It is Possible

For many, it's a death sentence.  For others, it's a bump in the road.  In some lives, it brings devastation.  In others, it creates newness.  It is earth-shattering.  It is also considered un-surprising.  At the end of the day, the outcome will bring either sorrow or joy, maybe even sometimes a funny, bittersweet combination of both.  In any of these cases though, no matter how you look at it, this 6-letter word is life altering, life changing.

C-A-N-C-E-R

What an ugly word.  The havoc it brings is crazy.  But it is possible that life on the other side of this word can bring something amazing, beautiful.  I know that full well.

8 years ago today, I found out it is possible for Christ to overcome cancer.

(I know this is not the case for many, but this is our personal testimony.)

8 years ago today at a hospital in Salem Oregon, my brave & courageous Jim underwent an excruciating surgery to remove this ugliness from his body.

And he came through it & after the terrible pain subsided, when all was said & done (including coming out debt-free by God's provision)...8 years later, he is cancer-free & healthy.  To say 'Praise God!' is a huge understatement, but that's what I have & I am beyond thankful.

While this part of our journey has severely altered some plans we hoped for & dreamed of all our lives, it has brought so many other opportunities & possibilities to our lives.  

So we pressed on in life together, thankful that God had another plan for Jim than to take his life with cancer, as it easily could have.

Through college classes, ministry, sicknesses, death, empty bank accounts, dreams, family visits, inside jokes, broken vehicles, moving, friends...we kept taking one step at a time...no matter how wobbly they were, we kept pressing on & we learned what IS POSSIBLE in our lives.

It is possible to have life & joy after cancer.

It is possible to have a deep, epic love with the person you married, no matter what you face, you do it together.

It is possible to know that God is deeply in love with you & cares for you infinitely, even if 

He brings pain.

It is possible to enjoy each season of life, knowing that not each of them will last forever.

It is still possible for dreams to come true, even if they might look different than you first thought.

It is possible that we will face other hard things that go beyond explanation or reason.

It is possible to mourn & move on.

It is possible to worship after a storm like that, as I had the blessing of watching 

Jim do just that.

It is possible to believe His promises for our lives.

Looking back, there are so many possibilities that became reality for us.

And I am so glad I went through that trial with Jim 8 years ago--that it was a possibility for us to hold each other up & keep walking beside each other.

All of these things are made possible through Christ.  (Matthew 19:26)

His grace is enough.  His mercy endures forever.  He IS good & does good.

What has He made possible for you?

(I took this photo around this time 8 years ago & has remained one of my favorite pictures.)

Running Ramblings

 So I have really gotten back into running this year--I have basically been a life-long runner, with some breaks here & there, but am now fully back into running mode.  I love it.  It's my time to think, to worship, to pray, to be me, to stay healthy, to challenge myself, to ponder...& right now, most of the time I get to do it with my dog, Hunter, on my left side.  He's a good pacer :)  As we were on one of our morning runs last week, I just couldn't help but flick a couple quick pictures (always the photographer) as they just captured some of the things in my head & heart so perfectly.  In the picture to the left, the sun was so bright & it contrasted so drastically to the dark clouds coming our way.  Minutes later, we turned the corner & faced the sun, the picture below, but there was no stark contrast of the dark clouds in front of us, just pure, glorious sunshine & some blue sky.  I was reminded of Psalm 30:5...'though sorrow may last for now, His joy will come again...' (my version on that morning).  I was reminded of times when I would look up or around me & see nothing but some big, dark, ugly clouds.

But eventually, maybe not minutes like I'd hope, I would 'turn the corner' & be given a glorious face-full of sunshine & some blue sky coming through.  I am thankful for both times--I don't mean to sound super spiritual, but I truly am.  The Lord allows those times in my life when the dark clouds are surrounding me...I have been there in those times, but so has He...right there with me.  And He allows the times when I am fully facing some good weather, and He is there with me.  Like in Psalm 139--no matter where I go, He is there.  He is just as good in the stark contrast of dark clouds as He is when giving me a face full of sun.  He is really, really good.  Here is the other thing I was thinking about on this particular run:  as far as running form goes...it is good to lift your chin a little bit so that you are looking at the horizon, not just at the ground the whole time.  For one, it straightens out your body & allows you to run for efficiently & is better for your body, better alignment.  And for another, I would completely miss out on these awesome views if I didn't lift my vision, even just this slightest bit.  I would completely miss them if I was focused totally on the ground below me.  It's good to 'lift my chin' to what God is doing around me & not miss out on it just because I am so focused on what I am doing, or looking down because I am worried or doubtful or hurting or tired...no matter if it's a 'darker' or 'lighter' time...He is working & I don't want to miss out on it.  He is worth my sight to the horizon, to what He is doing--because His Word is true...joy will come.  He most certainly is not worried about those big, ugly, dark colds...neither should I be. 

"Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you."

(Psalm 139:12)

One of the Greatest Questions I've Ever Been Asked

I know, I know...you see the picture of 'the ring' posted & probably think, 'yeah, this is what newly engaged couples do...she has been married for a while...?'  

Yes.

Today marks 12 years ago that I got asked one of the greatest questions I've ever been asked.  And each year, I grow more thankful at the answer I gave to that question.  May 2, 2000 was a day to remember--seems like a long time ago, yet the 12 years have flown by!  Some memories seem pretty vague & foggy, but I distinctly remember sitting on a mountain in the Pattee Creek Canyon in Missoula as I had the blessing of being asked, what I believe to be, one of the most important questions in my life--

"Will you marry me?"

While our life together has had its ups & downs, joys & sorrows, good & not-so-good times...altogether wonderful though & still just really like this man (& obviously LOVE)...I am SO abundantly glad a young man named Jim wanted to ask ME to spend all those times by his side.

And of course what followed was one of the best answers I have ever given in my life.

Yes.

A Reminder to Believe God

As I was preparing to lead my Life Group tonight, a section of Scripture we are studying in James & it's meaning has really been rolling around in my head & heart all week, for weeks actually. It is in James 5:14-16,

"Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore,confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Healing. Victory. Faith. Trust.

Is healing possible? Will I ever get over ______? What if God doesn't answer my prayer in such & such a way? What if? When? How? How long? Why? It could go on & on...

Today, I was reminded of a study I led a while back, Believing God (Beth Moore). That was such a rich study, for many reasons, for many young women I believe. I clearly remember at the end of that 12 week study telling my group that, for perhaps no other reason, that the Lord had that study planned at that time just for me...a crossroads in my life. Quite honestly, it was truths in that Bible study, encouragement from God's Word, His character, & my sisters in Christ that kept me on the path of believing God, instead of completely giving up, shutting down, curling up in a ball, crawling into a hole, ceasing. So, I just thought I would encourage you with just a small portion from that study:

Faith that remains unchallenged, ordinarily remains unchanged, stifled, stagnant.

He is bigger that we will ever stretch our faith to conceive...every time you grasp a new concept about God, try thinking, "God is this...AND MORE..."

Prayers answered with a "no" could grant a greater "YES."

Will we not ask because we are afraid of being offended by God? Embarrassed? Disappointed? Hurt? Surprised? Or will we ask, know He IS able but trusting that He is good if He doesn't act? Blessed are those that aren't offended by/with Jesus.

Should we have faith to heal? Yes! But also & more, faith to trust.

God see's fretting faith as faithless fretting--we will never fret our way to victory or healing.

When you have no idea what to believe Him for in a given situation, just believe Him to be huge.

As I see it, sometimes we are at a crossroads...one side will take us to defeat, the other to victory. Like I said before, God used this study in a specific, dark season of my life for a reason...I could have easily been at the crossroads & chosen defeat.

Our Father delights in ambitious, fierce praying--so hit your knees & ask other to do it on your behalf. And believe God.

God requires our 100% & when He receives it, He returns it a hundred fold. He doesn't give back 50%. He requires so much of us so we can join Him in experiencing unmatched triumph & joy.

"The more we applaud God, the more inclined He is to come out for an encore."

So, I can't wait to see what God does!

I believe:

God is who He says He is.

God can do what He says He can do.

I am who God says I am.

I can do all things through Christ.

God's Word is alive & active in me.

I'm believing God.

(Who did it with the actions?!)

Joy & 32 is a Good Combo

I had the blessing of my birthday being on a Sunday this year & it was such a wonderful morning of worship! Baptisms, praising Him through song, listening to His Word, fellowship...such sweetness to it! As I saw what my Pastor was preaching about this week, a smile couldn't help but creep across my face. Did he know & plan this?! (haha, no, but the Lord so KNOWS me!) Several others even commented on it, "Brandi, he preached "your thing!"

JOY. REJOICE. I will say it again, REJOICE. CHOOSE JOY.

For those that know me well...this is one of my life mantra's, something I believe in & live by. Something that I choose to do. I am not always wonderful at it & have to remind myself often of this choice that I have. But I love that I get that choice. And I love that when I choose to make that choice, it brings me closer to Jesus, closer to how I need look. When I choose joy, it allows me to make much of Him & what Christ did for me on the cross, the life I now live because of this undeserved act. This 32 years of life I got to celebrate today. And having it marked by such an awesome sermon all about joy-one of my favorite things-was such a blessing to me.

I was incredibly gifted with wonderful friends who went out of their way to think of me today, remember me, encourage me, love on me, spend time with me, say & do thoughtful things...my life is richer because of them! Thank you dear friends!

And of course, my amazing husband...he blesses me so much, more than I deserve. He planned such a nice day & evening for me-got to hang out with him for all of it & that's just the way I like it. I'm ready to start this year of my life with joy as my focus. No matter what may come my way, good or bad, both can be faced with joy...because that depends on Jesus.

Year in Review:2011 through the Lense

For those of you who KNOW me, you KNOW I LOVE taking pictures--of anything. Anyone.

So on this New Year's Eve, as I ponder all that happened in 2011, I decided to give a small glimpse of 2011 through my lense.

From the top left corner:

-Did some hiking & camping, include the first OverFlo Redneck Camping Trip

-Dove in deep with our College & 20-Somethings Ministry, OverFlo, after transitioning out of Student Ministries in the summer...lots of great Bible study, worship, fellowship, retreats, & just having fun together...a wonderful group to have fun with! (the first one is a regular Tuesday night meeting, then one from our Fall Retreat)

-I ran more in 2011 than I had since high school...so great getting back into it. Ran 4 5K's in 2011 & look forward to challenging myself more in 2012 in this area.

-I continued to take many pictures in 2o11 & the Lord allowed some 'new' areas for me to expand my creativity, as well as a lot of family pictures of some wonderful families near & dear to me.

-Did an impromptu trip to SD to see Mt. Rushmore for the first time & surprise one of "my girls" as she was graduating from college in SD.

-Trip in April to Albuquerque, NM to celebrate our niece's (Vivian) 1st Birthday.

-Another ministry area I grew in & loved was our Worship Ministries, singing on the team nearly every Sunday. (standing with some awesome fellow worship team gals)

-The first 2 weeks of June took us to Brazil with our team from Emmanuel on a mission trip--amazing time!

-A week after returning from Brazil, I had the blessing of serving at SummerX, our Student (7-12 Grade) Summer Camp. This was my 'last' full SummerX as we transitioned out of active Student Ministry...always a fun week!

-Spent several days away in the mountains with the rest of Emmanuel's Pastors & Staff at our annual retreat...such a blessing to be a part of this team!

-2011 wrapped up with some great Taber time at Christmas, as Jim's brother & his wife (Josh & Amber) came up this year with our niece (Vivian)...my mom was also with us to celebrate too.

There is SO MUCH MORE that happened this year that fill in the spaces, like:

Picture above the collage: Jim & I celebrating our 10th Anniversary...I am truly blessed by this man & LOVE spending my life with him & spending my love on him. Not only do I love being a Pastor's Wife, I love being HIS wife. We took a full week off & spent it at a beautiful cabin on Coeurd 'alene Lake. Simply wonderful!

I went into 2011 with a new 'job' at Emmanuel...the 'media' girl. I have grown to really like this part of my job & feel like I learn more on a daily basis & kinda feel like a computer nerd! I love working at Emmanuel full time & believe God has wonderful things in store for us 2012. God has given us 'family' & friends that make our life so much richer. Having both Mom & Dad Taber & my mom close-by is a blessing I don't want to take for granted.

Continued to lead several small group Bible studies through out the year...this year the Lord opened some cool doors with the volleyball players at MSU-Billings & Rocky Mountain College, as well as leading a few studies with the OverFlo girls, & finished off 2011 with a beautiful group of 'Young Wives.' Also got to be a part of a small group of 'Spiritual Coaches' as we learned more on how to encourage the women we counsel & encourage every day.

Our dogs, Kaycee & Hunter, continue to be a source of fun & entertainment for us. Hunter is in his prime for being an all-star bird retriever. Of course Esther the cat is still with us too :)

I could go on & on, but those are the high-lights. There were many wonderful times in 2011, some not-so-great...all in all, I am glad to see 2011 go & look forward to 2012 & all that God has.

I conclude with this quote from Amy Carmichael:

"God bless you & utterly satisfy your heart...with Himself."

1 Corinthians 13-a Christmas Version

I shared this at our Ladies Christmas Party & Ornament Exchange:

If I decorate my house perfectly, with strands of twinkling lights & shiny ornaments, but do not show love, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, bake dozens of Christmas cookies, prepare gourmet meals & arrange a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love, I'm just another cook.

If I work at MRM, carol at the nursing home, give a lot to charity, but do not show love, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the tree with intricate ornaments, attend a myriad of Christmas programs & holiday parties, & sing in the church choir, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love pauses to encourage the friend. Love is kind.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated everything, or the kinds of presents they get their family.

Love doesn't yell at the kids or dogs to get out of the way, or be critical of those around them, but is thankful they are there to be "in the way."

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games & gadgets will break, jewelry will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

Strong or Weak, Healthy or Hurt

I am a runner...I love stories like these. And I love all the verses in the Bible about running, finishing strong, etc. I hope this might encourage you today~

At this state championship cross country race in 2010, Holland Reynolds (16) helped secure her team's champion title. You might think she did this by winning the race, or at least coming in top 5. No...she did it by literally crawling the last 5 meters across the finish line. It's a 3.1 mile course & at the 2.5 mile marker she was in 3rd place, pushing for 2nd out of the 169 runners. Then this team's top runner's legs just started to give out & cramp. Her quad muscles seized & chose to simply not work for this champion runner. She was healthy, but suddenly became weak. But she kept her eyes fiercely on the finish line. Reynolds said she did not remember collapsing but did remember crawling: “All I knew was that I had to cross that line.” Her team won the championship that year. Because, even though she crawled for her 37th place finish, her team would not have won it if she didn't cross that line.

Today, are you one of the strong runners you see finishing strong?

Or are you like Holland Reynolds here, finishing weak?

But even if you are weak, are you still healthy? Do you still have your eyes focused on the prize, the finish line, if you are hurting?

There are days when I feel as if I could sprint across that finish line.

There are others when I feel as if all I can do is crawl to it & fall down exhausted.

But it's crossing it that matters. Not giving up or quitting.

Running Hero

First things first...yes, this is a pic from the 80's...so now you don't have to wonder about the track suit :) But I LOVE this picture...here's why:

This is more of my family heritage--this is my Uncle Gene. I am a life-long runner because of this man. In this picture, by looks of the flags in the background, his track suit, & the stop watch in his hand, he was a cross country & track coach in eastern MT--both of which sports I did all through junior high & high school (many meets, he cheered me on & coached me even though I wasn't on his 'team', which I loved)...& am a runner to this day. I also stand just like him (hand on the hip 'tude)...& we kinda look alike :) This awesome man is with the Lord now & I miss him cheering me on, but I am blessed with wonderful memories of him. And even as I was out on my run thismorning, I thought of him with his stopwatch getting splits.

Wife

So I have ventured into something a little new & different as far as leading a Bible study goes. My new small group met for the first time tonight & I am so excited! The Lord is so wise & wonderful to lead me to do such things! I am doing a small group approach to learning & growing to be an Excellent Wife--with some absolutely beautiful 'young wives.' I am thrilled to see where the Lord takes us! But as I thought about why I am doing this study, what my motives are...the Lord put some words on my heart, as He often does & this is what I shared with these girls tonight:

I don't claim to be a perfect wife, even an excellent wife. Because I am not a perfect woman or believer. I am far from a perfect person. Because as long as I walk this earth, I'm a sinner. But Jesus didn't come for the perfect...He came for the sinner, the sick, the imperfect...He came for me. I am a sinner saved by grace & I have been graced to a high calling. The calling of being a wife. To be a partner, helper, friend, encourager, lover, cheerleader to a man I call my husband. My loyalty is to God first, my Master, then to fulfill the wedding vows He gave & I said on my wedding day to my most prized earthly possession. I don't know it all, not even close, that's not why I am leading this small group, but I do know the best 2 things there are to know: to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, strength & to love people. The more I love Jesus, the more I'll love people, mainly, my husband. I am called to love. So that's what this is all about--to study to love better. It is one of my life goals to always study & learn how to be a better follower & wife...because I know I can't or won't know it all until I meet the Love of My Life face to face, so until then, I will do my best, all that I can to honor the love of my earthly life.

Oh, I am thrilled & can't wait to dig in with this group!

Render

Here is a funny truth for you: I have turned out to be kind of a computer nerd. I spend A LOT of time in front of not one, but two computers & I actually enjoy it most of the time. Then came something I never suspected or guess would be my job in a million years. I was suddenly the "media girl" at the church...yes, in charge of anything video. Self-taught. Feeling completely inadequate at times, but all the while getting faster at editing & enjoying expanding my creativity through video & media.

So I recently read this verse...now one of my favorites & causes me to wait & ponder it for a moment as I evaluate my life:

"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments."

Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,

and abounding in steadfast love..." Joel 2:12-13

There is so much I could say about those verses, but I love one of the main points: it's a heart matter, not a matter of how you look on the outside. We can look all calm, cool, collected, put together, & great on the outside, but what does my heart look like? That is a true reflection of who I am & my character. Do the 2 match up, or are they altogether different? What's the disconnect? And this can look different depending on the day or hour!!! Anyways, what really makes me stop when I read that verse is this word: REND. Render your heart. Here comes the tie-in with my computer & video nerdedom--EVERY time when I am finished editing a video...when I have cut, razored, transitioned...made this video how I want it, have made it absolutely as good as I can so the audience I am making it for will appreciate it & like it...I export the video. Then this box comes up, every time...I see it multiple times each week:

See it?! "Rendering Media..." While in the video world, I do my best to make a great video to present to my audience...as it renders, it is making it presentable. The passage in Joel says to "render my heart"--am I doing everything I can to best present my heart to the audience it was made for? My audience of One? What I am doing to rend my heart for the Lord & make it more presentable to please Him? I'm glad I have this reminder so often during my week--a reminder to examine my heart & see if I am just concerned about the "garment" or if I am truly presenting my heart to the Lord with excellence.

The Ten Toast

August 11, 2001

If I were to make a toast today, it would perhaps go a little something like this:
To my amazing husband & friend-thank you for loving me these last 10 years, loving me as our wedding vows promised on August 11, 2001. You have made being your wife such an honor & joy, not to mention it has been a blast being married to you for 10 years. We have seen a lot of ‘life’ together in our 10 years, some ‘life’ that many people don’t ever have to face, but there is no one I would have rather faced ‘life’ with. Doing ministry side by side has been an incredible journey for me, one I love & have never regretted…I look forward to serving with you for many years to come. I respect you, cherish you, adore you & above all things, love you…deeply.

I thank the Lord for calling me to you & changing my life with you.
And to the friends & family that have encouraged us, loved us, & taught us along the way…THANK YOU! Our marriage has been impacted by so many these last 10 years!

Cheers!

Coeur d 'alene August, 2001

Coeur d 'alene August, 2011

Celebrating my Beautiful Friend

I wish I could be with my beautiful friend, Brittany, today...give her a hug & tell her in person how blessed I & countless others are by her being born this day! God has so graciously allowed me to do life with this amazing young woman...only He could know exactly what I needed when He gifted my life with Brittany Ficek. Who knew several years ago, after meeting & a simple drop-in to Coldstone Creamery that she would become one of my dearest & closest sisters & friends! Her faith is fresh & steadfast...she is wise & mature beyond her years...she absolutely BEAUTIFUL...her heart is genuine & soft...she is compassionate & kind...she is confident...she stands on God's Truth for her identity & foundation...while she has known the Lord basically all her life, she is the walking testimony of faithfulness...she is an amazing, loving, & adoring wife...she is a servant to the core...she loves her family...she prays & worships passionately...she is a light shining brightly...she is fun & has a great sense of humor...she is so gifted & talented...she is reliable & loyal...she loves God's Word & seeks out ways to grow...she loves Christ with all that she is. She is such a wonderful friend to me...one of the best a girl could ever ask for! She knows me well & loves me anyways :) We have travelled the world together & then some...we have some of the most wonderful memories. She encourages me to be more like Christ in all areas of my life. She says the hard things in love & showers me with love & encouragement. She is this & so much more! Happy Birthday Britt--I love you--you are truly an amazing creation & daughter of the King!

19

Today--Christina Jewell turns 19--seems like she was just in middle school, when I met her! But now today, she is not a little middle schooler anymore, but stands as a beautiful young woman of God. I have had the blessing of knowing Chris for 6 years, but I love that it feels longer. Since she is 19 today, here are 19 things I love about Christina:

1-She loves Jesus. She wants to please Him & do His will above all else.

2-She is beautiful...her smile is amazing, lights up the place & brings joy!

3-She loves & wears flip-flops just as much as I do!
4-Her sense of humor...she shares my random, dry, sarcastic ways & can be goofy & silly, which is highly respectable to me.

5-She is faithful & consistent...it's my favorite part of her testimony, that she has stayed true to the Lord & who He has made her to be.

6-She knows her Bible...I admire her memorization skills & how she has God's Word in her heart.

7-She is a great big sister, daughter...she loves her family.

8-She has a wonderful voice & uses it to worship the Lord.

9-She is an encourager...I cannot tell you how much her words have affirmed me over the years...her cheerleading has spurred me on & kept me going many times.

10-She is a servant...she likes to stay quiet, behind the scenes, but she will serve however she can, even if it means getting out of her comfort zone.

11-She is smart!

12-She has grown up & matured in awesome ways, especially this last year with going to college.

13-She is great with kids--truly gifted in this area.

14-She seriously remembers EVERYTHING!

15-She reminds me of myself in ways when I was her age...we can relate well.

16-She is sweet & has a soft heart.

17-She is an amazing friend--she cares deeply for the people around her. She is sensitive & compassionate, a great listener.

18-She is not high maintenance at all...LOVE this.

19-She is strong & I admire her for it.

Happy Birthday dear Christina--may God bless you immeasurably this year!

Leslie Lou!

Today I celebrate my beautiful friend Leslie~even if I have to celebrate her from a distance~she is so worth celebrating! Her birthday not only reminds me that I am glad she was born, but even more, that God saw fit to weave our lives together, to serve Him together, to be sisters, & dear friends. I always liken Leslie to a miracle in my life...the fact that God always has a hold of His children & woo's them back to Himself, even after we have gone astray. Leslie's testimony inspires me. It always reminds me that God is relentlessly pursuing us & He has a specific plan for us. I had to let Lou "go" for a while, but the Lord faithfully brought her "back" in more ways that one. Now...now, you should see her! It is the power of a life renewed & committed to Christ & serving Him, making Him known & loving Him fearlessly. She has been an awesome friend to me...she loves well, prays hard, seeks diligently, works heartily, has a huge heart, is beautiful inside & out, & above all wants the Lord's will to be done in her life. She displays the power of a transformed life & lives it out. While I so miss her, I know God has a plan for her in KC--she has been brave & is working hard at what God has called her to do. I guess for now, I am OK with sharing her :) And I know that just as much as she has had a huge impact on me, it is likewise with so many other people. Leslie is the kind of woman you want in your life, that's for sure! Happy Birthday Lou--sending you lots of love & praying for you--not just today, but all the time. May God bless you richly this year, may He become more real to you than ever before, & that He would lavish joy & peace on you! Love you!

Celebrating Julie

I remember meeting her when we were here for Jim's interview, before he was even hired for sure at Emmanuel. I remember being in her home for a committee meeting & feeling welcomed. I can remember her from day 1 of being in Billings & at Emmanuel...now almost 6 years later, I cannot imagine my life without her! She has always been such a light, love, & laugh to me. She & I...we've seen some life together. Some joyful. Some sorrowful. Some confusing. Some encouraging. She is the kind of friend & sister I want by my side. She is wonderful to serve with. I love laughing with her. We cry together. We rejoice together. She is so encouraging to me. She faces hardship & still trusts God in ways that spur me on & inspire me. She leads me to Christ. She loves her husband & family. She is strong. She is beautiful. She teaches God's Word with passion. She is hilarious. She worships in spite of her circumstances. She is real. And I am overly blessed to count her as a close friend & sister. Oh I really could go on & on! But today, I celebrate Julie Lortz! Thank You, Lord, for creating such an amazing woman after Your heart & allowing me to be a part of her life!

Dating

I am not a huge Valentine's Day person. I love love...a lot. But I am just not into the 'day' becoming so commercialized & becoming the ONE DAY you show love. I am all about living love every day, especially to those I truly love, singly to the one God has given me to love on earth. But, Valentine's Day is a special day for Jim & I...this year it marked 11 years since our first date...ELEVEN YEARS!!! And I am more in love & like with him now more than on February 14, 2000. I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. I have grown to respect & love Jim more & more as God uses him in my life to love me, teach me, challenge me, bring me joy, set me towards Christ, make me laugh, & ultimately to make me into the kind of wife that he deserves & pleases the Lord. We just did a Young Adults Retreat this last weekend & we had the blessing of taking 40 from our OverFlo group...& our speaker talked about being marriagable--what better to talk about when 130 20-somethings are in the room with that very thing on their mind?! It was very good, very challenging, & a fresh perspective...all straight from God's Word. Marriage is a big deal...an amazing blessing...but not for the faint-hearted & definitely not for those that don't want to work & pray hard. But as for me, I have loved dating my husband for the last 11 years...love gets better every day. Thank you, Jim Taber, for changing my life...which ultimately, I have Christ to thank every day for love, for Jim (that God saw me being marriagable for him), & making my life something I never expected, but wouldn't have any other way.

Proud of My Heritage

So, this is part of my family heritage that most people don't know about...I am very proud of it, so thought I would share it! The above is the article from 1978, the Butte paper. I love the smell of old newspapers, by the way! Well, the type is small but basically, the community voted on the best "street machine" from 22 contestants. The winner, as you can read, was one Danette Beuthien, 17 years old. Beuthien is my maiden name...this is my sister! I have showed this to a few people this week & they ask if it is me! This makes me very proud. The older I get, the more I look like her. Also, the older I get, the more I miss her, even though I was never that close to her to begin with. (We did not grow up together & she passed away when I was in the 6th grade.) But nonetheless, I am proud of this part of my heritage!

Hastening the face-to-Face

*disclaimer--the following is not a result of finding myself in horrible estate, just simply some things the Lord has put on my heart through faithful teaching & reading of Truth*

I want the Lord to come & come faster. I pray for that more than I ever have before. More mindful of it than previous years. I know much work has to be done until that time & I am excited the Lord has called me to do His work. I am praying for myself & others that this year would be a year of boldness for more people to hear about Christ & come to know Him. No more timidity. He is my greatest treasure. Biggest passion. And in the end, I get to see Him. No gift more glorious. I want others to have the same.

"...but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away (the things we only know in part)...but then, face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, & love abide, these 3; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:10, 12-13

Some of these lyrics hit me like none other from one of my favorite hymns:

"But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,The sky, not the grave, is our goal...
...and Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend...even so, it is well with my soul."

Hope. When our faith appears before us face to face. Because of His love for me. A lowly, undeserving sinner, yet grateful recipient of His grace. In that, it is my prayer that I reflect His love for me in the love I show Him & others this year. Love bigger. Deeper. More selfslessly. Passionately. More pleasing to Him. More focused.

Whatever He does, I am simply asking Him tochange me, inside out...& not leave me the same.

"...Who is & Who was & Who is to come...to Him who loves us & HAS freed us from our sins by His blood & made us a kingdom of priests to His God & Father....behold, He is coming."

He loved me then. He loves me now. He loves me for what I will become. There is not a moment I breathe without Jesus in it. He is presently happening...& He is HUGE. Even if I cannot 'see' Him now--I will see him face to face one day. Lord, show me what I can do to have that day come more quickly.

Celebrating KJOY!

Today I get to celebrate my dear friend & sister, Kristy JOY Osmun! I so wish I could give her a real hug on her birthday & tell her in person how important she is to me, which I would hope she knows by now :), but I am glad she gets some much needed time in NJ with her family. For those who know Kristy, we all know she is a very special young woman. I have had the blessing of knowing Kristy for over 5 years & she is now one of my closest friends & sisters. She is an amazing girl--so talented, funny, sweet, giving, BEAUTIFUL, wise, sensitive & tender-hearted, & such an encouragement. I can't tell you how many times the encouragement I need has come in perfect timing from this girl! She loves the Lord with all of her heart-she loves His Word-she leans on Him in good times & bad. She wants everyone around her to know the love & peace of Christ--He radiates from her. She is a wonderful leader to her senior girls, well, all the students actually & our young 20-somethings gain admiration for her as well. Ministry is so much fun with her because she just wants to be used & make an eternal impact...and she is! My life became so much richer when God brought Kristy into it--she has been a constant, faithful, selfless friend to me. She always asks how I am really doing & wants to know what the Lord is up to in my life. I can be "me" with Kristy & she knows when I am putting up a front & she graciously calls me on it because of her heart--and I need that! The Lord definitely had something special in mind when He caused our lives to cross--and I could not be more thankful for her! Kristy--have a wonderful birthday--I know my life is so much more blessed because you are in it! Love you!