Well this is the end...

We have been in Giddings Texas all week at Camp Tejas for Sagemont Church in Houston. It has been such a peaceful, relaxing week with God, my husband and great friends!

It is now 1:40 in the morning on Saturday night and I am here at Steven's parents house waiting about 12 hours and then I will be flying home. It is all so bittersweet. Outside of our honeymoon I have spent the best week with my husband. We have been together for 7 straight days, all day, everyday. We slept in everyday and had the day to just hang out and be adventerous. I love my job but oh my gosh how wonderful it is to get away and join in my husband's world for a little while. This week we stayed up late with friends every night and ate a ton of food. What a wonderful week. Pictures will come later!

I also had an amazing week with God. I feel once again that my struggles are in His hands and I was able to rest and really worship Him for who He is this week. I am so thankful for struggles. It has reminded me of how amazing it feels to have your feet off of the ground, not knowing what lies ahead and trusting that He is guiding us daily to where He wants us. He has chased me down and renewed my love for Him this week.

Now I will try and get some sleep. I hope my cat is still alive when I get home! Oh how I love my house- I miss it so much!!

Thank you Steven for an amazing week with you. Our time was so precious. You are my best friend and I am so excited to walk through this journey with you. You have surpassed my expectations of marriage. I love you babe :)

OH YEA I FINISHED IT!!

Yes that is right I finished my Tae Bo dvd!! It hurts but I did it!!

Who is the Celebrity now?!?!?!

Tae Bo

Have I ever told any of you how much I love tae bo? Well I do. It will kick your tale!! I have been looking for a new dvd and I went to Walmart the other day and the only one that I could find was the, "Look like a celebrity." I resent looking like a celebrity but it was either that one or not one at all. I was cracking up because during the video he will say, "Who's the Celebrity now? Who looks like a celebrity?" It just cracks me up. I also crack myself up by learning the new moves. I had to close the blinds the other day for fear that someone might see me. I would die if Steven saw me! I am about to start it again. Ohh its going to hurt, but I can do it!

I never went to Mammath Cave. Darn.

I laid out by the pool this afternoon for the first time this summer. Trust me I needed it. I plan on going again tomorrow.

Ginger sent me the cutest shirt in the mail. How sweet is that? I bet everyone would love a sister that does sweet things like that for you!?

I am off to camp in a couple of days. This is my one and only full camp that I am going to. I just put all my marbles on one camp this summer and I think i picked the best one! I am so so excited.

I cannot stop thinking about adoption. Everytime I see an african american little boy I get so choked up. It doesn't help that our 6-8 year old boys at work are the CUTEST kids you have ever seen. They seemed to flock around me more than usual today. One of them drew me a picture, smiled at me, laid it on my desk and ran off. Sometimes I think God puts them up to this.

Alright- off to do Tae Bo

So I think I might be going to Mammoth Cave tomorrow...

I am a little nervous. In college my friends and I would always do crazy stuff. I loved it. One night we went out hiking with a big group looking for water falls and had no idea where we were going. It was an adventure. Of course it was always fun when you just get to college and are getting to know these cute boys that want to take you on this exciting adventure! We left, got lost, found the falls, got down to one flashlight but safely returned. We did this many more times and it was some of my best memories from college. The dumbest thing I have ever done in my life would be the day that I jumped off of a 50 foot cliff. My friend Monica and I were going to hold hands and jump off together. At the last moment one of the guys suggested that it would be safer if we did not hold hands. PRAISE GOD HE SAID THIS! We counted to 3 and ran and I went and she stayed. My feet hit the water flat footed and I thought I had broken them. It hurt so bad. My bathing suit was up to my shoulders but I was alive. I looked up and saw my friend Monica waving to me from the top. Could you imagine what would have happened if we were holding hands and I went for it and she stayed? There were huge rocks that you had to clear on your way down and I venture to say that I would not have cleared them. I honestly do not like to think about this moment of my life. Again I did this to impress the guy I was dating. Girls- If you are dating and you feel as if you need to impress someone and doing something like this would impress him then YOU DON'T NEED TO BE WITH HIM!!! Lesson learned.

Anyway all this to say that we did crazy stuff in college but one night they knocked on my door and asked me to go caving with a big group of people. I will be honest- I DO NOT like the dark (I still have a night light :) and I DO NOT like to be in small confined spaces. Plus again they had no idea where they were going!! I said no and stayed in my nice spacious room and went to bed while my friends across the hall went. They were not supposed to be gone long. I woke up and called her to see if she was back and she said that they had gotten lost and did not get home until like 5 that morning. She said that it was the most scared she had ever been and they did not know if they were going to get out. They were gone for like 7-8 hours. I think I would have been rocking back and forth and in my happy place if that were me.

Needless to say there is a strong possiblity that I will be going to Mammath Cave tomorrow with the kids. I have never been caving. Tonight I will be packing my survivor kit- matches, bottled water, cpr mask, flashlight, Bible, and whatever else I can think of. I am nervous. Surely it will be safe though right? I mean we wouldn't be taking kids if not. I just don't like the dark and I like my space. Anyway I am making sure my house is nice and clean before I leave. I love you all- wish me luck!!

Hotel Rwanda

I hate sin. I hate evil. I hate this world and what it does to people. I hate our comfortable lives here in America where we sit back and do nothing. I hate my fear when I watch a movie like this. I hate that my flesh would rather fade into the crowd than do something. I hate the fact that in the movie these white reporters showed some graphic deadly scenes to a man from Rwanda and he was relieved that they got the footage because maybe people would actually do something to help out. The reporters response was, "They wil probably watch this and say to themselves, wow that is horrible and then go back to eating their dinner." What does all of this materialism do to us? We are fools. We are blind and wrapped up in its snare. We are caught in its trap. I want to make a difference in this world. How the hell do I do this? Where do I start? Anything is better than not doing anything. When can I just let go?

Watch this movie. You will walk away with a new perspective. My thoughts are with Haiti. How my heart burns for that country. However I find that America is in the same boat. My heart burns for both.

Here we go....

Well I was getting online to journal about Steven leaving tomorrow and Jamie beat me to it!! haha
We are packing. I am folding clothes for Steven and he is running around all over trying to get everything ready to head out tomorrow. I have never felt more prepared and at peace than this summer. This is summer number 3 for us. It feels good to be at a good place spiritually before heading into it. I don't think we will have to go more than 1 week without seeing each other and we all have Jimmie and Laura's wedding to look forward to at the end of all the camps! I get the blessing of going one looonnng week in June with the guys to Giddings Texas with our wonderful friends Matt and Rachel. I am soo looking forward to staying up late and having girl time. I absolutely feel so blessed to live this life. I would not trade my husbands job for anything in this world. Even with the bad days. I love it. It is only by God's love in our lives that it continues to work out better than expected every summer.

Steven worked hard on the house this week and I worked hard in the yard. HAHA funny huh? He made several home improvements and I am so excited about them. We now have a fan in our bedroom and a new Starbucks looking light in our kitchen instead of that huge, ugly candle thing. He also spray painted the blades on our fan in the living room and bought new globes for the lights. We have switched all of our light bulbs to the curly ones (energy saving lights) haha. We are a little greener :)

This is a cute pic from Chad and Steph's wedding of us. Maybe one of my favorites we have taken. We had a wonderful weekend at the wedding! It was a blast and we are looking forward to seeing those crazy kids tomorrow. They will have the glow I bet!

Thanks to Memorial Day for a much needed day off! I get to go to Chattanooga tomorrow with the guys and spend the night. I am really excited! Everyone have a wonderful weekend!

God's Faithfulness

Romans 8:28
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

This last week I have felt God pursuing my heart. I was challened this week by a great man of God named Coach Fred. Ronnie is very blessed to have this man in his life everyday as his basketball coach up at Moody.
I have found a pattern in myself of worrying whether things will work out. I worry about outcomes. I did this this weekend in Texas. I had voiced some of this worrying to Coach and he looked at me and said, "Maris- do you not believe that God works all things together for the good of those who love him?" I was challenged in that moment with my belief in the word of God. Do I live my life BELIEVING and walking in this truth that God has put in his word. I know it in my head and could quote that verse to you- but I will be honest, I have not laid my life on top of this verse and taken my feet off the ground. The more in which I thought about this verse the more I could look back in my life and see the evidence. Example- If you know us you know that the summer months are very challenging for us. As I look back every summer God has provided strength and random chances to see my husband while he has been gone. The details of me getting off of work have always worked out. God has his mighty hand in my life. I think about Joseph in the Bible. He was arrested for a crime he did not do. Again he stayed faithful and God worked it together for good. This life is not about me and things working out for my good. I will tell you that my trust in the Father has grown this week. I trust him more and I am not worrying as much. This verse has brought so much freedom.

I have been thinking here lately about why we sing worship songs. This weekend as I sat under Spur leading worship we sang a song that they sing often. This song is called Majesty by Delirious.

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

This song reminded me of great truths of our faith that we hold on to. There are lines in this song I need to be reminded of everyday.
As I was singing, I imagined myself out in some african jungle (stay with me- I am not crazy) hot, dehidrated, lifeless and alone. In this state I had no idea how to provide anything for myself. I had no idea what to eat or how to find anything to drink. I was alone and dying and no one knew where I was. I was going to die alone. God pursued me and found me. When he found me I was dead. I imagined this as my spiritual condition. He has found me dead with nothing to offer him. I am empty handed and the only way to stay alive is when I am in his hands. I am nothing without him. Thank you Lord for choosing me even though I have nothing to offer! I have truly found the greatest love of all. This is the reason I love to sing worship songs. They spark thoughts and remind me of his love. I need to be reminded that I am dead without him.
There is so much more to this song but these are just a couple thoughts I had while singing it.