House Pic of the Day

Here's a picture of our new and improved yard.  It's not completely finished but at least you can see the house now!

I Heart Fall

Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year.  I love everything about it- the leaves, the cooler temperatures, football, everything pumpkin, the scents, and the list could go on and on.  So, you can probably guess that I am struggling to adjust to fall in Florida, which is just a slightly cooler extension of summer.

This is my idea of a perfect fall...

Needless to say that is not my current experience of fall.  But I do love almost everything else about living in Florida, so I am trying not to complain too much about it and make the most of it.  So, one of the first boxes that I opened at the new house was the one with my fall decorations in it.  If it can't look like fall outside, then I am going to do my darnedest to make it feel, smell, taste, and look like fall inside.

There you go- Fall in Florida :)

Lucky Number 7

On October 3, Josh and I closed on our house. This will be the 7th place that we have lived since June 2006, when we got married. Seven is a special number in the Bible and hopefully, it will be the same for us. It still feels surreal that we will be in the house for years, not simply months as the previous 4 places have been. As a symbol of us putting down roots here in Tampa, Josh is throwing away the boxes! So, here are some before pictures for your enjoyment. The new and improved version to come...

                                                     
                                                       Entry way and doors to my office.

                                                                     Master bedroom

                                  Master bathroom- What do you guys think of the color choice? Ugh!

                                                                       Dining room

                                                                 HUGE laundry room

                                                                          Guest room

                                                        Front of the house pre-landscaping


 As of now, we have painted the family room, kitchen, living room/dining room, office and master bedroom. It looks soooo much better! Pictures to come.

 The fall decorations are out and the Vols are playing Alabama. All is good in the world!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brett and Lauren Denton

CONGRATULATIONS to my baby sister and her now husband (my new brother)!

They became man and wife on September 3, 2011. Blessed to be apart of their lives and their special day (a more detailed blog to follow).

I Can Forgive

I love my church (Grace Family Church) and one of the many reasons is because our pastor doesn't shy away from the tough issues. The current sermon series is entitled, Freedom, and in this week's message, Pastor Craig talked about how lack of forgiveness can be a roadblock to freedom in our lives. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was totally prepared to zone out of the service this morning. I wasn't feeling well, and my thoughts were consumed of all the things that I still had to do today. I also knew for a fact that I didn't have forgiveness issues. In fact, I consider that to be one of my strengths, being able to forgive and move on.

During the worship time, I was feeling guilty for having predetermined that I wasn't going to get anything out of the message. So, I whispered a quick prayer that God would reveal at least one tidbit that I could take away from the message. You probably know where I'm going with this. When we expect little from God, he shows up in a BIG way. And that is exactly what he did this morning. Pastor Craig asked us to put the name of the individual we needed to forgive on an index card and then we were to place the card at the altar as a symbol that we were removing that obstacle of unforgiveness from our life. As I sat there racking my brain for the person I was supposed to forgive, all that came to mind were trivial things like how Josh hadn't washed the dishes last night or how my sister had forgotten to thank me for doing her a favor, neither situation which would merit holding a grudge. And then it hit me right there in my gut. You know the kind of feeling that makes your stomach and your heart hurt at the same time, and it becomes hard to breathe. I knew without a doubt the name that I had to write down on the card. I knew right then that I was wrong, I did have a forgiveness issue and it was a major one. The person that I needed to forgive, the grudge that was keeping me from experiencing freedom was ME.

I have no problem forgiving others when they hurt me, but I had not been able to forgive myself for years. Even though others had forgiven me long ago and relationships have been restored, I have been continuing to punish myself for my indiscretions, not feeling worthy of forgiveness. I realized this morning, pen shaking in my hand as I wrote my name on the card, that my inability to forgive myself has robbed me of joy in my life, that feeling like I am unworthy of forgiveness has diminished Christ's power of restoration. By resisting healing, I have been indicating to God that I do not believe in his redeeming grace. As all these thoughts were swirling in my head, I had to fight hard to keep the tears from falling as I thought of how much I have missed, of how I could have traded years of feeling worthless and ruined for the great joy that comes from finding freedom in perfect love.

I walked up to the front, dropped my card on the platform, and vowed to throw off the chains of unforgiveness. How can I argue with God, who sent his Son to the cross to pay the price for all sin, and claim to be the exception to His grace? I CANNOT.

"My grace is sufficient for you..." 2 Corinthians 12:9

A New School Year

Yesterday started another school year for me, the LAST school year!!! I cannot in words convey the full extent of my excitement. If you know me, you know that I love school. Well, gosh, I must, since I've been in school for the last 22 years! But now I can say without reservation that I am ready to be done. School for me is over forever. I am usually not this decided about anything. Just ask my family and friends. I tend to be very wishy washy and shy away from making decisions. But I have officially decided that Ashley Hawk will not be enrolling in any type of school ever again!

I think one of the reasons that God placed me on the path of law school is so I would finally be ready to close that chapter of my life- being a student. Law school has been nothing like the rest of the my school experience. Yes, there is the occasional joy of learning something new, but for the most part it is intense and draining and hard to enjoy due to the sheer amount of work. So, therefore I am done as of May 12, 2012! There are some things about being in school that I will miss like the excitement of buying school supplies or Spring Break or having a flexible schedule, but that's why you have kids, right?

I tried to explain it to someone the other day that being in graduate school is like being in a holding pattern. You really want to land the plane, but you can't. I feel that my life in a way has been on hold for the past 5 years, and I am so ready to land the plane! While I am so grateful for the privilege and opportunity to go to graduate school and now law school, and I know that my law degree is necessary for me to fulfill my calling, I can't help but wonder if remaining in school has been my way of avoiding the future, of hanging onto the known so I don't have to venture into the unknown. But I am now happy to say that I have matured and am ready to face life full on, full of its challenges and trials. I am ready to break my holding pattern and land the plane. Some people reach this point in their life far earlier than I have and for that, they are fortunate, but I hold no regrets because this is my life and this is my journey!

So, to the LAST year of school, "Welcome, I've been waiting for you!"

The Deglers Go on Vacation

The Deglers came to visit us this past weekend! They are some of our very best friends from Kentucky, and it was soooo good to see them again. They stayed with us in our 2 bedroom apartment, which was just a tad bit crowded with all 6 of us. I don't know how some people live like that permanently. But is was so much fun. We packed a lot of activities into the 3 1/2 days they were here.

THURSDAY
They arrived Thursday night and we headed down to Channelside to eat at a japanese place down there. Then we grabbed ice cream at Coldstone. Yum, yum!

FRIDAY
On Friday, we went to Busch Gardens all day. Below are some great pictures from the day. We had a great time and really only had to stay in line for one rollercoaster. The most funny thing from the day was that after we rode Kumba (rollercoaster), we went to see our picture and the guy said that he couldn't show it to us because Beth was flipping the camera off. For those of you who know Beth, you know that that was absolutely not true! hahaha

SATURDAY
On Saturday, we went to Passe Grille beach, which is a nice, quiet beach in St. Petersburg. We only stayed for a couple of hours as Josh had to be back to preach that night. We played Kan Jam and frisbee in the ocean. Chris reapplied sunscreen like 3 times and sat with a towel around him most of the day to keep from getting burned. That night we went to the 5:00 service at church and then went to eat at a great restaurant in Tampa, Ballyhoo. After Josh finished preaching, we went to see Super 8. I was fighting to stay awake the whole movie, so I didn't enjoy it as much as I probably would have.

SUNDAY
On Sunday, we had a quiet morning waiting for Josh to finish preaching. Then we went down to John's Pass, which is a great boardwalk area. We rented wave runners to ride on the ocean. Nicholas kept pointing out to me how slow I was driving. The waves make me nervous and I don't want to be thrown off to the sharks! After the wave runners, we ate at Bubba Gump!

If you know the Deglers, you know that you will always come away from spending time with them with a load of funny stories. Most of my Degler stories are Chris stories, but the best one this trip was from Nicholas. In our apartment complex, the gate closes after 7PM and you have to use a card to get in. We told Nicholas that we have to pay $5 every time we use the card. He believed us the whole weekend. Then on Saturday night we were having to use the card to get in and told Nicholas that it was his turn to pay. He said, "Mom I'm not stupid. Josh already told me that they have a season pass!" HAHAHAHA We finally told him the truth on Sunday.

Below are some pictures from the trip:

Summer Internship

Since I transferred this past semester from the University of Kentucky to Stetson College of Law, I lost some credits which has forced me to take summer classes. After taking summer classes during my master's program, I swore I would never take them again. Who likes going to school during the summer, especially in sunny Florida??? But my choices were to go to school during the summer or graduate in December 2012 instead of May 2012. Not even a choice-- of course, I am graduating in May!

So, this summer I am taking 2 classes, one at school and one online, and I am doing an internship for class credit. I am so glad that I got the placement I did with my internship. I was placed at the Bay Area Legal Services (www.bals.org). BALS is an organization that operates under private grant funding to provide legal services to people who can't afford hiring a private attorney. Their services include representing clients in domestic violence cases, elder abuse, child neglect and abuse, and divorces where domestic violence is present. My very first day there I had the privilege of attending one of their meetings where former clients spoke about how BALS had helped them in their situations. It was so neat to hear the testimonies. One man who has 3 young children came to BALS because his wife was being abusive to him and the kids and was not caring for the children at all. He found out later that while he was working 16 hour shifts, his wife would keep the babies drugged and sedated because she didn't want to bother with them. Then when he came home, the kids would be wide awake and he would have to stay up to take care of him. He shared how BALS had helped him file for divorce and had also helped him get the resources he needed to take for his 3 children. I sat there in the meeting thinking, 'WOW, I would love to work at this place.'

I am excited about the opportunities this internship may bring, and I am also praying that doors will be opened so that in May 2012 when I graduate, I will have a job, whether or not it is with BALS. For the longest time, it seemed that my career was so far off, something in the distance, and now all of the sudden, it looks like it might become actually become a reality. I know that God has placed a passion in my heart to work at an organization like BALS. I know that all the schooling and student loans were not in vain. I know God has a plan for my life, a plan to use my gifts and talents for his glory. I know this now, but I have doubted it so many times. I doubted it after I finished my master's only to be turned down for so many jobs. I doubted is as I bounced around from one part-time job to another. I doubted it as I watched my friends begin their careers. I doubted it in law school as I sat beside students younger and smarter than me. I know that a job is not everything and that it doesn't define you, but it is a desire of my heart. It is a way that I believe God will use me. I have the privilege of watching God use Josh in his job everyday, and I see how much joy he has in doing what he loves and was created to do. I long for that and know it will be worth the wait. I almost cried sitting in that meeting last week because I could see the promise of a plan for my life at work. Even if it is not at BALS, I know that I will be making a difference somewhere in Tampa, and that one day, I will be listening to my clients' stories. I CAN'T WAIT!

I am Israel

During my month hiatus from blogging, I have been working on a couple posts, which are still in progress and will be posted soon. Tonight, though, I just wanted to share something really quick that is on my heart before I forget. Blogging can be such a good exercise of reflection.

Over the past two days, I have been reading through the book of Hosea. I absolutely love the story of Hosea's love for his wife, Gomer. If you haven't read Redeeming Love, do yourself a favor and go buy it. You won't regret it. It is a fictional account based on the story of Hosea. But that's not what caught my attention during this last read through of Hosea. I don't know that I've ever really carefully read the book, or if I've just been so focused on the fact that Hosea married a prostitute, that I missed the bigger picture. Of course, Hosea marrying Gomer is an example of God's love for us in that even when we throw ourselves at other things, God still pursues us, but the main subject of the book of Hosea is God's love for Israel and his chosen people.

The book of Hosea is devoted to Hosea giving the Israelites a message from God of how God is turning his back on them because they've continued to live in sin and have run from the things of God. Several chapters go on and on about how God was faithful to the Israelites and they continued to run from him. Hosea's whole message seems to be leading to the fact, that once and for all, God is done with Israel. However, in the end, Hosea tells of God's great love for Israel and how God would always pursue her. In fact, Hosea is just one of the many places in the Old Testament where God uses a prophet both to rebuke Israel and to tell of his great love for the nation.

I love the story of God's love for Israel because it is a picture of how vast God's love is and how passionately he pursues those he loves. Then, tonight it hit me...I AM ISRAEL. God's love for ME is beyond measure. God passionately pursues ME.

Florida Adventures- Part 1

Birthday Weekend- January 16
Natalie came from D.C. for the weekend and we went to a Tampa Lightning Bolts Game (hockey) and to the Salt Rock Grill for my birthday lunch.




Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band Concert- March 19






MORE TO COME...

Drowning Out the World

This morning while running on the treadmill at our apartment complex, I was reminded of how difficult it can be to live out the command of Jesus to be in the world but not of it. Jesus in the book of John talks about how we are not to love the things that the world loves and how like him we are not of this world. Paul further commands in Romans not to be conformed to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:1-2). Many of us know these words but they are often so hard to live by.

Sometimes while I work out, I like to listen to podcasts of sermons. This morning I decided to listen to Steven Furtick's (Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC) latest message in his series, "Grapes and Giants," http://bit.ly/hqnMVl. I started listening to it as I walked to the gym. However, upon entering the gym, I could barely hear my iPod because another guy using the gym had the TV on MTV, watching the morning music videos, at an extremely high volume. It was so loud that I could not hear my iPod at all. Therefore to combat the abnormally loud volume of the TV, I had to turn my iPod up to its loudest decibel level. Even with doing that, I could still clearly hear the music from the TV. In order to pay attention to the sermon, I had to concentrate on the sound coming from the iPod and let the TV noise fade to the background.

I thought that this was a perfect illustration of how Jesus commanded us to live in this world. We often have no control of what is going on in the world around us, just like I had no control over what another gym member was watching on TV. Our responsibility is not always to change what is in the world but it is to not let what the world is about be what we are about. It would have been so easy for me to turn off my iPod and just listen to the music already playing, but God many times has a word for us that contradicts the message of the world. The problem is that the voice of the world is often louder than the voice of God until we attune our focus to His voice.

This morning I had to concentrate on the sound of Pastor Furtick's voice in order to not be drowned out by the music. Once I concentrated on that, I could hear the sermon clearly. God calls us to discern his voice in the world and to fix our concentration on that and then the noise of the world will fade into the background. Many of us (including me) wonder why we are not hearing the voice of God. How can we when we are bombarded with messages of the world from sex, alcohol, partying, living for self, materialism? So just like this morning when I had to concentrate on the sound from my iPod to hear the sermon, we must concentrate on the things of God to hear his voice and by doing that, we will drown out the world.

Food Stamp Challenge

For my Poverty Law class, we are required to do a food stamp challenge. For a week, we are only allowed to use $19.50 to buy groceries. Last night after a delicious meal at Fridays (have to go out with a bang), I went shopping for my food. My first stop was Target. Thanks to www.hip2save.com I knew that Target was giving away a $5 gift card if you bought 10 Smart Ones meals. On top of that, I had a $4 coupon. So the 10 Smart Ones meals were $18 - $4 (coupon) = $14 and I got a $5 gift card! With my gift card, I bought bananas (.69), loaf of bread (.84), box of fruit snacks (1.33), box of peanut butter crackers (1.75), and ice cream sandwiches (1.69). I had to pay an additional $1.63. Total spent at Target = $15.63. If you are looking for a good deal on food, don't overlook Target. They have great deals on snacky stuff and ice cream!

My next stop was Walgreens where I picked up a carton of eggs for $1.19. I always forget to check places like Walgreens and CVS, but they have great deals and good coupons. Today with my remaining $2.80, I am planning on going to Publix to pick up some peanut butter and whatever else I can afford. I also have 8 empty Starbucks bags, so I can get 8 free cups of coffee this week! My whole menu was designed around how I could afford coffee!!!

So, we'll see how this goes. I will eating a lot of Smart Ones meals, scrambled eggs, and PB and banana sandwiches, but I think I will be doing a lot better than some of my other classmates :)

April Fools Day

GOTCHA! Isn't it required that you at least attempt to pull off a prank on this day?

7 Things I Can't Expect

I borrowed these words of wisdom from Perry Noble, Pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC.

#1 – I cannot expect to win arguments with those who don’t want to settle the argument, they just want to fight for the sake of fighting. (II Timothy 2:23)

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

#2 – I cannot expect people to read my mind. (I Corinthians 14:8)

Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?

#3 – I cannot possibly expect to have a complete and detailed plan from God that tells me exactly what His plans are for the next 20 years. (Psalm 119:105) – He doesn’t promise to let us see years in advance, but He does promise to show us our next step!

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

#4 – I cannot expect to be a follower of Jesus and keep everyone around me happy at the same time. (Proverbs 29:25)

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe

#5 – I cannot expect to stay the same and see progress (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

#6 – I cannot expect to please God without taking steps of faith (Hebrews 11:6)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

#7 – I cannot expect to hear God’s voice if I am always running at an unsustainable pace! (Psalm 46:10)

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

"I'm Afraid of Failure"

During the month of March, Grace Family Church is doing a series entitled, "I'm Afraid of ________." This week was "I'm Afraid of Failure." I filled my bulletin with a lot of tidbits from the sermon, so I thought I would share them.

To hear the full message, go to http://bit.ly/fRKps4. The link should be up and working Monday.

* Failure is not a person but an event.
* The question isn't will we fail, but how will we handle it when we do.
* "I'd rather fail at doing something great, than succeed at doing nothing."
* We can't let our past failures define who we are.
* Failure is NOT final. God is not finished with you.
* Fear of failure will keep you from experiencing what God has for you.
* You may gave given up on yourself, but God hasn't given up on you.

Hope this is an encouragement to you as it was for me.

"Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again." Proverbs 24:16a

A Proud Wife

Last weekend Josh preached at our church's main weekend services. He did a great job! He preached from a passage in Jonah. Below is the link to hear his whole sermon. He preached the message 3 times in the course of 18 hours. WOW! Let's just say I would dig my own grave and die before attempting that.

http://bit.ly/gD5ifb

I am so proud of my husband. He is a great spiritual leader for me, and I know that one day, he will be an outstanding leader for our family. He seeks God first and aims to please Him above all else. In the past 8 years that I've known him, he has been committed to following God's will for his life and that has led him to 4 different states and 4 different ministry positions. I know that God has been preparing him along the way to take on more and more responsibility. He may be an unlikely candidate (a farm boy from Virginia) to preach God's words to thousands of people, but God uses those who surrender themselves to him.

Frustrated

Today has been one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. Ok, well it hasn't been horrible I guess, but it hasn't been the best either. It all started when I was headed out of the apartment to go to school, late at that. I have a 45 minute drive, so I have no room to be late. As I was walking out the door, equipped with my 50 lb. backpack, another bag for books, my gym bag, lunchbox and coffee, Roddick (our black lab) decided this would be a great time for him to get a run in. So, he bolted out the door. Usually he will come back when you call him or at when you promise him food, but today when I asked him to come back in, he looked at me and headed the opposite direction. By the time I had dropped all of my crap (oops, stuff), he was already half way around the apartment complex. Thankfully, a kind neighbor grabbed his collar until I could make my way to him. The weird thing is that Roddick is not a runner. He loves to be home, with us and when we had a yard, all he wanted to do was lay by the door until we let him back in. But he hates this apartment; he hates dogs barking at him all the time, he hates the cramped space, and he hates being left home alone for an extended period of time. I think he was just trying to escape the apartment and wanted me to come with him. So that is how my day started...

The day only continued to get worse as I was 5 minutes late to class and had to walk in in front of everybody. Then while I was in class I got 2 emails that I have been waiting to receive for weeks. Since transferring to Stetson, I have been anxious to find out what credits were going to transfer from UK. Of course, I had a plan if it was not what I hoped and it was not. I received 36 transfer credits, meaning I lost 8 in the move from UK. Two of my classes I took last semester didn't count at all. For those of you who are in school, you know how precious those credits are. Not only am I now going to have to take summer classes, but I am also going to have to take out an additional loan and try not to dwell on the fact that 1/2 of my work last semester didn't count for anything.

My second email was from a professor who had requested a Research Assistant to help her with an adoption law project. I was very excited about this opportunity because I want to go into adoption law. So I submitted my application with high hopes and I prayed that God would grant me this desire. The networking possibilities would be great, the extra income would be great, and the job would go into the summer. But alas, I was not chosen. This morning I had prayed that God would provide news on these two things and He did, it just wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"And we know that all things work together for the good of those that love God and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8: 28

We trusted God's call to move to Tampa; we trusted him with our finances, we trusted him with out future, and we trusted him with my law career. Now I just have to patient and wait for him to work it all out.

"I Have a Voice"

The blog is going through yet another transformation, which I think is only fitting that the blog display the changes in my life. Josh has started his own website (www.joshhawk.com), which you should definitely check out! Since he has made the transition from couple blogging, I felt like it was only fair that I do the same. It's not like this was ever really a couple blog anyway, unless you count Josh's 3 contributions!

In addition to this blog being authored by me alone, there will also be a change in content. After I started this blog a couple of years ago, I was always worried that no one would read it or that nobody cared about following what we were doing. The same was true in my life. For the past couple of years, I have felt somewhat invisible. I have realized that I have been content to live in my husband's shadow because I thought nobody cared what I had to say. You still may not care, but I am going to share anyway because I have discovered that I too have a voice.

For those of you who saw "The King's Speech," you will remember the scene in which a stuttering King George VI (Colin Firth) yells at his therapist (Geoffrey Rush) after having been asked why he was in the therapist's office, "Because I have a right to be heard. I have a voice." That scene is so powerful to me because not only did I realize that I have a voice, but that everybody has the right to be heard. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where some voices are louder than others. Those voices drown out the voices of injustice and discrimination and because of those thundering voices, many choose to remain silent.

I am not going to use this blog to make a political statement (well not often), but rather I am going to speak what is on my heart. I have found that it is not in who listens or reads my thoughts, but the importance is that I fight the comfort of invisibility and use my voice. So this blog will be a journal of sorts, though not that personal, a way for me to find my voice. If you choose to listen, I will be honored; if you don't, I will speak still.

Sweet Little Avery Grace

This little girl is our friends, E.T. and Becky's daughter. She was born with a rare form of dwarfism that didn't allow her to survive more than a few days. I wanted to share their story of hope and faith and pray it impacts you as it has me. E.T. is Josh's friend from high school, where they were on a wrestling team together. We have kept up over the years and were thrilled to hear that they were expecting. A few months after they found out about their baby, the doctors discovered that she would be born with a rare disease, a form of dwarfism. Throughout the pregnancy, they were both so strong and Becky often posted on her facebook page that they were lifting up little Avery in prayer for healing. It seemed they were ready and prepared to handle whatever surgeries that Avery would face and the difficulties of raising a special needs child. There strength and optimism spoke volumes into my own life as they were facing such an uphill battle yet they were able to live in such joy.

Avery Grace Coley was born on Wednesday, February 9, 2011. It became evident that they had a more serious form of dwarfism than the doctors first thought. As time passed, it became clear that Avery wouldn't spend very many days on this earth. On Saturday, February 12 she left this world of pain and suffering and went to dance with her Lord. It is in times like these that it is so hard to understand God's plan, but Eric and Becky have been able to continue to live in joy. As Becky said in a note about Avery's life, she impacted so many in such a short amount of time. God's plans are not ours, his plans are higher than our plans, his thoughts higher than are thoughts. Even though Eric and Becky are living in the love of their Savior, I know they are struggling to make peace with the loss of their little girl. This morning in church, we sang "You're Amazing God," and as I was singing, I began to cry. I began to cry for Eric and Becky and the tremendous grief they must be feeling. This is my prayer for the Coleys and anybody else who encounters tremendous tragedy in this life. Although we suffer tragedy, we can triumph because our God is Amazing and cares about us enough to provide peace through our times of suffering.

You're Amazing God, Your'e Amazing God
You can bear the weight of every heavy heart
You can heal the pain, You can clean the stain
You can turn our tears into songs of praise
You're Amazing God

Easy No More

I have decided I cannot stand the phrase, "It's just easier." The sad thing is all of us (including myself) sometimes choose the easiest route instead of the most effective one. When stuck between doing something hard that could be way more effective and bring God glory in the process or taking the easy way out, we bail! We bail and then wonder why our lives, ministries, and home lives are ineffective.

I admit I have lead out of this philosophy. In fact I did recently. I was staring this exact dilemma in the face when an employee said, "it will just be easier if we do this," and I caved. I could've said, "No, I asked for this to happen and even though it's gonna be harder, I know that it will affect and touch way more lives." I caved and bailed on an awesome idea! I have done this in coaching as well. There were times where it was just easier to let the runner who needed to be disciplined, get away with murder, because we needed his score to count.

Lets be honest, sometimes hearing, "it will be easier" because then we won't have to do this, this, and this is a relief because I know whoever I'm working with is happy and satisfied not having to go the extra mile and sometimes that's just easier to manage. But what if this, this, and this, would have been incredible? I just missed out on some amazing blessings because instead of leading, I just went along with it and said "whatever is going to be easier on you." I hate that mentality and never want to lead or think like that again!

I think God has called us to more than just the "easy thing," especially in ministry! So many churches and pastors just want to get by and take the "easy" route instead of the "harder" one, and look at how many are ineffective because of it. May God forgive me for taking the "easy" route. I don't want to ever say "if it's easier then do it," again! If the easiest route is the best solution, then that's fine. But may we get to a point where when faced to choose between the easy and the hard, even though the hard route may take more time, more energy, bigger resources, or even having to PLAN AHEAD, may we not just toss it aside for something that may work but is ineffective in the touching and reaching lives because we just wanted it to be "easy".

So I'm through with the saying, "It's just easier," and maybe by taking this mentality, I will be a better man. Even it makes life a little harder, I will be a better leader, leading a more effective and satisfied team because we will be able to look back and know we conquered what some never could because they took the "easy way".

4 Weeks In

So as most of you know, Ashley and I have begun our new journey at Grace Family Church in Tampa FL! It has been an incredible time of renewing, awaking, and much needed fresh fire for our souls! So I wanted to take a few moments today to reflect on our first sermon series, "The Earthshaking Life" and to write about how God has been showing Himself to us since our move to Florida, four weeks in.

4 weeks in...

...How awesome it is to have an amazing pastor and people who believe in you and want the best for you. Pastor Craig is not just a pastor HE is MY pastor. I love listening and learning from Craig. He is genuine and truly cares about his staff, his vision for the church and my family. It is an honor to serve under him along with all the other pastors at GFC. They all are truly making me a better pastor and a better man.

4 weeks in...

... We had over 50 students give their hearts and lives to Christ over the past 4 weeks and THAT my friends is the most awesome thing EVER! I love seeing lives be transformed! May my heart for seeing peoples lives being renewed ALWAYS be at the forefront of my ministry, ALWAYS! If the ministry I lead is a holy huddle and not a life saving crew then there is a problem! Our leaders and students know that our services are for the sick AND the healthy. They can bring people in their lives who are in need of the great physician and also know that they are going to get a check up each week as well!

4 weeks in...

... God places us exactly where we need to be. Everyday He continues to confirm in my heart a spirit of settling. Not the type of settling where you stop doing great things for God and settle to just be. But the type of settling He told Jeremiah when he said, "Build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce. Take a wife and have sons and daughters... seek the welfare of the city where I HAVE SENT YOU... pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare" (Jeremiah 29:4-7). Never before have I felt such a call to stay and settle. I walk out and feel God is saying, "this is a place I designed for you and Ashley, plant yourself here, I'm through moving you, seek the welfare of the students and high schools. With the people you come in contact, build relationships, teach them and lead them to me". I was talking to my Sis-in-law Rachel the other day, and I compared this feeling to the feeling I had when I met Ashley. I told her how after Ashley and I had been dating for about ten months, I realized that was the longest I had ever dated anyone and I wasn't tired of her! Basically, every girl I had dated before her, after 6 months or so, I got tired of, but God had placed this desire for me to pursue ASHLEY! EVEN WHEN IT GOT HARD!! This is the same feeling and desire I can tell God is placing in my heart for Tampa and GFC and I can't wait to see what He does with this!

4 weeks in...

... I could go on and on, but one OF THE BIGGEST BLESSINGS has been that Ashley LOVES our church! In fact last week after an amazing worship service that Pastor Allen and the worship team at GFC poured their hearts into, she said after the first service, "I think I'm just going to stay for the second service instead of going home so I can hear the worship again!" I LOVE THIS! It floored me! When your wife is excited about where God has you, then watch out, GREAT things will happen!

Four weeks in, God is doing some amazing things and we are so thankful and humbled to be apart of this amazing journey! Everyday I say, "Who am I" and everyday He say's, "You are my child"!

Thank you God for saving me and making me your child. I am truly blessed to be able to live this journey out with YOU!

Jersey Sunday

Last Sunday was "Jersey Sunday" at church. Everybody was asked to wear their favorite jersey. Our pastor has been sharing his vision for 2011 with the church, and this Sunday he was talking about how being a Christian is like being a part of the team. We all have to do our part.

Since neither Josh nor I had a jersey, we ventured out to Dick's Sporting Goods on Saturday and found a great sale. We each got a Tampa Bay Bucs jersey and a Tampa Bay Devil Rays jersey, all 75% off. So what if those players aren't on the team anymore. Don't worry! We are still big PEYTON fans and will cheer for the Colts, and my heart will always belong to the Atlanta Braves, but we are embracing our new city!

New School- Stetson University

While Josh is starting a new job, I am starting a new school. I was so blessed to be able to transfer to Stetson University and not have to forfeit a lot of credits nor have to sit out a semester. Stetson is gorgeous to say the least. While I am getting used to a new school and a new routine and trying to fit myself into the Stetson way of life, it is nice to be surrounded by such beauty.

The buildings that make up Stetson used to operate as a hotel in the early 20th century. There are a lot of original pieces still in Stetson's main building. I've included a link to the virtual tour. Check it out and enjoy the beauty.

Stetson Virtual Tour



My friend, Natalie, and I in one of the fountains in the courtyard.

New Job- Grace Family Church

Josh accepted a position as the high school pastor at Grace Family Church in Tampa, FL. He is in charge of the high school service, named IO, which meets on Wednesday nights at 7:00. Currently, there are about 300 high schoolers (WOW)! Needless to say, we do not know all of their names yet. After the service on Wednesdays, the students meet in small groups around the church for about 30 minutes. Our desire is to see the small groups move into homes at some point. After small groups, the students can go hang out in the Youth Center, which is fully equipped with arcade games, skee ball, basketball, ping pong, and of course, snacks!

In addition to the Wednesday night service, Josh will also be planning mission trips and weekend events. This summer, we will be going to camp at an outdoor camp with both the children's and middle school ministries. Should be interesting having kids ranging from 1st to 12th grade there! There will not be a youth mission trip this year, but Josh is already brainstorming for next summer.

Josh's other responsibilities include being apart of the Family Ministry Team and the Creative Arts Team. He is also a Teaching Pastor and will be teaching a few times throughout the year in the main service. His first teaching time is the last weekend in February!

Check out the church online! www.gracefamilychurch.org

New Year = New Job, New School, New Home

Once again this new year brings with it many new beginnings. And just like in 2009, we are in a new place with a new job. While I am not the best at adjusting to change, like my husband, I have come to appreciate the opportunities that come with new beginnings. They provide a time for refreshing your life and evaluating what tweaks you want to make in this new environment. It makes it a little easier to make those small changes in your life you have been longing to make... I will cook more this year, I will exercise more, I will be a better friend, I will enjoy life more, I will let God write my story, and on and on. New beginnings make it easier to address your flaws, to fix what is broken and to develop new healthier routines. So instead of dwelling on the past and recounting all the 5 places we have lived before here, I choose to embrace the present and look forward to 2011, the year where new beginnings provide wonderful new opportunities.

I challenge each of you to do the same. You don't need to move or start a new job to renew your life, just a new year. May 2011 be the best year yet!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23



Our New Address: 3804 Carrollwood Place Circle #203, Tampa, FL 33624