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The Last Twelve Months- Part 3

2012-01-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

The Lord threw us a pretty significant curve ball about 7 months ago. We have steadily been praying about what the Lord would have for Jason career wise- this has always been frustrating and a bit scary not really knowing the answer. But the Lord was faithful in speaking to us and we trust He will now be faithful in seeing His word to us come to fruition as we try to obey Him by planting a church.
A little less than a year ago we felt that the Lord was calling Jason into full time ministry- and soon after that we realized not just any full time ministry but into becoming a pastor. This was news to us since that idea had never been on our radar. Now that we have heard from the Lord, we also see His fingerprints in weaving this in both of our souls over the last few years.
As we started to pray about where the Lord wanted Jason to fulfill this calling we never had a sense of peace or confidence in church after church that we looked at. This was throwing us off a bit. We began to mention to friends that the Lord was calling Jason to become a pastor. Several friends who were not connected to one another randomly mentioned to us the idea of church planting. We laughed. Surely the Lord was not calling us to that. We are young and inexperienced and about to become parents to a newborn baby... church planting was surely not the answer...
As we began to talk we decided we should at least make our consceiences feel better by just praying about it (mainly cause we were thrown off by random conversations about it with friends). So we prayed- and prayed some more- and finally realized, yes, church planting is what we see God calling us to.
So church planting... not easy work. And I believe we will only come to see that statement as more and more true. But most of what God calls us to, in the Chrisitan life, is not easy right? But the Lord has never failed us and so we trust He will see His calling through. I am so thankful that He is sovreign over all things- and that means sovreign over young, inexperienced, brand new parents.
As we talked to wise men, and sought counsel, we talked to a friend of our's named Jordan Thomas. Long story short Jordan encouraged Jason to find another man who he knew well and who he was on the same page theologically with to pursue this plant alongside him. This conversation happened on a Wednesday night- the next night Jason decided to call some friends of ours (who lived in Ft. Worth) to mention this idea but we knew they wouldn't be able to come- so mainly we were just calling to fill them in on the news and ask them to pray for us.
Clay told Jason he was interested in the possibility but he knew he would have to get a job as a teacher and school was starting in just a few days so he didn't see how that left any oppourtunity to look for a job, get one, and move his family (wife and three boys) 5 hours away in less than a week.
Clay talked to his wife Robin that night and they deccided to at least call a school the next morning (mainly because he told Jason he would). One phone call later and clay had a job interview the next day. Saturday their whole family drove down for the interview- on Monday he found out he got the job and was told he started the next day and school started the day after. We mentioned this to clay on Thursday and after he got the job on Monday they grabbed what they could and moved here Tuesday! Their Fort Worth friends packed up the rest of their house for them and they moved the rest a month later. I am thankful for obedient friends who faithfully follow the Lord no matter how crazy that following looks.
So here are the rest of the details:
Clay and Jason will be the starting elders for this church plant that will be located in Alexandria, LA.
We have shared this calling and vision with some leaders and staff of our church family and they have been very supportive thus far.
We have met with about 20 other adults who feel led to be a part of this plant as well and will start meeting with this core group weekly by the end of this month.
The church plant looks like it will be planted in the very poor area of the city- there is little outreach there- and what is there is not healthy outreach so that is why we feel led to locate there.
Jason is being ordained, Lord willing, the last Sunday of this month where he will also share the details of this vision with our church family.
So if you would pray for us, pray for these things:
1. Our church family would be supportive and give us more wise counsel as we explain this calling and vision.
2. That God would continue to gift Jason in the area of preaching and shepherding- and that he would always remain dependent on the Lord.
3. That God would give us a building or space to meet that also has room for childcare.
4. That God would show the power of the gosel by breaking the barrier between a mostly white middle class group of people trying to reach out to a mostly poor and black community. This seems impossible to man- but we will trust our God that his promise is true- all things are possible with Him.

The Last Twelve Months- Part 2

2012-01-10T02:37:00.000-08:00

Silas being born this past year was definately the highlight of the last twelve months but there were also lots of other events and life changes that also took place. Here is a super short summary- eventually several of them will have their own post one day but for now we'll just be brief. (When has this blog ever been brief?)
So this is what the last twelve months had in store for us:
1.Furniture refinishing really started to take off- reguarly had clienets almost every week and really tried to dive head first into running this little side business without going insane. You can see most of my work on my website www.melscharmingcreations.blogspot.com
2. My precious grandmother- Thelma Mae Northcut- passed away in April. This was not anything my family was prepared for- and it is still really hard 9 months later. I will forever be indebted to her for her gracious spirit and her humble wisdom. She was the only grandparent I had left (and she had been the only one I had ever really known). Thankful for her full life and thankful she is worshiping her Great Father face to face now.
3. Became an aunt again to two handsome and healthy baby boys- by the SAME sister! That's right- my incredible sister Amanda gave birth to Toby in January and Coen in December. This is her third sweet boy the Lord has graciously given her- and although it has been overwhleming for her- we are so thankful that God has taken care of her and those sweet babies. May they come to know and love Jesus very deeply and very soon.
4. Quit work in May to become a stay at home mom and wife. If I had to actually have a job- this was my dream job- doing women's ministry with college girls. This was for sure the most fulfilling job I have ever had- meeting and discipling college girls who were hungry to know God. The pay was terrible but the experience was priceless. I miss being on campus and meeting with those girls reguarly- but now I just figure out how to try and do that while being a SAHM. I have been a SAHM now for 4 months- and it is the best and hardest job I have ever had. I will post more thoughts on this in a couple weeks!
5. Jason and I did individual pre marital counseling with three couples in our home. This was so benifical for us and I believe for the ones we met with. A solid marriage built by the Lord, for the Lord is the ultimate gift from the Father- I am so thankful for this gift of marriage to us and for being a part of the beginning stages of marriage for these couples.
6. Continued meeting with college girls for Pajamas and Theology- a bible study for females on LC's campus. This past year we studied the attributes of God, biblical courtship and marriage, and what it means to be a true follower of Christ. Sunday nights with these friends have done much for my soul- and we plan to start back up in just a few short weeks.
7. Had a baby- which I already wrote a post on- but this means I also had my first surgery and a major one at that. Had a C-Section on September 7th- and honestly it wasn't near as hard of a recovery as I thought it would be. Thankful God healed my body quickly and that He gave me a beautiful baby boy through it.
8. I turned 30. It was hard to realize I was leaving my twenties- but my life just keeps getting fuller and fuller as the years go by- so honestly I am looking forward to what I will have by the time I am 40- and Lord willing- God will grant many more birthdays to me.
9. God has called Jason to plant a church in a nearby city that will launch Lord willing in just a few months! This means he will be the preaching elder which means I am becoming a pastor's wife- we are thrilled and terrified. =)
So there ya go- brief summary of the big things that happend in the last twelve months... and now for the details on #9

The Last 12 months- Part 1

2012-01-06T04:04:00.000-08:00

It’s 4:35 a.m. and I CANNOT sleep for nothing. So instead of laying in bed being frustrated I’ll start this super long blog entry about this last year of my life. To say a lot has happened in the last twelve months is an understatement- and I am pretty sure life will not slow down now until I am in my eighties. And I am thrilled. Seriously thrilled and thankful.
Almost a year ago I was reminded once again that the Lord hears the prayers of His children and delights to give them the desires of their hearts. The Lord began a life inside of me and on January 15th 2011- I discovered I was pregnant.
Jason and I had been trying to start a family for over a year now- but just like the truth that “God will build His church”- God will also be the One who builds the home through children …. And He will create them or bring them when it will bring MOST glory to His name as well as when it will be MOST sanctifying for His children. And I am thankful that He does not bring them a moment too soon and He will not delay in His promises.
So on September 7th, 2011- Silas Abram Herrington came into the world- and I fell madly in love with this sweet baby.
I had always thought being pregnant would be the sweetest thing ever- and it was- and it was not. Being pregnant was the hardest season of my life to date. Besides gaining weight on a daily basis, there were all kinds of “extras”. My body went nuts. Physically I had terrible carpal tunnel, brutal restless leg syndrome, unkind acne, swollen gums, stretch marks, high blood pressure, and swollen feet and fingers. Plus I never slept for more than 3 hours straight- and no more than 2 hours straight in the last trimester. I had morning sickness for most of the day (without any throwing up) during the first trimester. I was SOOO not prepared for the extras.
I didn’t really have bad mood swings or emotional outbursts like I thought I would. I was however more irritable- but my husband was, as usual, extremely patient and sensitive on those days.
The last couple days of pregnancy were exhausting. I was confident that Silas would be early- and he was- but only by 24 hours- and even then they had to induce me because of toxemia. So actually maybe he wasn’t early…? Anyways…. I had gone in on September 6th for my regular doctor’s appt and due to high BP and the fact that my face, feet, and hands were swollen they decided to induce. The doctor wanted me to check in the hospital the next morning for an induction. I was thrilled! I didn’t want to be induced but I did want to not be huge and uncomfortable anymore and mostly because I was ready to meet this little boy that had been kicking, flipping, and hiccupping inside of me.

So- now I had about 18 hours before I would leave for the hospital- that was enough time to make sure everything was packed, get some decent sleep, and most importantly- time to shave my legs. I came home, called Jason, told him the news and started texting everyone. Then the nurse from the doctor’s office called and said they had found some protein in the urine sample and the doctor wanted me to check in immediately. Geez- so much for time to prepare.
Within seconds of hanging up the phone, I started to freak out. Fear overtook me and I decided I wasn’t totally ready to have this baby- I could handle another month when I started thinking about what was about to take place.
But the Lord was so gracious. He calmed my fears as we drove to the hospital- I believe due to so many prayers on our behalf but mostly because He is a kind Father. The ultimate Caretaker.
We checked in, got hooked up to all the machines, filled out all the paperwork and then realized the air had gone out in my room. Ughhhhh. So now we had to change rooms. Once that happened, phase 2 waiting began.
They scheduled the induction for 5 a.m. the next morning- which would’ve been great if I would’ve been able to sleep that night but no, no, no…. between peeing, machines beeping, and the nervousness of what was about to happen- sleep was not at all possible. I think I got 30-45 minutes- enough for being prepared to deliver a child right?
Long story short…. (ok, not short, but shorter than it could be), they induced me, gave me the epidural (which was fabulous- best I felt in 9 months), and then Silas started not acting right and they then decided to do an emergency C-section. The doctor came in, told me the news, walked out, and within 30 minutes I was having major surgery. Man, this was not at all going like planned. But what really ever goes as planned?
I remember all the doctors and nurses around me, the sheet going up in between my neck and the rest of my body, Jason sitting beside me (super cute in his scrubs), and the thought “This is SERIOUSLY about to happen” running through my head. All the doctors and nurses started guessing how big the baby would be- my fam had done that as well- and we were all WAY off. 20 minutes later all I hear is “Man that is a BIG baby- definitely over 9lbs.” “Cheeky, cheeky, cheeky.” Goodness he is a big fella”. But I didn’t hear a baby crying- it felt like forever until he did (probably only a couple minutes actually). And then that little cry came- and then my tears did as well. That cry solidified that he was really here- after all those months- he was real and he was here with me.

Minutes later Jason brought him to me and I kissed his beautiful head, cried some more and then they took him off and sewed me up. About 20 minutes after that I held him for the first time- all 9lbs and 9 ounces of him. His cheeks were huge and beautiful! I loved how his tiny fingers held my pinky so tightly. We were now parents.We were now a family.

Give A Girl ANOTHER Chance... please...

2012-01-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

I refuse to give up blogging!! This is what I keep telling myself... so here we go again- and I am confident that one of these days it's gonna stick. =)
Eventually I wanna give a recap of the last year of my life- ALOT has happened- but just not sure today is the day I wanna make that big post. Today I just wanna remind myself of what I want this blog to be...
there are really 4 reasons that I have for this website:
1. First and foremost I see the need for me to write about all things concerning the Lord: my realtionship with Him, His pressence in my life, and what I am learning and struggling with in regards to becoming more Christlike. I do not come across many blogs by women who write theological posts (there are a few that I am deeply thankful for which I am happy to direct you to), and so I see the need for me to not JUST write about being a wife and mommy, etc. I have a passion that Christian women will become more and more mature in the things of the Lord, that they will study the Word for themselves and not simply rely on their husbands and churches to do it for them. So I hope my blog serves to spur that goal on in myself and to any ladies who read this...
2. I want to write about being a wife and mommy- I want to have a place where I can go back and remember all the great and hard seasons in these roles. The Lord has graciously given me a godly husband and a beautiful baby boy and I want to record my realtionship with these special men. This is also were the blog will probably be overloaded with pics. =)
3. I want a place to connect with other friends/ family who have blogs and a way to give updates on life with the Herringtons that is a little more in depth than places like facebook.
4. I really enjoy writing- I don't think I am great at it, but I love explaining things through words. I love being able to choose how to structure a sentence- weird I know. The Lord has given me desires to write (hopefully a book one day) and maybe somewhere along the way He'll also gift me in this area. lol

So there ya go- four simple purposes for All Things For Him Alone: writing for the glory of God in all areas of my life.

A Song About A Savior

2011-11-10T11:32:00.001-08:00

I sing to Silas a lot. But when I sing to him and over him I want to tell him about Jesus and teach him the Gospel and hope that the Lord weaves both into him as early as possible. The other day I had the hymnal out singing to him and I got to the song “O Come Let Us Adore Him”- which for some reason seems reserved for Christmas time? Anyways- I realized it’s a very simple song with a simple melody so I found myself coming up with other lyrics to tell the story of Jesus. I thought this may be a good idea since the verses are simple, and repetitive and that maybe some other moms might like to teach their children so that the story of Jesus becomes more and more farmilar to them. I also tried to make sure that each verse was biblically based so that one day I can teach Silas a scripture that corresponds to each verse so he can “hide it in his heart” better and deeper. So here are the verses I have settled on- and the scriptures that go with them. You repeat the phrase 3 times and then each verse ends with the original “Christ the Lord”.

He is God’s Son Matt 16:16
The World was created through Him Colossians 1:16
The prophets spoke about Him John 1:45
He became a baby Luke 2:11
He grew in wisdom and stature Luke 2:40
He taught and healed the people Matthew 4:23
He remained sinless 1 Peter 2:22
He died for us to save us Romans 5:8
He rose on the third day 1 Corinthians 15:4
He reigns forever in Heaven Psalm 99:1
So trust Him for salvation Acts 4:12
He alone will satisfy Psalm 91:16, Isaiah 55:2
Praise Him all you peoples Psalm 117:1

Then you can follow with these two original verses:
For He alone is worthy
We’ll give Him all the glory

My Request For This Year..... Graciously Granted Already.

2011-01-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

So I know that I already missed posting twice in a week but I have good reason.... the Lord has created a little tiny life inside of me and I am so thrilled that I haven't been able to sit down long enough to write a post! See I told you: good reason.
Jason and I have been ready for children (ready for them, not ready to know exactly what to do with them.. lol) for years now and we have been praying that the Lord would graciously give us the desire of our hearts and as ALWAYS-He is FAITHFUL! His steadfast love towards us is overwhelming and we would love for you to stop for just a second and praise Him for the undeserving grace He has given us. Oh my goodnes.... we are gonna be parents!!!
So for any of you who are interested in how we got the news here is a short summary:
This past Saturday I decided to take a pregnancy test. I have taken several before due to being late but they always came back negative so that's what I was expecting again- this is a mixture of little faith and trying not to get my hopes up.
So I take the test, (fyi- those three minutes waiting seem like FOREVER!)The test shows two lines...WHAT????!!!!!! I freak out very quietly in the bathroom and decide I need to take another one before I tell Jason or get too excited. We had planned to go get some afternoon dessert so I went along with the plan, after we came home I took another one and it was positive as well. This time I almost passed out.
I had decided if the Lord ever let me get pregnant, I wanted to tell Jase in a creative way so I had planned to buy him an arrow (representing a child: psalm 127:3-5 ) and I thought he would get it.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate."

So off to Wal-Mart I went- tearfully thanking and praising the Lord as I drove. I went to the toy section- and no arrows.... next I decided to check the hunting section... found some and put them in the cart (you should've seen the men looking at me obviously saying in their heads "Does this woman know what she is buying?").
I brought them home, took one out and yelled to jase that I had found something at Wal-Mart that he had been wanting for a long time. I went into the library where he was studying and gave him the arrow- this was our convo:
Jason: "You got me an arrow?"
Me: "Yep".
Jason: "Is this for a crossbow?"
Me: smiling "Nope.... actually we can take it back if you want."
Jason: "honey, why did you get me an arrow, I don't understand?"
Me: "It represents something- you are smart, you can get this...."
Jason stares at the arrow for a long time, trying to figure it out.... He looks at me and says "I really don't know???"
Me: "You are going to be a daddy!"
Then for the next minute it was a back and forth of "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" "ARE YOU SERIOUS?" "WHAT?????!!!!!!!"
We hugged for a long time and rejoiced together- we were and are so ver very thankful!
I went to the doctor yesterday and it looks like my due date is September 17th. 16 days after our anniversary. The Lord is so good. He has been good to not give us a child for this long and He would've been good had He never given us a child- but we are overwhelmed that He would be this good and entrust a life to us!
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150

That night we went out and bought our baby's first stuffed animal- we agreed on a sweet little giraffee.

Can't wait to keep you updated on this undeserving journey!

For Heaven's Sake... let's try this again!

2011-01-11T12:27:00.000-08:00
I know my blog is R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S.! I haven't posted since June??? What in the world. One of my main goals for 2011 is to make this blog inspiring, transparent, encouraging, and most of all - to keep it UPDATED!!! =) I want it to be a collection of posts centering around furniture projects, crafts, recipes, helpful resources, updates on my life and most of all -posts that are used to point to the Great God I serve. So I have proved myself untrustworthy of this goal in the past so I obviously need your help.... (isn't admitting the first step to solving the problem?)
So I think a realistic goal is to post at least twice a week- we'll just see how realistic that is for me. Don't judge- just encourage. =)
So one of my favorite goals I make at the beginning of every new year is a reading goal. I love to read! I hate that this desire only started about 6 years ago- up till then i had zilch desire... but now.... I love to curl up with a book and be inspired, enchanted, and broken over the things I take in....

Every January I pull out all the books I think would benefit and challenge me- realize there are too many- put some back and then rework my list to something realistic. So here are the books I am hoping to finish by this time next year:

In case you can't read all the titles/ authors:
Knowing God: J.I. Packer
The Pastor's Daughter- Hopkins
Let the Nations be Glad- Piper
Salvation in Full Color- Roberts
Jane Eyre- Bronte
Heaven is a Far Better Place- Davies
Redeeming Love- Rivers
Respectable Sins- Bridges
Does Grace Grow Best in Winter- Duncan
The Death of Death- Owen
Memoirs and Remains of R.M.M.- Bonar
Women's Ministry in the Local Church- Duncan & Hunt
Radical- Platt
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands- Tripp
Gospel for Muslims- Anyabwile
A Body of Divinity- Owen
Marks of a Messenger- Stiles
What Jesus Demands of the World- Piper
Worldliness- Mahaney
Lottie Moon- Lawrence
Since taking this picture I've added 5 books to the list =)- two of them are: "Treasuring God in Our Traditions" by Noel Piper and an old classic "The Hidden Life of Prayer" by David Mclntyre
The other three will be arriving shortly to my house and I'm planning on doing a separate post of them! So stay tuned!
Here is the good news about my list so far- since the beginning of this month I already have read two and have started 4 others (2 almost finished!) Yay for me! So there.... I posted. Today = success!

Latest client project and more favorite before & afters!

2010-06-09T09:14:00.001-07:00
So here was the sad dresser that was brought to me a week ago by a new client. She needed a lot of help... so I loved on her a little bit...and here are the pics to prove it!

So i sanded her down, filled in the handle holes with wood glue, sanded a bit more, painted her a pretty pear green, applied some aged glaze, and bought super cute glass knobs at Hobby Lobby for the drawers. Since HL was having a sale, I was able to get these knobs for $2 a piece, rather than $4. So here is the end result and some close ups.

She has ADORABLE written all over her, doesn't she?

You can see more great projects @ one of my favorite blogs- just click the button below

So this transofrmation made me think back to a few of my favorite other transformations. Here are my top favorites...

This ugly green dresser you saw a while back...

Then here was a simple chair i found a couple years ago on the side of the road... actually there were four of these... how lucky am I?

Another chair... found this at a flea market...I think I paid $25- kind of expensive for me but she turned out worth it.

So I put a little time and $3 worth of materials into her and here's what I got...

The little pillow is actually made out of fabric placemats I found at goodwill (4 for 99 cents!). And I think the fabric was $1.50 a yard at wal-mart.

Here is my very first furniture product... so the pics aren't great... this is an antique linen cabinet (I think) that I picked up from a flea market sale for only $20!!! How I would pay that price again for 3 more!

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It doesn't look like this anymore - because i needed it to match my living room so now it is painted white with some age glaze. It holds our TV inside!

Now for the item I think used to be a feed bin... that I turned into a buffet...

So a little leftover paint, and glaze...

A couple more projects...

And last and definately my favorite of all time- my $200 laundry room makeover...

I'll do a post in the next couple weeks on how i accomplished this makeover for only $200.

Paint, paint and more paint!

2010-06-07T07:47:00.000-07:00
So I've been a little on the busy side... sorry blog for neglecting you. Major highlights since I last posted include an enjoyable visit from my dad (who stayed for 5 days!), re-finishing lots of furniture, a fun Saturday morning w/ the hubby at garage sales, meeting my first charming creations client,holding baby Noah Chandler for the first time, a much needed visit from my girl Lizzie, and teaching the junior and senior high girls at the Main Street Mission last Wednesday.

So here are a couple pics of what dad and I did while he was here, my super cheap and encouraging craft project, and then my fabulous garage sale find...

So here are the two items my dad and I found at a flea market- for $30 we got both of them... this baby was pretty darn ugly, but she had potential...

then this traditional rocker was our next find...

So we worked... and worked some more. My dad was such a trooper. It was nice to have a "perfectionist" helping you re-finish furniture- especially since I am NOT!

Jase helped a little too... can you see my poor dad sweating? Gross... but glad he's a hard worker!

such a hard worker that he needed a nap with his BFF for the week...

so here are the finished products...

So we bought her for $20- put $25 in to her for the glass knobs and paint and then sold her in less than 24 hours after posting on craigslist for $100!!! Can you believe that?
now for the rocker... we bought her for $10- had to do some minor work on her, put about $10 in to her for fabric and paint and sold her for $75!
she is so charming!

the best part about her being sold is that a friend of mine bought it for a super close friend from college. I am so excited that little Miller will be rocked in this chair! So of course the chair will come with a matching monogrammed pillow made by yours truly.

So next we have my super cheap, cute, and encouraging craft project...
all you need is a picture frame with mirror, some fabric ( i love burlap, and it's super cheap), some scissors and a dry erase pen. You can get a little more creative, but those are the essentials!
I initially got this idea from this super great blog
So I made an attempt to make an erasable menu picture...

then i decided to try this same technique for some erasable scripture pictures... i LOVE these! I have three different ones now...

I love having scripture up all over my house! Jason and I have been trying to commit to sharing a scripture with one another before he leaves for work- so this one usually ends up being put on the frame right on top of the t.v. armoire.
These are the kind of things I love- projects that end up helping you treasure God!

So next we have the best garage sale find ever!
Jase and I got up early Saturday morning and decided to hit a few yard sales. We did not find much but what we did find, made 5:30 a.m worth the effort!
This is what I got for $10!!! And I didn't even try to talk them down- they had had it for $25 (which was great too) and as I was looking at it, the girl yelled " You can have it for $10"! I yelled back "sold!" =)
A roll top desk for $10- YOU. CAN. NOT. BEAT. THAT.!

So I took her home and refinsihed her with these items which cost around $4 for the amount I used:

This is how she turned out after a lot of effort...

Wouldn't she be adorable with tiny woven baskets up in each slot?

So that's a summary of the highlights of my week! Hope you enjoyed!

Pick Me, Pick Me!!!

2010-05-25T09:47:00.000-07:00
I am so embarrassed to post this photo, but I'm more motivated to win this contest so that is helpful in pushing through the embarrassment.
One of my favorite blogs is having an "Ugly Sofa Contest" over at Pink and Polka Dot. And since this is sitting in my living room as my MAIN sofa, I think I can confidently enter this contest! This is what I like to call:

"Southwestern meets the 80'S"...

Notice it is pretty rough along the bottom and the left arm has seen better days.
I have been working on my slip covering skills and I've been wanting to give this "thing" a makeover (hopefully in all white) but as usual my funds are low and so it will be a while before she's beautiful... UNLESS.... you give me your vote....
I have a cheap slipcover on my sofa right now, but all the fabric is getting worn out- and creating little "dots" on the seats so I really can't afford to wash it too many more times.
So please, please, pick me, pick me!!!

The Art of Preaching to Yourself....

2010-05-25T09:21:00.000-07:00
I remember the first time I heard this idea of "preaching to yourself", I thought it sounded a little crazy but after thinking about it and reading the wonderful, go and buy it now book: "Spiritual Depression", the author lays out the convincing point that all too often our problems stem from listening to ourselves, when we should be talking to ourselves.
So this was not a completely new thought when I read Psalm 103 this morning, where it says:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

The psalmist is telling his soul to worship the Lord- sounds like he's talking to himself right?
He is. After reading the first verse you may think "yes, I know my soul should bless the Lord, but I don't know how to get there or where to conjure up those affections"?
That's what I thought too and then I realized- the psalmist tells you how to get there in the following 4 verses. It's like he's saying "Oh, so you need motivation to bless (worship) the Lord? - Then do this....". He tells himself to not forget God's benefits, to remember how He has and will forgive iniquities, how He has healed all his diseases, how He has redeemed his life from the pit, how He crowns him with steadfast love and mercy and even satisfies and renews him!
My soul has an infinite number of reasons and motivations to bless the Lord today and for the rest of my life. So today, Melissa Herrington, will preach the GOSPEL to herself.

A New Adventure...

2010-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00
So I'm trying something new...
a couple of friends have suggested this but I've always laughed it off- but I've decided to try.
So since I have an obsession with transforming and re-designing things, I'm gonna try it out as a small in home business. Please let me know what you think after you visit the website at Charming Creations.

For today....

2010-05-07T05:38:00.000-07:00
I love "to-do" lists. I do not always succeed at getting everything scratched off the list- but it's silly how happy it makes me to just write them down on a little note.... so for today this is what it looks like:

I think I'll post the "before & after's" of my sweet friend -Megan's bed project later today- once it gets scratched off.

Falling in Love with T4G

2010-05-04T16:54:00.000-07:00
One of the best weeks of my life happened recently. I know- that's a pretty dramatic statement to make, but it was. This past April I attended the Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, KY. I remember saying to Jason as we were making the 13 hour drive there, "I wonder if this conference is really worth the money we paid, the vacation week you took, and this extremely long drive." I knew the speakers would be fantastic, but I also knew I could listen and possibly even watch their talks from my computer at home, with the registration money still in my bank account-and Jason's vacation week still left up for grabs. This conference was what Jason and I decided to give each other as our Christmas present last year- and so 4 months after Christmas we were hoping that it really would prove to be worth it to actually go. We confidently report to you- It was worth that and more.
I could go on and on about how great every message was, and the rest of the details but I think I would serve you better if I posted these 3 videos- so maybe you could have a little bite yourself. All three of these happened within the last 24 hours of the conference and that is when the Lord did the most work in my heart as well. So we'll begin with the most helpful song (personally) that we sang since it is a great aid in being ready for the second video. "All I Have Is Christ" - (note: this video is at the NEXT conference, but this is the exact version we sang at T4G).
All I Have Is Christ from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.

John Piper's message- persevere through the first 20 minutes- they are good but it's the last half that will hopefully make you cry out to the Lord. Every believer needs this message.
T4G 2010 -- Session 6 -- John Piper from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

That message came late Wednesday night and then Thursday morning after Duncan's message, Matt Chandler who is a young passionate pastor out at The Village Church in Texas spoke. This past Thanksgiving Chandler found out he had a malignant brain tumor that was not encapsulated- they performed surgery almost immediately but were unable to remove all of the tumor. Chandler has decided to put himself in front of the world in hopes that he will suffer well for the sake of the Gospel- namely to show that God is his treasure not his health.
He shares his story and his prayers in this video, followed by a short and powerful talk by C.J. Mahaney, and the video ends with all the keynote speakers gathering around Matt Chandler to pray for his healing. We ended that session with 7000 people singing "It is Well with my Soul". To say this hour was moving would be a gigantic understatement.
T4G 2010 -- Session 8 -- Matt Chandler from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

I hope you will take time to watch and listen to these videos- and I am confident that if you deeply desire to hear from the Lord, you will.

"Where did Jason go?" Story- as promised.

2010-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00
So this happened a little over a month ago but I think it's worth telling. I would say it was a normal Sunday morning but it wasn't- at 7 a.m I was on the phone in the middle of trying to calm down some family drama (and that thankfully doesn't happen all that often), but this morning that was what was going on. So while I was laying in bed involved in intense conversation Jason decided to get in the shower... smart guy. A couple minutes later I see him run out the front door (with clothes on). =) I was really curious as to what was going on but I was a little preoccupied with the conversation and I THOUGHT that if it was anything really important, Jason would've told me. So I continued conversation... a minute later I heard what sounded like a gun shot! I ran over to the window in the bathroom and looked outside to see a car in massive flames in the funneral home parking lot across from our house...
At that point, I hung the phone up, threw some clothes on and ran outside.
The fire trucks had just gotten there... and so I started towards the scene looking for my husband- who's face I could not find anywhere. I started to panic a little and so I came up to one of the firefighters and said "Sir, my husband just ran out of our house a couple minutes ago, I'm assuming because he saw the car on fire- have you seen him?" - to which he replied- "No, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere."
Very unsatisfied with that response I ran over to a woman firefighter and asked her the same thing- as soon as she heard my question, she looked terrified and ran over to the car in flames where the other firefighters were standing- then a few of them walk back over to me and say hesitantly "Ma'ma we are pretty sure no on was in the car."- Ok, ok, not complete consolation but I was better.
If you know Jason at all, you know he is the type of guy to risk his life to save someone else's- he does what s necessary- and at this moment I was (for the first time)very upset with this characteristic of his.
So I ran up and down the street, yelling for him- and to no avail. I went and looked back in the house, in our backyard and still no Jason.
It was at this point that I lost it. The thought suddenly hit me: "He's gone, I have lost my husband". Tears were pouring from my face, and I was praying- "please Lord, no, not yet, not today." I ran in the house to look for his phone- I couldn't find it so I got mine and went back outside- started to call his phone... ring, ring, ring... he's not picking up- I sat crying in our driveway praying he would answer... ring... "hello?" - heard his voice. Praise the Lord! I then said in the most upset, angry voice you can imagine "WHERE ARE YOU, GET HOME RIGHT NOW!!!!"
He then replied "I'm ok, baby, I'm alright, I've been inside the funneral home--- I'm coming home right now". A minute later he was running up to the driveway to his pathetic wife who was sitting in a puddle of tears on the concrete. He picked me up and went inside.
He then explained that when he saw the car on fire he ran out- and no one was on the scene yet so he went over and tried to look in the car to make sure no one was in it. But the flames were so bad that he could barely see anything, so he tried to kick one of the doors open and at that moment he heard a man yell at him with "Come over here!" Jason ran up to this man to find out he was the owner of the car. So my husband had been inside the funneral home the whole time I was looking for him, trying to console this man who was watching his car burn to the ground. The man apparently had went out to his car that morning, started it up and forgot something inside and when he came back out his car was already in flames.

After I was calm and could actually stop hugging him, I made him promise me that he would never get that close to car on fire again- at least not without telling me.
I did not let him out of my sight the rest of the day!
So that was the double drama that Sunday morning- we plan to not have another day like it.

Nothing really... but at least "Something".

2010-04-27T14:57:00.000-07:00
Ok, I think one of the main reasons I am so bad at blogging just occured to me. I started to sign in to post an entry and started to brainstorm what I could blog about.... nothing came to mind so I thought, well there's no point and almost decided against writing. Then I realized, I don't always have to have the most exciting blog story to just update.... so even if it's boring, at least it's something.
So here's a quick top 10 list of what I've had going on in the last month....

10. Uneventful and relaxing Spring break week... didn't do much- just lots of time with the hubby.

9. Got a tooth pulled and then an infection- fairly painful, and lots of trips to the denist.

8. "Where did Jason go?" story .... coming soon

7. Currently been reading "Salvation in Full Color; Twenty Sermons by Great Awakening Preachers" .... excellent reading!!! Will probably do a review when I get done with it.

6. Been preparing lessons for Pajamas and Theology (college girls' Bible study that meets every Sunday night). Discussion in the last month has been on prayer, meditation, and communion with God.

5. Attended the "Together for the Gospel Conference" a couple weeks ago. Amazing conference- amazing speakers (Piper, Chandler, Mahaney, Dever, etc.) and got 22 new books and 20 of them were free (with conference registration). Learned a lot, and hopefully being changed by that knowledge and God's grace.

4. Got to catch up with lots of people via the confrence: Met my friend Mollie from college in Nashville on the way to the conference, had dinner with my family on the way home from the conference, and Jason and I got to have dinner with Jordan Thomas at the conference.

3. Won a recipe contest with my famous sausage pasta- and won a the "$5 Dinner Mom's" cookbook- which I have really enjoyed.

2. Got to talk with my dad for the first time in a year an a half the other day- lots of emotions but over all I am thankful.

1. Spent time yesterday learning how to work my new sewing machine. Made Moses a new dog bed and recovered the sofa throw pillows. Here's a pick of Moses' new bed and the pillows.

I love the fabric- which I found at a flea-market a while back- amazing deal- for 15+ yards of fabric for only $10!

So there... sorry if the post wasn't interesting- but at least I attempted. =)

Book Giveaway!!!

2010-02-10T11:15:00.000-08:00
I've decided to start giving a book away once a month in hopes to accomplish several things;

1. Get really good books in your hands.

2. Get rid of books we have more than one copy of.

3. Make you happy.

4. Hopefully attract some new followers-which will help #5

5. Be more motivated to blog.

So how could you get this free book?
My previous post had a list of all the books I would like to read this year. The book is somewhere on the list.
So- comment on my post and let me know if you had to pick 5 books off my list that you would like to own/ read - which ones they would be. If the book I'm giving away is on your list, then you will go in for the drawing. (HINT:The book is one with a link.)
I'll announce the book and the winner- two weeks from today!

Drum-Roll Please...

2010-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00
So here is what I hope to read and learn from this year... all 5,913 pgs by the end of December. Not really sure I'll meet it- but I want to at least set a goal.
If you have read any of these and think they aren't really worth the time- I would love to hear why so I can possibly replace them with something better.

So I'm thinking they'll be read in his possible order...
Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God- Carson
Screwtape Letters- Lewis
Keep in Step with the Spirit- Packer
Memoir and Remains- RM M'Cheyne
In My Place Condemned He Stood- Packer and Dever
The Soul Winner- Spurgeon
The Jesus I Never Knew- Yancey
Salvation in Full Color
He Gave Us A Valley- Rosseveare
Let the Nations Be Glad- Piper
Discipline the Glad Surrender- Elliot
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands- Tripp
The Bruised Reed- Sibbes
Sacred Marriage- Thomas
Dying Thoughts- Baxter
God's Renaissance Man; Abraham Kuyper- McGoldrick
A Body of Divinity- Watson
Tortured for Christ-
Heaven Taken By Storm- Watson
To Love Mercy- Storms
The Deliberate Church- Dever
Mimosa- Carmichael
The Inner Life of Christ- Blaikie & Law
Radical Redemption- Mill
Home By Choice
Does Grace Grow Best in Winter- Duncan
What Jesus Demands from the World- Piper

I was inspired to set this goal after reading a blog the other day- where the author mentioned the goal of reading 100 books this year! 100??? That's at the least, probably around 15,000 pages. Don't think I'll be getting near that goal soon---- or ever. But it was inspiring.
I know that this is a unique season in my life where I do not have kids yet so I wanna make sure I am getting in all that I can before I lose the chance....
So Lord, I ask that you would help me to use time wisely, read efficiently, be inspired to live differently, love obedience, and most importantly think about You rightly.

What today looks like for me...

2010-02-09T12:50:00.001-08:00

Had a bad cold for the last 2 days and it's not getting any better. So I thought I would just get lots of rest and catch up on some reading.
The Screwtape Letters are my first C.S. Lewis read... I know, I know, for as big of a reader as I am this is shameful that this is my first Lewis book. Nevertheless I started it today and am 50 pages in. Love it! Such an insightful book in dealing with the reality of spiritual warfare. Hopefully this will help me become a little better at fighting temptation and waging war against little bits of sin that seem insignificant and normal.
I've been able to read a lot over the last few months. Since November I have read:
The Shantung Revival- by C.L. Culpepper
Holiness- by J.C. Ryle
Marriage to a Difficult Man (Bio on Sarah Edwards)- by Elisabeth Dodds
The Holiness of God- by R.C. Sproul
Bio of Elizabeth Prentiss "More Love to Thee"- by Sharon James
Spiritual Depression- By Martyn L. Jones
There might have been one of two others I'm forgetting but all these books were great and I would especially recommend the last three!
Right now I'm currently reading-
Screwtape Letters and The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God- by D.A. Carson....
I think I'll be starting "Keep in Step with the Spirit" - by Packer soon as well.
So I've decided to try to set a goal for the number of books I wanna read by the end of this year...and I think I'm gonna push for 25 more. I think the hard part will be deciding which ones.... so I'll try to make a list and post those for next time.

My Fabulous Husband...

2010-02-09T11:52:00.000-08:00
In the 892 days that Jason and I have been married, I have never questioned whether I married the right man. Now don't get me wrong- there were moments that were really hard but I can quickly say I have never regretted becoming his wife... and last Friday night was just another reason why I love belonging to him.
We always try to have date nights on Friday nights- Jason is usually in charge of planning the night and sometimes their casual and other times their a bit more extravagant. They hardly ever include going to the movies so he really does have to try hard at planning...
Last Friday afternoon I was finishing up Bible study with some college girls when Jason pulled in the driveway from work. The girls and I have been trying to make our way through the book of John and so it was oddly providential that those two hours actually revolved around women's roles in the church and then into what it means to be submissive in marriage. (Not at all having anything to do with what we were supposed to cover in John.) I tried to share any wisdom I have gained in the last 880 some days and remember telling them that being submissive will never be an extremely difficult task when they marry a man who joyfully lays down his life for his wife, like Christ did for the church, on a consistent basis. The more the husband loves the wife, the way Christ does the church, the more submission will feel like a delight than a duty. Equally the more the wife joyfully respects and submits to her husband, the more eager he will be to guide and protect her at all costs.
Anyways.... I thought it was such a sweet moment when Jason walked in the door with a dozen white roses for me. I don't get flowers very often and so I thought this was such a sweet moment that our Father wanted the girls to see.
After they left, Jason and I went to get some Chinese food ... when we came back to the house he asked me to stay in the car for a couple minutes while he did something inside....
He then told me I could come to the front door where I found this....

Of course I said yes and then came in to find this sign hanging from the ceiling...

I asked him if he had a sign for if I would've said no, and apparently he was pretty confident, and probably rightly so...
So I came in the living room to this, with Norah Jones playing in the background...

I laughed as I came over to him and saw our three scrapbooks I had made of us sitting on the coffee table...

Jason asked if I would dance with him (and of course I did) and then we looked through our scrapbooks and laughed as we talked about our relationship over the last 4 years- it was a great night and another reason why I silently thanked the Lord as I went to sleep- for the beautiful, difficult, and gracious gift of marriage.

Holiness or Enmity?

2010-01-16T14:26:00.000-08:00
Time with the Lord was very helpful this morning- as always. I have been camping out in the book of James and part of me is ready to be done with it because I keep seeing how much I miss the mark and realize I'm not doing near as well as I thought. But the other part of me realizes how good this knowledge is, IF it leads me to obedience.
This morning I feel the Lord really changed how I view pursuing holiness as I meditated on James 4:4... "You adulterous people. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
I know, I know, the verse doesn't say anything about pursuing holiness but I just think it's the exact opposite of what holiness looks like. If I had to summarize what holiness is, I might say something like a consistent desire to please the Lord in all things. I think friendship with the world would be a desire to be applauded or accepted by the world. So because of this verse I see not only the necessity of pursuing holiness but I also see how gracious the opportunity is to pursue holiness.
I think it would be safe to say that you are either an enemy of God, or you are a friend. So unholy people are enemies of God. Doesn't that terrify you like it does me?
I know of nothing worse than to be an enemy of God Almighty. I also know of nothing better than to be His friend. Which makes the opportunity to pursue holiness a great gift from our Father. In His urging of us to be holy, He is also urging us to be His friend. He is protecting us from the danger of being destroyed as well. This morning, I could not help but praise the Lord for the opportunity to pursue holiness through Jesus Christ. This helps me see holiness as such an attractive goal rather than a duty or obligation.
I also thought about why this helps me long for more holiness in my friends, my church, my family. I do not want them to be an enemy of God, I so long for them to have an ever increasing personal, intimate, joy filled relationship with the Father.
I pleaded with the Lord this morning to protect me from dangerous friendships with the world- the obvious ones, and the ones that have the potential to creep in unnoticed.
Choosing holiness means choosing God and that makes the pursuit of it such an easy choice.

"Give and Get!" - Offering for Lottie Moon

2009-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00
12/14/09- Update- We have over $100 going to Lottie Moon from the book sales- so I just wanted to let you know what books were still left (see list below) and list two more we want to sell....
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners- John Bunyan
Revival- Richard Owen Roberts

12/2/09** Update- Less than 24 hours after this post, we have $60 ready to go to Lottie! So I've removed all the books that have already been bought. Also, if you think you might not be willing to pay for shipping we can probably get them to you without having to worry about that. Just let me know. Thanks for your help!

Hopefully you have heard about the tragic truth that Southern Baptists have done a terrible job when it comes to giving to Missions- we fell so short of our goal last year that the International Mission Board has had to suspend 3 programs and will probably be pulling about 600 missionaries off the field very soon. This fact has hit home as we have dear friends who feel the call to go and yet cannot because their is no money to support them. People are leaving their families, their homes, and all the comforts we know here in America and boldly proclaming the gospel to the unreached and because we have failed to give, they are having to leave. According to surveys, we spend more on pet food and athletic shoes than we do on missions. How broken we should be over this!
Our pastor has been encouraging our church to evaluate how to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year. Jason and I want to make sure that we will be giving sacrifically this year- and that will probably mean doing without a lot of the things we want. One of the ways we want to give this year is by selling books and giving 100% of the proceeds to the Lottie Moon Offering. Please let me know if you would like to purchase any of these- we are looking forward to how this might be a very small way to help spread the gospel.
We also want to encourage you and your family to do without this year and give sacrifically to missions.

Divine Conspiracy- Dallas Willard- $4
The Imitation of Christ- Thomas a Kempis $4
E.M. Bounds on Prayer- $4
The Hiding Place- Corrie Ten Boom- $2
Prison Letters- Corrie Ten Boom- $1
Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ- by John Piper $6

Don’t You Belong to Me? $1

God So Loved the World- Elizabeth Goudge $3
Teah Us to Pray- Charles Whiston $5
The Daily Bible in Chronological Order $3

Roget’s Thesaurus of the Bible Colin Day $5
The New Testament; It’s Background and Message- Thomas d. Lea $5
Leviticus; A Commentary Erhard S. Gerstenberger $15
The Loveliness of Christ- Samuel Rutherford $6

The Passion of Jesus Christ - John Piper $2 (4 Brand New copies)
Mere Christianity- C.S. Lewis $3

A Path Through Suffering- Elisabeth Elliot $4 (2 copies)
The Pastor’s Primer- Hawkins $1

A Time to Pray- $3
Absolute Surrender - Andrew Murray $1
The Blessings of Obedience- Andrew Murray $1
Covenants and Blessings- Andrew Murray $1
New Life- Andrew Murray $2
Be Perfect- Andrew Murray $2
Transforming Grace- Jerry Bridges $1
Basic Christianity- John Stott $3
The The place of help- Devotional Readings- Oswald Chambers $6

A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam $1

The Secret Garden- Illustrated- $1

Weight Watchers Meals in Minutes Cookbook by Weight Watchers $4

Stars On The Sea by Mason, F.van Wyck 1940- $4
The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoyevsky $4
The Greatest Story Ever Told, a Tale of the Greatest Life Ever Lived- $3

1892! The Preacher's Complete Homiletic Commentary, Ecclesiastes & Song of Solomon $10
Reno and Lake Tahoe $2
1972 Survival In The Outdoors - Outdoor Life Book $5
Church Aflame- Jerry Falwell and Elmer Towns- 1971 $3
I Believe, But…! – Walter Courtenay 1950 $5
Creating a Succesful Marriage- 4th ed McDonald- $6

The Transition....

2009-04-05T19:24:00.000-07:00
Well we've been here for a little over four weeks now and I finally feel like this is becoming "home". I'm not sure if I want it to feel like home just yet but it needs to. I guess I still feel so connected to life in fort worth that it feels odd to be so involved here as well.
I have definitely felt like the Lord has continued to confirm that we are where we need to be- doesn't always mean things will be easy or comfortable but knowing you are where you are supposed to be makes dealing with the transition and issues bearable and in the end- a lot more satisfying.
One of the ways the Lord has confirmed this move is through a simple study group of college girls who are reading through "Desiring God" by Piper- that meets on Sunday afternoons. God has reminded me that He has given me a heart for college girls and that I find so much joy in talking and sharing with them. I am very thankful that He has already given me some of the desires of my heart.
I am still anxious to get involved in some discipleship relationships and teaching opportunities but I know that will come.
The apartment deserves a little more credit than I originally gave it- but not much. =) I have almost every room "done" and put in order except our bedroom - it probably needs a little extra time. Before and after pics will be coming soon!

I have really been enjoying Moses' company. We go for walks almost everyday and he is becoming more and more obedient so I think we might just be able to keep him.

Now things have not been absolutely perfect with him- while he has had mostly good days- he has had a couple bad ones- and his bad ones have been really bad ones.
To give you a glimpse of those days I have included some pics below-
One day we were watching a movie in our bedroom and after it was over I opened the bedroom door to find that Moses peed in the hallway upstairs- so I went downstairs to grab the cleaning supplies to find this:

Yep- lots of piles of poop.
We took pics because we thought others would think we were exaggerating when we said " a lot of poop". The garbage bag we loaded it in- weighed at least 3 pounds. Ohhh so gross.
So Moses was umm.... "disciplined" and let's just say his tail did not wag for the the next 6 hours- and it always wags.
Since then he's been pretty good so hopefully he'll keep up the good work. He has really been enjoying his friends- Gus & Mattie. After wrestling around they both took a break and looked so cute together!

Mattie and Moses like to play a lot and we've started to call her his girlfriend.

Moses also enjoyed the lake with us the other day- it was beautiful so I took a couple shots.

I will try to be better about updating and maybe I'll be succesful in posting again this week.

Change... A Love / Hate Relationship.

2009-02-13T10:58:00.000-08:00
For many of you who have not heard yet, Jason and I will be moving to Louisiana in a very short month. We are so excited and thankful that the Lord has given us direction and has prepared some incredible oppoutunitites before us. I am thankful that I serve a God who has my best interest at heart and even though He is not obligated to give me direction and guidance, He does and that is something to be incredibly grateful for.
So a lot is about to change. I will move to a state that I have never lived in before, downsize from a four bedroom house to a two bedroom apartment, probably have to say goodbye to my sweet dog Moses, get used to community laundary facilities, leave incredible friends, get out of my comfort zone and make new friends, leave a very God-centered church family,as well as leave the possibility of living near my family, and get used to not working with my best friend and husband everyday. Not to metion a whole list of other things I have not realized just yet.
But this change also brings so much good news and oppourtunitites and so I believe it is worth the tradeoff.
Moving means I first of all need to realize how good God has been to us in these last two years in Fort Worth. Our jobs, friends, and church have been such an amazing blessing that they will all be hard to "top". I am glad that it is hard to leave because that means that the Lord gave us a tremendous amount of gifts here- people invested their lives in us in a very short time and that is something to never take for granted.
Moving also means starting to flesh out a dream God has given both Jason and I and that dream is discipling internationals and helping them desire to go back home and reach their people for the glory of God. How incredible it is to know that God has not only given us that desire, but that He will accomplish it since He has started the desire, and that we are about to begin the journey!
Moving also means I finally will have a bigger oppourtunity to disciple college girls. For the last year the Lord has been overwhelming me with the desire to teach and invest in girls and the thought that I am going to be able to do that is about to make me explode with joy!
Moving also means learning to support and come alongside of Jason in a new way. He'll be embarking on some new territory and I will need to serve him and encourage him as he discovers and prays through what it needs to look like. I am excited about how the Lord will grow our marriage concerning this area!
And last and proabbly least, moving means I get to re create our home. I am so excited about being able to decorate a new place and embrace the difficulty of making an ugly apartment into a cozy and welcoming home. I'll post before and after pics- cause I'm a dork like that. =)
It's really hard to contemplate that I only have 24 days left here in Fort Worth, only 9 days left at work, 3 Sundays at church, and 2 more times to meet with our caregroup. Wow, that makes me tear up pretty quickly.
Please pray that this change will be bitter sweet in all the ways it needs to be and that God will be the One we rest in during this time. I was looking back through some journal entries I wrote a couple years ago and saw a statement I made that is still true today: I would rather have God's presence in the darkness than His absence in the light.

Worth the Effort....

2009-01-30T08:01:00.000-08:00
So I have this great friend named Robin (www.rolesofrobin.blogspot.com) who shares my love in bargain shopping! We love being frugal with our money and thrive on getting good deals. Robin has for some time now, been writing about her amazing deals with her use of "price-matching" and coupons. (For anyone who does not know, Wal-Mart accepts any competitor's ads and will match their prices.) She has been encouraging everyone to save ads and flyers and use them at Wal-Mart (since they already have good prices). So I took her up on the challenge. I saved my ads, went through and found deals on the groceries I needed to get, wrote my list out and shopped away!
I was blown away at my savings!
So I thought I would share as a means of encouraging others to see how much money they could save. I know you may feel like it's too much of a hassle and maybe it isn't worth the effort for you but after I saw the receipt I knew I was going to be addicted. So here is a pic of just the groceries I used price matching on. The total I spent for these items was $27.96 (and that includes 13.5 lbs of meat!):

And here are the numbers:
2lbs of Velveeta Cheese: Regular Price: $4.98 Sale:$3.99 = Savings of $0.79
(2packs)Philadelphia Cream Cheese: Regular Price: $1.23 Sale: $0.99= Savings of $0.48
Ground Beef (4.5lbs): Regular Price: $10.21 Sale: $3.55= Savings of $6.66!!!!!
(2 packs) Green Giant Vegetable Steamers Regular Price: $1.27 Sale: $0.99= Savings of $0.56
Life Cereal- Regular Price: $2.25 Sale: $1.99= Savings of $0.26
(12) Limes- Regular Price $0.22 each Sale: $0.08 = Savings of $1.65
(5lb bag) Russet Potatoes: Regular Price $2.25 Sale: $1.29= Savings of $0.96
Whole Chicken Fryer: Regular Price: $4.98 Sale $2.74= Savings of $2.24
Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts: Regular Price $2.20 Sale: $1.99= Savings of $0.21
(3Cans) Rotel: Regular Price $0.83 each Sale:$0.37 each= Savings of $1.38
And last but my favorite:
(5 lbs)Boneless/ Skinless Chicken Breasts: Regular Price: $13.98 Sale: $1.27 (lb)= Savings of $7.63!!!!
So that means if I would have paid regular price I would have spent $50.72, and I only paid $27.96 which means I saved: $22.72!!!!

So there's my attempt to encourage you to take a little time and try out price matching. I also just got a Sunday paper and went through the coupons in there so it'll be interesting to see what great deals I can get with combining price matching and coupons.
It has been really interesting learning all kinds of new responsibilities as a wife this last year and a half. And honestly I've enjoyed learning to grocery shop, cook creatively, host dinners, learn ways to save or make money, and keep a clean, inviting home.
I'm actually really thankful that the Lord gave me this role and opportunity to take care of my house and the needs of my family. Although some days I'd love to have a chef, maid and probably a nanny (for future kiddos), I'm ultimately thankful that He gives me the grace and wisdom to slowly learn what it means to model my life after Proverbs 31. Hopefully I will remember to always see these roles as opportunities for growth and joy and not simply roles I am obligated to fulfill just because.

Treasures.....

2009-01-22T17:30:00.000-08:00
Anyone who knows me, knows I love books. Not just any books, but normally books that are very rich in theology. Most of the books I love happen to be written by very old dead guys- but not all. I have not always been a big reader- actually not until the summer after my senior year of college (2004). But since that summer, I have been addicted to books that help me see God better. Since that summer I have accumulated about 150 books on my own, and they are precious treasures to me! So my friend Brienne (www.plantedheretogrow.blogspot.com) and I decided to post our top lists of books we love. I also decided to let you in on what is currently on my future reading list- I would love to finish this stack in the next 2 years or less. But we'll see....
I just finished a great book: "God's Abundant Life" by Henry Scougal modernized by Steve Hanchett. This book is an updated version of "The Life of God in the Soul of Man". The book was great but I think I'm going to read the original and just use Hanchett's version as a stepping stone. Sometimes when someone "updates" a book, things get lost and I do not want to miss out on any of Scougal's thoughts.
I am currently reading two books that I would already recommend: "The Silent and Soft Communion: The Spiritual Narratives of Sarah Pierpont Edwards and Sarah Prince Gill", by McCulley and Baker. I am also reading "Heaven A Far Better Place" by Eryl Davies.
So with no further ado Here is my top list of books I have read over the years that I would recommend: (I tried to make it a top ten list and just couldn't get it down any further) haha.

14."Living Holiness" by Helen Roseveare

13. "Rachel's Tears"- The Spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyr Rachel Scott

12. "A Chance to Die"- The Life of Amy Carmichael by Elizabeth Elliot

11. "Power Through Prayer" by E.M. Bounds

10. "The Pursuit of God"- by A.W. Tozer

9. "A Hunger for God"- by John Piper

8. "The Believer's Joy" by Robert Murray McCheyne

7. "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper

6. "Stepping Heavenward"- Journals of Elizabeth Prentiss

5. "The True Christian's Love" by Thomas Vincent

4. "True Discipleship" by William McDonald

3. "Because We Love Him" by Clyde Cranford- I have now read this book 4 times all the way through and hope to read it at least four more times before I die. Absolutley priceless to me.

2. "Knowledge of the Holy" by A.W. Tozer- by far the most effective and challenging book in the way I see God- I think every Christian should read this book.

1. "Valley of Vision" A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions by Arthur Bennett- I have also read this little book at least four times all the way through. This little treasure is what I read before I open my Bible during my time with the Lord. It is matchless in preparing my soul to meet and love God. This book is a springboard for worship.

Now here are the stacks which I hope to devour in the next two years:

I would love to hear anyone else's fav's- so feel free to leave me a comment.

"When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments." 2 Timothy 4:13

2009-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00
Ok, Ok, so I've shown a really pathetic commitment to blogging but I'm going to try to make a come back. Thank you Brienne for your patience and encouragment!

I have a million things I want to write about but fortunatley for you, I've shortened the list.

First of all I just want to begin this post by saying I am extremely proud of Jase! He graduated from seminary last month and not only finished but finished well. He makes it so easy to be a proud and grateful wife.

In light of graduation we have really been spending a lot of time talking and praying about the future. We are so ready to start pouring our lives into international students, and I am so hungry to really disciple some other hungry girls. There are times when I feel like I want to explode, but I quickly remember there are reasons why we are right where we are right now. Someone at church asked me this morning if I was disappointed that our plans for Memphis were not coming along as quickly as I was hoping they would, and I thought -some days yes, but most of the time God lets me remember not to be disappointed in anything that He has ordained. I need to be ready to rejoice even if it means sitting in the waiting room for a long time. He has always been so gracious and faithful to us that it would be hard, much less ignorant to question His purposes now. We are thankful for whatever He decides to do with us, and whenever He decides to do it.

Last weekend we decided to get away for a few days to really spend some time with the Lord so we stayed at a little lodge in Granbury. We spent most of the time just reading and praying and it was such a blessing to my soul, and I think to our marriage as well. While we were there we had some guests who just refused to stay away....

We did feed them a couple times after they showed up and jason even managed to teach them to jump and eat from his hand or catch it in mid air. It really was a lot of fun...
The lodge we stayed at was great, as well as cheap which just made it that much greater. We had this nice view....

So it really was a great weekend and we were thankful for the intimate time we were able to spend with the Lord.

Also wanted to show my latest "trash to treasure" project-
We were driving one day and saw four of these ugly chairs on the side of the road just waiting for the dumpster to pick them up- but since they were in great shape structurally I decided I would try to save them- so the before shot....

then after a little painting and "distressing"- it now has a "shabby chic" style...

Well this post became fairly long unintentionally so I'll go ahead and save the rest of my ramblings for later.

Starting over...

2008-11-19T07:37:00.000-08:00
I used to be pretty good at keeping up with blogging, but then my husband came along and distracted me. So I am going to try and start this once again and hopefully I'll be able to keep it going.
In case your interested in my old blog you can find it here- http://www.xanga.com/YourAverageGirl -I would've just kept this one but it seems that no one uses xanga anymore so I'm starting fresh.

I really want for this blog to be a place of encouragment - I want it to be something that not only supplies an outlet for my thoughts but one that inspires and communicates truth as well. I would love for the Lord to use this to show Himself- and so I hope that He is what you long to see.
So why the title "All things for Him alone"? The Lord has logded 1 Corinthinas 10:31 deep within me and I am praying that it would be the testimony of my life; "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". Although I fail reguarly at keeping this command it is what I desire to do and I know the Lord is able to supply all the grace I need to pursue it. The bigger my view of Him gets, the more this command will consume my life. This blog is for Him, and for His glory. I hope that is what keeps you coming back.