my champion

I never thought I could love something so much. You know, besides my handsome husband. He's 2 feet tall, super hairy and eats off the floor. He's Champ.

And here are some reasons why I love him: (and Betty I know you are lovin' the bullets:))

• when he greets you he shakes not just his nub of a tail but his whole torso in excitement. He looks like a wiggly slinky.




• the white side of his face turns pink after he wakes up from sleeping on it.




• his snoring sounds like a defective whoopie cushion




• when he first wakes up, he yawns and lets out a high-pitched squeak noise




• he gives high-fives. sitting or standing.




• he has a polka-dotted belly




• he likes my feet




• he cuddles




• he sometimes falls asleep upsidedown with his jauwels(?) hanging down bearing his teeth




• he hops like a bunny when he fetches a toy




• he enjoys being comfortable and has to be near a pillow of some sort

I affectionately call him champ champ. He's definitely a big part of the family. I never thought a bulldog would melt my heart but alas....he has.

And here's my Champ Champ.

Baby Champ at 8 weeks old.

Champ at 8 months old.

Blanket Victory

...this is what my mentor, Jody prays that I have each morning. blanket victory. This means that I make the choice to throw (or my preference, kick) the blanket off and head to the coffee pot. Well, the 'pot' and then the coffee pot. First things first, ya know? I'm on my 2nd week of meeting with God in the morning and it is going fantastically. Although caffeine at 6:30 is a must, I feel unusually refreshed since waking up earlier. I think it's God rewarding me for spending time with him. And hey, if a reward/blessing comes in the form of feeling refreshed and awake all day long, I will take it!

I used to be a night time meet-with-God person which consisted of me praying in the dark under my covers until I fell asleep. I don't think the prayer lasted more than 2 minutes. Not good. So I decided that although the thought of waking up when it's still quite dark didn't thrill me, the choice of doing so has had many benefits. For example, I'm just a nicer person during the day. I'm more patient with my co-workers, I've been taking criticism more graciously (imagine that!), I get to brush my teeth with DR (hey it's time together these days), and I held my tongue on one occasion when I was about to verbally abuse my husband. Hooray!! Thank you Lord!

So for all of you night time devotioners, I am not knocking your time of meeting nor am I saying that God only blesses us if we meet with Him in the morning. He blesses us when we meet with Him period. He just wants a piece of our day, everyday. It's heart medicine and we need it. He will restore your soul as you read His Word. So find a promise and stand on it or a command and meditate on it. Your day will be better because of it.

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Kia & me

Can I just say I love my new car? I just wanted to show it off. K, i'm done.

Favorites from 2008

(idea borrowed from Tricia Butts)

Here are a few of my favorites from 2008.

Song: When the Saints by Sara Groves. Still the most powerful song I've ever listened to. It's a song reflecting on the Biblical patriarchs and other heroes who stood up for Christ during their lifetime. Sara Groves music in general is just good stuff. Convicting and at the same time soothing to the soul. Check her out!

Movie: Fireproof. If you've seen it, you know why it's my favorite.

Book: Galatians by the Apostle Paul. I have only begun to really study the word of God within the last two years and the most recent study in the book of Galatians was the spiritual medicine that my heart needed. If you want to know how many "laws" you try to keep in your own life, you need to read this book of the Bible. Many times.

Comfort food: (not that you should find comfort in your food but...you know what I mean) Santitas tortilla chips with sour cream and salsa. First: dip chip in sour cream. Then dip chip in cup of salsa. Munch. I could eat this tasty snack at any hour of the day. It is my weakness. When I come home for lunch everyday, I have to tell myself to actually make a healthy meal and not snack on chips the whole hour. lol I have salty taste buds.

T.V. show: 24 and Lost are close competitors but I'm gonna have to vote for 24 in 1st place. How do you not love Jack Bauer? He is the man. If you can bear a few terrorist torture scenes this show is incredible! Monday nights 9/8 c on FOX.

Bible Passage: Galatians 6:14 "May it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." I boast a lot on the inside. I carry a lot of inside pride disguised as "humility". So this verse continues to redirect my attention to the cross and off of my tiny, helpless self. Thank you God.

Article of Clothing: the high waisted belt. What a great concept. Shrinks your waistline. Genius! And it just looks really cute.

Restaurant: Camille's Sidewalk Cafe. Kinda like a Panera only with 10+wrap/panini options! Oh and all served with chips and salsa so you KNOW I'm lovin' that! They also have unique pizzas, the best fruit salad and 20+ tea flavors to choose from. Not sure if it's located anywhere other than Mobile.

and that is all I can think up. :) Hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Oh, I've learned so much

Where do I begin? D.R. & I just returned from an 11 day trip visiting both our families for the holidays. We are very grateful that the price of gas is under $2 as we drove! Our trip began in Ringgold,GA: D.R.'s hometown. I can't begin to say enough good things about his family. They are just "easy" folks to be around. Always making me comfortable in every way. I truly feel like a daughter by blood when I'm with the McNews. God, thank you for inlaws who love You. We spent time with my brother-in-law, Jay, on Christmas day. He currently resides in Woodstock, GA. Jay, to say the least, is incredible. He is a living testimony of the grace and redemption of Jesus Christ in a human's life. His former way of life was lived in darkness and shame but let me tell you.....that is gone! It is so evident that there is a new heart of flesh beating in his chest. He's more humble than most people I currently know and just generally a JOY to be with. It's safe to say Jay has let his Savior take control of his life and I am SO excited for their (God & Jay's) new relationship! Seeing Jay full of joy in Christ, reminded me that it's only when we see the bitterness of our sin, that God becomes sweet to us. We so easily forget all that we've been saved from and all the punishment we deserve. But praise GOD that we are free from the bondage of sin when we lay it all at the cross! I'm reminded that there will be valleys in this life. If we always remained on the mountain we would lose sight of our need for God. My prayer for Jay, myself and you, blog-reader is that we would always know the weight of our sin and how heavy it was for Christ to carry to the cross. Christ can't love us any more nor any less. Just accept that! There is so much freedom when you walk in that Truth.

Jay, I love you b.i.l :) Ezekiel 36:26** I'm so thankful to the Lord for what He has/is/will do in you.

Well the trip continued to Boynton Beach,FL (my hometown). It was the best trip to Boynton yet. Catching up with old friends, making reindeer cookies with mom & Kirstie, eating meals with my grandparents, playing silly mind games with the Shoe family, laughing at Uncle Ricky, watching champ & jake buddy around, riding along A1A having heart-to-hearts with Kirstie, running along the beach, taking wayyy too many pictures with dad, eating sushi (my fav), sleeping in late with my husband in my childhood room (yeah, that's fun. kinda feels naughty), and the list goes on. There really is no place like the town you grew up in. The streets, the people, the weather; it's all so warming. And who doesn't like to be in 78 degrees in January? I always get a little nostalgic when I go home. I enjoy going all day without a speck of makeup, watching old family videos, blaring the music in my room while getting ready like I did when I was a teenager, and cuddling up on our comfy couch in the family room for a movie. (or quite often a picture/video slideshow my dad has created) Home really soothes my heart and now to have my husband, D.R. with me is even better. Being home with mom and dad and my younger sister is a time to really catch up on e/o's lives. It's just not the same over the phone. I enjoy hearing about what the Lord has done in the past and what new things He has shown them. Mark 5:19 says it best when Jesus talks to the demon-possessed man whom he just rescued. "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you. and how He had mercy on you." There are always great things to report even we the year has been hard. God becomes more evident in my family each year and continues to protect and provide for them. Thank you, Jesus.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm not sure why God chose me to be His but I know that I wouldn't know true joy if I didn't belong to Him. It's a big responsibility to be a Christian. I don't mean to imply that you have a lot to "live up to" but rather you exist with a feeling of sweet debt to your Creator. It's out of love and reverence that I read the Bible and give a portion of my income to the church. I pray that my heart's motivation will never be one of duty but of delight!

So, all that to say, my Christmas/New Years trip was great. Lots of growth and fellowship and tons of fun had with my husband and our families. I hope 2009 will be a year of even more growth.