New Beginnings

What a whirlwind of a summer! A few big things happened in the last month or so that have been encouraging and challenging all at once. The first big development is that I got a promotion at work - I am now a behavioral consultant instead of a teacher assistant. Yes, that's a big jump! I'm so excited for this opportunity God has given me to push myself intellectually and further develop my character and experience with special needs kids. My employer is paying for me to get my BCBA (Board Certification in Behavior Analysis) which is GREAT but disappointing at the same time. I am finishing my BBC Master's degree in March so I was looking forward to having no homework for the first time in my life...but alas, God had other plans. The BCBA program will take about a year and a half for classes and then however long it takes me to actually pass the boards after that. Looks like this girl is gonna be going to school for at least 2 more years! I know, wah wah wahhhh... The next big thing I guess really isn't that big, but still significant for us. We caved in and got another dog. His name is Samson and he is currently 9 weeks old. We hope he will be a great companion for Trotter (which he is so far showing much potential...they are currently chasing each other around my living room like maniacs)but it does further complicate our lives just a tad. Oh well, we adjusted to Trotter so I'm sure we'll adjust to this new little one soon enough! Steve and I celebrated our 3 year "anniversary" yesterday. September 25, 2009 he asked me to be his girlfriend as we walked through a haunted corn maze with some friends. What a night! It's amazing what God has done with us so far. I can't wait to see what else He has in store for us!

We really are buying a house...

It is finally starting to feel real...we got our settlement statement today for the house. We know the official final numbers we need for closing, which is this Friday! It is so exciting and scary all at the same time. It has been INCREDIBLE watching God provide for us every step of the way plus more. We are so excited to move into our first home and make it ours. This weekend Steve and I will move a couple loads of boxes over and clean the house to get it ready. Over the next week and a half we'll take up carloads of stuff, and then next Saturday (the 24th) will be the big moving day where we con all of our friends to help with the big pieces of furniture. Trotter is a little anxious about all these boxes piling up...but he'll love it once we get into the house. Praise God for His continuing provision in our lives!

We bought a house!

Buying a home is something that I have both looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. It would be fantastic to be able to call something our own, to be able to do what we like with it, and to have a little space to spread out and grow as a family. Steve and I contemplated on whether or not we wanted to buy a house in this area because we weren't sure how long God wanted us to stay here. But since we have no idea where we would go except here, we've decided to go ahead and house hunt. We've been on the lookout since October-ish and have found an amazing deal on a house in Carbondale. We signed the contract with the sellers this week, so the process has officially begun. There are still a couple things that could determine whether or not we actually buy the house, but at the moment it definitely seems like it is a possibility. We are excited but terrified at the same time. It's a big responsibility, but I think we're ready to at least try to tackle it. God has provided for us so far and we have been praying nonstop that if this is not His will for us, that He would make it abundantly clear. As the steps easily fall into place for this house, we can't help but think that this IS His will for us. Please pray that we continue to depend on Him and not our feelings or intuition regarding this investment...it's not really something we can get out of very quickly or easily!

Why?

"Why?" This was the subject of last Sunday's sermon at Berean Church. The Scripture covered in the sermon has continued to sink into my heart and mind since yestereday, so I figured I would further the process by sharing it!---------------Acts 17:24-29 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He HImself gives ot all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boudnaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man."---------------There are SO many things in this passage that have jumped out to me in the last 24 hours, but I'll try to pick through them in a somewhat systematic manner. The main goal of the sermon yesterday morning was this: Why does God do all of this? Why does He sustain us? Why does He give to us more than we deserve, since He needs nothing from us in return? The answer is in verse 25: "that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us... God's ultimate goal in sustaining us and providing for us is that we SEEK Him. He is not far from us - in fact, He has taken every step that He can towards us and is patiently waiting for us to fly into His outstretched arms. What an amazing reality!---------------Other points to be observed: God is TOO BIG to reside in temples or churches. We cannot box Him up into something smaller and more manageable for our finite minds to handle - He is indescribably HUGE, everywhere at once yet always intimately close to His children. He is TOO DIVINE for us to think that we can sum up His presence with mere idols or pictures. We cannot exist without Him because He is the one who creates, sustains, and organizes human life. ---------------I could probably go on and on with the thoughts that this passage has stirred up in my mind...but I'm afraid I won't make much sense to anyone but myself! I hope that these Words of Scripture bring as much joy to you as they have to me. It is certainly a wonderful passage to consider when we are pondering the question, "Why?"

New Year's Resolutions??

I used to be really big on doing New Year's Resolutions (NYRs)...until I gave up on them so often that I have completely lost motivation! It is exciting to see the people around me making NYRs, but I didn't have the willpower nor the energy to think of any this year. There are definitely parts of me and my life that I need to change, but I hate jumping into a resolution without fully thinking through how I would succeed in any particular goal. Steve has a unique perspective when it comes to NYRs. He thinks that they're pointless because if you really want to change your life you would start today, not January 1. At first I thought this was a little pessimistic and maybe even silly, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense to me. A lot of people have the willpower to follow through with their NYRs, but most will give up after a day, week, or even a month. If something desperately needs to change in your life, don't hesitate - start immediately. But although Steve's approach is making more sense to me, the OCD part of me is totally in agreement with those who try to start fresh on January 1. It is the beginning of a new year, signifying a brand new start on the calendar and hopefully some part of their lives. I think my conclusion (for the moment, of course) is that NYRs are handy for little things like not drinking soda or cutting down on candy for the year, but on bigger issues like pursuing a better relationship with God or spending more time with family, it is better to start immediately no matter what time of year it is. Just my thoughts...always open to new evidence and opinions! So now that I obviously didn't make any NYRs...what about you? I love to hear what crazy things people attempt to do or change. Do you have a silly or serious NYR? More than one? Think they're stupid? I'd love to hear anything you got :) I hope everyone has had a fantastic Christmas/New Year season and good luck getting back into the swing of things!

Christmastime!

As usual, a lot has happened in the last few months. Meet the newest addition to our family - Trotter! Named after the Eagles football player (of course) Jeremiah Trotter. I told Steve that I get to name our next pet since he obviously took the cake with this little guy. He definitely adds some spice to our otherwise boring married life...haha. He is currently 7 months old and nearly 70 pounds, and probably the most perfect dog you could ask for. Rarely barks (only when someone he doesn't know comes in the house) and a great partner for brisk walks or even running. He's really smart and extremely affectionate. He is constantly giving us something to laugh about with his crazy puppy antics and occasionally makes us piping mad when he wakes someone up at 5am to go potty. We had to move to a different apartment in order to get him, but it was totally worth it! Steve and I are officially house hunting. We have started to tighten our budget and put as much money as we can towards paying off his school loans and saving up for a down payment on a house. We have until June for our current lease to run out, so we have a bit of time before we get a little more aggressive with our hunt. The last couple months have been a great learning experience as we hang out with some realtors and squeeze them for all the housing advice we can get. We are extremely blessed with the people God has put in our lives to give us wisdom concerning finances and finding a home. With Trotter growing as quickly as he is, we're going to need something bigger than a two-bedroom apartment to contain him by next summer! I am currently about halfway through my Master's degree. I decided this summer to change from the MSCM (Master of Science in Counseling Ministries) to the MA (Master of Arts) program with an emphasis in counseling. The MA program is much shorter and I can do it all online, which saves me the trip to BBC every week for classes and is much more convenient with my full-time job. If I continue to do classes at the rate I'm going now, I will be done this time next year. This weekend is Christmas...which means we will be traveling a lot and spending time with family. We'll start by heading down to Steve's parents' house for Saturday and Sunday, then head up to Michigan on Monday for a few days. It's not as long of a trip as I would like it to be, but I'm still very excited to see everyone up there. If you think of it, please pray for us as we brave the roads of PA, OH and MI this next week. Well I should probably scoot...Trotter is whining because one of his bones is stuck under the couch. Have a blessed Christmas and don't forget to thank God for the reason we celebrate this time of year!

Summertime!

Wow, it's been a while...I always start these journals thinking that I'll be posting a lot, but life kind of gets in the way and my motivation tapers off after a little while. I do love the idea of journaling, but usually my short attention span and laziness gets the better of me. So here's a little update on what's going on in my life right now and what I have been learning over the past few months.

Steve and I are coming up on our one year anniversary! I can't believe that we've been married for almost a year already. We feel a bit like the odd ducklings because it looks like nearly all of the couples from school or home who got married last year are already busy with repopulating the earth. Steve is petrified of children right now, but I know he'll warm up to the idea eventually. The plan is to have me finish my Master's degree first anyways, so I'm okay with waiting a couple more years. I've really enjoyed my first year as a married woman, falling more and more in love with my dear husband every day. We have our little fights and disagreements, but I couldn't think of anyone else who could fill that special place in my heart but him. I prayed for a good husband, and God has blessed me with that and so much more!

Later this week we will be spending time with my family in Michigan. I am SO excited to go home! Believe it or not, we haven't been there since the wedding last July...so I am very anxious to spend some time with good friends and my family. My youngest brother, Benjamin, is having his high school graduation party that the trip is kind of built around. My other brother, Nathan, is getting ready to head off to basic training in September. I feel like I miss so much of them "growing up" because I haven't really been home for the last 4 years, so I am really excited to see them again.

I have this philosophy about life - all the experiences and phases that you go through don't really mean anything unless you observe and learn something from each one. As lazy as I can be, I do try to step back once in a while and kind of summarize what I think I'm learning at that particular time in my life. Right now I am beginning to realize the stages of life and how small my childhood will be in comparison to the time that is (hopefully) left before me! I said to my husband the other day, "You know, I'm just beginning to realize how small of a percentage my childhood is compared to the rest of my life. At the time, I felt like I would always be a child - I would never go to college, never get married, never have a family of my own, etc. But now all of those dream-like ideas are coming true, and I'm realizing that there is so much more to life than I could ever imagine!" I guess you could say that I'm starting to understand the complexity and beauty of the life that has been given to each one of us, and the precious opportunity that the Lord has gifted me with. It is my responsibility to take hold of my life and make sure that I live according to His plan for me, to be a person who glorifies Him in my short time on earth.

I am starting to take after my husband's love of listening to sermons. Right now I'm only listening to Mark Driscoll sermons simply because I love the way he preaches and the passion with which he shares God's Word. His sermons are practical, interesting, and convicting. Recently I listened to one of his parable sermons about the Barren Fig Tree, which was extremely convicting. I highly suggest that you log in to iTunes and download the podcast of that sermon...you won't regret it! Along with listening to Driscoll, I've been working through the commentary/book "Be Joyful!" by Wiersbe. It's a study on the book of Philippians, which has always been one of my favored books. It's taking me a while to get through it (like I said, I'm lazy and have a short attention span) but I am really enjoying the journey so far.

Well, I think that's all I will try to stuff into this post. Hopefully I will start to write more often so that I don't have to write a book every few months. I hope that eventually my writing will be a source of encouragement and/or conviction for the few who do read my ramblings. God bless and have a great week!