If you have a minute to spare today....

Most of you do not personally know my friend Maggie. But we know her as Chase's classmate in Dental School and we know she and her husband Grant as neighbors, sweet friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't normally post these things on my blog, but I'd like to ask you to say a special prayer for Chase Lusk (Maggie's soon to be brother-in-law).

Background information from Chase's CaringBridge site (which I encourage you to visit).

In January 2008, Chase was diagnosed with Orbital Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a malignant tumor located in a muscle behind Chase's left eye.  In April 2009, he relapsed at the same site.  In July 2010, a second relapse was confirmed in the same site. Chase recently underwent surgery to remove his eye and everything from behind his eye, all the way to the bone. He was readmitted to UAB on Monday due to a throat infection that is causing him severe pain. 

I encourage you to read through the journal on the CaringBridge website. Please take a moment today to lift Chase up in prayer.

(Because it always helps to put a face with a name, here's a recent picture of Chase and Lizzie).

*photo credit* Eternal Reflections Photography by Alyson*

"...it's a bittersweet symphony, this life..."

This weekend we’ll be traveling back to Birmingham to spend some much needed time with some dearly missed friends. We’ll also be traveling back to attend our home church’s first service in their newly constructed building. I am certain that the completion of the new facility is an answered prayer and the realization of a dream for many members of Gardendale First Baptist Church. To God be the glory, the church has completely outgrown its current facilities – buying up every adjacent building they could, including the old city hall. Last Sunday the church held its final 3 worship services in the old facilities (which will still be used and repurposed, for a time).

Although Chase and I have only been members since we married and moved to Birmingham, the people of GFBC hold a special place in our hearts. It was the first church we joined together as a married couple. It was the church we earnestly gave our meager tithes to. It was the church that provided us with a community of believers and the opportunity to participate in a great Young-Married ministry (where we established life-long relationships.) It was the church where numerous games of basketball and softball were played and sunflower seeds, crazy stories from the week, walks on the track, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat were shared.  Going back for the first service, and probably our last service before we become members of a new church in Madison, will certainly be bittersweet.

We were there for the first ‘groundbreaking’ service where we celebrated the opportunity to finally build on the land that God had given GFBC. It was a sweet prayer service, followed by impromptu singing. A Bible was also buried into the foundation directly under where the pulpit would eventually be, reemphasizing the church’s commitment to God’s word.

We were there several months later when the church was invited to walk through the new property and write verses of scripture on the floors before the final coverings were installed. Another sweet impromptu service of singing, prayer, and scripture would follow.

And so, it only seems right that we would be at the first service in the new facility to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter at GFBC and the end of our time there.

(If you'd like to see pictures of the completed facility, visit the GFBC website.)

Really?

Ever see something that makes you look twice?

On a recent trip to the park in Chattanooga, we saw this sign on the pink port-a-potty in the middle.

Now, I am not a mother, but I'm pretty sure I'd change my baby on the grass before I'd climb into that thing.

Galations Chapter 5

a) Because God has provided more than a few recent opportunities for me to practice humility, why not add another?

b) Because we're still poor enough to get excited about dressing like a cow for Chik-fil-a's annual "Cow Appreciation Day". (And we scored free combo meals.)

Uno, Dos, Tres

If I am correct,
the traditional gift for a three year anniversary is leather.

This might come as a shock to many of you
who know and appreciate my frugality, but

Happy 3^rd Anniversary Chase!

 (Chase in his brand spankin' new truck. He's so proud.)