Merry Christmas and a Happy New...

Well, what can I say, we are trying to buy a house in the middle of the craziest holiday of the year...there is stress...and uncertainty...and wanting this baby to be here already. I just cannot imagine this baby getting any bigger inside me without me toppling over...I feel like we are just in this whirlwind of waiting...when we get the house we can do this...when the baby is here we can do that...it seems like we are just waiting, and there is not much to do in the waiting room, yet we are always busy, running to sign papers, driving to pick up appliances that aren't there or that end up getting stolen...baking like a mad women...being sick and still trying to get on with things. Being this amazing wife who can carry all this weight and still be the encourager for not only her husband but for her friends and family around her...what about me? Where's my encourager? This Christmas was really hard for me. I feel like we really didn't get it, you know. We spent time with family, ate a lot of food, and gave people gifts....thats it...we reduced it to just that...it's so empty. I feel alone, and helpless, I confess, I am not superwoman. I cannot carry this baby that weighs a ton and go about every day life as if everything is normal, and make everyone around me as happy as I can make them, and make all the pieces in our life come together. I cannot do it.

God has undoubtedly blessed us immensely. All of these doors flung wide open for us and it has been an amazing, scary, and wonderful ride. If tomorrow, the door slams in our face, I will understand, I will not be happy about it, but I will understand. How have we acted in the face of abundant blessing, the first sign of something scary we doubt, we say nope, it'll never happen, we lean on our own understanding. We get frustrated at those around us for circumstances that no one has control over. We do everything but the very thing we should be doing, falling on our faces worshiping God for how amazing he is and how grateful we are for EVERYTHING.

What I have also learned is I am a complainer...Pregnancy is painful, uncomfortable and limits everything! Yet it is wonderful and an absolute miracle and teaches you love and patience and kindness you've never experienced before in your life. Expect it, and deal with it. Some people will pamper you others will expect you to go about your everyday life as though nothing has changed, don't expect any different. Some things you have to do on your own, even if everyone is telling you, "you shouldn't have to do that on your own." Well, guess what? Yes I do. Do you see anyone else lending a hand? Oh dear, here I've gone again, on a rant of complaining. This is not to say I have not had help, I have many people who have reached out and blessed me in more ways than they will know, but just like everything else, the one negative sticks out far more than all the little positives...it makes my insides cringe, they are screaming "Wait! But we are an optimist, we don't think like this!". Another thing I've learned this year, Optimistic people can very easily get trapped into the Pessimistic way of thinking. The good news is, your nature is to find the good in things. Thats what I am doing now, I am frantically trying to find the good in all this...

6 month picture

it's been awhile...

So I thought I'd give a random blog. We are in escrow and escrow closes on Dec. 27th so after that we will have the keys to our new house. After that we are gonna be cleaning that thing out like crazy getting it ready to move in, we will probably move in the week after my baby shower, so probably the 19th...I'm already getting all sorts of ideas to decorate. We are getting a fridge for free and an oven for $45 bucks, which is uber exciting. We just need to find someone with a truck to go pick them up in LA...My birthday present finally came, a recliner!!!!YAY! I'm so excited to have somewhere comfortable to sit and I know it's gonna come in handy when Ali gets here. It's going to be so excited to start working on making that house our HOME. I can't wait, this is such an exciting opportunity. It will take me a while to get it fully decorating to my standards due to a lack of money flow but in about 5 years I should think it will look pretty great.

I can't believe Christmas is almost here, yesterday was the first day I was actually really cold and regretted wearing flip flops, although I can't really reach my feet to put my other shoes on so...I might look for some cheap slip ons today, if it gets any colder I might lose a toe...;P I think thats about it...not a whole lot else going on in our lives;).

If I could have my perfect baby shower...

I would have it held at Lancaster First Assembly of God(for free). With round tables covered in white table cloths and hot pink fabric on top. A single hot pink carnation in a bud vase as the centerpiece. The food table would consist of a three layer rice crispy cake, strawberry/kiwi skewers, a plate of cheese and crackers, and a veggie tray. There would also be some sort of pink punch;). For favors I would have flower seed packets and little tulle pouches filled with bubble gum and watermelon flavored jelly belly's. And the paper plates/napkins/etc. would be hot pink and lime green.

Now, that is what I want...we'll see what actually happens...

the constant blogger...

Yes, another update! Thank you to all who were praying for my health, unfortunately it was the stomach flu as I gave it to my husband and my poor mother. But fortunately I feel much better and am back to eating solid foods, I'm sure little Ali is happy about that;). Alex is also starting to feel better as well, his luckily was not as long lived as mine.

I just got an email this morning, someone is giving us a washer and dryer! How blessed we are! I am so excited! Now all we need is a fridge and we'll be ready to move in;). We absolutely can't wait to move in. It is a small sacrifice having to move during Christmas but we'll be spending it with our folks anyway so I don't think we'll mind all the boxes so much. I think this is about it for an update. I can't wait to get back to normal life then I'll blog about something other than the house;). Or at least I'll try;).

We Got it!

The house is ours, as it gets closer I'll announce a move in date;). But for now please pray for me, for over that last 24 hrs I've been vomiting, we believe it's food poisoning which should only last 48hs, so I'm praying it's almost over.

Update on the house!

We put our offer in and someone else also had put an offer in this morning but ours was higher so hopefully we'll know tomorrow;) . Also if anyone knows of anyone who has a refrigerator and a washer and dryer they can give us or sell for cheap, we would appreciate it.

Pictures of our house!

We found a house!

We found the perfect house for us, a tiny bit of fixing up but easy and cheap to do. Alex will be signing the papers tomorrow and we'll put in our offer. Please pray that if it's God's will for us to be in this house everything will go smoothly. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to decorate.

Happy Thanksgiving ...back!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone had a really great holiday! Alex and I drove to San Diego to be with his extended family, definitely a different experience for me. Then on Friday, my family came over to our house, the stinky part is I had to work Friday morning and on top of that, Alex and I decided to get up at 4AM to go shopping! Call us crazy, it was an adventure and it was fun. We got most of our Christmas shopping done for almost nothing which is great. So Friday afternoon I came home, tried to nap and started cooking. Luckily my mom did the turkey, I think they are intimidating, and it kind of grosses me out to mess with them raw...but she did a great job and it was the juiciest turkey I've ever had. I made all the other yummy sides and Wassel, which is a German hot apple cider, everyone else seemed to like but I didn't care for much...go figure. So dinner was yummy and I loved being able to host Thanksgiving finally! It will probably be a while before I can do that again seeing as how next year I'll have a little baby to tend to;). My table turned out beautiful and I'm so excited because I spent almost nothing on it. I thought this was cute, so I'll share it with you;).

Table runner - $4
Pumpkin - $1
Candle Holders - $3
Gold Chargers -$8
flowers in the pumpkin -$4
Salt and Pepper shaker -$5
Being told by my mom's friend that my table was too expensive for his taste - Priceless!

P.S. this was the final product of my centerpiece, I added some maroon daisies to match the runner;).

Centerpiece Idea #1

What do you think?

Sweet Potato's and pumpkin pie!

I'm so excited for thanksgiving and to cook and bake and feed people wonderful yummy food! I can't wait!

So my new job is going pretty well. I'm learning what I can and can't do. It kind of stinks because I'm used to being pretty independent but there are some things that are not worth hurting me or my baby. I'm only working a few days a week for 4 hours a day but it's nice to get out of the house and be social and I love helping people get ideas to decorate their house. I was super blessed by an experience today.

This elderly gentleman came into the store and was very polite and asked me if I could help him for a while. Of course I said yes because that was my job. I wasn't thinking anything of it because people ask questions all the time and don't seem very appreciative of it but this was different. He asked me about a few pieces of bedroom furniture and told me that it was just for him because he was a widower. So I went around with him after finding out his tastes and his needs and found him a bed, a dresser, a night stand, and a side board all for $1,000. He was so happy and it felt so good to help him. He was one of the sweetest old guys I've ever met and I hope he comes back because those are the kind of people I love helping.

I feel like I just got hit by a semi truck...

Pray for me...

My new creation!

Here is my latest creation! I would like to thank God for giving me the wonderful idea and Alex and Kristen for encouraging me to make it. It is delicious. If you like Reese's peanut butter cups you will like this cake;). I made it this morning and it came out wonderful, of course there are a few small improvements I would like to make, and I am worried that it might be a little too rich for some people but it sure was a hit with my family tonight, who I love to use as guinea pigs.

This is my Chocolate Peanut butter fluff cake;).

I also came across the fact that not only is Chicken Parmesan easy to make but it taste so much better at home than it does at the restaurant. I was looking for something easy that would feed three meat eaters and my vegetarian brother and thought, hey I can make Chicken Parmesan and Eggplant Parmesan and it wouldn't be that hard. I had this amazing organic spinach pasta that I got from Whole Foods and then I browned the chicken and eggplant in a little olive oil and milk and flower with spices and then baked in the oven with some cheese and sauce, it was too die for. The best was my brothers compliment on the meal, he is a hard critic to please when it comes to food;). So I felt very good about dinner tonight, followed of course this fabulously rich dessert.

I don't know though, I wonder if this cake would be better with something more bland consumed before hand. Anyway, I'm excited about all the yumminess of one night, if you would like either recipe just let me know and I'd be happy to share;).

I got the job!

I'm very excited! One of the coolest things was that the manager was the first person in 6 months to point out that I was pregnant. It helped my self esteem, I was starting to think people just thought I was fat. So I start on Monday, yay! I really excited!

New Job? We'll see...

So, yesterday I had a job interview that went well but I don't feel like it's a good fit, they want someone long term and I am not looking for a career right now. So Alex and I went to dinner last night and decided to stop in at the mall and went into Bombay (which is almost the same as Zgallerie) on the front door there was a help wanted sign. But then when we walked in there where big "going out of business" signs. So I decided to ask one of the salespeople, who turned out to be one of the managers, she said they were hiring but they were also closing but not until January so they need holiday help. She asked me to fill out an application right there and I told her about my stint at Zgallerie and she asked me to come in for an interview today!

I'm kind of excited for this, and I'll tell you why. There are multiple reasons this gives me warm fuzzies. #1 It's almost a shoe in that I'll get the job because of all my experience at Zgallerie. #2 With me missing all of the Holiday goodness of IL it will actually be nice to work in a mall during the holiday with all the Christmas music and decorations. #3 You all know how much I loved Zgallerie, it was like a second home to me. I'll be having flashbacks, lol. #4 The streets outside the mall are already covered in twinkle lights and the smell of fireplaces and it actually feels like winter so that will be nice and just what I need. #5 It will give me something to do to occupy my time while waiting for this little one;).

And those are my reasons, so my interview is today at 2:00pm. Wish me luck!

I miss snow...

Among other things. I was just reminiscing about last year, Alex and I got our first Christmas tree, which turned to be a bit of a headache but it was so beautiful and smelt wonderful. We also had the joy/pain of having a lot of snow. Scraping our windshield, defrosting our cars, making snow angels, wearing scarves and gloves. I got to drop Alex off at the train everyday and the street was always lined in twinkle lights and lovely Christmas Ornaments, houses with nativity scenes and snowmen and over sized candy canes and enjoying my peppermint mocha that warmed me up on the inside. I realized how much I'm gonna miss that this year, and even if we had the money we couldn't fly back to IL for a little bit of Christmas charm and the beautiful display on Michigan Ave, also known as the Magnificent mile. Considering I will be almost 8 months pregnant at Christmas!But we do have places that snow and as soon as we can we will drive up and enjoy some snow, put on a scarf and some gloves and my snow boots and enjoy one God's most beautiful and extravagant creations. I am not one for a beachy Christmas, I think it's a shame to not need a coat during the winter months. But alas, I am here, I will try to make the best of it. This is my second Christmas with my husband and I know it will be as magical as our first.

San Luis Obispo and One year of marriage...

So we stayed on Friday night with our friend Bobby and Jenna, it was so cool to be able to see them and hang out for a while. In the morning I made french toast with texas toast, it was so yummy. I love making meals for a lot of people...4 1/2 people is a lot to me;). And then Bobby and Jenna took us to downtown San Luis and we got to walk around, I was so happy it was absolutely beautiful, it reminded me a lot of Evanston. Of course it was a college town, maybe that's what all college towns are like, who knows? I did a lot of walking so I'm very sore still...but it was worth it. The weather was amazing, it was cool and then as it warmed up there was a little humidity followed by a cool breeze, it was like natures air conditioning. It was so cool.

After my plea for some caffeine we came across a starbucks and Alex agreed to feed my craving;). And then we walked around until we were about to drop and came across the coolest ice cream place. You get a cup, fill it with soft serve and then fill it with all the toppings you desire and they charge by ounce, so two huge cups of ice cream with toppings were like $6. Pretty sweet!

So then time comes for us to check in to our fabulous Apple Farm Inn and we get there and I am just like a little kid in a candy store, outside has giant toy soldiers and over sized Christmas ornaments hanging from the roof and it was all just beautifully decorated and very homey. When we walked into the Lobby, there was coffee, iced water with lemon, and cider, and a big bowl of apples just waiting to be taken. We checked in and they informed us we were just in time for the welcome reception out in the garden. We walked out to the garden and the offered us wine, apple cider, and hor'derves. It was loveley, I think we were too excited at this point to think about taking pictures but we did get pictures of our room. Thanks Alex!

The room was super nice but the decorating was a little on the cheesy side, ginham with floral, matching wallpaper to curtains...need I say more. But it was comfortable and perfect. I mean come on, they didn't have me decorate;). We had a King size canopy bed and the canopy was like foot from the bed so I felt a little claustrophobic. There was a besket of sparkling cider and chocolates which was so cute. And there was a cute little seating area next to the window with a real window seat. And last but not least, this amazing fireplace at the foot of the bed. With a light switch to turn it on. It was very romantic and we loved it.


We had dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was a little out of our budget but the food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect. I saved giving my present to Alex till we were at dinner and it was great, he got all choked up, it truly was the most romantic dinner ever. After dinner I was very coy and thought how cool it would be to surprise him by taking him somewhere and singing to him since he sang to me when he proposed, well I didn't get a hold of the bar so I just decided to take him there anyway, under pretenses of he needed an after dinner drink.;). We showed up and he saw it was a karaoke place!

I ended up singing I can't take my eyes off of you and then he sang Your Song (Elton John) and then we both went up and sang You're the one that I want. We had a lot of fun. We got back late last night and crawled into bed with sweet dreams of Apple Farms with no Apple trees...;).

Our 1 year wedding anniversay!

So tomorrow is the big day! We are leaving for San Luis Obispo tonight! I'm sooo excited! Tonight we are staying with our good friends the Odenthals, and then Saturday we are staying at the Apple Farm Inn, I'm so excited! As I was finishing up packing for our trip I received a huge beautiful bouquet of stargazer lilies, if you've been reading my blogs, you know that's my favorite flower. I really did marry the best man ever! See the cute little teddy bear? I am sooo lucky!

Halloween!

So I had it all planned. I was gonna make a yummy fallish dinner and pumpkin shaped cookies, but I also had to do my laundry and go grocery shopping. Well needless to say dinner did not happen, but I did make half of the cookies.

I did a fairly easy costume this year. I was a pregnant kitty;).

So instead of my fabulous cooking skills, we had not so good take out and watched Pushing Daisies, our new favorite show. It is hilarious! Ok well that's all for today.

Monday morning...already?

What a weekend! What a week! Last week was pretty crazy but I got a lot of stuff accomplished like finally organizing and cleaning my office! Which is really hard when you don't have any bookshelves or file cabinets, but thanks to the suggestion of Kristen, I bought some baskets and neatly organized papers and books in them and it actually looks quite decent. It sure is nice not having boxes piled up in our office anymore, that's for sure.

Alex has applied for a business loan so he can work from home and be his own boss, which he is very good at. We are very confident that he is going to get it. It will be so great for both of us.

Saturday, Alex and I just hung out being goofy and watched some funny, yet painful episodes of Curb your enthusiasm, but it was good to have a day just to ourselves, even though we would have loved to hang out with others.

Sunday was very busy, church was really good and afterwards we went to a birthday lunch for my friend Hannah, that was fun. Her mom asked me to be in charge of the birthday decor, it's much harder at a restaurant than it would be at someone's home but I did what I could;). I ate so much at the luncheon I had to take a nap when I got home. A few hours later we went over to David and Christin's house for dinner, which was a blast. Alex is so obsessed with baby's it cracks me up. Anytime he saw their 8 month old, he automatically snatched him up so he could hold him before anyone else, it really is quite a site;).

I'm loving the cold weather, I'm just really hoping it stays cooler, My basil temperature has risen and I can't handle the heat any longer. Plus I love fall/winter. Oh it's going to be such a great winter! It rained for a few minutes on Saturday and it put a smile on my face, I love the rain. We need more of it!

Well, that's all for now.

Dream House

This is the house Alex and I would love to have, it is perfect in every way...except the price. There is one option for us to buy the house and that's if one of them goes into foreclosure. One of these houses is already for sale by owner because they couldn't afford the house anymore.

This is a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with a huge kitchen and 2 seating rooms and a fireplace. It also has a large backyard. The inside is absolutely beautiful. High ceilings, beautiful lighting fixtures, soft carpet, it even has a laundry room...specifically for laundry, with a hook up and a sink and lots of cabinets. I think this room could make me enjoy laundry...;)

In the master bathroom there is a make up vanity built in with a curling iron holder built in the table! And it has a jacuzzi style tub and two sinks and a huge walk in closet that could be a little bedroom, actually I think it may be the same size as our second bedroom in our apartment. It's huge. I love it! We are absolutely drooling over this house. We have been to see these houses at least a dozen times. Sometimes when we have nothing else to do, we'll just come over here to see the house. They have a model open so you can look inside anytime and I love being inside there.

Back to Blogging

Well this is my first attempt back at blogging. I know I haven't blogged in a long time but hopefully I can do it a little more regularly now.

In case some of you don't know, I am 5 months pregnant.;) We are having a little girl March 10th.
Her name is Alexandria Victoria Branning. Alex and I are so happy!

God has really been teaching Alex and I alot throughout this process. It is amazing to see so many things through different eyes.

I don't have a whole lot to say today but I just wanted to jump back in there, hopefully more to come soon. I definitely have the time.

Things I miss...

The streets of Evanston....

The peace that comes when I am walking along Lake Michigan...

Becoming lost in a sea of people who I don't know and not feeling alone.

The ease of finding a job.

Singing

The gospel choir

Having a pet in the house

My crappy little house on Wesley and my room with no closet...

Walking everywhere (being able to walk everwhere)

The air is different there

The plethera of cute, original, little boutiques.

The people.

The oppertunities.

I'm still adjusting to this change and every once in a while I miss it there so bad I don't know what to do with myself. Things are so different now, not that they are bad but defenitly different. I LOVE being married but it is different and sometimes it's hard not to think of all the freedom you had when you were single. And I will never stop being thankful for the years I spent in Chicago. They truly were wonderful. I was so blessed to be bale to spend my growing years there learning, healing and becoming who I am now. Most of the things I do today, I've learned those things in the the years spent there. So here I am in a different place still learning, still growing, still trying to figure out what my purpose is here.

To all my peeps in Evanston/Chicago; I miss you sooo much! I hope you are all doing well and that God blesss your socks off!

Women in the Chruch

In Christianity women have often been denied the more prominent spiritual roles in the Church, and have been largely assigned 'jobs' said to be an extension of what has often been their home life (E.g. Putting out flowers, cleaning, teaching children in Sunday School). Critics of the way women have been treated by the Church over the years point towards its patriarchal structure, and argue that it is institution which has been set up and led my men, and primarily for men. As such, many women believe it is time for the Church to revise its structures, and in doing so change the way it treats women. However, there are others who argue that the Church should not bow to the 'whims' of society, and that women are only being treated as the Scripture specifically says they should be. They also argue that the Bible teaches that men and women are spiritually equal, but that they are assigned different roles in the Christian community.

A third group could be said to represent the middle ground between these two positions. These would argue that the Bible only appears to be denying women full equality in Church matters. They would argue that certain key passages (such as 1 Timothy 2:11-15) which appear to prohibit women from being church leaders, need to be looked at in the social and cultural contexts they were first written in. It is when we re-think them in the light of why they were written (and who for), that we can understand their true meaning for us today.

"A women should learn in quietness and full submission.I do not permit a women to teach or have authority over a man.; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was the one decieved; it was the women who was decieved and became a sinner. But women will be saved through child bearing-if they continue in faith, love, holiness, and propriety." - 1 Timothy 2:11-15

The of course later in Corinthians Paul wrote:
"For God is not a God of disorder and peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but remain in submission, as the law says. If they want to enquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a women to speak in church." - 1 Corinthians 14:33-35

At first glance these latter teachings attributed to Paul seem to present a view of women that is 'out of touch' with the modern mindset. However, we should bear in mind that Paul was writing to specific churches, at a specific time, and in response to some specific questions they were asking.

Finally, we should note that Paul wrote elsewhere that all men and women are equal, especially in spiritual matters:

"There is neither greek, nor jew, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Something to think about: Does Paul contradict himself in what he teaches about the role of men and women in the Church?

At the time Jesus lived, society had a generally negative attitude towards women. Both Jews and Greeks believed the 'work' of women should be limited to the domestic roles of wife and mother, with the former holding that the female gender were responsible for most (if not all) sin - especially sexual temptation!

However, despite this we need only take a quick glance in the Gospels to see that Jesus had a very positive attitude towards women. He accepted and affirmed women who were neglected by society, and declared them person's of value. Jesus healed women who were considered ritually unclean, and forgave those guilty of even sexual sin. Jesus also taught women, and counted them amongst his closest followers/disciples, and in his teachings they are often used as examples of people living a true life of faith. Although women were not generally educated at the time Jesus lived, he allowed them to sit at his feet (the traditional posture of a disciple - Luke 10:38-42), and taught them. We should also note that it was women (including a reformed prostitute Mary Magdalene), who first witnessed and told the twelve male disciples about the resurrection of Jesus.

Paul's letters to the young churches in Asia Minor were written in response to real issues they were facing, and questions they were asking. When Paul writes about women in his letters, he is first and foremost responding to questions being asked by church leaders, about their role and place in the new movement. Remember, up until this time society had held largely negative attitudes towards women. Roman law gave man complete authority over his wife, and a woman's quiet submission was considered her greatest virtue. Most men married when they were in their thirties, and usually to girls in their teens. As such their wives would be less intellectually challenging for them, and this mainly because women were largely uneducated. The new Christian faith liberated both men and women, and 'in Christ' they were now equal with men! These were exciting times for women who became Christians, and Paul needed to work out how to include them as member's of the church , in a way that benefited everyone.

The Apostle Paul was giving instructions to the Church which, although on the surface it looked like it denied women the right to teach and have spiritual leadership in the Church, may in fact have been intended to empower women and give them a status previously denied to them by society. For instance, although women were not highly regarded by men at the time, Paul taught that they were equal to men (Galatians 3:28). Furthermore, far from denying women the right to have spiritual leadership per se, Paul was simply asking women to learn about the Scriptures before they began teaching others (1 Timothy 2:11-15).

To support this reading of Paul we should note that elsewhere in the New Testament, he acknowledges that women were already having a spiritual input into 'services'. In a letter to the church at Corinth he wrote, 'And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head...' (1 Corinthians 11:5 - he also says exactly the same about men in verse 4!). Notice he does not say women should not prophesy (or preach/teach) in Church services, but just that they should do so in a certain way. Thus Paul acknowledged and allowed women to exercise spiritual leadership in Church, despite some passages implying he did not.

Furthermore, if women are not to meant to even speak in church but are to ask their husbands if they do not understand something (1 Corinthians 14:33-35), what happens about single women? 1 Corinthians 14:33-35 makes no mention of single women and does not account for their needs, so this too suggests that it cannot be taken to be a teaching about all women.

Finally, if 1 Timothy 2:11-15 is assumed to be universal, then what do we make of verse 15 which says that women will be saved through having children ('But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety')? Although some take the verse to be speaking of Mary the Mother of Jesus, the verb for childbearing here is plural, and implies many children (or women gen. having children). This raises the problem for women who have no children, or cannot have children. If 1 Timothy 2:11-15 has universal meaning, then it suggests that women who cannot have children, cannot be saved? This seems odd, for Galatians 3:28 says that all men and women are equal in the Lord, implying that salvation is not restricted to men only. So 1 Timothy 2:15 seems not to refer to all women, but only the women under Timothy's care (or in his 'church'), and as such sets out advice applicable for a specific time rather than all churches everywhere. This would also seem to suggest that verses 11-14 must also be read similarly.

My veiw on this topic is not a hard headed one but the same of which I look at most of these contriversial topics, I'm going to serve how I feel God is calling me to serve, now God has not called me to be a Pastor, nor do I have any desire to be one so this isn't really an issue for me. But I've sat through a sermon from a Pastors wife once that had to have been the most powerful sermon I've ever heard and defenitly was a life changing message for me.

But the things I do believe are these, Women should have there own ministry with a woman leader, Women should be able to lead worship or lead a choir, and their are a few others I feel strongly about. Women happen to be the most poweful prayer intercessors, I think partly having to do with our role in marriage, we have to pray for our husbands constantly.

Personally, this is a touchy subject for me. Part of me wants to get all huff and puff about my rights as a women and I'm strong and independent but I also am currently a housewife who's goal is to be a stay at home mom. This doesn't mean I don't want to be involved in ministry though. In fact I know for a fact that God has called my husband and I to a great ministry and I can't wait to see that in full bloom. So here are some of my thoughts, done by research. Please comment, I would love to hear others opinions, women and men alike.

Our livingroom

Ok! I finally got rid of most of the purple. Our living room is no longer under construction;). Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

Trust!

I just wanted to say a few words about trust. Alex and I just went through a period in our lives were we could do nothing but trust God and pray.
God provided. Like he always does. Alot of people get confused about trust, their first thought is usually, "well, I can't just sit around and wait for something to happen, I have to go make it happen."

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding."

I take this verse to literally mean, trust even if it's not logical to YOU. There are so many people, friends and family, who right now, are worried about what is going to heppen to them, will they get that job, will they be fed, will they have gas money, will they be able to pay rent. It is so easy to get caught up into the worry storm. I read a great sign one day, "If you are worrying, you are not praying." So true, but even sometimes our prayers can be full of worry.

When we cry out to God for help, we are told to release our burdens to him, not just say, "Hey God, please help me, but I'm gonna hold
on to this just in case you can't do it." Now that is not trusting God.

I just want to share with you a few verses that really stood out to me regarding trust and God's will for us.

Deutoronomy 9:22 "You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, at Messah and Kibroth Hattaavah. And the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Branea, he said, "Go up and take possession of the land I have given you." But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not TRUST him or obey him."

Now this passage to me, looking at the whole chapter and in context seems to suggest that because Israel did not trust God they disobeyed and there for they were not blessed as they might have been. I mean God gave them land to take possession of and they did not trust him enough to just go there and follow him. i.e. trust=blessings

2Kings 18:5 "Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook."

Job 31:24 "If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained,..." (read the whole chapter, it'll rock your socks off!)

Psalm 9:9-11 "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Sing praises to the Lord, enthroned in zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done."

Praise God! We serve a wonderful Father who will never forsake us and is our provider.

Psalm 22:4 and 5 " In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

"Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all the joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

And this is my prayer for you, all of you who are having a difficult time with placing your trust in God. Be encouraged, place your trust in God, give him all your worries, your cares, and your burdens. He wants to carry them for you.

Side note: Don't be confused, this is not me saying don't care about what happens to, obviously action is involved but if you are not fully trusting the Lord, how are you expected to hear his instruction, don't be like the israelites.

Everything is meaningless; a chasing after the wind

So here I am, 2000 miles from my comforts. All the excitement and hustle and bustle of city are now a thing of the past. Now I am constantly driving to get anywhere interesting. Nothing is for certain, nothing is permanent. That is the reality of life. Jobs are meaningless, house is meaningless, stuff is meaningless, pleasures are meaningless, a chasing after the wind...Community formed right installs hope, encourages, affirms, and loves, without these things it is hard to survive. Without others to build you up and remind you of the path that you are on, you will surely stray.

Ecclesiastes 1:
"Meaningless! Meaningless!"
"Utterly meaningless!"
"Everything is meaningless"

What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets and hurries back to wear it rises.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes ever returning on it's course.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full
to the place where streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear it's fill of hearing.
What has been will be again, What has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one can say "Look! This is something new!"
It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
There is no rememberence of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be followed by those who follow.

I've been tagged!

Ok, so Stephanie tagged me quite a while ago and I totally failed to read the part where she tagged me so, here is my delayed response...

5 things that you may not know about me...

1. I decided not to take the job at this particular florist. They've been pretty wishy washy and the owner is not a nice person (that was the nicest thing I could say about her). But I'm still looking, I'll keep you updated.

2. I want a puppy more than anything right now...

3. I miss Chicago/Evanston so much that it hurts...

4. I make cookies every week, it's an addiction, and it helps that people enjoy it.

5. I've been working out faithfully 5 days a week every week since we've moved here. To make up for the cookies...;)

That's about it. Now I tag Alex and Amanda D.

I'm a florist in training!

OK, So Yesterday I decided to go to a florist near our apartment and see if they had any pat time positions where I could learn floral design. I walked into and they were short handed so they were like, "You want to make an arrangement?". So I went in and made flower arrangements for the next three hours. Apparently the owner/only designer broke a limb and is unable to come in at all so they are short handed, especially in need of a designer. So, I'll find out today if I'm will be the new floral designer;). It would only be part time but we could definitely use the extra money.

Here is my first floral arrangement

A slideshow of our new apartment...Finally

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My husband

Dear Lord, please help me see my marriage as a sacred thing. May I always understand that being married was not meant to just make me happy but make my character more holy. Help me remember being married is less about having the right partner and more about being the right partner. Shape me into the wife my husband needs and deserves. Help me to pause before I speak so I don’t react out of anger, frustration, or selfishness. Show me how to respect, love and give to this man in a way that honors You and brings joy to our home. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

things I like about my husband:
He's strong
He's motivated
He doesn't give up
I respect him
He's extremely lovable
He's smart
He's good with money
He's funny
He can turn my mood around in just a moment
He knows how to please me
He loves the Lord
He has wisdom
He is going to be a wonderful father
He is a great husband
He is willing to ask for help
He is the man God put in my life

We are here...

So we got into California on Monday evening. Our things won't be here till Monday (2 days). We took most of the old route 66 which was pretty rad. We took a few pictures and I'll post those as soon as we get a little more settled. We stopped in Oklahoma and New Mexico. A very eventful and long trip but definitely one that will leave a lasting impression on me. We had almost no furniture, especially since the purple chaise and the table aren't here yet so luckily Alex had a full bed, 2 nightstands, 3 bookshelves, and a black leather recliner in storage so we picked up those things just to fill up the apartment. And, let me just say that 2 people do not fit comfortably on a full size bed...

The good news, my moms best friend happened to have a fairly new Cal. King mattress, and we went out and found a cal king box spring for ridiculous cheap. Then we decided to check out the thrift stores, we were still short a desk and a tv stand; at the very least. We found a tv stand for $10 bucks and a black leather love seat for $25, a pleasant surprise for sure and eventually we found a desk for the computer for $15 buckaroos. I love a well spent $5o...:)

While here I also realized that my Sprint phone does not work in our town. This was only slightly disturbing since I was ready for a new phone anyway. We went to the Verizon store (Which is where Alex has his phone) and decided to look into the family plan. So I got a new phone and it ended up being much cheaper than both of our old phones together, so now I have a new phone and we are saving money, it's a win win situation.

So next week we'll unpack the rest of our home and then I'll start taking pictures:). Can't wait to show you all how beautiful our new place is.

Also, it has proven to be very rewarding to be living near family. God has truly blessed us and I will continue to trust in him for all of our needs.

GOD IS GOOD!!!!

Alex got the job! In case you didn't already hear...;) We are moving in 2 weeks. We'll be out there in 3.

Praise the Lord!

Not to Contridict my wonderful Husband but...

There is this new worship song written by Brenton Brown, a great worship leader who doesn't eat gluten;).(I know this because he came to our church and I was asked to make a welcome basket for him...it was an adventure..)

Anywhoo, This song is called Everlasting God and these are the words;

"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
we will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the lord
we will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord

Our God you reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer

You are the everlasting God, the everlasting God
you do not faint, you won't grow weary
your the defender of the weak,
you comfort those in need
you lift us up on wings like eagles."

The beauty of this song, is that it is meant to be encouragement for us, not to give up, to endure, to have hope, to find hope in God. We hate waiting, I don't think there is one human who actually enjoys waiting for things. But like it says in this song "God reigns forever". We are called time after time to wait upon the Lord. We so many times forget that God's timing is not our own, many times things happen too soon or not soon enough for us, yet in the eyes of God, they happened at just the right time. I'm reminded of the line from Lord of the Rings when Gandalf says "a wizard is never late, nor early, he arrives precisely when he means to." While God is not a wizard, it does always remind of his good nature and refocuses my views on timing. While we may not have enough trust or patience at times with God, like this song reminds us, he reigns forever, he does not faint or grow weary and he will lift us up, in his perfect timing. So to me, this song is assurance of my God's faithfulness.

Here are some verses I found as well that help;

• Isaiah 8:17 - "I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him."

(How many times do we feel like God is hiding from us and we must just continue to put our trust in him)

• Psalms 25:21 - "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you."
• Psalms 27:14 - "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
• Psalms 37:7, 9 - "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes....For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land."
• Psalms 62:5 - "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

There are so many more if you look for them, verses that speak of God's promises of hope and inheritance and for us to wait. I know it gets frustrating thinking that we have to wait but it is so worth it.

"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord."

Moving?

So Alex had three awesome interviews with this company in California. They said they will let us know by 1/17 so we are at least here until Febuary. I feel somewhat like a runner who is sure they about to start the race and keeps trying to run before it's time. I don't feeling anxious, I hope I can use my time off next week to get back into a peaceful state of mind. I'm so task oriented, I want to be ready, I want to be packed, and I want to make sure we have all of our t's crossed and i's dotted before we move but we haven't even gotten the final word yet. Grrr...I gess it goes back to trusting God. His timing is the perfect timing and I want his timing and his will. Sweet, I already feel less anxious.

So, Friday is my last day at Kelly, it will give me some time to do things I've been needing to do as well as a chance to kind of slow down. If you know me or have read my blogs you'll know what I'm talking about, my life has been a whirlwind and I'm ready for things to slow down. I'm also trying to get back into a healthier lifestyle, eating more healthy and excercising regularly. It just makes me feel better(and look better);). So that's a Kathy update.

Oh, I'm also thinking about collaborating with some people to do a yard/garage sale but since I have neither a yard nor a garage I'll have to find somebody who does.

Everything is meaningless...that is so meaningful

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know tht there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

Whatever has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgement-wickedness was there, in the place of justice-wickedness was there.

I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgement both the righteous and the wicked for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed."

I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man risies upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?"

So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Ecclesiastes 3

Our Apartment

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So this is what exuberance feels like?

Exuberance: Joyful enthusiasm, Overflowing with eager enjoyment or approval.

This is great! So Alex had his final inteveiw last night and it went really well so we are waiting to hear back. I have a really good feeling about it.

Now the best part, I quit my job! My last day is a week from today. I feel so liberated. It's such a wonderful feeling, I felt so tied down and oppressed all the time. I have finally got some joy and hope back in my life, Praise the Lord! I feel like dancing. I feel positivley silly!

Well, if Alex get's this job we will most likely be in California my Febuary;). God is so good. I know he's got great things stored up for us and it's amazing to think he's calling us back to our hometown.

Please pray for us!

My New Years Prayer

Heavenly Father, I want this New Year to be a year where I walk in Your will, not ahead and not behind. I want to know the plans You have for my life, and then I want to join You wherever You are working. Teach me not to rush ahead of You. Help me to stop to pray to ask for Your guidance before making any plans. Thank you that You promise that I will hear Your voice. Thank you that You have good plans for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

New Years Resolutions

So now is the time where we all say we are going resolve to doing something different than we did last year, we are going to change something. While this is good, most of us forget about resolutions by February.

So instead of wasting our time I thought I'd try to help by posting something that I found this morning. Hopefully this will inspire you to not just change a lifestyle or habit but to change your attitude, mind set, thus leading to tranforming your lifestyle/habit.

• JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct, and accept those I cannot.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.
• JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

Hopefully this inspires you as much as it inspired me.