Foil "Emergency"

Okay....so last night I had a really funny thing happen and wanted to share. It was a very rainy, blustery night and so of course no one wanted to be out. However, I still found myself on the way to Dollar Tree on an errand. I had just finished shopping and walked out the front door of the store when I saw a policeman sitting in his car behind another car parked in the fire lane. The man who apparently owned the car came running up holding a box of foil and said "Oh officer, I'm sorry, I just had to run into Dollar Tree for a quick emergency." I really wanted to stick around and hear what kind of emergency caused him to run into Dollar Tree for some foil :)

Being Pregnant With My Best Bud

Well, I know most of you have now heard that I am expecting my first baby. But you may not know that I'm sharing this wonderful experience with my sister! Jennie is 2 years younger than I am.

We have always been close (of course we went through our stages, like most siblings do "where's my t-shirt that you borrowed...I wanted to wear it today!!!") but overall we have had a wonderful relationship. So you can imagine that when I found out she was moving to Virginia Beach I was extremely excited. We love to hang out - shopping especially, but everything is fun when we're together.

Somehow, Jen and I managed to get married within 7 months of each other. You will have to ask my mom some time about how that went - it was a little crazy, but she was great at keeping us organized!!! Well, we didn't plan on being pregnant at the same time, so when Jennie came to me five days after I found out I was pregnant and said she was too, we couldn't believe it. However, it's been a blast to share this experience and we are both due at the end of June. So thanks mom again for balancing two crazy daughters!

I love you Jen, and look forward to continuing this experience together!

Thanksgiving Traditions

Since moving to Virginia Beach, Rob and I always spend Thanksgiving with his family. We meet up in Charlottesville or Blacksburg and it is always a great time. Both areas are absolutely beautiful. We love the countryside and college town feel (in case you don't know, Charlottesville hosts University of Virginia and Blacksburg, Virginia Tech). We always take walks with the dogs and enjoy the crisp, clean air. We were in Blacksburg this year with Rob's cousins, Doug and Phyllis and their kids, Aran and Robbie (Nelson). We also had a visit from Rob's brother and his family.

So, here's the order....

*Arrive whenever

*On Thursday, everyone relaxes and then slowly works their way into the big meal...all the usual...turkey, ham, potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and all the fixings

*After dinner, we take a break...watch football, take a walk...whatever it takes to make room for pie. Uncle Chick and Aunt Sharon make the most incredible apple and pumpkin pies.

*Then, the Trivial Pursuit game comes out and everyone gets serious about the competition

*We also usually make a puzzle some time during the weekend, decorate gingerbread houses, have an incredible sausage, bacon, and pancake breakfast, and an early Christmas gift exchange.

*The last thing I love about Thanksgiving is that we always decorate for Christmas right after....I love to get a real tree every year and decorate it with all the trimmings.

I love the time and always look forward to it. I'd love to hear about your favorite Thanksgiving traditions if you care to share!

Guess who's pregnant.....

Okay....so it's probably not hard to guess that I'm actually the one that is caring our baby :) We are excited to share that our little baby is 8 weeks old. It's been a ride so far and we can't wait to continue through the process. We would love your prayers as we consider this immense task of raising a child to love and serve Christ. We feel that this is an incredible blessing and privilege from the Lord. What a miracle that a new human being is growing inside my body. We serve an awesome God!Our first picture with our baby!

So, it looks like a little blob, but on the left you can see the little circle and our little guy/girl is right in the middle. It was the greatest thing to watch it's little heart beating on the monitor!

OBX getaway

We love living in VA Beach and getting to enjoy so many different areas. One of our favorites in is the Outer Banks of North Carolina. My boss has a beach house down there and we have been able to rent from her many times. It's the most relaxing vacation ever. Hope you enjoy the pics!

C. S. Lewis on Culture

For all of you interested in cultural aspects of ministry, I found an interesting viewpoint from the C. S. Lewis Blog.

Can we learn from "pop" culture? The author of the post quotes Lewis: "'Look. Listen. Receive. Get yourself out of the way,' wrote Lewis. Applying this approach to popular culture does not mean we ignore discernment or analysis, but that we delay criticisms and judgments of pop culture until we have sought to understand what we have seen or heard or read." The author of the post goes on to say, "Popular culture can also help us 'seek an enlargement of our being.' We can 'see with other eyes,' even if we disagree with what we see."

I think this topic warrants some deep thought for those trying to reach the generations with the message of the gospel. Please read the article, and tell me what you think.

Life is a Vapor

I usually do not post on very serious subjects, but a happening of this weekend has really caused me to think. I hope this is a challenge and help to any readers. I teach piano part time and yesterday, one of my students' parents, mom of John and Sara (7 and 8 years old) sent out a mass email to let everyone know that her husband had a form of a brain hemorrhage and that is was not likely that he would make it through the weekend. I just read another email to say that he had passed away today at 44 years old. I remember many times briefly conversing with him as he would bring the kids for the lessons. He was a very sweet man and it's hard to believe that he is just gone. I am reminded of a few things:

*Never take life for granted - each day is a gift and we must embrace every opportunity we have

*I must be all the more diligent to share Christ with everyone I can at every opportunity - please pray for opportunities with this now single mom.

*God is sovereign and good and I'm so thankful for that comforting truth

I hope this is an encouragement and that we revel in the time God gives us to serve Him alone.

A very "fall"-ish thing to do

This last week while the student government of CBTS met, we as wives decided to have a little fun carving pumpkins. Here are the results!

The girls had to get a pic of me with my knife - I was enjoying it a little to much :)
We topped off the night with cider, apples and dip,

and brownies....don't you love fall?

The President is NOT our Savior

Please understand that this post is not a statement as to which way I will vote...I am still prayerfully considering that dilemma...

However I was reading Obama's Statement on Faith and had these thoughts:

1. God is Sovereign - no matter who is elected, God is in control. He raises up leaders and puts them down all to accomplish His own purposes...of this we can be sure. Consider Romans 9:16 - 18 "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth [any questions??!!].' So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills."

2. God is not a plaything to be used to gain the acceptance of those with "faithy" sympathies. Those who would use Him as such will someday realize that they were really the "plaything" in God's cosmic scheme to bring all beings into subjection to Him. Consider Philippians 2:10-11, "so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

3. Outward reform is of no value. Only the gospel can truly reform, and what our country needs desperately is the gospel. Consider Colossians 2:23, "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh."

4. The rise of God's kingdom is not influenced by earthly politics: a message so many of those who knew Jesus during His time on earth refused to get. His kingdom is much more substantial, He will build His church, the gospel will prevail, and His cross has already overthrown all rulers that make a difference. Take into consideration Colossians 2:13-15, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame [awesome!!!], by triumphing over them in him."

Top 10 Things to do in Hampton Roads...for less than $5

Okay, so Rob and I have really enjoyed our time here in VA Beach and have done a little exploring along the way. I wanted to share our top ten list. Maybe you can give us a couple other ideas about the area or share a top ten of your area!

10. Gotta go to the beach! We love the Oceanfront or Sandbridge and you can get free parking at either if you know the right spots. At Oceanfront there is always a lot going on for free....you just have to stay tuned in to hear about it. Our favorite was the open air Jim Brickman concert right on the water!

9. Every summer we have loved hitting the strawberry fields around here. They are the best strawberries ever....and if you just want a little bit, it's pretty cheap.

8. Hit the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk on Wednesday - totally free and an awesome experience.

7. Take a bike ride around downtown Ghent and enjoy the old houses and fun shops. It's like a walk back in history.

6. Explore the Moses Myer museum and the McArthur Memorial down in Norfolk. The Moses Myer has a free hour tour and is a really neat experience.

5. Take the ferry across from Norfolk to Portsmouth or Portsmouth to Norfolk. It's only 1$ each way. It's a lot of fun even if you just ride across and take a walk downtown.

4. Go explore McArthur Mall. It's great for window shopping. Parking is free on a side street or if you're in the mood for spending $10 at California Pizza Kitchen, you can get free valet parking!

3. Go to the sunrise cafe in Great Bridge for breakfast between 6 and 9 am. It's a really cute place and they have a full breakfast for $1.99 when you order a drink!

2. Hit the Portsmouth Flea Market once a month. I always find a steal and even if I don't , it is so fun to go anyways. Grab a friend and go....and while you're there, walk around the corner to The Daily Grind for a coffee!

1. Our all-time favorite - Take the "back way" to Williamsburg (through Suffolk) and catch the James River car ferry. It's a beautiful drive, the ferry is totally free, and there is a road you can take when you get off that is right along the water. It's great for taking bikes or just taking a picnic to eat along the water. Stop in Williamsburg and hang out or just enjoy the ride. We love it!

On the Road Again...This Time to New York City

Over Labor Day, we had the chance to tag along with Steve and Sarah Branine to NYC. It was a great trip! Here are a few highlights. We
also have pics on facebook if you want to check them out.

Cool tree in Central Park


We loved Mary Poppins on Broadway. If you ever get a chance to see a show, check the box office - we got a steal at $30 a piece!

Gotta love the street "merchandise"


Thanks to S & S for the chance to go!

In Central Park you can rent a row boat for an hour - that was really fun.


We can never get away from HSBC :(






We like to call this one "dancing granny" - she was so cute, just listening to her music and grooving out in Central Park.