A Touching Video

A good friend of ours tweeted a link to this video. This video is incredibly touching and as someone who tends to cry often (I like to think I have a tender heart), this video makes me tear up each and every time I watch it. It's moving, convicting, and truly a picture of what it means to selflessly love your spouse.

Sunday Brunches

Today was our first day to ever experience a Sunday Brunch in Uptown! Let me just say, it was delicious and as expensive as one of our regular date nights. Oops.

I know some of you might be thinking, how did they get to do Sunday Brunch in Uptown? Isn't Greg working at a church in Keller (over an hour a way from Uptown)? Well, my friends, its time that I update you on some of the changes that The Foster house has been experiencing.

To make a reaaalllly long story short, Greg was recently given the opportunity to come on board with a missions foundation that raises money to send missionaries and churches out all over the world. It was/is an incredible opportunity to spend some time using his gifts towards something that he is extremely passionate about, while continuing to serve The Exchange DFW. After investing some time doing both jobs, the pastors at The Exchange, as well as Greg, decided that it would be best if he chose to do only one job and fully invest all his time and energy into the job that he chooses. So, that meant that a decision had to be made. Which one do we choose while remaining faithful to what God has called Greg to do as a minister and as a husband and leader of our household?

We spent much time in prayer separately and together and can honestly say that this has been one of the most precious times for us a couple since we have been married. Not only are we still having to figure out this whole being married, sharing a budget, house, food thing, but we truly had to rely on faith and acknowledge that God's Will is what is best for our lives. We had to take a leap of faith. And we had to do it as one.


When we got married, we set Colossians 3 as a precedence over our marriage. There are several reasons why we were drawn to this passage in particular, but v. 17 spoke to our situation:

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him"       -Colossains 3:17 

Even though Greg is an extremely talented worship leader, this verse shed light on the fact that Greg is called to glorify God in every situation, regardless of weather he was leading a church or not.

After much prayer, hard conversations, and tears, we truly felt discernment that God was calling Greg to be apart of the mission foundation in Plano. Greg is called to be a minister to the Gospel and has been blessed with a numerous amount of gifts. This new opportunity is not denying his God-breathed talent to lead worship at a church, but is for the first time in 10 years giving Greg a way to use some of the other gifts and talents that he has been given.

Does this job change mean Greg is done leading worship? Absolutely not. We did not desire to leave the people at The Exchange (as this is why the before-mentioned tears were shed) as we truly did form some great relationships with people at that church that we desire to stay friends with throughout the rest of our lives.  At this point in our marriage and our lives, we want to get re-group, and spend some more time focusing on us growing together. I do not feel this is something that we did well in the first 7 months of our marriage so we're taking this opportunity to explore new churches and grow alongside one another.

With that being said, today was the first Sunday since I've known Greg that we either weren't on vacation or he didn't have to work. That means that its been over 4 years since we have had a "normal" Sunday together! We literally don't know what to do. hah! Needless to say, we were able to go to an early service, join our friends in Uptown at Breadwinners (yep, our first time for that too), run some errands, nap, enjoy dinner, do some chores, and literally just have an extremely relaxing day. It was wonderful.

I know it will only be a matter of time before Gregory is called to serve at a church, so in the meantime, I'm cherishing our upcoming Sundays together.

A Season of Lent: Understanding the True Meaning

Image from thevillagechurch.net

Today marks Ash Wednesday, the marked beginning of Lent. Our current culture has decided that it is a period of 46 Days for a bunch of people to attempt to kick an unhealthy habit or try and go without something. Lent seems to be perfectly timed to re-try those New Year's Resolutions that didn't quite get resolved. While yes, it was intended as a time to "go without" certain things, it was more of a time for fasting, which is VASTLY different from just giving something up for a while.

Greg and I are not New Year's Resolution people. They never seem to work and I always seemed to try and come up with something to change because I was "supposed to".  I've given Lent a shot in the past, and have been semi-successful, mainly with my attempt to give up cokes. Yet, again, I was simply "giving up"
things and was totally missing the whole reasoning behind WHY I was giving these things up.

An excerpt from The Village's website gives an adequate description of Lent and why, we as Christians should take part:


The Season of Lent

Lent is about the gospel. It is a time to narrow the focus of the Church to the work of Christ, in particular His life and death, a season to turn from sin and trust in His atoning work.

It is easy to get lost in the cultural caricature of Easter and miss the meaning. Lent is a reminder that the resurrection only occurred after the crucifixion. Rather than skipping over the ministry and crucifixion of Christ, Lent is a season to prepare ourselves for the joy of Resurrection Sunday as we symbolically enter the sorrow and pain which preceded it.

This year, Greg and I have decided to do a little re-fining together and hone-in on the true meaning behind lent. We've committed to go through the Season of Lent study that The Village Church is doing corporately as a body. It's not the kind of study where you read and then show up on Sunday's and hear a sermon that reiterates what you've been studying. The study is designed to do individually, with a spouse or family, or even with a home group. It's a study that will guide us on reading, praying, meditating, and even fasting. Needless to say, I'm excited.

Since this is an individual study, hear me be the first to say that as a couple, we will need and want to be held accountable. We WANT to see this study through to completion and participate on all fronts. It WILL be difficult. We WILL be challenged and the devil will seek every way to distract us and tell us that we're too busy, too tired, in bad moods, etc. So, hold me accountable. Hold Greg Accountable. Hold us accountable together. Maybe that means that you too go through the Season of Lent guide alongside us. Up for the challenge?

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Mother!

Today is my wonderful mother's birthday. I have been so very blessed by her over the years and I cannot express how thankful I am that I have such a God-fearing woman as not only a mother, but as a best friend and an example. She's loved me unconditionally through yelling matches, tears, heartbreaks, achievements, disappointments, and my "think I know it all" attitudes. I would not be half the woman that I am today (nor the one that I am becoming) if it wasn't for her leadership and her love. She is homeward in her orientation, always putting herself last (literally) and sacrificing her time and money to make sure that my father, brother and I were always taken care of before she was. There were times when I MADE her buy clothes or spend money on herself because she wanted so badly to give the money to me. She is kind, creative, intelligent, hard-working, loving, respectful, and wise. There are countless times that I remember walking into her room as a child and seeing her sitting in the rocking chair digging in to The Word of God, or there were numerous times when her first question to me is "Have you prayed about it?". She keeps me grounded. She always points me to Christ and always looks for the good in situations and other people. She always reminds me that this life is not about me, and has ultimately encouraged me to always be humble when I tend to be a bit head-strong.

Mom, I love you to the end of the world and back. I read Proverbs 31 and can't help but think to myself, "Yep, she does that. Yep, she does that too. Yep, even that." Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for being a Proverbs 31 woman.

An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good, and not harm,

all the days of her life.

She seeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

She is like the ships of the merchant;

she brings her food from afar.

She rises while it is yet night

and provides food for her household

and portions for her maidens.

She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

She dresses herself with strength

and makes her arms strong.

She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her hands hold the spindle.

She opens her hand to the poor

and reaches out her hands to the needy.

She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

She makes bed coverings for herself;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Her husband is known in the gates

when he sits among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchant.

Strength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the time to come.

She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women have done excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.


(Proverbs 31:10-31 ESV)

 

  

 Love you Mom.

A Sweet Baptism

A couple of weekends ago, we were invited to be a part of a very unique and special baptism. Greg’s cousins, Bryan and his wife Chelsea, decided it was time to make their profession of faith public to both their friends and family. Since their church only offers baptism 4 times a year and they had just missed the deadline for the most recent baptism, they decided that they were going to do a special baptism in Chelsea’s parents backyard.

Conveniently, Greg’s other cousin Craig (also Bryan’s brother), has just recently returned home for the holidays from doing year-long missions in Argentina. Since they have such a special relationship, Bryan and Chelsea asked Craig if he would be the one to baptize them. So sweet to watch one brother baptize the other.

So blessed to be apart of this special celebration and proclamation.

Love the expression on Bryan's face as his wife is baptized. So full of joy.