Crazy Faith

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." ~Hebrews 11:1 Hey Guys! Welcome to the blog! This blog is to describe our journey on our crazy leap of faith! Get ready to join the rollercoaster ride, and see how God can take two very ordinary people and completely reshape them and mold them to completely trust in Him in ALL things!

Name:
Location: Pineville, KY

I'm originally from CA, consider my hometown to be Shelbyville, KY but am currently residing in Pineville, KY. I love hanging out with my kiddos and Dan, the city, the ocean, taking hiking trips in the mountains, being around my closest friends, and watching a good chick flick! More than anything though, I love praising and worshiping our Savior Jesus Christ. It is a mystery to me, why He chooses and wants to use me?!?! He is so amazing!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Lack of Updates

Hey Guys! So sorry for the lack of updates, and the lack of pictures. Dan is in the midst of finals, so with one computer in the house, he's been a bit of a hog!! :) Hopefully next weekend, I'll have some time to get some really great pics on here and provide you all with some fun updates!!

Love and miss you all!

~Nicole

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

May 10th is the date.....

of my next appointment, and we'll be able to find out the sex of our baby!!!! Yesterday I had an unexpected doctor's visit - I kind of passed out at work - but it's all good. I'm ok, the baby is ok. Apparently my iron is really low, and it caused me to pass out. It was not a fun experience, but at least all is good! ;) He also said that my low iron would explain my extreme tiredness and lack of energy, beyond what it normally should be during pregnancy -especially being in my second trimester now. He noticed that my hands and feet are already swelling a bit, which is not a good thing being only 14 weeks. He advised me to watch my sodium intake, and begin to limit it. He said that it was most likely because of all my nausea that I had during my first trimester, I increased my sodium intake from crackers and sprite. I just need to watch it and be careful how much I'm taking in.

Well, since the doctor saw me yesterday, he cancelled my appointment for the 28th, and rescheduled one for May 10th, and by then I'll be far enough along to see the sex of our baby!!! YAY! Can't wait!

Marquita pointed something out to me a while back: (oh, for those who may not know - Marquita is my stepmom)

Marquita and her first husband had a boy, Kevin, then a girl, Billie Jo.
Kevin has had a boy then a girl. Billie Jo has had a boy, then a girl!

Dad had two boys, Jason and Ryan, then a girl, Me!
Jason has had two boys, then a girl.
Dan and I have two boys, I think it's our turn for a girl!! After all, we can't break the cycle going here!!! :)

Monday, April 5, 2010

He's Alive!!!!!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you." So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ~Matthew 28:1-8

God I praise Your name for Your power and for the hope that You have given us.
Thank You Jesus!!
Happy Easter. No, Happy Resurrection Day!!

Friday, April 2, 2010

I know it's a long read, but please, read anyways...

Thank You Jesus,
You didn't have to

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God." When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. ~ Mark 14:22-26

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" ~Mark 14:32-42

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!" "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah." Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him." And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first." "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
~Matthew 27:11-66

He didn't have to die for us, He even prayed for God to take this cup away from Him. He was still human, He knew the physical pain that He would endure. He could have called on many angels to take His place, but He didn't. Thank You Jesus!!

Although we hear the story every Easter, I pray that we may never become numb to it. By His blood, we are healed! Thank You Jesus.