A life well lived!

Friends, thank you for praying with me yesterday on behalf of Lana and her family. Lana is now with the Lord and I can only imagine the fun she's having with Him this very moment.

It is times like these that I am reminded and even more grateful for the hope we have in Jesus Christ, specifically His death and resurrection, which makes eternal life with Him possible. Without this hope, death would be final and no redemption would be found. 1 Corinthians 15:19 puts it this way, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." But thanks be to God, we do not have hope in Christ ONLY for this life, but also for eternal life. God takes what was perishable and makes it imperishable, giving us victory over death through Jesus Christ. What a redemptive God we serve!

When I think of Lana, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:58 which says, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." Lana was a woman that not only abounded in the work of the Lord, but took great delight in the Lord...even in the face of death. And we can rest assured that her labor was not in vain.

Would you pray?

I found out a few months ago that a childhood friend of mine had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma. Her name is Lana and she has fought a long, rough battle, while maintaining her trust and delight in Jesus Christ. Lana and her husband, Chad, have decided to stop treatments, as they would only harm her already weak body. Would you be praying for Lana, Chad, and their family and friends these next few days? 

You can read her story here. Get ready for a challenge and make sure you have a kleenex nearby.

One Year...Hip Hip Hooray!

I try to not always point out how long it's been since my last post, but it's hard to ignore the fact that I've been blogging for almost a year now and all I have to show for it is 19 posts. Seriously? Working on that...

Let's talk about August 9, 2009...our one year anniversary! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Here are some of my favorite highlights from this past year:

• Getting married! Obvious, I know, but my FAVORITE highlight :)
• Our travels together. We visited Jamaica, Philadelphia, Boston, Destin, Estes Park, and countless travels to Dallas and San Antonio. Traveling with a buddy is always better than traveling alone. 
• Getting my tonsils taken out. This, in general, is a highlight because this marks the 8th month in a row that I have not been sick. Those who were familiar with my "throat woes" know this is a wonderful thing. AND, it allowed Jon and I to bond in a way that only surgeries can bring...oh the joys of being a caretaker and caregiver!
• Seeing the Lord provide for us in unique ways. Jon and I have learned to rely on the Lord with one another through raising support. God has shown his abundant provision for us in ways that cause us to praise him. What a joy to receive those provisions together!
• Watching Jon grow in God's Word and gain a better understanding of where God is leading us. Enough said. :)
• Making big decisions together. Jon and I have learned so much about each other as we've been faced with some difficult decisions. Some of our greatest growth has come from making decisions and learning to communicate with one another.

Marriage is just so fun and I'm so glad that I am married to Jon!

I'm sure you're dying to know how we celebrated...and guess who's dying to tell you?! Here's a picture of us on our anniversary:

We spent a lovely, relaxing afternoon together and topped it off with a homemade dinner by Jon himself! He made us Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken...a dish he made for me when we were dating. It was fun reliving the memories of what seems like so long ago!

Our big celebration came the following weekend. My sister's in-laws let us stay at their lake house on Cedar Creek Lake. We had a BLAST! We spent the weekend reading, relaxing, and watching Harry Potter. (Sidenote: Jon and I have recently become big fans of Harry Potter. We've watched all the movies and I'm in the middle of reading the books. We're a little late, I know, but fans none-the-less!) Here we are on the back porch, about to go to dinner:

We could have stayed there for another week, but decided to come back to the real world and enjoy life in College Station once again!

In other news, both our siblings are officially moved in and ready for college! Claire moved to Waco this past Thursday. Here's a before picture of Clairee in her super cute dorm room:

And here's a kinda-after picture. We weren't quite done...

All-in-all, we've had a great past couple of months. Apparently, this weekend is move-in weekend in CS. Traffic, it's bad nice to have you back. 

And blogging world, it's nice to be back. Here's to frequent blogging!!

Proud of my man!

I know, 2 posts in 2 consecutive days. But have I told you lately how proud I am of my husband? Well, I just swelled with pride this weekend as Jon gave a talk about the call of discipleship to our college class. Matt, our College Pastor, described Jon as being a man who loves God's word. I am so grateful to be lead by a man that loves the Lord and loves his word.

All this to say, I wanted to link you to the audio of his sermon this past weekend! Enjoy!

The Call of Discipleship

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I'm sayin' a lot.

No, your eyes do not deceive you! I promised pictures, and now I deliver. Here are some of our favorite pictures from our trip to Colorado!

Jon hiked up the mountain that overlooked

our house. Here's the view he saw:

Oh, just a picture of my mountain man! Sorry,

Ladies, he's taken!

Me and my man on a rock by a waterfall.

No big deal.

This little chipmunk was too cute not to take

a picture. These things were everywhere!

Our view from the waterfall:

Jon and his brother, Tim:

We got to meet up with some friends who were

in Colorado for staff training. Here's Jon 

and his good friend, Jeremiah:

Me and my good friend, Emily (Jeremiah's

wife), and their precious baby, Hosanna:

Aren't they just the cutest?

Hosanna braved this little creek with

the boys. This was moments before they

were swept away! (Just kidding!)

Imagine our surprise when we stepped off the 

shuttle and saw this little creature. By little, I

mean huge. And by creature, I mean elk.

Just in case you thought that was a statue, here's

another picture in a different location. We

were scared for our lives excited!

Jon: "This is so cool."

We also rode on the backs of horses. Here's 

my back. Don't worry...most of the other pictures

look like this, too. I'll spare you.

Then, we went to the top of the mountains. You

know, the part where the treeline stops and all

you see are mountain tops, deep valleys, and sky.

Two words: Humbling and Anxiety. Just past that

tundra is a huge drop-off.

Me and the hubby in front of the railing that

was to keep us from falling to our deaths.

While in the town of Estes Park, Tim and I were

stars of what will soon be a feature film, I'm SURE!

I'm sure you're as impressed at our ability to walk

into a store as our director was. 

Jon and I went on a date! It was wonderful!

On our way home from the date, we saw a storm

roll in over the mountains. It was crazy how the 

rain would cover the peaks of the mountains!

Here we are in front of Bear Creek Lake:

We even saw a bear!

Jon did some climbing:

And I'll finish it off with a view of the mountains

from Bear Creek Lake...pretty awesome!

All in all, we had a great time and enjoyed getting away for a bit. It feels good to be back in College Station, back in our own routines. Hope you're having a great week!

Contentment

You may have noticed the quote at the top of our blog which says, "May Christ be treasured in our hearts and in our lives always." I've been thinking about that a lot lately as I have been reading "Calm My Anxious Heart; A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment." I expected the book to challenge me, but let's just say I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was for the challenge. 

In Matthew 13:44, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure that was hidden in a field. He says, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Jon and I have been talking about this verse often lately and what a challenge it is. As many of you who are in ministry, or know someone who is, you know that it's not the highest paying job in the world. Jon and I are continually challenged in asking ourselves if the value we place in helping to build and extend the kingdom of God outweighs the value we place in our material things...the things that are fleeting and passing away. And, if we were honest, it is often a hard task. What a beautiful picture Jesus gives us in describing this man that sold everything he had in order to possess the ultimate treasure. 

God has been teaching me that treasuring Him in my heart and in my life is an all-encompassing thing. He has shown me that treasuring Him begins in my heart and is evidenced in my life. And if that's not enough, He's shown me that often times my heart and my life don't always match up. 

So that's where we are. We are humbled and grateful that God chooses in His grace and mercy to provide for us in abundant ways. And, we are on our knees asking Him to reveal to us the true treasure of knowing and serving Him. Would you join us in praying that? 

On a different note, there's lots of things to catch you up on. We've moved, our good friends got married, we travelled to Colorado, then to San Antonio. I promise a picture post soon. I won't let you down! Love!

WE DID IT!

Move, that is. We are all moved AND settled into our new place with a BIG thanks to our friends! We had a total of six people helping us move and clean. We were thrilled to have so much help and it made the entire process much easier. Pictures coming soon!

7 Things

I know what you're thinking and yes, you are at the right blog! I've been tagged once by Bre'anna and mentioned by Aimee to list 7 random things about me. Since this is a blog for Jon and I, I'll try to mention some random things that involve both of us! Here they are:

1. Jon and I are moving in 6 days. What? You already knew that? Well, the truth is I can't seem to escape this fact due to the chaos and boxes that is our house. I'm going stir-crazy here. I wish we would go to sleep one night only to wake up to our house completely packed and move-ready. Of course, I'd hope they'd leave me a few changes of clothes for the next few days, but who's being picky??
2. Since Jon and I have been married, I've realized how picky I am about cleaning. This came as a huge surprise, considering my mom's favorite phrase to describe my room was, "It looks like a pigsty in here!" I've had to "let go and let God" a few times when it comes to Jon helping me with cleaning, allowing him to clean as he pleases.
3. I have to make our bed a very specific way. I like the fitted sheet to be smooth and tight and for the flat sheet to be tucked in just right. Jon, on the other hand, likes the end of his side to be untucked. See, my husband is 6'5" which means his feet sometimes hang off the bed. He likes to free his feet when sleeping.
4. The previous fact leads to my next: I'm a cover stealer. I never thought the day would come when I'd say that! I used to pride myself on being a calm sleeper, hardly moving during sleep. I think that was when my sheets were anchored down on both sides. Now that Jon is "free-footing" (I totally made that word up), there is nothing to hold the sheets on his side. Therefore, if I happen to get up in the middle of the night, I make sure to do away with all evidence of me stealing the covers by pulling our comforter BACK onto Jon. He still figures it out and somewhere in our morning routine he states, "So, SOMEONE stole the covers last night." And now we all know who he's talking about!
5. Another great segway into my other fact: Jon has head-butted me twice in our 9 months of marriage. Now, I'm not talking soccer ball head-butts, but more of a I-just-wanted-to say-hi-and-let-you-feel-my-head kind of head-butt. What's strange is that I always manage to wake up RIGHT before he does it. Then I spend the next few minutes laughing hysterically and my fast asleep, head-butting husband continues sleeping peacefully.
6. I see double when I tilt my head back. This has prevented me from watching many a movie lying on my back. However, it does allow me to drink and drive...NOT that kind! I mean that I can drink my water, but when I tilt my head back I just see the second road. Pretty cool, huh?! I've had this little issue since I was little...it has to do with a muscle in my eye. I have, however, compensated for it and the look I make when compensating has been lovingly referred to as "Popeye." In fact, when I was in high school, some of my dear friends stole borrowed a cardboard cutout of our dear friend Popeye and gave it to me as a graduation gift. So thoughtful! 
7. Jon loves the cute dorky pictures of me from when I was younger awkward. I'm glad someone besides my parents think I was cute during that time. One of his favorites is one of me picking tomatoes and holding it up for the camera with my big glasses, dorky blue jean shorts, braided belt, and on the verge of making the awesome Popeye face. In fact, he liked this picture so much that he used/s it as a book mark, which means other people get to enjoy make fun of this fabulous pic of yours truly. If I can get it from him I MIGHT give you a sneak peak.

So there are my 7 random things. Now it's time for me to tag friends. But this is going to be a short list because I don't have 7 blogging friends anymore since most of you have been tagged already or completed the list.

Shannon - You are a wonderful friend and always have such fun things to say. Plus, maybe your random post could include pictures of your adorable family!

Andrea - I may have to wait a while for you to post your 7 things since you're leaving to go out of the country in a few days. Perhaps your list can come from your travels!

Claire - I'm tagging you in addition to Aimee's tag because I care. Plus, your last entry was titled "Silence" and I don't want it anymore.

Jessica - You are a wonderful friend, wife, and construction-extraordinaire! The things you have done to y'alls house while Brian is away has amazed me. Plus, you always make me laugh!

My sister-in-law, Kristi - You have a super cute blog and will have a super cute vintage shop. And it's time for a little update :)

Honorary tag: My mom - You have a facebook, now you need a blog. It could be your first entry!

Honorary tag: Aimee - You gave me a shout out and now I return the favor! Your blog always makes me laugh and I enjoyed reading your 7 things.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Hello, Blogland! I'm afraid it's been awhile since we conversed. And for that, I'm sorry. Where shall I begin?

Let's start with the biggie! All you college grads out there know how exciting it is to be handed the long-awaited, much-anticipated tube that contains your college degree. Let's face it...there's a lot of studying, praying, passing, failing, blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into obtaining that one piece of paper! There's something else that comes along with that long-awaited, much-anticipated college degree. Instead of a tube, it comes in an envelope. Within this envelope is a lovely payment plan ending in 2019. 2019, people!! While Jon and I were totally onboard with A&M's course work and plan for obtaining our degrees, we were NOT onboard with this 2019 business! Therefore, we're downsizing. Literally. Translation: We're MOVING! Not cities, but homes. And yes, we're accepting any help you'd like to give us regarding packing, moving, etc. When you ask? Oh, just 1 week from tomorrow. We don't do anything halfway! :) Prayers are appreciated.

In other news, we finally finished our table and chairs! I say finally (it only took us a week), but I feel as though our kitchen has been in dire need of cleaning and organizing for an entire week and there's only so much you can do when there are paintbrushes, paint, boxes, chairs and a huge table in the middle of EVERYTHING. So, YAY! One sidenote question...we used semi-gloss paint and are wondering if there's a way to de-stickify it (I totally made that word up)? It's not super sticky, but a little. I'll post pictures of it when I get around to taking them. Have a fabulous Monday!

Common Sense, why did you leave me?

I just had to take a quick opportunity to share the day that Jon and I have had. Let's just say it started with a trip to Home Depot, some paint/varnish stripper, paint, sand paper, steel wool, and high hopes. It ended with 6 varnish-free/sanded chairs, 3 primed chairs, 574 mosquito bites, and 2 sore backs. Can you guess what we did? 

Are you done guessing? In case you can't figure it out, I'll just tell you. I had the bright idea to paint our kitchen table and 6 chairs. I thought this would be a somewhat easy task, but about 5 minutes in I was wondering what in the world I was thinking and wishing I could turn back time! Good news is, Jon and I spent around 6 hours bonding, scraping, and painting together. And the even better news is that we'll get to do it again. And again. And again...until we're finished. AND, in case you're wondering, YES WE ARE ACCEPTING HELPERS! Apply within.

So right about now, I'm asking my sanity to return and looking forward to an evening laying on the couch...in my pajamas...covered in mosquito bites. This is the life, people! :)

Compassion and Community

These two words have been on our minds and our hearts a lot lately. Jon will quickly tell you that I'm the blog-reader in our marriage. And being the relational person I am, I find myself relating to these people, some of which I've never met, as if they are close friends. Often times, I find myself saying to Jon, "You know that blog I read...." Well, this past week I've been so blessed by the blogs I've been reading and the people who have given me a small glimpse into what God is doing in their lives. Many of you have heard of Compassion International, but you may or may not have heard of their Blogger Trips. To give you the short version, Compassion takes bloggers to the countries they are active in and allow them to see firsthand what Compassion is doing there and how their support really is making a difference. These bloggers write about their trip throughout the duration of their trip. Well, two of the bloggers I read travelled to Calcutta, India this past week and the things they saw and experienced have changed my and Jon's perspectives. I encourage you to read about them for yourself here. It is definitely hard to read about their time in India and NOT be challenged, if not changed. They tell stories about families of five living in a room the size of a bathroom. They tell stories about men who work hard to support their families, bringing in only $17 a month. They tell stories of five and six year old kids already planning their futures, so they can alleviate the pressure they know their parents are feeling. It's just heart-breaking.

Jon and I found ourselves talking about the extreme poverty that is found in so much of the world. It's quite humbling, actually. And, because it's not sitting right outside our door, it's easy to push it out of our minds and forget that poverty that affects people EVERY day of their lives. To see an organization actively and intimately involve themselves in this poverty is amazing. But bring in the love, truth, grace, and truth of Jesus into this poverty and it's astounding. Compassion provides opportunities for hope to be seen in the midst of their situations while meeting their very physical needs AND their very spiritual needs.

Our worship leader, Ross King, wrote a song about community and the body of Christ. In it, he asks God to teach us to be community and to unify our hearts as one. There's a line in it that says, "One part suffers, all parts suffer together. One part honored, all parts rejoice." I definitely find myself rejoicing when part of the body is honored. But until recently, the suffering part was not only something I did not involve myself in, but something I was afraid to involve myself in. That requires true compassion. Here's how compassion is defined:

"A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."

The second part is what strikes me, "a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." I have that desire, but what to do with it? Well, Jon and I are praying about supporting a child in one of the countries that Compassion sponsors. While conditions like these seem far away, we can't turn a blind eye towards it. See, I think that compassion and community go hand-in-hand. We have compassion for those we are in community with. And community challenges us to put action to that compassion. We are realizing more and more that community can definitely be comprised of much more than those within our "borders."

I'll leave you with this short audio clip of children singing one of our favorite worship songs. It brought me to tears and forever changed the way I will think of and sing this song.

What the Lord Has Done for Us

Current Happenings

So I know in my last post I said that the posts would come in threes. I'm sure you've figured out by now that wasn't the case. Sorry to disappoint! I've decided to put it all in one post. Sort of a "highlights reel" if you will :)

• Jon and I made the trip to Boston! We loved it. I am currently not on my computer, which means I don't have my pictures to upload, but that will come! We arrived on Thursday, spent time with new friends, toured the campus, sat in on some classes, rode the subway, walked all over downtown Boston, ate authentic Italian food, had ice cream with an Aggie (WHOOP!), and more. We had an absolute blast! We left feeling very informed on the opportunities Gordon-Conwell offers and had a better idea of what ministry would look like in the northeast.
  
• We made our decision regarding next year...are you ready?! We've decided to stay another year in College Station for Jon to do another year of the internship. After much prayer, talking, and consideration, we felt this was the best decision. Doing the internship for a second year allows Jon to focus his attention on more specific aspects of ministry. He will be shadowing the missions pastor here at Grace, getting a better idea of the administrative/sending side of missions. He will also have several teaching opportunities, which is a definite plus! I will continue singing in the college service and occasionally in the main service. I will also continue meeting with my fellow newly-married wives, which is SO exciting! Jon and I will continue leading a Bible study. Great things are ahead for the Yeagers!
• My sister and I started a blog to post recipes and entertaining ideas. The address is: southernlivingtexasstyle.blogspot.com. We haven't updated it much, but be on the lookout :) And if you have any fun, creative, yummy recipes or entertaining ideas, send 'em our way!
  
• Our good friends, Emily and Jeremiah, had their first baby! They are also newly married (May 12) and have a wonderful outreach with International students. Their sweet baby girl, Hosanna Esther, was born April 17 and is just as cute as can be! We are excited to support them in this new adventure of life. They encourage us daily and continually remind us to trust in the Lord at all times. We have such great friends!

And I'm sure I could go on and on, but I'll spare you! AND, I'll post pictures as soon as I am on my own computer. Hope you are having a wonderful day and rejoice with us that God is good...all the time!

Happy 85th Birthday, Granny!!

Updates are lacking...these will come in threes!

This year marked the 85th year of my sweet Granny's life. She is such a gift to our family and we all gathered for a big, family celebration of this momentous birthday. In honor of my Granny, I want to share with you some of the things I love most about her:

• She has the most tender heart of anyone I know. We joke that if there were still professional mourners, my Granny would have a very successful career! Granny is known to cry during Oprah, commercials, tender moments, birthday celebrations, and many other things. When my grandpa retired from preaching, their church gave her a towel that was monogrammed as her "Crying Towel." I like to think I get my tender heart from her. While mine is not AS tender as hers, I know that years of living life, loving and losing those that are close to her have made my Granny the sensitive woman she is and I LOVE her for that!
  
• My Granny loves to dance! Granny loves her some Michael Buble and tells anyone who will listen that "He is sexy!" She out-danced her first Michael Buble CD and needed a new one to dance to. When Aimee and Luke got married, she informed our friends at a shower that "she would be the one dancing at the reception." Well, she made no exception for our wedding. One of my favorite memories of our wedding day was seeing Granny come out to the dance floor, grab Jon's hands, and jive her way into everyone's heart. In fact, here's a picture that totally captures that moment (taken by Marks Moore):

• I love Granny's sense of humor and zeal for life. Even at 85, she knows how to crack some pretty funny jokes and laughs often. Last spring, she travelled to Hawaii with my grandpa, uncle, and aunt. I mean, really! I hope I'm living my life to the fullest when I'm her age.

We had a wonderful time celebrating her birthday and don't you worry...I took lots of pictures! Here they are!

Granny, Mom, and Claire

Showing off her singing card...to whom, you ask?

Why, to her great grandson, Austin, of course! 

He shares her love for dancing. They danced together.

Here she is with said "Michael Buble CD." Don't be 

fooled by her serious face...she takes him very seriously!

My cousin, Jill, gave Granny 85 one-dollar-bills.

I mean, who doesn't want to fan their face with 

that kind of stack? 

Granny, we love you and are so grateful for your presence, love, and encouragement in our lives. As dad prayed, here's to 85 more years with our sweet Granny!!

You Are For Me

Do you ever find yourself in awe of God's graciousness? Tonight has been one of those nights for me...realizing the abounding grace that God continually pours upon my life. I am so undeserving, yet so grateful because without it I would be a mess!

As many of you know, Jon and I are on the brink of making important decisions. I find that when I think too hard on what might lie ahead, I become overwhelmed and fearful, and don't even know where to begin to prepare myself for said decisions. I have realized that when I become overwhelmed and fearful, I make myself a prime target for Satan. It's in these moments that I forget that God is for me. As Jon said in his blog about the sovereignty of God, He desires my ultimate good. What more could I ask for?

I've found myself clinging to a few verses, using them to remind me of the graciousness, faithfulness, and loyalty of the Lord. 

Isaiah 58:11, "And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong. You will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Psalm 33:20-22, "Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you."

I am encouraged that wherever I am in life, the Lord is guiding me and will satisfy my desires. As my soul waits for him, my heart will remain glad BECAUSE I trust in his holy name. His steadfast love is what I will learn to put my hope in.

I have been listening to Kari Jobe's new CD and I HAVE to share this song with you. It embodies what I'm feeling and I encourage you to buy it off iTunes and let it minister to your soul. Go. DO IT! :)

You Are for Me

So faithful, so constant

So loving and so true

So powerful in all You do

You fill me. You see me.

You know my every move.

You love for me to sing to You.

I know that You are for me.

I know that You are for me.

I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness.

And I know that you have come now, even if to write upon my heart

To remind me who You are.

So patient, so gracious

So merciful and true

So wonderful in all You do

You fill me. You see me.

You know my every move.

You love for me to sing to You.

A Post From My Hubby!

Jon had the opportunity to write a blog entry for GBC's college blog. It was such a wonderful reminder to me of God's sovereignty and I wanted to share it with you all! Enjoy!

I am God and there is no other…my counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose.” Isaiah 46:9-10

“He works all things after the counsel of His will.” Ephesians 1:11

Have you ever meditated on the sovereignty of God? The sovereignty of God should not be a doctrine that strikes fear (other than a reverent fear) into us, but instead should be a doctrine that calms our fears. Too often this doctrine is simply fiercely debated without practical application. So I want to ask all of us a question to think about: What are the practical implications of God’s sovereignty in our daily lives?

For most of my college years at Texas A&M, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life after college. I feared the future and what it would bring. Once I started thinking about vocational ministry this fear actually increased! I decided to start my journey by becoming a college intern at Grace Bible Church. The thought of raising support, while being newly married and having the new responsibility as “the provider”, drove me to lean on God to be my True Provider. I began to understand that He alone is in control of my life. This was a wonderfully liberating concept for me.

For those of us who love God and are in Christ, nothing can ultimately come in the way of Him doing the deepest and highest good for us. His sovereignty tells us that He will provide for what He has already planned. If His plans are different from our plans, we can trust in His ways, because He is good and is seeking our highest good.

Whether you are thinking about life after college and how you will find a job in this rough economy, or struggling through a rough and dark time in life, or raising support for a summer project mission trip, or even worried about what’s for dinner, you can lean on God’s sovereignty. Why? Because He is good, kind, merciful, and gracious.

Let us “commit our ways to the Lord; trusting in Him, and He will act” (Psalm 37:5).

Updates!

Well, Jon and I celebrated our 6 month anniversary last Monday. It was a WONDERFUL day, complete with flowers, dinner at Square One, dessert, and a movie! For those of you who don't know, Square One is the name of the restaurant that Jon took me on our first date almost 3 years ago...crazy! It holds a special place in our hearts. I am so grateful he asked me on that first date! We thank the Lord for such a fun, wonderful marriage. What a blessing it is to have a clean slate and be given the opportunity to grow and learn with one another. Here is a picture of me with the flowers Jon bought me:

And here we are together!

In other news, Jon received his acceptance from Gordon-Conwell! I am so proud of my man! We'll be journeying up north for a few days come March...I can't wait! And speaking of Boston, Jon met a guy at the men's retreat that was from Boston. When asked, "How'd you like living in Boston?" he replied with, "Boston is such a great, fun city. The only thing I didn't like about it was the winters. They are long and cold and the snow just piles up. There's probably a good month you don't see the sun." My thought when I heard this...."A little sugar-coating would be nice!" I mean, who doesn't dream of winters complete with piled snow and depression-inducing lack of sun? He did say, however, that the winters make you appreciate the beautiful spring they have there. He said the city just comes alive. I'll be holding on to this key observation! With that said, we are still in the middle of our decision process, but have narrowed it down to 2 options. Please be praying for us to listen to the Spirit's leading in this important decision! We greatly appreciate it!

Other than that, things are the same here. I wish I had more to report. Hope you're enjoying this strange weather as much as I am. In the sixties one day and near eighty the next...gotta love Texas!

Wonderful friends

When I say we have wonderful friends, I mean we have WONDERFUL friends. Over the years, I've come to realize what a rare and precious thing are friends who you can depend on, grow with, and be challenged by. Over coffee with one of my friends this morning, this realization came on pretty strong. Jon and I are truly blessed to have the people we have in our lives for several reasons. First, they challenge us to be real and honest with them. And when we are, they still love us. I've had a few of those moments this week and am SO grateful for this fact! :) Second, they challenge us to try new things, while expecting the best. They support and encourage us to follow where the Lord is leading, regardless of the change that will come with it. They pray for God to open our eyes to His plan, and when He does, they are some of our biggest supporters. Third, they live life with us and open up their lives to us. Jon and I have friends at different stages of life...some are right behind us, some are right ahead of us, and some are alongside us. It's encouraging to see what God is doing in each of their lives, even at different ages and stages. Fourth, praise the Lord for accountability! I have seen God use this powerful tool of sharpening one another in each of our lives. Praise Him for loving us enough to place people in our lives that desire to see His character and image refined in us.

We praise the Lord for His bride, His body of believers that love and encourage us in ways that we couldn't have asked for or imagined! Thank you for speaking truth and love into our lives...it means more than you know!

Philippians 1:3-6, "Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God's Message, from the day you  heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (The Message)

I got fangs/bangs

Allow me to just get this off my chest...I have been sucked into the hype that is the Twilight saga. And in case you're wondering, no, this isn't Jon writing this lovely update, but yours truly. HA. Just to be sure you understand how completely and totally I have jumped on that bandwagon, allow me to tell you that I am currently on the last 100 pages of the fourth book...a feat I accomplished in a mere 2 weeks, people! Yes, I am aware I need a life. That is why I am so anxious to finish this fourth book and return to the real world. I feel better already! :)

On a different note, I got a new haircut that includes bangs. Why am I telling you this? Because coming back from the holidays with new hair gets people commenting and I find myself answering the question, "What's different?" with, "I got bangs!" This sentence immediately takes me back to the Legally Blonde movie in which her friend exclaims the same thing. You know you remember! Good times! So, for those of you far away, let it be known that I am sporting bangs these days...WOO!

In other news, Jon is now considering more seriously a seminary in Boston called Gordon-Conwell. This is why we never bank on things NOT changing because they tend to change...a lot. Jon began looking more into this seminary before the break and has continued to see great potential for it to be the place that would challenge and grow him the most. We've discussed taking a trip up there soon, which I'm TOTALLY pumped about! I'm enjoying this whole mini-moon/vacation/looking at seminaries in far-away cities. It's also nice to have a better idea of where we might be relocating our lives! It's a win-win (or as Michael Scott would say, a win-win-win!).

Jon has started the internship at Grace Bible Church and is loving it. He even had the opportunity to give the devotion for our college leaders' meeting. He did such an awesome job! He encouraged us with the truth that Christ is the one who gives us our sufficiency...it is never something that comes from ourselves. It's always good to be reminded of that, especially when you get in the flow of things and the tendency is to depend a little too much on yourself. It seemed like a very timely encouragement and I was so proud that he is my husband!

I've also started working for a family four days a week. I pick up their 2 kids from school, take them home, and watch/play with them until their parents come home. It's been great getting out of the house. For those who don't know, I work from home. I LOVE it. However, I would totally be content staying inside all day...completely different from Jon. It's been good to have that little push to go outside and see the world for a few hours a day. :) 

Well, I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy the weekend...I know I will!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well, the Yeagers are finally back to a normal routine after traveling the "Triangle" as Jon likes to call it...Dallas, San Antonio, and College Station. Jon and I had so much fun celebrating Christmas with our families. We are so blessed to be a part of two families that love the Lord so much and have lots of fun together!

Here's a rundown on what's been going on in our lives...Jon and I celebrated our first married Christmas together before we left for Dallas (I'm TOTALLY down with opening gifts a week before Christmas!). Jon got me the Pushing Daisies Season One and some gummy Sweettarts. Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE Sweettarts and the gummy kind are extremely tasty and hard to come by...you can only get them at Blockbuster! What a thoughtful hubby I have! I got Jon the Bourne Ultimatum and the game Risk. We've been quite the "gamers" these days...and I mean the board kind. 

After our little Christmas, Jon and I headed to Dallas to spend time with his family. We had a great time and definitely enjoyed getting to spend an extended amount of time there. We celebrated Christmas with his whole family on Christmas Eve and left for San Antonio on Christmas day. We "rendezvoused" with Luke, Aimee, and Austin on I-35 and arrived at my parents' house in time for Christmas dinner. Austin decided to be the joker for Christmas and spread ketchup all over his face for our viewing pleasure. After dinner, we opened gifts and spent time catching up. Jon and I got to be parents-for-a-day. Translation: we took care of Austin for a day. We watched Backyardigans, drank coffee/juice together, visited Outdoor World, tried to take a nap, shared goldfish, and played until our hearts content. We also celebrated my mom's birthday, which was super fun! We had a wonderful time in San Antonio and left feeling grateful for such wonderful families!

Jon and I spent New Year's Eve here in College Station playing Rockband and Guitar Hero with friends. I chose to ring in the new year asleep on a couch, waking up in time to hear, "3, 2, 1...Happy New Year," kiss Jon, and fall asleep for a little longer. I know, I felt old.

As we reflect on 2008 and all the fun it held (MARRIAGE!!), we are definitely grateful for what the Lord has done and look forward to what he will do in 2009. Something that we are especially excited about is reading through the Bible this year. I have always wanted to do it, so who better to read through the Bible with than your spouse? 

I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pics from our holiday. We hope you enjoyed time with your families, but mostly that our hearts would continually be filled with gratitude for Christ coming to earth! 

Austin and I decided to play together in the

laundry basket...he wanted me to 

take a close up :)

And more pictures to come...blogger is being too slow for uploading pictures!