Thanksgiving at our House

I cannot begin to tell you how great Holly did at hosting our Thanksgiving. She had everything just perfect and did it all pretty smoothly and calmly. The house looked great, the hospitality was warm, and the food was amazing.

We started by giving thanks and reading Psalm 100. We were thankful to be able to host with the house and resources God has given us. We were thankful to be with my grandparents who are both in the mid 80's and made the drive from San Antonio, TX. We were thankful to be with my Mom as she celebrated 4 years free from breast cancer. We were thankful to be with Bob who had major heart surgery a year ago. We were thankful to be healthy and be together.

I was soooo impressed with Holly. I was so impressed with the food. We have a tiny little kitchen and Holly prepared a full thanksgiving meal and had it all on the table hot and ready all at once. From the turkey and brisket, to the great salad (Bob's favorite), to the green bean and sweet potato casseroles, to the mashed potatoes with two kinds of gravy, etc, it was great. It tasted so good I could hardly believe it. I was so impressed with the taste of the food it was as though she had been preparing these foods for years. The meal really was amazing.

It was fun to have eveyone over to our new house. We had good fellowship and watched football after dinner. Then we put on the coffee and broke out the desserts. Pumpkin, pecan, and chocolate pies along with red velvet cake...and the whip cream Holly whipped up...it was a great finish.

I'm sure everyone has a similar story about their Thanksgiving but I was so proud of Holly I just had to tell you about it.

Julia's Birthday

Holly and I spent the weekend in Tulsa, OK with her family. It was pretty adventurous. We took a little sight seeing tour on our drive up through Muskogee...although we enjoyed it, I would go ahead and take Indian Nation Turnpike out of McAlester! We had a surprise dinner for Holly's mom, Julia, on the Riverwalk. Then on Sunday morning most of us walked a half marathon.

Overall it was a great weekend with the family (other than me being a little short with Holly at times...that always great in front of the family). I enjoyed getting to meet Mary Katherine, Holly's sister Charity and Roger's baby girl. And its always fun to play with Everett and to see how he and Wyatt are growing (Holly's sister Kizzy and Jason's two sons). We also got to see Blake and his girlfriend Abby. Its not often that we get to see Wayne, Roger, and Blake together away from the Ranch so its was cool for everyone to be together.




Probably the most fun part of the weekend (other than the fellowship) was celebrating after dinner. We went back to the house, and Ginger (Holly's aunt, her mom's sister) had put together some fun and creative games. Through the games we got to hear Julia tell stories from her childhood. We saw pictures and heard stories about her as a little girl, to high school basketball, to dances, to college and meeting Wayne, and becoming a mom. She has a great story and tells it in a really fun way. If you want to be encouraged. If you want to hear of faithfulness. If you want see selfless stewardship. If you want to think about the "good ole days" with appreciation...Ask Julia to tell a story from her life. You will be blessed.

But even more of a blessing is just to spend time with her. She is a selfless wife and mother who seems to always have the perspective and the joy of the Lord. She values family and values her girls being women of excellence and godliness as well as her son being a man of godliness and honor. I think she has done a great job! I appreciate how she is able to reflect Christ is such a humble yet powerful way. One of the things I love about Holly is the way she desires to be like her mom. The legacy of Julia Sizelove...wow.

Our Trip to DC

Holly and I got the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. back in October. Holly was a bridesmaid in her friend Lisa's wedding. It was a great wedding. We got to meet some new friends and hang out with old ones. We go to have dinner with the chaplain of the US Senate. We got to DANCE...or watch other people dance...it was pretty fun.

We stayed after a few days to see the sights. It was my first trip and we loved it. I was taken back by the history of the place more than I expected. From Mt. Vernon to the Holocaust Museum to the Vault of Public Records its was all way cooler than I expected.

One thing- I forgot to charge the battery on our camera so we had to use my iPhone to take pictures...dou!!

Here are a few pictures:

Obama Wins

I know that many Christians will be discouraged and confused about Obama winning the presidency. He does not have the view many evangelicals support concerning many issues. I have heard many people say, "Don't worry, whether you support Obama or not God is still in control. He will use this for His glory."

As I prayerfully reflected on these ideas and concerns I realized some encouraging truths:

1. Our purpose does not change. We are stewards of God and servants of Christ called to make disciples as we live our lives. We will continue to strive in our effort to love God, love others, and equip the generations to do the same.
2. We must now work more diligently. We should be more passionate and determined in the pursuit of living out our purpose. We should not feel like this hinders us but is God's way of placing more responsibility on us.
3. The church is the restrainer. We learn in 2 Thessalonians that during the time of the church age their is a restrainer of evil in the world. I believe that restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the church. The responsibility to influence the culture toward Godliness and to restrain evil in the culture is on the church, not the government. This could be God holding us accountable to live up to our responsibility.
   
4. There is nothing to fear. Our faith is in the power and supremacy of God. God does not allow anything to happen that thwarts His ultimate plan of redemption of man and reestablishing His rule over creation through man (which will happen through the King in the future Kingdom).

No matter who you voted for. No matter how you see the issues whether social, moral, economical, etc. Know that our purpose is the same, our work is to be more diligent, our responsibility is ever more present, and we are not a people of fear but a people of faith in the power and supremacy of God.

The Pain and Joy of Downsizing

Since Holly and I have moved to Katy we have been getting adjusted to many things. One of those things is the cost of living. Although I am making more money the cost of living has offset that, plus some. Between our mortgage doubling, property tax at their maximum, double electric bill, gas bill, etc...everything simply cost more here than it did in Stillwater. Fortunately, Holly is working three days a week as a physical therapist, this puts us in a great place. However, we are looking to live primarily on my salary in the future. In light of that we have to make some changes in the present...we started with my truck.

I figured by selling my truck for at least what I owed on it and paying cash for a car out of savings we could reduce our debt by $19,000 and cut monthly spending by $500. God brought both of those things together last week. After searching around several places Carmax offered us what I owed on the truck and I then found this 2000 Isuzu Trooper with 115,000 miles. I paid $4100 (TTandL), invested about $1,400 in repair/maintenance, and about $500 in new tires. With only one owner, no accidents, and mechanic approval we hope to run the miles up on this Trooper. Although downsizing is a little painful to the flesh it brings joy and freedom to the spirit! (warning: If you listen to Dave Ramsey too much this could happen to you too!).

Marc Broussard Concert

Holly and I went to the Marc Broussard concert as an additional anniversary celebration. It was cool because we used his song "Hope for me yet" as the first song during our wedding ceremony. When I found out he was coming to Houston I knew we had to go.

The concert was at the The House of Blues in downtown Houston. It was a really cool place with a laid back atmosphere. We had dinner along with coffee and dessert in the resurant before the concert. We had balcony seats so we didn't have stand on the floor level and really got to enjoy the show. It was a cool night.

One Year Anniversary

Today Holly and I celebrate being married for one year. Its been great! We have both grown a lot over the last year. The Lord has taught us both about humility and selflessness, appreciating joy and getting over sadness. We can truly say that we are more in love today than when we were engaged or even just married. We feel that we have recently turned a corner in our relationship and connected in an even deeper way. Our marriage is not perfect but God has been working on both of us as we are suddenly responding in ways that impact our fellowship with God and with one another.
The great sanctification tool called marriage is an amazing experience. Holly and I look forward to what God has for us in year two!

Our first blog!

Hey!! Holly and I finally made it to Bl0gger.

We plan to share what's happening in our lives down here in Katy, TX with our friends in family throughout Texas and Oklahoma. We will post some pics from our trip to Washington D.C. and of our new home here in Katy. We also hope to write about things God is teaching us and how its playing out in our lives and marriage...sometimes theological, sometimes practical...hopefully both!