My How Things Change

As I was trying to decide what 2010's resolutions will be, I had to review this past year's. It was neat to see how far God has brought our family in the last twelve months.

Personal resolutions for this coming year- 2009

• Understand God and His Word more fully through Scripture study, memorization, and listening to solid biblical teaching on a weekly basis (outside of usual church services)
• Be a consistent, loving, and settled Titus 2 woman of Biblical virtue with a God-centered world view
• Care less about what others think and more about what God praises
• Love Bryan as Scripture teaches a wife should- to keep him 2nd in the order of priorities after my relationship with God- to make him feel respected and loved so that he may feel secure and cherished in our marriage- to build him up and support him at home so that his ministry to the outside world may thrive in a way that draws others to Christ
  
• Train Abby in the disciplines and teachings of Jesus so that she may begin to understand from infancy the love, wonder, and glory of our great God and the beauty of this life He has given us
• Make our home a place of joy, love, and security- a refuge from the outside world to all who may enter in
• Find ways to serve our church and its ministries joyfully and fully that fit in with my spiritual gifts
  
• Be more intentional with relationships with others, especially family and close friends
  
• Guard my mouth and the thoughts of my heart more closely
  
• Try something new every month, whether it is an activity, recipe, craft, or etc.

Last year, even with Abby as a newborn, I still had the mental energy to detail out an extensive resolution list. This year- I'm thinking I will be sticking to the same list and continuing to work on it. Is that lazy or smart?

Impressed

Before:

Next time I get a haircut, I think I'm booking my appointment at Canine Clips in Gautier. Check out the amazing transformation they accomplished with Piper. Absolutely unbelievable. I couldn't believe he was the same dog. What do you think?

After:

God's Sense of Humor

After much deliberation and hesitation, we finally decided to return Gracie to the rescue. Since her aggressive behavior towards guests and neighbors was becoming increasingly problematic, we decided the best thing for her and us was to make sure she had a shot at being adopted by a family that was less busy than ours. Thus, she'll make her debut tomorrow at Petsmart's adoption fair. Best wishes to Gracie!

This morning in my quiet time I was really sad about having to return Gracie. I know it sounds silly, but I had gotten attached to her and felt guilty about giving her up. It just seemed like the logical thing to do. I prayed that God would help us find the right dog for our family, since Gracie was apparently not the one. Later that afternoon, I decided to do a pet search on craigslist and noticed that someone had just posted an ad for a miniature schnauzer. I emailed the lady and found out the dog is one my dad's clients.

We met the little dog tonight and liked him so much that we decided to adopt him. Since the lady knew my dad and thought we were a nice family, she dropped the rehoming fee and sent our new pet home with a couple of outfits, a pet bed, toys, food bowls, leash, and pet snacks. What a blessing to not have to pay for a housebroken pet or any of his supplies!

What sold us on the dog?

Guess what his name is...

Piper.

It was predestined.




***For those of you who missed the punch line, Dr. John Piper is Bryan's favorite pastor.

Tough Decision

We have now had Gracie for a little over 3 weeks. While she has been a great dog in many ways, this weekend she began to exhibit a new behavior that is not going to work in our family. Gracie has never been anything but gentle with Abby, Bryan, and me, but she has started to become more and more aggressive and territorial with visitors and our neighbors. Hoping we can work it out, we have agreed to let the Animal Rescue Foundation send a pet behavioral specialist out to examine Gracie and see what we can do differently to modify her behavior. However, my parents are doubtful that we can "untrain" her from this sort of thing. It looks like we may be saying goodbye to Gracie and wishing her the best in finding a family that has less of a social life than ours. While we appreciate having a dog that is protective of our family, we also need a dog that is friendly and part of our ministry team too. So sad... If you need a good watchdog, I have the perfect one for you.

When God Seems Silent...

The past 24+ hours have been very emotional in our family. Bryan and I have some big decisions to make and are trying to patiently wait on the LORD as we seek His will in them. We have come to a crossroads of sorts and only God knows the best way. After seeking God very intentionally and very transparently, we still are waiting for an answer. I've heard many people mock and say, "God will provide." However, I believe it to be true with all of my heart. I have seen God provide in the past few years of ministry in a way that I have never seen before. Right now, as I am emotionally vacant- emptied before God, I know He will fill my cup. As I stare at a situation too big for us, I remember that I am engraved in the palm of my Creator's hand. As far off as God "feels," He is closer than I can comprehend. I will wait on the LORD, yes, I will wait on Him. Until He intervenes (I know He will), I will remind my soul to rest in Scripture- to bask in His glory and be made whole.

After all, life isn't about me. It's about Jesus.

Lamentations 3:17-24
"My soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.” Remember my affliction and my wanderings,the wormwood and the gall. My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in Him.”

Abby's 1st Birthday Invitation!

I know most of you have already seen this, but I just wanted to post this for those of you who haven't. I love how it turned out! Abby had a blast destroying this cupcake. Too fun!

By the way, I cannot believe she is almost a year old. Where did the time go?

Gracie- Abby's New Friend

Since Abby LOVES animals, especially dogs, we have been looking for the right one for a birthday/Christmas gift for her. I have scrutinized many, many dogs and puppies in the past few weeks, and there have been several great animals out there. However, when we met Gracie, we decided to give her a 2 week trial in our home (the usual process with this animal rescue organization). At the end of the 2 weeks, we can choose to complete the adoption process.

After only a couple of days, we are pretty sure that Gracie is perfect for our home. She has a very quiet, gentle demeanor and is incredibly patient with Abby. Gracie is already housebroken and crate trained. She responds well to several simple commands and walks well on a leash. We have enjoyed her company.

Here you go, introducing the newest member of our family.... Gracie, the friendly collie/beagle mix.

P.S. Gracie even gets along well with Mr. Peeperz. Quite a plus in our home!