McNew update

per Lauren McCaghren's facebook request :) here is an update on the McNews.

For those of you that don't know, God provided a job for D.R. back in September at an urgent care clinic in Columbus, GA. We packed up in Mobile, AL and headed east on August 31. We were extremely thankful that God provided a job for D.R. so quickly after his graduation in July. After applying to over 100 jobs and being rejected or not even considered due to his Nat'l Guard status, we had almost given up hope of finding a job. God is faithful. The P.A. that hired D.R. is retired Army and actually hired him BECAUSE of his enrollment in the Nat'l Guard. He viewed it as a positive: that he was a hard-worker, devoted, loyal and conservative :) We were thankful. Over time D.R. became frustrated and stressed with the nature of the job. Urgent care clinics are unpredictable. You never know what will come through the door. With the wide-variety of illnesses and situations, he started feeling more and more dependent on the doc's for answers and less and less confident in himself as a P.A. I hated this for him. Every time he walked in the door I would see that look of exhaustion and defeat. It made my heart sink. But D.R., being the man he is, was always determined to improve and get better; only the nature of the job really doesn't allow for that if you are not used to total inconsistency. We spent many days praying that if God wanted D.R. to be somewhere else, then He would open the door in time. It happened while D.R. was at drill in March. ("Drill" is his monthly commitment as a P.A. in the Nat'l Guard to go to an army clinic and do physicals. He remained with the AL Nat'l Guard so he drilled in Birmingham) He met a man who works on Fort Benning, the army post in Columbus. This man told him that there was a P.A. position coming available in a certain battalion and would he be interested. Well of course he was. When we got home, the man that formerly held D.R.'s position called him and asked if he wanted to come on post and check it out. He did and felt an excitement about the possibility of working full-time for the Army. After a couple months, they offered him the job. It wasn't an easy thing to tell the urgent care clinic that he would be leaving but we both felt God had provided this new job which would really benefit us as a couple. This new job is wonderful all the way around! It's a higher pay, more consistent hours which allow D.R. to always be at church on Sundays and small group on Wednesdays, it's less stressful as his patients are all army men and women whom he has health profiles on and it allows him to create his own schedule which he is really enjoying. His busiest hours are in the morning from 6:30-9:30. Then depending on the day, he may have lots of free time to himself. He said he plans to work-out everyday, read, learn Spanish on Rosetta Stone and moonlight at different places once in a while. Sounds like a great job! D.R.'s hours are 6:30-3:30/4:00 M-F and once in a while on Sat/Sun from 3:30a-7:30a (i know crazy) during a road march test. (where the guys run a ga-zillion miles in full army gear in the 90 degree heat...D.R. is pretty useful during those shifts) So all in all, we are so thankful that God provided this new job for D.R. He is so passionate about being in the Army and serving his country by helping these men and woman be in optimal physical health. He's definitely been a more relaxed D.R. since starting this job last Friday. He's laughing more, singing more (yes, he's always singing or whistling around the house) and I love it. Plus, he looks so hot when he gets home everyday in his fatigues! rawr!!

As for me, I took a job back in April as High School Administrative Assistant at Calvary Christian School. I love it! I currently work part-time 9-1 M-Th and that's been stellar summer hrs! I have loved getting to know the students and the teachers and really look forward to them being back in the fall. The job is challenging as I wear so many hats. I really can't name all the tasks/responsibilities but I love them all. It's definitely the most challenging job I have held and for that I am thankful. I feel so blessed to be able to work and minister in the same place with teenagers- which are my heart! I love them and their messy lives! Many of them have been such an encouragement to me so far b/c I can tell they love Christ. I know God will teach me so much being at Calvary.

Champ McNew is doing super. He just turned 3 on May 22 and is healthy as can be. I give him lots of exercise, probably too much. D.R. & I truly love him. He's our child. Forreal. He's such a sweetheart; he still thinks he's a 16 lbs puppy and will crawl in our laps. ouch!! 80 lbs later doesn't feel so good! He's a joy in our lives and it's neat that D.R. & I love something together.

D.R. & I look forward to what this next year will bring. Talk of starting a family, taking a big trip somewhere far away, pursuing further education....who knows! We'll keep you updated. :)

Eat 80/20

My new favorite food blog is http://www.eat8020.com/ She shares 80 recipes- which are healthy and 20 recipes- which are indulgent and just plain yummy. Her recipes are fun, semi-easy, & "healthy-lifestyle-encouraging". :) Check her out.

my idea of a perfect day

I was sitting here pondering what to blog about and my mind kept drifting to things like....i need to do my buns&thighs work-out... OH, I think Giada is on right now... champ needs to be walked.... wonder if chicken is on sale this week at Publix?.... i miss the beach.... dang I love Adele.... So I thought, why don't I blog about what I'd love to do if I could do all my favorite things in one day.

here is my idea of a perfect day:

I wake up between 7:30-8:00 and have one cup of coffee, pulpy orange juice, a bowl of toasted oats cereal with bananas & blueberries and almond milk.

Then I get my sweat on: a 30 minute run followed by some weights. Shower (or not...who am I kidding. I would love to live in nike shorts and a tank!) Grab my Bible and Champ and head to the park. Take champ for a walk around the lake. Read in the car for a while. Go to Publix, buy ingredients for a yummy salad. Go home and make the salad and watch Giada. Call Kirstie and catch up on life. Laugh, cry, pray, miss her and my family. Take a bike ride with D.R. when he gets home. Take dinner to the park and grill out. Enjoy each other's company. Take a dip in the pool when we get back (because it's hot!). Play with champ. Watch a netflix movie and eat popcorn. Turn in by 11:00.

I'm lucky enough to have those days once in a while. Life is good. God is good. I haven't a thing to complain about. That's all.

homemade pizza and homemade granola

I had a weekend of baking and I didn't even get to two of the things I wanted to make. It's probably a good thing: money-wise.

First, I made "stone" Margherita pizza. I had it at my friends, Chelsey & Zach's and it honestly is the best pizza I've ever had. Plus you get to choose your own ingredients, monitor the salt & fat content, yada yada... it's awesome! If you own a stone, use it!
Here's what you need:

-italian pizza dough by Publix. It's over in the bakery section kept in a mini-fridge. It gives you enough to make 2 thin crust or one hearty, thick crust pizza. It's flippin' delicious dough.
-one can of Dei Fratelli organic pizza sauce: so yummy and fat free
-fresh basil or gourmet garden basil spread (it's got a little olive oil & is pesto-like in consistency)
-fresh mozzarella cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. The fresh really makes an incredible difference. It's worth the few extra bucks.
-oregano, garlic pepper & sea salt
-light italian olive oil to brush on to crust

Bake at 390 for 20-30 minutes

Homemade Granola:

-4 cups old-fashioned oats
-1 cup flaked coconut
-1/2 cup wheat germ
-2 tbsp flax seed
-1/2 cup sliced almonds
-1 &1/2 tsp salt
-1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/3 cup honey
-1/3 cup water
-1 tbsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup golden raisins, dried cranberries &/or chopped dried fruit
In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients; mix well. In a saucepan, cook oil, brown sugar, honey, water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon to a greased 13in. x 9in. x 2in. baking pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour or until golden, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely. Stir in dried fruit.

heavy & light

first the heavy:

I cried today in church thinking about what God saved me from. It's not often that I ponder the present agony of the unbelieving who have died but today I did. There are a few people in my own family whom I can't be confident trusted in Christ before they died. What a horrible, horrible thought. I deserve what they are receiving right now. I am no better. Only, God saw fit to spare me. To spare D.R. To spare Kirstie, my sister and her husband Aaron. To spare my cousin-in-laws Grace Frye & Betty Morris and their husbands.And others... All because of Christ. Who would I be without Christ? To think of not being able to have fellowship with God on a daily basis- to not be able to stop in my car and talk to my Abba when I'm fearful or frustrated- to not know the deep covenant intimacy in marriage that only knowing Christ can provide- to not know that when natural disasters like hurricanes, tornados, mudslides and earthquakes happen that there is One who is still in sovereign control of it all. He is the only source of peace.


dangit! I'm crying again. He's such a big God. We don't understand Him. I'm so glad I don't. He is a glorious, wonderful mystery. And the thing is....no one, of their own accord, has even TRIED to understand Him. "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." Romans 13:11-12

We sang this song today. It has a somber, funeral-like mood but it is so powerful. I cry and am hardly able to sing all the way through once it hits me: how powerful, mighty and fear-worthy our God is.

"Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six wingèd seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
'Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!;"


On a lighter note, I made some really good pizza and granola (not eaten in the same meal) this weekend. I'll post the recipes and pics soon. :)

who calls who to worship?

At our church we sing from the Trinity pca hymnal. On occasion we will sing an RUF (reformed university fellowship) song and they are hymn-like. At first I couldn't sing along because I couldn't understand the old language used in that century. So I just read, and God opened my heart to the beauty and reverance of hymns. I grew up singing hymns from the Baptist Hymnal; songs like 'The Old Rugged Cross', 'How Great Thou Art' and 'When the Roll is Called Up Yonder'. There is a new depth in the hymns we sing now at our church. They help train my heart to worship God- not just sing notes on a page. The words are deep, convicting, sobering and truly glorifying to God. I grew up hearing "and now let us open our hymnals to page ____ and we ask the Holy Spirit to come into this place as we worship." A few years back I learned that is not at all what worship- Biblical worship- is like. We do not ask the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy Spirit is ever-present in the hearts & lives of the elect. When we join in corporate worship our "calling" should be focused towards our own rebel hearts. My heart is rarely in the correct place to worship a holy God so I must pray and ask that God align my heart with the Holy Spirit so that I can give glory to Him through my worship. It completely changes the way I worship. Now, when I feel my heart drifting I know that it's not the Holy Spirit that is still "not present". It's my "prone to wander" heart that I need to address. Like a child that gets off task in school, my heart needs constant shepherding. And He is always faithful to hear my prayer and give me the faith I need to worship in spirit and in truth.

Here is one of my favorite hymns:

471: "Tis not that I did choose thee" by Josiah Conder (1836)

'Tis not that I did choose thee,
For, Lord, that could not be;
This heart would still refuse thee,
Hadst thou not chosen me.
Thou from the sin that stained me
Hast cleansed and set me free;
Of old thou hast ordained me,
That I should live to thee.


'Twas sov'reign mercy called me
And taught my op'ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heav'nly glories blind.
My heart owns none before thee,
For thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love thee,
Thou must have loved me first.

There is a reason that for centuries we have used these words and other like them to express our love for our Savior. They are deep calling to deep through which the soul awakens to revel in the love of God for whom we have been made.

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