... there might be just a little problem:)

This church has two services. One Church service is done in Chinese, and then another one is done in English.

Chris will be preaching the English service.

This serice is for more the younger population and those that are Chinese origin but were raised in America and are more comfortable with English.

Chris is so excited! I mean seriously,

he is ready to get up there!

It makes me so happy to see him happy.

This church is currently looking for an English part time or full time pastor.

They are looking at several candidates.

Please be in prayer that God will preset his will.

Don't TELL ME He's NOT Real!!

I hope that I can express myself the way that I want to in this blog post.

Ever have a moment, when you just get so emotional,

so EXCITED,

so amazed,

so overwhelmed,

that you feel like words can't express how wonderful and awesome it is?

Now, DON'T TELL ME HE'S NOT REAL!!!

Since announcing to family, friends, numerous coworkers, church members, and other personal,

that Chris and I really, REALLY,

were going to New Orleans,

because the Lord told us to.

We have received many weird stares,

awkward conversations,

and non-believers.

Some might just think that we are just here,

just... well

just cause.

But I can

wholeheartedly,

undoubtedly tell you,

we ARE here because the Lord has sent us!!

Let me tell ya some reasons why I know this to be true.

Chris and I are POOR. I mean dirt POOR! I don't make more than chump change.

I mean really. Some of yall can probably find more coins in yalls sofa then I make for a yearly salary.

Yet... somehow Chris and I ALWAYS make his tuition payment.

We always fork up the money for rent!

Let me Just tell you how REAL he is!

Chris WAS JUST telling me that we were finally going to have to most likely get a loan. We have been able to stay debt free throughout all of this and pay for everything in full.

Until about a week ago. It started looking like we were going to have to finally get a student loan for his incredibility expensive schooling.

Well, two days ago the Lord provided the money and MORE!

and more!!

Just how awesome is that!

Right on time:)

No loan for us!! haha take that you unbelievers.

Take that you doubters!

Take that... you people that say we are crazy for doing this,

(well maybe we are a little crazy, but lets not go there)

We sold a car in Georgia, and we are pretty much getting the same amount for the car that we needed for his tuition payment next semester! How cool is that??!!

Don't TELL ME He's NOT REAL!!

Ok, next point.

Chris is very good with our money.

Very, very precise!

We have numerous excel documents that can tell you down to the cent what we have spent on groceries and other bills.

Somehow, some reason, some unimaginable miracle.

Our balance always seems to be more than it should be.

Somehow we always make the money to pay our bills and a little more!

It comes from little places all over!

Ten dollars here, maybe Twenty there,

it adds up, and

low and behold,

he provided!

Now DON't TELL Me he's not real!!!

In New Orleans he provided me with a job after just being here for 4 days. Yepp... we moved here and 4 days later I had a job.

Then 3 weeks later I got an even better job as a real teacher!

We have been upgraded in our apartment. We have been blessed with an awesome running car that we don't have to worry to much about breaking down.

We have been majorly blessed with wonderful friends. We are surrounded by amazing people. People who themselves have just truly inspiring backgrounds and are such pleasures to be around!

Now.....

Don't you try to tell me,

He is NOT real!!

MIL

I have written about 72 blog entries so far, and it just now sprang on me, that I need to write one devoted to the Word's Greatest,

super-rific

AWESOME,

mother in law!!

Recently I have heard several seminary wives speak about their MIL's in my women's ministry class,

and sometimes some of the things that they have to say,

ain't always so nice or great!

I can truly, honestly, and whole-heartedly say that I love my mother in law just as much as anyone else in my family!

Top Reasons Why

-She has an 'eye.' Now some of y'all are thinking, "What??!?" of course she has an eye. Didn't the good Lord bless us all with eyeballs in our heads!

But no, I mean she has AN 'eye!!'

She is one of the most nifty persons that I know. She knows the best decorating tips, fashion accessories, food endeavors, baby blessings, etiquette credentials, ... and on and on and ON!

Pretty much.... she sure can PLAN one heck of a party!

Bridal showers, lunch ins, baby showers, engagement parties, WEDDINGS, or even the simple family get together, she knows how to add that touch to make it special!

- She LOVES me!! Yea, yea, it might sound corny, but I know she loves me! We don't hang up the phone without her saying, "I love you!" Sometimes I will try to say it first, and beat her too it, but she always has a way of sliding it in there! I love the MANY ways that she has been there for me! She excepted me as a part of her sweet family very early on while Chris and I were dating! She has even given numerous advice on several different situations. She always is generous with me and so kind!

-She knows that she can correct me when I am wrong, and I am so grateful for that! I love the real-relationship that we have! Sometimes life aint just daisies and roses! We are comfortable with each other to be able to discuss those hard matters, but move on and love each other more for it! I know that she will help me out in those situations in life that aren't always so easy, and she is ALWAYS one of those people that I can count on to be honest and tell me the correct way to do things!

-My future. Without getting all technical here, when I think about it. She is the one who has blessed ME with my future. She raised her sweet son to become my husband. Who will one day bless me with children! In many ways, my mother in law has had one of the hugest impacts on my life!

Without her I would not have the Greatest, most Wonderful, Sweet husband, and that would mean that I would not ONE DAY have the cutest little babies ever!

So Christi I love you so much! I pray for you and Gary pretty much every night before I go to sleep! I pray for many blessings and good days. I pray for our future together! I pray that my children will one day be blessed by y'alls families good looks, great humor, and AMAZING skinny metabolisms:)

I no longer just see your as my mother in law,

I see you as my mother in love!

So glad that I have you as a MIL!!

How Lovin Are You??

I Learned this in my Minister Wives Class.

Fill in the blanks with YOUR name

________ is patient and kind;

________ is not jealous or boastful;

_____ is not arrogant or rude;

_________ does not insist on their own way;

___________ is not irritable or resentful;

_______________ does not rejoice in the wrong, but rejoices in the right;

___________ protects ALL things, believes ALL things, hopes ALL things, and endures ALL things!!

Taken from

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

So... Just How loving are you?? 

Really?!?!

Tonight my Women's Minstry Class was on the topic of.....

Wait for it.............

.......drum roll.....

Hospitality.

I agree that it is very important for a ministers wife to show hospitality in her mannerisms and how she opens her house, mind, and family up to others.

But COME ON!!

We discussed proper Table Place Setting!

The picture at the top of this blog post is a picture taken with my phone of an ACTUAL handout that my professor discussed with us!

Yeah right... I will most likely never set up my dinning room table like this! It is so un-realistic!

When I have people over to my house I want them to feel comfortable, not be blown away by the vast amount of silver ware on the table!

My professor, who happends to be the wife of the President of the Seminary, told the class that she sets her table like this on a normal basis.

She also said that it makes people feel important and cared for when you put such an effort into serving a meal.

Ok, Ok, I get the point of being hospitabitable,

 but I guess my guests will just have to be happy sitting at my table with a paper plate, mix matched glasses,

and using a left-over napkin that is from Chris and mine's wedding!

At least when you are eating with Chris and I you know you will enjoy lots of laughs and won't leave the table hungry! 

It's About Time

This past Friday night and Saturday morning,

I went to a Women's Conference on Campus that was titled,

"It's About Time."

The whole conference was about how we have to change our mind sets on 'time' and what 'time' means.

Our Speaker,

Mrs. Rachel Lovingood,

(yes her real name is lovingood, and she was wonderful!! A little bit like Beth Moore!!)

said that in our life there are 2 Important Days that Matter:

1. Today

We can not change what happened in the past, so try not to dwell on the bad. Take what experiences the Lord has given you and put them to use.

2. Day We Meet Our Lord

The Day we will meet our Lord is our untimate goal in this life. We should stive every minnute to serve him.

Everyone of us has the time to do God's will for our lives. He is not going to give us anything that we can't handle.

Ephesians 5: 15-16 

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Mrs. Lovingood also taught us that we have 3 Basic Enemies that are always making things difficult for us.

1. Satan

We should always stay grounded in our spiritual disciplines.

2. Ourselves

Some of our greatest battles occur in our minds. Every sin begins with a thought, that turns into an action.

3. The Word

God has provided you with EVERYTHING that you need. We should not lust, there is a whole lot in this world that discourages us.

We must remember that People are more important than your schedule.

Also a neat little saying that they taught us is:

Yesterday is history,

tomorrow is a mystery,

Today is a gift,

that's why we call it the present.

Fall

Being that it is October 1st and all,

I decided that Chris and I were gonna celebrate some fall today!

It was a nice 78 degrees at noon today! Very comfortable weather and it was beautiful and sunny:)

I went to the grocery store and bought some stuff for a little pot of 'skinny' chili.

Yumm!!

I only made a little pot of it cause,

well it is just me and Chris,

and it would take us 2 weeks to eat all of a big pot of my skinny chili recipe!

Anyhoo....

I also picked up this stuff from the store:)

Actually,

I already had the coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

I just bought a little bag of carmels and a can of pumpkin!

Which I HAD A COUPON for the carmels and ended up getting them for less than a dollar!

and a can of pumpkin is pretty cheep already!

MMMMMmmm.............

I made some coffee,

then mixed in my CROCK POT

cinnamon,

nutmeg,

milk,

pumpkin,

and 3 tablespoons of sugar!

oh yeah, I also threw in about a handful of the tiny carmel pieces:)

After cookin on low for about 30 minutes our entire apartment was completely filled with the sweet smell of fall!!

And I had a delicious, homemade,

STARBUCKS
pumpkin spice latte!

It was delicious!

It was almost as good as starbucks,

I think I just need to put in less sugar,

because the carmels are probably plenty to sweeten it with!c

I stole this recipe off of the facebook site, CrockPot Girls!

So GOOOOOD

and it just made our 'fall' day!

by the way....

we are still wearing shorts and t-shirts here! It is still stinkin hot!

Even though it is 78 degrees, which is nice from the 90's we have been having this past week,

the humidity is still such a booger!!