Visitors!

My parents came up for a visit a couple weeks ago, it was SO much fun to have company! What a great time we had!  It wasn't super warm out and it rained a little bit, but I know they were able to enjoy the fact that it wasn't snowing and above zero! LOL 

They got here late Monday night so we just visited until it was bedtime. Tuesday was a mellow day. Jeremy didn't have vacation that week so he had to go into work. I took mom and dad around and showed them Jeremy's school, our gym, grocery stores, shops, restaurants and all of our local sites. Wednesday was a fun, adventurous day. We went into Charleston and visited a huge park that had the coolest trees. I really wanted to climb one, but mom thought that might be frowned upon LOL

Really cool tours that we wanted to do but we couldn't figure out where they were coming from! LOL

This HUGE building is a Private Residence...Sheesh!

Mussels!

Take 1 - hair in the face LOL

stay tuned for more adventures! : )

Marvelous Monday

Since I just did a song post on Friday, this "Marvelous Monday" will be a little more life application that I got from yesterday's message at Coastal Community Church.

If you remember my last life application post (here), we have been studying Moses and how the Lord delivered the Israelites from Egypt. The scripture references I shared told how the Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptians who were coming after them. The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord, wondering why He had brought them here to die if they could have just died in Egypt. Then, the Lord performed the miracle of parting the Red Sea, allowing them to pass through and then bringing the waters in on the Egyptians. 

Yesterday we were in Numbers 13+14, further into the story where the Lord is leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. Along the way they are faced with yet another obstacle. People that they viewed as "giants". (Our Pastor described them as Shaquille O'Neal's children LOL) The Israelites AGAIN cried out to the Lord, wondering why He had brought them here if they were just going to die.

As I was listening to this story I thought to myself, these people have just experienced these exact feelings earlier when they were stuck between the Red Sea and the Egyptians. The Lord delivered them by parting the Sea and now here they are again whining and complaining and questioning the Lord?! What is wrong with them?!

....oh wait, I do that every single day. 

I would like to think that if it were that "surreal" of the Lord parting waters right in front of my eyes that I would never question or doubt Him ever again, but we all know that isn't true. 

We are human. We are sinful. 

Here are a few points he made during the message...

- You can't follow the Lord if you don't trust where He's leading you

(he also made the comment, not only can you not follow if you don't trust - but you won't)

- Uncertainty will either result in fear or peace

- Sometimes God shows us the road will be hard so He can reveal His Glory

- We look at the size of the challenge while God looks at the purpose

Whether it's our jobs, our health, our finances, our family, our relationships - whatever the case may be, we will always face uncertainty, trials and tribulations. But if in those moments we take the time to trust the Lord and remember the countless times of our past that He has always been there for us and delivered us, those times of struggle might just be a little bit easier than if we tried to solve it all on our own. 

In closing, I just wanted to share this Scripture, which I'm sure we all know, but I really loved how this version expressed it...

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track."

Proverbs 3:5-6

Fantabulous Friday

My Monday this week wasn't what it usually is. Jeremy ended up having his wisdom teeth removed last Wednesday and up until this Wednesday he really wasn't doing very well. Thankfully, he is almost totally back to himself, but since I didn't get a "Marvelous Monday" post in, how about a great way to end the week! : ) 

Next week I promise to get some posts up from when my parents visited a couple weeks ago! Oh the adventures you will see! : ) 

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

Life Application

Our church has been doing a study on Moses for the past couple weeks and it has been a huge blessing to me. If you ever have the time or are looking for a passage to read next, you should give Exodus a try. What great life application. 

This Sunday we covered chapters 12-14 and talked about the "Crossing of the Red Sea" when the Lord leads the Israelites out of Egypt.

Here's some "awe"-some points I wanted to share with you. 

When God sets you free.....

He seldom uses short cuts.

Exodus 13:17-18a

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea."

He guides you 24 hours a day. 

Exodus 13: 21-22

 "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."

When God fights for you.....

He calms your fears.

Exodus 14:13-14

"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." 

He turns your obstacles into pathways.

Exodus 14: 21-22

"Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left."

Really? 

Parting waters?

What a Mighty God we serve.

Marvelous Monday

Spare Bedroom/Guest Room

I know it's been a while since I have updated pictures of our apartment, but there really hasn't been anything to update on! LOL

Until now that is! 

Our spare bedroom has really just been a pile of miscellaneous items for the longest time, especially since Christmas, but one day I finally sat down and found everyone a home and in doing that picked out what I wanted to go on the walls. Since then, those said decorations have just been sitting on the ground in front of their prospective walls, waiting to get hung up. Since my parents are coming for a visit, it was the perfect excuse to get it done!

Enjoy....

....and do share opinions as well : ) 

^----this was the Valentine's Day gift I mentioned (here) from Jeremy's brother & sister-in-law (well, mine too lol) isn't it cute?!? 

: )

Marvelous Monday