It's really been 8 years!

Today is the day...the day that Daniel and I got married...8 years ago!!!

Here are a couple of random pics from this year:


A day at the park w/ Suzy at the beginning of spring.


Cheering for the Govs at an APSU basketball game.

I could have never imagined our life being this great. It has been an amazing year of new experiences and new challenges. It just makes me wonder what will the next year bring? Last night when we went out to dinner we chatted about what we thought we'd be like at the 8 year mark and neither of us thought we'd be who we are or where we are. God has definitely done a might work in both of us. I am so excited to see what God has up his sleeve for us next- I totally think He is up to something.

You can make a difference

These three bloggers:
Jamie, Aaron, and Bush have taken on a new project for the week. Check out their blogs and see what you can do to make a difference!

These folks are all friend's of a friend. I met Jamie through my BFF Melanie when they went to church together. I've never met Aaron, Jamie's husband, or Bush, but they are good friend's of my good buddy Eric that I met on tour! Small world, but they are making a big impact with their Real Hope for Hati Campaign and I wanted to pass it on.

School is Out for Summer

So today was a 1/2 day for the students in our county. And now they are out for summer. I saw a bunch of them at Wal-mart today. I woke up knowing that today was the last day of school for the kids and the teachers will go for one more day tomorrow. The strange thing is this is the first time since I was in Kindergarten that it didn't affect my schedule. I woke up late this morning and continued with my simi-normal routine. But for 24 years this has been such a mile marking day. From Kindergarten to my Junior year we celebrated being out of school and getting to keep our report cards. Then my Senior year there were tears and shouts of joy, which was exactly 10 years ago, by the way. Then there was college which meant moving home each summer or moving for real when I got married. Then I was a teacher and the end of the school year there was a celebration that we had made it! So this year there are no bells and whistles. No excitement seeing the buses roll away for a few months. Just a regular day marking the fact that I quit teaching one year ago. Hmmm. Maybe that alone is reason to celebrate.

Heartbroken

I was headed to blogger to write a post about American Idol and the happenings of my day when I ran across this post.

Please be in prayer for Steven Curtis Chapman's family. They had a tragic accident today where their youngest child Maria was run over by a car driven by her older brother in their own driveway.

I can't even begin to imagine their heartache. But we know a God who does. Join me in prayer for them.

Here is the complete story.

The Whole Gang

Everyone on the back row lived on the same bus that I did, except for the last one on the right with the cup in his hand. That is Jeremi from Avalon and he lived on the other bus. It's crazy that one week ago we were gearing up for our last tour date in GA. Man time flies, but I already miss these guys!

Am I truly changed?

We've been home a few days now and I'm getting back into the routine of being at home, but I feel like I'm changed. Before we left for the tour I didn't know how well I would do. I like my alone time, I enjoy being at home, I'd never been on a tour bus, and I'd only met the people we'd be traveling with once, briefly.

On tour living with 12 other people I didn't have a lot of alone time and I only got to see my home once a week at best, the daily routine was random, and there were people everywhere. But you know what, I was fine. I was stretched and I'm leaving the tour a better person. I'm realizing that I can undergo more than I thought I could.

My eyes have also been opened to true need. Need for food and clean water for children. Need for shelter in other countries. Need for child sponsorship. Need for help with Disaster Relief. True need that puts my needs strike that my wants in there rightful place.

Who am I to complain (I mean really- the line being long at Taco Bell doesn't compare to not having clean water to drink.) (Even me being tired due to hanging out with friends doesn't compare to someone who is tired because they had to walk 6 miles to get clean water.)

I've also been feeling extremely grateful (thanking God for the little things and the big things.) Grateful for God's love, which is so undeserved. Thanking Him for my family and friends. Thanking him for the rain that I would so easily complain about previously.

I don't want these feelings to fade away I want to be truly changed.

Cyclone Reality

Pyit Sone, Zayar, Zue Zue, and Zin Thu these are the names of four children that are represented on the World Vision table that I work each night, these four children are all from Myanmar. The description on their picture folders each says that they: "Live in small homes made of bamboo with thatch roofs in poor communities."
I can not imagine living in an area where a cyclone could come through in my current residence, but when I think about the strength of a bamboo home facing a cyclone it seems impossible to survive.

Last night we had special orange envelopes where people could give to the Disaster Response Fund for Emergency Food, Clean Drinking Water, Tents and Temporary Shelter, Blankets and Warm Clothing.


*World Vision has been working in Myanmar for over 40 years
*We currently have over 600 staff there
* There are aprox 42,000 sponsored children in Myanmar


Before I began working for World Vision it was easy for me to be able to disregard these natural disasters because they didn't directly affect me, but thinking about these four children has really shaken me the last few days.

Giving up on TV

I think I'm giving up on TV. It's crazy how being out of town so much with the tour has caused me to not watch TV. So now every time I'm home I try to watch the shows I enjoyed before the tour and they stink. They are either filthier than I remember or disappoint and make me feel like I'm waisting precious time....when you only have 10 hours at home you prioritize a little better. :) Sooo anyone out there have any favorite TV shows???....if not I might just give up on TV all together. I'm hanging on to American Idol, which I've finally gotten into, but other than that I've un-TiVoed all my other used to be favorites.

Yesterdays Conversation

Emily: "Daniel stop being so silly. Stop trying to make me laugh. I'm trying to have a bad day."

Daniel then said something silly to make me laugh.

Emily: "You keep making me madder!

Daniel: "You do matter honey. Really you do matter."

All: laughter