Thankfulness: Part 3

21. I am thankful for yoga. It is such a great way to spend time and it helps me feel relaxed and elongated. I am excited to see how much flexibility I gain in the next month. Here's to new things!
22. I am thankful for lunch dates. Zoe came home for a day and we had a chance to meet up and catch up. I sure have missed her, but it's nice to have the chance to talk about life events and pick up where we left off. Hooray for friends!
23. I am thankful for co-workers who like the Twilight movies. We went to see Breaking Dawn this morning and it was awesome. I can't wait for the next one to come out in a year (sadly they won't release it sooner).
24. Happy Thanksgiving! Today is a day when I really miss family, but I am truly thankful for Yang Li. He hosted this year and it was a great time. We ate tons of food, watched a few movies, and played on the kinect.
25. I am thankful for Black Friday shopping NOT in the wee hours of the morning. We just went to look around and see what we could and then buy things if we wanted. It's nice to not have pressure of any kind to stand in line or buy certain things, just look and buy what you want/see. And we got to sleep in :)
26. I am thankful for a winning football season. I am so excited that we got to watch a ton of games, especially today's against Ohio State. GO BLUE!
27. I am thankful for having time to decorate. I spent a couple hours rearranging the apartment and decorating for Christmas. It's the most wonderful time of the year :)
28. Today I am thankful for being able to buy presents for my family and friends. David and I are so blessed with enough money to share with them. I feel so very blessed! Praise the Lord for providing.
29. Today I am thankful for the women in my bible study. Last night we went back through the chapters we've covered and I realized these women have helped pray me through some really tough stuff and I know that I can go to them with anything I need prayer or advice on. Thank you Lord for all these women! (and that our bible study isn't over yet)
30. Today I am thankful for a couple things. First, I am thankful that I was prompted to spend this month focusing on what I am thankful for each day. It keeps life in perspective and helps me to focus positively. Secondly, I am thankful for a place to sleep/live that is warm and out of these crazy winds. God truly has blessed me.

Thankfulness: Part 2

continuation of my November thankfulness:

11. Today I am thankful for my boss. I wasn't feeling well today and she sent me home to get rest. It was hard to leave, but she had enough people to cover me for the rest of the day. I slept the rest of the day and am feeling MUCH better now.
12. I am thankful for football. I love fall when Saturday's are spent cheering on Michigan and watching them win :) It's been a good season so far and it's not over yet! GO BLUE!!!
13. I am thankful for restful weekends where David and I can reconnect with each other and spend quality time together. It always makes the week easier when we have time like this. Amazing how that happens!
14. I am thankful for Netflix. I love the random selection they have and how I can access it at any time. I really appreciate the convenience of it. I like the movies and tv shows they put up, especially new ones that I get hooked on (especially tv shows). Currently hooked on Melissa & Joey.
15. I am grateful for raffles today. I just won a $20 credit towards the Thirty-0ne catalog (all types of bags). Can't wait to use it on something for Christmas!
16. Today I am grateful for the time I spent at Rock-It Body Pilates. It helped me get an edge on my workout and to really work my muscles. I loved my time there and now I'm ready to start yoga!
17. I am thankful for a free afternoon to read. I love the Mark of the Lion series and started it up again earlier this week. I enjoy being engrossed by the storyline and characters.
18. Today I appreciate vacation days. Next week we are off from work and I have so many fun and relaxing things to do (or not to do). And it made today so much sweeter because I wouldn't be seeing my kids for a whole week (which is a much needed break). I can't wait to get this vacation started! :)
19. I am thankful today for Grayden Waterson! One year ago today he was born and made his way into the hearts of many. I love that little boy so dearly and am thankful I get to watch him grow-up. Happy 1st Birthday Grayden!
20. I am thankful for random shopping trips with friends. We went to Michael's and Home Depot and walked around picking up stuff we needed for the holidays. It is beginning to seem a lot like Christmas! (well after Thanksgiving anyway.)

November Thankfulness

I am going to update this daily (or try to) and create a whole list of things I am thankful for each day this month. It's a good way to keep my focus on the things the Lord has given me. Each number represents the day I am sharing about. 

1. I am thankful for my women's bible study. These women are such a blessing from God and I see myself growing into a more Christlike woman and that is exciting. It may be tough to get moving in the evenings, but I never regret going. I am so thankful for the peace and contentment I am learning about during this Calm My Anxious Heart study. 
2. Today I am thankful for Liz Koltz. She suggested that we do a pilates reformer class and I absolutely loved it. It kicked me in the butt, however my butt sure will look good when we are done with this class. Plus it was a groupon so the price was out-of-this-world fantastic. Blessings, blessings, blessings! 
3. The thing I am most thankful for today is wonderful coworkers. All the women at Journey's daycare center are wonderful and I just appreciate them all so much. They are so hardworking and caring that it makes my heart so very happy. I love going into work each day because of them and my job is so much easier with them there. What a wonderful place I work! 
4. I am grateful for rain. It is a rare thing to have rain in Southern California, but when we do, I absolutely love it. The smell, the feel, the panic that starts to form when I have to run from my car to the apartment :) I really appreciate it so much more because it doesn't happen that often here. I love rain!
5. I am thankful today for family in Southern California (the Waterson's). It is such a treat to spend time with the kids and watch them grow and change. It's also great to have another couple to talk to about life events and future plans. I love getting away and spending time with them.
6. The thing I am most thankful for today is friends. No matter what situations arise, we know we can rely on our friends and they can rely on us. It's like a pseudo-family we have developed here and we support each other in all circumstances. That truly is something I have been hoping for since moving here and the Lord has finally blessed me with that.
7. Today I am thankful for the new show Once Upon A Time. I was watching the 3rd episode online and I just love this show. It's got everything I enjoy: suspense, love, twists-and-turns, good vs. evil, and so much more. I sure hope people enjoy it as much as I have because I would hate for this program to get cancelled any time soon. Actually, it would really make me sad. Here's hoping for a long run to this show :) 
8. Today I am thankful for naps. I was able to get in about an hour nap this afternoon and I sure do love how I feel when I wake up refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the day/evening. It's good to have the time to nap :)
9. Today I am thankful for patience. I realize that I still have a long way to go to where I want to be, but I have come so far from where I started. I know the Lord has been using a lot of situations recently to help me grow and change into a better woman, and hopefully a better Christian. Here's hoping for what is to come in the future. 
10. I am thankful for hobbies. I have so many little things that I work on periodically that I truly appreciate being able to have something creative to do- whether it's scrapbooking, making thank-you notes, cross-stitching baby bibs, or using my knifty knitter to make scarves-I just love using my God-given talents. Thank you Lord for blessing me in this area! 

Family Time

Beauty of Creation

@ The Shack for our 3rd Anniversary

Me & Leah

Me & Aubrey

The 3 Musketeers

"I really love Uncle David!" 

Excerpt from "Captivating"

A SPECIAL HATRED 

(p.82 Chapter 5 in Captivating) 

For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realm. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT) 

     The assault on feminity-its long history, its utter violence-cannot be understood apart from the spiritual forces of evil we are warned against in the Scriptures. This is not to say that men (and women, for they, too, assault women) have no accountability in their treatment of women. Not at all. It is simply to say that no explaination for the assault upon Eve and her daughters is sufficient unless it opens our eyes to the Prince of Darkness and his special hatred of femininity. 

     Turn your attention again to the events that took place in the Garden of Eden. Notice-who does the Evil One go after?  Who does Satan single out for his move against the human race? He could have chosen Adam...but he didn't. Satan went after Eve. He set his sights on her. Have you ever wondered why? It might have been that he, like any other predator, chose what he believed to be the weaker of the two. There is some truth to that. He is utterly ruthless. But we believe there is more. Why does Satan make Eve the focus of his assault on humanity? 

     You may know that Satan was first named Lucifer, or Son of the Morning. It infers a glory, a brightness or radiance unique to him. In the days of his former glory he was appointed a guardian angel. Many believe he was the captain of the angel armies of God. The guardian of the glory of the Lord.

You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you; ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. (Ezekiel 28:12-14) 

     Perfect in beauty. That is the key. Lucifer was gorgeous. He was breathtaking. And it was his ruin. Pride entered Lucifer's heart. The angel came to believe he was being cheated somehow. He craved the worship that was being given to God for himself. He didn't merely want to play a noble role in the Story; he wanted the Story to be about him. He wanted to be the star. He wanted the attention, the adoration for himself. ("Mirror, mirror, on the wall...") 

Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. (Ezekiel 28:17)  

     Satan fell because of his beauty. Now his heart for revenge is to assault beauty. He destroys it in the natural world whenever he can. Strip mines, oil spills, fires, Chernobyl. He wreaks destruction on the glory of God in the earth like a psychopath committed to destroying great works of art. 

     But most especially, he hates Eve. 

     Because she is captivating, uniquely glorious, and he cannot be. She is the incarnation of the Beauty of God. More than anything else in all creation, she embodies the glory of God. She allures the world to God. He hates it with a jealousy we can only imagine. 

     And there is more. The Evil One also hates Eve because she gives life. Women give birth, not men. Women nourish life. And they also bring life into the world soulfully, relationally, spiritually- in everything they touch. Satan was a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). He brings death. His is a kingdom of death. Ritual sacrifices, genocide, the Holocaust, abortion- those are his ideas. And thus Eve is his greatest human threat, for she brings life. She is a lifesaver and a life giver. Eve means "life" or "life producer". 

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all living things (Genesis 3:20).

     Put those two things together- that Eve incarnates the Beauty of God and she gives life to the world. Satan's bitter heart cannot bear it. He assaults her with a special hatred. History removes any doubt about this. Do you begin to see it? 

     Think of the great stories- in nearly all of them, the villain goes after the Hero's true love. He turns his sights on the Beauty. Magua goes after Cora in The Last of the Mohicans. Longshanks goes after Murron in Braveheart. Commodus goes after Maximus's wife in Gladiator.The Witch attacks Sleeping Beauty. The stepsisters assault Cinderella. Satan goes after Eve. 

     This explains an awful lot. It is not meant to scare you. Actually, it will shed so much light on your life's story, if you will let it. Most of you thought the things that have happened to you were somehow your fault- that you deserved it. If only you had been prettier or smarter or done more or pleased them, somehow it wouldn't have happened. You would have been loved. They wouldn't have hurt you. 

     And most of you are living with the guilt that somehow it's your fault you aren't more deeply pursued now. That you do not have an essential role in a great adventure. That you have no beauty to unveil. The message of our wounds nearly always is, "This is because of you. This is what you deserve." It changes things to realize that, no, it is because you are glorious that these things happened. It is because you are a major threat to the kingdom of darkness. Because you uniquely carry the glory of God to the world. 

     You are hated because of your beauty and power. 

3 Wonderful Years

Today marks the 3rd year that David and I have been married. It's crazy to think that it's been that long. I mean so much has happened since then and so quickly that it is a little bit scary. I am so thankful for him that I can't even begin to express it in words. I now know that marriage is hard work, but well worth it in the end and I am excited for what the future holds, whatever that may be.

My Dear David, 
You are truly my one and only and I love you so very much. Thank you for 3 years of true love and sticking by me no matter what life throws our way. You are my best friend and soul mate. I am excited for what the future holds for us. I love you baby. 
Love, Jackie 

Beach Photo Shoot

While Janelle was visiting in August, we went to the beach and did a mini-photo shoot. Here are some of my favorites :)

Hey hey hey

No real updates on the baby bucket list (or life in general). Just wanted to say hi and let you know that we are still around :) :)

I will keep you all posted on whatever comes next.

Much love,
Jackie

Rain!

It's raining! I absolutely love semi- rainy days, especially in Southern California. 

Praise the Lord for rain today :)

Ready Set Read

Completed the 1st & 3rd chapters of What to Expect Before you're Expecting (saving the 2nd for when we are trying to get pregnant in the future) and going to start my women's bible study this upcoming Tuesday evening at Journey of Faith (getting super excited for it). Another couple things checked off the list :) :)

Just Keep On Keeping On

Crossed a few more things off the baby bucket list this weekend. Wow, can't believe things are getting done so soon. I know there's lots more, but it's nice to see the list getting smaller; gives me a little hope. Well enjoy pictures from Knott's Berry Farm and the finished baby bib I cross-stitched. (also we got our last name painted @ Knott's, so I will add that when I get a picture of it). Woot-woot!

America's 1st theme park here we come :)

Waiting in line for the park to open.

@ one of the saloon shows 

My first cross-stitched baby bib. I think it looks pretty good and I can't wait to finish the other one and put them in their shadow boxes. They're going to look so good when everything is all put together.

In the process of finishing it up. 

Final product

Close-up

Feeling the Sting

You know you're addicted to facebook when you are having withdrawal pain and wanting so badly to get on. I am happy I made the decision to leave, but feeling the struggle brewing inside me. Prayers would be great for clarity of mind and strength to continue healing/breaking out of this addiction.

Much thanks,
Jackie

P.S.-It sounds so weird that facebook is an addiction, but it truly has become that for me.

Baby Bucket List Progress :)

We went to the Dodger's game on August 13,2011. It was great fun and a check off the baby list!

 view of the field before the game began

Let's go Dodger's!

That would be a W for the Los Angeles Dodgers!

Excited for a win from the team.

w/ the LA on the field before the game started

field behind us.

My girls :) (Liz, Britt, Me, & Zoe)

I also finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia, For Women Only, & The Baby Name Wizard. Only a few books left on my list. Maybe I will have to add a few more. :) 

Baby Bucket List

Hello dearest friends & family~

Over the past few months I realized I desire to have a child so very much, but haven't thought through the responsibility; thus leading me to create a baby bucket list filled with all the things I would like to do/see/experience before the next wonderful and amazing stage in mine (and David's) life. Here is the list I came up with (modifications are made depending on what I learn/experience):

1. Swim/interact with dolphins 
2. Go Parasailing
3. See Blue Man Group
4. See Cirque de Soleil 
5. Visit Sea World San Diego 
6. Go wine tasting
7. Take a hot air balloon ride 
8. Spend some time on Catalina Island 
9. Cross-stitch elephant baby bib
10. Go see an opera 
11. Complete a couple's devotional
12. Read through the entire Bible
13. Attend Intimacy Ignited @ Journey of Faith
14. Spend a year at Curves (reach 100 days)
15. Pay off David's student loan
16. Pay off my student loan
17. Finish paying off the car loan 
18. Purchase a new car 
19. Buy our first home
20. Build up an emergency fund (4 months of essential expenses)  completed November 25, 2011
21. Join a women's bible study @ Journey of Faith completed January 17, 2012
22. Get our last name painted  completed September 2, 2011
23. Finish cross-stitching giraffe baby bib  completed September 4, 2011
24. Go to a Dodger's baseball game completed August 13, 2011
25. Spend the day at Knott's Berry Farm  completed September 2, 2011
26. Read these books:
1. Chronicles of Narnia completed August 2, 2011
2. What To Expect Before You're Expecting (sections 1&3) completed September 5, 2011
3. For Women Only completed July 12, 2011 
4. The Baby Name Wizard  completed August 4, 2011 
5. Captivating & Guided Journal