Warning....this will be mushy!!!!!

Sunday, July 20th was my husband's birthday!  He turned 25...I know...youngen!!!  I always remind him that I was already sitting up on my own maybe even crawling when he was born!  :)  Anyway, I wanted to use this post to talk about my hubby!  I am so thankful that 25 years ago the Lord brought him into this world!  As I listen to his mom talk about how big of a surprise he was being 8 and 10 years behind his sisters, I just grin inside because we all know it was no surprise to the Lord.  What's even more amazing to me is that before he was even born the Lord knew he would be my life partner.  It reminds me of the sovereignty and goodness of the Lord!  I am going to attempt to express my gratefulness for Michael in words, knowing that words will never do him justice!  

I am thankful for my husband because:

~He is a student of the Word!  He loves the Word of God and he is studying it all the time!  He challenges me in so many ways!

~He is an amazing teacher/preacher!  He has such a gift and the Lord has really used him in my life and so many others!

~He is a leader.  I love that I can trust him and his leadership of our family.  

~He still opens the car door for me every single time we go somewhere!  :)

~He works hard as a teacher and coach!

~He is a man who stands by his convictions.

~He has been an encourager, supporter, and best friend.

~He is sensitive to the Lord's leading and is so obedient, even when it's hard.

These are only a few reasons, and I could really go on and on!  I love him so much and am so blessed by him.  Having him as my husband is a huge reminder of the grace of the Lord on my life!  I am so thankful for his 25 years of life that the Lord has used to mold him into who he is now.  I look forward to the next 25 and can't wait to see what God has in store for us!  Happy Birthday baby!  I love you so much!

Coming up with blog titles....

is really hard!  As I was trying to think of a creative title for my blog today I was reminded of a story I want to share!  When I was a freshman in high school I took a journalism class.  I thought maybe one day I could be a journalist because I really enjoy writing.  I went to a UIL competition that involved different journalistic (i think I just made that word up) categories.  One of the categories we had to compete in was headline writing.  We would read an editorial piece and then write a creative title for the article using a certain number of spaces.  Well...after this competition was over I received my scores.  Written next to my titles was the statement, "Melanie, you're writing is really great but, if you become a journalist have someone else write your titles!"

Things here in the hill country are going well!  Michael and I are still really enjoying our summer off together.  It is a huge benefit of teaching!  We had a great time in St. Louis at the wedding.  We were able to see alot of people that have known Michael since he was born so it was fun to hear stories!  The wedding was beautiful and very classy!  Here we are before the reception.  

 St. Louis is really pretty and we were able to see the arch, which is huge!!!  The Mississippi River is really high because 

of the flooding so we didn't get to take our river boat cruise!  :)  It was nice to get away and have a little vacation!

For the 4th, I left Michael in San Antonio and headed to Round Rock, TX just North of Aust

in to stay with Tracy!  She was my roommate during college and is one of my 

best friends!  Her sister Jamie and our friend Stephanie came from Dallas and we had a really fun girl's weekend!  We ate out, shopped at the outlet mall in Round Rock, swam, talked alot, and ate some more!  It was a blast! These girls are friends that I truly cherish and we had so much fun!

To those of you wondering....I didn't go to my doctor's appointment on July 3rd.  I rescheduled for September.  I have many reasons for doing this, but mainly just to give us more time!  Currently I am doing an ovulation predictor kit to see what it will tell me.  I will definitely let you all know how the appt. goes in September.  I am doing a Bible study right now that has been discussing the glory of God.  This week, I am reminded that the work the Lord is doing in our lives is for His glory!  With this baby situation, He will work it out in a way that allows Him to receive the greatest glory.  I cling to this hope and the truth of knowing that He is in control.  We desire for Him to receive glory!  

Currently we are distracted from all of that because we found a house that we love!  It is in a neighborhood that is more of a middle ground between our schools.  I will keep you posted and when it is more of a sure thing, I will post pictures!  We are ready to be homeowners!  We are going through the process right now, so if everything goes well, we will close the beginning of August.  

I hope this blog finds all of you doing well!  We would love to hear from you!  Life is good because God is good!  If any of you have any tips for blog title writing let me know!  :)

Where have I been?

Hey!  I am officially terrible at updating this thing!  For all of you that wait and wait and check to see if I've blogged....I am very sorry!  ;)  Michael and I are really enjoying our summer.  It is really nice to have a break from the school setting!  Michael is golfing and studying to take some tests for his CDL.  (that's a bus driver's license that he has to have as a coach!...and yes they have to parallel park that huge yellow bus!)  I am working part time at my mother-in-law's office at Mass Mutual.  I feel like a teenager in the office filing and putting together folders!  I've already been told by one older man, "You're married!  You look like you're 13!"  To that I think...really?...13?  Ouch!  I was at least hoping for 16 or 17.  I know though, I'll appreciate it later when I'm 40 and still look 30...that's what people tell me anyway!  I am also tutoring two kids this summer.  

Michael's sister Julie moved to San Antonio a few weeks ago with her husband and two kids.  We have spend almost every day with them!  We are being so spoiled to get so much time with our niece and nephew!

Michael and I are house hunting and we go back and forth deciding if we're ready to buy a house or not!  Does anyone else have trouble making big decisions like that too?!  We've realized that buying a home that is just being built would be better financially for us because we would have incentives from the builders and not have to put as much down.  Anyway...all this to say...any house buying advice that you may have to offer would be great!!!

Last week we went to Wichita Falls for Michael's granddad's funeral.  He passed away on Father's Day and was able to spend Father's Day in Heaven!  He was a Godly man and passed down so much to his children and his children's children.  I pray that I can impact generations for Christ the way He did.  On our way to WF we were able to stop for lunch in Stephenville and spend some time with our dear friends Amy and Nick!  I got to meet sweet baby Daniel who is adorable!  Thanks for meeting up with us Coopers!  We love you!

This week we are heading to St. Louis to go to a wedding.  It will be nice to get away and get to know this family that Michael loves better.  They are a family that he has known his entire life.  Since he moved so much, there aren't many like that in his life...so this is really important to him.  I am really excited about the trip.  

I guess I can get this out in the open now.  I have been off of "the pill" for like 9 months now and am not pregnant.  I have a doctor's appt. on July 3rd to make sure everything is ok.  Please pray for us in this adventure.  We know that God's timing is perfect so we are holding on to that truth!  We are anxious so pray that He will be our peace and that we will not be anxious, but be prayerful!

In a nutshell...that's what's cracken with us right now!  We can't believe we have lived in San Antonio for 2 years!  We look back and are in awe of the things God has done and is continuing to do here!  We love it!  We definitely have our moments of missing Lubbock and our lives there...but we have really great memories!  It is fun living in a place that you feel you have been called to...and having a peace that this is right where we are supposed to be!  Until next time...I will update after the wedding and post some pics!

It is for Freedom!

Today I have thought a lot about freedom.  Today my little brother left his wife, his 2 year old little boy and his 2 month old baby girl to go to Iraq for 13 months.  That's right...13 months....it's a long time!  He is a specialist in the United States Army and I am so proud of him.  As I have thought about my brother going to do a job that most don't want to do...I have thought about how grateful I am that men and women are willing to sacrifice for my freedom that I have in the U.S.  My brother and many others are soldiers who are fighting on behalf of an entire country's protection and freedom.  He is sacrificing over a year with his wife and kids, they are sacrificing too....for me, for you, for this country.  Wow.  I am so proud that he is my brother.  I am so humbled by his sacrifice.  Freedom is costly.  Freedom comes at a high price.  There is a much greater battle going on.  We are not helpless!  We, as followers of Jesus, are called to go to battle for this world.  We are called to get on our knees on behalf of those we know are in bondage.  We are called to walk in the freedom that comes from our Hosanna!  It is time...no matter what the cost...whatever the sacrifice.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set you free!" Galatians 5:1  Thank you Jesus for freedom.  Thank you for paying the price so that we can experience true freedom in you.  Thank you that we don't have to be burdened by a yoke of slavery anymore.  Praise you that you gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in freedom from the chains of sin and the darkness of death.  Father, protect the men and women who sacrifice so much for our worldly freedom.  Father, give us the courage to go to battle for others and to share of this freedom we have been given in You!  I am so undeserving and unworthy.  Thank you for grace and mercy!  Thank you for Your Son.  

Today I have thought a lot about FREEDOM!    

Thanks little brother for what you are doing!  I'm so proud of you and I love you so much!  Thanks for helping me get back to the place where I am humbled and grateful for freedom!  

Lately

So, I haven't blogged lately.  What else is new!  This is harder than I thought it would be!  Anyway, just to give you an update from my last post that was asking for prayer...my dad, who is an alcoholic, just lost his job.  I'm not sure what he is going to do now.  That is why I ask for prayer.  Pray for him and that he will come to a place of brokenness before the Lord.  Pray that he will be set free from these chains that are controlling everything in his life.  Pray for strength for my mom, who is still deciding to stand by him.  That's really all I can say about this...it has been going on so long.  I think I might be getting numb and I honestly can't decide if that's a good thing or not.  I'll keep you posted on that situation.  

In spite of all that, we have had a really great May so far!  Some highlights for us have been:

• The Spurs playoff game with Megan and Ronnie!  We had so much fun and Megan and I looked super cool with our binoculars!  
• We were able to go to Houston to see our niece play T-Ball! (and see the Astro's player Lance Berkman whose daughter is on Grace's team)
• My brother and his wife welcomed their second baby.  Claire Marie was born on May 10th.  
• We went to Killeen to meet Claire and say good-bye to my brother who deploys the beginning of June.
•  Signed up to run a marathon (Michael) and half-marathon (me) in November!  We start our training program in June.  This will be quite the challenge for me considering our first run resulted in two cars stopping on the shoulder of the road to bring water!...and one ended up taking us home!  :)
• We get to count down the days to summer and now it's in the single-digits!  9 more to go!

God is good, faithful, unchanging, full of grace, and brings so much joy to our lives every day!!

Please Pray

Please pray for my mom...for more of that strength I was telling you she had!  Pray for my dad.  He needs some help.  That's all I know to say right now....please pray!  Thank you so much!

My Mom

With Mother's Day coming up on Sunday I have been thinking alot lately about my mom.  I am reminded of the woman she is and the woman she has helped me become...and the Lord continues to mold and shape both of us!  I wanted to write a post about my mom so others can know this lady that I know so well.  First of all, let me give you a little bit of history...that is a cool story of God's provision, healing power, faithfulness, and goodness.  My mom and dad tried to have children for 7 years...yes I said 7 years!  My mom was told that it would never happen for her.  Can you imagine?  Can you imagine trying for 7 years?  She even tried 3 fertility drugs that did not work.  After 7 years, the Lord gave my parents Alisha.  Alisha is my sister who was adopted when she was 5 days old.  What a precious gift to my mom and dad.  When Alisha was 10 months old...SURPRISE!!!  My mom was pregnant with me!  Three years later...my brother.  Apparently the doctors were wrong and God had different plans!  :)  After my brother was born my mom suffered from a severe stroke.  She was in a coma and the doctors told my dad that if she lived she would be paralyzed or a vegetable.  Again, the Lord had different plans for her!  She survived!  According to dad, she went through grueling physical therapy.  She even had to relearn the alphabet!  As a result of the stroke my mom has had seizures and in the summer of 2002 she had a major brain surgery that did not prove to be "successful."  Not only has this all occurred in her life, but she was also diagnosed with colon cancer when I was in high school.  This is totally gone today and yet another miracle for her and our family!  All this history to just give you an idea of what my mom has been through.  Through all of her personal medical struggles, she has had so much strength.  Her faith in Jesus is so deep.  I can remember walking in the room to see my mom engulfed in the Word.  She would always remind me of His promises when I needed to hear them.  I am amazed when I think back to those precious times.  

After her brain surgery in 2002, which removed part of left temporal lobe, she has had a lot of difficulty interpreting what people say and giving a response to what they say.  Her communication is very difficult and often times childlike.  This has been a huge struggle in her life and ours.  She is different.  She is a different personality.  She cannot carry on a "typical" mother-daughter conversation.  I cherish memories I have with her before the surgery.  Even though she is different and it's hard to talk with her, she remembers scripture!  She loves Jesus.  She still lives for Him and continues to pray with the words she can muster.  She makes perfect sense to Him!  She still reminds me to pray and reminds me that often times that's all we can do.  She has stuck by a husband who is a recovering alcoholic.  When things were the worst with my dad, she was there, ready to forgive and move on.  She is a story of an overcomer, a story of strength, a story of a godly wife and mom, a story of the Lord's unchanging nature and His faithfulness.  I love my mom.  I look up to her and pray that I can have her faith.  I pray that I can have her "childlike" faith that she expresses even now!  I miss our long talks and I miss getting advice on life from my mom...but her example has been more than enough.  She is my hero and I love her for who she was and who she is now.  Tell your mom this mother's day how much she means to you!