We love this time of year...

The Christmas music (my favorite is O Holy Night), bright and happy decorations, fun parties and get-togethers with friends and family (ok, the amazing food too), wonderful presents…no wonder it’s labeled “The most wonderful time of the year”. I really love this time of year! Wally laughs at me, but it’s so full of joy…He says I start asking when I can listen to Christmas music and put up decorations in February (that’s an exaggeration, I at least make it to July OK…) I just can’t help but look forward to it with crazy anticipation, enjoy it as I’m in the midst as it flies by, and grieve just a little as I look back at how much fun it was. Am I the only one who thinks my house looks so sad and lonely when the tree come down, lights are taken off, and mantle becomes bare? That’s the exact reason I leave it up past New Year’s….I just can’t stand to put my house through the torture…ok, and myself too haha! But in all seriousness, Wally and I had an amazing Christmas season! We got to celebrate with family in Farwell this year, and had a splendid time making our “White Christmas” dream, a reality (snowing the whole day Christmas day!) It was a blast… we got to eat great food (probably too much of it), play some hilarious games (you have got to try the game “Say Anything” if you haven’t), and open some awesome gifts, and best of all spend some precious time with family we love. I thought I would share a great thought my dad shared on Christmas morning after reading the Christmas story as we were eating breakfast, about to open our gifts. He simply encouraged us to remember that we give gifts to the people we love, because God has already given us the best gift of all, Jesus Christ, who gives us life, because he loved us so much. I thought this was a great thing to keep in mind and transform my thoughts as I can so often get overwhelmed and consumed with getting everyone on my gift list checked off and wrapped. Instead, I want to keep the mindset that I am getting gifts for people because I love them and as I see them open it, it not only blesses them, but brings me joy as well, and ultimately brings a reminder of the ultimate gift to everyone, Jesus Christ. So enjoy some pics of our JOYFUL holiday season, may they bring you JOY as well….Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, God Bless You…..Love, Micah

Collin, Shelby, PaPaw, GranGran, Curt, Wally, Me, Laney, Macey, and Tanner (in Spirit)

Curt, Wally, Me, Mom, Dad

Dad, Mom, Grandad, Uncle Darron, Aunt Vickie

My cousin Nathan and his wife Alyson

My cousin Jarrod

 We told Grandad he was hip in his trucker cap....style always recirculates you know!

Champ loved the snow (and eating it)

 Yes...we got Champ a stocking...and he was super excited to get his rope :)

 Thanks Pinterest for all my DIY Christmas decor....

 I got to use my Granny's Spode Christmas dishes....so cool!

Give Thanks with a Thankful Heart...

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thes. 5: 16-18

With "Thanksgiving" the holiday just behind us, I thought I would give you a little insight on what God's been teaching me about what thankfulness looks like in my day to day life, and how we as believers aren't simply called to celebrate a holiday once a year but live out thankfulness every day.

I know this verse is one of the most commonly known verses in the bible to many and one you see on every Christian poster, etc....but this year, it’s really taken on new meaning in my life.
One thing I notice is that Paul, in the very first statement, isn't urging me to rejoice and be thankful when I feel like it, when things go according to my plan, the way I want them, but instead, he uses the phrase "always". I thought for fun I would look up the term “always” (I know you might be thinking “duh”, everyone knows what always means, why in the world is she doing that, but hang with me) So here is what I found: “every time; on every occasion; without exception, all the time; continuously; uninterruptedly, forever: in any event; at any time” So with this meaning Paul’s encouragement contradicts my flesh and nature BIG TIME!! (That Paul, he tends to do that often!)

A prayer that is often times really hard for me to pray, but really humbling and good for me at the same time is “Thank you Lord for giving me exactly what I need” (So many times, I find myself saying this, but praying that the Lord changes my heart to actually believe it and walk it out) This lets me rest and find peace in the fact that HE is in control and sovereign (not me), and it’s all about HIM (not me), for HIS kingdom (not mine), for HIS glory (not mine) (Thanks T Bar M Camps for letting me borrow that phrasing). I am called to have faith, not understanding, that even when I question God, and don’t have a clue what He is up to, He is doing it for my good, and has my best interest in mind.

Wally and I have tried to make a habit of praying together before we go to sleep at night. As we were praying last night (Thanksgiving night), Wally was thanking God for how he has provided for us and how much he has blessed us (our families, our friends, moving in our first house, his job, our dog Champ (laugh if you want, but we are really thankful for him!), and the list could go on and on. He also thanked God for how He has graciously made us stewards for the things that are already His anyway. This is the attitude we long to have (not always successful at it, but strive daily towards that). What a humbling thought, that convicts me and pushes me to have a more generous heart. That what I so often refer to as “mine” is actually not….it’s God’s and I am simply taking care of it for a little while.

Well, hopefully you find some encouragement in that! It’s a struggle daily for me, but thankfully I don’t fight it alone. I have a faithful God who loves me and walks with me daily through it.

Happy Thanksgiving….may it not be a day once a year, but an attitude every day!

Love, Micah

Settling In...

So, we have been in Midland about 2 months now, and I can’t believe it! Time sure has flown by quickly….here is a little update on what we’ve been up to. Wally is getting used to his job at Crownquest, and I am still working on the house….motto, “slowly but surely”…more emphasis on slowly than the surely part it often feels like. Anyway, I am making some progress. I will post pics of the bathrooms I have finished. I completed my first season helping out coaching MCA cross country. It was one of those experiences that, at first, I asked myself, “Now why did I commit to this again?”, but by the end of the season, as the team and coaches celebrated with a spaghetti dinner, I realized just how much I enjoyed it. I got to know some great kids, a love the vision of MCA of not only challenging kids to improve running times and endurance on the course, but discipling them and teaching them about persevering through life as well as a long run. Wally got to present his talk on 2 Timothy 4, which he got to share at camp throughout the summer, with the cross country teams at the end of year dinner. He talked about how we, as believers, are encouraged by Paul, not only in 2 Timothy, but throughout all the scriptures and the rest of Paul’s writings, to live life with endurance through trials, with patience and joy, and also have a goal of pleasing God and getting His approval, instead of living to please man and gain his approval. He also shares the blessing God gave him through getting to see one of his teammates, David Tairu, live a life focused on God’s approval, not man’s. David gave up his starting position to Wally on senior night, a true act of selflessness, and blessed Wally tremendously. As a result, in the post game interview, David got to share the gospel on TV, in an explanation of why he did what he did. Although he didn’t get to at the cross country dinner, at camp Wally used Champ, our dog (who thinks he is our child) in an illustration of Hebrews 12:2 (fixing our eyes on Jesus). Wally instructed Champ to sit and stay and then placed a treat right at his feet. As Wally continued talking, Champ (most of the time anyway) kept his eyes fixed on Wally, his master. Champ lives for his master’s approval, so in order to gain it, he waited (mouth watering) to get the “OK, good boy” from Wally, as the go ahead to eat the treat. Funny that during this trick, when Champ’s eyes wander to the treat, instead of focusing on his master, he tends to not do as well (AKA eat the treat without the master’s permission, resulting in punishment). Wally used this to explain that throughout life, there are temptations everywhere, that may give us gratification for a moment, but very quickly the good feeling fades, leaving us craving more. On the contrary, we have a master who has our best interest at heart. When we fix our eyes on Him, instead of on the temptations, and consider his approval far better than anything we could temporarily get from temptations on earth, we will be greatly rewarded. Good lesson!

Grumps (Wally's grandfather) was inducted into the CAF hall of fame, so we got to go celebrate with him at a dinner.  So cool to hear what amazing accomplishments he has!

Wally turned 24 on October 14th and we got to celebrate with family and friends with a burger cookout at our house. It was a blast to have our first party at our new house…it also provided great motivation to get going on my projects haha!

I also started my 18 week training program for a MARATHON!!!! I am running the Austin LIVESTRONG in February, super exciting, but also a little overwhelming too. On top of the giant feat of simply completing 26.2 miles without passing out (or many other horrible things that could happen to the body by attempting this)….the Austin course is hilly! Really??? How am I supposed to train for hills in Midland, TX? I can’t even find a hill if I wanted to….well, I guess its weights, strength, inclined treadmill, and bleachers for me for the next 18 weeks…..sigh….But hey, on the brighter side, I have week 1 under my belt!

We got to enjoy some great time away this past weekend with some good friends. We went to Kerrville for an annual event we call YCR (Yound Couples Retreat). This year was the 3rd annual and we had a blast….tennis tournament, cards, fajitas, an amazing Red Raider win against OU, and lots more fun with Eric and Shelley DeShan (and Kate), Adam and Anna Reed (and Topher), Carrie and KC Stallings (and Holden), Keith and Becky Uhles, and Wally and I.

For a little update on the house projects, I finished both bathrooms! Mirrors down (check), primer on (check), texture (check), painted (check), new hardware on (check) Yippee ! I will post pics for you to see the transformation! (See previous blog post for what it looked like before)....sorry I am not the best photographer ....inspiration to come visit me and see it in person!

And for you all that live in Midland, I am starting a fitness bootcamp, so spread the word. I am offering 2 options, one in the morning on Monday and Thursday at 10 A.M. and one on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 5:30 P.M. Come out and join the fun! You can email or facebook me if you are interested and I can provide more details for ya.

Well, until next time, God Bless! Love, Micah

My new clock!

My "pottery barn" inspired wall

New Chapter in Life

So yes, I realize I haven't posted anything since March, so I am writing this blog thinking, "Man o man, this could go on forever." (Hence the four posts required to get all the pics in, please excuse that they are out of order, I couldn't get them in order without taking forever, so enjoy them!)....I might leave some details out, but try to give you a quick update to the best of my abilities, without boring you with a novel about every detail. Where to begin, where to begin...



Well, I guess the first big news is we now are homeowners (can't get over that fact, it makes me feel too old) and now live in Midland, TX. It was such a blessing to see how the Lord is truly sovereign over all things, even us finding the right house to move into. I will give you a short version of how God provided for us...We had been looking for a while and just couldn't seem to find anything we liked or that was in our price range. We were getting fairly frustrated, but kept looking, and tried to have faith that we would find something. Finally, we found 2 houses we liked, one of which had been on the market a while (rare at the time in Midland) and needed a lot of work, a "fixer upper", if you will. We made an offer on that one, and discovered just one hour before, someone had made an offer and it had been accepted. Sad day.....so we made an offer on the other one, and they didn't take the offer we made. We both didn't feel great about making another offer, and weren't crazy about that house, so we decided we would continue to look. Not even a day later, a house came on the market, 4 bedroom/ 3 bath, that was in a great neighborhood, and a great deal, in our price range. We jumped on it quickly (within hours of it being on the market), along with about 5 other offers. They had received our offer first, and told us if they could have a little extra time moving out, they wouldn't look at any of the other offers. Luckily, we were headed to camp for 3 months, so that worked perfectly for us. (Coincidence….I think not!)


So to the next thing, CAMP!! Wally and I grew up going to and working on the work crew and as coaches (counselors) at a camp called T Bar M Camp Travis, on Lake Travis, in Spicewood, TX. We love it and grew so much in our faith and walks with Christ while we were campers and coaches, not to mention, where the love sparks started flying! Anyway, we were so excited God opened the door this summer to be able to go back and serve on the leadership team, Wally as the worship leader and pool guy, and I was the marketing photo gal, tie dye lady, and was the nanny for 2 of the cutest girls in the world, Hallie and Macey Jo. We spent about 3 months there, and were blessed to be a part of the Lord’s work in changing people’s lives.


Wally graduated in May from Texas Tech with his degree in geology and is now working at Crownquest as a field geologist, with his dad and brothers. He is super glad to be done with school to say the least! He is learning his new job and getting the hang of this working, full time job, thing.


I thought it would be a good idea (well not exactly my choice but how it ended up working out) to go to camp and finish my thesis at the same time (YIKES!) It was the hardest, most exhausting thing I think I have ever done, but thankfully I successfully flew back to Lubbock during camp to defend it… ( long story…got caught up in security, almost missed my flight, got to present in front of an entire class, got delayed on the way back, yeah, long day to say the least) but successfully defended my thesis on Vitamin D and Athletic Performance in Male Collegiate Athletes! Woohoo, Finally! I got to walk across the stage August 6th with my master’s degree in exercise physiology. I am now trying to get EMPower Nutrition off the ground in Midland, doing some personal training, wellness coordinating, nutrition counseling, and hopefully starting bootcamps. (If ya know anyone interested, please let me know!) I also am helping coach MCA cross country, which has been a lot of fun!


My many house projects keep me plenty busy during the day as well. I have taking down wall paper, dismounted mounted wall mirrors (a little more difficult than expected), stripped paint off the bath tub (yuck…terrible) stained furniture, textured walls, and done some painting. (no worries, pictures to come!)


We are getting involved at our church, Midland Bible. Wally is leading worship for the youth and serves on the worship team, and helps lead the 7th-9th grade boys small group. I am helping with youth and helping lead the 10th-12th grade girls small group, and doing “My Beloved Disciple” by Beth Moore in ladies bible study. We also host a small group with Carrie and KC Stallings (they are living with us) at our home! Lots of fun!


We also still get to enjoy some Red Raider football, and travel to Lubbock on home game weekend to see some good ole Wreck ‘Em Tech!


God has been so good and faithful, and we are doing well and transitioning to our new chapter of life in Midland. We are truly thankful and blessed. Until next time….


Love,


Micah

Pics

Wally and I at his senior athletic presentation

Wednesday is Travis Tradition Day and "American Gladiators" was one of the events.  Lots of fun!

Wally competing in the TEC (Travis Extreme Challenge) ..,.both of our teams won ….yeah for champion T-shirts!

 

Me and my best friend Shan at Catherine’s wedding

Opening day at camp….Happy 30^th Bday T Bar M

My covenant girls….we got to go out to lunch once a week together….love these girls!

Pirates ….ARG!

Hallie (the little girl I nannied)….dressed as pirates!

Wally practicing for leading worship at lakeview (excuse the ackward look)….can’t beat this view each night, worshipping the creator of it!

David got to come and visit camp a couple of times and helped Wally with worship

All the Pi Phi angels at camp (minus Abby....missed you!)

Before….blah and black           After….added a bronze glaze….the extent of my creativity lol

The dreaded painted tub…..blah!

And the mess I created trying to strip it….not a good idea!