Saturday, April 30, 2011

That Time of Year :(

Graduation is coming quick (May 8th) This year's graduating class has a special place in our heart, since many of these students were our first class of freshmen back when the Bridge began, we have seen them grow up and mature over the last 4 years. It is sad to see them go but we pray that the years they spent at Miami and the Bridge has equipped them for their next journey. After graduation comes the Summer. We are working on having 4 weeks of Backyard Bible Club/VBS/Clubhouse during the summer. We are currently working on getting volunteers and funding for these weeks. We have a mission team coming in the 1st week (June 13-18) and we have another local church helping the last week (July 5-9) Please pray that God will provide the need workers for the two middle weeks (June 20-24 and June 27-July 1), and that we are able to get the needed supplies/resources to provide lunch each day. 
We also have a few students that are heading into the mission field for part or all of their summer, I will have more info next month, but please keep them in your prayers.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Oh what a busy week!

4/25 let the Training Begin: We have been working on the New CSN project and my head is spinning so much to learn before I can train others!!! And not to mention I have something planned every night this week! AHHH

4/26 Dawns Pampered Chef Party: Dawn had a great party she had like 12 or so people there! Yea Dawn!

4/27 Meeting with Elizabeth Wow is has been so long since we have gotten to meet, I love spending time with my girlfriends.

428 Erika’s Pampered Chef Party

4/29 Ricky’s Graduation Party

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Dinner and Tron.

We went out with Nathan and Erika YUM!! And then we headed back to our place to watch Tron, a Happy early Easter present to Josh.


Friday, April 22, 2011

Secret Church

Really all I can say is wow! We attended the secrete church simulcast it went from 7pm-12:30am it was great! Lots of information and a few smacks in the face. www.brookhills.org/secretchurch/

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

ISAIAH 43:2-3a

 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior"

Becasue He Loves Me Chapter 1 Thoughts

I find it frustrating to realize that my reactions are currently based solely on the law. I guess I should expect that they are since that is how we learn and are taught, but still frustrating. So basically I don’t do this or that because there is a rule in place that advised me not to. I mean that is not totally bad but Do I refrain from stealing because it might hurt someone or make my county sad? Do I plan to never miss church because if I do miss it will influence others or make me further from God? No, well not exactly though I may not do these things because the outcome may hurt someone or have a consequence but truly I don’t seal or skip church because somewhere in my upbringing I was taught that we are not supposed to steal because it is “bad” and a “sin” and skipping church though not a “sin” it is still a basic expectation that I attend…I mean the bible says to go…right? And truly that is how we are taught, by being conditioned to do as we are told and to expect a standard outcome. If we go to church then mom’s happy, if we steal then we get in trouble, and the list goes on. We skip the rationalization of the why and head straight for the outcome… this equals bad, this equals good. But how good is good and by what standard?


Lately I feel like I have been working to reach my desired outcome with God; if I read and study and pray this prayer then God will answer me in the way that I expect. I mean if you ask for rain then God will give you rain, right? That is what they teach you in Sunday school, “ask and you shall receive” “God will meet all your needs.” The part we tend to miss is that it is all “according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” And if we are solely focused on ourselves we are going to miss Christ’s riches. In my mind am being the best Christian I can, I follow all the rules I am praying for people and being patient. I am working for what I want. This is the problem “I am working” in many ways probably against God. I have basically told Got to sit right there and I will plead my case, but instead of pleading my case to God I have continually pleaded my case to myself and others, making them see my side of the story letting them think that I have been so faithful to God and why is he not being faithful back. The sad part is that many have blindly led me further down my path of action instead of affection towards Christ. The more I do, the more I am entitled to, and the less I see of Christ.

I don’t seek Christ’s love I seek approval and sometimes it is not even his approval that I seek. As long as I can justify that I am doing the right stuff and on the right track then I have done my part. The rest is up to God…but I don’t even leave him any room. I am attempting to line my actions up with a model Christian rather than with Christ.

I find it ironic that this week is Easter since that is really the time everyone focus’ on the gospel. But the realization that the gospel should change our daily walk, it is sad that is feel like this is a new revelation, it is challenging. To rethink scripture that I have twisted in my mind…example Luke 9:23 to carry our cross is not to do it alone, to die daily is not to beat down ourselves, we are to rise above our self-desire and seek Christ for help. And looking at God’s Love I find it easy to see it at the birth and death and resurrection, but I somehow miss it in the life…and there is so much that we were given in the life of Christ. Through his teachings we see God’s heart and through Christ personality see the characteristic of the loving and all-mighty God.

Monday, April 18, 2011

No Longer Newlyweds!!

Happy 2 years to us!! Oh how crazy it is to think that we have been married for 2 years or 720 days as Josh pointed out. Some days it feels like we have been together forever and others it feels like we were married just last week. We decided that we are no longer newlyweds since no one really knew when the cut off was we decided 2 years was good enough for us. We for our anniversary we went out to the melting pot YUM one of my favorite places. It was a very nice night we had dinner and relaxed. I got a new ESV Study Bible and a super sweet purple external hard drive for my picture J so great!!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Easter Party and a Wedding

Well the rain did not stop my mother. We planned for an outdoor egg hunt and by golly we had one…two. We all arrived at the house around 10am so mom could give the kids/grandkids their baskets and such. The rest of the crew arrived around 11 and the hunt was on we hid aprox 500 eggs outside, the kids began to hunt and within 15-20 minutes the skies opened up and it poured…So we all rushed inside and decided to eat lunch and hunt after the storm. It was lots of fun watching the kids as they ran around all crazy and such. HAPPY EASTER!!
After the Egg hunt Josh and I headed to a wedding for his cousin. The wedding was outside and Oh how cold it was! It was a quick wedding and the reception was nice. We had a Parson family photo shoot at the reception, Josh’s mom Loves family pics 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Back From FL

Welcome home Granny, I am I ready to make the needed adjustments? I hope so. Please Lord help us all transition and adjust easily.

Monday, April 11, 2011

BON VOYAGE MY DEAR

Well JP and Chad are headed to IL for a conference for the week. Those poor boys will have to say in a wonderful condo for the week, such a rough week!  They will be in sessions from 9am -10pm or later L they will return sometime Friday… Miss you!!  Well while Josh is gone I will be staying with my fam! Tonight was spent with the nieces and nephew, they helped me fill 400+ Easter eggs with candy! We had tacos and played with Sam! Pretty easy night!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

EMBIRDERY UPDATE

So many super cute things, bags baskets, blankets and clothes!!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

EYE APT and a BUSY DAY

We now have insurance YEA!!! So we visited our lovey new eye doctor’s office to get our eyes checked out. Josh wanted to upgrade to contacts and I am getting new glasses.

Monday, April 4, 2011

OPENING MY EYES

Last week was an interesting week, work was not as crazy or it did not start out that way. I have really been trying to be patient and let God work in His time; I have prayed that my strength will come from Him, for understanding and peace for where I am currently. Thursday was so hard and frustrating I was so tried coming into work; I did not understand why this is how God had planned it and if this was the plan then why did it feel like it was not working? I have been reading Esther and how she went and was obedient not knowing why she was where she was, and I am reading/finished "Sun Stand Still" it talks about how when we get out in the water God leads us to the waves, he does not abandon us but hold our hand through the wave. And even though I feel like this is a wave that is way too big, God is so much bigger and all I can do is jump in obedience. Sunday was good; I cannot tell you much about the sermon L but God revealed a lot about how we expect prayers to be answered and how we miss how they really are answered. Since we have moved I have been able to serve the church in different ways, the ladies have been able to come to our house for women's nights, we have had couples dinners. My work schedule has allowed me to go on 2 spring breaks and china things that probably would not have been a possibility or a much more complicated one. I have been able to minister to my family in Columbus and the parson crew in Dayton; I am able to be a part of the women's min at Miamisburg where I am not the old one in the room. I was really humbled realizing that God has answered many of my prayers some that I forgot I had prayed. And I think I am starting to understand that God really does work for the good of his people "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Sunday, April 3, 2011

ANDREW’S PARTY AND NIGHT ON THE TOWN WITH MY MOMMA IN LAW

Last night was Andrew’s Birthday Party so he had asked if they could have the party at our house, more space. He had 10 or so guys over Josh decided to stay home and hang out with the boys and I decided to spend time with my momma-in-law. We went and saw “HOP” very cute, then headed to O’ Charley’s for some soup, then the movie marathon continued with Tangled …. So cute it was funny since I had just recently gotten all my hair cut off. Happy Birthday Andrew!

Friday, April 1, 2011

APRIL FOOLS, DATE NIGHT AND A MOVIE

Dinner with my lovely husband! We went to Olive Garden for dinner YUM! After dinner we stopped by to drop off my ring to be cleaned and did a bit of grocery shopping then headed home for a good old western movie: American Outlaws. Great Night
We are headed into the final stretch of the semester. Baltimore was great! Our family has grown we had 2 of our students accept Christ during our trip (Sarah and Elizabeth), along with these students there were 23 students from Morgan State University that also came to Christ. God is so great!! Please keep these students in your prayers.  Upon our return the students have been actively seeking to serve and pray for the campus. 2-3 or more days a week they have been out on campus with a prayer tent. They have been able to pray for many of the students, staff and others on campus. It has been so encouraging to see the students want to reach their campus. Now that spring break is over many students are looking ahead to graduation, choosing a major and many other things. With these decisions please pray that God will reveal Himself and that they will be obedient to his call.  Please continue to pray for our students, that they will be lights on campus, bold in their faith and continue to seek God whole heartedly. Please pray for our student leaders and staff that they will be renewed daily by Christ. Thank you for your support.