Random Stuff

1. Someone broke into Greg's car last night. Thankfully, there wasn't much in there that was too valueable. The only thing that is missing at this point is our video camera.

2. Now, Greg and I want to make it a priority to make room for his car in the garage.

3. As frustrated as I was about this senselessness and greed, the Lord quickly reminded me to pray for my enemies. I really don't have many true enemies, but I think that someone who has broken into our car would be considered one. Whoever that was obviously needs Jesus more than money, and I hope that he/she will find the true Satisfaction you can get from Him.

4. We are finishing Crazy Love by Francis Chan with our community group. Everyone should read this book. It's amazing and deeply convicting, but in an encouraging way.

5. Today is my sweet niece, Maddie's 6th birthday! I can't believe the tiny baby I met when I first started dating Greg is now a smart kindergartner! She was only 2 1/2 when she was a flower girl in our wedding! Happy birthday, Maddie! We love you very much!

6. Maddie and her family are going on a Disney Cruise for her birthday. They leave tomorrow. I am thrilled for them and can't wait to hear their stories. It also makes me excited to take Luke and Jack on fun vacations someday.

7. I can't believe that I am 33 weeks pregnant. Reality has not set in yet at all. We have a lot to do still in a short period of time.

8. That doesn't take away from the fact that I'm so excited to meet little Jack. It's going to be so exciting having another tiny one around here.

9. We were able to babysit Caed on Sunday, and it made us even more excited to see Luke as a big brother. He is just naturally gentle and sweet. We know that we will have our rough moments, but we're trusting that Luke will love Jack and be a big helper.

10. Speaking of Luke, he is as sweet as can be, but he sure has a strong will. When we don't let him get his own way, he screams, hits and throws things. We are learning how to reason with and discipline a 19-month-old, which is difficult.

11. This (rare) behavior reminds me of the verse that we truly are sinful from birth. It makes me pray that Luke realizes his need for Jesus' forgiveness at an early age.

12. Much to Daddy's delight, one of Luke's favorite things to do right now is brush his teeth. He cries when we put the toothpaste away.

13. Luke is getting to be such a fun age. He is trying to repeat everything we say now, and his memory is unbelieveable. Every time we say "bug", he points to the same place on the ceiling in the living room. We couldn't figure out why, but we realized that he is pointing to the same place where Greg threw a ball on the ceiling to kill a bug a month ago or so. Smart kid.

14. I am at the stage in pregnancy where I am EXHAUSTED by 9:00 pm. It's really like my body can't function properly after that time unless it's horizontal.

15. Our good friend's, the Barret's, have a ministry in Uganda that is unbelievable. It is so evident that God is putting the pieces together for them to minister to so many pastors and orphans. Greg and I are enjoying being a small part of this ministry just through our friendship with them. We definitely plan on going there with them sometime in the future. They have challenged Greg and I to be sensitive to the Spirit's leading. If he has a ministry in mind for our family, we don't want our busyness to allow us to let it pass us by.

16. I feel sorry for Thanksgiving. I feel like our culture jumps right from Halloween to Christmas. I don't even like to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I love fall, and I have always loved Thanksgiving. I think it's an incredible opportunity to have a day set aside to just be thankful for all of God's blessings on our lives.

17. Don't get me wrong, if I happen to see that "perfect gift" for someone before Thanksgiving, I will get it, but I don't actively shop or decorate until after Thankgiving. Sometimes, I feel stressed before December even gets here that I'm not prepared for Christmas. Then, I realize that I have been seeing Christmas commercials for over a month already, and I need to ignore the media, step back and enjoy the Thanksgiving season. Then, I can shift to Christmas and enjoy the days leading up to it afterwards. This is just me, though. I know a lot of my friends like to get ready early, which is fine if that's best for them!

18. There was a dead squirrel on the road right outside of our house the other day. I literally cried. I love seeing squirrels in our yard - we have lots of nuts and acorns for them. Cars go way too fast down our street. When did I turn into such an animal lover?

19. My family (all 5 of them!) are coming to visit for Thanksgiving one week from today. I have been counting down the days for weeks now. It will be the first time that they are all here together. Luke isn't going to know what to do with all the attention he is going to get.

20. My mom has taken off a few weeks after Christmas to be here for Jack's birth. I am so excited to have her here. I am also already dreading the day I have to say goodbye to her after she's been here that long. Why is it that you turn into such a Momma's girl after you become a momma yourself?

21. Greg and I both agreed that Danny's message on Sunday was one of the best and most challenging we've heard. It was over Ephesians 5 on marriage. We have a lot to work on.

22. Greg tells me that I have a lot of pet peeves, and most of them have to do with the way Tylerites drive. He said that I should be on a road/driving safety committee. After living in Dallas, you would think crazy drivers wouldn't bother me. But, I have realized that Dallas drivers are just aggressive and Tyler drivers are just, well, clueless sometimes. I think part of that has to do with the old age of a lot of the population here. I need to check my attitude sometimes and love others, no matter how they drive.

23. God has been teaching me a lot about contentment lately. Some areas that I thought I was content in, I have learned that I am just not. I have found myself "wanting" a lot lately, and I realize that this is a lack of contentment.

24. This post has gone a lot longer than I intended. If you've read all of it, I'm impressed. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!