Christmas lights

 We LOVE decorating for Christmas.  It is a family affair and everyone gets in to it! 

   The most magical part of Christmas decorating is the lights.

Every evening during this Christmas season when darkness falls and you turn to gaze at the Christmas tree, or drive by houses decorated in lights, may your heart remember and delight in the One who gives light to the World.

"You, Lord, are my lamp;
    the Lord turns my darkness into light."

2 Samuel 22:29

Something to be thankful for!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. 

Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving with another (large!) family that works at YISS.  They were some of the first people we met in Seoul, and honestly - I can't imagine being here without them around!  It was fun to host the meal, have lots of kids running around, and share holiday traditions.

Gingerbread (graham cracker!) houses!

During this holiday season, we definitely miss our family and friends back in the States.  However, one of the joys of Thanksgiving is to take a step back and look at all you have to be thankful for.  Harry Ironside once said, "We would worry less if we praised more.  Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction."  How true that is!  And we have SO MUCH to be thankful for:  good health, a good job, great friends, and the ability to stay connected with loved ones on the other side of the world!   Most importantly, we praise God for His saving grace, for His kingdom work around the world, and for His plan to use His people for His good purpose.   Give Thanks to the Lord, all the earth!

even there...

O LORD, You have searched me and you know me,
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

*Psalm 139

O Shenandoah

Jarrod and I were up at my parents' house on Monday and spent some time at the river. How fortunate we are to have such beauty in their back yard! Spring was in full bloom, as the foliage was green and lush, the water was deep and cool, and love was in the air...

Psalm 98

¹ Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.

² The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.

³ He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.

⁴ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;

⁵ make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,

⁶ with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

⁷ Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.

⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy;

⁹ let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

the newlyweds

I know an update is LONG overdue - so here is a quick rundown of what has been going on in our lives:

Much of December and January was spent in all consuming marriage bliss, enjoying life finally together...

Though we enjoyed an extended "honeymoon" period together, it was finally interrupted with my school, studying, homework, and clinical experiences in the CCU... all while continuing to learn to be a wife and share a living space with a boy. :) I find myself wondering where the semester has gone, as I am already halfway through it and enjoying a much needed break.
Jarrod, also, has been learning about living with a girl - while pursuing various job opportunities. He has been substituting at The Covenant School - both upper and lower schools- and he really has enjoyed getting back into the classroom (and the kids are really enjoying him as well!). He is full of stories of fun encounters with kids and teaching experiences that I'm sure he'd love to share!

We have enjoyed the warmer weather, getting outside to explore Charlottesville's parks, walking hand-in-hand, making eyes at each other... ha, I'm sure it is quite obvious that we are newlyweds.
we love it!

As this week is "Spring break" for me - Jarrod was able to take a few days from teaching and we traveled to visit family. We first went to Harrisonburg to catch up with Jarrod's parents and cousins, Daniel and Rachel. After much too short of time there, we headed North to stay with my sister, Denise, and her family for a couple of days. Jarrod was a big help to Peter as he is finishing his basement, which allowed for lots of quality "sister time" for Denise and me. We were sad to leave, as it meant getting back to school and work - but felt renewed and refreshed after this break. Here are some pictures from our time with them:

My handyman :) and brother-in-law working hard

Denise and Stephen shuffling cards... we played many games :)

Olive Garden! Yum!

As we are completing our 3rd month of marriage, we have so much to be thankful for. The Lord has been gracious to us, and we know He is present in our lives and our marriage. Having a constant companion doesn't allow much room for bad moods or unkind words without the other feeling direct effects of those things. As we strive to live out the fruits of the Spirit -love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control- always, and especially with each other, I have been reminded that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to do alone. Even more, it is something that is a result of a life lived in Christ, abiding in His Word - and out of the overflow of our relationship with Him comes these qualities that are so counter to our selfish nature and American culture. In John 15, Jesus says, "I am the true vine... no branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me... apart from me you can do nothing." So it is with this lesson, this reminder, that I hold tight to Jesus, knowing that He promises to remain in me, and has proven faithful. We praise the Lord that He is at work in our lives and we can trust in Him!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
~2 Corinthians 13:14

blown away by the beauty of God's creation...

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1

To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do -
to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order
to survive the world at its harshest and worst-
is, by that very act,
to be unable to let something be done
for you
and in you
that is more wonderful still.

The trouble with steeling yourself
against the harshness of reality is
that the same steel that secures your life
against being destroyed
secures your life also
against being opened up
and transformed.

(The Sacred Journey)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;
though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord uphold him with his hand.

Excerpts from Psalm 37