Back to Blogging, Part I

Seven months might not be the longest lapse in blogging in the world, but it's long enough that it's going to take two posts just to get up to date! Of course I'm going to go in chronological order so I don't skip anything important. And then, hopefully, I'll be a little more faithful with my updates as Joel and I move into the next phase of our Air Force life!


December, January, & February (a quick review): We celebrated our second married Christmas together, but it was our first one with our own Christmas tree and stockings:

Joel continued to study diligently, work faithfully, and do extremely well in pilot training. Meanwhile, I received a promotion to assistant manager at work (which means I no longer do the delivering), and I used my free time to discover new recipes and try them out on Joel and his classmates.

(Chocolate peanut butter cup cheesecake is a new favorite!)



March & April: In March, I was blessed by the opportunity to go home for a long weekend to celebrate my brother's 24th birthday and his bride-to-be's shower.

I was so thankful that I was able to suprise Timmy and spend his birthday together again this year!

Nicole's entire bridal party was able to be there for her beautiful shower at Cornerstone.


In April, Joel and I prayerfully submitted our "dream sheet" ranking the airplanes and bases that we wanted next. Then we had the chance to get some cute pictures taken (we never had an engagement photo shoot), and spend some time together before the craziness of the next few months. We actually waited patiently and peacefully to find out what God had in store for us.

"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." Psalm 33:20-21


Up next: Assignment night, graduations, a wedding, and our anniversary!

My Three Favorite People...

Me. Myself. I.

I love me. Seriously, Joel is SO lucky to have a wife like me.

I'm not sure why I find myself so wonderful. I can't do simple math in my head. I trip walking up the stairs at least once a week. I have the patience of four-year old. I have a sharp tongue that I use too often and without thinking.

Still, though, I expect people to plan their lives around what is convenient for me. I get frustrated when things don't go the way I want. After I've had a long day, I expect Joel to go out of his way to make me happy - even though he works twice as many hours per week as I do.

It's pretty easy to forget that the world doesn't revolve around me, but these verses serve as a sobering reminder:

Philippians 2:3 & 4 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

I can be so selfish and self-centered that I am suprised by my own sinfulness sometimes. But, I am called to so much more. My life would be so much more honoring to the Lord if I thought about other people, especially my husband, as much as I think about myself.

If my three favorite people were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the rest of my priorities would fall into place in a much less self-absorbed way. It's something I'm working on. Thankfully, I have a Savior who is patient and forgiving as I try to learn to love me a little less.

________________________________________________________
UPT UPDATE:

Joel has been flying T-1's for a few weeks now and continues to do really well. The 12-hour days are weighing on him a little bit, though, and working 5-5 every day is tough on him. Please pray for continued strength and motivation for him.

Finally, we are all looking forward to Christmas break, too!

TEN

I am just thrilled to say that, by the end of May 2012, I will have TEN SISTERS-IN-LAW! In addition to Joel's nine sisters who I get to call my own (and his brother's wonderful wife, who I count as a dear sister-in-law as well), I will get to add a sister on the Paoli side of the family in the spring! My sweet big brother, Timmy, proposed to his girlfriend of over five years on the day before Thanksgiving. We are so happy for them and are praying for their marriage already! Welcome to the family, Nicole!

So excited that Tim has found the helper God made for him!

The ring

Sisters-in-law!

"The man gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man... For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 20-22 & 24

490

"Then Peter came up and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven times.'" - Matthew 18:21 & 22

If you've been married more than eight seconds, you've had to forgive your spouse for something. Since forgiveness is an essential part of two people becoming one, I've been thinking about it a lot recently. So let me share with you the little bit of insight that God has granted me on this subject.

Forgiveness is complete. You cannot forgive partially or half-heartedly. In true, Biblical forgiveness there is no room to say, "I forgive you for this, but when you said that, you just went too far." Forgiveness is complete in such a way that it squeezes out any space in your heart for bitterness or resentment.

Forgiveness is continual. Sometimes you have to forgive someone, especially your spouse (who is a sinner just like you!), for the same sin over and over again. Even when you don't get an apology, you are called to forgive every time you are wronged. Seven times seventy, if my math is correct, is 490. Can you imagine forgiving someone for the same thing 490 times... or even more? Only by the grace of God is continual forgiveness possible.

Forgiveness is commanded. It's not optional. Withholding forgiveness is a sin. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive." - Colossians 3:12 &13

Forgiveness is a lot of things, but easy is not one of them. Let us not forget what we are called to, and let us be intentional about being both seekers and givers of forgiveness.

__________________________________________________________________

As a quick update, I wanted to share with my blog readers (both of you) that Joel's track select went well, and he got the T-1's he was hoping for! Phase three is in full swing now, and Joel is doing very well on his tests and sims. Joel just finished the academic portion of T-1's, and was supposed to have his first actual flight today, but it was post-poned due to the weather. He'll have his first flight of phase three next week, after Thanksgiving break. Thank you for your prayers and support!

Birthday Post!

Ok, so since it's my birthday, I thought we could all take a quick stroll down memory lane:

I've always been a Mama's girl.

I've always had an impeccable sense of style, too.

Sixteenth birthday with my dear friend, Janie:

Eighteenth in West Chester:

Nineteenth birthday and homecoming in West Chester with my new boyfriend:

Twentieth with my family and extended family while Joel was away for training:

UPT Update

Right now, Joel is flying his second to last checkride of T-6's! He has just under two weeks left before he will be T-6 complete. Phase 2 has absolutely flown by, and Joel has made me really proud of him by consistently working hard and doing well. On October 21, the class of 12-09 will track select and move on to either T-1's, T-38's, T-44's, or helicopters. We're still hoping for T-1's for Joel, and feeling confident that he will get a T-1. (Joel's done a great job in pilot training, and most people get T-1's anyway.) I know we'll both miss some of the guys from his flight once everyone moves on, though - he's been blessed with a really sweet group of guys to go through T-6's with!


As for me, I heard a line from a Taylor Swift song on the radio last week that pretty much sums up my life at the moment... "I'm not a princess; life's not a fairytale." Some days are hard: I miss Pennsylvania; I miss college; I feel like I'm not doing anything that matters with my life. If this was supposed to be a fairytale, it would suck. But as far as real life goes, I know that I'm where God wants me to be so I find joy. If Joel was supposed to be Prince Charming, this Disney movie would not be having a happily ever after. But for two sinners trying to become one and learn how to love each other the way God wants us to, we're doing ok.

P.S. These are the sweet little girls who brighten up my day every time I see them. Their family is a blessing to me, and they make living in Mississippi much more enjoyable! :)

Judge and Jury

I don't know about you, but I like to act as judge and jury sometimes. I can be so quick to pass judgement on others, to condemn their behavior or to criticize their words. I find it so easy to assume SO much...

Of course I know that person's life story!
I know exactly what she was thinking!
I definitely see the whole picture.
I understand perfectly the circumstances surrounding this situation.
And two sides to every story? Please, I don't think so!

I find it effortless to pass judgement on other people's words and actions, and discern what they should have said and done instead.

But what about Matthew 7:1 & 2?
"Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Have you ever stopped and thought about that passage? Just for one week I challenge you to catch yourself everytime you are judging someone else and remember how much we all hate it when we feel like we are being judged. In the little things (like why she should NEVER wear that blouse with those pants) and the big things (like why they haven't had another baby or why he talked to his wife like that), let's all try to be a little slower to act as judge and jury.