Silly Saturday #3

 Why yes We have lost weight!!

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Thanks for noticing!! :)

Counting my blessings instead of complaining!

           This morning  when I woke up and looked out the front window this is what I saw

 You might not can tell by this picture, but its still coming down too. Its absolutely beautiful, but my first thought was to complain. However, I did not give in instead as I looked out the window I said to Jeremy we are so blessed to have a warm place to live.

Apartment

   Oh but its just so yucky to have to drive in. Right after this thought look what came down the road.

So instead of complaining I said Thank You Lord for plow trucks.

 Still though its so gross to have to walk in.

How could I forget I got brand new boots just two days ago for my birthday.

  The point I am trying to make is instead of complaining count your blessings. Every complaint I had this morning God within seconds showed me a blessing and a reason to be thankful. We ( me included) are missing so many blessings each day because we are too busy complaining. I am gonna try to do better starting right now. I am going to count a few of my blessings just since being in Montana,

 

     Thank you Lord for calling Jeremy and I to one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thanks you that we have been lucky in the two winters we have been here to have only had mild winters.

Thank you for all the ministries we have been blessed to be apart of here. Thank you for all the people we have met and can now call friends that we otherwise would have never met.

Wow Week Crew 2012

Thank you for this School and for the opportunity to minister to all the children who come each week.

I can't actually put a picture of them, but Thank You for the 3 and under class and each child who is in that class.

Thank you for Diane who is the teacher of this class now. Bless Her in a special way for her willingness to serve.

Thank you for the puppet ministry and for everyone who helps with it.

Thank you for all our friends in Montana. We have made so many and we are so blessed and thankful for them.  

 Thank you for this beautiful baby. She means so much to Jeremy and I and We are so thankful that We have been able to be apart of her life. We have been blessed to see her go from this little baby.

To this hilarious toddler. She gives us so many reasons to smile and is always making us laugh.

Thank you Lord for Canyon Baptist Church. Without it and its need for a music ministry we would have never came to Hungry Horse, Montana , and we wouldnt have  experienced any of these other blessings.

Thank you Lord for all these blessings and many many more that I didnt name. Help us to count our blessings instead of complaining.

God is so good!!!

 

 

Amazing Song!! We have all been here. Tenth Avenue North - Worn (with lyrics)

What a Stephanie Malone Birthday looks like :)

        First off thanks to everyone  who text, called, or facebooked me to wish me a happy birthday I really appreciate it.


         Next I would like to confess that I failed. My new years resolution is already out the window, but not really because last sunday night I gave God my past  and I am not gonna dwell on my mistakes or look back anymore. So I really am beginning to love myself. So I have not failed I  have won! Jesus won for me when He died on the cross to forgive us of our sins and the best part is we dont have to look back. This will still be a struggle for me, but I already feel 100% better after laying my past at Gods feet.

I failed as far as the hair though, but I did wear it curly for a whole month. I just like being able to go back and forth from curly to straight depending on my mood that day. Also this is a fun new color a little on the red side, but it will fade in time.

My wonderful husband made me my favorite Chocolate chip pancakes! He also made me blow out my candle so I could make a wish. ( Sorry for the way I look Had literally just rolled out of bed.)

Been looking for Gray boots ever since the ones I had literally fell apart I wore them so much.

   

Also a new bed set!!!

It has been a great birthday. Goodbye 23 Hello 24 Cant wait to see what this year holds!!

Silly Saturday #2

I found these pictures on my computer recently. They were taken July 5th thru July 8th 2011 as we drove to our new home Hungry Horse, Montana.

We thought these windmills were the coolest!!

Very Attractive I know!

We joked that Larry was outside crying at this point. If you know him you know why He pretends to have a heart of stone   (SHHH dont tell but I dont believe that for a minute)

Heartbreaking Moment :/

             I have to share with you a very heart breaking moment I had this week. It was wednesday night my favorite night of the week and Beyond Borders for Christ had just begun. The 3 and Under class was in the kitchen eating dinner. When one little girl walked over and looked up at me Her blue eyes shining with innocence as she said " When you go home to be with your Mommy, you wont come back??"  It was hard for me to answer with the lump that had grown in my throat. I had to tell her She was right. That I would not be coming back, but that I would visit and I would miss her everyday.  This little girls grandmother teaches a class and drives a bus at Beyond Borders for Christ. So no doubt this was how she had explained to her granddaughter about our move by telling her I was going to spend time with my Momma and would not be coming back.  Just wanted to share this special moment we had more for me really so I have it in writing although at the moment its etched in my brain and  I dont see how I could ever forget.

In Honor of Valentines Day- A love Story

      Well its Valentines Day so let me share a little story with you. Once there was a girl who fell for guys way too quickly and always for the wrong ones. She caused herself alot of extra heartache because of this. So in high school the girl falls in love and is convinced that she has found the one. She loves him unconditionally. She goes above and beyond and gives 100%  to the relationship. Needless to say she is not loved back and is not treated kindly at all. So the day comes when the girl finds out some awful things and finally breaks up with the boy, but He still has her heart for years afterwards. No matter how hard She tries to move on She can't because She still loves him. She goes out on dates, but always pushes each guy away no matter if she likes them or not  because she is so afraid of being hurt again. Then She meets another special guy and again way too quickly she starts to fall for him. Only a few short months later she was single and heartbroken again. So the girl decides the best thing to do is never to love again. So she makes up her mind and life goes on.
       Then one day a guy She had known all her life asked her out. To say she was shocked is an understatement. She had never ever thought of this guy as anything but a friend. So she decided why not? At least it will get me out of the house for a night. The guy was so sweet and opened her door and was very respectful. The girl had never been on a date with a guy like that so it was all new to her. So her and the guy went on another date and another date and guess what. The girl was starting to fall in love, and even though this guy was so different from all the rest she still didnt want to trust him. The girl broke up with the guy and then they would get back together and this happened three times. The  third time they were broke up for alot longer than the other times. So the guy got set up on a date with someone else. The girl just happened to be where Him and the lady met to go on their date. Do you think that was coincidence or a God thing??  The girl barely made it home before the tears began to fall. She was heartbroken. She knew then that She wanted to be with the guy. She knew She had treated him bad and finally realized that She was in love with the guy, but was so afraid of  getting hurt that she pushed him away without even realizing she was the one hurting him. So she cried herself to sleep that night and promised herself that if she could get him back she would never let him go again. She would love him the way He had been loving her all along. So the next day She text him and they started talking again and turned out He missed her too and they got back together. Only this time was different The girl finally let her guard down and not even a month later the girl got a engagement ring. They were so happy and two months later they got married. Even though others said they wouldnt make it and  were too young (19 and 22) against all statistics they are still together today and are still very much in love.  The girl now sees that this guy is the guy God hand picked for her, and  even though she made mistakes and was not on the right path God steered her around and brought her right to this guy. Even though they are in love and happy that does not mean everything is easy, but what makes their relationship work is two people giving 100% and keeping God in the marriage.  If you didnt catch on I am the girl and the guy at the end is Jeremy :).  This is our love story and it has Gods hand prints all over it. We dont have the most romantic or glamorous story, but We are proud to be a couple who has beat the odds.

****************Jeremy*********************

Happy Valentines Day !!  Thank you for putting up with me when I wasn't a very good girlfriend or friend, and for leaving the past in the past and moving forward with me. I don't know what I would do without you. I love you so much. Thank you for 5 wonderful years!!! 

Dear Heavenly Father,
          Thank you for bringing Jeremy and I together. Thank you for taking the time to make someone just for me.  I pray for those who don't have someone special to love. I pray for the widows Lord give them strength. I pray for all the marriages that are struggling help them to mend.  Thank you Lord for my Valentine.
                                                                                      In Jesus Name,
                                                                                             Amen
         

Simple, inexpensive, and just as, if not more meaningful!! :)

            This Valentines Day I decided I wanted to send Valentine's day cards to our parents and grandparents, but knew we didnt really have the money. So I decided to make cards. I knew in order to make it just like a card they would all be too big to fit in a regular envelope which meant spending money to ship them. So here is what I did instead. Simple, inexpensive, and just as, if not more meaningful!!  :)

There's A Time For Everything, even MeatLoaf!

          Its no secret to most of you that since moving to Montana Life has changed. One of the small changes you might not think about is the way we eat. Yeah, even before we started trying to lose weight our eating habits changed drastically. The biggest reason why was money. For one we didnt have the money to eat out alot like we did before. Plus most of the places we like to eat McDonalds, Wendys, Arbys are in kalispell  which is about a 30 minute drive and who can afford the gas to do that very often. So anyway it has been awesome to learn that We  can cook!!!!!  Who would have ever thought that?! haha
         We have had alot of first in Montana like Salmon patties, meatballs, and just last week Jeremy made his first meatloaf, and it was so good!!! Here are some pictures of Jeremys first Ever meatloaf!!

Silly Saturday #1

    Just for fun and to change things up a bit I have decided to start silly saturdays. Silly saturdays will be me writing a post each saturday about any topic or it can be as simple as a picture. One reason I am doing this is because lately all thats on my mind is the move and I dont want my blog to get repetitive and sound like me going on and on about the same things. So here goes...............

Silly Saturday #1

This is when Jeremy and I were just dating. We were out with friends at Steak and Shake. Yes I have on a Jerry Springer Shirt It says 'Why can't We all just get along"

This is what Jeremy had on that night a wonder bread shirt LOL He looks so young!!!! That phone is pretty old too!!

 

Here is another one from our dating days :) Straight up gangsters haha

Ok that is me in front. The other person is my cousin Lacey. This is at 12 am the day of my wedding when she realized the bra she had would not work with her braidsmaid dress!!! Walmart saved the day thank goodness its open 24 hours. Notice the bandaid on my leg. Here is something random you may not know about me I got bite by a brown recluse spider just weeks before my wedding. The bandaid covers the huge hole where the venom ate away my skin! Dont worry I was on antibotics which can cause what??? Yep and the symptoms came on my honeymoon!!!! Stupid Spider!!!

Cant believe someone actually caught a picture of the kiss. I had lectured Jeremy about the wedding kiss after all my Daddy was there so I warned Jer dont attack me and dont make it too long but not too short either. Well guess what I got so super nervous that  we barely pecked and it was done like not even a second haha Oh well.

Here is our car the day of the wedding. Did you know that this car has a huge roll in how we got together?! Click  here to read all about it.

Family picture right before the wedding. We didnt mean to but I find the adult women sign appropriate after all I was getting married so I was not a child anymore but a adult woman!

The hardest thing I'll Ever have to do

    I like to think God hears things we say and silently chuckles to Himself sometimes. When We moved to Montana from Tennessee I was sure I would not make it through it. I have said thousands of times " Its the hardest thing I'll ever have to do. Nothing will ever be as hard as that."  Was God smiling Down all those times I said that thinking Girl you dont have a clue. I  now realize I was wrong in saying  that because deep in my heart I feel that something just as hard  is coming. Its coming fast too, Summer is around the corner. If you dont have a clue what I am talking about you have missed a blog or two so click here to get brought up to speed.  This summer during bible school One of the songs the kids learned called "If God" has really been in my head lately. Here are the lyrics

If God holds my days in His hands

If God has power over my circumstance

If God knows the plans He has for me

Why should I fear?

Why should I worry?

Chorus:

If God is for me

who can be against me?

If God is for me

who can be against me?

Whatever happens I know

I can trust He is in control

‘Cause if God is for me

who can be against me?

Repeat Verse 1

Repeat Chorus

Bridge:

May the name of God be praised

Forever and ever

For wisdom and power

Belong to Him

The words are so true, but not worrying is so hard. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you I worry way too much. I will be the first to tell you I am extremely worried about this summer and our move. I think its a control issue. I completely trust God, but I am human and as humans We dont ever wanna feel like were not in control. When you surrender your life to  Christ and go where He wants you to go. The possibilities are endless. You could be in your comfort zone today and in a jungle tomorrow, but God promises are true and He will never leave us or forsake us He will be with us always. So even If with every week I am getting closer and closer to another "hardest thing I'll ever have to do", At least I know I wont be alone. When I packed up my house, Mine and Jeremys first home I wasn't alone. When I hugged my grandparents and parents as I was about to head 2200 miiles away not sure when I would see them again I wasnt alone.  When I handed pets over to new owners because I could not bring them with me I wasnt alone.  When I stepped into Hungry Horse I wasnt alone. This summer when I head out of Hungry Horse I wont be alone. When I try to hold it together and hug each sweet baby in the 3 and under class at Beyond Borders for Christ While I sob and try to tell them goodbye I wont be alone. When I hug each person who has been there for me and meant so much to me these past two year I wont be alone. When I pack up this apartment that God provided for us I wont be alone. On July 8th when I pull out of this parking lot and look back at Canyon Baptist Church and think of how amazing these past two years have been I wont be alone. If We know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior We never again have to face our hardest moments in life alone.  

  Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted    and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Warning Super Honest Post ahead :)

                  We have so many questions about moving home. We have so many unknowns and not many answers, but one answer has been prayed about so much and so often that the answer is crystal clear. The answer is yes we are suppose to move back to Tennessee. God has made that much clear.  I know some people may think that we are overjoyed and can't wait till July. That is far from the truth. The truth is we are heartbroken, confused, excited, anxious, but most of all torn. I struggle with how am I suppose to feel. The truth is we love our life here and we could stay forever and I have no doubt there would always be work to do, but God has another plan for us. I can't give any more details about those plans because we don't know the details either. Some might think we are holding back, but the truth is  we just don't know yet. What I can say and can truly mean is we trust God. When we came to Montana I cannot even explain the anxiety I had. I had never been more than a few miles away from my family my whole life, and then God told me to move 2200 miles away.  What I'm trying to say is it was not easy and even though we were loved and welcomed by everyone from day one it was still hard.  A year and a half later and I can't tell you that there are not days that I just sit down and cry, but even in the bad days I know that God has worked all this out for my good.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28
More than anything else Montana changed me. I know now that this was Gods plan all along. To help me grow, to open my eyes. I am not the woman who arrived here a year and a half ago. God has a plan for all of us.
 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
             When you follow Gods plan for your life and not your own God will bless you hugely. See I had a plan for my life and I could have chose to stick to my plan. In my plan I would have a child who would be starting school next year ( still hard for me to believe we will be married 5 years in April). Instead I chose the plan God had for me, and I know that someday when God does bless Jeremy and I with a baby we will be far better parents now then we would have had we not chose Gods plan. The reason why is stepping out into the unknown has strengthened our relationship with God. We have grown into better and stronger Christians, and so I can only imagine we would be better parents then we would have been.
           While were on that topic let me say everyone knows Jeremy and I want children someday. The honest truth is if you wait till your completely ready  you may never have a baby. There is so much unknown. Jeremy and I have the ready or not attitude meaning when God wants to bless us with a child we will be ready. After all God knows far better than us what the future looks like. So we are putting our trust in Him. In saying that let me also say  like I have said so many times before I am not the woman who moved over a year ago. I have changed alot. I am on fire for Jesus and I want to live my life and do the things He has planned for me. Only God knows what the future holds all I know is for now I am focusing on the ministries here we are involved in . Starting a family is not on our mind at the present time. God has things for us to do and I could be wrong but I truly believe He has work for us to do, and a family will come later. After all I am only 23. God reminds  me of that often and assures me I have plenty of time. The truth is even if God never blesses us with Children, We are still so blessed and I can say He has given us a wonderful life. God has always supplied our needs and We are so thankful.
 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
 I cannot spend time looking at what I don't have instead I look at all God has given me.
             One last thing before I bring this post to a end. I will not spend these last 6 months being sad or staying stressed out over the unknown. We are gonna make these last months the best. We will give 100% to all the ministries we work in up to the last day. I don't wanna miss a second with the kids on wednesday nights or time with all our friends here. We want to make the most of the time we have left. Like the saying goes Dont cry Because Its over, Smile because It happened.

 

Bitter Sweet Announcement

                        So now that We have officially made the announcement its time for this post to happen. I must admit I have been dreading this one. If you would have told me a year ago God would call us home I would be jumping around saying when should I pack, but as I sit here with the reality of it hitting me more and more each day My heart aches. We will be moving home this summer. This was not a decision we took lightly. As a matter of fact their have been so many sleepless nights and stress filled days as We tried to understand the whats? and whys? We have no idea what We will be doing once we get home. Jeremy will try to find a job that much is clear, but the unknown outweigh the answers we have ten fold. What we do know and what We are clinging to is God has never and will never let us down. He has a plan He just hasnt shared it with us yet!! I have cried so many tears over this decision On one hand I am overjoyed to be with my family. To be able to hangout at my Mamaw and Papaws on saturdays, or to go to my Mamaw and Papaw Wilcoxs with my Daddy on his day off. What I am most worried about is my precious babies. I know what your thinking Did I miss something Her and Jeremy dont have kids right?  Well your right, but I consider the little guys in the 3and under class on Wednesday night my babies. I have shed so many tears and agonized over who will take care of them?  Who will love them as much as I do? I know God has someone in mind, but my heart breaks because I want it to be me. My prayers were answered a few weeks ago when Diane stepped up to be the new 3 and under teacher. I know she will take care of them and love them, but I want to continue to love on them each week. I want to watch them learn and hear them sing Jesus loves me. I want to see their faces light up when the puppets come out, or when I pull out a special snack. I want to continue the puppet ministry and watch it grow to new limits. I want to watch the unity between the 3 churches at Beyond Borders for Christ. I want to stand on stage every sunday and worship at Canyon Baptist Church. Not because i'm a good singer, but because our God is worthy of all our praise. I want to watch tuesday night bible study continue to grow. I want to hang on to all of these things I don't want to let go.  My heart breaks because im not ready to end this chapter.
       On the other hand I know a new one is about to begin. Nothing is more scary than the unknown, but at the same time nothing is more exciting. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us. We are not quitting We are not going home to sit on a pew every sunday and wednesday. We are not ending missions!! God just has a plan for us back home. I cannot answer the whats and whys? All I know is this is what God wants us to do right now.  I get so overwhelmed and grateful that God has decided to call us back home. I am also saddened because We love our life here. We love our family here. I definitely know what bitter sweet is. Its this. Feeling absolute happiness and extreme sadness about the same thing.
           What I want our friends and family in Montana to know is You are amazing. The way you welcomed us in. The way you were always there for us. We felt love that first Sunday We were here. We have made the greatest friends here and We love you all so much. You have helped us grow into far better people than the scared two that arrived here a year and a half ago. We promise to come visit, and keep in touch. We will never forget our time in Montana , or how God used a little town called Hungry Horse to change our lives in such a huge way. Never let anyone tell you your not worthy and always let your light shine for Jesus.

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Noahs Story ( puppet skit)