Happy Easter! ...here's two songs we sang on Easter Sunday!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

"Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!

Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!

Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!

Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!

Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!

Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!

Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!

Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!

Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!

Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!

Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia! "

-Charles Wesley, 1739

See What a Morning

"See, what a morning, gloriously bright,

With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;

Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,

As the angels announce, "Christ is risen!"

See God's salvation plan, Wrought in love,

borne in pain, paid in sacrifice,

Fulfilled in Christ, the Man, For He lives:

Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"

As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;

Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;

It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!

The voice that spans the years,

Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,

Will sound till He appears,

For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,

Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty.

Honor and blessing, glory and praise

To the King crowned with pow'r and authority!

And we are raised with Him,

Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;

And we shall reign with Him,

For He lives: Christ is risen from the dead!"

-Keith Getty, 2003

what Day was yesterday...?

Yesterday...March 21st was my Mom's Birthday!!
She is such a blessing...and I want her to know how much I love her!!


Here's our family's silly Birthday song:
"Happy Birthday Happy, Happy Birthday! This is your day, so have a lot of Fun!
Blow out the candles on your cake and make a wish and we'll serve every body's favorite dish, Happy Birthday Happy, Happy Birthday! This is your day, so have a lot of fun!!"

Thanks Mom for all you do and have done for me all of my life!!! I am eternally grateful for your care and unconditional love that points me to our Christ!!:)

Here is a list of characteristics that make my Mom very Special:
1. Her listening ear
2. Her quick to encourage heart
3. Her love for the Nations and the lost around her
4. Her love for traveling and learning
5. Her love for reading
6. Her care for our family and her church
7. Her quick wit humor!
8. Her great skills in spontaneous tap dancing!:)
9. Her ability to spell crazy hard words!
10. Her teach ability and desire to grow in the Lord!
11. Her graciousness in forgiving quickly when wrong done to her!
12. Her example in submission/helper to her husband, Biblical Womanhood!
13. Her prayers and love for the word of God!

...these are just some ways the Lord has made her and how He has and is transforming her more into the image of Christ! It is so fun to see the Lord working in my Mom's heart, for her good and God's glory!

I hope you had a wonderful day Mom, and that you were super refreshed and encouraged and reminded of God's faithfulness to you all of your days!!

I LOVE YOU! But, Most of All, God has set His Love on you in Christ!

Happy Birthday Happy!

the perscuted church...

Here's a website that helps awareness of what is going on around the world! It breaks us from our little "bubble" in the west and shows us what God is up to around the world! Check it out! And join and be a member in order to see latest news and prayer request! Even though we may not be able to go overseas right now to share our hope in Christ, we have a huge role to play in praying for the ones who are risking their life's in dangerous areas abroad! I pray that God would grow our vision for His heart for the Nations and that we would be obedient in prayer...that the Lord would be exalted among all the Nations...and in that His Kingdom would come! For Christ is the Hope of the Nations and God is gracious in drawing His children to Himself and He won't stop till He gathers His people to worship Him!

I have a desire to "Go" to the Nations...I'm not sure what that will look like? If that means the Lord wants me to be faithful to mobilize His heart for the Nations state-side and be intentional with "loving my neighbor" here, or perhaps He has a place for me over-seas!? I do love cultures and learning from those who are different from me! Please pray that the Lord would direct my steps for my future...for His glory, I pray!

"Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in all the earth!" -Psalm 46:10

What will be your part in advancing His kingdom? Will it be through the faithful work you do at your job, school, neighborhood, in your family and at your church (all given through His grace and the "good gifts He has prepared in advance for us to walk in")? This to is how His Kingdom is advanced...through His children being faithful to proclaim Him in place He has placed us! Perhaps it will be to "Go"! This has been an increasing desire of mine ever since I hit my college days...for now it's time to wait and see what the Lord has. Perhaps a better question is not "If I will go" but "When will I go?" May He give us a heart that is willing to risk our life...knowing we are not our own and are called to declare His name to all the earth! May He give "the persecuted church" boldness to share the Gospel and joy in Him in the midst of pain and struggle...knowing our destiny...that forever we will be with our King!! How can our mouths not share this hope we have!? And how often I am quick to not speak at all! May God give our hearts compassion for the lost and in truth and in love point them to our Christ! Oh, I need more grace to be faithful to share the Gospel where God has placed me today! Here's some truth in God's Word to remind us of our living hope...may He use His Word to change our hearts and that would change how we live! For His glory....lets be prayer worriers for the persecuted church!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." -1 Peter 1:3-7

Snow Day!!

Louisville can get snow! It's amazing to actually see snow and not just ice! We've already have had 3 snow days in the past month! So Fun! We were snowed in this past weekend and I didn't even have to go to work! Instead, we went sliding!! So Fun! I wonder if this will be our last snow day of the season? Even though I'm ready for Spring to come, I'm thankful for this season today and learning to enjoy each season in life. Knowing that it's the Lord who places us where we are for our very good, that we might know Him more. For we have so much to be thankful for! The Lord is teaching me the art of thankfulness and true contentment. This most likely will be a life-time process to grow in thankfulness! He is committed more then I am, to conform me into His image and to make me fully delighted in Him alone (not just the gifts He gives or circumstance). May God continue to change us to be thankful in Him, overflowing from a heart of worship. He has given more than we ever knew we needed, Redemption through His beloved Son! As Christians, we ought to be the most happy, joyful people alive!! I have been forgiven much, so considering Christ should produce genuine thankfulness....even when life's hard and circumstances seem mundane! By His grace, let's look to our Redeemer and walk in thankfulness!! ...Anyone have other thoughts/insights about thankfulness you want to share to help in this journey?!

Enjoy the pics!

"Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Check out my Slide Show!

I've Been Tagged!!!

Thanks Jill for tagging me!! ...this brings up many funny memories, and great laughs!:)

10 Years Ago:
I was a freshman in high school walkin' the fast lane of Popularity....No wait, let's be honest here. I was the shy, awkward and bit silly and naive. I was on the tennis team and just tried to stay out of the way of upper class man. I think the reason I joined tennis team was for the way "cute" older guys on the team. I played board games on the weekends with my two best friends, which would often end by one of them peeing on themselves (not me) because we were laughing so hard, I can't tell you what we were laughing at...but we often did and often were super silly! Oh the old days that I can laugh at now, for reals. But, thankfully God is merciful to change us and mature us from our stupidity (in which He is still doing).

Things on My To Do List Today:
*Meet with some girls this morning for coffee at 7:30am (and I wasn't late!)
*Work out after that (and I actually did).
*Read for my classes (I still have tons more to read, which is normal).
*Lunch with my friend Esther and then planned to "read" together after! aka, talk more after!
*Work from 6-11pm

What Would I Do If I Suddenly Became a Billionaire?
I think I would freak out and pay for every person I know who has school loans (self-included). Then in my room-mates exact words, "feed Africa, cure cancer, free all air pollution". I'm on board with that...and then send out tons of missionaries to all the nations who haven't heard the Gospel yet. Then, let's be honest perhaps after I finish my masters here, go back to school to study the arts and practice painting under famous artist....that would be so cool. Oh, and did I mention travel, travel, travel! ....And, finish my personal library collection of every book I've ever wanted to own and perhaps get around to read! OK, I'm done, I promise. :)

3 of My Bad Habits:
1. I can't spell very well (and I don't always catch my errors, and being in grad. school to write papers doesn't always work out so well!)
2. Sometimes I don't brush my teeth before bed....I know that sounds gross, but sometimes I'm just too tired and/or lazy to get around to do it....I know that it can't be good because I drink coffee! yuk, I'm grossing my self out....maybe I'll work on that! At least I maintain washing them in the morning regularly.
3. I rarely vacuum my car out and get all the crumbs and junk all out! OK, this is kind of making me seem super dirty...but I'm not that disgusting. I just don't take time to clean it out in a super detailed way. And, so I spill say Diet Coke on the carpet...I think, "oh well, not the first time it's happen" ....maybe I should work on this too!

5 Jobs I've Had:
1. Baby-sitting was my first job.
2. I worked for a small family's insurance company. Needless to say, I didn't last long. It was my first "real" job at 16 and I was left alone in a little office by myself each day. I ended up calling my friends, sisters, mom and just talked with them while I "worked"( I didn't have my own cell phone yet, so I would take my mom's for my personal calling time at work). I was so bored and don't think they really liked me there either...that we had a mutual agreement that I'd stop working there. It lasted all of two months, I'm surprised I made it that long!
3. I worked at the Gap in High School, the one at the Collin Creek Mall....and this fit me very well! I loved working there, until I had to graduate and go to college and grow up.
4. Cleaning houses for some extra cash flow from time to time in college.
5. Working at a Collection agency for Library's is my current job. I have to say, I never saw this coming in a million years. But, it's good for while I'm in school and yeah, it works out OK. Makes me laugh and others too, every time I tell someone!:) I had no clue that library's had collection agencies!!?

5 Things You Might Not Know About Me:
1. I've lived over-seas for a year and went back-packing through the UK and Europe, just being 18 years old (what were my parent's thinking?)
2. I love having my toes painted at all times, even in the winter months.
3. I enjoy a really good cleaning job....I get out my frustration on my tub and 409/bleach my stove like no other, speaking of which my little apartment needs that done again.
4. I just started eating scrambled eggs for the first time since "adulthood" about 8 months ago. I use to hate eggs and think how strange they were, and they are if you think about it. But if you add milk and cheese, and salt; it doesn't get much better for a tasty, cheap meal.
5. I don't have a middle name. In fact, my parents didn't give any of my sisters middle names!

Now I'm Tagging: My room-mate Chandler, my sister Aimee and Ali, and my friend Jennifer Simmans, and anyone who wants to fill this out on your blog....let me know if you do! (not sure if any of these girls will, but might as will ask!:)

Introducing: Jaxson Casey Henegar!

My newest "little man" in my life.....my 5th nephew to be born (I have 2 cute nieces too)! All weekend I kept calling my sister's new baby, "my little man" because he was born with thick dark hair and looks already like a little man! Praise God for his health and easy delivery! And for my sister, April's health too! Everything went so smoothly this weekend! You would never believe that God made his heart to be on the right side of his little chest! What a miracle! Again, showing that it's God who sustains life! What a great picture of God's sustaining power in Jaxson's life! This will be a testimony to God's faithfulness to our family...we didn't know what the implications of his heart being on the opposite side of body would mean? Yet, so far this "little man" is doing really well! He was born at 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long w/ wavy brown hair and great coloring! The doctor's will run some more tests this next month and see exactly what is happening inside his little body! I'm just curious to wonder how it's all working!?

For we know...The Lord is the one who formed him in his mother's womb and is the One who holds all of life together! We praise Him for he was fearfully and wonderfully made and hand-crafted by God's design! It was such a joy to be with my family this weekend to celebrate life and be reminded who is the Author of life!

Psalm 139:13-16

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the

depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book before one of them came to be."

(stay tuned for more family pictures from the weekend to come!)