Great weekend

My parents were in town this weekend for their first visit to Paducah, KY. It was so great for them to be able to finally see our house and the area where we live now. We got to enjoy all of our favorite pasttimes....eating, shopping, playing with Topaz, and laughing. They arrived on Thursday at lunch and I made a beeline for the house so I could give the grand tour. Mike and I had to work Thursday afternoon and Friday but Mom and Dad explored Paducah and met us for lunch. Friday we grilled chicken and steak and made fajitas and then went out for ice cream. Saturday we started the day at a greasy spoon for Breakfast. This is one of my dad's favorite pasttimes. He calls them greasy spoons because they are local flavor owned by individuals rather than a big chain. After breakfast, my mom and I headed out to do some shopping. This is one of our favorite things to do. We met back up with Mike and Dad and went downtown for dinner. We spent lots of time playing with Topaz. He ate up the attention my mom lavished upon him and has been incredibly needy since they left. In all, it was a great weekend. I love having my parents here - the conversations, the stories, and all the memories that we make for the future. I hope we will have many more visits.

Last night we went to the youth care group. Mike continued to use questions to create discussion. It is amazing how good these kids are at regurgitating the "right" answers. I pray that we will be able to help them think beyond the bounds of the "right" answers and let them stretch their minds to think for themselves. This is truly what it means to form faith in our kids.

So I found myself back to Monday, already looking towards next weekend! What a cycle!

Finally....

Well, I think we are very close to feeling settled in our house. We have pretty much finished all of the projects that we have scheduled for the time being. Tonight we will put our bedroom furniture back in place and be done for a few weeks at least. It has been a stressful few weeks with work and not feeling totally settled. I needed to find some closure with getting some projects done. I definitely allow those things to stress me out and want everything done yesterday!

In other news, my parents are coming to visit this weekend and I couldn't be more excited. They are very excited to meet their granddog, Topaz, and see this new place that we have moved to. It is always alot of fun for my mom and I to go shop together.

Mike and I went with Reidland to the ZOE conference this weekend and it was great. We saw SOO many old friends and a few that we hadn't seen in 3-4 years. The worship was refreshing and we had some great conversations with members of the church about the language of blessing and using it in our conversations. The classes that we attended were really helpful and one of the things that I think we brought home with us was teaching with the use of questions. It was interesting that Mike and I were in different classes but both talked about it.

The idea is that kids are used to being told what they are supposed to know and the "answers" to the questions. However, postmodern kids are not always satisfied with these answers. They ask the hard questions and are frustrated when they are silenced for asking questions. As I thought about it, the idea of asking questions is similar to what I do in the therapy room. My goal is to ask questions so the client come up with the answer. When this happens it is much more powerful for them than if I just told them. I think this is the same idea with our kids....let's encourage them to find the answers so that it will be a more powerful experience.

Mike tried this out Sunday night in a discussion with the kids. It was difficult at first on both ends. You have to learn to ask the right questions that open up discussion. The kids were really good at giving the "right" answers. When they were pushed to go beyond that, it was amazing what they came up with. They really think about things and have good things to say. I would really encourage parents to ask questions and not get angry with the answers but learn that this is the reality of what kids are experiencing. They need an outlet to talk about it. If you react they will just find another outlet and you won't get to experience the process of them evolving and learning to think for themselves.

Interesting

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated.At work and school, you do best when you're organizing.When you love someone, you tend to worry about them. In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic.Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management.You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

The Birth Order Predictor

I definitely agree with parts of this but would not totally agree. What does it say about you?

Welcome to the Family

Yes, we now have a dog. This is our new 11 month old Labradoodle, Topaz. He has been with us for about a month now and is making himself at home. He has traveled alot this first year, he was born in South Illinois and then bought by a family in Chicago along with his brother. However, after sending him to Paducah for obedience training and then going home his family realized they were in over their heads with two big dogs and two small children. He was then sent back to Paducah with the trainer who ran a few ads to try to find him a good home.

One Sunday night I mischievously told Mike I was going to look for a lab puppy in the paper. We weren't really planning on getting a dog so soon! However, much to my delight I found the ad for Topaz. He is 11 months old, obedience trained, microchipped, and house broke and he was a Labradoodle (my dream dog). It seemed too good to be true, but with the encouragement of my friend Randi I called about him. Randi, Ali, and I went to check him out the next day and I was sold. Mike came and fell for him as well. Well, Mike initially fell for the fact that he doesn't shed. Needless to say, he came home with us later that day. He is a great people dog, doesn't shed, but still has enough puppy in him to be a goofball.

As you can see above in the first picture he already has a beloved monkey. The monkey goes everywhere that he does. He also has a great friend in Ali. She was mimicking that he was laying down curled up in a ball the other night. So they are two peas in a pod. It was pretty hilarious.

I am sure I will have many Topaz stories in the future. Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. In honor of her I wanted to share a few thoughts and memories. My mom is one of the strongest women I know. She has been through alot during her life and she has always come out on top. When I was in elementary school she decided she wanted to go back to school so that she could support us if anything ever happened to my dad. She worked so hard to study and continue to be available for our class parties and activities. I didn't realize at the time how challenging it must have been. She has continued to be successful in her career. She has proved to me many times over that you can do anything you put your mind too. She is one of the most independent women I know and has shown me that if I want to do something I can. She showed by example that I can do anything I want to, whether that is drive the backhoe or go out of town alone.

Not only that but one my mom's gifts is buying gifts for others. She is generous with what she has and has provided a great example for us to follow. I don't know what would have happened if she wasn't there to hold our family together. She taught us how to cook and clean even when we vehemently protested. If I could go back to that time I would do many things differently. I didn't tell her often enough how much we appreciated her. I praise God that he gave me a mom that prays for us and cares so much for us that she will call when she has a minute to chat.

As I have learned more about my mom in the last few years since leaving home we have become much closer and I respect and value what she did for me and my sister during our time at home. She has become one of my best friends and I know I can always talk to her about anything. She always has an opinion and she doesn't hold it back. She and my sister are my favorite shopping partners and I wish we got to do it more often. In the years to come I look forward to our weekend girl trips and every opportunity that we get to spend time together.

I always want my mom to know that I treasure our relationship and love the time we get to talk and visit. It is never enough!

I love you mom. I hope you have a great birthday!

--sara

Last...

The last few weeks have held many lasts for Mike and I in Abilene. Last Wednesday was our last dinner with some of our good friends, Sunday was our last day at Highland as residents of Abilene and our last lunch with some other friends, last night was my final opportunity to see a client at the Marriage and Family Institute, today is my last day of work in Admissions at ACU and my last supervision group, and tomorrow will be our last dinner with our small group for a while. I am not sure that all of these things have set in yet. There are definitely moments when I regret this descision because it is hard to say goodbye. But then I hear of people in Kentucky who are so excited for us to come that they spend a day at our new house doing yard work for us and I realize that there are many great things to come. Transitions are so difficult, yet they tend to be the times when we learn the most. This will be a great time of deepening my relationship with God and Mike as we walk in faith. I just pray that I will allow myself to grieve, because that is very important, but also look ahead to the great things and memories to come.

-SSD

Happy Birthday Mike!

Today is my husband's 25th Birthday! Mike has been such a blessing to so many people during his life. I often hear comments from people that know him talk about how he has been such an encouragment to them or a great friend during rough times. Mike is so talented at making friends with everyone he comes in contact with. When he worked at the hotel in Nashville, many times I witnessed him break the rudest of guests into smiles before he was done checking them in at the desk. He loves people completely and works really hard to make them feel special. He is an incredible husband, cooks great meals for us, and enjoys spending time with me. Sometimes he is even willing to tag along while I shop! I pray that he will have a great day of celebration today even though we are loading a moving truck!

I love you Mike! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'm Back At Least For Today

I don't know if I will keep this up, but today it sounds fun.

This has been going around several blogs and seems like a good way to try to get back into the swing of things.

What I was doing 10 years ago......

Ten years ago...Well I think I was getting ready to start my freshman year of high school. I had spent alot of time with the youth group, going to Uplift at Harding University. This may have been the summer that I attended a camp called Camp Anytown that focused on diversity. My dad was beginning to let me drive to the protest of my mom and since I was only 14 I thought I was really cool. It is actually sad that I really can't think of very much from that time in my life.

What I was doing 5 years ago.....

I had just finished my freshman year of college and was working with Kin and Donna Ellis at Campus Church of Christ in Norcross, GA. It was one of the most incredible summers. I loved getting to plan youth group activities and worship services AND I got paid for it. I met some great friends which later persuaded me to transfer to Lipscomb University. I also lived with a family that is still incredibly special to me. Their girls are like my sisters and they are my second parents. They saw me through some pretty difficult years with my family. Now that I think I about it, I also met my future husband that summer ( neither of us knew at the time) coming out of a porta potty. We were introduced and maybe talked for 5 minutes. Who would have thought that 5 year later we would be happily married? There are so many great memories from this summer, I could go on forever.

What I was doing 1 year ago....

I was beginning my second year of graduate school at Abilene Christian University in Marriage and Family Therapy. I had began seeing clients and gearing up for the busiest year of my life. We went to Florida to see Mike's parents and experienced Hurricane Charlie and then came back to Oklahoma to throw a surprise party for my Mom's 50th birthday. Mike and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and spent the weekend in Austin, TX. At the end of the summer we said goodbye to our good friends Andy, Randi, and their 3 week old daughter, Ali as they moved to KY.

What I did yesterday......

I began the morning at work, went to lunch with really fun girls, and then worked some more. We had our last Wednesday night dinner with our friends Kyle and Jennifer who are getting graduating, getting married, moving to Kansas City, and beginning Medical School in about 9 days. After dinner we went to the MFT talent show and laughed hysterically all night.

5 Snacks I Enjoy......

Diet Coke, Cookies, Fruit Snacks, Chips and Salsa, and ice cream

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars....

Pay off all our school loans, finance our dream retreat center, travel, random acts of kindness, and create school trust funds for my future children

5 Locations I Would Run Away To......

the mountains, Maine, Europe, Greece, the Caribbean, anywhere peaceful

5 Bad Habits ......

Stressing, Chewing on things, Drinking too much Diet Coke, Not making the bed, Not blogging :)

5 Things I Like To Do.....

Read, Shopping (even just window shopping), hanging out with Mike, Traveling, Decorating, Lunch with the girls, Reading blogs, Running

5 TV Shows I Like......

ER, Oprah, Law and Order, Today Show, Clean Sweep

5 Things I Hate Doing....

Driving long distances, MOVING, Laundry, Staying in the House for long periods of time, paying bills

5 Things I Love About My Husband....

His Loving Spirit, His willingness to do anything for me, How hard he works to support us, How much he cares about people and what they are experiencing, His goofiness that lightens me up sometimes.

5 Biggest Joys at the Moment....

Buying a house, Thinking about how I want to decorate, Both of us having jobs, Spending time with great friends, Graduating with my master's!

Wow, that took longer than I thought it would. Hope you enjoy!

A New Day

I know it has been awhile since I posted and I am disappointed in myself for that. The usual culprit (aka school, work, clients) are still consuming most of my days and nights. However, this past week I had the opportunity for a first in my life and the lives of many with me. The Highland elders read a statement two Sunday's ago about women's role in the church, their conclusions after 10 years of study, and how that was going to be fleshed out in the Highland community. It was very well written. You can read it on Mike Cope's blog. Therefore, this past Sunday was the first time for women to serve the Lord's Supper. I told Mike that I wanted to serve my church in this manner. I have been longing for years to be acknowledged and used within the body. Therefore, I wanted to support the elders in this decision. We arrived a few minutes early in order to express interest and I was assigned a row. I was so excited...this is more than just managing trays from my perspective. It is communing with the body, connecting with people through a smile, pat on the arm, or just eye contact. However, this was more difficult than I thought for several different reasons.

As I was about to pass the offering tray a woman who was sitting in the farthest corner of the church, looked up at me and asked, "Will there be men serving this morning?"

I answered, "I believe so, maam."

She replied, "I only accept communion from men."

Therefore, when we went to pass the bread and the juice I switched places with another man. As I passed the trays people kept their eyes down and frowns on their faces. At first I wondered if it was because I was serving them or if this is what men experience every week. After asking around, this is what men experience every week. To me this is such a shame...communion is just that ... time to COMMUNE together. When Jesus was on earth, it was festive meal and continued to be well after his death. However, we have created it to be so individualistic and solemn. It just seems so contrary to the intentions that God created it for.

Needless to say, this was a special blessing. I am excited to serve my church family in this capacity. I hope that through my service and the service of other women we can embrace as family as we commune together in many respects.

Another hurricane and other random thoughts

It has been awhile since my last post. Ironically, it the last time I posted Hurricane Charley was the center of my attention and today Hurricane Francis has my full attention. We are not in Florida to experience this hurricane, but our family is. I can't imagine worse destruction but that is what they are predicting. As we talked to Mike's parents two days ago, already the lines at Lowe's and Home Depot were 6-7 hours long. Water was long gone from the grocery store and the gas tanks were bone dry at filling stations. Please join us as we pray urgently for the people in Florida as they face this upcoming hurricane. Pray for safety, resilience, and courage to face the next weeks and months.

On another front, my life has felt similar to a hurricane these past few weeks as I figure out how to manage work, school, clients, and time with my husband. So far a typical weekday entails leaving my house at 8am for school, work, and clients and dragging in again about 10pm that evening. I love everything that I am getting to do right now so it is not near as miserable as it could be. I was afraid that my relationship with God might struggle more this year, but so far it has been much easier to rely on him because I know I cannot accomplish all of this on my own.

He is amazing in the strength he provides. Several sessions with clients this week have been totally God led. It blows me away when I come away from a session thinking, "Where did those words come from?" All I know is that God responds to people in distress and uses the voice of his children to call them back into relationship with him. The amazing thing is that this isn't done by shoving it down their throats that they need to go to church, but by showing them love and compassion when they are hurting. This is what keeps me going everyday - hoping that God will use me to transform lives.

I long to be in full-time ministry again. I know that therapy is ministry to hurting people but it frustrates me that relationships outside of the therapy setting is prohibited. There is so much that happens as you walk beside someone through a difficult time in life - being able to call or go to lunch, anything that builds friendships. I only pray that God will bless Mike and I the opportunity to be in ministry together in the near future.

Aftermath

Well, we made it through and it has been quite an interesting few days. The devastation is incredible...but yet we haven't felt it as most have. The Darling's house was one of the very few in Orlandot that did not lose power (thanks to underground power lines). Many, Many people are without electricity and water and will most likely be without it for at least a week or more. As we drove through town yesterday and saw lines at the gas stations three blocks long and trees dividing houses in half I was blown away at what so many people are experiencing.

Needless to say, it isn't exactly the vacation we planned but at least we are safe with family. More to come later....if you want to check out our personal pictures of the devastation here is the link to those.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v214/darlingmc/2004%20Photos/Hurricane%20Charley/

Lord, please continue to make your hand evident for the families who are experiencing so much devastation.

HURRICANES!!!!!

Mike and I have had quite a long day and it looks as though it will only get longer. We caught an EARLY flight to Orlando this morning from Dallas. I am talking like we have been up since 3:45am. We arrived safely about 10:30am after much concern from those who knew we were traveling into Hurricane country. My response was, "No one mentioned to us back in May when we bought our tickets that there was going to be a Hurricane on the 13th of August and we shouldn't travel." Anyway, after arriving we went to lunch with Mike's family we made a quick stop at Wal-Mart (along with half of Florida) to pick up a set of Domino's and then on to the Grocery store (where the other half of Florida was). We are now planted in front of the TV with one eye on the sky waiting for this dreaded storm. We have stocked up on food and games to last us several days just in case we lose power and such. So far it has been pretty exciting. Growing up in Oklahoma we only experienced tornados and you didn't get much warning with those. It's looking like the hurricane is coming ashore in an unexpected areas, so pray for those who are unprepared and in the path of this storm. While it is not quite the vacation we expected, we are looking forward to enjoying some family game time and just being together.

Lord, please protect those who are in the path of this storm. Please give wisdom to those who are in danger to make wise decisions and keep their safety the first priority. Lord, protect and provide for those who suffer loss as a result of this hurricane.

Busy Week

The last week in July will always be a big week in our family.  On Monday, the 26th, Mike and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary.  To celebrate we spent the weekend in Austin, TX (Mike blogged about it if you want details).  When we got home Sunday night we headed straight to the hospital to meet some of our close friend's new daughter that was born over the weekend.  She is beautiful and just holding her gave me the baby bug!  Monday life returned to the normal hustle and bustle, but we still tried to have a nice dinner and celebrate the actual day we got married. 

Last night we said good-bye to a dear professor that was laid off in the ACU budget cuts.  It was very difficult to see their family go through this transistion and for them to not be apart of the MFT program anymore.  It is difficult for us to understand the plan God has for them when it seems so unfair that they have to uproot their family and move. 

Today(29th) is Mike's 24th Birthday. For months I have been planning about his gift.  He has been drooling over IPOD's since Christmas.  Everytime I would get a little cash, I holed it away to go towards this present.  Then I asked both parents to go in with me towards this gift.  I am not sure who was more excited when he opened it this morning.  Later this morning, he said he thinks he is in shock because it was totally unexpected.  Needless to say he was thrilled. 

I have said this before, but I am so thankful for my wonderful husband.  He is so good to me and God blessed me beyond belief by giving him to me to spend my life with.  This weekend was so great, sometimes I think he should be the therapist in the family.  As we sat and had meals or coffee together he would ask questions about memories of the past year and goals we had for the future.  It was a great time of recapping and planning. 

I am constantly blown away by his love, devotion, and patience with me as we journey through life.   Lord, thank you for blessing me with such a wonderful marriage.  Thank you for walking beside Mike and I as we figure out how walk this journey together.

Running on Fumes

Well, it has been quite a long day.  I feel like I am running on fumes right now.  As I mentioned in previous post Mike was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when he was 10.  Today, was the second doctor's appointment I have ever been to with him.  We had to be in San Angelo by 8am, so it was quite an early morning. 

After sitting in the waiting room for quite some time, we finally were called back to see the doctor.  This visit has been much anticipated after the flare-up he had 3 weeks ago.  After much discussion we didn't have many new answers, but we felt like we had a doctor who was dedicated to helping Mike get through daily life better.  Tests were run to see if the JRA is still active or we are just dealing with mechanical damage that has happened as a result of the years of JRA. 

Mike is finally at a place where he wants to try to be proactive in treating whatever is plagueing him.  We both fear this disease affecting our family life later when children our involved and that is difficult to think about.  Please pray that the doctor will be able to help us find a good treatment for our situation.  In addition, as we all know doctors and medication are expensive.  Since we are both in graduate school that can be difficult, so please pray that God will provide a means for Mike to recieve the treatment he needs.

God has been faithful, thus far, and I trust he will continue to provide for us. 

Father, please give us direction and peace to know that you are in control and we are sheltered under your wings.

 

Been awhile....

Well, it has been over a week since I have last posted. Sometimes, I think about posting, but decide I don't have the energy to come up with something creative, so I just continue to read other's blogs instead. Other times, I feel as if I have so much on my plate that needs to get done, I can't take time to post. Some of those things that have been on my plate are done now. I finished my last term paper for the summer this past weekend. What a relief! I kept procrastinating writing it, however; I ended up enjoying the process. It was a great exercise to help me begin to integrate theology with my theory of counseling. As with many disciplines, a postmodern framework has emerged. In therapy, these are called narrative and solution-focused theories. Both are more focused on the future, what solutions the client can find within themselves and developing an outlook on life that is success oriented rather than problem oriented. For many years, therapy has focused on the problems that individuals and families have, thus seeming perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction. The postmodern theories assert that families and individuals have unique outcome in certain situations but they are unable to acknowledge those outcomes because they are focused on the problem. Therapists that work from this perspective help clients to build an alternative story that focuses on their success and their ability to reproduce that success in other situations. It is amazing in just the little time I have worked with clients, how true this is. Many times clients have never had anyone in their lives that encourage and notice their positive qualities. After just a few sessions of pointing out areas in which they are capable, the therapist sees an individual blossom, really take hold of that change and run with it.

As I wrote this paper, I had to write about how theology supports this theory. After thinking about this for several days, it dawned on my that Jesus practiced a similar "therapy" if you will on people. When he would talk to people, he did not focus on their sin, but empowered them to "Go and sin no more." God calls us to live worthy of our calling (Philippians). It seems to me that to live worthy of my calling is to live successfully for Jesus rather than being caught up with what's going wrong in my life. In many ways it is similar to Mike Cope's post the other day about being able to choose the attitude that we are going to have. We have the ability to write our story any way we want, why not choose to write about how we are capable of showing people Jesus?

After writing that paper, God renewed my desire, vision, and the need there is for good Christian therapists in the world. These are people that have been beat up, stomped on, and thrown out with yesterday's garbage. They DESERVE so much more. They deserve to believe in themselves and have another human believe in their abilities. God put them on this earth for a reason, he has a plan for each one of us, and I believe in that plan.

Lord, please guide me as I talk with people about the deepest pains in their lives. Guide me to the words you want them to hear, soften their hearts to hear your story, and help them to write an alternative story to their lives that brings glory and honor to you!

Whirlwind of Emotions

Well, to say the least, this week has been a whirlwind of emotions. While we were at the family reunion, Mike's legs began to swell uncontrollably. By Monday, he was finally convinced he needed to see the doctor on Tuesday morning when we got home. First, it was diagnosed as an infection, and then when the antibiotic didn't work, we ended up in the Emergency Room on Thursday afternoon. After 5 expensive hours of being there, Mike had been tested for numerous conditions including diabetes, lupus, and blood clots, but was finally diagnosed as having had an acute flare up of his rhematoid arthritis (he has had this since he was 10) along with something called cutaneous vasculitis. By Friday, his ankles were looking much better. Today, they are smaller than they have been in months. Unfortunately, the steroids make him feel like a truck ran over him, so he is still not back to his regular self. Not to mention he is preaching tomorrow in Cottonwood, TX so he has been frantically preparing the sermon, class, and songs he has effectively put off till the last minute. So needless to say, this week's emotion have involved worry, stress, and eventually relief. Our small group has been wonderful through the whole process. They have truly been community and family, coming to pray over Mike at lunch on Thursday, bring us or taking us out for meals all week, and praying incessantly for us. However, I guess I just didn't realize how much of a toll this ordeal was taking on me. The stress caught up with me today and I probably was not the a very fun person to live with this morning as I had to get laundry done, the house cleaned, and countless other tasks that I have been neglected since before we left town. Even after a bike ride, I still felt like a bottle of emotions that were not completely released. Sometimes, it amazes me how Satan can take ahold of us and make us miserable with ourselves and short with those around us. I could tell this was happening, this made me more frustrated but I had a difficult time releasing this burden. Thankfully, after much prayer, I truly believe that God released me from this bondage. After some quiet time, I was finally able to release much of the stress and enjoy the rest of our Saturday together.

This afternoon Mike and I went to a 50th wedding anniversary reception for a lady at the counseling center where I am doing an internship. The neatest thing was that Doreen's mother surprised her and came to celebrate this day. Doreen is 68 and her mother is 94 and had told Doreen that she wasn't up to coming. Doreen was sad, but understood. However, today she told me that as they were coming to the party, she told her husband the only thing that would make this day more perfect was if her mother could be there. Lo and behold, her mother surprised her and came. I don't hear of parent's being around to celebrate their children's 50th anniversary often so it was a great blessing for Doreen.

Saturday has turned out to be a pretty good day. We just finished a homemade pizza a family from our small group brought us and it was delicious. (thanks Pybus family!) Hopefully, the night will end without any more surprises and tomorrow will be a glorious day to worship with family.

Blessings!

Sweet Memories

What a restful vacation we had! Our time with family was so blessed! It was filled with many sweet new memories. We spent time catching up on each other’s lives, some played golf, some sat by the pool, and we spent time watching the children take adventures and find treasures. It was so neat to see that kids can still find ways to entertain themselves without a TV or amusement parks. It was a wonderful feeling to have the little girls run into my arms and beg me to play with them. It gave me just a glimpse of what it will feel like to be a mom. On Saturday night we honored my grandparent’s 64 years of marriage. Each person had an ornament with their picture on it and we put them on the “tree” in the order we came into the family either by birth or marriage. At the end we honored those that were not officially in the family but felt like part of it. This included my sister’s boyfriend Patrick. After he put his ornament on the tree, he began to be teased about when he was going to make this official. Well, just a few minutes later he asked for everyone’s attention, thanked them for accepting him and letting him celebrate this occasion with us, and slowly got down on one knee and said, “Carlie, I love you very much, Will you marry me?” Needless to say, she was caught off guard and overwhelmed with emotion as she said YES! It looks like another family event will be in the planning stages soon! Most likely, they will be married in May 2005. We look forward to officially welcoming Patrick into our family. He is an great guy and a perfect match for Carlie.

It is incredible to see how God has blessed our family over the years. We have had our share of rough times and tragedy, but God has always seen us through. Very few families enjoy spending time together, much less three days in the mountains. We are all very different, but we value and respect those differences. I know that I could count of my family for anything I ever needed. I only pray that God will give Mike and I a family that will be rooted in faith and committed to pursuing a life with Him.

On Sunday and Monday we had the privilege of spending sacred time with two friends from Lipscomb who are now married and living in Searcy. Mike and Jeremy were roommates for a year and shared lots of memories together. It was great to share a few meals and lots of conversations about life, marriage, school, and ministry. Thank God that we have friends and are able to feel like we can just pick up where we left off. It was a blessed time.

Family Reunions

It seems that as I get older, family and family events become more sacred and treasured. Today, Mike and I will begin our journey to Fairfield Bay Resort, north of Little Rock, Arkansas to honor my grandparent's 64th wedding anniversary. Tonight we will drive to Dallas and spend the night with Mike's sweet grandparents, Dick and Dot. Grandma Dot will try to force food down our stomachs every 15 minutes and Grandpa Dick will retell the same stories we have heard every visit, but it will be cherished time together. Tomorrow at noon we will fly to Little Rock, rent-a-car, and drive to the resort to meet the Siner family. Approximately 31 people will be with us. Typically, Siner reunions are different than other family reunions. It is essentially a 4 day vacation with my grandparents, their three kids, and their kids, and now their kids (4 generations). Even though everyone is spread out amongst Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee, and the East Coast, we come together as if we see each other every day. All the great grandchildren will be spoiled (most under 8 years of age), adults will visit, play golf, and lay by the pool as well as spending the evenings reminiscing about past reunions and memories.

Some of the memories that I share are:

Spending the night with Grandma and Popi countless times and Popi scaring us as we went to bed. (we always begged him to do this)

Calling Popi during the summer and asking to go to the mall while he sat and talked to the old men.

Silver dollar pancake breakfasts with grandma.

Sunday lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

Playing in the cellar.

Brushing our cousins, Jennifer and Amber's, hair.

Short vacations to Oklahoma City with Grandma and Popi.

And countless more that would fill up volumes. Each family member that I will see is so special and dear to me regardless that I don't see them on a regular basis. My prayer for this weekend is that God will bless us with making more memories, that we will feel comfortable to share our victories and hurts with one another, and will leave with our tanks full until we are brought together again. Family is such a precious blessing that I want to take advantage of and learn as much as I can about. I am excited for Mike to get to learn more about my family and develop his own relationships with them and see why these gatherings are so special to me.

Giving In

For months now I have been reading my husband's blog among many, many others. For several weeks I have been contemplating creating my own. Well, during class this morning I decided today is the day. I hope that this will be a place that I can share glimpses of the journey that I experience as I continue my journey through the Marriage and Family Therapy program, marriage, ministry, and whatever else is along the way.