Environmentalism

I just have a few minutes before I head to work for the day, but I wanted to post a few thoughts on here about something Steph and I have thought a little bit about in recent days. We're doing a study in Genesis with our youth group, and what we talked about last week was about how we were created in the "image of God" and how part of that image entails being stewards of Creation. As the first human beings, Adam and Eve were given authority over and responsibility for all animals, and they were to take care of and work the garden. This has just made some thoughts come to mind about how poorly we do at this today. Could it be that we focus so much as churches on the Great Commission (which I am ALL for) and on helping people get in good legal standing with God that we fail to address issues such as how to care for the environment, how to use the resources we've been given responsibly, how to treat animals, etc. NOTE: Do not get me wrong here. I think these are of secondary importance to the sharing of the gospel. I do, however, think that if the whole point of redemption in Christ is to restore the initial created order that we should do some serious thinking about these things as Christians.
This was partly sparked by a conversation I've had with a co-worker about vegetarianism. He's a vegetarian, and his wife is a vegan. He was talking to me about how sad it is how we treat animals, and I was trying to tell him about his need to repent and put his faith in Christ. But I tried listening to him and thought that vegetarians might not be as wacky as I thought. After all, God originally (if you believe in Genesis) created humans to eat plants--not meat. There are other parts of Scripture that in my mind justify the eating of meat, so don't think I'm becoming a vegetarian all of a sudden or something. But these are just some thoughts I've started to have. Our first step has been to stop throwing away all our Wal-Mart bags that we bring home our groceries in, and to start recycling them. Environmentalism will probably never be a huge passion of mine, but I've at least tried to be more thoughtful recently and not just write these people off as nut cases :)

13 pounds!

My last full semester of class starts Monday. Today I went and bought my books. There are so many. I thought it would be funny to weigh them--13 pounds! It's quite a stack :)

On a side note, I've been reading and thinking a lot on Isaiah 53 recently. You should take a look at it and remember that it was written 700 years before Christ came to earth. It really stresses how much He endured for us. They are some of the most humbling verses in the Bible I think.

Funny mock music video

called "Cletus, Take the Reel"...obviously a spoof of "Jesus Take the Wheel." I know some in my family have joked about the ideas communicated through the original song, so I thought you guys might like this.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=29d26be9116f8a4527e5&page=1&viewtype=&category=tfm

Stephanie's Doctors Visits

I wanted to give a quick update on Stephanie's health--for those of you who actually read this :) She went to the OB/GYN yesterday to have the lump checked that she found. To our relief, the doctor said that what she was feeling was entirely normal and that she has nothing to worry about. Better safe than sorry; I'm glad that she went in and got it checked all things considered.
Her visit to the Ear/Nose/Throat guy also went pretty well. She's supposed to go back to get some skin testing done for allergies to see if there are specific allergies that she has. They say it's hard to offer any treatment unless they are able to pinpoint the cause. So she goes back at the end of this month for that. Thank you for your prayers and your concern. We will try to give some of you a call just to update you personally. Love you all very much!

Also, please keep praying for our job search. We've had some churches start to contact us, and it's all overwhelming me here recently. We just want so badly to know where we are to serve :)

Our Nieces Rock Our World!

Some pictures of our adorable nieces at Christmas!

This was at Lindsay's parents' house....but I needed to post it cuz it's so cute!

Megan got Ruby a "Someone at Ball State Loves Me" shirt!

Ruby enjoyed watching the Colts!

This was a part of a little mower that Aubrey got. She put it over her shoulder and carried it like a purse! I couldn't quite get a shot of it.

Aubrey was a lot more fun to watch open presents this year!

Christmas and such

Hey everybody. Yes, we're still alive. =) We had a great break. We visited family the first week and stayed home the second week. It's so nice to both have jobs that allow us the freedom to travel and rest. We take that for granted! Our families are doing great. Of course, the highlights of our visits included our adorable nieces!

Now we're back home and back to reality. =) Marc has gotten into contact with several churches interested in hiring. Lots of people have been asking about the process. It's very slow, but we're excited! We anticipate going on some visits the next few months and doing a lot of praying. We will probably not know for several months where we'll be. It's been encouraging, though, to have people at least somewhat interested in what Marc and I have to offer.

On a more serious note, please pray for my health. The changing weather has made me feel almost constantly dizzy. Now that it's more stable, allergies are better. I am so thankful I had an MRI because that ruled out anything more serious. However, it's hard not to wonder if it's more than just allergies. I go back to the doctor on Thursday. I plan to pursue medicine of some sort rather than simply nasal spray. I am also visiting my OBGYN on Thursday as I have found another lump. He may say it is nothing, but after last year I realize I need to take these things more seriously. I have not felt "well" for several months now, and thinking back on last year, it's really made me evaluate my life. I have days where I know God is in control and am at perfect peace. There are other days where I wish I knew what was wrong. With the passing of our friend's mom recently I have been faced with the reality that death is inevitable. While I am so thrilled to go to heaven, the death part is scary for me. Sorry if this sounds confusing! I have been memorizing out of Isaiah recently and it's amazing! I love God's word! Isaiah 40:28-31 says:

28Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.30Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted;31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

I am so thankful that God is constant when our world (and health =) is everychanging. I'm going to go eat dinner...I'll post fun pictures later!