Wow.
That's honestly the only word I know that can describe how this weekend was for me. Scratch that - how this entire school year has been for me.
But let's start at the beginning.
I didn't grow up in church like most of my friends did. I went when I was very little and then when I was around three, for various reasons my parents stopped going. I picked back up again when I was in sixth grade when I started going to church with my friend Casee. From then on I would either go with her or talk my grandmother into coming over and taking me on Sunday mornings. Still, I didn't know a great deal about God, but the desire was there. I explained it to my husband this weekend as me having this huge empty void in my life and knowing that I had the capacity to love someone so much and it ate at me every single night as I went to bed. As a young girl I stupidly thought that feeling was meant for a boyfriend that I didn't have yet. But one night at a youth rally, I was saved and that feeling was never there again. God had made a home in my heart and I've forever been changed.
In high school, I drove myself to youth group and learned a lot more about the bible and about God. Then in college my relationship with God was even more solidified and I began dating a godly man who would later become my husband. Through a journey of trying out several area churches, we eventually ended up at First Baptist Arlington. That was probably one of the best decisions of our life.
We joined choir and a young marrieds sunday school class and began to build relationships in both groups. I have had mentors from both of those groups who helped shape me into a better wife and mother, and I know they will be people I will look up to for the rest of my life.
Then last year Cody and I felt the call to work with the youth - and that's when everything changed.
It was funny the first time we talked about it with each other because it seemed that God had been placing it on both of our hearts for a very long time, but we weren't talking to each other about it. We prayed more about it and decided to take the plunge last January when the new school semester started. Kurt (our youth minister) told us to just hang out in each department until we felt comfortable. We started with seniors because we had some friends that were already teacher there, but when we were introduced the director said, "This is Cody and Heather Bush and they will be with us for the rest of the year."
Okay - seniors it was.
I loved that group. There were so many young leaders and so many kids that loved God. They were awesome. We didn't teach yet, but helped out with events and just got to love on those kids and I am so glad we were where we were. We helped out at youth camp which was amazing too, but then the next school year was coming up and we were asked to teach.
This is when I started getting nervous. I can teach five and six year olds in my sleep. I'm good at it and I know it. Seventeen and eighteen year olds? That was a different story. I just felt as if I didn't have the talent to teach that age. I was scared to death the first Sunday we taught them. But then they started talking. :)
Now, I am not going to say that Cody and I haven't had some lessons that bombed because we have...at least in my eyes they have. But those kids have changed me. I love them plain and simple. I find myself each day at work, in my car, at home praying for them and their future. Some of them I even think of as little sisters now. And the funny thing is when I think I'm going to teach them something on Sundays, I go away being taught so much more than I would have thought.
Enter in this past weekend - Wakeup Weekend.
As I said before - wow. I saw God move in those kids' lives like I've never seen. I saw raw and powerful worship. I saw walls being broken down and students give control back to God. I was even blessed to see one of the seniors begin his life with Christ. God. Was. Moving. I have never been so humbled and honored to be in the presence of this group.
And if I were to be honest with myself, I've learned so much more about God this past year than I have in my entire life. He has changed my heart about so many things and made me uncomfortable but with good reasons. I know God put these seniors in my life to help me and I cannot thank Him enough for them. I am so proud of them and who they are becoming in Him.
But I also know May is coming and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle that. I get attached to my first grade students each year and hate to see them go, but with this group it's so much more. But for now, all I know is that I am so thankful for what God is doing in their lives and mine.
Our God is so good!!!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The Proposal....again
So I know so many people have been waiting for me to write this entry, and I've waited until over a month after this happened to do so. Sorry. I've been having way too much fun playing with Kaitlyn this summer! :) So here it goes.
For my birthday this year Cody proposed to me. Yes, we're already married, so some people might think we're crazy. But those people don't know the whole story. You know, that story that always comes up when you're friends with girls - the "How did he propose?" story.
Hmmm...how did Cody propose the first time? All you need to know is that it was a foot away from a toilet.
Yep. You read that right the first time. A toilet. No, I wasn't using it (that's beyond gross). If you don't know the full story and want to, read this.
I wrote that a few years ago. At that time I not so jokingly would respond to Cody's, "What do you want for your birthday or Christmas?" questions with, "A new proposal." He never did and I eventually just stopped saying it for fear I was really hurting his feelings.
Then my birthday came this year. I 100% thought we were going to have a normal, yet fun day. When he had asked what I wanted to do I said I wanted more than anything to have a family day - meaning us doing something with Kaitlyn and going out to a nice, oh I don't know, Mexican dinner. That's always a safe bet with me.
So the day of my birthday that's how things started out. Cody went and got us all doughnuts and we had a fun family breakfast. My mom called and asked if K and I wanted to go to lunch later which we did. The rest of the day we played with Kaitlyn and just spent time together as a family. I thought it was perfect and quite honestly one of the best birthdays in a long time. For dinner I thought Cody was going to take us to Joe T Garcia's in Fort Worth, so I was mentally preparing for that.
Later on, a little after 5:00 Cody told me he had to go get my birthday present. In my mind I didn't think anything different was going on. Cody is known to wait until the last minute for gifts so I figured he either had something made or transferred to another store and it wasn't ready until then. So when he left I started to clean the kitchen thinking nothing of it.
And just a side note - I wish I could have a maid that only cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen. My life would be so much easier!
But back to our story....
Soon after Cody left the doorbell rang. I looked through our peephole and saw Cody's parents standing there with a gift. I thought it was weird that they didn't call, but simply thought maybe they had told Cody they were stopping by and he forgot what time or forgot to tell me or something along those lines. Again, I had no idea at this point anything different was going on. I opened the door, complete with dish towel slung across my shoulder, and let them in. Cody's dad had his new video camera on. At this point you would think most people would think something was up, but we had gone over to Cody's parents' house the night before for his mother's birthday. They had just bought the camera that day and were taping lots of things, so in my mind I thought Cody's dad was still having fun playing with his camera.
But then Cody's mother started talking....
She looked at me with this sneaky type smile and said they were here to pick up Kaitlyn and that I need to change into something nice. I told her that I needed to get some things ready for K, but she told me that they already had a packed bag and that everything concerning Kaitlyn was taken care of. She also handed me a clue.
Yep, now I knew something was up. :)
The clue was in a legal size envelope with the clasps and I was told to read it aloud...for the camera of course.
I looked down at the paper and the first thing I read was Clue #3. I told Cody's mother I think I had the wrong clue, but she just smiled and told me to keep reading. Hmmm....
So this is what I read:
First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you enjoy your birthday gift. You will be given clues throughout the evening to take you to some places. As you can see, my parents will take Kaitlyn. Put on something nice that you have. Call me last resort!!! Jump in your car (PUT NOLAN UP!!!) and see clue below:
Fate is definitely what got us here today
But think really hard about what I am going to say
You said you knew when you heard my name
But don't go to the hall during this part of the game
It's in the same room we would sing in a pack
When you've got it figured out, go to the back
So I knew I was headed to Lamar High School. That's where Cody and I first met and I had a bit of a crush on him.
Okay, so it was a huge crush. :)
So I quickly ran upstairs and changed into something else and applied a bit more makeup and headed to my car. As soon as I turned on the car a cd started up. The first song I heard was "I Can Only Love You Like a Man." Little did I know how perfect this song would be later on....
The whole cd was full of songs that were special to us. I. love. that. cd. And it hasn't left my car since.
So of course at this point I'm thinking he's going to have clues taped up in certain spots and we'll end up at dinner. Seriously, that's what I thought and I was thrilled. But then I pulled into the Lamar parking lot.
That's when I see our friends Kim and Cory. Okay, so Cody planned a bit more than I thought....
Kim and Cory also had a clue and were videoing me. This is what I read in the next clue:
Very good grasshopper! I hope you said hi to the Leman family! I tried to make that clue easy to figure out. I may not be so nice in future clues. If you can't figure out where you are going, I will try to provide you a life line, but try not to use them. That is almost considered cheating!
This place we didn't frequent but the biggest of all
The setting if you remember was some time in the Fall
We were nervous; we were scared at what was to come
All I knew at the time was you made life fun
If we knew at the time this would bring forever bliss
Go to the first place we sealed our love with a kiss
Don't go inside, just look for something familiar to the both of us.
Well, I knew where our first kiss was - I just didn't know how to get there anymore. It was at our friend Melissa McKaime's old house. I looked at Kim and Cory and told them I had no clue where to go and they told me to turn on my GPS when I got in the car. I did only to find out that Cody had programmed the address in the GPS for me. I later found out that he had contacted Melissa, who in turn had to contact her mom, who contacted the new owners of the house to tell them what he was doing. Cody thought this thing through very hard! :)
Before I got to Melissa's old house I got a phone call from Cody telling me I needed to turn around because I had left something with Kim and Cory. I for sure wasn't going to argue with him, so I turned around and basically we killed time until Cody said it was okay. I knew something wasn't ready, but at this point I didn't care. In a few minutes Cory was given the okay that I could leave, so back to Melissa's house I went.
I pulled onto the street and soon saw my precious niece jumping up and down and waving the next clue. My sister-in-law, Candy, and brother-in-law, Casey, were there as well. They had a video camera on me the whole time just like the others.
I was sensing a common theme here.
The clue they gave me read:
That was easy enough, wasn't it? Casey & Candy looked excited didn't they??? At this time, you probably know where you are going next...Be careful not to jump the gun, there's a twist! Keep following the clues and you may find me. I don't know...you may even see me...
This clue is my favorite because of the meaning
When you talk about dating this is the beginning
Sad for the future but happy from the past
No matter what happens our memories will last
You can read by it, see with it, and do many more things
Go to the place that's made of wax and strings
That was an easy one for me - it was Candlelite Inn which is where we had our first real date. We had been pretty bummed to hear that it was closing and that's what all the references to being sad he made were about.
As I drove up there I saw our friends Ben and Cindy. Again with the taping - again with the clue.
You knew that one would be in there right? Did Ben & Cindy tell you GO MAVS?! I hope more than anything Ben didn't say Gig 'em! It pains me to even type that phrase...We are over halfway through this so you can SMELL the prize right now!!!
We go here a lot and this I do mean
I drink lots of water, you steal the caffeine
One glorious day though not done quite right
I asked you for your hand one February night (day, but it rhymed)
You completed my life, how happy we'd be
Go directly to the spot I got on one knee
Next stop - my parents house - specifically my room - more specifically my bathroom suite...yep... by THE toilet. The caffeine reference is something to blog about later...a bit of a family tradition if you will. :)
Now my dad was out of town, but my mom was there and you guessed it - she was filming me as well. But she didn't have a clue. So I went to the spot where Cody had asked and there was my clue.
Your mom knew about this and kept it from you?!? What is going on?!? Before you leave your parents' house, look in your closet....Put that dress on! Just thought it would be something nice!
This place is a LEGEND to me and to you
We had such a blast, hey, Joe Jackson wore that shoe (NOT)
The best night of my life, it was really nice
I can still hear it now, "This is paradise!" (Almost)
I knew from that day you'd fill up my heart
Remember that guy saying, "Don't touch that tarp!"
Again, don't go inside just look for some friends!
That would mean the Ballpark in Arlington. We had our wedding reception there and took pictures on the field. We got in trouble with security for touching the tarp on the pitcher's mound, but since Cody pitched in college and we were down there we just had to. :) But before I went I opened my closet. Cody had actually picked out a nice dress (in my size thankfully!) and even had two shoe options there for me. I married a smart, smart man.
On to the ballpark I went.
After a loopy turning around trip trying to park, I found Rex and Brenda with of course a camera and a clue. I cannot even begin to tell you how precious those two are to us. I just love them! Next clue:
Bet you didn't expect to see that!!! I know how much you love the Schimpfs and I do too! We have so many families to look up to! So close to the end now I bet you can taste it!
This destination is special for not only you and me
We will build the foundation for our family
When I think of this place and that wonderful day
I remember your beauty taking my breath away
Our family is rooted where we'll blossom and grow
To the place with the cross is where you must go!
Next stop - our church. :)
At the church I saw the Cain family with their precious Carson...who if arranged marriages work out might just marry Kaitlyn one day. :) They had the next clue which was finally the last one!
You have made it to the last clue!! The Cains were both excited to do this! I'll show you on facebook later...Well, I hope this has been fun for you! It came together like clockwork...I did all of this to prove to you that you are worth it Heather! Your smile lights up my day! I know I've messed up your birthday in the past and hopefully this makes up for it! Well, here it goes:
I hope you kept each clue that you've received
The last clue will be found in all of thses
Look back through them all and find what I mean
A number, a letter, it's one of these things
Whether C or a L or an I or a Z
A 4 or a 5 or and 8 or a 3.
The three was also written in marker and circled. :) I had noticed that at the top of every clue Cody had typed Clue #3. I honestly thought maybe that was the first clue he had typed and just forgot to change the number as he typed the other ones. Nope - even that was part of his plan. Clue 3 had taken me to Candlelite Inn and that's where I needed to head back to...at least that's what I thought and them Jamie and Aaron told me I was right. :)
So I drove back to Candlelite Inn. Any of you that know Arlington know now that this whole little adventure took me just under two hours! I walked in and there was Cody right at the front. Behind him were all our friends and family that had helped in his plan - and of course there were several video cameras on us! Cody then said some pretty amazing things and got down on his knee and asked me to marry him....again.
SOOOOOO much better than the proposal by the toilet!
He also told me that since he was proposing again we would need something to celebrate. Cody had already contacted our music minister (who just happens to be the coolest!) and had set up for us to renew our vows on our anniversary.
So there you have it. My pretty normally non romantic husband of almost five years did that. All of that. Normally whenever he tries anything romantic I can figure it out and I just try to act surprised. This time I was 100% surprised and had no clue that he was up to anything. He made me feel so special and loved that night and I can honestly say it was the best birthday present I have ever received!
We don't have all of the videos put together yet, but here is the actual reproposal part.
For my birthday this year Cody proposed to me. Yes, we're already married, so some people might think we're crazy. But those people don't know the whole story. You know, that story that always comes up when you're friends with girls - the "How did he propose?" story.
Hmmm...how did Cody propose the first time? All you need to know is that it was a foot away from a toilet.
Yep. You read that right the first time. A toilet. No, I wasn't using it (that's beyond gross). If you don't know the full story and want to, read this.
I wrote that a few years ago. At that time I not so jokingly would respond to Cody's, "What do you want for your birthday or Christmas?" questions with, "A new proposal." He never did and I eventually just stopped saying it for fear I was really hurting his feelings.
Then my birthday came this year. I 100% thought we were going to have a normal, yet fun day. When he had asked what I wanted to do I said I wanted more than anything to have a family day - meaning us doing something with Kaitlyn and going out to a nice, oh I don't know, Mexican dinner. That's always a safe bet with me.
So the day of my birthday that's how things started out. Cody went and got us all doughnuts and we had a fun family breakfast. My mom called and asked if K and I wanted to go to lunch later which we did. The rest of the day we played with Kaitlyn and just spent time together as a family. I thought it was perfect and quite honestly one of the best birthdays in a long time. For dinner I thought Cody was going to take us to Joe T Garcia's in Fort Worth, so I was mentally preparing for that.
Later on, a little after 5:00 Cody told me he had to go get my birthday present. In my mind I didn't think anything different was going on. Cody is known to wait until the last minute for gifts so I figured he either had something made or transferred to another store and it wasn't ready until then. So when he left I started to clean the kitchen thinking nothing of it.
And just a side note - I wish I could have a maid that only cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen. My life would be so much easier!
But back to our story....
Soon after Cody left the doorbell rang. I looked through our peephole and saw Cody's parents standing there with a gift. I thought it was weird that they didn't call, but simply thought maybe they had told Cody they were stopping by and he forgot what time or forgot to tell me or something along those lines. Again, I had no idea at this point anything different was going on. I opened the door, complete with dish towel slung across my shoulder, and let them in. Cody's dad had his new video camera on. At this point you would think most people would think something was up, but we had gone over to Cody's parents' house the night before for his mother's birthday. They had just bought the camera that day and were taping lots of things, so in my mind I thought Cody's dad was still having fun playing with his camera.
But then Cody's mother started talking....
She looked at me with this sneaky type smile and said they were here to pick up Kaitlyn and that I need to change into something nice. I told her that I needed to get some things ready for K, but she told me that they already had a packed bag and that everything concerning Kaitlyn was taken care of. She also handed me a clue.
Yep, now I knew something was up. :)
The clue was in a legal size envelope with the clasps and I was told to read it aloud...for the camera of course.
I looked down at the paper and the first thing I read was Clue #3. I told Cody's mother I think I had the wrong clue, but she just smiled and told me to keep reading. Hmmm....
So this is what I read:
First: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you enjoy your birthday gift. You will be given clues throughout the evening to take you to some places. As you can see, my parents will take Kaitlyn. Put on something nice that you have. Call me last resort!!! Jump in your car (PUT NOLAN UP!!!) and see clue below:
Fate is definitely what got us here today
But think really hard about what I am going to say
You said you knew when you heard my name
But don't go to the hall during this part of the game
It's in the same room we would sing in a pack
When you've got it figured out, go to the back
So I knew I was headed to Lamar High School. That's where Cody and I first met and I had a bit of a crush on him.
Okay, so it was a huge crush. :)
So I quickly ran upstairs and changed into something else and applied a bit more makeup and headed to my car. As soon as I turned on the car a cd started up. The first song I heard was "I Can Only Love You Like a Man." Little did I know how perfect this song would be later on....
The whole cd was full of songs that were special to us. I. love. that. cd. And it hasn't left my car since.
So of course at this point I'm thinking he's going to have clues taped up in certain spots and we'll end up at dinner. Seriously, that's what I thought and I was thrilled. But then I pulled into the Lamar parking lot.
That's when I see our friends Kim and Cory. Okay, so Cody planned a bit more than I thought....
Kim and Cory also had a clue and were videoing me. This is what I read in the next clue:
Very good grasshopper! I hope you said hi to the Leman family! I tried to make that clue easy to figure out. I may not be so nice in future clues. If you can't figure out where you are going, I will try to provide you a life line, but try not to use them. That is almost considered cheating!
This place we didn't frequent but the biggest of all
The setting if you remember was some time in the Fall
We were nervous; we were scared at what was to come
All I knew at the time was you made life fun
If we knew at the time this would bring forever bliss
Go to the first place we sealed our love with a kiss
Don't go inside, just look for something familiar to the both of us.
Well, I knew where our first kiss was - I just didn't know how to get there anymore. It was at our friend Melissa McKaime's old house. I looked at Kim and Cory and told them I had no clue where to go and they told me to turn on my GPS when I got in the car. I did only to find out that Cody had programmed the address in the GPS for me. I later found out that he had contacted Melissa, who in turn had to contact her mom, who contacted the new owners of the house to tell them what he was doing. Cody thought this thing through very hard! :)
Before I got to Melissa's old house I got a phone call from Cody telling me I needed to turn around because I had left something with Kim and Cory. I for sure wasn't going to argue with him, so I turned around and basically we killed time until Cody said it was okay. I knew something wasn't ready, but at this point I didn't care. In a few minutes Cory was given the okay that I could leave, so back to Melissa's house I went.
I pulled onto the street and soon saw my precious niece jumping up and down and waving the next clue. My sister-in-law, Candy, and brother-in-law, Casey, were there as well. They had a video camera on me the whole time just like the others.
I was sensing a common theme here.
The clue they gave me read:
That was easy enough, wasn't it? Casey & Candy looked excited didn't they??? At this time, you probably know where you are going next...Be careful not to jump the gun, there's a twist! Keep following the clues and you may find me. I don't know...you may even see me...
This clue is my favorite because of the meaning
When you talk about dating this is the beginning
Sad for the future but happy from the past
No matter what happens our memories will last
You can read by it, see with it, and do many more things
Go to the place that's made of wax and strings
That was an easy one for me - it was Candlelite Inn which is where we had our first real date. We had been pretty bummed to hear that it was closing and that's what all the references to being sad he made were about.
As I drove up there I saw our friends Ben and Cindy. Again with the taping - again with the clue.
You knew that one would be in there right? Did Ben & Cindy tell you GO MAVS?! I hope more than anything Ben didn't say Gig 'em! It pains me to even type that phrase...We are over halfway through this so you can SMELL the prize right now!!!
We go here a lot and this I do mean
I drink lots of water, you steal the caffeine
One glorious day though not done quite right
I asked you for your hand one February night (day, but it rhymed)
You completed my life, how happy we'd be
Go directly to the spot I got on one knee
Next stop - my parents house - specifically my room - more specifically my bathroom suite...yep... by THE toilet. The caffeine reference is something to blog about later...a bit of a family tradition if you will. :)
Now my dad was out of town, but my mom was there and you guessed it - she was filming me as well. But she didn't have a clue. So I went to the spot where Cody had asked and there was my clue.
Your mom knew about this and kept it from you?!? What is going on?!? Before you leave your parents' house, look in your closet....Put that dress on! Just thought it would be something nice!
This place is a LEGEND to me and to you
We had such a blast, hey, Joe Jackson wore that shoe (NOT)
The best night of my life, it was really nice
I can still hear it now, "This is paradise!" (Almost)
I knew from that day you'd fill up my heart
Remember that guy saying, "Don't touch that tarp!"
Again, don't go inside just look for some friends!
That would mean the Ballpark in Arlington. We had our wedding reception there and took pictures on the field. We got in trouble with security for touching the tarp on the pitcher's mound, but since Cody pitched in college and we were down there we just had to. :) But before I went I opened my closet. Cody had actually picked out a nice dress (in my size thankfully!) and even had two shoe options there for me. I married a smart, smart man.
On to the ballpark I went.
After a loopy turning around trip trying to park, I found Rex and Brenda with of course a camera and a clue. I cannot even begin to tell you how precious those two are to us. I just love them! Next clue:
Bet you didn't expect to see that!!! I know how much you love the Schimpfs and I do too! We have so many families to look up to! So close to the end now I bet you can taste it!
This destination is special for not only you and me
We will build the foundation for our family
When I think of this place and that wonderful day
I remember your beauty taking my breath away
Our family is rooted where we'll blossom and grow
To the place with the cross is where you must go!
Next stop - our church. :)
At the church I saw the Cain family with their precious Carson...who if arranged marriages work out might just marry Kaitlyn one day. :) They had the next clue which was finally the last one!
You have made it to the last clue!! The Cains were both excited to do this! I'll show you on facebook later...Well, I hope this has been fun for you! It came together like clockwork...I did all of this to prove to you that you are worth it Heather! Your smile lights up my day! I know I've messed up your birthday in the past and hopefully this makes up for it! Well, here it goes:
I hope you kept each clue that you've received
The last clue will be found in all of thses
Look back through them all and find what I mean
A number, a letter, it's one of these things
Whether C or a L or an I or a Z
A 4 or a 5 or and 8 or a 3.
The three was also written in marker and circled. :) I had noticed that at the top of every clue Cody had typed Clue #3. I honestly thought maybe that was the first clue he had typed and just forgot to change the number as he typed the other ones. Nope - even that was part of his plan. Clue 3 had taken me to Candlelite Inn and that's where I needed to head back to...at least that's what I thought and them Jamie and Aaron told me I was right. :)
So I drove back to Candlelite Inn. Any of you that know Arlington know now that this whole little adventure took me just under two hours! I walked in and there was Cody right at the front. Behind him were all our friends and family that had helped in his plan - and of course there were several video cameras on us! Cody then said some pretty amazing things and got down on his knee and asked me to marry him....again.
SOOOOOO much better than the proposal by the toilet!
He also told me that since he was proposing again we would need something to celebrate. Cody had already contacted our music minister (who just happens to be the coolest!) and had set up for us to renew our vows on our anniversary.
So there you have it. My pretty normally non romantic husband of almost five years did that. All of that. Normally whenever he tries anything romantic I can figure it out and I just try to act surprised. This time I was 100% surprised and had no clue that he was up to anything. He made me feel so special and loved that night and I can honestly say it was the best birthday present I have ever received!
We don't have all of the videos put together yet, but here is the actual reproposal part.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sweets for my Sweeties
In my quest to try new things in the kitchen I've come across some pretty cool food blogs. Honestly, I think the internet is by far the coolest "modern" thing for our generation. I could go on and on about that, but I won't. But cooking blogs - amazing. I've already tried two new recipes for dinner this week that both Kaitlyn and Cody loved so I think it's easy to say I'm addicted to these blogs.
I came across these strawberries filled with a cream cheese base filling. Now, mine aren't quite as pretty as the ones on the blog because my icing tips are out of commission right now since I accidentally churned an essential part in my disposal a few weeks ago. I keep forgetting to go buy the part I need. So I used just a ziplog baggie with the end cut off. Not so pretty, but let's face it - it will taste the same. :) I still posted a picture of mine anyway.
Cody is at church right now and I'm holding off on eating these guys until he comes home. I'm weird like that. I want us to try new things at the same time. I love seeing his face because that's the real test. If I taste it before, I'm always too critical and then he ends up loving it, or I'm thinking it's amazing and he just thinks it's okay. So now I wait. But these are seriously making my mouth water just thinking about them. I did maybe taste the filling part and it was awesome. :)
K also got to taste a little bit of the filling and her response was, "I need a fork please." I'll take that as a good sign.
K and I didn't go to church because she's had a fever since Thursday night. She's been fever free for over a day now, but I'm still not going to be THAT mom that brings her kid to church to get all the other kids sick. You're welcome. I'm thankful that our church has the 9:30 service on t.v. It's such a blessing on days like today.
I'll update later about the result of the strawberries. :)
***UPDATE***
All three Bush family members approve of this yummy treat! Looks like we add another dessert to our menu! :)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
These Things Take Time
I often ask God to speak to me through music, and honestly I think sometimes He does. I know that sounds crazy, but sometimes it's just too coincidental for it not to be God. I also think sometimes when He does this He has a sense of humor (as was the case when I heard Bleeding Love come on the nurses' radio right as my c-section was starting) or sometimes He humbles me.
Today, however, God comforted me through song. Clint's death has made my heart so heavy and had me questioning so much. This morning as I was getting in the car to drive K and I to one of my student's soccer games I opened up Pandora on my iphone and plugged it into my car speakers. I asked God aloud to speak to me through a song. And boy did He. He did so with the very first song friends - the very first song. It was a song I had never heard before. I knew the group, but had never heard the song.
It started....
"I wanna know why pain makes me stronger
I wanna know why good men die."
Okay, God. You heard my cries and now I know You're speaking to me.
"Why am I so afraid of the dark?
But I stray from the light
I wanna know why you gave me eyes
When faith is how I see
And tell me
Is it easier to doubt
Or harder to believe?
Oh there’s so many questions stirring in me
And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
How could success make us feel like failures?
And the harder we fall the harder we try
The more I have the more I need
Just to feel like I’m getting by
Oh, there’s so many questions and one short life
And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
And we spend so much time
Chasing our tails, hoping to find
Every last answer
To everything in life
So many questions
Not enough time
But I’m still
Wondering why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
We all wanna understand why
Evil lives and good men die
On the way to Heaven the truth unwinds
These things take time
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time"
Wow. Seriously - just wow. Thank you Lord. I know those weren't "Your words" exactly, but they were they words I needed to hear about You right at the right time.
This song honestly wasn't musically the greatest, but the words were awesome and just what I needed to hear.
And in case He thought I needed more words the very next song was "If We've Ever Needed You". That's why I believe - I couldn't even script the way God moves sometimes. He is amazing.
Here are the words to that song:
Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away
With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out
I am so very thankful that there are people who have the gift of putting God's message in better words than I ever could. Songs like these continue to be a blessing in my life.
I will continue to pray for my sweet church family. There are many people hurting right now and will be hurting for a long time. There are also just so many questions, but I am thankful that we serve a God who is bigger than all our pain and doubt.
Today, however, God comforted me through song. Clint's death has made my heart so heavy and had me questioning so much. This morning as I was getting in the car to drive K and I to one of my student's soccer games I opened up Pandora on my iphone and plugged it into my car speakers. I asked God aloud to speak to me through a song. And boy did He. He did so with the very first song friends - the very first song. It was a song I had never heard before. I knew the group, but had never heard the song.
It started....
"I wanna know why pain makes me stronger
I wanna know why good men die."
Okay, God. You heard my cries and now I know You're speaking to me.
"Why am I so afraid of the dark?
But I stray from the light
I wanna know why you gave me eyes
When faith is how I see
And tell me
Is it easier to doubt
Or harder to believe?
Oh there’s so many questions stirring in me
And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
How could success make us feel like failures?
And the harder we fall the harder we try
The more I have the more I need
Just to feel like I’m getting by
Oh, there’s so many questions and one short life
And I wonder why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
And we spend so much time
Chasing our tails, hoping to find
Every last answer
To everything in life
So many questions
Not enough time
But I’m still
Wondering why
Sometimes the truth ain’t easy to find
I wanna know all the answers
But I’m learning that
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time
We all wanna understand why
Evil lives and good men die
On the way to Heaven the truth unwinds
These things take time
These things take time
Yeah, these things take time"
Wow. Seriously - just wow. Thank you Lord. I know those weren't "Your words" exactly, but they were they words I needed to hear about You right at the right time.
This song honestly wasn't musically the greatest, but the words were awesome and just what I needed to hear.
And in case He thought I needed more words the very next song was "If We've Ever Needed You". That's why I believe - I couldn't even script the way God moves sometimes. He is amazing.
Here are the words to that song:
Hear our cry, Lord, we pray
Our faces down, our hands are raised
You called us out, we turned away
We've turned away
With shipwrecked faith the idols rise
We do what is right in our own eyes
Our children now will pay the price
We need Your light, Lord, shine Your light
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
All our hearts, all our strength
With all our minds, we're at Your feet
May Your kingdom come in our hearts and lives
Let Your church arise, let Your church arise
If we've ever needed You
Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now
We are desperate for Your hand
We're reaching out, we're reaching out
We're reaching out
I am so very thankful that there are people who have the gift of putting God's message in better words than I ever could. Songs like these continue to be a blessing in my life.
I will continue to pray for my sweet church family. There are many people hurting right now and will be hurting for a long time. There are also just so many questions, but I am thankful that we serve a God who is bigger than all our pain and doubt.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Photo Challenge Day 12
Day 12 - A picture of something you love
Gracious - that's so broad! There are so many things I love. I can't pick just one family member or friend so I chose something I can't imagine living without - music.
Gracious - that's so broad! There are so many things I love. I can't pick just one family member or friend so I chose something I can't imagine living without - music.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Photo Challenge Day 11
Day 11 - A picture of something you hate
I seriously hate roaches so much that I couldn't even force myself to post a real picture of one. They make my skin crawl. Gross. Gross. Gross.
I seriously hate roaches so much that I couldn't even force myself to post a real picture of one. They make my skin crawl. Gross. Gross. Gross.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Photo Challenge Day 10
Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the most crazy things with
Of all the adjectives someone could use to describe me, I don't think crazy would be high up on the list. But if I were to think about the times in my life where I could even halfway call what I was doing crazy I would most likely be with this chick! :) Love you Lauren!
Of all the adjectives someone could use to describe me, I don't think crazy would be high up on the list. But if I were to think about the times in my life where I could even halfway call what I was doing crazy I would most likely be with this chick! :) Love you Lauren!
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