It's a Beautiful Mornin'

Last night I received news that Ryan and Sarah Bebee were heading to the hospital because her contractions were getting stronger. At 6:00 this morning I received a picture text of a beautiful baby girl named Brooklynn Grace Bebee. The labor and delivery went unexpectedly fast and due to the treacherous weather conditions we were a bit delayed in getting to the hospital. Thanks to Michael and his fantastic truck we were able to rejoice with the Bebees in person and see the new bundle. Here are pics from the beautiful snow and beautiful Brooklynn Bebee. Congrats again Ryan and Sarah! We do love you guys.

Texas D-Now, California funerals...Gee it's good to be home in Kentucky!

On Thursday January 15th, I along with 9 other folks from Kentucky loaded on a plane and headed to Eldorado, Texas. Our mission was to teach the good news of Jesus Christ and the theme of the weekend was Spiritual Warfare. We knew going into the weekend that we were putting ourselves on the frontline of the battle ground with the theme that was chosen. What i didn't expect was a phone call on Friday night before the basketball games that informed me that my grandfather Raymond A. Booth had died. I had my moment, yet I also felt an urgency like none other to share the gospel with these kids. What Satan may have wanted to use to distract me was used for God's glory. Along with the news that my grandfather had died was the new that my cousin Priscilla Sanders had also died due to a battle with cancer. You can go here to see the tribute her husband made for her and the honorable and inspirational life she lead.

The Scripture that hit me at the game on Friday night was Luke 9:59-60:

To another he said, "Follow me."

But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."

And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead.

But as for you, GO and PROCLAIM

THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

Through prayer and grace the Lord gave everyone one of us the strength to go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Each one of the preachers (Jason, Eron, Dustin and Blake) that weekend gave a word that was powerful. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us eachother to build one another up, to pray for one another, to exhort and encourage one another in the truth that through one heart, one mind and one Spirit we can go forth in boldness and love and proclaim the truth of the gospel to the town of Eldorado. Please continue to pray for these youth and for Shea and Sylas (the youth minister and his wife).

Sunday we boarded the planes once again and I received news that my grandmother had passed out and was in the hospital. This prompted me to find tickets to California and rush by my families side. We arrived Sunday night in Louisville and by 2:00 Monday afternoon I was back in the airports once again. Monday was Priscilla's funeral, and the days to follow were filled with funeral plans in loving memory of my grandfather. Due to the fact that my grandparents had just moved to Orange County there was no church family or anyone to help with the arrangements. I can now add funeral planner to my resume though. The service was Friday and was very nice. Family members from all over California came in and afterwards we gathered for an after-party and sang around the piano for hours.

Needless to say...it has been a week. Thank you all so much for your prayers. I am undeserved of the grace of God that has brought the friends and family that I have in my life. Thank you so much for mourning with me and encouraging me. Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior who gives and takes away. Truly His lot for me is good.

Speaking of good...it is good to be home in Kentucky. I have lived out of a suitcase for 4 weeks out of this 6 week break from school. It is time for that break to be over as I start a new semester on Monday. By the way....3 A's and 1 B....makes a 3.7 for my first semester's GPA!!!

I love you all!!!

I have needed to update since I returned from Texas and have been busy to say the least. My trip was great and the time with loved ones was wonderful. I love Texas and always will and yet I am glad to be back in my new home Kentucky. I went to Fort Worth, Houston, San Angelo and Dallas and did anything from sneeking on rooftops to the stomach bug. The time was delightful and I am almost fully recovered from the amounts of food and the sleep deprivation that took place. Another update to come soon I am sure...Until then here are some pictures.

Coming Home

"I'll be home for Christmas"

Well this post is to inform you all where I will be and when I will be where.

Please give me a call if you want to get together. I don't want to miss seeing my dearly beloved due to lack of contact. I can't wait to see ya'll.

Thursday, December 18th: Fly to Fort Worth and stay with Kasey that night.

Friday, December 19th: Meet Cousin Chad and drive to Houston late that evening.

December 19th-22nd: Humphrey family Christmas

Monday, December 22nd: Ride back to San Angelo

December 22nd-Jan 2nd: In San Angelo

January 2nd: Ride with Dalgliesh's to Fort Worth

January 4th: Fly back to Louisville.

Tis' the Season For Ugly Sweaters

As most of you know, as of 2:30 on Friday afternoon, I completed my first semester of my pursuit for a Masters of Arts in Biblical Counseling at Southern Seminary! And, what better way to celebrate than with dear friends...

U-G-L-Y...You ain't got no alibi,

your ugly yeah yeah your ugly

I am not sure if any of you remember that horrible, unedifying chant from when we were in school in the yonder years and less that mature. It seems appropriate to pull it out and dedicate it to the sweaters for this occasion. Let me make that clear...it is dedicated to the sweaters...the people in the sweaters are ridiculously good looking.

So, needless to say, what do you get when you put together: wassail, snacks, Christmas decorations, Mad Gab, Taboo, $1 gift items for a white elephant gift exchange, and beautiful friends dressed in horrible, repugnant, hideous, ugly sweaters....well, see for yourself....

A JOLLY GOOD TIME!

I would also like to take the time and thank the Free Store on campus that made this party possible. Without the donations of these horrendous sweaters the smiles may have not been as big nor the pictures so wretched. So thank YOU free store!

Deck the Halls of the Eyrie

On December 1st, here in Louisville, we had 3 snow falls and the roomies and I got together, made dinner, played the classic Christmas music, put up Christmas decorations, arranged some furniture and ended the evening with coffee (decaf) and the movie Elf. It was a fun time and needless to say things got a little out of hand (Sarah! haha)

TADA! next post....'Tis the Season for Ugly Sweaters'

A Texas Thanksgiving in Louisville

I am pretty sure I can confidently say that fun was had by all, and this Thanksgiving was a hit. Friends and food arrived at my place at 1:00.

We gathered around and shared what we were thankful for, prayed and then the devouring began.

The food was phenomenal and the fellowship was sweet. After we ate the clean up was fast and easy (Praise the Lord for dishwashers). The girls went for a walk by the river and reservoir while the boys watched football. Upon our return I set up a coffee bar and we partook in the delicious desserts.

The final element that made the evening that much sweeter was the laughter that filled my home from the game Boxers or Briefs.

The guests left at 9:00 and I retreated to my destination for the next few days. So...here I sit..reminiscing by the fire of this beautiful home that I am house sitting at...could this day have been better?

All praise, honor and glory be to the God that saved me, sanctifies me and has been ever so gracious to me. Truly I am blessed.

I have a blog?

Of course I know that I have a blog, yet the number of recent posts would prove otherwise. I do apologize to those of you who take thirty seconds to click on my blog only to realize that it is the same ol' same ol'.

School has been great and time consuming. I have written 8 small papers, 2 big research papers and 2 big projects since the last post. One of those research papers took me 23 hours total to complete. I have also continued the great amount of reading required for each course. I can say assuredly that I am thankful for the Lord's provision and plan of bringing me here. Although it can be overwhelming at times, since there are huge concepts being thrown at me in short periods of time, the nuggets of truth my mind can grasp have been ever so sweet. I am thankful for the Professors at Southern and for the Lord that has gifted each of them with such wisdom and knowledge to equip us all.

The Lord has been teaching me a lot about being faithful. There is so much to be said in that one little word. More than anything I am praying that the Lord would continue to grace me with faithfulness not only during my time here at Southern, but in all that I do. May I be a faithful daughter of the King first and foremost. In all that I do it should be for the glory of God and my enjoyment in Him. May I be a faithful friend that is willing to serve, love, rebuke, edify and be true to my word. May I be a faithful student, not only at Southern once again, yet in all my relationships. There are so many thing to learn rather it be from the kids I care for or my almost 90 year old grandmother. I could continue, but I must wrap this e-mail up to be faithful with my time. Haha.

I want to give thanks to the Lord for bringing me here and surrounding me with such incredible people. Though home and the relationships there will be hard to be so distant from at times, I can truly say that I love this place.

Future post to look forward to:

-The Texas Thanksgiving in Louisville

-Deck the Halls of the Eyrie

-Tis' the Season for Ugly Sweaters

I ask that you pray for me as I study for finals that will take place December 1st-5th. Pray that I would retain the material well, not merely for the test but for the glory of God for the years ahead of me.

"What just happened?"

I have to tell you that i had the oddest experience on campus today. My roomies boy friend is a music student at Southern and for one of his classes he has to teach personal voice lessons. Needless to say he talked me into being his voice student. Today was the final lesson that took place in front of his class. The beginning went well and I felt pretty comfortable. He had warned me that his prof's practices are crazy and she tends to touch people quite a bit. In the middle of the lesson she approached me and suddenly started prompting me, "Are you ready, ready! Go UT, ready to sing..." as she was touching me and then she went to the piano and told me to start singing...I did as she said and then she said, "ignore me" as she proceeded to stand up, grap my hand and frolic around the room pulling me along with her shouting, "Sing, Sing!" I looked at Brennan and he was horrified. There I was...running around the room behind this professor singing in front of the whole class. Oh, my! Thoughts? Comments? I am just trying to figure out...what just happened?

The Serenity of Fall

Since my last post I have had my first mid-terms, my first canoe trip (in Kentucky at least), my first fall season filled with colors and my first visitor. Time here proves to stay consistently busy and very sweet. I have been homesick at times and have discovered the distancy of distance. Though at times home seems to me to be distant and a memory, the Lord is continuing to be so faithful in establishing a sweet community of friends and familiarity here.

On my way to work I pass a pond. Next to the pond is a Weeping Willow that sets the whimsical stage and framing the pond are trees dressed in their fall colors. The air has a crisp feel to it and yet is not uncomfortably cold. Beyond the pond I drive down a road whose trees arch over as if to create a tunnel of divine nature. The view is stunning and I pray that I never forget to praise God for the beauty of his creation and for His provision in bringing me here. Though the scene is a delight to the eyes, may I be delighted in God as exemplified in the story of George Muller's life.

When it comes to studies (such as George Muller) and mid-terms I can't help but think about what Dr. Stuart Scott stated in class that "I was not commanded by God to come to Seminary in the Scriptures and my A will not impress the Lord. I was, however, commanded to love the Lord, love others, etc..." I am continually realizing that I cannot perform to please God or even others at that. The important thing during my time of equipping here is that I am sanctified and that I would be able to be a tool to teach and disciple others for years to come. As you can see in the picture above the books can seem overwhelming. Yet the things I learn are to benefit others and glorify God. At the point I loose this mindset and begin to worry about grades over the education, I will have then missed the purpose of my being here. David Platt questioned whether we were training to be receivers or reproducers. There are applications and truths that I am learning, yet I should never keep them to myself. I pray that the things I am learning here would overflow in my speech for the edification of those around me for the Lord's namesake. The more I am learning in my study of God (theology), the more I am learning about myself and others. I am left with the truths discovered and my heart to be searched and sought by the Holy Spirit.

I have also be so blessed recently by a taste of home through a visit with Shea Polite. Our time has been precious to me and so edifying. Her hunger for God and her personal discipline has left me encouraged and spurred on. Tomorrow we take her to the airport and it is going to take everything for me to not want to climb on the plane to see my dearly beloved in Texas. I do look forward to that trip during Christmas break though. Until then, fall break for me dwindles. It is time to hit the books and start retaining and writing again. I am still in the midst of a church search. In the midst of this search I have gained such a love and appreciation for the church and have had narrowed my choices. Thank you for your prayers in the midst. I cannot proclaim my love for you all enough. Please continue to keep me updated on your lives and prayer requests.

I love you all and until next time...grace and peace.

IKE!

Hurricane Ikes winds caused considerable amounts of damage around the Louisville city and suburbs, and were the cause of lost power for over 340,000 customers. My friend Blake White posted these pictures from his friend. Click here to see Ike destruction in Louisville, KY.

I survived the storm

I write to you today with electricity. That is a big statement here in Louisville. On Sunday we experienced Hurricane Force Winds from Ike. There are trees down on most streets and the power is out in more that 70% of the town. It has been wild at grocery stores and gas stations. I am learning to be thankful for the little things like hot water and electricity. It is humbling to know all that we have and how little so many others have elsewhere. I have found myself complaining about taking a cold shower and realize just how comfortable I am here. I am glad that the Lord takes away comforts for us to be glad in Him alone. The seminary has been shut down throughout the entire week which means that I pick up more hours at work and convince myself to stop procrastinating and start catching up on school work.

Many are asking how my time here has been and how school has been going. Well, in short, my time here is great and school is enlightening. Haha. Ok, so really...I am so thankful for my friends here. They have been great! Not only am I blessed by my Texas friends, but I am so thankful for the others that are coming into my life. For instance, Corrie Ann has been a doll since day 3. I cannot thank the Lord enough for the encouragement and spirring on that I have received. I am challenged daily by the lives of these people. As for school...fantastic. I can honestly say that I am not sure if I like the writing much, but if that keeps me under the teaching of this great institution, then I will gladly write.

Now, in reguards to work, the boy have been great for the most part (hey, we all have our moments). Today we went to the Zoo and Q'Dobas and they learned how to wink. It was so precious. I can say that these two boys have also taught me so much thus far. August is in this inquisitive stage and every other sentence out of his mouth is a question. There have been occasions where I have been able to share the gospel with him, but overall he is teaching me to think upon things. There is a sweetness in seeking and knowing and I am gaining a thankfulness for the position I am in to seek and know the Creator and Redeemer during my time at Southern and forevermore.

I know this is a short update and hope to update soon. I will leave you with this ....

The Bebee's and friends came over for the great reveal:

Is it a boy or girl?

It's a GIRL! Congrats Bebees!

First Month Home

The picture that starts this blog is one that I took at Huber's Farm. The Plevans were gracious to take me with them to this U-pick-it Farm, Orchard and Winery; and I must say that I loved it. We picked raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and peaches. We had a picnic near this pond where this swan and fish were being fed. The swan would be annoyed by the fish and would nip at them with his beak on their heads. I am sure that you could use this picture in a sermon and talk about the sin that so easily entangles us as we strive for purity as a beautiful swan...but it is probably best to leave it as a pretty cool picture. My time here has been sweet and I would like to give praise and adorations to our lord for the provisions and growth he is already granting.

I started classes last Monday and in 1 and 1/2 weeks I have read about three and 1/2 books along with some other small readings. I am learning so much about the Holy Spirit in my Systematic Theology class. It has been so neat to see us as Christians as annointed ones that through the Holy Spirit we are equipped with wisdom and power. In my Spiritual Disciplines class we have started accountability and have been learning the discipline of journaling. There is something to be said about the spiritual evaluation and legacy that can be left behind when a pen hits the paper. In my Biblical Counseling class I am reading "Seeing With New Eyes" and truly my eyes have been opened to ministering to souls as well as examining my own life. I highly recommend this book. I will also be doing a Sanctification Project in that class. Basically I will be counseling myself through the area of contentment throughout the semester and in the end I will have the tools to be able to counsel someone else through the areas of contentment. Though it will not be easy to combat this area of sin, I look forward to the end result...sanctification. I was able to attend my Shepherd Group today and sat once again under the care and direction of Dr. Stuart Scott along with 4 other guys. We will meet monthly throughout the semester and I look forward to continue to place myself under such wisdom and counsel. Finally I have been learning how to write "Southern" style in my Written Communications class. There is no MLA format here...no sir. At chapel this Thursday, Dr. Moore taught on the Doctrines of Election. Everyone needs to listen to this sermon. He speaks through the authority of the scriptures and urges and encourages the church. You can listen to it here. I have been blessed every Monday with his teaching and look forward to the rest of the semester.

It is still weird to say that this place is my home, yet the Lord has been gracious in making it feel that way. I praise him daily for the people and the classes he has placed in my life. I am also very thankful for my job. I started as a nanny this week with August (5) and Charley (3). We have already had a picnic, bike rides and fun at Cherokee park and I look forward to time at the zoo, museums, library, etc... I have been to three churches and have enjoyed them all which makes me think that I have a hard decision ahead. Which leads me to my prayer requests:
1. Contentment
2. A Church Home and discernment
3. Studies- that I may no only retain the information and write the papers well, but that I would be more concerned with being sanctified in the midst.
4. My dad- He is in California with my grandparents and aunt. My grandfather had a stroke this summer and they have been struggling through some short term and now long term memory loss. Pray for peace, patience and joy in the midst.
5. My Cousin Blake- He found out today that there is a mass on his spine in between V4&5. On September 11th they will take out the mass and biopsy it for cancer. Pray for him, his wife Kel, his son Brandon and his baby Ryan (Mr. Baby). May the Lord grant peace and healing.
6. My computer is not working for some reason, which could pose a problem since I need to write three papers in the next two weeks. I am going to the IT department at the school tomorrow to see if there is something we can do.

Love Ya and I hope to keep up with this blog at least monthly. I may also include some of my book reviews for those of you interested. Until next time...God bless and keep me posted on how I can pray for you.

I am a Kentuckian?!?

It's true and not only do I have to preach the gospel to myself daily, but I also have to remind myself that I live and reside in Kentucky. The first few days were rough to be honest. The Lord was gracious to provide my dad and great helpers to move me into my new home. In 24 hours I had the place together/unpacked and shortly after all picture were hung. My roommate called me a little Texas Tornado and below are the before and after pictures of our "Flip that Apartment" episode. I remember sitting on the couch across from my dad and hearing the first voice form home and bawling. It's true I am a girl and not only do I have that against me but I am a girl who has never moved her entire life. I looked at my furniture in this unfamiliar place and said, "the people that I picture sitting on this furniture are in Texas and I already miss them terribly."

Well...graciously, the Lord has provided incredible people here in Kentucky that not only have taken me under their care but they fit well in the furniture. The furniture was put to test when we had a little get together of about 14 of us and it was a joy to show hospitality and fellowship in my new home. I celebrated my birthday at a great Cuban Restaurant with fun friends and roomies. After resigning from Dorothy Sayers after two days of training, I now have a job as a nanny with the Rothpletz family. The boys are 3 and 5 and I am excited about the days ahead of us at the zoo and museums. Oh yeah...school starts Monday. I bought my book and in my bedroom picture you can see the stack of reading the Lord has blessed me with this semester on the floor next to the couch. I have been busy and have met some incredible people and am starting to think...I just may like this place. A fun weekend awaits me and I hope to update you soon with that. Thank you for your prayers, wisdom and support through this time of change and transition in my life. The Lord is so faithful to me and I am overwhelmed by his grace, mercy and provision. I should write a blog soon to glorify the Lord in His provision for school. Until then know He is a great provider. To God be the glory...

DINING ROOM BEFORE

DINING ROOM AFTER

LIVING ROOM BEFORELIVING ROOM AFTER BEDROOM BEFORE BEDROOM AFTER