Jeremy Riddle - Stand in Awe

Yesterday at church we sang a song that I have come to love in the past few months. It is off of Jeremy Riddle's "Full Attention" CD. The whole CD is awesome and I would highly recommend it. The worship music Jeremy writes is so rich and full of great truths, yet very passionate.

Yesterday our praise band at church did this song of his called "Stand in Awe". Here is a youtube clip of the song and the words are written below. It was so powerful and I found myself overflowing with tears and praise as I thought about Jesus taking the punishment for my sin, defeating death, and now reigning as King over all. I hope this encourages you today! This is our hope!




"Verse 1:Gracious and astounding. God's love so confounding appears to us. In a cleansing flow of blood!

The Son left throne and glory, Bore the Father's wrath and fury in our stead; And for the sins of all He bled!

Chorus: Stand in awe and worship! Raise a voice and worship; Come adore The King of kings and Lord of lords!

Verse 2: Behold the Lamb in Heaven. He was dead but God raised Him from the grave; For His arm is mighty to save!

Now glorified and reigning The keys of death and Hades in His hand; And all hail the Lord of every man!

(Chorus 3x) The King of kings and Lord of lords."

Stephen's Party

Friday night Stephen had a birthday party at "The Silver Chair" in downtown Greer. It is a coffeeshop/used bookstore. It has a cool atmosphere and combines some of my husbands favorite things...coffee, food, people, and books! They even have a whole room of theology books. About 20 friends and family gathered together to celebrate and we had a great time. It is always great bringing friends together from different parts of your life and for them to meet each other. It was a fun night.

Thank you for everyone who came and for all of the cards and gift certificates and presents. (Some of the cards were hilarious.)

We are so thankful for these relationships. This cake in this picture is the final result of this post. It turned out pretty well although not as pretty and smooth as grandma's. Oh well practice makes perfect:)

6 Months Pregnant

Growing bigger by the day:) 6 months pregnant.

Happy Birthday Stephen!

Yesterday was Stephen's 30th Birthday. So we had a little celebration with just us, but Friday night we are having a birthday party for him so the celebration continues!:)

This is his picture yesterday with "The Birthday Bear". :) It this bear that sings a birthday song to you when you squeeze it and we bring it out every time it is some one's birthday. (cheesy I know:) We have done it for several years and it started off as a joke but now it is kind of a tradition:) Now you know how silly we are.

Since it is his 30th Birthday I wanted to write out 30 things I love about my husband!

1. He Loves Jesus so much!

2. He prays for me and reads the bible with me.

3. He loves hugs.

4. He loves to laugh and joke.

5. He is a man of integrity.

6. He knows way more about the bible than I do and will always answer my questions.

7. He works hard to provide for our (growing) family.

8. He loves people and loves to spend time with them and minister to them.

9. He has a heart for people who are "down and out" and unloved by most of the world.

10. He likes to clean the kitchen:)

11. He is so patient with me.

12. He does not have a temper and is very forgiving.

13. He takes me on dates.

14. He loves my cooking!

15. He is a loyal friend.

16. He acts silly with me when it is just the two of us.

17. We share a lot of interests.

18. He is excited about being a father and loves being a husband.

19. He is very teachable and always wants to learn from a variety of different people.

20. We have fun together.

21. He wants to hear from the Lord and wait on him before making decisions.

22. He enjoys God's creation and being in it.

23. He has a vision for his life.

24. He is kind.

25. He doesn't crave the things of this world.

26. He leads our family well.

27. He is really good about keeping up with his friends and has a great group of guys in his life that sharpen him and encourage him.

28. He seeks the Lord daily and is always feeding his spirit with the Word and sermons on his MP3 player.

29. He is a good teacher/preacher.

30. I think he is hot:)!

Happy Birthday Stephen! I love you.

Weekend Update

This weekend we went to Knoxville for the wedding. I was so mad at myself because I left my camera at home! Hopefully I will be able to get some more pictures from someone else who was there, because my husband looked hot in his tux:) and we made some great memories.

We met some great people and enjoyed the fellowship with John's friends. I was so refreshed and encouraged just by meeting people from different parts of the country and hearing what God is doing in their lives.

The weather was great and the wedding was really God-centered and beautiful. It was great to be a part of it.

I was exhausted when we got home. I don't think I will do any more long road trips before the baby comes:) I took 2 1/2 hour nap on Sunday afternoon. Stephen and I both had to get up early Sunday to do things at church after getting home late Saturday night. Then I hung out with my parent's for a few hours after church while Stephen and Chris met with the two guys they are discipling. But when I got home I crashed and I felt so much better after getting some sleep.

And last night my sweet husband took me on a date to Myabi's. He doesn't really like that kind of food but he knows I do. We haven't gone there in about 2 years and out of the blue yesterday he told me he was taking me there. It was delicious. Then we went to his brother's apartment for a few hours to wish him a happy birthday.

People have requested another pregnancy photo so hopefully I will get one up this week of "6 months pregnant". The belly has definitely grown since the last "5 month" picture. I can only begin to imagine what it is going to look like in a few months! I hope everyone had a good weekend.

Happy First Day of Summer

It feels like it has been summer for a month but today is the official first day of summer. I hope that everyone is able to take some time off this summer for friends and family. Does anyone have any goals for the summer? I have several books I want to read, and have things I need to get done before the baby comes. We already had our vacation for the year but I hope Stephen and I can do a few day trips to the mountains and the lake. I also have a goal to finish reading the Old Testament. I am in Ezekiel and so I am seeing the end in sight but it seems like I have been plugging along for a long time. But that is nobody's fault but mine.

Anyway I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Knoxville Wedding This Weekend - John and Diana

This Friday and Saturday we are heading to Knoxville for a wedding. Stephen will be a groomsman for one of his best friends, John.

Stephen and John have an amazing friendship that started in an unusual way. About 5 1/2 years ago Stephen went to Zaxby's with his pastor and several friends and he saw a guy sitting by himself reading a book. He looked at him and for some reason he had a feeling of "this guy is a Christian" and he decided to sit down and talk to him.

At that point in time John and Stephen had both been Christians for only few years and both of them had had radical conversion experiences. They were both very passionate about what God had done in their lives but in many ways they were very different.

Stephen had been in very strong "teaching" circles since he had become a believer and John had been in more "experience" circles but Stephen felt drawn to him because of his love for the Lord. They decided to keep in touch and it is good that they did! Over the next year while John was still living in Greenville they developed a friendship that was like "iron sharpening iron." Stephen was able to teach John a lot about the word of God and was able to give him a great love for studying the Bible. John, on the other hand, was able to teach Stephen a lot about the heart and about passionate love and worship of the Lord. They brought a lot of balance to each other and through that developed a very deep friendship. Since that time John has literally been all over the world. This picture here on the blog was taken in Africa. He even studied in Israel for awhile, and since he has been back in the states he has lived in Tennessee. But every time they get together is it like they never were apart. I also have really enjoyed getting to know John through Stephen. We are able to have the most wonderful fellowship and prayer times with John and now also with his soon to be wife, Diana.

God has used John to speak to Stephen so many times about so many things and Stephen is so thankful for the friendship. It will be a blessing to be at his wedding this weekend to celebrate this new chapter of his life with him. Praise the Lord for brothers and sisters in Christ!

Plastic Bottles

You may have heard some of the news recently on the danger of a chemical found in many plastics called called bisphenol A (BPA). In April the National Toxicology Program, a division of the National Institutes of Health issued a statement saying that they now think this chemical could cause problems in fetuses and children and in prostates and breasts of adults. You can read a report on it here: http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/17/914073.aspx.

Also recently many baby bottles have been recalled with this chemical. Not all plastics have it but from the ones that do, especially when they get warm they can seep this chemical into your food or water.

Anyway, although I know we can't worry about everything out there, we can do the best we can to keep our families healthy right? I had read that a lot of people were starting to use stainless steal water bottles instead of plastic ones and thought that would be a good idea for me. Since I am pregnant I have been drinking even more water than normal. Then when I went to Curves last week I saw that they were starting to sell them and so I bought one! So now I carry this around with me all day and I know it is safe for me and my baby. :) Also this blog post has some great ideas for plastic alternatives.

Weekend Update

Well it was another hot South Carolina weekend. I am wondering if this is how the whole summer will be. The sad part is that it isn't technically summer yet:) Oh well, praise the Lord for air conditioning.

Friday night Stephen and I had a little date night at Corona's (Mexican food) and with a movie we rented.

Saturday night we had Daniel and Autumn over for dinner. We had a great time hanging out with them, eating dinner, fellowshipping, and watching funny youtube videos. Autumn brought over a Key Lime Pie that was delicious. I think Stephen ate at least 3 pieces!

Sunday we had a full day with family for Father's day. After church we went to my parent's house and grilled out and had chocolate fondue for desert. It was yummy. It is kind of fun because this year I gave Stephen a Father's Day card and gave things to our fathers saying how they will soon be grandfathers for the first time. After dinner we spent time talking and hanging out. Here is a picture of my sister Kelly with her dog "Bogard". Kelly and Nate got him when they were living in Guam with the Air force and when they moved back to the States about 3 years ago they had him shipped here. He is their baby:) and is a sweet dog.

Then we went to Stephen's parent's house for a little while to wish his dad a happy Father's day.

It was a good Sunday but I was so tired when we got home. I am learning I really have to pace myself being pregnant and rest when I need to. But I am so thankful for my father and the blessing of being able to celebrate with him, and I thank God for Stephen and the wonderful father that I know he will be. But most of all I am thankful for my heavenly Father who is so patient to "parent" me each day of my life.

Asheville Wedding - Post # 2

Saturday we headed up to the Asheville/Hendersonville area for a wedding. (See my previous post). The weather Saturday in Greenville was extreemly hot and I was wondering how that would affect their outdoor wedding. Stephen told me that he had prayed it would cool down for their wedding but as we left Greenville at 5:00pm it still was unbearable outside. So we started up 25 and got to 26 and when we did we suddenly noticed that it seemed cooler. Stephen rolled down the window and it was about 15 degrees cooler. And it wasn't just because we were going towards the mountains. We found out that it had rained earlier in that area and had cooled everything down. There was nice cloud coverage in the area and thier wedding weather was great. Praise the Lord. I had never been to a wedding quite like this one. It was very "Asheville" but was so much fun. It was very casual and was out on the land where John's family lives. During the day they had games for the guests, they had live music playing all day, the bride and groom were barefoot, there were tiki torches, candles, and flowers. The dinner was out under a large tent then they took all the chairs out from the tent after dinner and set them up in front of the altar for the ceremony. It was very laid back but pretty. There were even fire flies all around when it got dark and a great sunset. Then they had dancing with the dance floor and sound system set up in front of John's VW van. We met some cool people and enjoyed our time there. Congrats to John and Nicole! I hope you are having fun in Hawaii!

22 weeks pregnant

I had a baby appointment yesterday and everything was good. There was a strong heartbeat and they could hear Baby Burch moving all around inside. I had tons of questions and they were patient to answer every one of them:) I am a typical first time mother I guess. I am now finally starting to feel the baby move which is really cool. The miracle of life is amazing. I am so thankful for a smooth pregnancy so far. Thank you Lord!

Book Review: Disciplines of a Godly Family

You may have noticed two books that I have listed on the right side of my blog. I am going to write about one today and I will write about the other one in the future.

I just finished reading the book, "Disciplines of a Godly Family" that Stephen gave me for our anniversary, and it was so insightful. I enjoyed it very much! Just looking at the title it might seem like it is a very "stiff" or "intellectual" book but nothing could be farther from the truth. It is written by Kent and Barbara Hughes and they have four grown children who love the Lord and 18 grandchildren. Several of their children are in full time ministry.

This book is a very practical look at things they did to raise their children and things they have also learned from other people throughout the years. It was a great balance between biblical principles, practical advise, personal stories, and encouragement. It was also very easy to read and several of the stories brought tears to my eyes.

One chapter that I really enjoyed was the chapter on the "discipline of pursuing family ministry". They talk about how at the heart of the family is ministry because through the connections with their children they were able to witness to so many teachers, parents, and children of other faiths and religions. One Sunday the whole sports team Kent was coaching for his son showed up for church to hear him preach. Many of them were from different faiths.

Other chapters that were great were on "establishing a heritage," "promoting family affection", "starting family traditions", and "cultivating the soul". They also have lots of resources listed in the back of the book such as their family recipes, good reading lists for different age groups, and how they create the Advent Tree at Christmas time.

I would recommend this book to any young family. They are quick to point out in this book that they don't have all the answers, they aren't perfect, and every family is different. But also have some great advice that would be useful for any family desiring to raising godly children.

SC Primaries Today

Today is the Republican and Democratic Primaries to choose who will represent the Republican and Democratic parties for the Senate, Congress, and other local offices in November. So if you wanted to vote, don't forget to do so today.

Garage Sale Find

Saturday I got up early to go to garage sales, and grocery shopping. I was hoping it wouldn't be so hot in the morning. I was wrong.

I didn't find many baby things at the garage sales so I went ahead and did my grocery shopping and was headed home. On the way I passed through a neighborhood and saw a sign for 2 garage sales and decided to swing by.

I felt so bad for these people sitting outside selling things in the unbearable heat. The first house didn't have anything I needed but at the second one I saw baby crib. I went and looked at it and it looked really nice. It was solid wood and it was a model that turned into a toddler bed, and a twin bed. But I didn't want to impulse buy and I had groceries in the car. So I left, called Stephen to ask him what he thought, called my mom for her opinion, put up my groceries, and went to the ATM machine. I went back and asked the lady a few more questions about the crib. She wanted $75.00 for the crib and I asked her if she would throw in the umbrella stroller as well for the same price. She said yes and now I have my baby crib! I am not an experienced "garage saler", but I thought it was a pretty good deal. It is all put together and it now just awaiting a new mattress (I don't want to use a used one), bedding, and of course baby Burch.:)

Here is a picture of one almost exactly like it that I found on the Internet.

Hot Weekend In South Carolina

This weekend is going to be a hot one! It is supposed to get up to 98 degrees on Saturday. I hope everyone plans on staying cool and hydrated. I am 21 weeks pregnant and if this is any indication of how the rest of the summer is going to go, it could be one long summer for me. I plan on doing my Saturday shopping in the morning to beat the heat. Then in the afternoon we will be in Asheville where it is supposed to be cooler, BUT the wedding will be outside. I hope there is a lot of shade:)

I have my next doctors appointment next week. I am hoping for a good report. I haven't felt a lot of kicking yet, only flutters. Did anyone else only feel this around week 21? I am ready to feel some good kicks!

Have a great weekend.

Grandma's Special Touch

My Grandmother was an excellent cook. My mom said that her dinners growing up were a three course meal almost every night. There were always vegtables from the garden, meat, home made biscuits, and deserts. Of course a lot of this southern style food was not always the healthiest :) but always very tasty! Holidays for us as kids were always a treat because of all of the things she cooked.

Since she passed away a few years ago we all try hard to copy the things she used to make for Christmas and Thanksgiving. It took mom a few years but she now has gotten her dressing to taste almost like grandmas. But there are somethings that seem impossible to copy because she just had a special touch. You can take a recipe she wrote out and follow it exactly and it still doesn't taste the way you remembered it. Recently I have been trying to practice her recipe for chocolate cake for Stephen's birthday. Although the icing doesn't taste bad it doesn't harden the way hers did. Also there are several places we found it written down and they both are different. I am sure she just knew how to add a little of this and that to make it perfect. This is one recipe we (mom, sisters, and I) haven't tried because we just don't bake a lot of sweets. (because if we did we would eat them all the time:) So I guess I will keep practicing!

John and Nicole - An Asheville Wedding

This Saturday, Stephen and I are planning on going up to Asheville to attend the wedding of John and Nicole. It will be outside and I know will be a lot of fun. Stephen and I met this couple in an unusual way. For about year before we met them Stephen had found a site on the Internet called http://www.relevantrevolution.com/ which took clips of sermons from great preachers and set them to beats and music. They were really creative and a powerful way to share these messages. Then one day he realized that the person responsible for this site and ministry lived in nearby Asheville. So he e-mailed him and we ended up getting together one weekend. John and Nicole had just started dating and although we had just met them, we ended up spending about 6 hours with them that night:)

John's testimony is really amazing and we enjoyed hearing the stories of what God had done in their lives to bring them to this point.

Nicole is very creative too. She is a photographer. You can see some of her work here. Over the past year we have gotten to know them more and I know the Lord has a lot in store for this couple. I pray that they will have an amazing God centered marriage.

(The picture at the top is from Nicole's facebook page)

2 verses I have been meditating on

Yesterday I spent some time mediating on 2 verses in Ephesians 4.

Eph 4:2 - with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love.

Eph 4:32- Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.

Those verses are very familiar yet when I read them afresh as I did yesterday they always bring new conviction and heart check. Although I am a person who will usually not show anger on the outside it doesn't mean that my heart is being "gentle, patient, and showing tolerance in love" on the inside. When I think of how much Christ has forgiven me again and again, I am so ashamed of how easy it is for me not to be tenderhearted and forgiving sometimes. Yet this is the mark of maturity in the Lord and ultimate Christ likeness. It also brings freedom and peace for our own souls.

I pray that today if anyone is struggling in these areas that God use these verses to encourage you and that He will give you the grace to do only what is possible to do in His power.

1 Corinthians 13:1 "If I speak with the tongues of men and angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."