Welcome!!

If you have found your way to our new blog, it's probably because you heard about us in our Christmas letter. I am so excited to join the blogging world. I am hoping to better keep a record of fun and important events that take place in our lives. I am also hoping to use this blog to encourage others by sharing how Christ is active in our lives. I fully expect to find that it's me that will actually gain the most as writing about the Lord and His faithfulness to us always reminds me to praise Him and to be grateful to Him.

Speaking of the Christmas letter, I've discovered something this year. It seems as though each year around the time of penning the letter, Wesley and I end up in a big fight. After 11 years of marriage, Wesley and I don't usually have big fights. We definitely have our share of "tiffs" and even take our share of spins on the "crazy cycle" (from the book Love and Respect), but it's not usually what I classify as a fight. But, sometime around finishing the letter we seem to end up there. I just really noticed it this year. I'm pretty sure it dates back to the first letter. And I'm pretty sure it is directly related to spiritual warfare. Yes, I believe in this! I believe satan is always at work trying to destroy anything that sheds light on HIM. It seems as everything I said in our letter was challenged. I actually considered not sending out the letter during the fight, because I didn't want to be fake. I actually went to bed angry and got up angry even after writing about how "His mercies are new each morning". It was so helpful to recongize this pattern and reconcile with both God and with Wesley. I can honesty say that what I wrote in the letter is true. Satan would have loved for me not to send the letter. (I'm actually so behind this year, I haven't send them all out. Yikes!!!!! But you better believe I am sending it, even if it's after Christmas!) Well now that I am on to this pattern I am certainly going to try to stop it next year.

Other than the "big fight", we have enjoyed a busy but wonderful Christmas season. There are many extra special blessings this Christmas like the fact that Luke just got baptized and it's Bella Peace's first Christmas. We've also enjoyed some doing some new things this Christmas that I hope to do again. The children all sang and recited bible verses at a lunch honoring homebound seniors. We visited a nursing home with our Sunday school class to carol and hand out small gifts. We also went to First Baptist's Living Christmas Tree for the first time. It was incredible!

This year we will travel for Christmas for the first time since having children. In the past it has been very important for us to wake up and celebrate Christmas in our own home, but this year we decided to do something different. We feel really good about our decision and are looking so forward to being with lots of family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I just hope all the travel won't take away from where our focus should be. We are going to try to make sure this doesn't happen. I will have to let you all know how it all turns out.

Well thank you for stopping by, I hope I haven't ran anyone off with my ramblings. Please consider visiting again! I plan to post at least once a week. I won't promise that it will be shorter in the future :) ! If you know me at all, you know that I like to talk (and now blog) !!

Merry Christmas!!
Love,
Jennifer

Dear Heavenly Father,

I pray that as I begin this blog that I would be a good steward of the time you've given me and that you would help me to guard my words so that I will only bring glory to You. I pray that you would use this blog to help me see Your hand on our lives each and every day. I pray that I will be encouraged as I remember Your faithfulness. I pray that You may use me to encourage others as I share Your love. I pray that you would give me words, stories, and experiences that allow me to reveal You and Your goodness and help me to see them as such especially in the experiences that I would not chose for myself. Keep me in the center of Your will. Help me to be faithful to You. I pray that I would not try to draw attention to myself, but instead give You all praise and glory! Thank you for Your love to me!

Your daughter,
Jennifer