Sunshiny Days

Kyle and I had a very action-packed, fun-filled week at the beach with my family! We had been in Destin for our regional conference with Crusade, so from there we met my family in Orange Beach for a few days. It was a great beach trip, and I really enjoyed having all my family in one place (we missed you Kevin)! This was Kyle's first time to meet Mikias so that was very exciting too! I'm not sure who had more fun on the trip...Kyle and I or the kids!?! The kids definitely preferred the pool over the beach, but we made sure to get in some time at both. We also took a trip to the outlet mall, and Lambert's before we left town. We had a blast spending time with Molly Kate and Mikias, and it definitely brought us much joy! We are so looking forward to having them in Oxford for a week in July!

Etta Catherine Balducci

My dear friend Ellen finally got to meet her daughter on Thursday morning! The Balduccis chose not to find out the sex of their baby, but we now know Baby Balducci is a GIRL!!! Etta Catherine was born on Thursday at 9:14 am and she weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces, and was 19 1/2 inches long. We dropped by the hospital on Friday on our way to Sea Grove, and got to meet precious Etta Catherine! She is a beautiful baby girl, and quite cuddly! I do believe she has already taken a liken to us. We are so thankful the Balduccis will be in Oxford one more year, not only so we can spend some more time with them, but also with sweet Etta Catherine!

If Words Were Only Enough

Yes, I am fully aware that I have already posted about my precious Senior girls, but I must do it again! Tuesday night was our last Crusade weekly meeting of the semester because the students have exams next week. Christie, Chelsea, and Morgan, three of my disciples, took me to dinner at Old Venice before the meeting. It was such a sweet and honoring time. The girls brought me a gorgeous flower arrangement in a McCarty bowl! And to top that off, they each wrote me a letter! I waited until I got home that evening to read them, and I just sat in the chair and sobbed. These girls are so dear to me, and I truly feel like Paul did when he left Titus. I feel like these girls are my spiritual daughters, and each of them hold a special place in my heart. Words truly are not enough to describe what they mean to me. I wish I could just stop time for a few weeks, so I could grab a little more time with them. The reality is though they will be Ole Miss alumni come next Saturday, and my heart is filled with joy as I ponder upon what the Lord has in store for them. I am just incredibly grateful for the time He gave me with them. What a blessing!

Morgan, Me, Christie, Chelsea

Morgan, Christie, Me, Chelsea, Carmen Rae

My lovely flowers!

Still Waiting and Praising...

A week ago, I had thought I would be posting about the next round of fertility treatment. Last week I was quite anxious all week, and had to motivate myself to even face another round. I definitely want to keep trying, but there is also a part of me that is fearful of what the future could hold. Last Friday, I found out it would be another month before we would start treatment. This was a complete bummer, and I was pretty sad that afternoon. I am thankful for the doctors being cautious though. If I had started another round of treatment this month, my chance of miscarrying again would have been pretty high. But, it is really not fun to have to wait another month. So, this week I have really done some wrestling with the Lord. I have cried often, and cried out to Him from the depth of my being! There are days that I am very content with life as it is now, and then there are days that I am so frustrated and almost angry with the Lord. I often think Lord, why me? It is like I have to constantly preach the scriptures to myself, because if I don't my mind immediately wonders to what is not true. But what is true, is that the Lord deeply loves me, cares about me immensely, and has a good and perfect plan for our family. It is just the waiting part that I have really struggled with this week. I am truly learning what it looks like to wait, and to trust Him moment by moment. If we could just fast forward about five years, and know what our family would look like, then the waiting would be pretty easy. But, I know that would require no faith, nor entail a refinement of our faith; both things that I am very thankful He is working out in our lives. So, I still wait! All this to say, please keep praying for us. I am so thankful for the years of marriage we had before this trial, because that firm foundation has definitely sustained us. However, it is getting really tough, and our hearts deeply long for a child. As I was thinking about our situation the other morning this praise song came to my mind. I have heard it and sung it 1,000 times, but in this moment the words really struck me.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle
of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming
for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Yes, I can see a light that is coming
for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You,
still I will praise You

The following paragraph was written by another women that faced infertility, and what she wrote describes my heart too! "I am in the midst of a storm right now, but I do not have to fear. His perfect love surrounds me and will never let go. In the good times and in the bad, He never fails me. He is always carrying me. This is just a season in our lives. It seems like forever right now, but someday we will be on the other side infertility. Until then, I choose to praise Him. I choose to proclaim that He is good, He is sovereign, and He never lets go!"

Double Decker

Double Decker Festival is one of my favorite events in Oxford, and I have not been in town to attend since 2006. So needless to say, I was super EXCITED this year! It ended up being one of the best weekends I have had in Oxford in quite some time. It was just complete fun all weekend long. A sweet friend of mine, Marian, flew in from Houston, and I really enjoyed having her in Oxford. Her faith is so authentic, and I am always encouraged after spending time with her. We pretty much had a slumber party at Wellsgate all weekend. Stayed up way too late talking or playing Apples to Apples, and ate way too much food! Saturday afternoon we got to spend some time on the back porch, watching the sunset, and singing hymns. It was a sweet time, and I could feel the presence of the Lord with us. We kicked off Sunday morning with breakfast at Bottle Tree, and then made a few laps around the square viewing all the art work. Oh how I love Oxford, MS! Seriously, you should be jealous!

Kelsey, Marian, Amy

Marian and Whitney

Me and Kitty

Me, Carmen Rae, Kitty, Marian

Kitty, Marian, Me, Morgan, Whitney,

Kailey, Carmen Rae, Emily

The Coolest Chic I Know...

CARMEN RAE!! Carmen Rae is a senior at Ole Miss, and will be joining staff with Campus Crusade this fall, and I am earnestly praying that she will be placed at Ole Miss! Over the past year, I have come to know C Rae extremely well, and she has become a very dear friend to me! One of the things I love about C Rae is that she is completely real and transparent. Whenever I ask her anything, she always shoots straight with me, and I love that too! She is also the definition of loyal. She would do anything for anybody! Simply put, she is the coolest chic I know! Last Thursday night, we celebrated her 22nd birthday! I have a feeling the Lord has some big things in store for her this year, and it kicked off the other day in the student union on campus. Make sure to watch the video below. Carmen Rae designed this dance, and recruited the students to participate. It is AWESOME! Much love to you Carmen Rae, and I am so thankful for our friendship!

YaYa's

Living in small town MS is always an adventure! When one hears of a new place coming to town, you wait with much expectation for it to open. You may even occasionally drive by, to see how the place is coming along. Last Tuesday, YaYa's opened its doors in Oxford! Of course, Kyle and I attended this opening, and we have now become regulars at this heavenly little dive! It is a really fun experience, because you get to fill your cup up, and you get to pick the toppings. The choices are endless, and the yogurt is delicious. I here these yogurt shops are the new thing in the big city, but this was my first experience, and I am quite the fan. On your next visit to Oxford, make sure to stop in to YaYa's for a treat!

As you can see, we all

loved the yogurt!

Love to My Seniors!

Only 2 weeks of school remain, and we have been quite busy lately with wrapping up the semester. This is always a hard time of the year for me because, while I rejoice over all the Lord has done throughout the year, I am oh so sad to see the senior class graduate. And this one I am especially sad about...tears come to my eyes just thinking about these girls graduating. On Sunday night, the Crusade staff women hosted a dinner to honor our senior girls, and their dedication to the ministry. I enjoyed this evening so much, and being able to spend time in fellowship with these girls before graduation was a huge delight. Three of these women I have discipled throughout their college years. It has been an incredible joy to mentor these girls, and grow in the faith with them. I can definitely say I have benefitted from these relationships as much as them if not more, and these are friendships that I will treasure for years to come. Chelsea, Christie, and Morgan...you are my heart!!! Christie will be interning with Crusade next year, so I am thrilled to say that she will be my co-worker! This is one of my first disciples to intern, and I am so excited! Please pray for her as she will be raising support this summer to return in the fall. Chelsea will most likely be teaching in Oxford or Memphis. I am definitely excited that she will still be around next year. Please pray that the Lord would bless her with a job soon. Morgan has applied to graduate school, and is waiting patiently to hear back. She desires to be a child life specialist, and I definitely believe the Lord has gifted her for just that. Please pray that the Lord would clearly reveal His will to her, and that she would continue to trust in Him as she waits. Serving in full-time ministry is by far a huge blessing, and I am so thankful that the Lord has given me the opportunity to minister to these young women. I will definitely miss having them around, but I know the Lord is going to do mighty things through each of them as they continue on in their faith! Thanks to all of you who make it possible for me to be a part of this amazing ministry!

Chelsea, Callie, Me, Hallie, Morgan, & Ellen

Missy, Christie, Meg, Carmen Rae, & Hart

A Taste of the Blues

On Saturday night, we gathered up some friends and headed over to Clarksdale for the Juke Joint Festival. Since the blues originated in the Delta, there is no better place to go to listen to the blues. Sixteen bars participated in the festival, with tons of musicians playing at each bar. It only cost $10 to get in, and you walk from bar to bar listening to the music as long as you like. It was definitely a good time, and these musicians are extremely talented!

Me, Missy, Chelsea, Morgan,

DeAnna, and Callie

Kyle and Me

Kyle, Craig, Jeff, Thomas, and Cason

Amy and Missy

Counterfeit Gods

Not sure of the idols that exist in you life? Well, I was not either until I read Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller. This book truly caused me to evaluate my heart, and see what idols exist within it. At the beginning of each chapter I would think, "oh, surely that is not an idol in my life." Then, upon finishing the chapter I would say, "that is definitely an idol in my life." I could write paragraph after paragraph about what the Lord has taught me through reading this book. Instead, I will give you a brief summary, and let you check it out for yourself. It is a very worth your while read! Keller defines an idol as, "Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give you." Keller said, "If anything becomes more fundamental than God to your happiness, meaning in life, and identity, then it is an idol. In the first few chapters, Keller discusses what he calls "personal idols": love, money, success, and power. Then, he examines the idols in our life that are more hidden, "not the idols of our heart, but of our culture and society." The following quote really struck me. Keller said, "When we are completely immersed in a society of people who consider a particular idolatrous attachment normal, it becomes almost impossible to discern it for what it is." There is an incredible amount of truth to this statement. Many things in our society today are definitely idols in our lives, but they have become such a norm that we cannot even see it! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, because I began to see that there are many idols that exist in our lives, whether personal or cultural. However, if we do not truly search our hearts, and look below the surface, we will not see them. We must peel back the layers, and see what lies deep within. May we be a people whose hearts truly value God above all, and may He always reign supreme in our lives. "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Favorite Quotes:

"If we look to some created thing to give us the meaning, hope, and happiness that only God himself can give, it will eventually fail to deliver and break our hearts."

"If we are deeply moved by the sight of his love for us, it detaches our hearts from other would-be saviors. We stop trying to make others into saviors, because we have a Savior."

"To the degree that you grasp the gospel, money will have no dominion over you. Think on his costly grace until it changes you into a generous people."

"Jesus' love and salvation confers on you a remarkable status--one that money cannot give."

"In any culture in which God is largely absent, sex, money, and politics will fill the vacuum for different people."

"In short, all we are and have is given to us by God. We are not infinite Creators, but finite, dependent creatures."

"The true god of your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when there is nothing else demanding your attention."

"Mature Christians are not people who have completely hit the bedrock. I do not believe that is possible in this life. Rather, they are people who know how to keep drilling and are getting closer and closer."