5 Favorite Things

Matt and I really don't have a lot of blog worthy events going on in our lives these days, so I thought I would just list a few of my favorite things. I'm sure that there are more things that I could add, but these are just the things that I came up with off the top of my head.

1. My Kitchen Aid Standing Mixer

Anyone that owns one of these will tell you how much they love it. I love mine because I can just throw all the ingredients of whatever I am making in the bowl and let the mixer do its magic! It makes baking a lot faster and easier.

2. My Chi

I love my Chi because my hair is naturally curly. It does the best job of straightening my hair and getting it to stay straight. I have that problem since I live in the most humid place on earth!

3. My Redken Guts Volumizer

This picture is really small but it doesn't matter. I still love this stuff. This stuff adds so much volume to my hair. It is amazing!

4. Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches

I'm not really much of an ice cream eater, but I love these. These are a great treat for me after dinner when I want something sweet. They are low fat, but don't taste like it. I could eat one right now.

5. Bath and Body Works Wallflowers Room Plug InsI like these because they really freshen a room. Bath and Body Works has lots of scents that you can choose from. Some of my favorites are Fresh Linen, Coconut Lime Verbena, and Spiced Cider in the Winter months. Currently I have Japanese Cherry Blossom in our living room and the smell makes me feel so at ease when I walk in the front door. When I'm in the mall and they are on sale I tend to go a little crazy, but I've got to stock up!

These are just a few things that I love and a few things that make my life a little easier.

What are some of your favorites?

Sick

For the last week now I have been battling a sinus infection. I'm now on my second round of antibiotics. I hate being sick. But really, who likes it? What I really hate is the fact that I can't sleep. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday I woke up at 3am and could not go back to sleep. Poor Matt I try to go in the other room so I don't keep him up while I'm tossing and turning. He takes good care of me though. He knows I'm bad about taking medicine, so he is always making sure that I take it.

One night while I was up late I finished a book that I have been reading for a long time. I'm a slow reader. I wish that I was more of a reader, but for some reason I'm just not. So, since I am not a reader I get really excited when I finish a book. The last few months I have been reading The Heavenly Man.

This is a good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. It is the true story of Brother Yun, a Chinese believer, who endures lots of hardship and persecution because he is a Christian. One reason I like this story is because many of the events that he talks about have happened in my lifetime. This book shows that even today, all over the world, Christians are being persecuted and killed for their beliefs. I think we often forget that not everyone lives in places where Christianity is accepted. This book also has made me reflect on my own life. Would I be able to endure what Brother Yun has endured? Do I have God's Word hidden in my heart so that if it was taken from me, I could remember what it says? Do I have the kind of faith that Brother Yun has? These are just a few of the questions that I have asked myself while reading this book.

Congrats Jesse and Jenny!

My little brother is engaged! I can't believe it. Jesse proposed to his girlfriend Jenny this week. I couldn't be more excited for them. They are so cute! I couldn't have picked out a better partner for my brother and I am so excited that she is going to be part of our family. This is one of those weeks that I wish that New Orleans was a little closer to home because I want to be there to celebrate with everyone, but that is just me being selfish.

Congratulations Jesse and Jenny! We love you both!

Matt and Jacque

Martha's Last Day

Today was a bittersweet day at work. Today was my friend Martha's last day at work. Seminary is weird place to be during these times because in a way it still feels like college sometimes. People come and you get to know them and once they graduate they move away. Martha's move is bittersweet because she is going to a new full time job here in the city. I know that this is an amazing opportunity for her but I am being selfish because I enjoy working with her and having her as my friend. Martha brings so much joy to the atmosphere of the office. Diana and I joke that instead of having interviews for Martha's position, we need to have auditions! Martha always keeps us on our toes in the office. She is really going to be missed.

This is a picture of Matt and I at graduation with Martha.

There is Always More Room

I'm sorry for my absence lately. Matt and I had a crazy week last week. My self imposed "Rear in Gear" week didn't really work. However, I have now declared this "Rear in Gear Week Part 2"! I did good at the beginning of the week but then Matt and I had a death in family and we had to leave town on Thursday afternoon. My step-grandmother passed away this past week. Tommie was a beautiful woman who loved the Lord very much. After my mom passed away and my dad remarried, she always made me feel like I was part of her family. Trying to blend two families definately has its awkward moments, but she always made us feel comfortable and welcome. She taught me many things about opening my heart to love other people. There is always room in my heart to love more people, I just need to make a little more room for them. Sometimes I still need to be reminded of this. Sometimes I have the tendency to block people out and not let them in, so I need to be reminded to let people in. Tommie is loved and missed, but I know that she is busy now dancing and praising the Lord!
We got to see lots of family this weekend because of the funeral. It is always good to get to spend time with everybody. I think one of the sweetest times for me this weekend was on Saturday night at my Dad and Rebecca's house our immediate family all got together and we spent sometime just talking and laughing. Now this is rare because each one of us has major life transitions going on with new babies on the way, finding new jobs, moving, starting grad school, weddings, and graduations. I think that is why this time was so special because we all stopped and we all focused on each other the joy of family. All of us were there My dad, Rebecca, Kortney and Josh, Matt and I, Lyndsey, Christina and Josh, and Jesse and Jenny. There are a lot of us but we were all together in one room laughing, talking, and spending time together as a family should. It was the highlight of my weekend and I wouldn't trade times like that for the world. I hope and pray that we have many more years filled with times like these.