Celebrations

It seems each year in mid-February, we begin the celebrations!

February 12th is Ashlyn's birthday.  I cannot believe my baby girl just turned 15 and in 365 days will be driving alone!  Look out...  She is such a beautiful young lady, and we are very proud of her.  God has blessed her with an amazing personality, unbelievable musical talent, and a heart for Him.  We couldn't be prouder of the young woman of God she is becoming!

February 14th is Mitchell's birthday.  I still cannot get over the fact that their birthdays are two days apart.  If you "plan" pregnancies, this might happen, but adoption????  It makes me laugh that we celebrate the same week.  Anyway, little man (as we call him) is now 6 and keeps us in stitches.  He has to be one of the funniest kids I've ever seen.  Right now his obsession is the statue of liberty.  He dresses up like a statue, asked for a cake of the statue and talks about it ALL the time.

March 1st rolls around and Gary and I celebrate our wedding anniversary.  This year is our 20th!  I cannot believe it's been 20 years!  I've been married longer than I was single. (I was really young.)  Marriage has its ups and downs, but Gary and I are blessed to have a wonderful, God centered marriage that I have come to cherish greatly.  I really do realize how unique and blessed our marriage is in today's standards. 

So in a few days, the celebrations come to an end for a few months.  It's been fun as it is every year.  Thank you Lord for your blessings of Ashlyn, Mitchell, and Gary in my life.  I am blessed more than I deserve!

The Life of a Rubber Band

As I was cooking last night and thinking about things that are currently happening in my life, I had a "mental pic" of a rubber band.  The purpose of a rubber band is to stretch to fit to hold things together. 

Lately, I feel like a rubber band....God is stretching me!  I am currently teaching an Adult Sunday School class called "Crazy Love" based on Francis Chan's book.  I am also teaching a Ladies Bible Study on Wednesday nights entitled "Radical" by David Platt.  These two books/series have created a "STRETCH" in my life for numerous reasons:

1.  The material in both series are very similar about how Christians ought to live out their faith.  It is not the norm, either.  It's a radical, get out of your comfort zone, and be all that Jesus told you to be kind of message.  That's a stretch for me.

2.  I am not very confident in myself when it comes to teaching adults.  I teach teenagers all day long, and it's a natural process for me.  They are very forgiving.  Adults are another story...but I am finding they are forgiving too and are as hungry for God to move in their lives as I am.   Again....another stretch.

3.  Finally, I feel like I am on a new spiritual journey, so to speak.  God is doing something new, fresh, and exciting in my life.  I think we all reach points where we feel we have become comfortable and need to be stretched spiritually.  So that's where I am.  I am so loving being in the Word, listening to His voice, and seeking His face.  It's an awesome experience.

So if you haven't been "stretched" in a while, I challenge you to pick up a copy of "Crazy Love" and/or "Radical" and see what God has for you.  It's changing our church!!!! 

To God be all glory, praise, and honor~
Krystal