What A Challenge!

Our staff team conquered the Ole Miss Ropes Course on Friday afternoon. Enjoy the pictures from the adventures of the day.

Discussing and planning how we are going to 

get all of us over the wall.

Lifting Baldwin over

Christie pulling me up...I asked the ladies to 

lift my behind :)

Climbing the tower

Kyle walking across the log

Christie on the ropes

Ruthie walking across the log...she might be the 

youngest to ever do the ropes course. 

The team in position for the "flying squirrel"

Andrew as the "flying squirrel"

The Ole Miss Staff & 2 Students (Christie & Nick)

Life is Short

On Wednesday, Kyle and I attended the funeral of my Uncle Paul Petty. It was definitely a sad, but sweet ceremony. Paul loved motor cycles so my mom had arranged for all of his friends to ride their bikes in before the service began. My mom's cousins Walter shared stories of my uncle's life, and my great uncle shared out of Psalm 23. Kyle and I spent most of the afternoon with my family before we had to drive back to Oxford. We stopped in Jackson for dinner, and our conversation at dinner quickly turned to how life is so short. This was Kyle's second funeral to attend in a week, and he said, "after sitting through both services I cannot think of any reason why I would not give my life to missions." It really made me begin to think about the brevity of life. I have been reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and he discusses this very matter in Chapter 2. Francis Chan said, "On the average day, we live caught up  in ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that life truly is a vapor." James 4:14 says, "For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes." But even after I read this verse, I quickly forget that I could vanish today. Frederick Buechner wrote, "Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever." This really puts the brevity of live into perspective. Chan wrote, "Throughout time, somewhere between forty-five billion and one hundred twenty-give billion people have lived on this earth. That's 125,000,000,000. In about fifty years (give or take a couple of decades) no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore. This can be terrifying or reassuring, or maybe a mix of both." Wow! That will make you stop and think. This is why Kyle and I have dedicated our lives to sharing the gospel with college students. We truly never know when God is going to take our life, and we need to be ready. This is why we tell others about Jesus. We really just need to get over ourselves and realize that "life is all about God and not about me at all." We need to realize that our purpose in being here is to know Him and to make Him known to others. Chan said, "The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. It is His movie, His world, and His gift." We all know that we will die, but we have to believe it enough that it changes how we live. It ought to make us want to give our lives for the glory of the Lord and to serve as mightily as we can while we are here. Chan closed the chapter with this: "Friends, we need to stop living selfish lies, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time. That's why I wrote this chapter, to help us remember that in the movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God. Don't let yourself forget. Soak it in and keep remembering that it is true. He is everything." I hope this serves as a reminder to you as much as it has for me. Life is truly short, so live for His glory. 

If you would like to read more about this topic, click here (my sister's blog). 

The Boys are Back in Town...

And the girls too! All of the students arrived in Oxford last weekend, and the fall semester at Ole Miss has officially begun. There is much excitement on campus when the students finally come back after a long summer. We love hearing stories about their summers, and they are always refreshed and ready to dive into ministry. It is a very exciting time! Kyle and I along with the rest of our team passed out 5,000 flyers on Monday and Tuesday to promote our first weekly meeting. It was a great success! Coach Houston Nutt shared his story at the beginning which was a big draw. We had around 1,000 students come out for the first weekly meeting. We view the first few meetings of the semester as outreaches because our numbers will definitely drop in a few weeks. But, praise the Lord for that many students having the opportunity to hear the gospel and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Please pray that these students will continue to come to our weekly meetings, but that they would also get plugged into a bible study where they can grow and mature in their faith.

Campus Crusade at The Ford Center

Coach Houston Nutt speaking at Campus Crusade

Yea! A picture with Coach Nutt!

Our Team with Coach Nutt

We also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Jones, the new Chancellor of Ole Miss, on Tuesday morning. He visited with our team for about an hour, and it was a pleasure to meet him. He shared his life story with us, and I was deeply encouraged by his heart for the Lord and his desire to see the kingdom advanced. He was very supportive of Campus Crusade, and even offered to speak at one of the weekly meetings. Hopefully, we will have the opportunity to hear from him soon. He also asked our director, Isaac, to be one of his spiritual confidants. Of course, our team found this to be hilarious, but what a humble man. It was a delight to get to know Dr. Jones, and I am thrilled that he is the Chancellor. 

Life is just hard sometimes...

Sometimes I think I am invincible. Do you ever tend to live like this? Like today is just another day, life will go on, things will go as I planned, and nothing can defeat me. I have often looked at other people's lives, and thought well it sure does stink that they are experiencing that trial, but at least it is not me. Now that I am in the midst of one of the hardest trials of my life thus far, I am certainly learning that I am NOT invincible. Trials may come my way, but the Lord intimately knows me and deeply loves me. Jeremiah says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." God knew me before He even made me. And if He knew me then, He surely knows the trials I am experiencing now, and the sufferings of my heart.

I have been somewhat absent from the blogging world for the past few days because I had to take some time to process what is going on in my life. Sunday was a very difficult day for me as I found out that another one of my dearest friends in Oxford is pregnant.  I said that day, "Are you serious Jesus?" I only have so many close friends in Oxford and two of those are pregnant. I almost had to laugh. After I wallowed in self-pity and self-absorption, and cried for a few hours, I finally came to some realizations. 

One is that the Lord deeply loves me and cares for me, and I have done nothing to deserve this love. Not only does He love me, He gave His son's life for me. In the midst of trials, it is hard to remember that the Lord loves us that much. It is easy to base our thoughts about His character upon our circumstances, and forget about His great love for us. Oh, how deeply my heart longs to have a child right now. But, the Lord knows this and what He has given me for the moment is best, because He deeply loves me. Let me share a quick story with you to demonstrate His great love and concern for you and me. I called my mother-in-love on Sunday afternoon to tell her about what was going on in my life.  At church that morning the pastor had asked the congregation to kneel and pray. She said that as she was praying it was like the Lord spelled out my name in all caps and told her to pray for me. She kept thinking why because she had just seen Kyle the day before, and he told her how great I had been doing. Hours before I received some exciting but hard news, the Lord had laid up my mother-in-love's heart to pray for me. Our Father does love us deeply.

My second realization is that the Lord has great plans for me, and there is a part of my ministry at Ole Miss that is not finished. I definitely still desire to be in full-time ministry after I have a child, but it will drastically change my schedule. I will not be able to stay up visiting with girls until midnight, or drop by the sorority house for lunch. So, I definitely trust that the Lord has great ministry opportunities that He desires for me to finish first. There may be other reasons we are not pregnant yet, but I know that He has created me to do great works, and I am going to wholeheartedly serve these women at Ole Miss right now.

Lastly, I realized that this trial is for my good. The Lord desires to stretch and refine my faith. 1 Peter 1:12-13 says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." Though I am walking through a hard trial, it is nothing compared to Christ's sufferings. I pray that as I walk through this trial, I will rejoice still and that my faith in the Father will be greatly increased. Yes, there are very hard days, and moments when I really question the Lord. But, I still trust that He loves me, He knows me, and He has a perfect plan for me. I am sure that there are many of you who are facing a difficult trial, maybe even complications in conceiving. I hope that these words may bring you much encouragement and hope in the midst of the storm. 

On another note, thanks to all of you who have been praying for my uncle. My family greatly appreciates your prayers, and has experienced much love and comfort from the Father over the past few weeks. My uncle did pass away yesterday afternoon. As difficult as this situation is, we are thankful that he no longer has to battle such a strong disease. Before he passed away, he had the chance to reconnect with his daughter that he had not seen in many years. As the phone laid beside him, she said, "Daddy I love you and I just ask you to forgive me for never coming to visit you." I am so thankful for this sweet moment he had with her. The funeral will be tomorrow afternoon, so please continue to pray for my mother and Granny as the days that lie ahead will definitely be hard. Thank you for lifting us up before the Father.

Crazy Things in MS

On Friday night, we went to eat with several of our couple friends. Over half the people at the table had never been to Graceland Too. Of course, my fun and spontaneous husband just could not believe this and had to take these friends. I decided to stay home because it was already late, but I have to share these funny pictures with you. By the way, Graceland Too is in Holly Springs, MS and basically, this crazy man has a massive collection of Elvis Presley items. He gives tours every day, but the most fun time to go is late at night. If you are ever near, you should definitely visit.

To find out more about Graceland Too, read this article.

It's Finally Here!

CHICK-FIL-A has officially arrived!! They opened their doors in Oxford, Mississippi last Thursday, and we are more than excited! I think my husband has eaten their almost every day! We went on Friday morning for breakfast with the intentions of eating in the restaurant. We were so excited when we were leaving that Emmy (our chocolate lab) got really wound up, and we just had to take her too. Drive through was just as good though. Trust me, we will be going back soon!

These are the crazy people (mostly students) that camped

out for 24 hours to receive a free chicken sandwich a week 

and lots of other goodies. Too bad we have staff meeting 

all day Wednesday! 

Here it stands in all its glory! 

Great is Thy Faithfulness

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."  Matthew 7:7-8

"For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:5

"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."  Lamentations 3:21-24

As I was sitting down to write to you what the Lord has laid upon my heart, He brought an old hymn to my mind..."Great is Thy Faithfulness." This is the chorus of the hymn:

Great is Thy faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

This is the song I am singing (in my heart) today, and the verses above are ones I am clinging to this week. As most of you know, Kyle and I are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. We have to raise our own financial support which provides for our salary, health benefits, conferences we attend, and even our grocery bill! Basically everything. We have a team of donors that is made up of family members, friends, and churches that support us on a monthly and annual basis, As you can imagine, we have taken a hard hit due to the state of the economy, and the past few months have been really challenging. We spent the summer making phone calls and meeting with individuals to express our needs and invite them to be a part of our team. We recently sent out a newsletter that asked all of our donors to increase $10 a month which would make up for the loss we have incurred in our monthly donations. Well, ask and you shall receive! Yesterday, Kyle and I went to campus to buy our parking passes for the year. Yes, they were $60 each! I thought it was pretty outrageous too, but being that we are campus ministers, we got to be on campus! So, we forked over the $120 and left with our passes! When we got home I went to check the mail, and I opened an envelope that contained a $120 check! I just teared up when I saw the check. The Lord is so faithful, and He will meet our every need! The story gets even better...today, I mailed in a reimbursement to Crusade for our airline tickets to our national conference that was in Colorado in July. The airline tickets had cost us $564. We had been at a staff meeting all day, and when I got in the car I had a missed call from my sister. I immediately called her back, and she told me they were increasing their support by $10. Praise the Lord! Then, I get home and go to check the mail again. Much to my surprise, we received two more checks today. If you add all three of the checks together, they total $565. GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS! I was simply stunned. I know that my Father knows my needs, but sometimes I wonder if He truly is going to provide, especially when the clock is ticking, and we have more month than money. I am sure some of you can relate. These past two days, the Lord gently reminded me that he is my Father and He will meet my needs. I do not know why I ever doubt this because the Scripture says, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" So, why on earth do I still doubt and become anxious? Because,  I often allow my circumstances to control my thoughts and emotions more than the truth, which is the Word of God. If our support is good, then I am happy and love my job, but if our support is bad, I am depressed and doubt if this is where God wants us to be. My circumstances to a degree definitely do play a part, but it is not what I should base everything upon. I should only base things upon what I know is true, and that is the written Word. I am most certainly grateful for this realization I had today, and I am very grateful for the Lord providing for us. But instead of the money we receive being a reminder of His provision, I need to be reminded that He will provide because of what I read in His word. This is why I am clinging to the verses above. A local pastor in Oxford said, "How I handle everything each day is a reflection of my personal worship with the Lord." So, what do we do? We spend more time in His word, and preach the truth to ourselves over and over and over! At least this is what I need to do! For the moment, I will continue to sing: Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided, Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Life is Busy Again

After a relaxing week at the beach, life is back in high gear at the Cole house! And it is only going to get crazier, but at least I will have more to blog about! 

Last night we celebrated Kyle's grandfather's birthday! Happy 77th Birthday Bull! I absolutely adore Bull! He is seriously the sweetest man I know! He is incredibly kind and generous! I am so thankful that my husband has inherited some of his grandfather's character, because Bull is definitely one fine man! We love you Bull!

Today I went to a memorial for Susan Haskins at the KD house. It was a really sweet time for these girls as they celebrated the life of one of their sorority sisters. Several of Susan's friends shared stories and memories of her, and Eric Hankins, the pastor of First Baptist of Oxford, also spoke. He really encouraged the girls to embrace their questions and doubts, but to bring them to the Lord, and to cast their emotions upon Him, because he can handle it. Pastor Hankins said, "If there is one person that knows what if feels like to lose a child, it is God." He also encouraged them to place their hope in Christ. He shared that Susan had become a Christian after her brother had died in a car accident, and he challenged them to think about their own faith. I was very encouraged by what he shared, and I do pray that this would start a revival in the KD house. I pray that through Susan, many of those sweet KD's would come to know our wonderful Saviour, because He is mighty to save!

Tonight, we had our first staff team dinner of the semester. We had a cookout at our director's house! It was so much fun to be with our team again. They are really like family to Kyle and I, so we were excited to see everybody and catch up on life! Of course, the men sat outside, and the women visited inside, but a delightful time was had by all! We have our first staff meeting tomorrow morning to kick off the semester!

Lastly, I want to update you on my Uncle Paul. He was accepted to Hospice Ministries inRidgeland, MS, and will be transported from the hospital to Hospice tomorrow. He is basically living out his final days, as his liver has failed and his kidneys are beginning to shut down. I would ask that you would please pray for Paul, and that he would not suffer much pain. Please pray also for strength for my mother, and my Granny, because the days ahead are definitely going to be hard. My mother and Granny will be staying in Brandon, and visiting him daily. Pray that these will be special times that they have with him. I do believe that Paul is a Christian, and I am thankful that he will no longer have to struggle with this disease and addiction. Thank you so much for your prayers. 

 I just spoke with my mother, and she said, "I waved at Paul today, and he waved back. I told him I love you, and he said I love you too." So sweet.

Facing Trials

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's loves has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. "  Romans 5: 3-5

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you."  Psalm 55:22

"But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait on the God of my salvation; my God will hear me."  Micah 7:7

Over the past year, my family has faced one trial after another. Just when I think we have finally made it through and its over, here comes another one.  As of right now, my mom's brother is in the hospital for alcohol dependency, and he is not expected to make it. When I first heard this news, I laid down in the bed, and cried out to the Lord. I remember saying, "I am just so sick of these trials, and can you just give us something good." These were my exact words. Then, I remembered the cross. The Lord sacrificed his very own son for me, and that is good. His blood was shed for me, so that I could be rescued from the pit of darkness, and be brought into the light. That is very GOOD! I also remembered the verse above from James. However hard these trials may be, they are for my good, so that I "may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." Some of these trials have been extremely difficult, and I get so bogged down in them, that I forget about what is true. Above are some verses that I have been clinging to, and have truly helped me through these trials. I trust that whatever you are facing in life, or whatever trial you may be walking through, these verses will help you too. Please pray for strength for my family, especially my mother and grandmother, and that the Lord will do a miracle in my uncle's life. 

The List

I wrote a post yesterday about a chapter from Elizabeth George's book "A Wife After God's Own Heart." The chapter was about extending love to your family, and in it she encouraged the reader to write a list about things you appreciate about your mother-in-law. I said that I would share mine soon, so here is my list! Thanks Mrs. Cyndi for being a incredible mother-in-love (that is what we like to call it)!

Ten Things I Appreciate About My Mother-In-Love 

1. She loves our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to have a mother-in-love that loves the Father, and seeks to honor him in everything.

2. She has a genuine love for people, and she especially loves her children.

3. She has an infectious laugh. It makes you want to laugh too!

4. She is very easy going…she is always up for doing something. I guess this is why my husband is too! :)

5. She loves to SHOP...and she takes me with her!

6. She is incredibly relational, and it’s really easy to talk with her. We always have something to talk about!

7. She loves to read, and she passes on all of her great books to me!

8. She is extremely loyal to her family and friends. She always puts others first.

9.  She gives great presents! I always love my gifts from her, but she also gives us these yummy chocolate candies for every holiday. She is very thoughtful when it comes to birthdays and holidays.

10. She loves ME! I have always felt loved and accepted by my sweet mother-in-love, and she treats me as one of her own. 

As I was writing this list, I thought of many more things I appreciate about my mother-in-love, but these were my favorites! Maybe I will share the rest on her birthday! I would really encourage you to do this! I smiled and laughed a lot as I was writing because it reminded me of so many  precious memories! 

Oh the Excitement!

Kyle and I went to Wal-Mart today in search of two items that were recently released. We have been counting down the days for one of these, but the other one was quite a surprise. Ok, I will show you them!

This is the one we have been waiting to be released. It came out

on Tuesday and we purchased it today! I don't think my husband

has ever missed the releasing of a new George Strait CD. 

We are HUGE fans! I am sure we will be listening to this 

the entire drive back to Oxford!

Now, this is the one that was a big surprise, but we are 

oh so excited about it! I am pretty sure this beat 

out George Strait for my husband!  Yes, Ole Miss has graced

the cover of Sports Illustrated for the 3rd time this year!

All we have to say is HOTTY TODDY! The SEC better watch out this 

year! Ole Miss has been ranked #6! We are more than ready for 

football season to begin and to see what is in store 

for the Rebels this year! Ole Miss' own Shephard Smith

praised the Rebels during his Fox News broadcast. Enjoy

the fight song playing in the background! 

Fox News on Ole Miss Sports Illustrated Cover

 

Extending Love to Family

Recently, I have been reading "A Wife After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. My goal is to finish the final three chapters this week while I am on vacation with my family at the beach. You may remember an earlier post of mine titled "Like Apples of Gold"  that defined how we communicate with our spouses. This chapter greatly impressed me and definitely challenged me to better communicate with Kyle. Yesterday morning I read a chapter about extending love to your family, and it had many great principles that I hope to apply, and thought I would share these with you as well. George uses one of the ten commandments as the basis for extending love to our families. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12) George said, "God asks for obedience to His command to honor parents, and He promises a spiritually blessed life on the way to the higher blessings of eternal life." Using the relationship of Ruth and Naomi as an example, George gives several principles of a God-honoring in-law relationship. Ruth married Naomi's son, which made Naomi her mother-in-law, but I believe these principles can apply to each of our relationships with family (mother, father, mother-in-law, etc.). 

1. Ruth RESPECTED her mother-in-law

Ruth's pledge of loyalty shouted her respect for Naomi: "for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God , my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried (Ruth 1:16-17). 

George asked, "How high is your respect level for your mother-in-law?" She says, "A good exercise is to sit down with your notebook or journal and write out 'Ten Things I Appreciate About My Mother-In-Law' (or mother...or father...or father-in-law). Believe me, as you focus and dwell on the positive strengths of your husband's mother, you can continually thank God for her qualities and verbalize them to her...and to your husband. This will sweeten your friendship with both!"

I happen to have a wonderful relationship with my mother-in-law. I am very thankful for her and for the friendship we share. She has especially been a great encouragement to me recently and for that I am extremely grateful. I hope to share my "ten things" list soon.

2. Ruth was LOYAL to her mother-in-law

To seal her loyalty, Ruth uttered an oath, "The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me" (Ruth 1:17). How can you express loyalty to your mother-in-law? George said, "The number one way is to say nothing negative about her. Determine that you will not gossip about her. You are on a mission to love, cherish, honor, and respect your family members. That's God's assignment--and commandment!--to you." 

George also said, "Don't get involved in mother-in-law bashing. It poisons your heart, fails to embrace God's perfect plan for your life, hurts her reputation, and leads to no good."

Here are two verses that I am going to memorize to increase my loyalty: Ephesians 4:29, 31 and Titus 3:2

3. Ruth wanted TO BE WITH her mother-in-law

Ruth followed Naomi to Bethlehem instead of staying in her homeland. George said, "Words are one thing, but actions are quite another." George's challenge is to "express to your mother and mother-in-law your desire to be with them by doing something as simple as extending an invitation to a family dinner at your house or for a lunch for just the two of you."

This is just a simple example, but I believe there are many things we can do to "be with" our family. George asked, "Can't you give up something and spend more time with your parents on both sides soon...before it's too late?"

4. Ruth SERVED her mother-in-law

How can you serve the parents in your two families? George said, "ours is a life of service to anybody. That's what a woman after God's own heart does. And a wife after God's own heart serves her husband first...and then extends that circle of love to include her parents and her in-laws."

5. Ruth TOOK her mother-in-law's ADVICE

George said, "In Ruth we are allowed to behold a truly humble and teachable daughter-in-law. She followed Naomi's counsel to the T...and God worked everything out for Ruth's--and Naomi's--good." 

This is a principle I really strive to obtain, that is to be teachable. Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise."

6. Ruth BLESSED her mother-in-law

"Ruth shared her happiness and her new life as a family unit with the elderly woman she respected, followed, served, and listened to. And then Ruth went one more step in blessing Naomi..." (she let her help)

7. Ruth LET her mother-in-law HELP her

"Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him" (Ruth 4:16). George said, "Ruth entrusted her most precious treasure to her mother-in-law. What a daughter-in-law!" George asked several questions. "Do you share your little ones with their eager grandparents on both sides? Do you work at finding ways and means of making sure your children are linked to their grandparents? Do you welcome a helping hand, no matter how rusty and out of practice it is?

Kyle and I do not have children yet, but for now I think there are other ways that I can allow my mother and mother-in-law to help. These questions are definitely something to think about for the future. 

Lastly, George shares six simple points that can help us extend love to our family:

1. Say yes as often as you can.

2. Budget for family get-togethers.

3. Visit your parents.

4. Stay in touch.

5. Take lots pictures.

6. Pray for your family.

I was hoping to summarize the chapter (ha!), but I pretty much wrote it all out! There was just so much good stuff that I felt the need to share all of it, and I did not want to take away from anything Elizabeth George had said. I hope you will find these principles as applicable as I have. I have always had a deep love for my family, but I hope that as I practice these principles I will be able to further extend love to both of our families. 

The Help

Yesterday I finished a wonderful book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett! I have done lots of leisurely reading this summer, which I have thoroughly enjoyed, but I have to get started in the other sections of my 2009 book list. I highly recommend this book though. It is a great leisure read and absolutely hilarious!  I laughed out loud so many times in this book that I would have to stop and tell others the story. It is so funny! This is Stockett's first novel, but I will definitely be reading the next one. The Help is set in Jackson, MS (this is where I am from, so I loved reading about the history of the town) in 1962, and tells the story of the relationships between several white families and their black maids. Here is my favorite paragraph from the book, but that is all I will share because I really want you to read it:

"But for the past two weeks, I've had a secret joy and a secret dread both rattling inside a me that make waxing floors go even slower and washing underwear a uphill race. Ironing pleats turns into a eternity, but what can you do. We all pretty sure nothing's gone be said about it right at first. Just like Miss Stein told Miss Skeeter, this book ain't gone be no best-seller and to keep our "expectations low." Miss Skeeter say maybe don't spec nothing at all, that most Southern peoples is "repressed." If they feel something, they might not say a word. Just hold they breath and wait for it to pass, like gas.

Minny say, "I hope she hold her breath till she explode all over Hinds County." She mean Miss Hilly. I wish Minny was wishing for change in the direction a kindness, but Minny is Minny, all the time." --Aibileen

Below are two reviews about the book:

"The perfect timing of a natural-born storyteller...Stockett's characters, both white and black, are so fully fleshed they practically breathe. I'm becoming an evangelist for The Help. Don't miss this wise and astonishing debut." 

 --Joshilyn Jackson, bestselling author of Gods in Alabama

"I love The Help. Kathryn Stockett has given us glorious characters and a powerful, truth-filled story. Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter show that people from this troubled time came together despite their differences and that ordinary women can be heroic."

--Jill Conner Browne, bestselling author of the Sweet Potato Queen series

Pray for The Haskins Family

As most of you know, my husband and I are on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ at The University of Mississippi. Ole Miss is high percentage of Greeks, so we spend a fair amount of ministry time in the sorority and fraternity houses. I was a Kappa Delta at Ole Miss, and this house is still very near and dear to my heart. Therefore, I spend a lot of time at the KD house and truly love these girls. My desire is that one day our house will be filled with girls that love the Lord and desire to know Him and serve Him. This morning I received a call from our chaplain that Susan Haskins, one of the members of our chapter, had been killed in a car accident at 2:30 in the morning. I had only recently met Susan, but she was a delightful person and always had a smile on her face. Susan and 2 of her friends from high school were leaving  a party, and one of the guys drove off of a bridge into a lake. All three were wearing the seatbelts, and the boys made it out, but Susan drowned. What is even more heart-wrenching about this story is that Susan's brother died a few years ago from a car accident in which he also drowned. I cannot imagine the pain that this family is experiencing. My heart has hurt for them all day. I would ask that you would please pray for The Haskins, and that the peace of God would cover them, and that His grace would sustain them. Please pray also that this would begin a revival in the KD house, and that we would have many opportunities to share the gospel with these girls. 

Here are two quotes that were on Susan's facebook page:

Try to do something good for someone everyday. Stay close to God and He will stay close to you.

"Here it the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't."

Richard Bach

I love Pajama Days...

...and today was one of those days! I believe I stayed in my pajamas until I went to the grocery store at 4:30. I did make muffins this morning, and cleaned out my pantry. I was checking the dates on canned goods, and found a tomato soup can that expired in 2003. I probably bought the can of soup in college when I moved from campus into a condo. That means it even made the move from the condo to our house! That is terrible! I am just glad a did not eat it! After my pantry cleaning, I spent the rest of the day reading magazines and watching Friday Night Lights (yes, we are addicted to this show...we are watching the season finale before we go to bed). Tonight, we made pizzas, and I was so excited that I got to use my homegrown tomatoes and basil. I guess I was not the epitome of lazy today because I did take Emmy on a walk! Now, I am sitting here listening to Kyle, Jeff, and Thomas draft there fantasy football leagues (yes, I just found out you can be in multiple leagues...this is not good). Happy Saturday! Hope yours was as enjoyable as mine!

Of course, I had to show off my pizza! I was so proud

of it! This is really easy. We just used Martha White pizza 

crust where all you have to do is add water. Then, we topped it 

with marinara sauce or pesto (my favorite), mozzarella cheese, 

pepperoni, sausage, tomatoes, and basil! So delicious! 

The Calm Before the Storm

The fall semester at Ole Miss will begin in just two weeks, so Kyle and I are trying our best to soak up the last little bit of summer, and make the most of this down time. We have been doing lots of cleaning out and organizing too, because once the semester starts we will be insanely busy!  When school starts our house becomes a revolving door, but I do happen to love it. I love that students feel so welcome at our home that they just drop by at any time of the day, and sometimes have to be kicked out at night! Tonight we enjoyed a relaxing evening at home with just the two of us. We grilled out Omaha steaks (complimentary of Kyle's grandparents), and I organized my recipe book while Kyle created fantasy football leagues. Wow, we sound like an old couple! :) I love to cut out recipes from my favorite magazines, and then I compile them into a recipe book. Some of my favorite recipes have come from Cooking Light, Southern Living, Taste of the South, and Real Simple. As I was adding in new recipes tonight, I found many recipes that I never got around to testing out. Hopefully, I will try some of these soon and share them with you! Now, Kyle and I are watching episodes of Friday Night Lights (has anyone seen this show?...great for couples to watch!) and enjoying some Delta Blues Blue Bell ice cream. I am a sucker for ice cream in the summertime and this one is like heaven in your mouth! I recently found out that Blue Bell has a rotating list of short-term ice cream flavors timed with the harvest of seasonal fruits, and a list of regular, year-round flavors. Check it out at www.bluebell.com. I just joined the Blue Bell Country Club so that I will receive monthly coupons and new flavor releases by email. 

Here is what The Austin Chronicle said about this delicious ice cream:

"When you pop open the top on a gallon of Delta Blues, you'll find a sinfully rich mixture of Blue Bell's classic vanilla blended with a very liberal swirl of sweetened blueberries and blueberry sauce, with chunks of pie crust that somehow magically remain flaky and crunchy, even when immersed in a frozen liquid. It will definitely seduce you into fits of brain freeze from eating it too fast. It won't be around forever, so cruise the freezer aisle of your local supermarket, and stock up on several tubs of Delta Blues."

4 Kids, 5 Dogs, and Me!

Yeah, I might just be crazy! On Tuesday night Kyle and I babysat for our boss's children while they spent the evening at a bed and breakfast.  He has 3 children, but one had a friend spend the night. They also have two dogs, but are keeping her parents dogs right now. And, of course, we had to bring our dog too! It was like a zoo, but we had a blast! After many rounds of hide-and-go-seek, everyone finally crashed!

Can you imagine trying to take this picture?

I know the dogs look scary. For some 

reason red-eye doesn't work on animals!

Ruthie and Emmy (our dog)

A Much Needed Lunch Date

Today I was treated to lunch by a precious friend of mine, Sydney. Sydney and I are actually neighbors, but we met a few years ago in the cleaning supply aisle of Wal-Mart. Now if that was not a divine appointment, I do not know what is! We were both participating in a bible study at a local church, and I recognized her from the study. So, I introduced myself, and invited her to the church where we are both members now. We instantly became friends, and met for coffee where we proceded to visit for hours. Sydney has been in incredible blessing to my life, and I am more than thankful for the wisdom she imparts to me. I really could visit with her for hours (just to sit and listen--and you know how much I can talk). Like today, I picked her up at 11:00 for brunch, and I finally left her home at 4:00. And I wasn't ready to leave at all! Thank you so much Sydney for allowing me to just bare my soul and be completely honest with you! I always feel greatly encouraged after our visits and even more certain of my hope in Christ. Thank you for always pointing me to the Savior and the promises we have in the Scriptures. You are so dear to me and I will be forever grateful that the Lord placed us on the same aisle in Wal-Mart that day!

Sydney gave me a card today that read:

A delay is not a denial from God.
Sometimes it's hard to wait on the Lord.
He may not answer our prayers right when we want Him to--
but He is a faithful God,
and He will surely answer you
in the best way imaginable,
because He loves you.

This is where I am at...

Many months ago, when I was tossing around the idea of beginning a blog my first thoughts were I want it to speak truth and display the gospel to others, but I also want people to see me, the real me. By that I mean I really wanted to display the good days and the bad days, and not just pretend that I am some 24/7 happy Christian that never has a bad day. So, here goes it! Those of you who are close to me know that over the past year Kyle and I have faced some really hard trials. Between family situations and our financial struggle, we have had some really hard times, and moments where I just broke down before the Father because I did not know how I was going to make it another day. Well, it appears that the Lord has recently placed another trial into our lives. I debated about sharing this at first because it is personal, but as I said earlier, I want people to know me. A few months ago, Kyle and I decided to start trying to conceive. While its only been four months, I have already experienced complications, and as of this week I am going on medication that will hopefully straighten out the problem. However, we could be facing a long road. I have really struggled with this because I am such a planner. I had pretty much planned out what our family would look like and when they would come into the picture, and now the Lord is calling me to relinquish all control of this to Him. So, yesterday was a really low day. Just facing the reality that we might not have a child for quite some time was really hard. In fact, I emailed some of my closest sisters in Christ just to ask them to simply pray, because I was kind of speechless before the Lord.  Oh, how grateful I am for the body of Christ, and that the Lord has placed these women in my life. One of those would be my sister, Laura. She called today just to check on me, and I am so thankful that she did because two things she said I really needed to hear. She said, "If only we would remember that at all times Christ is in the other room, interceding on our behalf, how much less would we despair" (this was quoted from a friend who had emailed her during a hard time). This I REALLY needed to hear. Christ is pleading with the Father on my behalf. He is on my side. He is for ME! And when I do not have the words to pray, "the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words." Sometimes I feel as if God does not hear me or that my prayers are "bouncing off the ceiling." But I shall not despair anymore, because Christ is interceding for me. She also told me that I needed to remember that God does not owe this to me...He does not owe me children. He may choose to bless me with them, but He does not owe it to me. Christ died a horrible death on the cross, and went through much pain and suffering, so that I, being a wretched sinner, could have eternal life. Now, that ought to be reason enough for me to praise Him! Regardless of whether He gives me a child or not, I have life and breath today and that is a incredible gift from the Lord. I am so thankful for my dear sister and that she boldly speaks such truth into my life. In such hard trials, our minds can tend to wander and we begin to listen to the lies of the enemy, and we begin to think we deserve things. I am thankful that I have the word of the Lord to speak truth into my life, but I am also deeply grateful for the body of Christ. So, even though the past few days I have been hard, I am going to continue to speak the gospel to myself, and embrace this trial that the Lord has given us. I trust that His hand will guide us, His word will sustain us, and His son will intercede for us. 

This is probably one of the most well-know psalms, but it really spoke to my heart today.

Psalm 23

The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of

the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me; 

your rod and your staff, 

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall

follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.