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Sinner saved by grace. Wife to a cute preacher. Momma to 2 precious baby boys. Blessed beyond measure. And I deserve none of it.

Blog Archive

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Workout Wednesday

The last couple of years I have really developed a passion  for fitness. Let me first clarify I am no expert, I have no degree in this, I still eat whatever I want, I still have fat rolls and cellulite, but nonetheless I love to workout. There is def something to be said for endorphins.

2 nights a week I have the privilege of leading a ladies workout class. Its mainly just friends before bible study on Tuesday and then most of those same friends and some of our youth and college girls on Wednesday. I love it. I lead a Jillian Michaels type workout targeting the whole body for 30-45 minutes. I get to pretend I'm Jillian during this time. I'm nicer though with a bigger butt. I'm nice but I do like to push them and myself. If I've learned anything its, if our workouts aren't challenging us then they aren't changing us.

Its ok to be out of breath. Its ok to sweat. Its even ok to feel like you're going to die. One of my favorite pins on pintrest is: "Unless you puke, faint or die keep going." Some days we may feel close to all of those! I know I certainly have those kind of days, but its during those days I see that I can do more than I thought I could. I never thought I could run 3 miles much less 13 miles! Training plays a huge part but I think an even larger part is the mental game we play with ourselves without really even knowing it. We are capable of so much more than we think. Most of us quit before we get the chance to realize it.

So get out there, sweat, push yourself and enjoy the results!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Love

I read this verse recently and I haven't been able to get it off my mind. Probably because the Lord knows how much I need to apply this to my life. Probably because what this verse says I don't do naturally... I try but fail MISERABLY. Probably because... well God is God and He has his reasons and I don't have to understand them. Our ministry story being a prime example of that!

The verse is John 13:34-35
 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Several very important truths jump out at me in this verse. The first one being very obvious.

Love one another.

Jesus is talking to his disciples right before his betrayal and crucifixion. These words were not a suggestion but a command. Not love one another if its convenient. Not love only the people who are easy to love. But love one another. PERIOD. This includes the unloveable, annoying, mean, rude people that we come in contact with daily. This includes the family members that are stubborn, the friends that betray us, etc. etc. We are to love.

Not only are we to love but we are to love like Jesus. He said, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another.HELLLLLO. Jesus was perfect. He made no mistakes. How are we suppose to love like Him?

Sacrificially.

We are to put aside our selfishness and pride. We are to put others needs in front of our own. This is not easy stuff, but as a follower of Christ we can not neglect it.

This verse not only tells us to love one another but it tells us that people will know we are followers of Christ if we love. Jesus was telling this to his disciples. These were the men who left everything behind to follow Christ... jobs, families, etc. These men were devoted to the point of death. Most were killed for Christ's sake. They were beheaded, crucified upside down and even burned at the stake. These men showed their devotion for Christ with their lives.

What do our actions reveal about our devotion to Christ?

A good self check would be to ask yourself how you respond in traffic, waiting in long lines at the store, or when your team is losing? Do we show  love in these circumstances? I know love is the last thing on my mind when I get cut off or am in a hurry and stuck in a long line.

This is yet another good reminder of how much we need Jesus. On our own we fail miserably. He alone gives us the ability and desire to love the unlovable. And this is crucial because people will know we are followers of Christ by how we love.

Remember that our actions reveal our devotion to Christ.
Remember our struggle reminds us of our need for Jesus.
Remember to love... period.

                                                                                                         

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Perspective from Laurin

Apparently, I should have called this day something catchy that rhymes and states that I stole these posts from friends. But I couldn't think of anything so just know that these last 2 blog entries I stole from friends to share with you... b/c they are that good. Thank you Leslie for the earlier post and Laurin for this one.

My hope is in You (Psalm 39:7).
True hope in Christ is amazing, isn’t it? I recall the hope that I had upon becoming a believer.  It was almost as if I had to pinch myself each and every hour because my heart was alive….with Hope.  And as I walk with Christ this day, I haven’t lost that amazement of Hope.  I’ve caught myself in recent days asking the Lord Why, Lord?  Why this hope?  Why this joy stemming from hope?  for the hope that a believer has almost seems too good to be true.  Praise God.  And He answers my question with Go.  Go and spread the true Hope.  Release it to a dying world. 

But you know what I think is the strongest factor that may affect our experiencing the true Hope of Christ?  The screen.  The screen we look at for Facebook.  The screen we look at for texts.  The screen we look at to see what’s new in the world of fashion, drama and all of that.

Because when we want to escape reality, when we want our minds and hearts to forget what’s really going on because it’s too much too handle in that moment, it is like second nature for me to check out Facebook.  Or to see if anyone has texted me.  Because I need to breathe a little, right?

Except that’s not true oxygen.  That’s not true hope.  That’s giving myself a drink of sweet tea instead of a glass of water.

It seems sweet and good and refreshing at first, but once I’ve finished the drink, I’m still wanting more.

Let’s release true hope in our lives.  Let’s stop going to Facebook, texts, and even blogs to escape the pressure of the moment and let’s turn to Jesus, the true Hope.  Let’s pick up the Word and refresh our souls with that trueness.

It seems so simple.  So “duh”.  But I think that screen is ruining us.  It’s deterring us from experiencing the true hope that God wants us to give and remind of us as many times during the day as we’ll let Him.  Think of the hope that could be realeased in our lives and, in turn, in the lives of those around of us, if instead of getting on Facebook or texting a friend, we meditate/memorize a verse. Wow. I think it could be life-changing.

Do it often: grab a lifeline by stepping offline. You’ll see your true self when you look for your reflection in the eyes of souls not the glare of screens. (A Holy Experience)

And I think seeing our true reflection will lead us more to wanting Christ’s true reflection.  True Hope.  Releasing true Hope to a dying, desperate world.

(A P.S. here:  I’m not getting off Facebook, or not answering texts, or anything like that.  Just trying to do it less = ). )

Praying Alphabetically

If you're looking for a great blog to follow then I encourage you to go to my friend, Leslie's. Her passion for the next generation is so encouraging.

I was most challenged by this... praying alphabetically. She prays this over her son, but this could really be for anyone you need to pray for... children, spouse, parents, friends, etc.

Praying Scripture over our Children- Alphabetically
(Most verses are from the NIV version)
A-     That he would AVOID all kinds of evil 1 Thess 5:22
B-     That he would BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ and be Saved Romans 10:9
C-     That the COMPANY he keeps will develop godly CHARACTER 1 Cor. 15:33
D-    That he would be DISCIPLINED for godliness. Hebrews 12:11
E-     That he would be EQUIPPED for doing God’s Will. Hebrews 13:20&21
F-     That he would be a FISHER of Men. Mark 1:17
G-     That he would be GRACIOUS. Proverbs 22:11
H-    That he would be HOLY. 1 Peter 1:16
I-      That he would have the INTEREST of Christ. Philippians 2:4
J-      That he would be JOYFUL 1 Thess 5:16
K-    That he would have the KNOWLEDGE of God’s Word. Proverbs 10:14
L-     That he would LEARN to do right. Isaiah 1:17
M-   That he would become MATURE and complete lacking nothing. James 1:4
N-    That he will declare God’s praises among the NATIONS. Psalm 96:3
O-    That he will make the most of every OPPORTUNITY. Colossians 4:5
P-     That he will be a PEACEMAKER. James 3:18
Q-    That he will have a gentle and QUIET spirit. 1 Peter 3:4
R-     That he is RADIANT to others. Psalm 34:5
S-     That he exercises SELF-CONTROL.  1 Peter 1:13
T-     That he would be THANKFUL.  Hebrews 12:28
U-    That he would UNDERSTAND what the Lord’s Will is. Ephesians 5:17
V-     That he would know what true VALUE is. 1Timothy 4:8
W-   That he would have a godly WIFE. Proverbs 31:10
X-     That he would think on things that are EXCELLENT. Philippians 4:8
Y-     That he would YIELD his heart to the Lord. Joshua 24:23 
Z-     That he will never be lacking in ZEAL for Christ. Romans 12:11

Monday, January 14, 2013

Old Friends

D and I are very blessed. We had excellent friends in high school. Him and his group of guy friends were the leaders in our student ministry and my group of girl friends were the best... both groups though not perfect, they were solid in Christ and loyal to us. I have been most surprised at how though years have past and we love both groups dearly... the guys have stayed more in contact than the girls. This past weekend is an excellent example of what I'm talking about. 2 of the guys moved away and worked it out for them and their families to both be here this weekend so we all got together for dinner and then for the Memphis game. As I sat there looking at these familiar faces whom we shared hundreds of memories with, I couldn't help but be thankful. Thankful that these men helped shape my husband. Thankful these men chose great women to share their lives with. Thankful that even now everyone picks back up as if not much has changed. As I looked around at the additions that have been made to the group, wives, kids, careers, moves... I couldn't help but think... Wow, we're getting old. Life is really happening and happening quickly. We are just a couple years away from 30. We are not teenagers anymore. But this group has remained close. At 10:45 Saturday night we all got up to go home and then ended up all standing around for another hour recalling funny memories.

We may not all end up living in the same city or even state anymore. We may not see each other as often as we'd like. But I am thankful for this group. These people shared our teenage years with us, stood on the stage with us as we said our vows and now years later still refresh us after having spent quality time with them... yes even dacus who drove me crazy as a teenager because he'd be the one to point out the zit I tried to hide on my face... yes, even him... I am thankful.

 Here are the guys at Steve and Erin's Wedding



The guys and wives this time (plus ben and hobb's) at Jake and Karen's Wedding











Friday, January 11, 2013

Friday

My very creative title helps explain my creativity when it comes to blogging lately. Life has been so beautifully full and sweet that 1. I haven't had much time and 2. I haven't really cared to. Then I remembered why I started this blog to begin with... not to brag about my life because I assure you it is not perfect, but to have a digital scrapbook of our lives. And this season needs to be documented.  I am loving this season that God has us in. The season of loving ministry... genuinely loving where we are and who we get to minister to, loving the fact that this year has been hard! God moved us around in ministry... throwing us for 2 completely mind boggling loops, but knowing it was purposeful,  loving my ever growing family, loving the fact that we're making a lot of new friends, loving that it makes me love and appreciate my old ones, loving being married to my best friend, loving the idea that having a family of our own is on the brain and right around the corner... yes life is full and sweet... and I deserve none of it.

I am constantly baffled with why God continues to prove himself faithful when I am faithless. I am baffled when his mercies are new every morning yet I am slow to show mercy to others. I am baffled with why He chooses to pour out His grace, love and favor on... me. I'm really not trying to be a downer or  have a pity party here. I have just been reeling over the fact that He owes us nothing yet we owe Him everything. I in no way deserve to be used by Him, yet he allows me to apart of the story.

Sunday night at church we watched Not a Fan. I had heard a lot of good things about it. Honestly, it wasn't that great of a movie, but it did make you think which is the point. You can guess by the title that we're encouraged to not be fans of Jesus but to be true followers. Fans fade, but followers are faithful in the good and the bad. And really what separates us the two outside of devotion to Jesus is love.

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing."   1 Cor. 13:1-3

That has been what I have been challenged with lately... Love separates the fans from the followers. Where do you stand? I know where I'm at and I know it needs to change.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

I hate goodbyes

I most def. hate goodbyes with people, but I even find it hard to say goodbye to things. I get it honestly. My grandmother is a pack rat. My mom is a pack rat. I too find myself struggling to say goodbye to things that I never use or wear, but assure myself I will (again) one day!

I literally get sad every year when we pack away our Christmas decorations. I know its not technically a goodbye, but a See ya next year... but still. I remember the excitement that we felt putting it all out just a short month ago with some dumb Christmas movie... Elf this year.... on in the background. I love finding new places for things, recalling the memories behind each ornament, and I even love the threat D makes every year of throwing away some of my favorite feathered ornaments that he hates and wishes I'd get rid of. Was all that really just a month ago?! I'm old fashioned in the sense that I like to celebrate one holiday at a time or else I would put my Christmas stuff out around Halloween. Fall to me is simply Christmas prep.... at least in my mind and in my kitchen.

All this to say, one of my favorite things at Christmas is receiving Christmas cards! I love getting the mail in December because each day it holds the card of people who mean something to us. Thankfully most send cards with pics and that is my favorite! Years ago I stole this idea from Julie.




I love seeing these faces! I love how they glow with the lights. This year as we were taking all our Christmas stuff down, D shocked me and asked if I wanted to keep it up a little longer. No brainer. In all honestly, when we took our Christmas stuff down I was still recovering from a nasty sinus infection/bronchitis/ thought death was looming sickness so I think I offered a more manly sounding reply (grunt), but either way.... if you sent us a card, we're still looking at ya!

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Winter Hair

I walked into school and my kids said, "Mrs. Jerkins, what happened to your hair?" With which, I replied, "This is my winter hair." I've said I was going to do it the last couple of years, but have never been brave enough... until now. And I had no idea that I'd ever go this dark... I shocked my self when I saw this pic of Jessica Simpson and fell in love with the color... to which both mom and sister tried to talk me out of.



So then it was a matter of getting the approval from my hair girl. She was shocked that I was that brave but approved it with my skin color. She does a great job of matching the color you want and once again... she was right on.

https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=c3ed787620&view=att&th=13c1ad88b3bf0216&attid=0.1&disp=inline&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_7N6MRn3Q7n6OglE7tP605&sadet=1357660495383&sads=48dm9JF-JhJx7YOElYI30aWStWA

These are terrible pics from my iphone, but you get the idea.






I don't know how girls take pictures of themselves and like them! I wanted to show you one of just the hair. This was so hard! This was like the 15th one and the best I could get.

I am loving my winter hair! D isn't so sure. I'm looking forward to my blonde summer hair again as warmer weather approaches, but for now these cold, gloomy months call for winter hair for sure!


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Winter Camp 2012

I'm not sure what everyone was most excited about this year... Christmas or Winter Camp. This is our 3rd winter camp at HW and our 2nd year to go to Sugar Moutain. We love it. We stay at the Blowing Rock Conference Center and our meeting room there is my absolute favorite. There is nothing fancy about the rooms we stay in, but the conference room we meet in for worship is exactly what you'd picture as the perfect place to spend time in worship through song and the word while in the mountains.

The back wall... which is really the main wall that we're looking at has 2 huge windows that overlook the mountains. In the middle of the 2 windows is a huge stone fireplace that we utilize. With the wood crackling in the fireplace, the mountains in the background, and praises going up to the King.... its no wonder we encounter Christ these 4 days in NC.

This year was no different than the others. Good food, great students, excellent leaders, sweet worship... and praise Jesus... no injuries. Although our trip haulted when I got a phone call on Saturday. One of our students mom's had been battling cancer. She was doing ok, but took a turn for the worst. The dad called to say the doctors didn't think she'd make it through the weekend. As I'm listening to this dad choke back tears as he's explaining the situation, I'm looking at his precious daughter laugh and enjoy her trip having no idea what was happening back home. The dad waited until later that day once plans were made to call her and tell her what was going on. They had booked her a flight home the next day. She was obviously crushed, but took the news better than expected.

I don't know why I act surprised when God does cool things. This precious family include Mike, Heather, Austin, and Courtney Rush. Their neighbors are the Underhills. The Underhills also have students in our ministry who are very close to Courtney. Curtis and Andrea Underhill  have been coming to winter camp with us all 3 years now. Andrea has been a second mom to Courtney Rush for years now. No coincidence that her 2nd mom was there to comfort her during this time. She was also going to accompany her on the flight home.

Very early Sunday morning we got the dreaded call: Courtney's mom had passed away. The dad wanted our advice on whether or not to tell her then or wait and let him tell her when she saw him later that day. With technology, there's no way she wouldn't have found out sooner. She would have called or text her family throughout the day checking on her mom. After consulting more family, they decided she needed to know then. We brought her into our room along with Andrea. Her dad was on D's phone and her dad explained everything to her. It was one of the hardest moments of my life. She fell onto our bed and we just held her why she cried. Because we were holding her, we could hear everything dad said. He handled it beautifully.

After letting her cry for a while she sat up and said she was ok and that she was hungry. She wanted to go eat breakfast with her friends. While eating we gave her the opportunity  to also decide whether or not she wanted to fly home with Andrea or ride back with all of us since we were also leaving that day. She opted to stay with us and her friends.

Courtney has only been at HW a little over a year. She started coming with friends. Her family does not attend. In fact, we know nothing about her parents salvation. Courtney made a profession of faith a few months ago and has continued to grow and seek the Lord. I am thankful that she has hope in Christ to cling to during this time.

Last night we had our camp reunion, her brother who is a year older... whom we have never seen... tagged along. We are hoping God uses this situation... that we'll never understand... to bring this dad and brother to full knowledge of Christ.

Please pray for us as we minister to this family.

Winter Camp 2012 was wonderful even with some tragic news, but we know that God is good despite our circumstances and in these times he proves he truly is our Cornerstone.


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Christmas 2012

Christmas break was wonderful. We ate a  lot of high calorie foods and spent most of the time with family. It actually began the weekend before with us helping sister and J move. They bought an adorable house in Arlington so we spent a lot of our Christmas break helping them get set up.

Taylor and I took a Sonic break between trips from their apartment to the new house.

Later Saturday night we made a Kroger run, but sister realized that she was wearing house shoes instead of regular shoes so she was completely embarrassed. On top of that, I convinced her to ride on this contraption since she was suppose to be taking it easy... you can tell she was thrilled.


The girls got to open an early Christmas gift... not sure who had more fun... the girls or us with the bow and arrows. They were much better than us!

Christmas eve morning we went and picked up our rental vans for winter camp which we means we also visited Jody's donuts. It did not disappoint.... pig in a blanket, cinnamon/sugar twist/fried cinnamon bun...


 At 10:30 that morning, my side of the family came to our house and we did our Christmas together which meant I got to play with this chunk. She was very excited about her first Christmas.

Later that day we went to d's grandparents house in Hernando. Then to my grandmother's in Arlington.

Christmas day this was the only picture I took.





Trust me though our Christmas was filled with lots of people we love even though the littlest one got the only pics. We are so fortunate to have both of our families here so we can spend Christmas with both sides. We got more stuff than we deserved, ate more food than we should have, and enjoyed time with our favorite people.

Christmas 2012 was a fantastic one!