Merry Half Christmas

So I was recently reminded of a story from Christmas that makes me laugh and because Christmas is half way here I thought it was a perfect time to share!

Although my parents always get me gifts from both of them, it's obvious sometimes one of them really thought of the gift...So this Christmas my Dad got me an external hard-drive for my computer. I had been talking about getting one for a long time and even went to Best Buy to look at them, but the combination of no one helping me and the price tag quickly made me walk a way, needless to say I was very excited to receive one from my thoughtful father. My Mom got me a squishy green pillow. Mrs. Boyd (yes, Laura's mom) had got me one in high school at a Hot Rod Car Show and I like to hold it when I sleep. At one point the old pillow got so sad that I stuffed it in a pillowcase and kept using it (which probably just made it sadder!). So this was also a great gift, that I loved (my old pillow went in the trash Christmas morning.)

Okay now to the funny part. After opening my parents gifts, I opened Brad's and lo and behold an external hard-drive. Very thoughtful from Brad too, and I am sure he got to hear the extended version of me going to Best Buy and getting frustrated...so was a great gift!

That was on Christmas Day...the next day was a Sunday, Laura and I were in scheduled in the nursery, so we talked about what we had got for Christmas. Upon hearing of my new squishy green pillow, Laura said "I guess I'll take that back!" That's right she had got me the same thing that my Mom did.

I'm not sure what it says about me that my Fiance got me the same thing my dad did and my best friend got me the same thing my mom did, but I LOVE it and love them all too!

Faithfulness and Okey

These past couple week I have been reminded that my faithfulness comes before what my limited eyes view as success. Not in the "I just sit around and pray hoping God brings me stuff that I don't work for" way, but in the "I work harder then any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me" way. And it's true before any worldly titles I could hold or any other successes, faithfulness is still the thing I cannot do without.

What does being faithful mean for me....it means not rolling my eyes when I need to change my fourth poopy diaper of the morning and am only watching two kids, it means being on time places (I need to really work on this), it means praying before I even leave my house for the blessings and needs of the day, it means doing my work (paid or not) as if the Lord was my only employer. It means all of that and lots more.

Although in some ways I would have been happier without this reminder, it is good for me, and as an added bonus it made me think a lot about a pastor who is one of the best examples of a faithful person I know. Sometimes I wish I was in his small church of 60 or so people, on a humid Sunday morning, just a walk away from the Atlantic Ocean. I would listen to his preaching, hear his congregation members pray and sing, and then leave only to be greeted by his sweaty hug and handshake. This man on a causal weekday night stayed up going chapter by chapter through Revelation and Romans...He would also "host" a Theology night once a week where he would answer any question we college kiddos would have, always using scripture to answer the questions with a Bible in hand, but rarely needing open it, to quote it. His preaching is more faithful and simply put, better than many pastors with congregations in the thousands. He has many struggles in his life, but his faithfulness is steadfast. He is a man who unmistakably has been with the Lord.

His life by some outsiders may be looked upon as lacking success (pastor of a smaller aging church and former real estate agent), but his example to me is one of successful faithfulness in glorifying the Lord. I thank and praise the Lord for Okey and his example of faithfulness.