It is officially Christmas at my house

I love to decorate. I mean I love, love, love to decorate. I come by it naturally. My mom decorated for every holiday. She had "off-season" decor and she had seasonal decor. I can't help but love the holidays. There is so much to decorate with :) I decorate for the fall on September 1. By November1 I am listening to Christmas music and by the weekend before Thanksgiving my house is decorated for Christmas! Bo thinks I am crazy. He just can't understand why I love it so much. He even grilled my sister, Candace, last night about my so called "traditions". However, she confirmed that I wasn't crazy weird about my decorations, that we did in fact grow up that way!

My family has lots of other traditions that have followed me into my marriage. Christmas stockings for instance...growing up Santa always filled your stocking on Christmas Eve and laid it out for you to open on Christmas morning. This will be the first year in my whole life that I have a different Santa filling my stocking :) My mom also makes cheese soup and goodies the night before Thanksgiving and we all gather around at her house and laugh and talk and get ready for the very busy day ahead. Growing up we always played a game in the car with my dad. The first one to spot Christmas lights won the game, and the prize dad owed you  $1.00. Based on that game, my dad owes me thousands of dollars!!! I have so many more traditions that I could talk about. But, I think you can see why this is such a special time of year for me.

What are some of your family traditions?

I stand amazed in my Revelation

I wasn't going to blog that today is the last day of bible study since last week I said we had 2 sessions left...but I couldn't help it. I was doing my homework this morning and I read all the way to the end of Revelation. When you least expect God to pop off the pages, He doesn't just pop out...he will JUMP OUT AND GRAB YOU! I have clung with both fists to the verse in Genesis that says God was walking in the garden looking for Adam and Eve even calling out to them "Where are you?". My whole life changed when I read that verse. It was my whoa God moment. That moment where you not only feel shivers and tingles, but when you go back and think about it you get the same feeling all over again. In Revelation 21: 3 it says this, "Look! God's dwelling is with men, and He will live with them- they will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God." I am so excited about that verse. It seals the deal for me. I am hooked on God! From beginning to end God has been dwelling with us. He has been longing to return to that fellowship with us. He will search us out and seek us even knowing that we have fallen, and in the end, He still wants to dwell among us forever!

He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End...how awesome is the God we serve. What a promise we have to look forward to. Yes, He is coming quickly.

A revelation about friends

I realized that I only have 1 or 2 sessions left in the Revelation study I have been doing at church. It got me thinking about the women in that group and what they mean to me. I am greatly blessed by the incredible women that I call my friends. Thank you to all the amazing ladies who are walking and growing with me on our spiritual journey! What an amazing thing it is to be in the family of God! I will continue to pray for each one of you that God continues to bless you lives and our friendship.

"Two are better that one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, the other is there to help him up.
But, pity the man who falls
and has no one to pick him up."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Baby Grady - 5 days old

These are long over-due but I wanted to get them posted before he was a grown boy! I got the joy of taking Katy's maternity pictures and when she asked me to do Grady's newborn pictures, I was thrilled. He was such a good baby the entire day. I loved that Justin was able to be here for their first family pictures!

Billy and Kelly's Engagement Pictures

I met Billy about a year and half ago when I worked at the Press. I got to see Kelly's ring before he proposed and I got to hear all the details about how everything went. I loved getting to spend the afternoon with Billy and Kelly. I could see the love that they had for each other! It shines through every time they smile at each other. I pray that over the next couple of months, God continues to bless them!

  

Sponsor

I wanted to share the new and exciting adventure God has brought into my life. I have been wanting to get more involved in activities and groups at work. I just feel like I have talents that could be used here. So, I talked to my friend Diane about volunteering as a sponsor for the organization she is a part of. Turns out they needed more people to sponsor, so me and mom are now a part of the Chi's organization.

The best part about this organization is that the girls volunteer every weekend all over town. They show their love and support of others and this community with their hands. Their motto is "clasped hands in service" They are sharing God's love by the simple acts they do: cleaning up trash, habitat for humanity and other great programs in town.

I am really excited to be a part of this. I look forward to getting to know all the girls and getting to serve with them around town!!!

Advent and impromptu pictures

This year for advent each week will have a scripture and some kind of artwork to go along. It could be a painting, a drawing, a word, a photograph...anything that you are good at and represents those scriptures. Fran Ostrom asked me and Rachel Sterling to each do photographs. I love that we have such talented youth that are pulled in and included in all the church does.

Fran emailed me my verses and told me my week was joy. I started praying immediately for what I was going to take pictures of, because, well in case you don't know me...I find joy in everything! There is not one thing that just overwhelms me with me joy. I find joy in the simplest things in life...right down to the 7Up I just drank! But, clearly I couldn't take pictures of that :) So after praying and reading the scriptures the ideas just came pouring out of me! I knew what I wanted to do. I knew the direction God was telling me to go.

I called Katy and told her my ideas and told her I needed 30 minutes of her time to accomplish what I needed. So we met and here is a peak at some of the pictures we did!

I honestly can't say it enough times...Katy can make me laugh like no one else! I am so blessed to have this family in my life! I adore each one of them...especially Grady! The verse I chose to represent my week is:

"Shout for JOY to the Lord, all the earth. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his...For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." --Psalm 100: 1,3,5

How true that is! God's love has endured through every generation. How evident His love is in a mother's smile, a friend's laugh and the simplicity in a child's face!

Learning to walk in someone else's shoes

This past weekend we went through Mission Waco's Poverty Simulation with 13 of our youth and 5 sponsors. We literally were homeless for the weekend. It was one of the best and worst weekends I have ever had. I don't want to give too much about the weekend away, but I will share some highlights.

I was shocked by how little I know about what is going on in the world. I know that I can't change them and that I can't help that I live here and not somewhere else. But, it was shocking to me how little I pay attention to the news. So often I think "there is nothing I can do" and I turn a blind eye to it. The sad part is, we live in the midst of poverty. I don't have to travel across the world to see sadness and struggle. I can see it in my own city. I can experience it for myself. I learned that being in poverty does not mean you are living on the street. You can live in a house and even have a job and a car. But, what no ones sees is that you don't have food to feed yourself or your kids, you aren't able to make enough money to live on or you simply struggle with an addiction that gets the better of you.

One item I kept this weekend was my bible and 2 times I asked God to show me something and I am still amazed by God. The first was curiosity. I wanted to know about fasting. What did the bible say to do when you fast. A repeated theme kept coming to me: prayer. You pray. A lot. I remembered that on Saturday when I was hungry. And, while I was not fasting, I did pray. I prayed out loud with Rachel Sterling and I prayed to myself. I asked God to be with me. Surprisingly I was not hungry. I never got the hunger pain in my belly. I was full on God's love. I noticed that on Saturday night when we ate dinner...I wasn't hungry. I hadn't been hungry the entire time I prayed. The hunger didn't hit until I took my focus off of God. The second time God showed up, in a big way, was Saturday night. I again opened the bible and just asked God to satisfy my need. I needed to see something, to hear from Him. I turned to Job. I realized and even joked that I had never read Job before. Connie told me I was going to love it. I think she knew what I was about to see and how God was about to reveal himself to me! As I began to read I marveled at a few things: Job loved God so much but more importantly God loved Job so much that he was willing to let the Devil tempt Job. And, tempt he did. The most amazing verse to me was when Job's wife, after death and sickness, came to Job and asked him if he were not angry at God and basically tells him end your suffering, curse God and you will die. Job, ahh Job. How sweet his love for God is. He tells her she is talking foolish. Here is where it gets amazing to me. Job then says, " Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" (NIV) "We take the good days from God - why not also the bad days?" (The Message)

I love how the messages says it. Saturday was in my book a bad day. One day. I just had to make it through one bad day...but should I not thank God for that day? I learned so much about the world and what is going on. I learned about my own city and the anguish that lives around me. I learned about hunger and sleepless cold nights. All in one bad day. I would do it again. I would learn it all over again and still praise God for the bad day. Because of that bad day, my eyes are seeing things different. I appreciate more and praise him more for what I have.

Below are some pictures from the weekend. A caption will explain each picture.

These are the four things I got to keep: sleeping bag, gum aka toothbrush :), bible, and a sweatshirt (which doubled as a pillow at night)

This is what I wore: shorts, size 16 (I am NOT a 16), flip flops (I am now scared of flip flops after wearing them that long), t-shirt, my sweatshirt/pillow.

I craved this all weekend. It is an amazing thing that we can drink clean water from so many sources, and so many countries don't get to have that luxury. How thankful I am for water!!!

We ended the weekend at Church Under the Bridge (amazing!) and my dear friend Sarah was there to greet me with a friendly smile, an encouraging word and a warm hug. Thanks Sar for being such a positive in my life. Love you, my sister in Christ!

What did I take away from the weekend? A new found respect for those that live a life I can't imagine. For those who have lost their children to hunger, lack of water and the cruel environment they were born into.

What am I going to do after this weekend? I am going to open my eyes and pay attention to the world around me. I am also going to, in small ways, take care of my brothers and sisters. For that is what Christ calls us to do, love our neighbor!

My revelation of Revelation 2-3

Have you ever read a verse or a passage in scripture that just struck every nerve in your body? One that made your hair stand on edge and sent chills down your spine? That happened to me this morning. I have had encounters with God like that before, but this morning brought me to tears. I could hardly believe what I was reading. God jumped off the page at me and I could hardly breathe. We are studying Revelation right now in bible study, and this weeks homework (Beth Moore always gives homework) was reading Revelation 2-3 and seeing what each churches message was. We then had to pull from each letter and write a bit about it. Our last assignment was to find the one that was the closest to our hearts. One that we identified with the most. As I read back through each letter to the 7 churches...I was glued to Philadelphia. I couldn't stop reading. I read it over and over! I felt as if the words were coming off the page. For those of you who don't know what that passage is read below:

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key to David. What he opens no on can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though are not, but are liars- I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation 3: 7-13

So many lines come out and speak to me. The one that sticks to me the most, the one that I am clinging to; that literally brought me to tears, "I will make them fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I HAVE LOVED YOU" That weighs on my heart. How often do we listen to the negative people in our lives? Those that claim to know Christ, and yet they hurt us day in and day out with their words. How often we fall short of the glory of God, and they are there to point out our flaws and mistakes. We are judged by others and are not forgiven by them. We all make mistakes and we are all flawed, but Christ loves us, and those who stand against us and stand to harm us beware. Christ IS coming back and HE DOES LOVE YOU! He will make those around you fall at your feet. Never doubt your strength for it is in Christ's love for us that we find strength to stand up for our beliefs. Stand firm in his word. He is coming back!

After 9 months of waiting...He is HERE!

Evan Lee Lane is finally here. I have never been more excited to meet someone as I was to meet this sweet, not precious (that was for you Jenna) boy.

Last August Jenna and Brenton told us they wanted to have a baby and I started praying right away for them. No two people would be better parents than my two best friends! I thought I knew before they actually told us. But, I kept quiet about my suspicion. We got home from our honeymoon in January and they told us! I cried (again). I was so thrilled for them! It was so much fun planning the baby shower, going to the diaper shower and buying EVERYTHING I could get my hands on. We have had so many wonderful memories over these months!

Now you have to understand that Jenna and I have "old lady names" for each other. Please be warned and don't be offended. I am Nancy and Jenna is Betsy. We came up with these in the most random way, but they are what they are! When Jenna told me she was pregnant I was SURE I mean SURE she was going to have a girl. I love Fancy Nancy. It began when my niece was born and I saw the books at my sisters house. They are the CUTEST books ever! If there were Fancy Nancy movies, I would own them. We started calling me Aunt Fancy Nancy after my love of Fancy Nancy books, and my "name" being Nancy...did I mention I knew it would be a little girl that would grow to love Fancy Nancy as much as I do?!? When the time came to find out what they were having I was so excited! I believe we saw Jenna and Brenton that night and she let me know...it was a BOY! A Boy...hmm...that will be harder to get to love Fancy Nancy than a girl...but none the less, I let go of the idea it was going to be a girl! However, the name has stuck. Fancy Nancy I am :)

Bo, Brenton and Jenna all made fun of the way I acted. Especially when I started singing to Jenna's belly! My mom used to sing to me the sweetest lullaby and it stuck with me forever. I started singing as a joke and then it kinda became a ritual! I was the first person to sing to him when he was born and it is even written in his baby book! :)

September 22, 2010, it was time to meet the little one. I went to the hospital off and on that day. After work I made my up there and into the room...there he was! This amazing little bundle of joy. He brought smiles to every one's face. He was beautiful! I can't get enough of him! I want to hold him all the time! Words can not express how utterly amazing he is! I am so happy for Jenna and Brenton and so grateful they have let me and Bo be apart of this time in their life! I wouldn't have missed this event for the world!

The last picture of just us 4!!! We are forever changed, for the better of course :)

Uncle Bo (George) holding Evan. This is my favorite picture!

Evan's first photo with Aunt Nancy!

The happy family!

Our 5Th wheel as I like to call him :) We love you so much Evan!

Revelations this week

I started the new Beth Moore Revelation bible study a couple weeks ago. It is already stirring something deep inside me. Each day I am praying for God to give me a revelation, to help me see things with clear eyes. I am letting go of things that stand in the way of letting me experience God in a real way! The group of women that meet on Thursday night are absolutely amazing. It is so great to have such a close group to lift you up and encourage you along the way. Last night during the lesson, I looked around and was so thankful for my sisters in Christ who will overcome with me.

After talking to Lauren last night, I realized that I am so thankful for all the women in my life. I have some of the greatest friends. And, God is opening more doors for me to meet new people! We are not all the same age, or in the same places in life, but we can laugh together, pray together, cry together and seek answers together. It isn't about having this family or that family...it is about being one family. The family of God!

"You were cleansed from sin when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." 1 Peter 1:22

After bible study I was left thinking...Beth Moore has that effect on people. I was thinking what is in my hands that I am not letting go of? What am I holding onto so tightly that I can not grab hold of God with both hands and hold on tight. So many things came to my mind in an instant. When I got home the house was very quiet and it gave me time to just reflect. I started doing my yoga and while doing so there was one point when I was standing tall, both arms were stretched high above my head and my hands were open wide. It hit me like a freight train. I started praying right there for all the things I was holding onto. I gave it all to God. All the hurt, the fear, the loss...I let it all go. And, there with my arms stretched above my head I closed my hands into fists and held on tight to nothing but God! It was such an amazing moment between me and my Lord. I felt closer to Him then I ever have. It was my first "who are you" moment, and it was soul shaking and wonderful all at the same time!

I pray that God continues to show us more revelations in the weeks to come.

Psalm 143:8

" Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show my the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul."

I read that in the book I am currently reading, 48 Days to the Work You Love written by Dan Miller. He was talking about starting your day on a positive note. So many people watch the news of read the paper first thing in the morning and it is filled with heartache. The author was expressing the need to take time each morning and fill the first hour you are awake with positive, creative and inspirational input rather that filling our minds with the pain that so often is in the news. Think how many times you have watched the news and gotten worked up over something you heard. I know that happens to me more than I want to admit. Imagine what your day would be like if you blocked that out first thing and found something that lifts you up.

About 3 months ago I started praying something similar to that each morning on my drive to work. It started as a plea for God to help me get through the day at a job that made me less than happy. Now it has become part of our morning quiet time. I want to believe that my attitude change has to do with the fact that each day I give it all to God. I ask him to control my thoughts and my words. I give him full access to guide me in any direction that he sees fit. When I started doing that I noticed an immediate change in my behavior. There are days that I don't pray that prayer, and I feel it by the end of the day. I can sense it in my behavior. But, each day is a new beginning. A chance to start over and take complete advantage of the grave God offers us...no matter what we were like the day before.

Speechless

I am so overwhelmed with feelings right now. I can hardly type this, but I wanted to share what just happened to me. I work at Baylor University in the Keyboard Division of the School of Music. I work with a lot of graduate and undergraduate students from all different places. I met a graduate student a couple weeks ago named Judy. She is from China and doesn't know anyone in the U.S. She moved here to study music at Baylor. She has had to come in my office several times for different reasons, and I always try to be nice and patient with her. I can't imagine moving somewhere I didn't know anyone and barely spoke the language. I drew a map from Baylor campus to the mall, I have copied music for her because she didn't know where to go to get that done, and I have tried to just talk to her and make her feel welcome. Today she came in my office and paid me the highest compliment anyone has ever given me. She told me that I was the kindest person she has met, and that my kindness has helped her settle in at Baylor. She said where she is from it is rare to meet someone who is as kind as I am. I don't know about you, but it makes me so happy on the inside to know that I have made a small difference in her life. I love the feeling that I get from helping people. I truly do believe that a smile and a positive attitude can brighten someones day.

She has no idea how she made me feel by such a simple compliment. It has given me proof that it isn't me, it is God working through me. I pray every morning that I will be a Christ-like example to someone who needs to see God's love...I only hope I can become close enough to talk to her about how amazing God's love really is! On days I don't feel overly friendly or Christ-like, I am again humbled by someone else's view of me. I will always remember what Judy said to me, and how it has made me feel!

Thank you God for Judy and her words of encouragement to me. Thank you for giving me the greatest example of a kind person, your son....Jesus!

The rain

This morning was one of those mornings. I didn't hear the alarm in time and I was rushing to get ready for work. As I am walking out the door I noticed it is raining! I hurried to get in the car and spilled soda on myself. I got out of the car went back in the house and changed. Now I am late for sure! I finally make it to the office and I have to park a block and a half away from the building. No big deal right? Wrong! We don't own an umbrella!!! Not even a small one we keep in the car just in case...nope, nada! By the time I got to the office I was soaked. head to toe I was wet.

When I finally got to my office, up 2 flights of stirs, I sat down and was humbled. I realized that when we get in a hurry we miss out on so much. If I am constantly in a hurry, how can I possibly realize it is raining...finally. I have been praying for rain for weeks now! I guess it was one of those moments when I realized I need to stop rushing, and start paying better attention to the blessings that God is providing for us.

Moments with God

I listen to Pandora radio on my phone in the morning while I get dressed for work or church or whatever I have going on that day. I have it programed to Selah. It is mostly soft songs that are just easy to listen to. It is a time for me to hear from God. It is my quiet time with him. The house is still and I am the only one awake. I have broken down to God in our early morning quietness and he has wrapped his loving arms around me and picked me up. I have prayed so hard that I cannot even hear the music. And, that is ok...that is our time together. One song keeps coming back to me over and over every morning. I feel like it is my song right now. It is completely how I feel about God. I thought I would share it here.

When the sun starts to rise and I open my eyes
You are good, so good.
In the heat of the day with each stone that I lay
you are good, so good.

With every breath I take in
I'll tell you I'm grateful again.
When the moon rises high before each kiss goodnight
You are good.

When the road starts to turn around each bend I've learned
You are good, so good.
And, when some body's hand holds me up, helps me stand
You are so good.

With every breath I take in
I'll tell you I'm grateful again
Because it's more than enough just to know I am loved
and you are so good.

So how can I thank you?
What can I bring?
What can a poor man lay at the feet of a king?
So I'll sing you a love song
it's all that i have
To tell you I'm grateful for holding my life in your hands.

When it's dark and it's cold and I can't feel my soul
you are still good
When the world has gone cold gray and the rains here to stay
You are still good

With every breath I take in
I'll tell you I'm grateful again
And the storm my swell even then it is well
and you are good

So how can I thank you?
What can I bring?
What can a poor man lay at the feet of a king?
So I'll sing you a love song
It's all that I have
To tell you I'm grateful
for holding my life in your hands.

Every time I hear that song I am reminded that God is so good. And, no matter what is going on in my life or in the world, this one true fact remains...God is still good. He doesn't change. He is ever present in everything!

Have a blessed day!

Sarah turns one!

I had so much fun with Sarah. She is such a sweet little girl. I can't believe how fast time flies. She is already 1!!! I know that she will grow to be a beautiful young lady and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of this time in her life!

A sneak peek...

I got to spend the evening with Lori and Katy taking her maternity pictures. Katy was absolutely radiant. The three of us laughed and giggled and had a great time! Katy can make anyone laugh in any situation!!! We were mainly in Cameron Park, but ventured onto an old railroad bridge near the end of the evening. Here is just a sneak peek of the day. Bo will be editing more in the next week or so. I can't wait to see the rest of them.