many conversations recently. many thoughts, many ideas, many moments.

perhaps one of the most exciting moments has been the one on Saturday in which i bought my plane ticket to see sista hillary in nyc! "i can't wait" has rarely been so very true. july 14th, here i come.

more wonderful moments: i recently read surprised by hope by n.t. wright and there is still so much whispering, weaving, wandering about in my mind it that i find myself not entirely sure how to begin articulating my thoughts. so i'll give myself a bit more time and instead share some more well-prepared notions of others i've come across recently...each of these ideas and many more are shaping my thought life at the moment...

• Ending human trafficking is not idealistic or naive. It is audacious. And it is people of audacity who change the world. - Rob Morris, President and Co-Founder of Love146.
  
• Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men. - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
  
• I believe that if we take justice, beauty and evangelism in terms of the anticipation of God's eventual setting to rights of the whole world, we will find that they dovetail together and in fact that they are all part of the same larger whole, which is the message of hope and new life that comes with the good news of Jesus' resurrection. - N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

mmm, mmm good.

pure and undefiled religion.

As a class assignment, I responded to the following verses with the journal entry below:

It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;

who conducts his affairs with justice.

For the righteous will never be moved;

he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;

his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.

He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever;

his horn is exalted in honor.

Psalm 112:5-9

Caring for the poor and needy in all things has weighed heavily on my mind recently. Jesus was so incredibly connected with the true needs of the people around him, whether they were the poor in spirit, finances, or both, and I long to have the same compassion and desire to show them Who can meet their deepest spiritual need as well as personally stepping up to help meet their practical needs. These verses describe exactly who I have been praying to be recently – fearless in the face of bad news, for I know the Lord is worthy of my trust. Steady and triumphant, for I know the Lord is my strength. Distributing freely, giving to the poor, for I know that the Lord is my provider and I do not need to store up riches for myself. Jared and I are joining with another couple whom we love dearly to minister to a family of refugees soon to move into an apartment complex nearby which is indwelt entirely by refugees, mostly from Burma and Iraq. I pray that the Lord will continue growing our hearts in the way these verses describe, that we may freely give in every way the Lord brings to mind, and that above all we may be reflections of the steady hearts the Lord has placed in those who hold fast to His name.

Take 5 minutes to consider and pray for those who are poor and in need today.

 

the trafficked. the sick. the homeless and hungry.

 

...why wouldn't you?

the Lord is my shepherd.

i've been extremely hesitant to blog recently. there's a lot going on...a lot which could end up being nothing...but a lot for now. i don't want this blog to become a diatribe about the hard things in my life, but the Lord is teaching me a lot about how my circumstances don't need to be a reason to hide in a corner, but rather, when viewed correctly, they become a megaphone for proclaiming how good the Lord is to me...and therefore how good He is at all times, to all people. i'm not upset about what is going on in my life. please hear that before you read further. i have moments where things feel overwhelming, and i have times when i think about how simple things were before life started to spiral...but then i remember that neither of those things are true. i am not overwhelmed, for God is a shield about me. i am not being removed from the simple beauties of my 'previous' life, for God is the giver of all good things. those are the truths that i honestly believe.

let that be the lens for the rest of this post...

a few months ago, my gynocologist suggested that i have some bloodwork done on my thyroid levels, as there seemed to be a nodule on the left side of my thyroid. i had the bloodwork done and all my levels came back normal, but the general practitioner i saw (who sees DTS students for free...talk about a blessing) suggested that i have an ultrasound done on the nodule to discover the size, as it seemed kind of large. the ultrasound revealed that the nodule was 3.4 centimeters, and anything over 1 centimeter is strongly recommended to undergo a biopsy. so, i made an appointment with an endocrinologist who did the biopsy and called me a week later with some pretty surprising news.

we all knew that the chances this nodule represented cancer were 3/100, so no one was really all that concerned. well, turns out statistics don't always mean what we'd hope they do, and my doctor's phone call informed us of that. she said that her best diagnosis at this point is Follicular Thyroid Cancer. i know," cancer," the word practically makes us want to come out of our skin and run for the hills. BUT, while this type of thyroid cancer is less common and more aggressive than most types of thyroid cancer, thyroid cancer as a whole is absolutely the cancer you would want to choose if you had a line-up of cancers you had to pick from. it is usually treatable simply by removing the nodule, which will be happening for me in the next few weeks after a consultation with a neck surgeon tomorrow. if that doesn't remove it all, i'll undergo a treatment called Radioactive Iodine which is much less intense than it sounds. our prayer is that the cancer has not spread anywhere else, if it hasn't, this will probably all be over this time next month. if it has, God is still God, still good, and still the giver of all good things. we are not afraid.

the Lord has surrounded us with his peace and his people in the past few days. we've received countless text messages, emails, phone calls, and knocks on our door - each one strengthening our hearts and minds. i'm going to be using a lot of nutrional, natural methods to strengthen my immune systems and fight this (probable) cancer, and friends who eat gluten-free and vegan have been coming out of the woodwork. my Mom connected me with a nutritionist (who said I should still eat a little meat - my husband probably wants to fly down to Houston and hug him right now) and is assisting me beyond measure in understanding how my body naturally works and what i can do to restore my health if that's God's plan for me. though things are crazy at times and life looks so different than just a week ago, there hasn't been a moment where i couldn't say that God wasn't providing above and beyond our wildest dreams, exactly as He promised He would. friends and family have blessed us with finances, flowers, food, and sweeter moments of fellowship than we have perhaps ever known. this is all worth it. watching the body of Christ surround its members in need is one of the sweetest things i have ever seen. our hearts rejoice in knowing that we are loved.

how fitting that it's 3/3 and the verse resounding in my head is psalm 3:3. "but You, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head."

i'll keep you posted (what a silly pun). please pray for continued peace, strength, wisdom, and discernment, and above all thay Jared's and my hearts would be woven closer together and closer to the Lord...whatever it takes for those two things to happen is beyond worth it in our book. God is good, truly good, and those words mean more to me now than i ever knew they could.

inspired.

Jared and I just returned from an evening of Office watching and conversation with fun, deeply-thinking, God-loving friends. The guys, as they've been known to do, split off rather quickly to talk about their classes, theology, and whatever modalism is, and us ladies found our conversation drifting toward the newest big thing, the iPad. The discussion of Apple's newest creative venture eventually rabbit trailed into thoughts on how technology is influencing the communication, language, and relationships of today. We knew we weren't the first people to ever think of this issue, but as women who hope to be mothers someday and who value face to face interaction, deep community, closeness, and showing others who Jesus is through action...we found ourselves with quite a bit to say.
For example, texting is great. I love texting. Texting gets things accomplished and allows for information to be communicated without much trouble at all. Fabulous. I'm all about information and making plans and saying a quick hello. I've definitely been known to even have a texting conversation in my day, but that's where we thought things started to get a little hazy. Why not pick up the phone, or even send an email (something that at least has a distant reference to a thought out letter)?
And what about when we have kids? What about when our kids start feeling the pressure and need to feel connected? How will we help them form meaningful friendships, even mentorships, even if it's just a few? How do we teach the value that comes from depth and not just width? Come to think of it, how do we help ourselves believe in it?
I don't think texting or emailing or whatever else by default keeps people from having deep relationships. But I constantly notice with myself a need to feel connected and informed, and all too often I attempt to fill that need with facebook or a surface level text message. Why not pick up the phone and have a conversation? I have time. We all have time at some point. So, I suppose the question is, how are we spending it? What do we cherish and value? Relationships touch souls, and souls last forever. I just want to be sure I'm treasuring the souls in my life, not just surface level information.
One of my friends tonight said we're going to look up one day and realize that we're the most connected people in the world, yet also the loneliest. Lets find ways to make sure that's not the case, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the community He cherishes, and the generations He may allow us to touch.

tapestry.

As a class assignment this semester, I've "had" to read a devotion from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest four days a week and then write a journal entry about it. God has used Chamber's words to convict, encourage, and strengthen believers for decades, and I've been incredibly blessed in each of those ways as well.

In our Sunday School class at our church, we've been working through the accounts in the Old Testament, most recently coming to the chapters about Abram (he isn't Abraham yet :)). We've been challenged to see even the earliest recordings in Genesis as a part of our story as believers, recognizing that God is continually unfolding the story of His glory most of all, and our redemption as a part of that immeasurable glory.

Today, I pulled up the My Utmost entry for November 17th, and lo and behold, there's our friend Abra(ha)m! Of all the ways God reveals His presence to me, I must say that one of my favorites, if I can have those, is when He weaves multiple vessels by which He is teaching me about Himself together...or, more simply, when paths cross. Abraham on Sunday, and Abraham (surprisingly) throughout the week strengthens my faith so that I can say things like "Jesus, I know You are here."

In this devotion, Chambers writes of how Abraham "reached where he [was] in touch with the very nature of God." Doesn't that just make your soul sing? Statements like that help me to remember that there is absolutely nothing on this earth that could ever surpass the greatness of knowing God by the kindness and revelation of the Spirit, and through the blood of Jesus Christ. "In touch with the very nature of God" - aware of His essence, confident of His goodness and love, trusting of His justice and mercy.

May God draw us deeper and deeper into His heart so that we can believe more about Who He is, we can know exactly who we are because of Him, and we can love this world around us with the utmost confidence and courage.

speed of sound.

oh, my.


....overwhelmed.

i think i've started to associate my blog with ireland..with all that happened that which seems so close yet so far away from this moment. this moment, this moment which has me in our new apartment, sitting on the fourth floor of a highrise, looking out on the seminary's lovely little campus. this moment, which is coming not long after the moment i experienced today when someone looked at me and said "we have an offer for you" and hired me to work for a non-profit. this moment, which has me looking at my husband, my apartment, my new life and thinking "God is so good. God is fo faithful."

and what's beautiful to me, is that i was saying the exact same thing in ireland, and it was just as true there as it is here. our lives have changed in almost every way, yet He, our Essential, remains. and that is why He is good, why He is faithful - because He remains center while all else revolves. blessed be the name of the Lord.

trust and obey.

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."
- lewis carroll


the title for this post and the quote above probably seem to relate very little if at all. yet, for the myriad of ideas, thoughts, feelings, decisions, and dreams flying around my heart and mind these days - they seem to collide quite nicely. "the time has come...to talk of many things." to pray for many things. to decide many things. and so,

"i will trust
i will obey
i will follow where You lead
come what may..."

see, they fit perfectly.

the language of spirit and soul.

my heart/soul/spirit don't tend to speak English. they favor the dialect of music.

just a few they've been speaking frequently, recently:

we are man and wife - michelle featherstone
where i stood - missy higgins
samson - regina spektor

i'm mostly writing this because - thank you Jesus - i got my tuition rebate in the mail yesterday and get to spend it on a piano/keyboard. i miss playing so much, and my parents don't have a piano anymore, so i rarely if ever get to play. my favorite place to sing is when i'm also playing. i can't wait to learn the songs above and many, many more. suggestions?

also - www.oth-music.com goes episode by episode and gives the songs for each episode of one tree hill. whether you watch the show or not - its very musically savvy (each show is named after a song) and i've acquired some amazing tunes through it.

thank God for music. sometimes English just doesn't do it.

well, i'm sitting here at my parent's dining room table on a lovely sunday afternoon waiting for danielle (my dear friend who is in england at the moment) to appear online so i can skype for the first time! quite exciting.

this weekend, our church did a weekend for the youth called "kardia" which means heart. it was set up like a d-now, one night & we stayed in people's homes , and the theme was "the sex delusion." it breaks my heart for the immorality these kids are exposed to every single day, i know our world has always been gross - but it seems that approval of the grossness is increasing every day. i really believe this was a beautiful weekend of truth, healing, and preparation to stand strong for the right reasons - not just because "True Love Waits." God really is good, all the time. His truth really is true, all the time. and Satan is a liar not on occasion, but all the time, it is the essence of who he is. just as he cannot do anything but lie and manipulate, God can do nothing but speak truth, justice, and love. what a wonderful Savior.

well, danielle and i have found each other so i'm heading out to chat. have a lovely day :)

grace upon grace.

i'm so grateful for graduation.
for the accomplishment
for the relief of no more homework
for the reminder of the mark my college years have made on my life
for the incredible job opportunity i now have because i was able, somehow, to graduate early.

want to hear about it? ok. super. i love talking about it.

my current boss, melany, who owns baskets on the brazos wasn't going to be able to add very many more hours for me in the spring so i was going to keep that job and add another part time maybe at starbucks or something. but, one day last week, she mentioned that her husband, bryan, who owns traditions health care and hospice may be looking for a volunteer coordinator (idea). so, thursday i walk into the store mid-day to pick up some more deliveries to take out and this is what happened...

*melany is on the phone with bryan*
melany: hey abby, bryan wants to know if you want the job
abby: um....yes.
melany: *laughter* do you need to talk to your husband?
abby: i mean, i told him about the possibility (memo to audience: he was elated), he'll say yes
melany: bryan, she says she wants it....abby, he says you're a college graduate now so you have to tell him how much you think you should make
abby: ...maybe i will talk to jared
melany: *more laughter* does x-x amount sound right to you?
abby: definitely.
melany: he asked if you can email him your resume and start january 5th
abby: definitely...is he serious?! does he know i'm leaving in may?
melany: she wants to know if you're serious, bryan, she really wants it, but she wants to know if you know she's moving in may...yeah, he's serious and he knows you're moving, he just wants you to get their volunteer program started.
abby: um, ok!
melany: yeah, you've got the job, just email him your resume.
abby: *inward happy dance* ok!

...yeah.
God is good, all the time.

i'll give you more job details as i get them, but for now just know its a dream come true.
God is more faithful than we will ever, ever have words for. praise Him with me!

heaven to earth.

when i was an impact co-chair a few years ago, our t-shirts had a quote on them that said this:

"Because with every decision, conversation, gesture, comment, action, and attitude, we're inviting heaven or hell to earth."
-- Rob Bell (this is from his book Sex God which i highly recommend.)

1000 Wells TAMU exists as a part of Blood:Water Mission - an organization seeking to build clean water wells in Africa in order to reduce the horrors of the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis. starting Monday, students will be asked to give up all beverages except water for 2 weeks and donate the money they would have spent to the cause. this year, they'll be kicking the 2 weeks off with a free derek webb concert at fbc bryan on sunday at 7:30.

i'd say that's bringing some heaven to earth. and i'd say Jesus cares a lot about heaven and earth.

the battalion (A&M's student newspaper), featured an article about 1000 Wells yesterday if you want some more insight.

join us!

be careful, believer.

there are a lot of facebook statuses and overheard conversations i've encountered recently about people being "scared" about the election, fearful for our country, likening political candidates to figures such as....Satan.

be careful, believer. be careful.

For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. - Col 1:16

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work - Titus 3:1.

i am not telling you to not pray for our country, to not pray for godly decision making, to not stand up for what you believe. but as a follower of Jesus Christ - you are called to submit to the authorities He has put in place. He has put in place. God is in control. our perspectives are very narrow, very small. God has gone before, behind, and with us into all of time.

stop being disrespectful. stop thinking you know everything.

do what you can (i.e. vote according to the convictions God has placed on your life) in faith and let God be God.

and stop slandering people. now.

watch the election tomorrow night in faith that whoever becomes the next ruler of our nation God has placed there for a reason. "be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution" (1 peter).

do not be afraid, believer, do not be afraid.

"the Lord your God is with you" and He longs for your eyes to be fixed on Him, on eternity. "be anxious for nothing." He is in control.

God establishes governments to maintain some level of order in a broken world - not to fix anything, not to play god.

let's stop believing that God for a millisecond can stop being God. let's recognize that if Jesus Christ ceased thinking of us for a moment - life would end. "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together."

do not be afraid.

quest...ing.

i knew this would happen.

as soon i say i'm going to start "planning" to write about something, i kinda spaz out inside and say to myself "self, you will never begin to scratch the surface of said plan, so just...go erase that 'getting there' post and give yourself a break, put up some more wedding pictures or something..."

then the little overachiever self says, "now self, you really do want to write this post. you really do want to expound brilliantly on some profound discovery of spirituality, rhetoric, creativity, whatever it may be. push yourself, get there, accomplish, accomplish, accomplish."

so, here i sit, potentially schizophrenic, most likely just an extremist wallowing through the mire of "finding balance" and hearing this little voice from somewhere saying - just love Jesus and quit worrying about all this nothingness.

great idea.

oh, and it's not really a little voice -there's a great example of not having a very good grasp on reverence.

regardless of whatever everything i just wrote meant here's a few thoughts on what i don't think reverence for God looks like...

- i don't think it means cleaning up your actions for the sake of cleaning up your actions, having a sterlized vocabulary, swearing off the bubbly, or any other list controlled type living
- i'm also pretty sure it doesn't mean scoffing at anyone who chooses to do any of the above.

and therein lies the prob....i mean paradox. it's really not a problem, it's fantastic and full of freedom (alliterate much?). and come to think of it, it's not much of a paradox either - really it's a rather simple rhythm of life God set up that we decided we would complicate.

a prime example: gossip.

(i am not about to stand on a soapbox, promise.)

let's just think about what we say about people. let's not become obsessed with phrasing things in such a way that we then don't feel guilty for what we just said when in reality we said "that person really kind of makes me insane and/or represents all that is liscentious/legalistic/lame to me." don't know what i mean? little things like - "i really shouldn't say this, but" or asking inappropriate questions then following them up by - "that was probably kinda rude" or "this really isn't any of my business, but..."

c'mon now.

am i saying we shouldn't have honest, real, potentially less than pristine conversation?

...do you know me?

clearly, i'm not.

what i am saying is this - "let no unwholesome speech come from your mouth"

let's just think about what that means. let's stop thinking that cussing is any worse/less holy than slandering a brother or sister or discussing matters that aren't ours to discuss.

"to everything (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) and a time to every purpose under heaven" (i know that's a verse. its also a great song from the big chill soundtrack i grew up on)

in my world, there is next to nothing that "should never" be discussed. just last night i told my high school senior girls that i wanted to represent a safe place for them to talk about things/struggles/desires they may feel insane for having. how else will we cultivate community, joy, gladness, comfort, compassion, reality?

...but, there is a time and a purpose.

this is why we need our inner few friends. this is why we need our big circles. this is why we need older people to tell us about life, and younger people to help along the way. this is why we need all these relational dynamics we engage in - because there is a time and purpose for everything under heaven. let's have the reverence for the Lord who created those times and purposes by living in such a way that we honor those creations.

lastly, i am in absolutely no way saying that you shouldn't ever break the mold in how conversation in certain circles of your life usually goes. i'm just saying there's a difference between honesty and speech for the sake of attention and/or filling the silence.

i am guilty of all of the above and more so really, there's no reason to think i'm preaching here. i'm hoping for renewal in this area of my life as well as in other's lives because i think it will change the way we interact and are perceived.

i would love thoughts/disagreements/additions on anything i've said here. really, really.

rain, rain, please stay.

...and come again another day.

i enjoy this. i love that we have to be at home (or, in this case, parent's home) and play games, fortunately for us still holding onto the power people - watch movies, and just not have the option or obligation to get in the car and drive somewhere. times like this remind me of how important it is that my soul finds rest in God alone, because, at least for us, a "restful" (seems odd to say during a hurricane...) time like this is so rare. i am grateful that Jesus can bring peace to my soul during a hurricane, during the quietness of a safe house amidst the hurricane, and during the hustle and bustle of normal, sun, school, and social filled life.

i hope you all are safe, dry, and not too wind blown. enjoy the "quiet."

the eyes of my heart enlightened.

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction,
out of the miry clay;
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear, And will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Psalm 40:1-4

How sweet is the "new song" in my mouth recently.

For me, college has been a time of great wonder, joy, and excitement. It has also been a time of great searching, confusion, and, at times, the lowest points of my life thus far. I have struggled with Who God is, struggled with struggling with Who God is, and struggled with trying to read, pray, and talk through struggling with Who God is. I can't say I have always been patient in the struggle, as the verses above can claim, but I can say I have had a Jesus Who has refused to let me go and, for some reason, has chosen this past week to...as words pitifully attempt to describe...burst through several clouds in my mind this past week.

There really is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Really.
My attempts to "be like Jesus" are exceptionally futile if I am not relying fully on the power of Christ.
The Bible is a story about God - and when I am enabled to view it that way....freedom.
(I have said all of these things before and I can't really explain how true and real they are now resonating inside me. I think something has transferred from my head to my heart....)

"I tried and tried to rectify my hopeless situation,
but I bought the lie I still have work to do.
Now I'm working nine to five like I can earn my own salvation,
but there is no condemnation in You.

...child, you're forgiven and loved."
- Jimmy Needham

OH! I am forgiven and loved. How many times have these words emerged from my mouth? How many times have a prayed with a minuscule dab of faith that maybe they could be true for me? Now I know.

Yesterday, I had lunch with a dear friend, who has experienced many of the same sweet characteristics of the Lord as well. We were able to truly rejoice in His goodness and find awe in the fact that the most, if anything, we ever really did was beg Him to draw near and rebuild whatever needed rebuilding. He cannot help but be faithful.

I pray you read this post for what it is. For joy and grace and the ever constant work of the Lord Jesus Christ in the hearts of His people, and even in those yet to be His. I pray you read this and see the greatness of Christ and are encouraged in your faith that He is always there, He really is always there. He is nothing like us, but we are a little like Him - and we can grow in that likeness every day by His mercy alone. Really, alone, you can not do it. Draw near to the presence of the Lord - He will draw near to you in His own sweet timing and purpose. I can promise you - I have tasted and seen and now I crave with all that I am..

digging.

www.love146.org has many insightful facts and statistics to help create a foundation for understanding the reality of modern human slavery. If you then desire to dig deeper into the issue I invite you to join me in reading:

International Labour Office Report 2005
Trafficking In Persons Report 2008
(these take a while to download)

These facts are not for the faint of heart. I pray as I read them, and for you as well should you join me, that your hope for yourself and these victims will rest in the Lord and not the fallen state of mankind. God sees these people. Maybe He desires you to be a part of bringing them freedom. But you are not the answer to their problems, salvation found in Jesus Christ is the answer. I say this in hopes that you will come alongside me in learning about the patterns of human slavery and what we can do to be a part of furthering the Kingdom of heaven, which is already at hand, on earth. Jesus is their only hope - if you are living life with Jesus, you know what I mean. Maybe we can show them Jesus.

kindling.

Jesus cares about justice.
And He keeps reminding me of that. Its time for me to dig into the Word and discover God's thoughts on justice, and pray that He'll reveal to me what that means in my own life.

preliminary thoughts :
We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it. - Oswald Chambers

This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. - James 1:27

Love protects. Love defends. Love restores. Love empowers. - Love146

...more to come when I don't have a test in 2 hours. Any thoughts, scripture, or avenues to consider are more than welcome!

a few of my favorite things.

This is my husband, Jared,
and I on our wedding day -
May 31, 2008. It was
absolutely perfect. I'll
probably reference it
a lot - and I can promise
I'll reference Jared a lot.
He works for A&M right
now and our hope is to go to
Ireland someday and help
people know Jesus.
(photo courtesy of danielcolvinphotography)

This is my family (and another wedding picture - you should probably plan on seeing a lot of them :). Hillary, my middle sister, will be a sophomore at A&M and Olivia, my youngest sister, will be a junior in high school. My mom, Val, is the executive director of His Grace Foundation and Dad, Buck, is a pastor at Grace Bible. They live in College Station now, too. I love it. They love having anyone over and its really kind of the Lord to have them living in the same town as Jared and I for a while. We're really blessed by them.
(photo courtesy of danielcolvinphotography)


I thought through writing about some friends and putting up pictures, but I wouldn't really know how to do that. They'll come up through my postings, don't worry. You've already heard about Hillary, Olivia, and Lindsay - they're a fabulous place to start :).

This is Ireland. I went there last summer. Jared and I are going back in Summer 2009, should everything go along with what we've mapped out in our minds :). God has given us a special heart for this beautiful country and its people - we're excited to see where He continues leading. Right now, He has us serving at Grace Bible alongside high school seniors who we adore. They're teaching us a lot about Jesus that I know will help us love others in the future.

I like books, movies, Lost, and oh so much music. Plenty to come on all of the above and more :).
I love Jesus with everything I have- or at least that's what I'm seeking to do. "He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm." - Psalm 40:2. I don't know what else to do with myself but love Him.