10 minutes up hill

I went to the exercise room in the hotel this afternoon to do about 30 minutes of some type of work out....you see you never know what will be available and so I was trying to keep an open mind. I was ready to do 30 minutes of whatever (hoping for a treadmill.) I got on the treadmill and set the speed and time but couldn't quite figure out the incline. I would put it on 3 and it'd pop back to 7, I'd put it on 2 and it'd pop back to 7- the numbers were the only thing moving- the actual treadmill was stuck on 7. So instead of 30 minutes of jogging I could only make it 10 because I was GOING UPHILL THE ENTIRE TIME!!! Hey at least I worked up a sweat! :)

Mrs. Carolyn

Many of you have been praying for Daniel's mom and just yesterday we got an update:

-the cancer has is now 75% smaller which is AWESOME!!!!
-they have found two blood clots which are causing some major concern, but they have put her on blood thinners and sent her bed for a few days.

Overall this is great news, but we are still asking for prayer, she's not completely clear of the risk yet so if you are reading this please say a little prayer for her. She had another chemo treatment yesterday after they did the scans.

**We are praising Jesus over here for this amazing miracle!**

His ways are not our ways

We were getting so excited about the spring tour with Avalon and I was starting to plan and prepare and we've just found out that the tour has been postponed 3 weeks. Granted that's only three weeks, for me that's three more weeks without pay. Good thing the morning we found out my quiet time was about Manna and Jesus providing our daily bread and how we should not worry about tomorrow because it has enough worries of its own. **Later I found out that Daniel knew and waited until after my quiet time to tell me about the tour. (I remember him asking me as I sat down if I was finished and I said I was just getting started.) Isn't God sweet to remind me that He's in control--He probably knew I'd freak out without the reassurance of those verses.

So we sit and wait three more weeks before getting to go on a ~30 show tour instead of a ~40 show tour. I'm a little sad because I was getting so very excited, and the album is coming out in less than 6 weeks! Every time I get to see/hear/experience Daniel leading worship I have a little moment and my heart does a little somersault thinking about that fact that this is what we're going to get to do for a living. Sunday mornings at Grace, plus leading worship for tons of people across the United States- What a great God we serve!


So I sit in awe of the God of the universe as He gently reminds me that His ways are not our ways and that He is in control. Thank you Lord for know just what I need, right when I need it!

New fav. verse: Genesis 15:1 "Do not be afraid, Abram (or Emily), I am your shield, your very great reward."

Chili and White Bread

I have not had white bread in a really long time. In an effort to be more health conscious we've switched to Whole Wheat bread, and so have most of my friends. So when I even go over to their house I have whole wheat bread. If I have a choice in a restaurant I'll choose the whole wheat. That is a small thing I can do to switch to healthier living. Then this past week I went over to my parents house for dinner. I had a pimento and cheese sandwich with the chili they made.
#1 nothing is like Momma's Chili- (no matter how your Momma made it- noting beats having Chili the way it's supposed to be) **Daniel's Mom's chili had little tomatoes, little chili beans and lots of soupiness- my moms chili had big chunks of meat, big chunks of tomato, and big kidney beans- we've come to a compromise at our house- so I was glad to get Chili just the way I like it.
#2 My parents had White Bread. It was so fluffy and soft. I had forgotten how wonderful it was. Granted I'm not going to turn my back on the Whole wheat bread, I was amazed at how marvelous the white bread tasted. So the next time I'm enjoying a sandwich I will probably be dreaming of the white bread but instead I'll remind myself of the health benefits of the whole wheat and how I'm doing my body a favor by not filling it with enriched all-purpose white flour. :)

Flash back + Fast forward = TODAY

I subbed today at Kenwood Middle School. Before I decided to travel with Daniel and go on tour representing World Vision, I worked at Kenwood Elementary School- for 4 years. Today was a flashback to the kids I'd loved on and encouraged and taught in the past plus a fast forward to seeing them taller and older and more middle schoolerish. :)
I saw lots of familiar faces and got lots of "Mrs. Doss!!!" exclamations. They must have wondered how and why I jumped into their new world at the Middle School since I'd been a constant at the Elementary School for so long. It was great to get to see them and to know that I did make a difference.

***Also a shout out to my small group! What a great group of people God has placed alongside me during this time in my life-thank your for lifting me up in your prayers. This is our 2nd generation of small groups at Grace and it's neat to see how two groups can be very different, but how they can both be so wonderful. I love you guys! Those of you not in a small group need one immediately.***

My (new) Camera

We have had our digital camera for two years this past Christmas, but today it just took on a whole new identity. It has a memory card that can go into the old computer, but now it has a cord that can connect to my Mac!!! **The cord was in the box the whole time.** We discovered it when I asked Daniel if he could buy me a cord. ha!
So here are some random pics from our past few months.


This is Suzy's new pal Libby (one of my parent's new puppies)



Meet Rosie and Libby- I couldn't get good pic because they move so fast. :)



Check out those turtles- this was taken at a mall in Dallas, Tx!



A cool art exhibit from the Frist Center in Nashville. Daniel and I went there a few days after Christmas!

Awe and Wonder

This past week in Cross Street- our Children's Ministry on Sunday Mornings- I was the lead teacher for the last time. This has been a hard sacrifice, but since we are going on tour I don't know how often I'll have to miss and felt like I needed to give this up so that they children would have someone there consistently. I have loved working with my small group and have been with them since they were in Kindergarten...they are now 2nd graders who are reading the Bible and learning to look up verses I am so proud!!!!

This past Sunday our virtue was Orderliness and we talked about God created things in a certain order. He didn't create the fish before he created the water. He did things in order for a reason and we can trust him no matter what.

At the end of our lesson we were running out of time and we were supposed to look up verses about God's order of doing things in the Bible- Sin entered the world, Jesus was sent to the live on the earth, Jesus died for our sins, Jesus arose from the grave, Jesus is coming back someday. (pretty much a quick overview of the Bible huh?)

So instead of looking up all the verses---which would have taken us another 45 minutes--I, as simply as possible, told them God's order of events mentioned above. When I got to the part where Jesus is coming back you should have seen their faces. Some of them smiled, some of them looked around at others and mouthed the word really?!? Their eyes got big and they were so excited.

I guess we have taught them so much about God and the Bible and living our lives for Him that we didn't really focus on Him coming back!!! Sometimes we live that way too. We live and try to be good examples and try to tell others about Jesus, but we forget that Jesus is coming back. I hope to never forget the awe and wonder that I saw in their eyes and that I can continue to have that excitement about Jesus return and living with Him for eternity.

4:30 AM!!!

It's 4:30 am and I'm completely awake!!! That is so frustrating. I went to bed last night with a headache and I'm proud to say that it is gone, but um why am I completely awake at 4:30 am??? Most days it wouldn't really matter, but today I'm subbing. My sleep schedule has been off from normal go to bed at a decent time and wake up at a decent time lately. Daniel loves to stay up late and when I don't have a reason to get up early I don't mind staying up with him, but last night when I tried to go to bed early my body didn't like that either. So #1 I went to bed late and #2 I'm up at 4:30. I laid there for awhile trying to go back to sleep, but my mind was racing so instead of fighting it I just got up and started getting some things done. Hmmm we'll see how well today goes subbing. At least it's PE and that is my sweet spot. I just mimic the other teacher and don't have to be that creative. Ok so here goes. I'm starting today at 4:30 am! Definitely a Starbucks day!

**Got word yesterday that our bus assignments are out (Honestly I felt like a middle schooler who found out that they get an assigned seat by the boy that they have a crush on.) and I'm staying on the bus with Avalon, Cadia, the tour manager and Daniel Doss!!! I was a little nervous that Daniel would be on the bus with the band and I could be on the other bus without knowing anyone, but I was still excited to get to "go on tour". Also found out that they provide sheets and pillows and they wash the linens every week. Let me just tell you that that was good news. Not sure why, but I got really excited when I found out they wash our sheets every week. :) Two months exactly till we go on tour!!!!!