Start of School

So I officially started school on Thursday. I am overwhelmingly overwhelmed. I told Daddy that I feel like a kid on the first day of Kindergarten. I know nothing! I have no counseling background and no theology background. I know nothing! I guess that means I just have a lot to learn. I have my classes all figured out. I will have a class at 8:00 every day and then one online. This way, I can be at work by 2 every day and hopefully have all my work done before I get there so I can spend the nights with Michael. ( I think that was a run-on sentence...sorry Kristy).

I wanted to tell you a little bit about convocation. It was held during chapel on the first day of school. All the faculty came in in their little robes that they wear at graduation. I find those things extremely humerous. For all you Harry fans, it looked like a large assembly of Dumbledore importance witches and wizards. Anyways, I digress. So apparently, there are 2 ways to be on faculty. You can be appointed by the president, or you can be approved by the Board of Trustees. Being approved by the board is way cooler. You get to be called up to the stage. Then you get to sit in the founding president's chair and sign your name in an extremely large book. I can't help but compare it to the Book of Life! Then you go and sit with the rest of the faculty.

President Patterson gave the sermon in chapel that day. He read the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet. As he was explaining the different Greek words for the term servant, he washed this dude's feet. Just called him right up on stage, sat him down, washed his feet, and never missed a beat in his sermon. WOW! The dude was very touched. He was crying as Dr. Patterson prayed over him. Dr. Patterson was stressing the importance of service within the church and how no one is above service.

I will try to do better with posting. I think I have a little schedule worked out which should allow me some time to post. I have a few ideas of things I want to post for your enjoyment.

Katie McCrary, I have not forgotten about your TAG. I actually have a sticky note on my computer. It is on the list!

My First Day of Graduate School...sort of

So today was orientation at SWBTS.  I think I have been so orientated that my head may fall off.  We started with general orientation.  Then we went to orientation by school...mine being the school of education.  Then we went to orientation by degrees.  FINALLY after that we were released to...guess what...go TAKE A TEST!!!  Yes a TEST on the FIRST day of seminary which technically was just orientation and not class.  It was a standardized test to figure out how much Bible knowledge I had.  I always thought I had a pretty good working knowledge of the Bible.  Not so.  It was very difficult.  Do you know who Joshua's daddy was or what River flows through the land of the Hittites?  Yeah...me either.  At least it was multiple choice!  **Attention parents:   This was not for a grade, don't be alarmed.  It was just to establish a baseline for what I know now.  I'll take it again when I graduate and hopefully do better.**

Oh...and guess what else...I have HOMEWORK!  Yeah, I haven't even been to class yet, but I have 60 pages to read and 3 discussions to post comments in before Thursday.

This is going to be a fun 3 years.  Please pray for me.

Another Exciting Weekend

So I will try to give you a brief update about our weekend, which is why you haven't heard from me until today.

Friday we went on a "field trip" with Kristy and Deanna to the Fort Worth Money Factory.  It is one of only two places in the U.S. that produces our paper currency.  I could not work in a place like that.  To have to stare at that much money every day and leave it there at the end of it would overwhelm me.  I am perfectly content with my life where I am but looking at millions of dollars only makes me want it.  For security purposes, we weren't allowed to have cameras or cell phones so sorry no pics.  I did meet this adorable little fellow and his brother who were visiting the area for a family reunion on the bus ride over to the "factory".  He was very friendly and told me all about his family and the money he had in the bank!  He fully expected them to give him some money on this tour!

Saturday we headed over to Plano, TX, which is about 1 hour away from us to meet Michael's brother and sister-in-law, Todd and Nicole, as well as Nicole's parents and brother for lunch.  We ate at Abuelo's which I will call an upscale Mexican restaurant.  It was a good lunch, and we enjoyed getting to visit with Todd and Nicole.  They educated us a little bit on the CPA exam and suggestions for prep courses for Michael.  Interesting indeed.

Then we headed over the Kristy and Deanna's, our lovely hostesses for the weekend.  We spent the night with them to keep from having to make the drive over to Plano twice.  We were able to visit Deanna's classroom and attempt to help her get things ready.  I don't know if we were more a hindrance or a help!  After that, we attended church services at The Village.  Then we went to eat at Babe's.  This was very good.  Everything is served family style.  We had fried chicken strips, corn, green beans, creamed potatoes with white gravy, and fabulous homemade biscuits.  It was a tasty dinner.  Then we headed back to their apartment to watch the Olympics.

**Side story--Nicole's brother has a son, Kent, who is a little younger than Matthew.  He has been watching the "bobympics" this week.  His favorite sport is diving.  He stands in front of the TV and says, "Jump boy!  Jump boy!"  Then, when they land, he breaks into applause!  TOO CUTE!**

Sunday morning we woke up and went to church a SECOND time...yes aren't we good!...with Todd and Nicole at Prestonwood Baptist Church.  Talk about HUGE!!!  When we walked in, I felt like I was in the corridor of a mall, not a church  The sanctuary was gargantuan.  The choir was AMAZING!  They were all color coordinated with the ladies in Pink, Green, and Turquoise shirts and the guys in black striped shirts.  Very good.  After church, we were saying our good-byes when Nicole's cousin suggested that we all stay and eat lunch....wait for it...wait for it...AT THE CHURCH!  He said, you're gonna wait forever at any restaurant, just eat here!  YES...we walked down the hall...and turned the corner...and there is a full buffet for lunch...all you can eat for $11.  If you aren't in the mood for the buffet or have a picky child on your hands...DON'T FEAR...There is a FOOD COURT...with pizza, hamburgers, chicken, anything you want!  IMPRESSIVE!  **Brother Sammy, you need to work on this for Fairview!**

Good times.

 

Warner Brothers Change Opening Date

Just in case anyone hasn't heard yet...Warner Bros has decided to postpone the premier of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until NEXT SUMMER!  In JULY no less!!  That is a YEAR away!  If you are interested, you can read an article here.  I am too mad to discuss it.  If you were wondering...YES...all it has to do with is MONEY!!!

Question

Does anyone know how to attach a file to a post like you would attach a file to an e-mail?  I have something I would like to share, but its an attachment in an e-mail.

Encouragement

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the 

glory of God;

The skies proclaim the work

of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth

speech;

night after night they display

knowledge.

There is no speech or 

language

where their voice is not

heard.

Their voice goes out into all

the earth,

their words to the ends of 

the world.

In the heavens he has

pitched a tent for the sun,

which is like a bridegroom

coming forth from his

pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to

run his course.

It rises at one end of the 

heavens 

and makes its circuit to the

other;

nothing is hidden from its

heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statues of the LORD are

trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are

right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD

are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD

are sure

and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is 

great reward.

Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from

willfull sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,

innocent of great

transgressions.

May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my

heart

be pleasing in your sight, 

O LORD, my Rock and my

Redeemer.

Favoritism

Scripture:  Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter began to speak, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right."

Observation:  Let me give you a little background on what has just happened in this chapter.  Cornelius, a Gentile, has had a vision where an angel tells him to send for Peter.  So he does this.  In the meantime, Peter fall into a trance and sees heaven.  He also sees a sheet being lowered with all kinds of unclean animals in it.  The Lord tells Peter to kill and eat.  Peter responds by saying that he has never eaten anything unclean.  The Lord tells Peter not to call anything impure that God has made clean.  End of trance.  Cornelius' people arrive, and the Spirit has told Peter that it is okay to go with them.  He does and then we get these verses as he begins to speak to Cornelius.  God used the dream to prepare Peter for the fact that God's salvation was not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.  He doesn't show favoritism.  Later in the chapter, the Holy Spirit fills Cornelius and others who heard Peter's message, and they were baptized.

Application:  God offers salvation to ANYONE from any background or nation.  Who am I to decide that only a certain type of person can receive God's forgiveness and grace?  It is natural for us to gravitate toward people who are like us.  People who come from the same types of families, economic status, schools, etc.  God doesn't want us to be like that when it comes to sharing the Gospel.  For God so loved the world, that He gave his Only Begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  How would you feel if someone had skipped over sharing the Gospel with you just because you were different from them?  Think about it.  We are called to share the Gospel to anyone and everyone.  We can also commit to pray for people living in different nations.  Pray that their hearts would be softened and open to the Word being shared with them.  Pray also for the missionaries who have dedicated their lives to bringing the Word to these people.  We have our own mission field here at home.  There are plenty of people who don't know the Truth.  Will you tell them?  Will I tell them?  This is a huge challenge for me.  It is easier for me to go off to Thailand or a Christian summer camp and share the Gospel, but right here where I am is a huge challenge for me.

Prayer:  Lord, Pour out a special blessing on those who have dedicated their lives to your work overseas.  Help me to see all people through your eyes of love.  Give me the words to say and the strength to say them and the love to say them with.   I can't do it without You.

CVS Trip # 4

No pictures.  Surprisingly, this trip was Michael's idea, so as soon as we got home he had opened the packages before I could remind him that we needed a picture.  So you will just have to use your imagination!

This was not the most moneysaving trip ever.  But everything we got, we will definitely use, so who cares.

Transaction #1:

2 Irish Spring Bar soap 6 pk:  5.69 each

Coupon: $2/$10 CVS Coupon

OOP: roughly $10.00 (Michael has the receipts sorry!)

ECBs earned:  4

Transaction #2:

1 bag of Jolly Ranchers:  $2

1 bag or Air Heads:  $2

4 theater boxes of Raisinets: $4

1 bag of M & M's: $2

Coupon: $2/$10 CVS coupon

OOP: again roughly $8.70

ECBs earned: 5

Want your very own $2/$10 CVS coupon?  Click HERE.  Go to page 30 and print!

So we basically spent about $20 and received $9 in ECB's back.  As I said, not the best money saving trip ever, but we needed the soap and Michael loves candy.  Plus I needed some candy for tutoring incentives!  It will all get used, and we would have bought it anyways.

My Story

In light of my previous post and to encourage others to do the same, I am posting my story.

I was raised in a Christian home and taught Christian principles from early childhood.  At a very young age, I went through the motions of joining the church and baptism without completely understanding the decision and commitment I was supposedly making.  Looking back, I feel that I was simply trying to please those around me rather than make a decision to follow Christ.  During a choir presentation at my church when I was a fifth grader, the Lord pressed upon my heart the realization that I was a sinner in desperate need of a Savior.  It was at that point in my life that I spoke with my Children's Minister and made the true decision to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.  I knew that I was a sinner who deserved death.  I believe that Christ came as the Son of God and lived a perfect life in order to pay our penalty of death and offer us salvation.  I chose then to accept that in my heart and follow Jesus as Lord and Savior.  At that point, I had a full understanding of what Christ being my Savior meant, but over time, God showed me what Christ being my Lord meant.  I learned to follow Him in decisions in life as well as the way I lead my life.  It meant I was going to yield the control of my life to Christ and serving Him.

I felt a call into the ministry as an 8th grader.  At the time, I felt a clear call to serve God vocationally but didn't understand to what specific field.  It took three summers of service in different areas for God to reveal His plan.  As the time for college drew nearer, I was still unclear of where exactly God was leading me.  He made clear in my heart that I was to attend MSU and major in elementary education.  This made sense to me because I have a passionate drive and gift for working with children.  At the end of my senior year of high school, God finally placed a specific call on my life--service as a missionary in Thailand.  I didn't know when or how, but committed to follow God wherever he led.  At my college BSU, I was introduced to a summer missions program, applied, and was granted an opportunity which most Freshmen do not get--a placement at a children's dorm in Thailand.  God used that summer to grow and teach me so many things.  One specific thing I knew coming out of that experience was that although God used that time to teach me, international missions was not my vocational call.  The next summer I was given the opportunity to serve as a children's ministry intern at my home church.  Over that summer through working mostly with preschool and some children, God began to confirm in my heart that this was part of the vocational plan He had for me.  At the end of the summer, I shared with my church my commitment to follow God into vocational ministry.  The following year, literally at the last minute, I applied to serve as a counselor at a summer camp called Lake Forest Ranch in Macon, MS.  This had been a childhood dream of mine.  Amazingly, I was given a position to serve as a girl's counselor for the summer.  It was over that summer of service that God awakened my passion for counseling.    People have always naturally felt comfortable talking with me and sharing their struggles with me.  After the brief training we got, I realized how powerful counseling can be when you have the tools.  Coming out of that summer, I knew God's call for me--Children's Ministry with emphasis in Counseling.  My vision for what I would love to do one day is work within a church as a marriage and family counselor.  So many families are falling apart in our society due to divorce; I want to serve people by showing them how God is enough to hold their families together.  I also want to work with children who are dealing with grief, abuse, or other personal struggles.  Where I am from, most churches could not support a counselor on staff, so I am also interested in serving as a Children’s Minister while offering counseling to those who need it.

Now you know a little more about me and my story.  I would love to hear about yours!

What is your story?  Share it in a post on your blog and link it in a comment here or e-mail (meb88meb @ hotmail . com) me a link and I will link it here. Put MY STORY as the heading of your e-mail.

Confused?  Don't know what I am talking about?  E-mail me.  

This Became Known...& Many Believed

Scripture:  Acts 9:31-43

Focal Passage:  Acts 9:42 "This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord."

Observation:  In this passage, Peter performs two miracles.  As a result of both, many people were saved.  People were saved because someone told the story of what had happened, or they were witnesses of it themselves.

Application:  What miracle has God done in my life that I need to tell about?  The obvious one that comes to mind is my salvation.  That is the biggest miracle of all.  I was dead in my sins, and Christ died on the cross to give me the opportunity to live free from those sins.  If I simply tell my story of what God has done for me, both on the day of my salvation and since, how many might come to know Him?  

I find it interesting that in the second miracle in this passage, Peter raises a woman from the dead.  That is exactly what Christ does for us through salvation.  We are dead in our sins, and He raises us into life with Him.  

Prayer:  Lord, Please make me sensitive to times when you want me to share my story.  Guide me to do it only for your glory and your honor! Amen.

What is your story?  Share it in a post on your blog and link it in a comment here or e-mail (meb88meb @ hotmail . com) me a link and I will link it here. Put MY STORY as the heading of your e-mail.

Confused?  Don't know what I am talking about?  E-mail me.  

Success at CVS Trip #3

Last night as I was browsing the CVS deals for the week, I stumbled upon a $3/$15 (that means $3 off a purchase of $15 or more) coupon for CVS that expired yesterday! So I had to use it!! Here is my deal that turned out REALLY sweet!

1 box Alavert: 5.99
1 tube Skin Effects pimple cream: 9.99
Coupons: 

$3/$15 CVS
$2 off Skin Effects (CVS beauty magazine)
$4 off Alavert
$3.50 ECBs
**BONUS** I found a CVS coupon for $2 off any Alavert product on top of the price scanner. (*NOTE* Always scan your card at the price scanner usually located near the front of the store for bonus CVS coupons!)
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS!?!?
   
OOP: $1.49
ECB's EARNED: $8!!!

YAY!
I will say that they almost didn't take my $3/$15 coupon b/c the bar code on the coupon didn't match the bar code on my card. They ended up just keying it in themselves. Same with the Alavert coupon I found on the price scanner. I was a little nervous there for a minute, but all turned out well!

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I haven't decided whether I should be excited or not.  Nevertheless, coming this November, the sixth movie installment of Harry Potter based on the book series by J.K. Rowling will appear in theaters.  I will say to all of you skeptics out there, that I stayed away from Harry Potter when it initially hit the scene.  I wasn't a big recreational reader at the time, and all the fuss about it teaching children about witchcraft and sorcery was enough for me to just stay away.  But as I grew older, I not only began to think a little bit for myself, but also became a more recreational reader.  Put the two together, and I really needed a good book series.  A good friend of mine, Day Smith, was a big Harry Potter fan.  She so sweetly agreed to be a bridesmaid in my wedding BEFORE she found out that the final book, The Deathly Hallows, would come out that very day.  Anyways, all of the excitement got me interested.  I got to thinking, I am a grown woman who is very founded in her beliefs, a children's book is not going to shake me up!  So I began reading, and I was immediately addicted.  J.K. Rowling has such a talent for developing characters and plot and setting and weaving it all together into this unpredictable web of a story.  Let's be honest with ourselves...how many times have you read a book and NOT been able to predict the ending of it by the time you got there?  Aside from the classics, I myself have not read many.  But she NEVER ceased to astonish me with her twists and turns.  Not to mention the way she made me HATE certain characters and LOVE others.  I laughed out loud, I cried real tears, I found myself actually CARING about these FICTIONAL characters.  I can say that I have never read a book that had me so involved in its story.  Lucky for me, all of the books were out when I started reading, so I read them all back to back in about 1 month!  I definitely have a new favorite author and series.  And as for the mumbo jumbo about being unsuitable for children based on the witchcraft and wizardy...that is hogwash.  The only reason I would say it is unsuitable for young children is because there is a level of violence in it that might scare children.  The book is CLEARLY fictional...and very good fiction at that.  So after I read these fascinating books, I was thrilled to find out that there were movies to go along with them.  I borrowed all 5 that were out at the time from my cousin Neil.  Then I forced Michael to watch them with me.  I wanted him to understand why I was so obsessed with reading these books.  I wanted him to enjoy the story and love the characters I loved and despise those that I despised.  Well...the movies did NOT help me meet my goal.  They were okay.  But so much of the plot is left out!  There are just some things that cannot be conveyed on a movie screen. THIS brings me to the reason I am wary of getting excited about the Half-Blood Prince coming out in November.  I do think that the movies have gotten increasingly better with each one, so maybe this one will shock and amaze even the truest Harry Potter fan.  I still think the only way to truly appreciate and understand this story completely is to read the books!  I am begging Michael to do so.  First I have to purchase my own copy!  (if anyone needs to get me a present for anything...hint hint)  Enough rambling.  You can watch the movie trailer here.   

Blogs that Might Pique Your Interest

I am sorry that it has been a few days since I've posted. I got a book that I've been waiting on from the library, so those of you that know me well know what I've been doing for the last 48 hours.



ANYWAYS, I thought I would share with you some of the blogs that I find interesting. I have a few main categories that I look at: Christian blogs, Friends & Family, MSU, and Saving Money. You can find all of the friends and family blogs listed to the right. Here are the other blogs that I enjoy:



In the Christian Section:

Albert Mohler's Blog: http://www.albertmohler.com/

This is the president of Southwestern Seminary in Louisville, KY. His posts are mostly commentaries about events in the world today. I find them interesting.



Pinelake Church's Life Journal Blog: http://pinelake.org/blogs/lifejournal

These posts are made by staff members at Pinelake in Brandon, MS. They use the lifejournal format that I introduce in a previous post.



For State Fans:

Inside Mississippi State Sports with Gregg Ellis:

He writes articles for papers in Mississippi focusing on MSU athletics. Reading his blog helps me hold conversations about MSU with Dad and Michael!



Saving Money:

MoneySavingMom:

This site gives practical advice and ways to save money. From grocery shopping tips to cooking from scratch. She is currently doing a series on making money by blogging...very interesting!



The "Cents"ible Sawyer: http://www.thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com/

This is the site that got me started on CVS. She also posts on deals at many other stores, give-aways, places to find coupons, etc.



The Simple Dollar:

The writer of this blog quit his full time job to write for his blog. He is full of great ideas on how to save a little money. He is a Dave Ramsey Supporter. He reviews finance books weekly.



Wise Bread:

Similar to The Simple Dollar except that many different writers post to the blog. I must admist that these posts are sometimes not "Christian" in that they are not always going to support the same moral/ethical things we believe in. Just be warned. You have to filter the good from the bad.



RANDOM:

The McNulty Quads:

A mother chronicles her journey raising quads. I don't see how she has the time to post, but she does an amazing job!



The Gerwer babies:

Another mother writing about her journey raising quads. These babies are younger.



I hope you can find at least one blog out of my list that you enjoy. Refer to my post about feeds to find out how you can recieve updates from multiple blogs on one site!

Semi-Successful CVS Trip #2

So on Sunday afternoon, I plotted out my plans and trucked it on down to CVS. I am trying to keep it simple here at the beginning. Here was my plan:
Buy: 1 Colgate toothpaste using a $1.00 off coupon and earning 2 ECBs
1 Crest toothpaste using a 75 cents off coupon and earning 1.50 ECBs
2 Oral-B Inicator Toothbrushes with a $1 off 2 items coupon and
earning 4 ECBS
This should have made my total around 4.75 OOP after using the 3.99 in ECBs I already had and earn me 7.50 in ECBs in return.

Well well well...here is how it went down. I got all my items, gave them my coupons, ECBs, etc. and the price comes to within 8 cents of my prediction. I am excited. Then I only got 3.50 in ECBs back. I said hold on...I am supposed to get 2 ECBs each for these toothbrushes...that is 4 ECBs I am missing. I tell the cashier. I pull out the August ECB flier and show her it on the page. This is how it reads: Buy Oral-B Indicator or Advantage Value Pack Toothbrush 4 pk. get $2 extra bucks. This led me to belive that I could buy 1 Indicator OR I could buy the 4 pk of Advantage. Well it is not so. You must buy the 4 pk. of either one. So, alas, the ambiguous fine print got me. But DO NOT FEAR...I have a plan. I will tell you about it after I make sure it works. I don't want to look stupid if it doesn't!! All in all it was still a good buy. All four items would normally cost around $10-12 and I got it for $4.80. AMAZING! Have you tried CVS? Leave a comment of your adventures, questions, or thoughts.

The Bread Making Site

Click HERE to get complete directions and pictures for making homemade bread.

Thank you Katie for helping me!

WOW! I am getting so talented!

I AM EMPLOYED!!!!

I got a job! YAY! I will be tutoring children at the All Church Home for Children in downtown Fort Worth Monday through Thursday from 2 - 6 p.m. I couldn't be happier! I prayed for a job, and God has blessed me way beyond my expectations!! Praise the Lord for HE is good!

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Bread Making Extravaganza

Yesterday, Kristy and Deanna came over and we made homemade bread! Wow! Aren't we cool! We followed a recipe on the Simple Dollar blog. I don't know how to post handy dandy links on here, so if someone would kindly educate me, I will get that up for you!

We had a rather good time as you can tell from the many pictures!!