Into the Field of Souls

I'm off to the abortion mill this morning...it's supposed to be a "full house"...40 mommies have made appointments to slaughter their precious little ones today. If you read this before it's too late, please pray that babies would be saved from their imminent death, and also that souls would be spared from the wrath of God.

Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Surely we did not know this,” Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds? ~Prov. 24:11-12

When will the church in America wake up, and see what Christ died for? They are millions of little babies being ripped to pieces in our own back yards; billions of people headed for a devil's hell. We can't just sit back and act like we don't know; God knows we know...and we'll all be held accountable for our apathy!

My Story: Part 1, The Younger Years

So, I've decided after a bit of thinking, that I will share my testimony. This will be in parts because it's long, but I figure if you want to read my blog, you might as well know where I'm coming from. It might be boring for some (maybe even most), but alas...it will encompass a lot of aspects of my life, beginning when I was just a wee one, all the way through when I became a true, born again Christian. Thinking back on my life, and seeing God's clear hand in it really makes me wonder how people can not believe in the sovereignty of God (popularly known as the five points of Calvinism *grin*), but I digress....that is another topic for another day.

I was my parents' first (and only) child, born in a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Mom and Dad hadn't planned me, but I do suppose that since I came into being, God did! :o) So, two years (just about) into my parents marriage, I was born. I was almost Geneva, and I was almost Sofia...but I ended up being Mary Jo(sephine), after my maternal Grandmother. I think the name fits rather nicely; it's grown on me these past 17 years, I reckon.

Fastforward a couple of years: My parents were not Christians when I was a little girl, but my Dad's Mother was faithful to the Lord. She began taking me to church with her every Lord's Day, when I was quite young. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and when my Grandparents took a long trip to Florida, I was still anxious to attend church, so Mom and Dad decided they'd go ahead and take me. This was huge. I truly believe it was the answer to my Grandmother's prayers, as the prayers of the righteous do truly avail much! Just years before, my Dad had been embarassed that his mother was a Baptist, and certainly did not want to get married in a Baptist church...but one fine Sunday morning, he found himself sitting in a pew (probably close to the back, but I could be wrong...I never asked about that detail), with his wife, in the very Baptist church he had opted OUT of getting married in. Eventually, Grandma and Grandpa came back to North Carolina, and Mom and Dad kept on going to church. Within the next year or so, they both professed faith in Christ and were baptized together. This was probably the beginning of the path to becoming true Christians, but I think they would both say they were genuinely converted later on.

Now, we can fast forward a few more years. When I was four, we moved to a small town in Ohio where my Dad had been hired to be the publisher of the newspaper (it had a different name back then, and was owned by a different publishing company). After a series of completely crazy events, we ended up leaving there to come to the sunshine state when I was just a few weeks shy of turning 8. Dad moved before Mom and I did, as he needed to start working right away, so he found a church that we would attend together when his girls (Mom and I) joined him in Florida.

The following summer, I went to Vacation Bible School. It was that week at VBS that I asked Jesus into my heart, or accepted Him as my Lord and Savior (however you want to put it). Of course, I now know that that is not the Biblical gospel (accepting Him as your Lord--aka MASTER--and Savior can be biblical, depending on what is meant by it, but it is generally preached as a form of antinomianism), but at the time it was what I was told was true. (for those of you who preach that...try to find where it says in scripture that that's what we're to do) I recall at one point even asking my Dad where it said it in the Bible. "I'm sure it's there," I said, believing what I'd been taught at church, "But I'm just wondering where." We never did find the passage. The following December I was baptized, and joined the church.

At this point in time, I would venture to say that my "conversion" was a false profession. While I had done what they said I needed to do to be saved, there were a couple of problems. Namely, what they said doesn't square up with what God's Word says; that is "Repent and believe the gospel!" Needless to say, I had not repented, and my belief didn't really go deeper than an acknowledgment of the facts--Jesus died for my sins on the cross so I could go to heaven.

So, that's the beginning of my story as well as I can remember it. I praise God for those years, but thank Him for His mercy and forgiveness in that I did not live any of them for Him. But, He knew every detail of my life before I was even conceived; in fact, before the world was even created.

Stay tuned for Part 2 (I haven't come up with a title for it yet :oD )!

My Hope Chest

Ben built me a hope chest while we were together this month! It is so beautiful, and is currently adorning my bedroom. We brought it into the house on Tuesday, and he helped me put my (eventually our) things into it! It's made of very nice pine, and it has a cedar lining, to prevent bugs from eating linens and other such things; I hope to have a number of linens ready for when we get married, so that was a nice touch! The latch is a window latch, which I'm sure will prove to be nice and child proof, should the Lord choose to bless us with children after we're married. Along with the hinges, there is a hinge of some sort that we found to hold the lid open, which is nice, since it is such a heavy lid...it makes it easier to close, and it's conventient to be able to keep it open. It matches the bedroom furniture my parents are going to give us after we're married (that's why I picked that stain). The pictures were taken in my front yard before we brought it in.

If anyone is interested in purchasing a handcrafted, custom hope chest, let me know! If you email me (or just comment, if you'd rather) specifications for size, type of wood etc, I could get Ben to quite you a price. They can be made nearly any size, with any kind of wood and whatever hardware you like. It's hard to find a nice, quality hope chest these days, so this is rare! I've wanted one for quite some time...long before I knew Ben. I think it's pretty neat that he was able to make it for me. :o)

Yes, I'm in love! :oD

Us out back yesterday before he left

Ben left yesterday morning; I cried as always. I just love having him around. He is my closest friend, and the love of my life! Things just feel perfect (most of the time *wink*) when we're together. He's such a godly man...I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

Sorry for my extended absense from the blog-world. I should be back permanently; when Ben is here, he takes priority over my blog (I'm sure y'all understand)! :o)

I'm Back :o)

So, it's been a million years since I've posted.

When life throws lots of wonderful things at you all at once, blogging doesn't take priority. :o) I'm with my beloved, and we've been doing all sorts of things out and about, and I love spending time with him more than I love blogging! haha

But just a bit about what's going on...don't forget about me, readers!

We spent a week at his family's house. While we were there, he made me a beeeautiful hope chest, which was a bit broken after it was shipped here (it ended up a smidge too big to put in the car), so he'll fix it tomorrow or Tuesday, so that is VERY exciting! I've been desiring a hope chest for quite some time, and who would've known that my future DH would be the one to build it? :)

We got to my house this past Monday, after an uneventful drive down. On the way, we stopped to drop off two birdhouses at a store that had its grand opening on March 15; the owner wants Ben's products in her shop...we're praying this will be the huge income boost we need to get married! May God's will be done in all things!! :o)

Since we've been here, we've had plenty of fun. One day, we went to Bright Light Books, a wonderful used bookstore (it started as a Christian bookstore, so they have a very large Christian section). Between the two of us, we had $60 worth of credit there, after trading in some books, plus I had $16 left from my last trade in, so we got lots of books (the total was $100, so we paid $24):

~The Fundamentals (2 vols.)
~The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible(5 vols.), recommended in Knowing Scripture
~The New Bible Commentary, also recommended in Knowing Scripture
~The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible
~The Person and Work of Christ
~The Religious Affections
~The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination
~Matthew Henry's Commentary (unabridged in 1 vol.)

Those were all very good buys, by very godly men of the past. I'm so thankful our Lord has blessed us with their writings!

This week was also the Ligonier Ministries National Conference, which was held in Orlando. Ben and I went, and boy was it wonderful! The topic for this year was Contending for the Faith, and the speakers were R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul, Jr., John Piper, John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Jr., and Ravi Zacharias. It was such an edifying and informative time...I've very thankful for the opportunity we had to attend! We also bought some books there (...can you tell we love good books? *grin*). Here are the titles:
~Meet the Puritans (it was buy 2, get 1 free)
~A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity
~Contending for Our All

The conference ended yesterday, and today was a blessed Sabbath. My Pastor preached an amazing sermon from the beginning of Matthew 25, the parable of the 10 Virgins(it's hard to believe he's only got 3 and a half chapters left!)...it brought me to tears more than once. I truly fear for the lost. How fearful it would be to fancy yourself a true believer, and stand before God and find out you're not, and it's too late to repent, too late to be saved; to say "Lord, Lord" to Christ and be told He never knew you, as His holy angels cast you into hell, to be tormented for eternity, knowing if you had only repented, you could be rejoicing in Heaven, enjoying God forever. May we all examine ourselves to see whether we be in the faith!

After church, Pastor and his wife invited us over to their home for Sunday dinner! That was also a huge blessing. It was a sweet time of fellowship.

Well, I better get going because folks (Ben and Mom and I...Dad is out of town) are getting hungry! :)

Many blessings,
Mary Jo

Late Nights at Grandma's House

So, as of Thursday, I am in North Carolina at my Grandma's house. After a flight delayed 3 hours due to bad weather, Dad and I landed at about midnight and got here in the wee hours of the morning on Friday, and we went to bed at about 3! That is 5 hours later than my normal bed time, so I slept pretty late on Friday (about 9:30, I believe). We are here celebrating my Grandma's birthday...when we arrived, my Aunt Dana, whose family lives in south FL, was already here. Friday night, my cousin, Katie, and her husband, Chris, came, as well as my Aunt Dianne, and very late, my Aunt Debbie arrived. We've had a really nice time, although I haven't gone to bed before 1:30 since I've been here. . .my schedule is totally out of whack! That's fine, though. I've really enjoyed the fellowship with my family. Everyone but me is leaving today. This afternoon, Ben is coming here after church (his church is halfway between his house and Grandma's) to pick me up (yaaay!). We're leaving tomorrow morning sometime to go back to his family's house. I can't wait to see him *grin*

We'll be at their house for a week, and then we head back to Orlando. I'm not sure how long he's staying, but I'm sure happy that we'll have a nice long visit! He's coming down for the Ligonier Ministry's national conference. We're going to that together, and then he's going to stay a few extra days once it's over. :o)

I don't know if I'll get to post at all until I get home, but if Ben decides to take a nap or something (which seems unlikely), I'll try!

Have a BLESSED Sabbath!
Mary Jo

Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead

This was on John Piper's blog this morning, and I thought it might be interesting for y'all to read. It's a summary of an article that can be found here, called "Eight Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose from the Dead."


1. Jesus himself testified to his coming resurrection from the dead.

2. The tomb was empty on Easter.

3. The disciples were almost immediately transformed from men who were hopeless and fearful after the crucifixion (Luke 24:21, John 20:19) into men who were confident and bold witnesses of the resurrection (Acts 2:24, 3:15, 4:2).

4. Paul claimed that, not only had he seen the risen Christ, but that 500 others had seen him also, and many were still alive when he made this public claim.

5. The sheer existence of a thriving, empire-conquering early Christian church supports the truth of the resurrection claim.

6. The Apostle Paul’s conversion supports the truth of the resurrection.

7. The New Testament witnesses do not bear the stamp of dupes or deceivers.

8. There is a self-authenticating glory in the gospel of Christ’s death and resurrection as narrated by the biblical witnesses.

Birdhouse-Replica

So, after remembering hte contact info. for the blog I have for Ben's business, I posted today for the first time in months. The post can be seen here.

One of the things I mentioned was the birdhouse that is auctioning right now on eBay, pictured above. If you wish, take time to read the post I wrote; it has a bit of an 'update' on the business as well as a couple of lovely pictures!

Mrs. Wilt's Proverbs 31 Series

Mrs. Wilt (see link on my sidebar) has been doing a series called the Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman. Today was the third post, and I highly recommend you read the first two as well as today's.

The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman
The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman: A Woman of Virtue
The Elusive Proverbs 31 Woman: The Excellent Wife

Here is part of today's post:

Proverbs 31: 23 states, "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." At first glance, this verse seems to reflect on the character of the husband, but in reality, it is a reflection on the character of his wife. She is of such excellent character that he is known through the land. Her goodness enables him to take his place among the leaders of the land and be all that God intends him to be. Dear ladies, do realize that each word that comes out of your mouth in regard to your husband either builds him up or tears him down. One of the verses I am memorizing right now is Proverbs 12:4: "A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband; but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones." Do you realize that virtuous women are viewed by our Lord as jewels in a crown for their husbands, but contentious women are viewed as a CANCER? What a powerful illustration! Just as cancer eats away bit by bit at the human body until it is consumed and life taken away, so do the words of the contentious woman eat away at her husband (spiritually, mentally, and emotionally) until he becomes weak from the strain. Let it not be so- choose instead to be a "mason of kindness" in your words to others regarding your mate. Never let a word cross your lips that does not build and strengthen his reputation among those you know.

Please take time to enjoy this edifying series of posts! :)

House Keeping Meme

So, I've never done one of these before, but I read it on Mrs. Wilt's blog (I just started reading it recently), and she said if you read it all, consider yourself tagged. :o) So I'm going to do it (keep in mind, I don't have my own house to keep):

Aprons- Y/N? I think they're very cute, but I don't usually wear one...I have a couple my Grandma gave me, that her Mom made. I might make a couple for my self once I know how to use my sewing machine.

Baking- Favorite thing to bake? Hmm...I think probably chocolate chip cookies, because that's what I always send to Ben. :o) And I like sending him things! But, I enjoy baking almost anything.

Clothesline- Y/N? Nope...no place to put one.

Donuts- Ever made them? Nope...those aren't healthy. :o) I try to make helf-ful things for my family, though sometimes I "splurge." Haven't made donuts though.

Everyday- One homemaking thing you do everyday? Hmm...make the bed

Freezer- Do you have a separate deep freezer? No place for one...once Ben and I get married, and we have our own place, I'd love to have one, though. (hint, hint *wink*)

Garbage Disposal- Y/N? Yes! I use it multipe times each day... <3 (haha)

Handbook- Y/N? I have a homemaker's binder...I think it will probably be more of a serious thing when I'm keeping my own home. I enjoy it, though. :)

Ironing- Love it or hate it? Eh...I don't do it too often; I try to get things out of the drier quick enough. When it needs to be done, it needs to be done, though.

Junk Drawer- Where is it? I think there's more than one...my desk has a drawers that's unorganized...and we have 2 in our kitchen and one in the coffee table. That's pretty bad!

Kitchen- Design and decorating? Let's see...we have dark granite counter tops and the walls are a chocolate color. The cabinets are white, and there are sort of victorian looking decorations atop the cabinets.

Love- What is your favorite part of homemaking? I don't know yet. I haven't really been able to decorate a home yet.

Mop- Y/N? Usually, I use this little swivel electric broom thing. I mop sometimes though.

Nylons- Wash them by hand or in the washer? eeeh! I HATE wearing nylons. I think we hand wash them, though.

Oven- Do you use the window or open it to check? Both.

Pizza- What do you put on yours? I usually just put cheese and pepperoni and some seasonings

Quiet- What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? I usually read

Recipe card box- Y/N? I'm working on it. ;)

Style of house- It's a typical FL home.

Tablecloths and napkins- Y/N? We don't have a tablecloth on the kitchen table, but we use placemats, usually only paper napkins.

Under the kitchen sink- It's kind of smelly...that's where the trashcan is. We keep some cleaning supplies under there though.

Vacuum- How many times a week? once a week.

Wash- How many loads do you do a week? 4 or so

X’s- Do you keep a list of things to do and cross them off? I love lists :D

Yard- Who does what? Dad does it all...we don't have a garden

ZZZ’s- What is your last homemaking task for the day? clean the kitchen and 'tidy'

I'll copy Mrs. Wilt...whoever read this, consider yourself tagged. If you do it, comment and let me know :o)

On the Sidewalks at Orlando Women's Center

That photograph is of a pre-born infant at 20 weeks gestation.

Many small children, smaller and larger than that baby (between 13 and 40 weeks--they say they don't do 3rd trimesters any more, on their website, but that's a lie...all you have to do is call and ask) were murdered today at 1103 Lucerne Terrace, the address of Orlando Women's Center. Paula, Patte, Mom and I were there to witness against the atrocity. No one talked to us, besides on angry Grandma (to a baby who is likely dead by now, after being delivered into a toilet inside the killing place) who shoved Patte. We called the police about it, but somehow they didn't consider grabbing her and shoving her an act of assault, so a report was filed, but nothing else was done. If I'm not mistaken, one of the officers who came was one of the ones who came when we called about the baby in the bag.

We stayed from about 7:45 until about 9. I thank the LORD that even though we don't see the fruit of our labors every time, His word does not return void, and each and every time it goes out, He uses it to accomplish His will.

Tomorrow, it's back out to the field of blood, to try and rescue the perishing (physically AND spiritually), as our Lord commands. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Of Fresh Bread and New Schedules

So, today I made bread using Marmee's Best Bread recipe. It turned out really good, if I might say so myself. :o) I've been wanting to make a bread that is healthy, but still kind of soft, and not really dense, for sandwhiches. Ben doesn't usually like homemade bread for sandwhiches, because of its denseness, so I decided to try and make some that's not so dense...and this recipe is perfect! It has some wheat flour, and some All-Purpose. I had to cut the recipe in half, because I do not have a Bosch. Our Kitchen Aid Mixer started making funny sounds when I turned it on, so I turned it off, and then I smelled motor oil, so I opted out of mixing it with the mixer, and ended up doing it all by hand. It still turned out delicious. Halfing it made three small loaves for me. Two of them are in the freezer, and one is already half way gone...Mom and I like it a lot ;o)

In other news, I made a new schedule for myself. I decided I need more time for housework and also to work on my needleworking skills. Any time left over during my housework time will be devoted to that, in addition to the time I already spend working on it. I decided I'm going to start getting up at 5 every day, so my day will last a little longer ;o). I've been working up to that point, as I was getting up at 5:45 every day for a while, and the last few days I've gotten up about 5:25, but I think I'm going to go ahead and "take the plunge" so to speak. My new schedule is as follows (but is, as always, subject to change):

5-7: Get up, make bed, "freshen", do my devotions, exercise
7-8: talk to Ben
8-10:30: make breakfast, dinner prep, clean kitchen, housework, needlework (if time)
10:30-12: shower, freshen up, scripture memory, practice flute
12-1: make and eat lunch, clean kitchen, practice piano
1-5: walk dogs, study (the Bible), study for NT Greek
5-6: computer time
6-7:30: make dinner, eat, tidy house, do any breakfast prep.
7:30-9: get ready for bed, straighten up, read
9-9:45: talk to Ben
9:45: go to bed

Going to bed at 9:45 should give me plenty of sleep, assuming it doesn't take me forever and a day to fall asleep.

I've also decided I'm going to change my cleaning routine for a while, because I want things more organized around the house. Once they're how I want them, I'm going to go back to my normal cleaning routine (which is different tasks each day: appliances Monday, dusting&counter tops&other wiping Tuesday, toilets&sinks Wednesday, hard floors Thursday, carpet Friday). I'm going to spend my cleaning time in a room each day until it's clean. I worked in my room for a while today...about an hour, and only got through my desk. Actually, I have a little left to do to have that how I want it. Once I finish my room (desk, dressers, closet, floor, under the bed, plastic bins), I'm going to organize all the other rooms. I'm going to spend a set amount of time each day cleaning, and once the time is up, I'm going to quit, and if the room isn't done, I'll finish it the next day. :o)

Response to Post Containing Liberty Counsel Release

A couple of days ago, I posted a press release from liberty counsel, and my friend, Jay Rogers, posted an interesting comment, that I thought y'all should read:

Matt Staver is seriously wrong here.

Free speech ought not extend to blasphemy or defamatory speech in the public square. Furthermore, schools ought to be able to discipline however they choose.

The problem here is that we've extended the term "public" education to a taxpayer supported government run monopoly.

The monopoly simply needs to be defunded. That would solve this case.

Let's say you were part of a church and some of your members attended a parade with a banner blaspheming Jesus. Can your church then excommunicate the blasphemers? Of course!

Can a private Christian school expel a student who is a professing satanist? Of course!

What about a private business? Can a business fire an employee for ethical and moral corrruption in private life? Can a boss fire an adulterous employee? Of course!

So why can't a school suspend a student for 10 days for deviant behavior? It can and should.

Matt Staver argues that since it is a "public school" the right to free speech in "private" life supercedes the school's right to discipline.

Schools have a right to discipline students just as churches, private businesses and clubs have a right to expel their members.

The so-called "public" nature of government education is not really public at all. What we have is a privately run government monopoly.

We pay these students' tuition through our taxes. When families take on this responsibilty themselves the nature of "public" schools will change.

A school should be able to discipline whoever they want -- however they want -- but the federal government has a stranglehold on "public" education -- a title that ought to be shared by competing private and Christian schools. That way, these suspended students could take their banner and their tuition money to any school that would allow this rebellious behavior.

Collecting Recipes and eBay auctioning

Today, I decided (quite randomly) to orgnanize the recipes I have collected over the year or two I've been teaching myself to cook; the ones my family--and Ben--have really enjoyed. I don't have any recipe cards, but I have a Collected Recipes Cookbook, similar to this one on Amazon (it is the same thing, but with a different cover). My Grandma gave it to me last year, and also gave me a bunch of the 'family recipes' to put in it. It has magnetic pages, which is really nice! I've made a list of the recipes I use from my cookbooks, and also from Tammy's Recipes and I'm planning to order some recipe cards from somewhere on-line. Once I get them, I'm going to write each recipe on a card, and put a piece of magnetic tape on the back of the card, and organize them in my cook book. I'm kind of excited about it, just because I've never done it before! :o) So, that's what I've been working on for a long time today.

I also did my first ever eBay auction for Ben, which will be going up tonight. I'll post a link once the auction starts. :D

Public Schools Could Hamper Free Speech Rights of Students off Campus

I received the following e-mail from Liberty Counsel this morning:

February 20, 2007

Supreme Court Could Extend the Reach of
Public Schools into Private Life

Today Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could affect the free speech rights of all public school students while they are away from campus.

If the Supreme Court rules the wrong way, then government-funded educational institutions could legally punish students for expressing their personal beliefs off campus. This could mean the abolition of free speech for public school students. A school could ban students from appearing at public events to express views that school officials oppose. One likely scenario would be for a school to silence students expressing views favoring traditional marriage. Students would essentially give up their right to freedom of speech by enrolling in a public school.

Pray that the Supreme Court does not choose to muzzle students from expressing their ideas while off campus. The effect would be chilling and the First Amendment would become nothing more than a hollow shell.

This is a huge concern. While the number of godly students in the public school system is dwindling, this could largely effect many of them, who are open in talking about their faith in Christ, and preaching the gospel to the lost and perishing, as well as taking a stand for traditional, Christian values in the public square. Perhaps more Christian parents will realize what an ungodly place public schools are, and consider pulling their children out and schooling them themselves, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Biblical Womanhood Valentine's Day Contest

Crystal hosted a Valentine's Day contest for unmarried women over at Biblical Womanhood, and the last day for entries was February 16. The idea was for unmarried girls to think of ways to encourage others, and not mope on February 14th.

Everyone who did an entry was placed in a drawing, and the winners were announced today. :o) I was a runner-up! So, I get a virtuous woman bracelet as a prize.

So, that is exciting!

Any piano players out there?

As some of you may know, I've been working on playing piano again, after quitting at the age of 11 or 12 (I don't even remember...it was sometime in middle school). The books I have are for kids, and I'm now 17, so it is sort of frustrating playing books written for 6-9 year olds (or something like that). So, I am looking for a teach-yourself piano book that is not for children. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Staying Home...

So, for the first time in a long time, I am staying home from church today. I have come down with a really bad cold, and feel really tired (even though I had 8 and a half hours of sleep), so I am going to stay home and rest. It's sad, though. :o( I really dislike missing church. It's the Lord's day, and I love being in His house with His people! Thankfully, I can have CD of the sermon, so at least I won't miss out on that completely. :o)

I'm going to sleep some, and then I'll probably do some reading or something edifying. Just because I'm sick doesn't mean it's not the Sabbath!

Another Busy Day

Aaah...it feels so good to get a lot done during a day. Perhaps I didn't get that much done, but I've been "doing" all day, so it feels good anyway :o) This morning, I allowed myself to sleep in a little bit (I got up at 7:10 instead of my usual 5:30), since I was up until about 11:15 (I didn't get home until 10:40 or so from the fellowship at my friends' house), and then had a hard time getting to sleep.

Last night was so much fun. I'm really grateful that Mom and Dad let me go. They planned their date on the other side of town so I could fellowship with the girls while they were out enjoying eachother's company on Valentine's Day. :) Five of my friends just moved into a house together, and they hosted a get together last night. It really was so much fun. The fellowship was so sweet...I enjoyed myself a lot. :D Women's group is going to be held there every week now until the church building is built, starting next Wednesday! I think it will be a lot of fun.

But anywho...this morning, I talked to Ben for a while and then exercised with my Mom. After that, I had some breakfast and got to work. I cleaned the hard floors (which didn't take too long), and then I put together some Farmhouse Chicken, for lunch. We were going to have it for dinner, but Dad has a meeting, and Mom and I are going to go to Orlando Culinary Academy, where a friend from church is going to school, and we're going to have dinner there; apparently they're showcasing what they've learned this evening. :) The chicken turned out pretty good, though it is less healthy than I thought it was when I added it to our menu plan for the week. After that, I grilled the last chicken breast in the package to use for salads. Then, I made Dad a dinner to take with him to eat on the way to his meeting tonight. Right about the time I finished that up, he came home to get some lunch, so I spent some time with him (I love my Dad *grin*). I went on the computer for a little while, while I waited for butter to sofften, so I could make banana bread. The fruit of my banana bread labors are in the oven right now, and they sure smell good. :) Banana bread is a wonderful way to use super ripe bananas. The recipe I make makes two loaves, so I can freeze one for another day. I like being able to do that. Then, you have a homemade breakfast in a matter of minutes!

I'm going to see if Mom wants to play Yahtzee now, so I'm going to go!

Hope everyone is doing well!

My "Valentine"

I know, I'm a day late...but I got this idea from Erin's blog...and I thought it was neat, so I'm going to copy her. :o)

Some of the (many) reasons I love and respect Ben:

~He loves God and helps me understand scripture when something confuses me
~He's incredibly sweet to me, and puts up with me even on my really emotional, off-days.
~He's a hard worker...he's trying very hard to get the money for us to get married. I know I probably don't show him how much I appreciate it, so he probably doesn't know how much I do...but I really do. It makes me admire him a lot, and it also makes me feel special..that he'd work hard just to be able to marry little old me. :o)
~He's appreciative. Whenever I bake him things (even if they aren't very lovely--like flat chocolate chip cookies), he shows his appreciation, and seems as though he enjoys them (hopefully, he actually does :o)
~When he's around, I feel a sense of safety that I don't always when he's far away in Virginia. There's just something about having him close by that makes me feel extra secure.
~He's my very closest friend. I can tell him anything in the world, and know that he'll still love me.
~When I look at the average 21-year-old guy, I am amazed at how different Ben is from the status quo. He's focused on his walk with the Lord, and getting ready to settle down, and provide for a wife, and eventually (if God is willing) a family. He could be having the "fun" (ie: doing the wicked things) that the average guy in his age range does...but he doesn't even think those things look fun! And I think that's wonderful. :)

I love and respect Ben because he deserves it. He's a wonderful man with a heart for God, and I very much look forward to spending the rest of my life with him.