Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thankful Day 22

Today I am thankful for this very moment. Some friends & I are doing a Bible Study right now &, since I opened it up, it has been so convicting!

One of the first chapters is about wishing life away. Too often, we miss out on life because, instead of enjoying the moment we're in, we're busy planning, preparing, & thinking about the next moment. Um...guilty!

I'm such a planner & I find that, when I'm at an event I plan, I'll be brainstorming & planning the next event instead of enjoying the one I'm at!

So, I'm working on it. I have been trying to live life more purposefully.

Today, I am with my family, surrounded by people God has given me. I am thankful for this moment.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankful Day 21

Today I am thankful for all the people who invest in my children's lives.

We are incredibly blessed when it comes to all the people who love on & invest in the lives of my kids.

I realize that the people my children spend their time with outside of our family are super important to the development of my children in every aspect: education, socialization, character development & so much more. That is why I am incredibly thankful for the amazing people in & around our church family. I was not fully aware of the greatness of our children's department until I had kids of my own. We have the best nursery ladies, Sunday School teachers, MDO teachers, etc.

Thank You Lord for gifting people in children's ministry to walk alongside me & Dustie in raising our children!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Thankful Day 20

Today I'm thankful for our home.

It may be small with virtually no storage, but I love our quaint little home.

When we looked for houses, I knew upon the first look that the white house with the white picket fence was the one for us.

Although we're bursting at the seams, I realize that this is the home that God planned & provided for us. Our house is bursting at the seams with blessings & love & for that, I am thankful.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Thankful Day 19

Today I am thankful for my family's health.

I always say that health is something you don't realize how wonderful it is until you get sick. We have had our share of colds, allergies, & runny noses over the past few months, but other than that, I am so thankful that that is the greatest of our worries.

Over all of this, I am so thankful that The Lord is in control of all of this. With our extended family, we have (& still are) experienced many different illnesses from cancer to aneurisms. Our comfort is in knowing the Great Physician, Our Creator, Our Mender.

This song is one I love to repeat the words to in almost any life circumstance b/c it's the perfect reminder that my God knows all & is in charge of everything.

Mended by Watermark

You repair all that we have torn apart and
You unveil a new beginning in our hearts and
We stand grateful for all that has been left behind and
All that goes before us

Chorus:
You've got all things suspended
All things connected
Nothing was forgotten
'Cause Your love is perfect
You are our healer
And You know what's broken
And we're not a mystery to You

We will dance 'cause You restore the wasted years and
You will sing over all our coming fears and
We'll stand grateful for all that has been left behind and all that goes before us

-Chorus-

Bridge:
Lord, You mend the breech
And You break every fetter
You give us Your best, for what we thought was better
And You are to be praised
You are to be praised (4x)

Thank You Father for our health.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Thankful Day 18

Today I am thankful for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

It has taken me a little time & a little maturing to get to this place. Ever since my day of salvation, I feel as if God gave me an extra dose of conviction.

As a little girl, I was the kind of kid that you could just "get on to," or tell what I did wrong, & it was enough punishment. I would be so upset w/ myself for letting others down & for doing the wrong thing. I think it's a mixture of my make-up, along with the Holy Spirit in my life, but I just can't live with myself when I'm doing wrong.

This was translated into many different areas in my life. One huge life-changing instance in my life was when I ended a relationship I shouldn't have been in. The guy wasn't a Christian & I knew I shouldn't be dating him, so I finally gave-in to my convictions & prayed that God would make him break up with me. (I could have easily done it, but I didn't want to use the "God wants me to" reason w/ a non-Christian who honestly didn't understand that.) We broke up 2 days later. (I might divulge that story one day, b/c I think a lot of young Christian girls might find themselves in that place at some point in their life.)

It was such a faith & God moment in my life. I went through the normal hard time after a break up, but I also went through a hard time in my relationship with God-realizing that THIS was what it meant to truly follow God. To forget about myself (Rom. 6:6-8) & to follow Him. This was a defining moment in my Christian walk. I remember calling Dustie one night (told you we were friends throughout all my dumb dating relationships) & basically jut needed to whine to someone who understood. He basically just listened to me trying to come to grips with being set-apart. I was mostly whining b/c I wondered why I couldn't just be one of those Christians that was saved just enough to get to Heaven.

Give me a little leeway here y'all; I was very much in the moment & thought I was in the pit of despair. I didn't think God was the "bad guy," I was just mad that what I wanted at the time wasn't what God wanted for me.

So I listened to my convictions (even if it wasn't w/ the best attitude) &, consequently, spent the sweetest relationship time with the Lord directly following His will. Not too long after that, I started dating the greatest man I know, my Dustie Dunn.

Yet another case of God giving me His best for what I thought was better. Like I always say, God proves Himself to me over & over. God is definitely the "good guy." He sees the whole picture. God wants me to have life ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10) while I might end up settling for far less just b/c I like the way it looks at the moment. I give all this glory to God & the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

What once seemed like a nuisance to me, is now what I live my life by. It is my saving grace.

Thank You loving Lord for the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Thankful Day 17

Today I am thankful for my calling.

I was a Junior in high school when I first felt God's calling on my life. I didn't know any specifics, like what God was calling me to do, until I knew I was going to marry Dustie. That's when I realized I was called to be a Preacher's wife! (More details in the "So Romantical" post.)

I truly believe I'm just as called to this life as my Hubs is. Looking back, I see how the different experiences in my life were orchestrated & woven to prepare me & make me into a preacher's wife.

Thank You Father for calling me to this life.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Thankful Day 16

Today I am thankful for my salvation.

I asked Jesus to come into my heart & be Lord of my life when I was 7. It was on a Monday on the way home from school. The Sunday night before, my Mom took me to a New Kids on the Block concert. When we left the concert, many people were outside the doors passing out tracts. Mom just set the tract down in her car. When I got into Mom's car after school that day, I saw the tract. I had been asking questions about salvation for a few months, so seeing this tract just prompted more questions. I knew at that moment, I wanted Jesus to come into my heart.

I can still see the moment in my head-as if I was watching us in the car from a distance. Mom was crying as she drove down the road & telling me the words to pray.

I'm so thankful for a God I can come to openly & honestly & that I can call on Him.

I really can't imagine my life without the Lord. He is my peace, comfort, decision-maker, best friend...the list never ends.

Thank You Jesus for saving me from myself.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Thankful Day 15

Today I'm thankful for my job.

I'm, first, thankful to even have a job.

I'm thankful that my job allows me to be a wife first. When I was on the job search after college, it was very important to me to find a job that I didn't have to worry about when I'm at home. I wanted Dustie to have my full attention at home instead of me continuing to work/worry about things for the next day. I wanted our home to be a sort of sanctuary for me & D to wind down from the day & be rejuvenated to go back into the world the next day.

I'm thankful to have a job that allows me to be a Mommy first. When I had Jax, it was very important to me that "strangers" didn't raise my children. I love that I can bring my boys when I need to, & when they're not with me, they're not far & with family.

I'm thankful for a job that allows me to do ministry first. Being in the ministry is as much about my calling as it is Dustie's. (More about my calling in a future blog post.) I wanted a job that allowed me to fulfill my ministry duties & desires.

I'm thankful that, in my job, I'm working with & for my family. I get to see the fruit of my labor first hand.

Thank You God for Your provision!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Thankful Day 14

Today I am thankful for my friends with which I have koinonia.

Koinonia is a term I learned in Bible class in college. I'm such a nerd when it comes to word studies. I think truly understanding the meaning of words in literary pieces is vital to gaining an understanding of what the author wants the reader to know, feel, or understand. This is also true of the Bible. This is vital to understand & allow God to speak to us & change us through His Word. (Preaching to myself here the most.)

To understand this word, I found the best/quickest word study in the article, "The Importance of Fellowship in a New Testament Church," by Bob Gillam. That can be found here: http://bible.org/seriespage/importance-fellowship-new-testament-church

My paraphrase: [ We look into history to better understand God's intended meaning of fellowship.
1) The English word "fellowship" is the translation of the Greek word, "koinonia." The root of this word is "koinos" which means to hold something in common.
2) The word describes a relationship that's dependent on more than one person.
3) "...'fellowship' was never used to describe Man's relationship to God before the Holy Spirit was given to indwell the church..."
4) Its New Testament synonyms show that the word is talking about a unity expressed both outward (with others) & inward (with Christ). The inward unity is most important.
5) It does not stop at inner unity because it is primarily an action word. Fellowship is not just being together, it is doing together.
6) It's not about being "in Christ" or "a part of Christ's body," but it's "doing with Christ." It is our partnership with Christ in fulfilling God’s will.
7) It's not just doing anything together, it's doing God's will together.
Now, putting these 7 points together, "...We can say that: 'Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing God’s will on earth.'”]

So yeah, if you're wondering where the fried chicken is in this definition, I can totally relate. This Southern Baptist girl's mind was blown when I learned this.

The coolest thing about learning this word was the ability to recognize the people who fit into this description. My faith sets me apart, but my desire to do God's will in action sets me apart even more. I am incredibly thankful for the friends who share this desire with me so that I can do God's will with them.

Thank You Father for Christ, the Holy Spirit, ministry partners & friends, prayer partners, accountability partners, & all my friends that You've given me to accomplish Your will together!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Thankful Day 13

*Disclaimer: I was hesitant to write this blog post because we have had the honor & fortune of working with some amazing ministers during the time we've been in the ministry. This post just highlights 2 of them.*

I can't go this month without being thankful for Blake & Lori. They are such an intricate part of our everyday life, they are like family to us.

God sent us B &L at a time when Dustie was maxed out on responsibility. Dustie went from Youth & Children's Pastor to Interim Preacher (while doing Youth & Children) to Pastor (while making sure Youth & Children didn't get neglected) in a matter of months. Needless to say, when our church called the Grundys it was quite a relief!

Little did we know, God was sending us some amazing ministry partners. From Day One, Blake's Kingdom work-ethic was just what our church & staff needed, more actually. They were exactly who I prayed for to help bear the burden.

The longer we work together, the more seamless our ministries become. We have so much in common: hobbies, interests, & convictions. I feel like our relationships challenge each of us to be better & our personalities & gifts really compliment each other.

Ministry-life is a strange animal & one of those things you have to be a part of to understand. It's so nice to share it with awesome people.

I'm thankful to spend eternity with these folks.

Thank You Jesus for Blake & Lori!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Thankful Day 12

Today I'm thankful for our precious church family!

I praise God often for placing us at the church we're at. We're so thankful for the incredible staff we work with & we're so amazed at how our church family loves us. We are aware that not every church-pastor relationship have the beautiful love-fest like we do.

I realize that God could have put us at any other church, so I'm so thankful we get to call these people our church family.

Thank You Father for FBC Vivian!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Thankful Day 11

Today I am thankful for the amazing people in my life who have had a huge Godly Influence on me.

I was so very fortunate to grow up surrounded by some of God's giants who continue to have a mighty impact on God's Kingdom!

My Mom-I must start with her. She had me in church from day 1, led me in my prayer asking Jesus to come into my heart & be Lord of my life, she's a prayer warrior & covers my life in prayer, & she has a huge heart for Missions.

My Grandma-has been a great source of wisdom.

My Husband-has been a great Godly influence as a friend, boyfriend, husband, & Pastor.

Bro. Floyd-was my preacher/pastor for almost the first half of my life. He's been a great Godly influencer on my whole family since before I was born!

Bro. Chuck & Mrs. Stef-had a huge Godly impact on my life since I was a Youth & are now amazing Godly influencers with all their ministry wisdom.

Bro. Dick & Mrs. Nancy-play a huge part in my love of worship through music & are also wonderful Godly influencers in the ministry.

Mrs. Suzie & Mrs. Beth-were the rockinest Youth Girl Sunday School teachers ever.

Mrs. Carol Reed-was my prayer partner for years & helped to develop my love for talking with the Father.

My Youth Group-wow, we had incredible God experiences. Because of them, we have a bond that others wouldn't understand. I'm so proud of how many of them have grown into such giants for God.

Amy-my best friend growing up. We experienced lots of fun God-centered times. She kept me grounded & out of trouble. (Mostly! Haha)

Courtney-my best friend who encourages me & pushes me to be my very best for God. Thankful that, no matter what city/state she is in, I know she's my best friend.

Lauren-my childhood friend & roommate. We've been on many trips together, including Trinidad & Tobago. You just share an indescribable bond w/ someone you live with.

Becky-my other friend through living together. We started off as roommates & our bond in Christ gave us a wonderful friendship. Love this girl.

There are many others:
The Foglemans
The Sharbonos
The Erwins
The McAllisters
The Briggs

& some of Dustie's influencers that I also love:
The Heaberlins
The Spinneys
The Graysons

I want to elaborate on everyone, but we'd be here all day. Frankly, I'm surprised that whoever's reading this has gotten this far.

I'm so thankful that there are too many to list! This is NOT all of them. I didn't even try to list our wonderful church people.

Thank you Father for filling our lives with people who draw us to You.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Thankful Day 10

While I'm being thankful for our immediate family, I must give a "shout-out" to the rest of the extended family! Basically, because we're close & I actually consider them immediate family.

I am so thankful to be blessed with extended family on both sides that I just really love!

I think I've attached myself to a lot of Dustie's extended family because I grew up around a very small part of my family. My Mom is an only child, & most of my Dad's family still live in the Philippines. This might explain why I want a big family!

I am so blessed with these awesome, Godly people. Is everyone's family/spouse's family this great?!

Thank You Jesus for surrounding my life with incredible family!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Thankful Day 9

Today I'm thankful for my awesome Grandparents!

Growing up I was definitely a Pappaw's girl. Grandparents have always been an important part of my life. They provide unconditional love, wisdom, joy, depth, memories, the best hugs, & seem to love on you in a way that can make you feel like a child again.

Dustie & I have been VERY blessed with amazing Grandparents. Mammaw, Pappaw, Ma, & TaTang for me.
Meme, PawPaw, Grandma Dorothy (Granny to me), & Grandad (& Grandma Bobbie before my time) for Dustie.
Our holidays revolve around them. In fact, one of my favorite things about them is that I get that excited, joyful feeling anytime I'm around them!

Grandma Bobbie, Pappaw, Ma, & Meme have all gone to be with the Lord, but they still play a huge role in our lives today. These are just 5 more things that make Heaven so much sweeter to my family. I look forward to the day we meet them at the *South Gate!

Thank You Father for our Grandparents!

*Dustie decided a few years ago that when we go to Heaven, whether it's separately or through the rapture, we (all of our family) are to meet at the South Gate of Heaven. Southerners forever! Haha!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Thankful Day 8

Today I am thankful for my In-Loves (In-Laws). I heard that expression a couple of years ago. I prefer it to "In-Laws" because it's not that I HAVE to be related to them through marriage, but it's that I GET to love them because of the man I married.

That said, I'm so thankful for my Mother & Father In-Love. They gave me & raised my husband & for those that know him well, that says enough.

I'm thankful for a precious Pops (D's Dad) who has loved me like his own & has always treated me like a princess. I'm thankful for his humor (which is almost identical to my husband's), his faithfulness, his talent he uses to serve the Lord, his patience, & his long suffering. He's an amazing Pops to my boys & I'm so thankful for him.

I'm thankful for a beautiful Belle-Belle (D's Mom) who encouraged D to date me from the first time he told her about me. I'm thankful for the way she shows me by example how to care for those who are less fortunate. She has an incredible heart for the orphan & the needy & she's a great cheerleader for our future adoption plans. She loves my boys beyond measure & I'm so thankful for that.

I'm thankful for my sweet Sister & her family. She has been an instant friend from the time we met. I'm thankful for her humor, her thoughtfulness, her real-ness, & her convictions. I'm thankful that she found a sweet husband who loves her & places her & their kids above himself. I'm thankful for my sweet little nephew & niece. Jace was the first baby in the family & it was so sweet to learn from him what joy babies can bring. Stella is still our only little girl in the family & is just perfectly fine with the role of princess. I'm thankful my boys have precious, smart cousins to grow up with. I'm most thankful to see the way God is working in their lives as a family. It's so sweet.

Finally, I'm thankful for my Brother Jessie. I have been able to see Jessie grow up since he was 6 or 7 & turn into a young man. Ever heard the apple doesn't fall far from the tree? Well if you were to hang around the Dunn men, you would think Pops had clones! Jessie has the same witty humor as his Dad & Brother & keeps me in tears because I'm laughing so hard. He is such a fun guy who is hard-working, considerate, & responsible. I love to get to spend time with him.

I am so blessed that I married into such a great family!

Thank You Lord for my In-Loves!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Thankful Day 7

Today I am thankful for my Brother & Sister In-Love

My brother & I had the typical sibling relationship as children. Best friends one minute, fighting like cats & dogs the next. As we got older, we got closer & closer. After I moved away for college, we became best friends.

I came to the realization one day that there is only one person on this earth who grew up like I did, who has the same roots that I do. That's a pretty strong bond.

My Brother is fun, hilarious, hard-working, string-willed, considerate, responsible, & has way more compassion than I ever thought about having.

He has always been such a family-man. He didn't date around as a young guy. He always dated to find the woman God created for him & we were so pleased when God led him to Lauren years ago.

Lauren is perfect for my brother. She's quite the family-girl herself. She shares an incredible bond with her sisters that is so sweet to witness. I'm so thankful to have her as a friend. She is sweet, fun, determined, hard-working, strong-willed, wise, responsible, & loyal.

Chris & Lauren are parents to 2 cats JJ & Pip & a small school of fish. We secretly (ok, not so secretly) CAN'T WAIT for them to have sweet, beautiful babies of their own! (Did I mention that my Bro & Sis are gorgeous?! Seriously, they are.) They are a great aunt & uncle & are amazing with my boys. Plus, they have the funnest house ever!

So thankful God made these two for each other & that they get to be a part of my life.

Thank You God for my Bro & Sister in Love!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

God is in Control

As election results come to a close, I am reminded that God is surprised by none of this. Many Bible verses flood to my mind & both comfort & convict me.

They all center around the fact that:
GOD IS IN CONTROL!

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Thank goodness I am not in charge. Nor am I privy to all of God's plans. All I know is that my future is secure in the hope of my salvation through my faith in Jesus Christ.

"Then Jesus came up and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20

GOD IS IN CONTROL!

ALL authority is the Almighty Father's. It's so easy to get sucked in to the small picture of life. We can only see "snapshots" of time, while God holds the big picture in His hands.

This passage in Matthew not only tells me not to worry b/c God is in charge, it tells me that because I don't have to worry about authority, I can be busy doing what I was placed on earth to do & that is telling everyone about Christ's love. In fact, I am commanded to do so.

This is much more important than worrying about things I cannot change. One way I can fulfill this is to love God & love people. I am quite disheartened by the response of many Christians. When God answers our prayers according to what we want we celebrate, "God is in control!" When God does not answer the way we want, guess what, God is STILL IN CONTROL. Because our job on earth is to bring others to Him, we MUST show love.

The next thing we MUST do is pray.

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;" 1 Timothy 2:1-3

I failed to pray for our president enough during his last term. It is my responsibility as a Christian to do so. I repent from those ways & commit myself to seek God on behalf of our country's leader.

As Christians, we can (& we must) do much more for our country by replacing our worry & criticism with love & prayer .

God, please heal our land.

Thankful Day 6

Today, I feel it's quite appropriate to acknowledge how thankful I am to be an American. As the daughter of a Filipino father, I know that I am extremely fortunate to be born into a country that many other countries view as a sort of "promised land."

I am thankful for the freedom that I have & I acknowledge that my freedom came at a price. I am thankful for those who fight, fought, & gave their lives.

I pray that the Christians in this country will humble themselves & pray & seek God's face so that He will heal our land. (2 Chron. 7:14)

As for today's outcome:
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matt. 6:10

Monday, November 5, 2012

Thankful Day 5

Today I'm thankful for my parents. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. Literally. :)

Yesterday was their 30th wedding anniversary, so I'm first thankful for their commitment to the promise they made to God & to each other.

I'm thankful for a Mom who is loving, kind, compassionate, joyful & just really fun. She's an incredible mother, teacher, & nurturer. She's my best friend.

I'm thankful for a Dad who provides structure, discipline, encourages ambition, & has taught me the importance of having a good work ethic. He raised me & my Brother to believe we can do anything we want to; we just have to be willing to work for it. He's a wonderful Dad to me & my Brother.

These two were great parents, but I don't even recognize them when it comes to my babies! They are ridiculously enamored with Jax & John. I couldn't ask for a better "Mimi" & "Mitz" for my boys.

Thank You Lord for my Parents!

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Best for Better

"Lord You mend the breach & You break every fetter. You give us Your best for what we thought was better." Watermark

Since the first time I heard this song (Mended) these lyrics have resonated in my life. I'm sure this isn't even the first time I've mentioned it on my blog. It came to mind this morning as I was thinking about being thankful for Jax & then it came up again as I was doing my new Bible Study on Nehemiah (more on my crazy, exciting Bible study situation later).

I watched a video that goes with the Bible study & it showed an interview of a missionary in the Amazon. She is actually a Brazilian from the Amazon. She went to Bible school in Canada & as she was finishing up, she told the Lord, "Ok, You can send me wherever...India, China...just not the Amazon." Well, guess where God told her to go?! Yup, back home to the Amazon. She tells of how she prayed about it for months, asking Him to change her heart. She tells how she couldn't be happier now serving the Lord & living according to His will, but she also tells how it wasn't easy. She said that obedience can sometimes be painful, but you must do God's will.

I can totally relate to the lady from the interview. Most of the time I can be a "Type A" organizer, planner, borderline OCD. I like to be in control & know what's happening in my life. Too often I tell God that I'll do whatever He wants (even though I have a list of things that are ok & not ok to get me to do). I'd like to think that I would go with God's plan no matter what. I know I would be miserable outside of His will, & God has proven Himself to me over & over again. The great scenarios I can dream up for myself are NOTHING compared to God's plans for my life.

Sometimes obedience isn't easy.
Sometimes it can be painful.
But obedience to the Father is vital.

May I always obey God no matter what.

Thankful Day 4

Today I'm thankful for my second baby, John.

I am so in love with this little boy! (It doesn't hurt that I'm cuddling him while I write this post. I'm almost always with him when I blog these days.)

He is such a precious gift from God. I prayed for him for over a year (it took us a little longer to get preg. w/ John).

I love his precious smile & laugh & his laid back attitude. So far, he seems to be curious, (ok, nosey like his Mama) tenacious, determined (he wants to move around NOW!), he might have a little temper :), but he's mostly such a sweet little boy. I can't wait until even more of his personality shines through.

I have been able to enjoy John more as a baby. He's my second, so I know a lot more this time around. I'm able to be myself & just be much more laid back. I'm savoring every minute of his baby time. It's so wonderful that I'm starting to wonder if there will ever come a time where I won't want more babies. (Shh...don't tell D!) I love & enjoy everything about being pregnant & I looooove a sweet little baby!

Thank You Jesus for my John!

Thankful Day 3

Today I am thankful for my first born son! (Sounding a little Biblical huh?)

When I was pregnant with Jax I so wanted him to be a girl but, like most things in my life, God gave me His best for what I thought was better. God knew exactly what our family needed.

Jax is such a cool kid! His personality has shone through since day one. From a baby (who's barely able to talk) joking around & telling people their name is one of the characters from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, to a very adventurous 3 year old who is a different super hero each hour.

Jax fills my life with excitement, surprise, & unconditional love.

Thank You Jesus for my baby!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Thankful Day 2

Today I am thankful for my very favorite person...my husband! No, really! :) Some wives may think I'm being sarcastic, but I'm really not. Dustie & I were really good friends for years before we dated. All about that here! Cheesy as it may sound; I'm so thankful to really have married my best friend!

Those who are aren't for TMI...stop reading now. & for some women...you will be jealous! :)

My Hubs is most importantly, an amazing leader in our family. I mean that more than one way. He is an incredible spiritual leader. He lives and breathes his faith in every miniscule part of his life...I know this because I live with him! He leads our family in Bible time each night [that includes a Bible story, a song (yes, I'm for real), & a prayer]. Since he's known me forever, he's seen the ups & downs in my spiritual life & knows when I need a little nudge in my own walk with the Lord. He meets with 2 other guys as accountability partners. He has met with them for about a year & y'all, I don't know what they discuss together, but I'm LOVING the accountability group! The second way D is an amazing leader is that he is the true head of our family (aka...he wears the pants). He is so successful at this for 2 reasons. 1) He knows me & knows how to lead me. He leads with a gentle strength so that I don't feel like I'm being forced into anything. I'm always made to feel like it is a good choice to follow him. 2) Because he keeps himself in check spiritually, I can trust his decisions as the leader of our family. He truly seeks to love me as Christ loves the church, so not only do I feel good about submitting to him, I want to! (see Eph. 5:22-33)

The next thing I love about my husband is that we have FUN! We both have pretty goofy personalities & love to laugh & that just gets you far in most things. We can be having the worst time whether it's stress, kids, or any kind of problem & if we can joke or laugh about it, it really makes life easier. From the first day I met Dustie Dunn, he has always joked w/ me & picked on me & I've grown to love it. One example of how our relationship works: we're not overly lovey dovey. We do have a time & place for that, but for the most part, I actually prefer his middle school mentality of picking on me to show me he likes me! My whole life I would crush on a guy for FOREVER & then when he would finally like me, I would totally be over it. I don't know why I'm like that, but I'm thankful I found the perfect guy for me that still gives me the thrill of the chase. He still loves to talk about when I asked him to marry me. HAHA! (If you believe that, PLEASE see the link in the first paragraph of this post. In fact, I will never live this blog post down. I might have to delete it b/c he's gonna think he has proof that I LIKE HIM!)

I really could write a book, so I'll just list off some other characteristics I love about him:
-he gave me my babies
-he is an awesome daddy
-he has a rockin body ;)
-he is slow to anger
-he's hilarious
-he's smart
-he's driven
-he has a great work ethic
-he lets me steal the covers & take up most of the bed :)

I'm thankful God gave me Dustie Dunn!

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Thankful Day 1

I love the idea of thinking of one thing I'm thankful for each day of November until Thanksgiving. Since I want to print my blog each year as a little scrapbook, I'm going to do each day on my blog.
For the first day, I have to begin with God. I am so thankful that the Creator of the universe chose to create me, love me (as mankind) over all creation, & have a personal relationship with me. He is the reason & the Creator of everything else for which I'm thankful!