Poor little Autumn

This is my 17lb. cat Autumn whom likes to sit by the door and wait for me to come home from work. She's like a dog in the way that she gets so excited to see me come home from work.. She jumps on my lap and purrs and meows until I stop in my tracks to greet her. It's something that I look forward to everyday.... But today is different. Today when I walk into the house, her little food will be untouched and she will not be there. Today is a sad day for me. My little Autumn is sitting in the vet's office right now as we speak getting her little finger claws chopped off.

From the time I got her, I had told myself that she needed to get declawed, but somehow I had always talked myself out of it. I thought that I could train her to not scratch... nope... I tried alternative methods like Soft Paws which seemed to work for several months until she finally figured out how to leave her mark with them on. I tried to pretend that she was not ruining our furniture... but she was.

After going through several good pieces of furniture, laundry baskets, and carpet pieces Justin finally put is manly foot down when we made the move to the new house and forced me to make the dreaded appointment. Of course, I understand and would be equally as upset as him if she would ruin something in the new house... but I still pleaded and begged to no avail when we caught her scratching up our new couch. 'Sigh'.

Now that she is 4 1/2 years old, the healing process is going to be that much harder on her... poor little thing. I hope that she doesn't hate me! When I got her fixed she seriously walked around ignoring me for a week solid.... ahh.. the guilt is killing me!

Read more...

26 weeks pregnant!

It's Friday and I have a confession! I almost forgot to make the week 26 post! I was running late this morning/ getting ready and then it hit me. Whoops. So I took a super quick pic.

Well this week I may just have to brake out the sparkling apple juice—baby Avery has now completed two-thirds of his stay in Hotel Womb. I am 26 weeks and 2 days along. At the end of this week I will be ending this 2nd trimester and begining a final stage of pregnancy! It's so crazy. I know that I keep saying it, but it just blows my mind how fast 9 months go by. I still feel as though I just found out!

Anyway this week I have noticed a ton of activity from the little guy..I feel like I am carrying the Karate Kid since he's become a pro at all the kicks and jabs. Also, this week, his eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, start to open and close.

Tons of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming weeks!

Read more...

uhhhg!

I don't know where I got it, but it's here. This nagging bug that gives me the worst cough I have had. It's not accompanied by any other symptom- no headache, no fever, just a cough. But when you get to this point in the pregnancy there is this weird breathing issue that you deal with. At least for me, as the baby grows the more space for him the less space for me and he pushes on my lungs.. So between the two- sickness and breathing issues I have been miserable!! I kind of figure that I got from Justin. He can't stay away from me when he's sick. He's like a little puppy that follows you around. He was sick with a cough last week and it's a good possibility that he is the culprit. Either way- I am holding out and hoping that this is the worst.

On another note- I had a Dr. appointment yesterday. I am realizing the one thing that I dread the most at these appointments are the scale. I nearly fell off the scale in disbelief at the number that I saw. Yes, I'm pregnant- but if someone has been pregnant and they say that they never looked in the mirror at some point and said "what the heck have I done to myself" then they are lieing! Outright liars! For me, it's not that I feel like I am HUGE yet, but I think that all of the changes that you go through in such a short period of time can become overwhelming! Seriously! But I guess that's just all a part of the game.

Read more...

25 Weeks

well today I am officially 25 weeks and 1 day along on this journey. Sorry about the lack of posts but this week has been crazy for me!~ It totally hit me that I need to get on the ball with this baby thing. Up until this point I have been casually collecting clothes and items but Justin and I haven't really done any serious shopping for the baby or nursery. The other day I was sitting in the office and it hit me that once I hit 7 months (on week 27) I am in my third trimester!! And I am not ready for this baby to come!! lol. So Justin and I are planning on making some purchases this weekend for the nursery.

By this week Avery is is approximately 1.5 pounds and just under 13.7 inches long. It's at this point that babies start to take their own pace in growth. When I was born, I was a teenie tiny baby weighing in at 6lbs, while Justin was a gordo baby weighing in at almost 11lbs. He was so large that they had to break his collar bone to get him out!! yikes! SOO.. lets just hope the little guy gets my genes in the baby growth pool, he can have Justin's after he gets out of me, but I just hope he's a small newborn!!! otherwise we may start to have some issues with delivering him.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway- to sum up the week so far I did have a tramatic day on Tuesday. I was driving to work listening to the radio and they were discussing the H1N1 virus and going through some of the local horror stories. Of course, this has been something that I had struggled with for the best part of the last month and a half. I turned off the radio and started praying for peace about the issue of whether or not I should get the vaccine. It has been such an issue weighing on my heart!

So- I get into work and I was not there for more than an hour when my Doc calls the office and tells me that she wanted me to come down and get the vacinne-NOW. I instantly start to freak out and panic and I told her that I was not sure that I really was ready to get it, and I had questions, and doubts, and fears. She again, went through some of the local pregnancy horror stories and long story short- I ended up going down and getting the vaccine. I cried all the way there. I even had one of the pastor's call a family member who works as a nurse and she said the same thing- "Go." BUT- now that it's done and over with I think I can rest a little easier. I pray that God will protect me and baby and I just hope I made the right choice!

Read more...

Tired Monday

It's Monday and I had another one of those can't-sleep-at-all-nights!!!!! I seriously think I may have found 2 hours of rest last night. On the way home from church last night I started to feel this extremely sharp pain in my shoulder and then in my side. It was so sharp and painful that I was sure that something was wrong, a heat attack, a stroke, it was bad! Justin was suggesting detouring to the hospital, but I thought that maybe some googling a good rest would help it out. I came home and started googling and sure enough it's a common symptoms at 6 months pregnant. I guess for some people, when the baby gets to a certain size it is easy for the baby to lay in a way that may pinch a nerve or two. Regardless I was miserable!

Justin convinced me to stay up for a little while and watch a movie with him- A very scary movie, mind you that I will not mention here because it freaked me out too much. lol. So I did,and FYI -watching a scary movie does not help you fall asleep when you are already having pain! Bad idea!!!!!! Every time I would doze off I would have this evil scary image in my head and I'd wake to the already throbbing part of my body. So let's just say that I hope that this day goes by quick!

Anyway- I did want to show some pumpkin carving pics from the weekend. Unfortunately my camera was down but luckily Emily has some that I am stealing! Here ya go. (ps- excuse my homely look that I have going on. haha)

Read more...

Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins!

TGIF!!!! AND It's Pumpkins season in the MacQuarrie house starting tonight and I am super duper excited. Tonight we are planning on carving out our pumpkins for the season, baking the seeds, and eating pumpkin rolls until we are about ready to pop. (Will try to get some good pics up of tonight's festivities!) But I love fall! I really do. It is officially my favorite season of the year. Growing up, other than our regular trick or treating we really didn't have any fall traditions, but last year Justin and I had our first MacQuarrie Pumpkin Day where we spend the entire evening carving/ eating tons of pumpkin desserts, and seeds and it has since become one of those things that I looks forward to as fall approaches! It's weird how traditions are formed like that.

Tomorrow, if weather permits, we will be heading up to Circleville to take part in the annual Pumpkin Festival where we will be doing our regular taste testing of pumpkin chili and pumpkin pizza, and pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin EVERYTHING! I don't know if it's because I am pregnant or if it's just the time of the year- but it sounds so appetizing!

Read more...

Pregnancy Week 24

Week 24 is here which means I am officially 6 months pregnant! (technically tomorrow). I obviously am starting to look the pregnancy part too which is fun and weird at the same time. I haven't had too many belly rubs, but I have however noticed that random people in grocery stores or walmart will stare and smile at me- which is fine with me. I just wish I knew what to say to them!

During this week our little Avery weighs about 1.4 pounds and will gain nearly 6 ounces this week as his body finally begins to fill out. This weight will mostly consist of muscle, bone mass, and the growing organs and tissues. His little ears are now fully functional, and I have already noticed that he is responding to sound! He seems to wake early to the buzzing alarm even before me. Forget hitting that snooze buttton! When you are getting a swift kick in the side at 6 am it's a little easier to wake up.... maybe that's a sign of whats to come! yikes!

But in any case we are excited. I finally got the shipment of clothes that I ordered from ebay and spend the evening organizing all the clothes we had by size. Fun times!

Read more...

Monday Monday

Justin and I had a nice weekend. We took a break from the house maintenance to head down to Portsmouth to visit with my side of the family on Saturday and then we had an action packed Sunday which consisted of church, football games, pumpkin roll making, and some Mexican food! It was good times but like all good things--it came to an end way too early.

I had a to do list that I didn't even get to touch with 'Get a Flu Shot' at the top of it. I am so stinking hesitant with getting a flu shot since I haven't had one in years and the last time I got one I ended up with a a 4 day flu-like thing. It stunk! But with all of the illness going around and with feeling the pressure about being pregnant, I feel like maybe I should just bite the bullet and do it. Also, the whole H1N1 thing is something that I have been asked on a daily basis."Are you going to get the vaccine?" My answer right now is "I have no idea!" It scares me to death to inject something into me that nobody knows for sure what effects it has on the baby. I have been really praying about this- and I still do not have a peace about it one way or another...

So now it's Monday and I have a major case of the Mondays. I am going through some stage of this pregnancy that causes me to wake at the slighted sound and to not be able to go back to sleep- so I have been going since 3:50am this morning. What a night! I am sooo exhausted.

Read more...

What's in a name?

Naming this little boy has been the most perplexing issue I faced as a pre-mom. There have been about five names that I grew up loving and dreaming about since I was a little one, and then bam- I'm pregnant and none of these names feel right! OR my wonderful husband hates them all with a passion.With this pregnancy I'd say none of the physical changes or adjustments compare to the gut wrenching attempt in finding the one name that is going to identify your child for life! It's crazy! Looking at naming web sites filled with thousands of ideas was the most boring task in the world. I needed a word that grabbed me. Something special.

And then I went through the stage of "what if my baby hates the name?" I didn't particularly love my name. It didn't seem feminine enough. And then there were about 7 other Amber Nicoles sitting right next to me in class. I remember thinking "if only my name were spelled 'Ambur' or 'Ambar', or I had a cooler middle name". Maybe everyone goes through that stage as a kid, I don't know. But I started to remember all of those little details as I was trying to think up the perfect name. So I knew that it couldn't be just another run of the mill 'John' name that's on the top 10 of baby names.

If you know Justin with this whole baby naming issue he avoided it like the plague. Our roles in baby naming was for me to come up with the lists and for him to pick from the list, unfortunately he never liked my lists so it was a vicious cycle. He didn't want to sit down and look at books or websites he just wanted to be the one who makes the final choice.

With that being said, A couple of months ago we took a drive to see my parents in Portsmouth. I knew that I had an approximate hour and a half of solid undivided attention from Justin so I took the opportunity to pack the car down with the top baby naming books and printed sheets from baby naming websites so Justin would have no other choice but sit there in the car and listen to the names that I was reading aloud..It was a genius plan.

So it began, and I went through a good solid 10 pages before I reached the point of frustration when Justin could not even consider one of the names in the book... So I decided to stop reading out of defeat.

We then just started talking about our plans for the weekend while we were down visiting my family. I mentioned visiting my grandma- and then somehow that led me into a story about my time as a little child visiting with my grandma and Grandpa Avery. If you know anything about me, it's that I am extremely close to my grandma, and was also close with my grandpa before he passed in 95. I would spend weeks visiting them as a child. At that moment as I am storytelling, Justin stops me and goes "What about Avery? I like Avery for a boy!"

I must admit though, at first I was hesitant with the name Avery for a boy because it has become one of those unisex names that I have seen little girls with, but I knew that 'Avery' was a special name, a family name! THE name for our little boy! Justin loved it, I especially loved it... But we did decide to hold off on making a final decision about any name until later in the pregnancy-At least until we knew what the gender was. On Oct. 1st after finding out that our little Mac was a 'He' it was the first response out of Justin's mouth "Avery." So I knew right away what his name would be.

We later picked the middle name 'Grant' as it seemed like a strong male name..And Avery Grant seems to flow together nicely. Also Avery is far from the top 10 of boy baby names, it actually sits at the modest ranking of #216th for a boy.

So I am happy to announce that the future little Mac's name is Avery Grant MacQuarrie.

Read more...

It's Chicken and Dumplings Wednesday!

Can you believe how cold it is right now? It is seriously 40 degrees! What the heck happened to my wonderful sweater perfect fall weather?? yuck!

With Justin working night shift over the past week and a half, I have spent very little time cooking. It's just not as fulfilling to spend hours in the kitchen to have nobody to share it with,(even if you have new appliances to cook with).

But yesterday when I got the weekly weather report and found out that today was a high of 42 degrees I knew that tonight had to be chicken and dumplins night. I spent the entire evening last night cooking the chicken and making the broth so the process would be a lot quicker tonight when I make it (also catching up with the my new favorite TLC show 18 kids and counting).. But anyway, now I am super excited! Talk about comfort food. I found this recipe online and have tried it a few times and I love it. It's suppose to be a copycat version of Cracker Barrel's Chicken & Dumplings but it's been so long since I have had cracker barrel that I don't know if it actually is. In any case, this is a keeper for me!

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings

3 quarts water
1 3-4 pound chicken cut up
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
4-6 whole parsley leaves
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dumplings

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook the chicken, uncovered, for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce by about one third.

2. When the chicken has cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Strain the stock to remove all the vegetables and floating scum. You only want the stock and the chicken, so toss everything else out.

3. Pour 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) of the stock back into the pot (keep the leftover stock, if any, for another recipe-it can be frozen). You may also want to use a smaller pot or a large saucepan for this. Add coarsely ground pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the lemon juice, then reheat the stock over medium heat while preparing the dumplings.

4. For dumplings, combine the flour, baking powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

5. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares and drop each square into the simmering stock. Use all of the dough. The dumplings will first swell and then slowly shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the stock into a white gravy. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until thick. Stir often.

6. While the stock is thickening, the chicken will have become cool enough to handle. Tear all the meat from the bones and remove the skin. Cut the chicken meat into bite-size or a little bigger than bite-size pieces and drop them into the pot. Discard the skin and bones. Continue to simmer the chicken and dumplings for another 5-10 minutes, but don't stir too vigorously or the chicken will shred and fall apart. You want big chunks of chicken in the end.

7. When the gravy has reached the desired consistency, ladle four portions onto plates and serve hot. Serve with your choice of steamed vegetables, if desired.

Read more...

Ebay buys

So I won some awesome things off of EBAY- but for some reason I cannot save the pictures so I will have to wait to show what an awesome shopper I have been. But I will give a summary...

- the cutest ralph lauren baby polo onsie that is yellow and navy blue striped for a whopping $5.00 after shipping (valued at 25.00 bucks new).

- a baby ralph lauren sweater for $8.00 (valued at way too much $70.00!)

- and then I won an entire lot of name brand baby boy clothes consisting of an adorable red baby gap jacket, a cute baby gap sweater, and about 9 complete outfits from other stores (tommy h, ralph lauren, carters, etc.) Some with tags still attached! All for a whopping $16.00 dollars!! I was pretty proud of myself! (valued at ALOT more than 16 bucks)

I have realized, though, that Ebay can be quite addicting! I think I will take a break for a few days.

Read more...

Pregnancy week 23

So as of tomorrow I am a full 23 weeks pregnant and I thought I would start to use this blog to log this pregnancy journey. As of this week our little mac is now the size of a small baby doll you might purchase. That's pretty impressive considering he could fit in the palm of my hand just a few short weeks ago. Baby mac is also about 11 inches long. It's amazing to me that at this point if were to have to give birth to our little guy he would have a 10 to 70 percent chance of survival! That's crazy because I just don't feel like I have been pregnant nearly long enough to have a baby that could survive- but that's how God does it!

Here is a picture of last week. I feel like I look larger in the picture that reality. I don't know if it was the shirt or what, but you at least get the idea. Also- Sorry, about the quality it was a phone pic.



It has been fun and exciting, and I feel like Justin and I are so blessed already. Friends and family have showered us endlessly with tons of baby clothes, toys, furniture, and even maternity clothes to use!~ Since being on the Dave Ramsey budget it's been wonderful to feel so many people willing to help us out. After finding out it's a boy, I finally was given the okay to do some shopping for our little guy and I have been an Ebay freak! I love that people sell their name brand baby clothes in large lots for so stinkin cheap. I have a couple auctions ending tonight and will be sure to post some pics of our new buys!

Read more...

How UN-awesome..........

So, here's my vent. We are settling into this life in our new house and then bam- Justin get's the call that he's going on night shift for a week.. "Ok. Whatev." I thought. So last week he began his week leaving around 4:00 and not getting home until 6:00am. Mind you- I do not even get home from work until 5 and I am up at 6:30 getting ready to go to work, so we basically missed each other the entire week. It stunk!

I was so anxious for the weekend when this hideous schedule would be over and we could finally settle into a new normal with the move, nnd then Friday evening comes along and Justin calls to inform me that he was scheduled for yet another week of hell...AKA night shift..... seriously.I was devistated.

 A: I hate hate not seeing Justin for an entire week, and B: Who likes staying by yourself in a new house at night especially 5 1/2 months pregnant???? NOT ME! And what's worse is that there may be a possibility that this new night shift is our new normal.. How un awesome is that? I have no idea how this new schedule is going to pan out with a new baby on the way, so for now I am just going to pray that this not what it seems..

On a side note- we did try to make the best of the little amount of time we had this weekend to work on the house, and we painted the entire kitchen! Yay for us. Pictures to come!

Read more...

Intelligender Test

Has anyone ever heard of these intelligender tests??? If so- and your pregnant, or plan to be someday, or your wife is, let me warn you of these little things.

It all started about 3 months ago when I was sitting on the couch watching the nightly news when they began the story on these peculiar little gender tests. Basically, these tests are designed to tell the gender of your baby at the ripe age of 10 weeks pregnant. I thought that the idea was crazy, but what was more crazy was many Asian countries had banned the test right off of their shelves because the women who were taking the tests were actaully doing it to find out the gender of the baby- and if the baby was not the gender that was desired (boy) they would abort the baby at this early stage of pregnancy. I had never heard of such a test before! And sitting on the couch at 10 weeks pregnant I was so intriged by the possible accuracy of the results, and being the impatient person that I am I ran to the nearest CVS that very week just to take a look at one.

I could not beleive that these tests were 90% accurate like the news and other adds had claimed.. That began my infatuation with finding out the gender of baby Mac so early. I begged and begged for a solid week for Justin to give in and let me buy a gender test (that cost 30 bucks!). Finally after much persuasion he gave me the O.K.

So we purchased the test to find that Intelligender predicted us a little GIRL... It was exciting! According to my good friend Intelligender, there was a 90% chance that we were having a little girl!

I tried not to take it to heart, but I did...So over the next 3 months I did nothing but plan out the little girl nursery, the little girl clothes, the little girl everything! Of course Justin wouldn't let me buy anything that wasn't gender nutral until we got the 100% from the Doc. But I was sure of it...

So the day comes, Oct. 1st...the big day when we get to officially find out that it was a little sheMac... We get all prepped for the ultrasound and you could hear pin drop when they began. The tech leans over "do you guys want to know the gender?" she said. "YES!" we said at the same time....... "Boy!" she said...Now I would have loved to have actaully seen my face, because I was for sure in shock there. "Are you sure????" I kept asking her... Finally the tech said "I am 120% sure that this is a little boy."

there you go! A little HeMac.....A Boy!

SO, for anyone who has seen and is planning on doing something stupid like an Intelligender Test- Run! They are a big fat waste of money.

Read more...

mower

Have a Huskee 15.5 HP with a 42" cutting deck. new battery, new blades, recent oil change. We do not use this mower very much and are in the prcess of moving so we would like to sell this ASAP. We are asking $400 or best offer. If interested please call 937.205.3883 or email this account.

Must be able to pick up, and we will only accept cash. No check/ money order/ cashiers check.

Read more...

Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions

So I recorded the MTV Movie Awards and got to see the whole thing for the first time last night. There were some pretty funny things. Here's one of my favorite highlights. Will Ferrell is the man.

Read more...

Happy Birthday Justin

28 years ago my wonderful husband entered the world, and today we get to celebrate!! Wasn't he the cutest little guy?

Read more...

What makes a Super Hero?

Seriously? What makes a Superhero. Is it the ability to fly, or shoot super webs, or acquire super strength? I guess I have always assumed that it takes more than an average joe trying to “clean up the streets.” But I was wrong!

For those of you who may not have saw the recent news two days ago, did you know that Ohio has its own Superhero?? It really does. ShadowHare is cleaning up the streets of Cincinnati right now as we speak. It’s amused me to the point that I HAVE to share it with you.






So back to the question, what makes a Superhero…

A SUPER costume! And acts that are SUPERB!

Read more...

Trust

We all know too well the downturn that the economy has been in. Fortunately, We are finally seeing the spark of hope or the light at the end of the long tunnel in many areas of the economy..For the past several months Justin and I have felt as if we were walking on eggshells financially. On one hand, we both have jobs, we are stable and doing just fine. We feel that we are at a point in our lives that we want to invest in a home. On the other hand-- there was the tyranny of the what if, "what if one of us lose our jobs, what if the economy plunges even more, what if prices of groceries, gas and everything under the sun becomes too much to handle." What if.

For Justin and I, its hard not being behind the control panel of our lives. Recently, our church went through a series "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality" with Pete Scizzaro. It was extremely revealing of our hearts, our motivations, and fears. For me, I came to a point where I had to accept that I am not in control of my life, and accept the outcome of our future whether it makes no sense in my mind.

With all that being said, Justin went in to work. For those who may not know, he works for Norfolk and Southern Railroad . He was hired on a little under a year ago, which puts him (ranking wise) as a peon. Norfolk- like most companies have been hit pretty hard by the economic downturn. In any case, Justin went into work this past week and found out that chances are they are going to do some more layoffs. He may have missed the layoffs once, but there would be no way for him to miss them again.

It's hard trying to see God's big picture through a little peeping hole. We always try to figure out why things in our lives happen, when in our minds it makes no sense! This one of those situations where we have absolutely no control.

We can only trust and know with every part of us that God's ways are so much higher, and His ways are so much better for us than anything we can fathom. For now, we will hope in the fact that God is behind the control panel of our lives and he is a just God.

"And they who know Your name [who have experience and acquaintance with Your mercy] will lean on and confidently put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek (inquire of and for) You [on the authority of God's Word and the right of their necessity]."Psalm 9: 10

Read more...

Jimmy Needham

Justin and I have quite a bit in common. It was one of the obvious things that attracted us to each other. BUT the one thing that we could never ever agree upon was music. It seemed that when it came to music, we were on two totally different worlds. I love county, southern gospel, and slow coffee shop type music, where Justin loves the rock groups, and even some of the screaming music. For me, when he plays his music it hits a nerve. I can't think straight!

With that all said, this past week Justin found an artist, Jimmy Needham and we BOTH love his music! I have been listening to him nonstop. I don't know much about him other than his music is amazing! The music has a very old feel to it and his lyrics sounds straight out of a personal journal. Very intimate. His music is very reminiscent of Shuan Groves, and Shane and Shane, two groups that I absolutely love.

If Justin can like this guy, anyone can. Great music that is defiantly worth a listen.

Read more...

TGIF!

Thank goodness it's Friday! I have no real plans other than my FINAL Upward game tomorrow, and that is very intentional. This weekend I am going to make it a priority to do absolutly nothing! :) :) :) Upwards has been great and I have enjoyed doing the cheerleader coaching thing, but my mind AND body are ready for a vacation.

Read more...

Moments in Time

So I have realized that our lives are defined by moments. I realize that more every single day. Justin and I are young, newly married (just over a year), no children, and are still trying to figure out some of the big things in life. Our calling, house, kids, etc.. Everyday we are still asking God whats the big picture, Do you want this? Is this it?

I guess in my own mind I have always figured that God is going to make this huge entrance and send his angels down to say" This is it, this is what I have saved you for. This is my plan" The angels would be saying this to us all while handing us the scroll filled with the details of the golden timeline of our lives.....

But, it's obviously not the case.

I have realized that Justin and I have already made some huge decisions. We asked Christ into our hearts. We went to CBC. We dated. We married. We quit our jobs in C-ville. We moved here. And in each situation, they were triggered my small unnoticble moments. It is the moments, the forks in the road, the decision to stop, the decision to speed up, the choosing the wrong direction or the right direction that defines our lives. And they happen like a flash of light- gone before you realized it had arrived.

A phone call.

An accident.

A meeting.

A hurtful comment.

A moment.

And those God ordained moments, those mind/opinion changing spaces of time have the most sensitive triggers. One minute your living your life as you know it, and the next your on the phone with someone you havent spoken with in years (whom you eventually marry). They take on a life all of their own. Moments. They shape us, define us..

But each one has made me who I am and placed me where I am today. So I guess, In my futile attempts to find the golden timeline of God's will, He has quietly been working through these moments. And I guess in this point of our lives, its hard to not beg God for a glimpse of the big picture. It's hard. But I am realizing that His plans are far beyond me and anything I can comprehend, so for now, I will just trust, and wait for the next moment.

Read more...

Marley and Me

Last night Justin brought home a couple of movies to keep me company while he went to the church board meeting, one being "Marley and Me". I guess I didn't read the reviews extensivley enough to realize that it was going to break the floodgates open the way it did. I was definatly not in the mood to be sitting in the dark living room, eating brownies, and sobbing, yes sobbing uncontrollably. But thats what ended up happening.

Justin came home long after the movie had ended. By this time I had recovered, and was enjoying a nice episode of "The Biggest Loser" . He walked in the door, "So, how was 'Marley and Me," he asked. I began to explain the movie, and in mid explanation I began sobbing AGAIN! Geesh, talk about a train wreck. lol.. I do not think I had cried that much since Leonardo died in the Titanic.

But, In all honesty, I don't think the movie was that heart wrenching- it's just been a weird week.

Read more...

Just trying this out

Hooray! I just figured out how to post pictures directly from my email! I know, I am so behind in times with the blogworld..

Anyway-This is my adorable little nephew, Acie James.. Isn't he the cutest??!

Read more...

I am a tweeter!!

I joined twitter about 7 months ago and completely forgot about it. Randomly I found out that a couple people were following me, so I thought, why not give this a try. This will be my weekly twitter trial! www.twitter.com/ambermacquarrie

Oh, and like always, I go MIA with this blog...This is also a trial session for blogging again. I have realized that I am in desperate need of an outlet, a hobby, something.! So that's why I am all of a sudden trying or re-trying all these new things. Justin is now on a completely different shift, so I am going insane!!!

Read more...

I guess today I am a little more introspective that normal. Not really sure why- just am. Well, I take that back- most of the time when I have my days of introspection I have either a. read/watched/experienced something awe inspiring, or b. Was asked to write or speak or something in which I have to take time out to focus on me. It’s good for me, because I am forced to think of what God has done in my life.

Today Dave asked for a brief testimony. I did one last week and pained me to not be able to find it this morning. So, like always, I sat down and began to think. It’s hard to give an accurate testimony when you have a mere two paragraphs to work with. This isn’t the first time I was asked to give a brief testimony and I doubt it will be the last- but each time I find myself wanting to give detailed story after story of how God has moved in different parts of my life, but is more often than not summarized to sentences like “I am blessed.” I know, cliché. So- In honor of those untold stories- I bring you segments of my testimony.


Ehhh emm…

Looking back into my high school years, I laugh at my dramatic application to life. After accepting Christ at 15, I instantly labeled myself the victim. Growing up in the “non-church going” environment I played it up as if I a victim held captive in my own skin. I looked down on my family, and their “non-Christian” ways regardless of how loving and capable they were. I was one of those kids who constantly journaled, and wrote sad poetry, who fought and picked at the world around me. I complained at the drop of a hat and had little regard for others.

Looking back at the mental qualities that I possessed I find it hard to believe there was a youth leader who could care—but there was.

The Barth family loved each one of us kids—even when we were unlovable. When we fought, and disagreed, when we hated each other- they loved. When we rode to King’s Island fighting over whose music gets played and bickered at the drop of a hat. They kept their house open to us at all times, when they knew that we were less than loyal to them, when we were undeserving, even when they were having problems themselves. There wasn’t a wrong question or something too stupid to talk about they were above all—our friends.

I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that over half of that small group that met in high school is serving in some capacity of ministry. I just don’t. I give credit to the couple, who above all, listened to God and not everyone around them. Who were real with us, and didn’t use church terms, that answered our questions with their heart- not a manuscript, or just scripture without explaining it to us.

Through their ministry- a passion was ignited. They introduced the idea of having a relationship with God, not just a religion about Him.

Their ministry was life changing.

Read more...

cicadas

I hate cicadas. I hate them. To be completely honest, I cannot recall a real encounter with cecadas until Winchester. Here in Winchester there is an epidemic that is sweeping Adam’s county. Cecadas. Don’t know what they are? me neither a couple weeks ago. They are huge, quarter sized bugs that buzz louder than I can scream. Although they don’t sting or bite (at least I don’t think) they have no fear! They will swarm around you, get in your clothes, fly in your car, they almost flew in Justin’s mouth. They leave little shells all over the place too. They are GROSS.

The other day, I decided to lay out and try to soak up some sun. I am pasty white and I need help-lol. As soon as I walked out and laid down on the towel it was like a piece of meat just laid down in front of a pack of coyotes. I was swarmed by cicadas. They were flying on me, around me, laying on me. People, it was a horror movie. As danced my way back to the door- I vowed to never touch one of the insects from hell again. That was last week.
So last Sunday Justin and I were in the car after morning service heading to the nearest restaurant when he goes “ is there a Cicada in the car? I’m hearing some buzzing?” Of course I instantly freak and begin to slap my arms and legs in hopes of not finding a little cedaca tucked away in some portion of my body- luckily I didn’t. But he still insisted that he heard something. So I begin scanning the vehicle until the little shiney golden bug met me eye to eye on justin’s seat belt. Of course I begin belting giberish in hopes of communicating that I had found it when Justin reaches over- grabs the bug by the wings and proceeds to PUT IT IN MY FACE. imagine the horror. The buzzing. It still gives me chills. I wont lie, a mad woman came out of me that day. I began screaming, kicking, and clawing Justin. What seemed to be worse is that with every passing second of my screaming insanity, Justin seemed to laugh, and laugh…..and laugh….

after that/ I’ve realized that I hate them. I hate them more than spiders and snakes. A least spiders and snakes will try to get away from you- Cecadas will crawl all over you without fear and buzz like they are in heat… If you plan on visiting Adams County- beware.

Read more...

Life in the small town

So I think I am starting to get the hang of the small town living- actually- I really like it. The first couple of weeks were a little eerie, I must admit. I mean, I wasn’t used to walking into the post office and the guy standing behind me that I have never seen in my life say “g’mornin Amberrr”… In which I responded (with confused weird look) good morning??
people knowing my name right off the bat- that’s just weird. or going into the bank and getting the “hows married life?” from complete strangers that knew nothing about me- or- at least I knew nothing about them.. It wasn’t bad, it was just weird for me.. As the past three weeks have passed I am starting to grow accustom to seeing familiar faces in a tight-knit community- and I like it. I think I know more people in this community than I ever did in Circleville.

Anyway, Yesterday, I finally got the chance to speak to Megan and Amy which was so nice..My phone service still stinks, but the weather was so nice that I just sat outside and talked.. After chit chatting a little on the phone Jeni, Craig, Justin and I took a walk around Winchester, went to this little ice cream shop called ‘S & S’ and explored the town..! I felt like I was 13 years old again running around with my posse and eating ice cream. During the long walk We passed by some older houses for sell. Justin and I were a little curious so we peeked inside the windows, walked around the yard and checked out the place. Today Justin called the owners and one thing led to another and now we have an appointment to look at a house on Sat! It’s on older house- a definate fix-er-up-er but who knows!

to be continued!~

Read more...

Suddenly...

Today is the first day in a long time that I have had the time to sit down and blog. First of all, I have to address my dear friends that have been calling me relentlessly and have yet to hear from me, and are beginning to believe that I was just a figment of their imagination…ehhh emmm…. (falling to my knees) FORGIVE ME!!! I still love you and will give you a call soon…Between not having service in Winchester, writing thank you cards, starting a new job and still unpacking I have found little time to chit chat. Again, I love you guys- every little single one of you..

But for now, here is an update..

Justin and I are back and are settling into life in the small town of Winchester OH… We both wake up every morning completely baffled at where we are today- together- in Winchester. Although we have only been married for 3 weeks I am completely awed at how lucky I am to have Justin as a husband. He makes me a better Amber.

All of this change has caused a lot of reflection lately…It seems as Madonna said “Life is full of suddenlys”..It seems it was yesterday that Suddenly I accepted Christ as a 15 year old confused freshmen unsure of what tomorrow would be.. And Suddenly Pastor Gary was talking to me about attending CBC…And Suddenly I found my first-world-self standing in a third world country accepting a call much bigger than myself…And Suddenly I walked across the stage to receive my BA in Psychology…And Suddenly I found myself completely in love with a guy I had looked over for 4 years.. And Suddenly I wake up in Winchester working for a Church, married to the love of my life… Suddenly

It’s crazy…

But regardless of how happy we are, it is still so weird to be in Winchester. Even today it feels surreal to wake up not in Circleville- to jump in my car and not go to OCU… It’s weird. Today I got a call from the college, Kay Humble- she worked in an entirely different department at OCU and was calling to verify some info for the church. My heart nearly jumped out my chest just to hear a voice from the college. So, I do miss everyone.. Working for the church has been a good adjustment though. I am excited for Justin and I to see how the Lord is going to use us together here.. It feels good to be apart of a church family again- very much needed. There are so many opportunities here for us, but we are trying to discern what exactly God has us here for rather than just jump into every opportunity, which by the way, is so stinkin hard for me... But I long to know what exactly God has saved me for, and What God has perfectly planned out for our lives. So for now, A new chapter in life is beginning.

Read more...

Please pass the podcast….

So I believe I have found a new love- the podcast. I'm serious. If you would have told me that I would love the podcast two weeks ago- I'd probably respond with a "whaaa??".

You see, I 'm not tech savvy, I have an ancient box of a computer so downloading isn't exactly a pastime. I have bent over backwards to NOT become one of the dorks who watch televangelists and listen to PODevangelists. But I must confess, the other night around 8 pm , I stumbled across the beauty of the podcast. "Well, I am doing homework, so… It be nice to listen to something" I thought. I downloaded one podcast, secretly. I mean, it was just one…

The pod experience was euphoric. I laughed, I almost cried, I blogged.. I listened to the entire series…. Then another… and another, and another…. Around 2 am, I woke from the pod-trance. That night I went to bed trying to convince myself that it was the homework that kept me up, but I secretly knew the truth. The next day I sat at work shifting back and forth in my chair trying to pry my mind of the best writers, musicians and artists "I wonder if they have a podcast… I wonder…."

I was running to the computer checking out the newest podcasts … It was bad..

It's not easy to admit that you have a problem. I know.

So. With all that said. I'm starting a podcast- just letting you know. It's not that big of a deal, seriously…

But Look for updates when the first episode is posted.

Read more...

Mishaps of Ministry

So last night is over… Obviously. But it’s a little surreal for me.

In case you haven’t caught up with me, I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the past month because of the first 2007 visit day/ nightly concert—Both events in which I had oversaw. Mind you, this is the first time I had ever oversaw these kinds of events, so the whole experience was very educational.
I woke up this morning feeling like a new day. No, not because they are both over, but because I feel that God worked in both events. The visit day produced all of 12 people who came and spent the day on OCU campus. All 12 submitted applications, and the concert produced somewhere between 100-150 people. Of course the numbers were a bit shabby, but I really really felt like God worked in the Shaun Groves concert. 13 children were sponsored, and healing began to take place in the lives of individuals.

Somewhere between the fourth song and the last min of the concert, Shaun began to describe the church for the 20’s age group today. Non- existent. As I look around the room, I began replaying the stories of the individuals who surrounded me. When you become part of the small college community, it’s pretty hard to not get to know everyone, their mom, and their first cousin’s dog. I’ve hear a lot of “church stories” most with a sad ending. As I looked around the room, I saw broken people all within the 20 somes age range who hung their head as he talked about the neglect the 20 somes feel. I saw tears. I heard sniffles. I saw body language that feared exposure. The stench of brokenness hung over the 100-150 people who sat in the huge auditorium. I could relate… I felt broken…

He talked about the church who reminds us what we are saved from rather than what we are saved for.. Sometimes, I think we need to be reminded what we are saved for. What does Christ want to do through me? As early youth we are taught in the church that we can be anything, do anything, God has no limitations or barriers.. We cannot be held down. This is not bad, not at all…But I think that because of this, 20-some Christians today were never taught to deal with barriers and obstacles that would hinder them from ministry. I think we have a lot of 20-some Christian visionaries. Visionaries who were never taught the art of execution… They weren’t aware of the real barriers and obstacles that would arise and were never taught how to deal with them so we stay in our happy safe place where we can dream about the perfect church with the perfect ministries, because we are afraid of the obstacles and the unknown outcome. My generation is afraid of failure.

For example… I know that I have a heart for the mission field…I have felt a distinctive call to missions work almost 5 years ago. But I also know that if God said “go now”. My actions may be limited by financial barriers, emotional barriers and the tyranny of the “what if.” What if I’m not effective? What if I can’t raise the money?

Faith. It’s a simple truth that has been quenched from our instant gratification generation. We live in a world of minimum barriers, instant emails, and self help books. If something is too difficult and there is no easy way around, we give up.
Anyway, sorry for rambling, I suppose I have just came to grips with some of my own flaws and mishaps of ministry. Anyway, I’m curious, what do you think about the mindset and roles of the 20-somes age group of the church?

Read more...

Shaun Groves is coming!

Have I mentioned that Shaun Groves will be here on the 28th of Sep? He's working real hard...

Check this out.

Read more...

TGIF!

So it is Friday, thank goodness! The week has been a long grueling week of preparation for this fall, and as crazy as this week is, I know that next week is going to be even more hectic. I finished two grad school classes, paid all my bills, registered a trillion incoming freshmen and gave the ACT three times (three hour test)… So TGIF people!
I am spending my weekend in the wonderful little town of Winchester OH, where I am going to do a whole lot of nothing, which is sweet. I have no set plans, can you believe that?

Anyway, have a wonderful weekend, and you will here from me soon!

Read more...

When the Lights Go Out

So this past week has been hectic and crazy and nonstop and .. pheww. With the beginning of classes just around the corner this is undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for me.

So yesterday at work the lights went out. All of the electric throughout the entire campus just shut down, and for the entire day the staff were limited in what could be done. Initally, we all panicked. With classes and orientation and registration and life starting up in the next week, each of us began darting throughout the office like a chicken with it's head cut off. "But I have this meeting and this email that needs to go out and this file that needs to be sent and this and and and" …

Each of us had a to do list the size of Texas.

So after utter frutation with working in the darkness, we all migrated into the lobby area of the building that I work in. We sat. Ackwardly we listened to the silence and tried to force conversation as with each passing minute we fall behind in our schedule. The minutes turned to hours.

And then it happened.

It the midst of the silence, as if we all just caught the punch line to the joke we've heard a hundred times—We laughed. I'm not sure why, but for me, I laughed because I realized the absurdity of worrying, what little good it really does. I laughed because I think God did this on purpose—no, I know he did.

We loosened our ties (so to speak) sat back, and began to enjoy the dark room. We told jokes and stories and laughed about random things. It was one of the first times that I actually sat down with my co-workers, especially the co-workers that work on the opposite side of the buiding, and really got to know them. It was nice. It was needed.

Why is that? Why is it that God sometimes has to literally shut the business out of your life to get you to open your eyes to the guy down the hall in financial aid, who just happens to be preparing for daddyhood for the first time (with twins). Why is that?

It reminded me of the times at home. In Portsmouth, occasionally we would get hit by one of those massive storms that completely wipe out all electronic devices. No phone, to lights, no TV… nothing. And I remember as a child, and even most recently in my early college years, cherishing those times.

We would light every candle in the house, lay on the floor drinking kool aid and make a shadow puppets until our little arms had turned to jelly. And when we would get tired, we would just lay in the silence and listen to the rain… All of the family together.

Sometimes, I think God has to turn off the world to make you see what's actually right under your nose, at least he did for me.

Read more...

Falling for God...

I think you would’ve liked to meet Alma and Avery, my grandparents. My grandpa past away in 1995. My grandma, now 90 years old, is still a picture of health.
They fell in love in their early twenties in the hills of Kentucky, as they stayed that way for over 60 years.

Avery, and hard working N&W Railroad employee would spend hour and hours widdling with his tiny pocket knife on the back porch of their small white house in the heart of Southern Ohio. Alma stayed home and poured love into their five children, about 3,000 pots of her famous chicken and dumplins, and homemaid cherry pies. Avery liked to poke and tease Alma over anything he could get her to grin over. They were recklessly in love.

Once a week they would pack up their little white car and head to Sunday morning service in a tiny Freewill Baptist Church about a 30 min. drive south, in Kentucky. No instruments were at the church, just the voices of about 30 brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember listening to grandma sing all the way home. Seven days a week they would sit at the kitchen table, bow for prayer, and share a meal together. They never spent and evening away for the other. They were enmeshed.
Their marriage was for better or for worse- but mostly for the better.

As years past on and health began to fade, I as a small child, watched intently as Alma and Avery grew closer together. Avery had a heart condition and needed constant support in maneuvering throughout the house. My 100lb. grandma would drap her arm around my 6ft grandpa each and every day, 24hrs a day, for the last 5-6 years of his life and assisted in carrying the burden that my grandpa so bravely carried. I watched on the days he could hardly lift his own foot as my grandma would jump to his every whim and cater to his every need. I watched in those years as the “I love you”s became more frequent, the “Thank you”s became more sincere, the pauses in prayer before they said a final ‘amen’ , it was as if they were sharing a moment just for the two of them ...Alma was Avery’s light, and Avery was Alma’s. I, as a 12 year old 5th grader found discomfort with the “lovey- dovey- ewwy-gooeyness” of it all, so I found ease in faking an obliviousness to the obvious. But I would secretly watch. Secretly. Have you ever felt as if you were eavesdropping on something so amazing, so beautiful that it draws your attention so strongly? This was what I experienced every evening with my grandma and grandpa.


Today, when reading the ‘top’ relationship books and articles, I laugh at some perspectives. I laugh because some authors would say that Alma and Avery were too close—too enmeshed. Perhaps, but I don’t think so. I think the two were entwined in a wonderful way. Independence is the key, “Me time” I’ve heard said is important in a relationship. For the lives of Alma and Avery—the only time was “their time”. Alma would deny every hope of her own to fulfill the hopes of Avery, and Avery would deny every hope of his own to fulfill the hope of Alma.

Alma and Avery were just a couple ‘uneducated’ ordinary Kentucky folk who “got it.”They discovered a simple secret and acted on it—to realize the true value of one anthor and spend enormous amounts of time together.

Ya know, it makes me think. Developing a relationship with God is similar to developing a relationship like the one Alma and Avery had—no, it’s exactly like that.
As Gary Moon said it in his book Falling for God “ Transforming Love requires time and a vision of forever.”

That’s the requirement of falling head over heels in Love.

Read more...

I just feel like somethin good is about to happen

I must admit, the air of Circleville changes when the week of Mount of Praise Campmeeting approaches us. And although I am unsure about the details of how this week will go with it being held in the new Leadership Center, there is a certain amount of excitement that’s boiling up. Usually I can tell that Mount of Praise is a comin because
A. I wake up singing most all of the Gaither songs that I know. Today’s is “I just feel like something good is about to happen.”

B. I begin craving some homecooked Mount of Praise food

C. I catch the "southern slur" seeping back into my vocabulary. Yesterday I ask a friend "Can ah barrie (BAR-EE) some ...."

Yes, I’m a bit old fashion, But there’s just something about old time campmeeting that doesn’t compare to church. Maybe it’s the]songs that bring back childhood memories in the kitchen with my grandma or maybe it’s the time of family reunion. I must admit- I miss home. I’ve been a bit homesick after not seeing my family in over a month. One thing that Mount of Praise reminds me of is home. Only at Mount of Praise will I reunite with most of my college friends, old church family, and new church family all at the same time.

Campmeeting doesn't have to be 'Relevant to the age' or super entertaining, because well, thats not why people of all ages go to campmeeting. It's because campmeeting is a time of fellowship and revival- that's what makes it beautiful.
So.. yea..
I’m pretty excited about the upcoming week.

Read more...

Has anyone heard of a Fujitzu Computer? Well, me either. At least not until I became employed here at OCU where the magical machine o wonder was placed into my possession. I’m not sure where they derived from, but I’d venture to guess that this machine was put together on the early 80s. It’s huge, It’s slow, and it does weird things. It’s nearly crashed on me 4 times this year, and the cute lil thing likes to play hide and go seek with all of my files- one minute there on my desktop, next minute their gone.

So with all that being said, I have been on the search for the next step in the world of laptops.I think I have a tiny crush on the iMac notebooks. I know I know, I admit it. I was a die hard PC fan, blah blah blah… but I’m just going to put myself out here to you apple lovers who have tried many years to convert me and say, I’m sorry. Your right, I’m wrong.

Ok. Happy? You win.

Read more...

Read more...

Where is heaven?...

The video makes me smile. No, not because it is so stinking cute (even though it is)- but because it gives me the most accurate picture of heaven in it's true form.

When I was a tiny lil thing I remember crawling up onto my grandmother's lap and asking her to describe heaven. I'd close my eyes and picture the golden streets lined with endless mcDonald's stands, cotton candy machines, and bubbles that never pop. As I grew older, I embraced the idea that everyone would be master harpist, and could totally rock the robes and classical music in all their glory.

But in all reality, heaven will be the simple, beautiful, unaltered fellowship with our Father, our 'Abba'. Pure laughter, love, and fellowship and the innocent obliviousness to all pain and suffering.

This video embraces that.

Joy, love and fellowship with our Father- in their purest forms.

people, thats heaven.

Read more...

I'm in the mood for Love baby

This weekend I went to Leigh and CJ’s wedding. I really don’t know what it is about weddings, but they seem to put the female minds on cloud nine. All of a sudden you want to rush home and watch the notebook and cry, you want to sit under a sunset and dream of the white picket fence and your future golden retriever named rover, you want to cuddle up in a blanket and watch CMT.
It’s sick..

Weddings are honestly like drugs for women. They mess with your emotions, man! If a guy really wants to hook the lady into a trance- he’ll talk about the wedding. It’s weird.

But anyway, it was a beautiful wedding and it was especially nice to see old friends. Afterwards, Justin, me, Megan and Robby went on a put putting adventure in Lancaster. It made me miss megan and all the goofiness that we go through. Gosh..

Yesterday, Justin and I got up early and went to First Church of Christ in Christian Union. I’m going to be honest here, not really having the solid connection within a home church for me has been wearing. You’d think that living in Circleville for 5 years would have provided the opportunity to find a home church… But it hasn’t. The entire 4 years of college I was on ministry traveling teams, choirs, and admissions teams. My admissions position,in the past year, had required A LOT of traveling on sundays. Lately however, I have been free, so I have been on the search for my “home church.” Not having the foundation of a home church for that amount of time is a dangerous thing. Church for the past 4 years had been apart of my job, and anytime you allow church to become a "job" you suffer.

I miss a church family. I miss discipleship and accountability that I had at home. I miss home. I miss the continual fellowship with people relentlessly seeking Christ. I miss Cedar St CCCU ( in portsmouth). It seems that nothing can compare to the church in which I spend the best part of my spiritual life. Most lately I travel back to Winchester with Justin, and I have to say the Winchester has come the closest to a home church for me. The people there are amazing and every aspect of the church is what I have been seeking for! however, the distance is really disheartening. I want to get involved in a church! As a result, I have been doing some reaaal praying. "God, do you want me in Circleville? Do you want me somewhere else???. It’s funny how anxious we get when trying to decipher what God wants for the present. When people ask about the future- I am quick to respond of my trust in Christ, but when someone asks about the present, its hard. I’ll admit.


Anyway, the sermon on Sunday was a simple message on the grace of God. It amazes me sometimes how such simple messages can cut so deeply. The church was warm and welcoming. There were lots of people that I know, which was great. So that may be something. Maybe. I just wish I had a clear cut picture of where God wants me to be. But I have learned to trust in his ultimate plans and I know that he will open the right doors at the right time.

After church Justin and I went to the Ted Lewis pool and swam for a couple hours with all of the lil kiddies, and later took a walk in the park. It was a peaceful Sunday.

And now.. its Monday- and yes, I do indeed have a case of the Mondays. lol.

Read more...

My DNA Profile

Concerned Creator

Today I took this personality profile. Here are my results.

Confidence
34

Openness
72

Extroversion
34

Empathy

98

Trust in others
50

Agency
18

Masculinity

8

Femininity
100

Spontaneity
96

Attention to style
64

Authoritarianism
100

Earthy/Imaginative
18

Aesthetic/Functional
96

My personalDNA Report

Read more...

The remote

You ever lose the remote control to the TV? I mean, for that brief moment in time there is nothing more important than finding that remote. For me, it is not so much being deprived of the opportunity to watch my shows, its more. It’s knowing that I simply do not have the authority over that dang television- the power struggle. There could be George W. knocking down my front door, but if I am in "remote controler finding" mode, than George would be on the waiting list. I think that says a lot about who I am. Sometimes I feel like I should be at a control anonymous meeting. “Hi, I’m Amber- and I am a controlaholic.”

Anyway-Our TV at home (before Rachel just bought the new one) was a unique one. You see, you could not do anything to the TV outside of using the remote. The off button, volume, and channel buttons all were disabled on the TV. so the remote was our only lifeline to the TV, and believe it or not, I lost the remote- a lot.

Today is one of those “I just lost the remote” days.

I woke up this morning late, ran to the office turned on my computer to find a little blue box that said, “Physical memory terminated”. I broke out into an instant sweat “delete, control alt delete, escape, off” my fingers were turning blue as I tapped away at my computer. All of my office files that I have stored for the past year began running through my head, my organizer, my grad school papers, all of my pictures. In an instant, they were gone.
That was my morning.

Later on today, I accessed my bank account to find a negative balance. It is life. It happened.

Sometimes you miscalculate your budget and have negative charges.
Sometimes your computer crashes.
Sometimes your homework is late.
Sometimes you lose control.

I am going to just lay it out. I am a mess of a person. Today- the realization was sobering. Control is an interesting concept for a Christian. Were taught most of our adolescence to not provide it to another person, we try to gain it, and once attained—Christ says “give it to me”.

“Give me your fears, your hopes, your miscalculated budget, and your crashed computer. Give me all of your mess and mistakes. Give me control.”

Today I have found comfort in knowing that I do not have the remote. I cannot control the volume or static channels of life. I just can’t.

But I know who does have the remote.

And I trust Him.

Read more...

Ouch... it burns

Yesterday I stabbed myself. It was bad.

After a long day of work, I decided to treat myself with the food of the gods, hamburger helper (three cheesy blends). So I get my frozen meat out of the freezer and begin trying to slowly remove the plastic, unfortunately my impatience began to boil over so I did the most rational thing that an impatient person would do. I pulled out my handy, machete like knife and begin cutting open the hamburger. Because the bigger the knife the faster it will work.. right?

And then it happened.

I stabbed myself really really deep in my thumb. I learned very quickly what the pursuit of instant gratification will get you- stupid results. Had I just waited and slowly tore away the plastic instead of shortcutting (no pun intended) my way to the hamburger I would not be sitting here with a gashed open thumb.


So my roommate removes herself from her own work, comes to my rescue pulls the bloody knife out of me (not really), grabs her first aid kit, wraps my hand in swaddling cloth and then cooks my hamburger helper for me while I lay a bask in the pain of my stabbed thumb..

People, that’s a friend.

Read more...

I must Announce.

I must announce.... ehhh emmm... my favorite artist of all time will be joining us, and I am super excited... i mean.. woa...

Shuan Groves

Sep 28th at 7:00pm

Ohio Christian University in the Leadership Center

Cost: $5.00

Who's invited? everyone!

Read more...

summer days

Haven’t blogged much this week- or this year.. But I’m trying to get myself back into the groove. I’ve got no fancy videos to post either. I’ve been too tired or busy with work and school to think straight.

Tonight, for instance, right now, it’s 1:02 am and I need to go to bed because the alarm will go off at 6:30 AM But here I am catching you all up on my week...as if you’re really that interested and it’s really that fascinating.

Since there are tons of things going on, I guess I will start from scratch with the most recent events. Last Thursday we met up with Jeni and Craig. They were partly here for work purposes, but mostly to hang out with me.. not justin.. me.. anyway it was good times bowling, walmarting, eating..
check it out.


We were bowling... and losing.



Walmarting cowboys!



"Can I please have 'Cars'.. please please please please????"



This past weekend we had registration for new students. It was crazy busy, but when all is said and done we had 40+ students registered for fall semester, that’s not counting the 30 that registered last month (and we still have two more registrations). So far, the next year’s class is so exciting, very talented and on fire. But let me just say, after last week’s hectic registration I could have easily plopped down into a whole and went into some serious hibernation. I was that tired.

Saturday I spent the best part of my day at a local festival here in Circleville called “My Fest” behind the OCU booth. I must say, considering how new this thing is I was really impressed with the turnout. Tons of Christian artists, face painting, skateboarding tournaments, basketball tournaments, blow up slides and jousting, art, food and cotton candy all for FREE. Yes, free… I met some pretty neat bands and totally loved it.

After arriving at this thing I gave Justin a call and about an hour later he came by to help with the booth. We decided to grab some food and long story short we started goofing off and I ended up with a water bottle emptied OVER MY HEAD.. I was ticked. Seriously on a “ticked” scale of 1-10, I was about an 11… Normally this would have been no big deal, but I had to work the booth and I looked like a little homeless girl. Justin was not remorseful. I did however decide to get over it, suck it up, and look like a homeless girl at the OCU booth for another hour. Which I did.
Later that evening Justin and I decided to head to Chillicothe for the evening. There we went to Sam’s Club, The movies, H.H Greg, and El Casa del Taco. Justin won me an ugly bear in the movie’s claw machine.



And that was the weekend





More to come… I promise

Read more...