2011 Bible Verse Ten

Bible Verse Ten!  :0)

"May the Lord direct your hearts

into God's love and Christ's perseverance."

2 Thessalonians 3:5

2011 Bible Verse Nine

Happy May!  I can't believe we are already to our NINTH Bible verse this year!  2011 is FLYING by! (More of that in a post to follow...hopefully this weekend!)  :0)  We had an AMAZING month of April celebrating our risen Lord...

He is RISEN!

He is RISEN indeed!!!

...celebrating my wonderful daddy's birthday.

...spending wonderful time with family & friends.

...and going on an AMAZING trip of a lifetime with my wonderful, adorable, brilliant, hilarious, handsome, and ever-so-sweet hubby!!!

(Pictures to follow)  :0)

But for today (and a few days late...sorry!), let's unveil our 2011 Bible verse #9.

"Being confident of this,

that He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus."

--Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

This verse just popped out at me this morning.  I'm beginning this month feeling like I need to be doing more (as, ironically, I type this sucking down yet another HUGE cup of coffee just to make it through today).  This past month was absolutely amazing!  I got to go places and do things I NEVER dreamed this little farm girl would EVER get close to doing.  And throughout it all, I knew that these amazing experiences were absolutely a blessing from God for my sweetie & I to enjoy.  :0)  And amongst the experiences, I truly felt SO CLOSE to God in thanksgiving and joy and leaned on Him many, many (like ten hours in the air over an ocean) times.  But now we are back, and amongst loads and loads of laundry, hours still sleep deprived from jet lag, and cup after cup of caffeine, I feel like I need to be doing MORE for God...not because He requires it but because I feel drawn to Him more and more.  But, as I drag my coffee cup and myself through yet another week getting to the first weekend in over a month where we are in town (Hallelujah, Amen!), I feel overwhelmingly inadequate and ungiving.  :0(  Then, I came across this Bible verse this morning and felt a weird sense of relief by its words.  While it's not required for salvation (thank You, Jesus!), God LOVES when we do good works in His name and so furthers His kingdom.  And guess what?  The Bible said it is GOD, and not us, who "began a good work" in us and GOD who "will carry it on to completion".  God does it.  God is in charge.  He finds the perfect thing for us...that fits each of our talents and abilities and joys He gave us...and then begins the good work and carries it on to completion until Christ returns.  God does it.  He is in control.  Whew...kinda takes the pressure off a bit.  God will use us and guide us and strengthen us to do good works in His name and for His glory.  We need but be available, listen to His words, be the "clay" in the "Potter's" hands, and trust Him to mold us into a good work that is GLORIOUS to His name!  :0)

2011 Bible Verse Eight

Happy April 15th!  To a tax chic like me, this is a very important day!  (And even though we technically get until Monday, April 18th this  year, I am done and everything is filed, so I'm disregarding the extended date and celebrating the end of the deadline today!)

Also with the 15th comes my next Bible verse to memorize.  To tell you truthfully, we had such an EXCITING and WONDERFUL first half of April (more of that to come!), and I have been saying this verse over and over again (I put it on a sticky note in my travelling purse Bible), so I figured I'd continue on throughout the rest of the month and the glorious celebration of Easter!

"Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near."

--Philippians 4:4-5

Praise the LORD!  It is HE "who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17 NKJV).  Thank You, Father God!!!  :0)  Praise Your holy name!!!

2011 Bible Verse Seven

Happy April everyone!  What a BEAUTIFUL springtime we are having...yay!

And with the new month, it's time for a new look to the blog...in honor of my wonderful Daddy's April birthday!  I love you, Dad!!!   :0) 

And while the design is so perfect for my fisherman Daddy, it is also for the month and celebration of Easter; this background reminds me of Jesus calling us all to be fishers of men...Jesus calling Simon Peter and Andrew from their boats as His first disciples...Jesus calming the waves and walking on water...and one of my favorite church songs, "Lord, When You Came to the Seashore".  :0)

It's also time for our next Memory Bible Verse.  I am so wonderfully blessed by God in so many ways.  Praise You, Father!  So for this first half of April and as we continue our Lenten journey celebrating God's GREATEST blessing in Jesus' sacrifice for us, I have chosen a verse of praise...

"I will praise You, O LORD, with all my heart;

I will tell of all Your wonders.

I will be glad and rejoice in You;

I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

--Psalm 9:1-2

And here's a few more verses too (because I just can't seem to decide).  Praise You, God!!!  <3

"Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all.

The Lord is near."

--Philippians 4:4-5

"Be joyful always;

pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

--1 Thessalonians 5:16

"Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."

--James 5:13b

2011 Bible Verse Six

"One thing God has spoken,

two things have I heard:

that You, O God, are strong,

and that You, O Lord, are loving."

--Psalm 62:11-12a

January & February Recap!

Happy March! I hope everyone is having a wonderful time in this pre-spring sunshiny weather!

This year seems to be FLYING by.  (More of that to follow.)  I’m sorry for the tardiness, but I still thought it would be fun to give a quick January & February 2011 recap of the things I haven’t yet shared, and to share a few pics of me & my sweet Matt too!

In late January, Matt & I were invited by our dear friends to a “Burn’s Night” dinner, a Scottish tradition to honor the great Scottish poet Robert Burns (he wrote “Auld Lang Syne” amongst other amazing things).  It was so much fun!  We got to taste haggis for the first time, listened to AMAZING bagpipe music (I cried when they played “Amazing Grace”…so beautiful!), and had such a wonderful time with their family celebrating their Scottish heritage…and Matt’s too!

With our sweet (and Scottish!) friend, L!

With the VERY Scottish Mr. S!


The month of love came in with cold, cold, cold! I guess Mother Nature wanted everybody to cuddle with each other to stay warm! We were forecast to have snow one day...

The desktop forecast on my computer.  SNOW!!!  But...no.  :0(
(Note the desktop background from the (in)courage website.
They post a new one each month with a beautiful picture
and Bible verse.  Check it out on the right side of their top links bar.)

...but it never materialized and instead ended up VERY icy.  Our town isn’t accustomed to icy weather, so the whole town essentially shut down!  And it was on a Friday, too, so…3-day weekend!  Matt & I stayed warm and cozy inside, with big mugs of coffee and hot chocolate and lots of daytime tv.  It…was…wonderful.

Temperature one morning on my car.  Brrrrrr!!!

Ice/frost on our bushes

Icicles on our bushes

The extra Friday also helped us get ready for our Super Bowl party!  We decided just to do a small gathering this year with just a few of our closest friends and family (so it would be more laid back and so we could see more of the game).  It was fun!!!  I was cheering for the commercials!  Go Clydesdales!  :0)

Friends cheering at our Super Bowl party

Probably the most exciting part of 2011 so far (and hence the “flying” comment earlier), is that Matt & I went to Vegas for a week in mid-February!!!  Matt had a work conference there, and I got to tag along.  I was THRILLED!!!  Vegas is such a special place to me and Matt, and it was PERFECT that we got to spend some quality Matt-and-Jill time there together…and on Valentine’s Day too!  The joke was that Matt worked and gambled, and I shopped and ate.  It…was…wonderful.  Vegas, baby!!!

Matt & I on the plane to Vegas!  Yummy snack plate, and my first time with airplane DirectTV!
(Matt's a seasoned pro.)



Welcome to Las Vegas!!!
(First time we saw this sign.  Classic!)



Me & Vegas sign.  Can you tell I'm excited?!!!

Me & my sweetie in the Bellagio Conservatory.
It, as well as many of the hotels, were decorated for Chinese New Year.

Me in Bellagio Conservatory by the Chinese red bridge and rabbits!
The rabbits were for the Year of the Rabbit for Chinese New Year, but I just LOVED them!!!

Matt in Bellagio Conservatory



Me in a noodle restaurant in Caesar's Place.  The food was yummy,
and Matt said it looked like we were inside a present.  :0)

To enter the restaurant, you walked through walls of fish aquariums FULL of goldfish.
The colors were BEAUTIFUL!!!

We stayed at Caesar's Palace (the site of Matt's conference).
The funniest thing happened while we were checking out...
A group of very "happy" barely-21 guys came up to the check-out desk
and asked, "Is this the REAL Caesar's Palace?"
just like in the movie "The Hangover".
And the lady at the desk TOTALLY guessed
that THAT it what they were going to ask.
So funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!  :0)



Chinese lanterns hanging in The Bellagio for Chinese New Year

The BEAUTIFUL Bellagio glass-flowered ceiling  :0)

Year of the Rabbit!  So cute!!!

Largest chocolate fountain in the WORLD!

By the Eiffel Tower...the LAS VEGAS Paris Eiffel Tower

My favorite coffee shop...in The Bellagio

Darth Vader wielding a light saber standing next to a Scotsman playing bagpipes.
ONLY IN VEGAS!!!

Me in one of the new Aria hotels.  So fancy!!!

While we were there, Celine Dion returned to Caesar's Palace
(after taking a break to have her twins)
for a press conference and to start rehearsing.  Shows begin again March 15th.
We saw the commotion, but
didn't wait the 3+ hours to try to see her.  But still...so exciting!

Signs everywhere along the strip said, "Welcome Home Celine".

Me & my sweetie

Matt on the "streets" of The Forum Shops

We ate such yummy food, including hand-stretched noodles, urban butcher sandwiches,
banana donuts, and delicious gelato.
The last night, we ate at Mario Batali's restaurant where we dined
on various meats and cheeses with recommended flavor-pairings
of honey, apricots, and cherries.  It sounded weird, but it was
TRULY SO DELICIOUS!
Oh, and we ate Mario's pizza too.  Mmmmmm.
When in Italy...I mean, Rome...I mean, Vegas.  :0)

Bye, bye, Vegas!

Matt on the plane coming home eating his yummy cheeseburger.

And finally, the last weekend of February was my sweet cousin’s 8th birthday.  Happy Birthday, A!!!  She and her brother are so special to me, and I was THRILLED that Matt & I got to attend her kitty cat birthday party this year.  My sweet niece, Miss J, was there to celebrate as well.  I know I’m biased, but isn’t she just PURR-FECT! :0)

Adorable Miss J at sweet Miss A's PURR-FECT kitty cat b-day party!



Oh how she LOVES HER MOMMA!!!

It was wonderful being there for A’s special day and amazing to spend time with my AWESOME and AMAZING family!!!

So, fast and furious…but wonderful too!  So many great memories to start our 2011 great!  And throughout each moment, the Lord was with me...blessing me so greatly, giving me strength and safety and protection, and showering me with His everlasting and amazing love.  Praise You, Lord!

Fun and friends and family

Lots of laughter and love

Trips and travel and time with my honey

All blessings from God above!

2011 Bible Verse Five

Happy 1st day of March!  Wow...this year is FLYING by!  February was fun, but it was also fast and furious!  (I'll post a summary of fun happenings soon.)  Until then, please enjoy the new March design to the blog (March is my wonderful mom's birthday month, so I picked a template I thought she would like...love you Mom!), and let's ring in the new month with our 5th Bible verse of 2011...

"God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble...

He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God' "

--Psalm 46:1,10