The Wisdom of a Doctor

Note: I apologize for not keeping this updated lately. I've really been on Facebook. I doubt any of you even care, though. :)

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:

'Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 yr. old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.'

So the doctor said: 'Ok, and what do you want me to do?'

She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.

The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!

'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution. The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.

He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same! If you agree, please forward. Together we can help save precious lives!

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee."
(Jeremiah 1:5)

Six Months and Courting!!!

Ok, so I apologize for the delay in updating you all! So here (to make up for the silence) is a rather juicy update...for me, that is. :o)

Our first picture together. He totally caught me off guard at the Undivided Christmas Party. I knew he liked me. But it would be another two months before he felt the Lord give him permission to pursue me.

I totally posted these pics on Facebook back in January so he could see them. :)

It's official - it's on Facebook! :)

A bunch of us girls went to Disney right after we started courting - they made Julie sit on the "Brown Derby" bench...

...annnnnd me in front of a fountain. :)

He's so brave! He met so many Red Hat Society Ladies (in our family) that night...and they were all in love with him.

Dinner with the fam for Granddaddy's birthday - Outback, baby!!!! He fits right in!

I love this pic - on our first ever roadtrip to Georgia to meet his family and go to the Cherry Blossom Festival. I wanna go back!!! Oh the memories...

Stephanie's 27th birthday par-tay/luau at Jeni's house - hangin' with Kendall and Albert.

The Central FL Fair - he's a pretty good photographer, huh? :) We met up with David, Kelly, Kristen and all six of their girlies for the afternoon. I hate fairs but this one...it was pretty fun. :)

The ferris wheel.

Easter - the first official holiday he spent with us. I think he was back in the house getting more sweet tea. ;) Otherwise, I would've made him be in this one.

He surprised me one night by taking me to see Jars and Seabird at the House of Blues! It was so fun! We met up with the Gillies! Yay for us!

And so afterwards we were hungry - Raglan's was open and we sat and talked till like 1am. It was a really good night - and my meal was way better.

His first Sovereign Grace Conference experience was at Next (formerly New Attitude). I'd been to these for years and years and loved them - highlights of my year. It was pretty amazing seeing it through somebody else's eyes...and having someone to share it with...yeah, that was awesome.

Daniel graduated high school and then we went to the dance afterwards...

For our four months, he had this whole entire Saturday planned in St. Augustine!! We made it through lunch and the museum and then we got rained out. :( But it was such an awesome day...substitutes worked just great. And THE WHOLE DAY TO TALK?! I was happy. :)

Oh yeah, the story...it stormed so much (but prolly only about an hour and a half) that steps and curbs disappeared under water! Water flowed past so fast he almost had to carry me across the street! ;)

I eat food. Lots of it. Often. All kinds. Unfortunately. But he's really nice and usually eats as much as me if not more. I told him he has to - j/k. Anyway, we're on our way to the Crash-o-Rama in Bithlow, baby!!! He said I needed to experience it once...I'm game for another time or two! :-D

I don't know, do we need an explanation here?

Thanks, Mark, for ruining a really great picture. (Randy, your thoughtful gaze into the heavens always cracks me up.)

Ok, this...I could blog about this for days. This was at the train station in Wheaton, Illinois cuz we were heading into Chitown for the evening! We were in Wheaton for the conference that David oversees for Exodus (international with people from 9 different countries!). The conference was five days long and we were there a total of 11 days! It was probably one of the most radical experiences of my life in so many ways! If you've ever been on a missions trip, you can liken it to that - you're exhausted the entire time, running on adrenaline, meeting new people every second of every day (lots of them recognized me from his profile picture, though, heehee :), attending sessions, running errands, carting dozens and dozens of cases of drinks from one location to another...and I was just the gopher. This deal was real, y'all! ...Back to us...aren't we cute?

This is Jeff and Angela Buchanan - longtime friends of David's and incredibly amazing people. AND THEY ARE MOVING HERE!!!! I'm pretty excited and hope to get to know them better. They are amazing...oh wait. I think I already said that.

So there ya have it, folks. There's a pictorial update. (Though I would like to draw your attention to the fact that multiple events included not a single picture of David. It is all my fault. And that is changing. :) It amazes me to look back even six months ago to see the person I was at the beginning of this. The Lord has stretched me and challenged me in ways I hadn't expected...but I've also never enjoyed six months more. David is amazing; I'm very grateful for his presence and friendship in my life!!!!

Boutique For A Week

Okay, so here's the deal! My good friend Kristen (and Kelly and Sandie :) recently started this great kids consignment business called Boutique for a Week. This is their second year and third sale and it is quite amazing! The sale lasts for a week (August 9-15, 2009) and is an opportunity to sell AND buy gently used children's and baby items! Whether you're a mom, a grandmom, a single friend or even a guy :), you'll want to check it out! If you've got clothes, toys, strollers, etc that your kiddos have out grown - you still have time to register to consign...which means you'll also want to plan for time to shop! I couldn't believe the racks and racks AND RACKS of clothes...and the toys (great time to shop for Christmas gifts!!!!!)!

They offer great incentives for volunteering, like shopping early. And, if you're like me and don't have kids - you can still participate! If you volunteer you can opt to give your early shoppin' hours to a friend who does have children so that SHE doesn't have to work a shift! Nice, huh? Last year, when I helped out, it was such a blast! We all had a great time...and this year I will be able to "give" a girlfriend early shopping time!

Can't wait to see you then!

Thank you!

So, I was surveying my recent stats for my blog and discovered some interesting facts...

In the past two years, Miss Katherine Elizabeth Peschau has sent me over 1000 hits from her blog! She is closely followed by the ever popular Mrs. PJ Herron and then the darling Mrs. Jonathan Cox.

Ladies, thank you! Because of you, I awarded myself the "Most Popular Blog EVer." ;)

Best Friends...

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?”

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

I love this quote. It's been running through my mind for quite a while. :)

Sunny and Winnie

Wow. I was so excited to hear about these girls! It's just another incredible reminder that the Gospel knows NO boundaries, NO limitations and has NO restrictions. Christ is not a respecter of persons and will go after all the nations. He uses unlimited means to reach people, including our very own Next conference! Who wants to go with me to China tomorrow? :)

Testimony from a new Chinese believer (from mainland China) at the NEXT conference:

After hearing about the return of Jesus for perhaps the first time in her life, she (Sunny) was praising and thanking God for opening her eyes to the hope of the future, forsaving her and giving her such a "glorious inheritance". She and her friend from Taiwan, Winnie (who was saved only a few months ago) were so excited about every meeting, and after each session they looked like they were glowing with the truth they had just heard. Winnie was so excited about each next day that she couldn't sleep at night.

Anyway - thinking about your "China " impression and the ripple effect that has come up in our prayers-this is exciting! A short while ago, Sunny's boyfriend, who is still in China, has become a believer through her phone calls to him. She returns there in two months time to face her family. They had said, "Whatever you do in America, DON'T become a Christian," before she left! We should continue to pray for her and expect God to do wonders.

Click Here for Change

Grrrr. I am waiting for the (lots and lots of) new songs I just downloaded to finish uploading to my iPod. And it is taking a really long time. And I begin to complain (inside, because no one is around to hear and give me sympathy). And the Holy Spirit begins to convict me…and it reminds me that I often get impatient with how long it takes me to change in one area or another. So many times I can read something in Scripture or hear a message – “download” – and wish the application or change – “upload” – would be complete and instantaneous. I quickly find an annoying error popping up saying “Download Incomplete.” Then I can be tempted to give up…except that I remember that God has provided so many Tech Supports (far more than Apple ever could!) to help me along the way. Enter Next.*

Change may not come nearly as quickly as I would like – I’m a sinner saved by grace and one who will not be able to “upload” what I learn and know at all times. But God is faithful and will finish the good work He began in me!

* Important notice: Next, and those affiliated with Next, do not pretend that this conference can in any way, shape or form change an individual’s heart. Only the Holy Spirit can accomplish this. The conference is simply intended to be a means of grace – a tool or a help – in informing, teaching and training. Next is not affiliated with Apple – use Apple products at your own risk.

(C’mon, it wouldn’t have been complete without a disclaimer! :-))

(originally written for the Next 09 blog)

so im just tryin out this whole new mobile blogging thing. did it work?

It Is Finished!

The Cross...there is so much bound up in that one word! In one moment in eternity, our future changed! In One sacrifice, One death, One Life...we now can belong to Him!

What a mystery...
...what joy!
...what love!

And I am so unworthy! That Christ - the very Son of God! - would leave His throne to become man and die in my place...it is unfathomable!!

I spat in His face.
I mocked Him.
I cursed Him.

He died anyway.
He drew me to Him.
He opened my eyes to even see my need for Him.

What???? Oh, the glory of Calvary!!!! Here are some of my favorite Cross-centered songs (I'm shamelessly partial to SGM music, what can I say? The words just come ALIVE!)...

The Look
The Glory of the Cross (en espanol: La Gloria de la Cruz)
The Gospel Song
Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed
The Glorious of Calvary
The Old Rugged Cross =)

What are some of yours?

What's New With You?

well...i know i promised a looooooooong time ago that i'd update this thing. but life just doesn't slow down!! plus facebook takes up a lot of time! ;) but, for all you who still don't have facebook...in case you didn't know...

I'M COURTING! :-D

david fountain and i have been courting for...um...six weeks! we have spent that time trying to get to know each other and determine God's will for our lives and whether that includes marriage (did i just type that?! :). during this time we've gotten lots of coffee, met tons of each other's relatives (poor guy! ;), walked around half of orlando (haha!), and gone on a road trip to georgia (shout out to all my people there ;). it's soooo hard to believe it's been six weeks already!

lots of you don't know who he is yet so i'll give you a quick run down (which i know he's going to love). david is 35 and the second youngest of five kiddos (his twin brother daren is 7 minutes younger than him...apparently this is of GREAT importance to know! ;). he grew up just outside of atlanta and most of his family still live in the same area where they grew up - so cool! david went to lee university and then lived and worked in nashville for about ten years. he moved to orlando four years ago and attended a church in the area until he happened upon metro life church. he ended up in the same singles care group i was in and i apparently was pretty rude to him when he first tried to talk to me... ::sigh:: i thiiiiiiiiiiiiink he's forgiven me. :-D we worked together some on the Yes2Marriage campaign (actually he totally rescued me in helpin' out last minute). and then we started hangin out more and...well...fast forward to february 10 which was our first official date. :)

that's super short and quick - so sorry!! and, for those of you who don't know ME....read my blog. ;)

in these six weeks i have learned soooooooo much about relationships and i think i've put david through quite a bit already. :-D it's been a lot of fun and i told him this past weekend that my weekends just keep getting funner (don't be hatin' the word, i just made it one!). i am so grateful for this opportunity to seek God's will and to be in prayer over something like this with someone like he is. we would appreciate your prayers and are very grateful for your encouragement.

this concludes our update for the moment...

Captive Life

Ok, so I know I'm not doing a good job keeping this up-to-date. But I've been super busy recently. I promise I will update about the bf...soon. ;)

For now, I found this poem I wrote, titled "Captive Life," when I was really struggling. It was a very difficult season of my life, one where I was much more apt to despair than to trust God. While writing it I remember wanting to leave it on a hopeless note, which is how I felt. But I couldn't. Knowing the Truth, I decided to end it like the Psalmist - believing in faith that there is One Who WILL lift us from the pit. I didn't see how back then...but now, His hand was all over me. Hallelujah!

Captive Life
Silently, quietly, it comes.

From where exactly, I do not know.

But it is there – from deep within;

The pain pushes, always pushes,

Begging for freedom.

And yet…

There is no freedom, no release.

As the silent screams erupt,

Suddenly I am drowning…gasping…drowning.

The pain has once again turned on me,

Becoming enemy–never friend,

And it pushes back inside

Squeezing through every pore and blocking

Sweet, precious air, until there is

None.

And then, just as I sink below –

Deep under the pitch-black sludge of agony,

The rain comes.

At first it seems my rescuer.

My starving mind gasps for the

Delicious thought that I will be saved.

But it is not to be.

The beguiling smile of the soothing downpour

Rips off its mask and pierces like

A thousand knives, sharpened to perfection.

As they stab my skin, driving me down,

All thoughts of sweet salvation are

Gone.

Realization sets in, dawning upon me,

As awareness settles over the prey

That soon

His predator will win and feast upon his kill.

Now emptiness–black, nothing, numbness–

Intoxicates as resignation falls upon me…

And I surrender.

One last breath and it will be done,

No more torture or despair

To endure, to bear.

But then…

The darkness that defined black itself

Was suddenly divided

As Light ruptured through

And began its liberation.

Gradually, gently, yet with all authority,

Light released me from the surrounding

Filth–the mire that had nearly got victory.

Lifted onto Solid Ground,

Hope is infused into each part –

Healing every wound, silencing screams…

Restoring to praise and tears now of joy.

(Psalm 42)