It's begging to look a lot like....Spring Time!

I don't know about where you are, but here it doesn't feel much like Christmas-time. It's been in the sixties!

I hadn't posted in a while, so I just thought I'd update everyone who checks this on what is new in the wild lives of Marc and Stephanie. Thanksgiving was wonderful. We spent some quality time with both sides of our families and always enjoy catching up with everyone. I (Marc) finished my third semester of seminary, and I'm now pretty much halfway done, looking to wrap things up in the Spring of 2008! I'm working long days (or mornings I guess you could say) at UPS these days due to the peak season that Christmas brings for the shipping business. Stephanie meanwhile is still workin at school, but she'll be out starting tomorrow for two whole weeks! She's very excited for the break and the opportunity to rest some. We really hope to soak in these next few weeks that we will have the daytime time together for!

God's really been teaching us a lot through our personal times with Him. We both read 1 John recently and absolutely loved it. He speaks a lot about living out your faith and how to have confidence that you are a child of God (the answer seems to be that your life reflects your faith). Certain parts of the book really inspired us to press on and make sure that our lives are being lived in a way that honors and pleases the Lord.

I thought it might be fun to let you know what verses we're trying to memorize right now also. The last two we've tried to do are:
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may keep all the words of this Law." -Deuteronomy 29:29
and
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, things about these things." -Philippians 4:8

This picture is of us on Thanksgiving in Cincinnati at Steph's grandma's place.

By the way, this weekend, I'm doing percussion as part of our church's Christmas musical...my first time ever!

Christmas Lists

Per request from family....here are our lists. =)

Both:

Luggage Set (nothing fancy...just the basics)
Whoonu Game (Cranium brand board game)
MP3 Player/Ipod

Click DVD

Crash DVD

Marc:

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell
Baptist Hymnal
IU Basketball Tickets (consult Stephanie for dates=)
Wallet (bifold)
Watch (leather band)
Dress Shirts/Ties

Steph:

Bethany Dillon CD Imagination
Chris Tomlin CD See the Morning
Joy Williams CD Genesis
Harry Potter Series (books)
My Heart in His Hands by Sharon James****** :)
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
CD Player for my car
Gift Cards: Half.com (where I get a lot of books for school), Target, Kohl's, Walmart, Lifeway, Borders, etc.

You all know us....we would be happy with ANYTHING. =)

Quick Reflections

So I just heard a Martina McBride song that was actually very good. It said, "God is great, but life isn't always good." I liked that. Marc and I have both come to meditate on this verse often:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7

The other night I asked Marc, "Why don't I feel peace?" I knew the answer, but I was having a moment. =) I am reminded that God's ways are indeed higher than mine. He gives us struggles to remind us that this life is NOTHING compared to what He has planned. He reminds us to seek Him first. I saught Him yesterday, and I found peace today. God knows what He's doing. =)

To go along with that, I need prayer. I have come to realize that I'm not quite sure if I want to keep teaching if the education system stays this way...namely No Child Left Behind. There is constant pressure to get kids ready for the test and you begin to feel like you need to make them succeed. I am constantly bombarded with new data I have to input and give to my principal, a new test to give to prepare them for the test, etc. Reality is, kids have a whole lot of other issues we can't control. Yet the government continues to put pressure on schools to create these perfect creatures. It's a tough call. I respect our president for making schools wake up...because there are some slackers out there. But the pressure put on teachers and kids is CRAZY.

Anyway, I could go on forever, and I don't expect anyone to really understand unless they are a teacher. =) However, in all seriousness, I do need prayer. As Marc finishes seminary in the near future, we will have many decisions to make. I will probably need to decide in a year whether or not I want to keep teaching. I love my kids so dearly. They need good teaching and a caring person in their lives, which I feel I provide. Yet I need to also consider the future well-being of my own family.

Lots to think about...but today has enough worries of it's own, according to Scripture. =) (Another verse that's been good.) God is in charge of it all....I know He'll work it out in His time.

G'night,
Steph

Aubrey and Updates =)

So...we love being an aunt and and uncle. Can you tell? We are SO excited to have our own children, but we absolutely adore getting to share in the joy of our loved one's children for now. =) Here are some PRECIOUS professional photos of Aubrey recently taken. She is getting so big!

Meanwhile, we have a church fellowship tonight with lots of Fall festivities. Marc made chili for the chili cookoff! He is quite the chef. We are so blessed at our church. We really feel at home there, and that is a first for both of us! People really appreciate us, and that touches our hearts. We're even singing together on Sunday...yes, you heard correctly. =)

I'm loving my seminary wives class. It's called Women of Influence, and it is really challenging me to examine my life and seek God for the wisdom in how to be a better wife and woman of God. I am so thankful to be learning from such great women of the past!

Class is also good. My students are precious, and I know I take them for granted! God reminds me of that often. =) Happy Saturday to you!

Stephanie

Our Fall Break

With Stephanie being off school Friday and Marc having had fall break all week, we took advantage of the time we had and headed north for the weekend.

Friday we visited the Hennies in Bloomfield, where they are now leading a small church. We loved seeing their community, spending time at their town festival (where we got to make balloon animals!), meeting their fellow church members, checking out their new house (which has a beautiful backyard), and most of all just catching up with them. We've really missed seeing them since they've moved and were very grateful for the chance to see them again. Their kids are getting so big!

Saturday we headed to Nashville, IN to spend some time shopping and walking around the town. The weather was perfect, and we had a great day together! The stores we particularly liked were Trilogy and the "Life is Good" place (J.B. Goods I think the name is). We had dinner at the Artist Colony Inn and then headed to our first ever bed and breakfast. It was a little different experience than we thought it'd be, but all in all, we enjoyed our stay. It was just south of Brown County State Park, and it was called the Blue Haze Lodge. It had one of the prettiest views possible in this part of the country, and the house itself was beautiful. The pictures here are of our room and of the front of the house which looks out over a beautiful landscape (the picture we took doesn't really do it justice at all!), especially in the fall!
What a great weekend. God blessed us with time away from work and school, helped us to focus on each other, and rejuvenated us so we can face all that lies ahead.

Photos

Here are some photos of my room! The year is going GREAT. My kids are wonderful!! Our newest adventure has been crayfish...thanks to a new science program! Crayfish are basically mini lobsters. Our first batch ALL died...all over the district there was a problem. Today we just got another batch, and boy are they fun! It's a lot to keep up with, but the kids LOVE it!

We saw Aubrey recently too. She is growing! More later.

Steph

School Begins

School has begun. It's great...all praise to God. We're really excited about being more disciplined in our lives in order to grow more in our walks with Christ during the school year, and so far so good! Steph's class is great. They are so well-behaved! She's so glad to have her own room this year that she was able to decorate herself. It's an old school...so the room itself isn't so pretty, but she's making the most of it! The organization of it all has helped so much in her overall attitude and feeling at school. Prayer has been huge too....praying for patience, praying for the kids daily, etc. It works! She'll post pics of the room soon.

Marc started UPS and realized quickly he would have to drop Panera. Luckily, his school schedule is great, so he doesn't have school on Mondays and Fridays. He was going to work Panera, but realized that would be precious time to do school things. He's adjusting to the schedule, and so is Steph. =) He works 3-8 a.m. We're excited about the financial benefits this job change will bring.

We'll write about more exciting things soon. =)

Birthday List

So, my (Steph's) birthday is coming up. While I at first thought this was tacky, I realize it's pretty practical since a lot of people from our families read this. I am going to post here a birthday list. It's actually very boring because I/we mainly need $, but here it goes! =) Love you all!

-Mercy Me's new CD Coming Up to Breathe
-"Teacher" summer tops....let me explain.=) I need more shirts to teach in...short sleeved tops (not knit but more like sweater type and polo tops) and sleeveless (ones with THICK straps...like practically to the shoulder)
-Paper shredder....really basic, just make sure it's CROSS CUT not STRIP CUT
-Gift Certificate to Half.com (so I can get books=)
-Restaurant Gift Cards....anywhere!
-Walmart or Target Gift Cards
-Gas gift cards...since I drive a ways
-Money

Yeah this is boring....I would love anything...this list is not all inclusive. =) A visit from you and a meal out would be a GREAT gift! Thanks for reading!

Steph

Camp, VBS, Job Search, Cincy, etc.

Much has happened in the last few weeks with us! We wanted to let you know how Super Summer went. That was a week long camp we attended at Taylor (where Marc went to school). We worked primarily with the students who are about to be juniors in high school, with most of our teaching/discussion times focusing on the question of whether we would keep following God even if all of our tangible benefits (money, homes, meals, health, etc.) were taken from us. It was a challenging week to say the least. We were forced to think about why we should serve God--not for anything we gain or rewards we reap, but because He deserves our worship and our service, period, just for being the perfect loving God He is. We also learned more about living by the Spirit...not being perfect, but living with an awareness of our inadequacy and a true desire to be our best. Marc was a Family Leader, which meant he led a small group after teaching sessions. Steph was a FLC....family leader coordinator, making sure everyone had what they needed. We both loved our jobs and will return next year! The week was a lot of fun at the same time of course. Here are a few photos:




















After camp was over, of course, our niece Aubrei was born, which you've already read about.
But we also had fun working at our church's Vacation Bible School, teaching the soon-to-be second graders. We really enjoyed being on the "Arctic Edge."
The songs were addicting!














Since then, there's news on Marc's job front. He had an interview of sorts at a local church for a youth ministry position, but for understandable reasons, he might not be the right man for the job. We're waiting to see how things turn out there, because the pastor is out of town for a while. But, in the mean time, Marc finally heard back from UPS and will be starting a part time job there this Wednesday! They help pay for school and provide great benefits even for part time employees, so Marc can deal with the crazy hours he has to work.

Last weekend, we went to Cincinnati to spend time with Stephanie's grandma. We had a great time celebrating her birthday with her, spending time with her extended family, and seeing baby Aubrei again! We look forward to catching up with the rest of our grandparents and family members ASAP. We love you all and miss you very much!

Steph is busy setting up her class, and she loves it! It was hard for her to not have her own room last year....most of you know that she replaced a teacher that had passed away. She will stay in 3rd grade and feels good about it! Oh yeah...she got a new haircut too!

That's about it...for now! =) Visit "Our Photos" to the right in a few days, and we'll have more photos up!

Baby Aubrey is here!

While we were at Super Summer, Steph's sister Rachel had a little girl. On Wednesday at 4:44 p.m. Aubrey Breanne Paul came into the world. She is a peanut...only 6 lbs. We got to see her still in the hospital. We'll post more later about our awesome week at Super Summer, but here are a few photos! =) It is so cool to be an aunt and uncle....AND we will be again in March! Our sister-in-law Lindsay is pregnant...hooray! Praise God from whom all blessings flow...it really is a miracle.

Update on Exit Strategy

I had initially posted on a Resolution that was to be submitted for review at the Southern Baptist Convention. Here are the links:

What Dr. Mohler suggested... http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-17
The Actual Resolution... http://prayerandtheword.blogspot.com/2006/04/sbc-resolution-on-exit-strategy-from.html
Some other comments... http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_20060425-resolution-for-sbc-annual-meeting.htm
An interesting conversation... http://thecherrypitt.blogspot.com/2006/04/being-christian-kid-in-secular-world.html

After conversing with our friends that went, I learned more about the process. Basically, resolutions are submitted to the Committee on Resolutions, and then they decide if they are to be voted on by the whole convention or not. This resolution didn't make it to the vote. Here is the explanation from the SBC site: A resolution has traditionally been defined as an expression of opinion or concern, as compared to a motion, which calls for action. A resolution is not used to direct an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention to specific action other than to communicate the opinion or concern expressed. Resolutions are passed during the annual Convention meeting.

I've had more time to reflect on it. Thanks especially to Lindsay for her insights! She helped me to realize further that if ANYTHING, parents need to be more engaged in their child's education. Basically, there shouldn't be an "exit strategy" but moreso an "engagement strategy". As she said, for every one parent who converses with their child, there are loads others, who either do not have the time to talk with their kids or who feel unadequate. So, what is needed, is a resolution that encourages parents to become more involved in their child's public education. It is true that Christian parents have relied to heavily on public schools to bring up their child. Especially at the secondary level, their is a danger of students accepting a non-Christian worldview, and it is important that parents combat that by being involved! Additionally, for those desiring private education or homeschool, we need to work to make it more available to people of all races and socioeconomic status. I applaud the SBC for having that desire.

With that said, I am happy to report the resolution that WAS voted positively for. It was indeed an engagement strategy designed to encourage students studying to be teachers, and pushing parents to be more involved. Yay! This whole thing has made me realize that human opinion, whether from a Christian or not, is still just that. We are all still humans and will disagree, but the beauty of it is that we all still worship the same God and can love each other in spite of our human opinions. As I have heard recently, "Human opinion should not drive ministry." I got all bent out of shape about a select group of mens' opinions. I need to have more faith that what God wants to happen will happen...and it did!

Steph

Hilton Head

Go to http://marcandstephgoodwin.shutterfly.com/action/ to see all our pictures. Here are a few of our favorite!

Our friends Bake and Ashley took us with them to Hilton Head for a week! We enjoyed a beachfront condo. The beach was amazing...so flat and clean! We spent most days just the two of us...hanging out by the pool, going on walks on the beach, and, yes, swimming in the ocean! Steph conquered her fear and is quite proud of herself. She's never liked going out way deep out of fear of the stuff under the water, but she is glad she braved it this trip! We spent the evenings enjoying the local entertainment with Bake and Ashley. There were lots of local shops that were fun to walk through and great food! One day we took a 7 mile bike trip to eat at the Salty Dog Cafe...quite worth it!! The highlight of the trip was probably watching a great local talent named Gregg Russell perform (http://www.greggrussell.com/). He has been performing at Harbor Town under a big tree for 30 years! He is very kid friendly and HILARIOUS! Anyhoo...overall it was a great trip!

Now we're back to the grind of reality. =) However we are choosing to be content with our busy lives! We love serving God, and we have several great opportunities coming up: Super Summer, VBS, and Kingdom Kids every week. We're going to serve Him with gladness while making sure to take time to enjoy His creation and time with our wonderful family and friends! Have a great week!

A Challenge

I (Stephanie) have recently been informed of something very disturbing taking place at the Southern Baptist Convention this week. I have posted several links below for our readers to read up on the topic. I would really appreciate it if you could read up and let me know what you think! I have planned a response to Dr. Mohler. Thanks!

What Dr. Mohler suggested...
http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2005-06-17

The Actual Resolution...
http://prayerandtheword.blogspot.com/2006/04/sbc-resolution-on-exit-strategy-from.html

Some other comments...
http://www.exodusmandate.org/art_20060425-resolution-for-sbc-annual-meeting.htm

An interesting conversation...
http://thecherrypitt.blogspot.com/2006/04/being-christian-kid-in-secular-world.html

New Car and Reflections

OUR "NEW" 2002 DODGE STRATUS (THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL)

We are pleased! Marc's car started to poop out a few weeks ago, and we knew it was time. It's actually a pretty good time too...hopefully we can get this one paid off before we need to trade in mine. We did fairly well for our first big buy. We think we were overcharged a bit, but we learned a lot for sure. So we're choosing to be okay with that. =) We went back to the verse I posted below about not loving money. We've realized that even when you don't have a lot like we do you can still make it an idol by worrying about it. There is no telling what the future holds, but we know that God is watching over us. Grandma Goodwin once photographed a sign she saw at a church for us. We at first thought it was silly she would do that, but now we have it taped in our bathroom to see everyday: "WHEN GOD ORDAINS HE SUSTAINS."

Speaking of sustaining, I have further reflection on that thanks to Oswald Chambers. God loves us, but there is a time where he just has to shake us out of our so-called misery. Marc and I have realized that we can both be wimps. So here goes:

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me and I will give you rest."

that is "I will sustain you causing you to stand firm." He is not saying, "I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep. But, in essence, he is saying, "I will get you out of bed-out of your listnessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half-dead when you're alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of lifeand you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity." Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about "suffering" the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that??

Thanks, Oswald. As Marc likes to say of men of high esteem, "He's the dog!"

Much love,

Steph

Mistaken Identity

I figure most have heard, but here is a link talking about the mistaken identity of two of the victims of the accident involving Taylor University students, where Marc went to college. I mentioned it in my post below.

http://www.taylor.edu/community/news/2006_05_31_accident.htm

Here is the blog we've followed updating Laura's conditions, now Whitney's.

http://lauravanryn.blogspot.com/

Weekend Travels and Happy Anniversary!

Congrats, Megan! We've enjoyed watching you blossom into a beautiful woman!

Dan and Renee's Wedding was beautiful! From left to right....Jen, Justin, Marc, Steph, David, Christi, Melissa, Justin.

The Villa Inn/Spa/Restaurant in Indianapolis....our favorite place to be!!

Stanza Five...the best room in the whole place!

So yeah...we had a busy weekend! We first went to Indianapolis Friday night and caught up with my (Steph's) family. Then on Saturday we went to Megan's Open House. It was so fun to have everyone together! We both enjoyed a game of volleyball with our friends and family...there's nothing like it.

We then drove to Chicago for Dan and Renee's wedding...Dan is a friend of Marc's from college. It was by far the most beautiful wedding we've been too. The ceremony was outside, and the reception took place in a mansion. The food was delicious, and everything was so pristine, without being overdone. They even had a dessert bar....I was in heaven! It was nice to see Taylor friends again for sure, especially Jen and Justin. Before we left on Friday I had called my mom upset about Betsy. All this stuff with Laura's and Whitney's identities being mixed up kinda brought back the emotions of Betsy being gone, and I remember the Saturday before she died her saying, "Hey, you guys going to be at Dan and Renee's wedding? See you there!" So she was definitely missed on Saturday. We stayed in a GHETTO hotel....it's a long story. We're laughing about it now. =)

The next night was completely different in regards to hotels. =) Sunday, June 4th, was our one year anniversary! It has flown by for sure. Marriage was a lot harder than we thought it would be this last year. All the life changes all at once (moving, new jobs, new marriage, etc.) caught up to us at times. But this year has been awesome too! We went back to the inn we stayed at on our wedding night, and was naturally able to enjoy it more this time. =) We went to a nice dinner at Spaghetti Factory, then walked around downtown and ate dessert at South Bend Chocolate Company. We then went back to the inn and enjoyed the two person jacuzzi, comfy bed, and overall relaxing atmosphere. We brought along with us our keepsake box and went through it. We've been together 6 years, and we've collected a lot! We were shocked at just how young and immature we were as we read old emails, but we praise God that he helped us to endure to this point! It was also neat because three years ago Marc wrote in a letter to me, "Hopefully in three years we will be married. We will be living in Louisville and I would be going to seminary. You will be an awesome teacher." How cool is that?? So yes, it was a great anniversary.

Marc is started his summer class this week. It will be hard core for a week and a half. He had/has to read 5 books for it. Every day he is going to open the store (Panera) at 5 a.m., then go to class from 9-3:30 and a lab later in the day. On top of that, he is starting a children's ministry at our church starting Wednesday called Kingdom Kids. His plate is full, so please keep him in your prayers. I am thankful that I am able to relax this summer. Not many wives get the luxury of summers off. I want to be a good steward of my time, and especially use it to get closer with God and take good care of my husband. This verse is the next one we want to memorize, and it has helped us through the last several months.....may it bless you too!

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13: 5-6

Steph

Weekend Fun

She is a super cute pregnant girl. I hope to borrow the cute clothes too!

Rachel's going for a frog theme. Cute for a girl or a boy!
Because He lives
I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives
All fear is gone.
Because I know
He holds the future.
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives.

AMEN! What a nice truth we were both reminded of this morning at church. Our careers are both trying, and they require a lot of selflessness. So much that at times we forget to take care of ourselves! We won't be any good if we don't take care of ourselves, so it was nice to be reminded of where we should have our center. As my (Steph's) school year comes to a close it has indeed been a time of reflection. I am proud of how I have handled the ups and downs of the first year of teaching: from being told that I am the best Math teacher, to being told, "I hate you"; from working with some of the best parents, to having to call Child Protection Services on others; from feeling like I am doing the best job I can, to wondering if I can even make it to school. God has been truly faithful, and I look forward to a summer filled with rejuvination, because I still have a lot to work on in my life!

This weekend I went to my sister's baby shower in Indianapolis. It was so fun! I can't believe Aubrey will be here in just two months. Marc and I both desire to move back to Indianapolis, and this weekend reminded us both of how great it would be to move back. I don't want to miss out on all this fun stuff! Rachel, my sister, is being monitored for high blood pressure, so keep her in your prayers. It was a fun shower with lots of unique games I hope to use one day at another shower...tee hee. The food was awesome too! Rachel got lots of lovely gifts as well. On the car ride home, Marc asked me, "So how'd it make YOU feel?" I think he knew the answer. =) We both very much desire to have a child right now. I think being married makes you realize that it is a possibility at any time no matter what the precautions, and seeing many of our friends' kids grow up has given us a strong desire. However, here is our motto, "We want a baby emotionally but not logically." We definitely don't feel like God's will for us is to have a child right now, with Marc being in seminary and finances being tight. However, it's been hard on me especially on those days where my students just treat me so awfully...I've said several times,"I just want to be a mom" on those days. =) Marc has grown very attached to our friends' little girl Abby, so I think that's his weak spot. =)

In sum, we are confident that we are in the will of God! We have so much to look forward to!

Steph

Weekend

We had a nice weekend. Steph had Friday off, which happened to be the same day as Betsy's Celebration of Life service. We went to Indy Thursday night and hung out with Marc's family. We then traveled with Jen, Justin, Beth, and Rose to Illinois on Friday. It was a long trip, but it was well worth it! Jen and Justin are doing just fine considering they've had quit the emotional roller coaster. It was a fun ride both ways, getting to catch up with all of them and just laugh. The service was awesome...very uplifting and inspiring. There was well over 1, 000 people! It was cool to think that Betsy could probably name at least one detail about each person there. That's the type of person she was! Her sisters sang, and her sister Heidi gave her eulogy. It was beautiful and a nice way to mark the beginning of life moving on without Bets.

We then went back to Indianapolis and spent another night there before we headed to Highland Lakes Camp for training for Super Summer, a one week camp that Marc and I are going to be a part of. I was sort of nervous because not many people know me, but they of course know Marc. I was welcomed right away, though! They welcomed me with open arms and were a lot of fun! We're really excited for this fun opportunity! Saturday night we saw at the dollar theater....yeah for cheap movies...Cheaper by the Dozen 2. It was much better than the first one, and it was a great pick me up!

We are pumped for another week. Marc has finals on Thursday...I've got two field trips and Field Day. A packed week it will be, but lots of fun! It's about time the kiddos got to have some fun...they've worked really hard. Oh yeah, and I got my first "non-acryllic" manicure today...it was fun! Not quite in the budget too often, but it was nice to be pampered! Have a good week!

Steph

Blue Skies by Point of Grace

On days of gray
When doubt clouds my view
It’s so hard to see past my fears
My strength seems to fade
And it’s all I can doTo hold on, ’til the light reappears
Still, I believe though some rain’s bound to fall
That you’re here next to me
And you’re over it all
(chorus)Lord, the sky’s still blue
For my hope is in you
You’re my joy
You’re the dream that’s still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are life
You’re grace
You are blue skies
You’re my blue skies
When nights are long
Seems the dark has no end
Still we walk on in light of the truth
For waiting beyond
Where the morning begins
Is the dawn, and you’re mercy anew
Oh, to believe we’re alive in you’re love
There is so much to see
If we keep looking up
(repeat chorus)
You fill the heavens with hope and a higher love
A picture, a promise for life
Repeat chorus

How Great the Father's Love for Us

How Great the Father's Love for Us

How great the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch his treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chose one
Bring many sons to Glory

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no pow'r, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

This song is amazing, and it's really touched us a lot lately. Today, I had to call Child Protection Services and leave my class because one of my students threatened suicide. I was in my principals office for a good hour. It was a drama filled morning! With Betsy's death, I have not found that God is being easier on me because I am grieving. In fact, he has given me two VERY hard days in a row. Today, I said to some of my coworkers that God was testing me. She said, "No he's not. God's not like that. He doesn't just wish ill will on people and decide He's going to do certain things to them." Basically she doesn't think bad things should happen to good people. In response I said, "I know God is testing me because he loves me. He's wanting me to learn something."

You want to know what it is? He's reminding me that I can do NOTHING without Him. Like the line in the song, "WHy should I gain from His reward?" We should be thankful that He even saved us! He could have just left it as it was and let us live eternally without hope. There is nothing "good" about us. I had, prior to Betsy's death, lost sight of how much I can't do without God. I had relied on myself to fix things and to get through the school day. But lately, I cannot deny what God is trying to do. He knows this is exactly what I needed. I needed extreme circumstances, like a parent cussing me out, a kid almost hitting me, and having to call CPS to wake me up. I came home with a smile on my face today. Most people wouldn't have! But I consider myself a very loved child of God.....how great the Father's love for us.

Steph

Irony

It is ironic that our blog is titled "Good Words from the Goodwins". Right now we are both sorta feeling crummy. However, God's word is good, and it is holding us together. We read this the other night out of 1 Corinthians 15: 19: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." This reiterates what we mentioned in our last post. How selfish we are to have wanted Betsy to stay here! I know God understands our grief, but we are hopeful that he will continue to remind us in the coming days of how this life is but a fraction of what he has in store for us.

Our friends Jen and Justin will be arriving back from Cancun in a few minutes. Marc contacted their parents when news came of what happened, and everyone decided it was best to wait to tell them. We are aching for them because we cannot imagine the pain they'll endure...late at night, returning from their honeymoon, and finding one of their best friends was killed. We have prayed for them, and that is all we can do, but we so wish we could be at home. It's hard to be here in Louisville when things like this happen.

We found out more about the wreck. They are saying that the guy fell asleep at the wheel. He had been on his last hour of the max he could drive. The trucker behind him tried to yell into the radio....we will be praying for him. He is trying to say something messed up with the wheel, probably out of fear. But witnesses say he was drifting and didn't break. We saw pictures today of the accident and were horrified. We know Satan is going to try to keep the horrific details of what it must of been like on our mind, but we're not going to let him! We are thankful that two people got released from the hospital! We are awaiting news of the funeral.

On top of all this...Steph had a real hard day at work Friday. That morning we had just found out that Bets was one of the passengers ejected, so naturally she had a sick feeling for most of the morning. The kids were great on Thursday. Steph allowed herself to grieve in front of the kids because she knew they cared, and they did. Overall she has a great class, but select students are really wearing on her. Two in particular have anger management issues, one to the point of needed evaluation. On Friday the one student who has severe issues came in the class first thing and just ran around the room running into people and then attempted to throw a chair. He's had a hard time on the bus lately (basically he fights everyone), and his mom has hung up on the principal several times. Stephanie has had positive experiences with mom, so she called her immediately and left her a message about the situation...the student usually responds positively to that action. Well mom called a few minutes later and demanded she talk to her son and started going off on Steph with the kids around able to hear. Later in the day the mom came to school and they had to call security. Luckily they had Steph hide in the lounge and she just took her son home.

We won't get into the other situation with the other student...basically teaching can be a thankless job. Most days, I (Steph) can handle it. I know with more experience I will take things less personally. For that I am thankful! But on a day where you have other things on your mind, it is hard to swallow. When you bust your tail day in and day out, and parents just spit in your face, it breaks your spirit. My how I am thankful that I am working for the Lord and not for men! I cling to that truth. I can't quit. God has orchestrated me getting this job...that is a story I will tell the rest of my life! I can't just quit when it gets hard.

We are hopeful of what God will teach us in the coming days through this tragedy and other difficult situations in our lives. He works all things together for good for those who love Him!

Taylor Tragedy

Late last night five Taylor students were killed in a horrific accident. Click here for more info:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060427/LOCAL/604270502

One of those five was our aquaintance Betsy, better known as "Bets." She was roommates with Jen (see below) freshman year, so Steph got to know her pretty well, and Marc hung out with her and others often. She was vibrant, fun, and always was sincerely interested in what you had to say. We just saw her at the wedding this weekend and got to catch up with her. Of course, she asked about us first, then she told Marc that she was going to stay in Marion and work for an inner city mission. What a beautiful young lady she was!

We both talked a lot tonight about how we as humans assume that we deserve God's mercy and that we're always shocked when bad things happen. How thankful we should be that God sent His Son to save us! Additionally, we have to remember that our loved ones do not belong to us, but to God. What comforted us most was the truth that God has numbered our days before we were even born. He gives and takes away. We can hold fast to the truth that God will not take anyone away from this earth until his purpose for them is fulfilled. Betsy served her purpose.

We'll probably write more soon and share some verses that have touched us in this time. Until then.

Jen and Justin's Wedding

This past weekend, we were able to be a part of the wedding of two of our greatest friends, Jen and Justin. Justin, who is pusuing a career in ministry, was Marc's roommate in college, and Stephanie has come to be close friends with Jen, who will be an elementary teacher. So our lives are probably going to follow pretty similar paths....It was exciting and refreshing to see people with such joy....We were reminded how silly we can get with being so consumed with work/school, forgetting the primacy of our relationship with each other. It was truly a blessing and honor to be a part of their special day!
Here's a picture of the newlyweds:

Spring Break

We had a fun time last week. We had spring break at the same time, so we were able to do a bit of traveling and relaxing together. We went to Indianapolis to celebrate Megan's 18th birthday and had a great time visiting with the family...Then we headed back to New Albany for a few days of relaxing before heading off to Cincinnati to visit with Steph's family. We did some shopping, went to a Reds game, saw Sanctus Real play, and had a great time while we were there. But it's back to the grind of school and work! Regardless, though, we enjoyed our week and are looking forward to celebrating the resurrection of Christ this Easter Sunday!Us at the Reds game

Post #1!

This is a test to see how posting works on Blogger. We're new to this blogging stuff, and we're not sure if this will ever be a huge endeavor of ours to share the "good words" from our life. Honestly, I'm a bit concerned that it would consume too much of our time (as just about everything else in our culture seems to do!) to keep this blog updated. And we'd probably be better suited to share those good words with those we see and talk to regularly, but we'll see what comes of it! Technology certainly provides good opportunities for communication, even if it does so at the cost of our precious time and energy. So, we'll see what happens! Check back sometime to see if it amounts to anything!