Camellia Sinensis, a.k.a. "tea"

I have loved hot tea for a long time, but this Christmas I made some new discoveries that have propelled me into a whole new place of LOVING tea. While shopping in Naples at the new Coconut Pointe mall (which is actually more like a small city) we discovered a new store, Teavana, and one of my favorite places now! They sell cups of hot tea (the the tea version of Starbuck's) various loose leaf teas (which are the best) and various tea accesories. Check out the website and read up on the history of tea and all of the amazing health benefits it has!

If you want to order some, might I recommend the Rooibos Amore and the Caribbean Breeze! I, myself am enjoying at this moment, a cup of Earl Grey Green slightly sweetened with honey. Happy Saturday!

Sampling of some pics...

I'll add more later.....our Christmas is only half way done! We're at the Orlando airport about to go back through security to get on our flight to Nashville. We left Naples at 7:00 this morning- it was an early one for sure! We had an incredible time in Florida and now we're excited to see the other side of the family and get to do it all over again :-) I LOVE this time of year!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone. I thought I'd do a quick update from good ol' WARM Naples, Florida....we've been having a wonderful time. Jordan and I are down in Naples with his side of the family and it has been great. Mom & Dad are waiting for us, patiently, to get back to Nashville to do their Christmas exchanges.

It's been an amazing and fun-filled week/weekend, whatever it is. We got down here on Thursday and met up with everyone (Erin, Dan, Auntie Anne, & cousins Will, Caitie, Elizabeth) to go see "Pursuit of Happyness." Jordan and I just liked it, we didn't love it- a little too stressful for me, it was hard to watch. We had great sushi afterwards at "Tsunami" and all danced to the great 80's music they had playing :-)

Friday I worked in the office and that evening we spent helping E.D. (Erin & Dan) move into their brand new home that FINALLY got finished. It was originally supposed to be done before me & Jordan's, so you can see they've been waiting a while. We worked until all the boxes were in and everyone was too tired to move anymore. I'm so excited for them- the house is beautiful!

Saturday was our Christmas Eve, since we moved stuff up a day because E.D. were flying out on Christmas Day to go to IN. I spent some time over at E.D.'s house helping with a little more organizing and we went to the beautiful candelight service at First Baptist Naples that evening. It was a WONDERFUL service and I really really enjoyed the worship and the teaching. All the family came over aftewards for some chili and hangin' out.

Sunday Jordan and Steve got up early and hit a little bit of tennis, and then went to a church to sing a few Christmas songs for them. Hope and I started breakfast (I made Grandma Bertie's homemade biscuits) and E.D. got over soon after. We all had a big breakfast and started off with stockings and then exchanged gifts! It was a wonderful day that we finished up with a lot of family and a huge meal with ham, green beans and pecan pie! We played a rousing game of Catch Phrase which was so hilarious as games with family usually are.

Monday, actual Christmas Day, we headed over to Harbour Chase with Pam Schuler's homemade pastries for a little Christmas Breakfast with Gma & Gpa Chalker. We had a great time with them, Jordan played a few carols for them, and I lost it when I tried- sometimes you just can't quite make it. We then went for a walk on the beach that began as a nice stroll and ended as a fight against the wind and a rush to get back in time to get E.D. to the airport. We did in fact make it and had a wonderful evening "Rocky Balboa" (AWESOME MOVIE!), food (WAY TOO MUCH OF IT) Family, and an awesome game of murder! Elizabeth brought the house down with her 7 rounds of killing and complete confusion! Good job Eli!

Today is our final day in Naples :-( and we are about to go play doubles tennis, and then go out to the new mall, Coconut Point to do some shopping. We'll see Grandpa and Grandma one more time and go out to dinner tonight! It has been an amazing trip and I can't believe I still have Christmas to celebrate with my side of the family tomorrow and Thursday- I'm so excited!!!

Most importantly, I am blown away by our Savior. I've just been reading this morning in Matthew & Luke about Jesus' birth and thinking about the gift of God- the true meaning of Christmas in giving and sacrifice! It is amazing! God, thank you for your Gift- thank you for life! Thank you for the Holy Spirit that gives guidance, joy, life and peace all day and throughout! You are the only thing that brings true meaning and joy to Christmas and I love you!

Have a blessed day!

Today is a CRAZY day! It's so funny how the day before a big trip, there is so much to get done! Last night J & I made a stop over to the Maat's house- they are a precious family in our church who are moving to Lansing, MI on Dec. 28th. They have two daughters- one is in 7th and the other in 8th and boy are we ever going to miss them! So we hung out for a while and then after a confusing bout with Frank & Wendy on the phone, went home and Robby brought some dinner and gifts for us- he's so sweet. We had dinner and Frank Borst stopped by to give us something, then R & J took off to hang out a bit and I went into frenzy cleaning mode. I think I was up until midnight cleaning- I was just on a roll!

Today is awesome, but so full! I have been trying to work with the travel agent for Jordan and Steve's flights- they get to go to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Steve got the trip b/c Allstate is the main sponsor of the bowl and Jordan is SO excited- he's really been enjoying Notre Dame football this year! I'm so pumped they get to go! I'll just have to look for 'em on TV.

IGC Photography

Our dear friend & amazing photographer, Ian Collins now has presence on the World Wide Web! Check out www.igcphotography.com and www.igcweddings.com

He's SO GOOD!!

Dinners, Life Group, Chemo & Parties

What a weekend, really, what a week since it's been a week since my last "update." Let's see how fast she can go, folks!

Monday night last week, Jordan and I went to help Mom with her "Bunco" Christmas Party for the neighborhood ladies. I helped her set up and then Jordan played Christmas piano music as they entered. Needless to say, the ladies LOVED it and he was quite the hit. He sang "All is Well," which was incredible and I'm sure my mom will ask him to sing it time and time again from now on ;-) I won't complain!

Tuesday some friends, Ben & Michele Christy, came over for dinner and we had a fabulous time! They are just so fun to be around....do you have friends like that? That you just enjoy talking to and laughing with- that's the Christy's for ya!

Wednesday we had Life Group at the Cole's which was really really good! We are getting ready to multiply our group in January, so we talked about that a bit. God has really blessed us with a close-knit, incredible group and it will be bittersweet to multiply, but I am so excited about what God is doing!

Thursday, Dylan, Ferris & myself spent the day at St. Thomas Hospital with Mom for her 8th and FINAL Chemo treatment! YAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!! Mom did so well- actually slept part of the time, and the four of us enjoyed spending time together and marking the end of this season. Mom had me stop at Puffy Muffin for some yummy muffins and cookies to pass out to the other chemo patients, and they definitely got snatched up quickly. We had a great, but very lengthy, Launch Team meeting that night, I think Jordan and I got home about 12:30! That's not typical anymore, but there was a lot going on, and therefore a lot to cover.

Friday we had a Partnership Appreciation Dinner for those at NS Spring Hill who have served so faithfully over this past year and really helping to pioneer this congregation. I was in charge of it, so I had to oversee the location, menu, flow, etc. The night was wonderful, the food excellent and everyone had a great time!

Saturday we had a run through for NS Family Christmas in the morning, helped the Pearson's move in the afternoon (from our old apartment complex to the neighborhood across the street from us in Spring Hill- pretty cool, huh?) made icing for the U-turn party that night, and then ran over to the church to meet the youth to carpool up to Cool Springs for the Christmas Party in the newly renovated and re-done "u-turn" room at NS cool Springs. The night was so much fun and I think the kids really really enjoyed it as well.

Sunday's service was amazing! I had been stressed out in worship practice (I was leading worship) trying to get through the songs and then get the 5 "acts" of New Song family Christmas for sound check/staging. God's grace was SO there, though and worship was unbelievable and the Family Christmas AMAZING!! It felt so like home and so much like family. I am so thankful to the Lord- He is good. Robby, Dylan, Reese, Jordan, Josh & I all went back to our house for some lunch and then about 2:30 everyone parted ways. I headed up to Nashville for a "cookie" party at my friend Kelly's house, and enjoyed seeing some people I hadn't seen in a while! (Bethany Hawkins, Bayley, Jenn, etc.) It was so fun! I made a cute gingerbread house that collapsed as soon as I got in the car- oh well. We capped off the day and the week with our Launch Team Christmas Party at the Gee's home in Mt. Pleasant! It was SO much fun with authentic Mexican food (tamales, enchiladas, sangria) and a fun game of "Sneaky Santa" as Brian likes to call it.

This week is FUN, FULL & FURIOUS. We leave for Florida early Thursday morning, and I am SO excited about Christmas down there and then a 2nd amazing Christmas back up in Tennessee.

Blessings on your week!

Good morning! What a great weekend. I always seem to miss Mondays as blogging days, or maybe I still consider it part of my weekend. Who knows? Here you go, weekend recap:

Friday was fun and relaxing. After work, Ferris and Zach met me at the house and we went grocery shopping. They had to get stuff for Refuge that night and I needed stuff for U-turn the next night. We came home and cooked for Refuge and then they took off right before 7. Jordan and I ate dinner and relaxed for a while- reading and talking, then popped in "Pirates2:Dead Man's Chest." It was just okay....long movie so we got in bed way too late.
Saturday we woke up and read, and I chose my menu and made my grocery list for the Christmas party. I actually had my day's to-do list and headed up to Cool Springs. I had to pick up lavalier mics from a guy up there for us to use for our Kid's Production on Sunday. I ran various errands while Jordan did some reading and stuff around the house. I went grocery shopping and made it home ahead of schedule! I cooked and we did some things around the house and then headed out a little after 4 to meet all the kids to go up to see "Nativity Story" with the whole youth group. Afterwards they came back to our house for small groups. It was great!

Sunday was full of church (which rocked!) and getting ready for the party. Trish and Reese came over early and helped me, which was a good thing because I couldn't have gotten it done on my own. I made pb fudge, cookies, fondue, fruit pizza, stuffed mushrooms, spinach/artichoke dip, hummus, bbq chkn pizza, bacon-wrapped water chesnut bites, and a few other things. We had a little over 30 people and just had an amazing time hanging out, eating, playing "dirty santa," which did get pretty dirty b/c of me, ferris and ian's conniving ways, and Christmas charades, which the girls pretty much dominated.

It was such a fun time with friends and we are so thankful. Time to hit it hard though this week- there is a LOT going on.

blessings.

We Salute You!

I opened up my computer at 8:00 sharp this morning to begin what I was certain would be a great and very accomplished day of work. But alas, our internet was no where to be found! We battled, or I should say, Jordan battled with this all afternoon yesterday, when we finally left the go to It's a Grind for a couple of hours so we could both get some work done. The only, and I repeat only bad thing about working from home is that I'm SO dependent on our internet signal. When it goes, I go.

So needless to say, when I saw the lack of signal, I refused to do battle with Charter again and packed my stuff up and headed north to Brentwood to la casa de Warnock. I've been in Dylan's room set up with my printer and computer all day and it has been SO worth it. It's really quite and I've been getting a ton of work done, with the signal that hasn't dropped out once.

So, here's to parents who have strong wireless signals! We salute you!

Shout Unto God with a Voice of Triumph!

Good morning, good morning! No reason for the name of this post other than the fact that I am thrilled that our God is victorious and the enemy has been defeated! I am posting in a flurry because there is a bunch to do today- work is busy, busy even though the guys actually in the office have WAY more to deal with in the phones that ring off the hook- seriously!

The weekend was wonderful! It actually feels like winter here in good ol' Spring Hill now. We went last night to Columbia, TN (just south of Spring Hill) to watch the hometown Christmas Parade that a few of the girls in the youth group were dancing in. Our friends Aaron and Jenny and their 7 month old Ava and 2 1/2 year old Ethan came with us. Ethan was disinterested at first, but soon was mesmerized by the parade and sat on his knees watching each float go by in awe and wonder- he loved all the flashing lights! Ava just got cold :-)

Jordan and I had a very mellow weekend. Stayed home Friday night and Saturday during the day: read, chilled out, did some cleaning, Christmas decorating, baked cookies, worked on youth stuff, etc. It was wonderful. We had great youth group night on Saturday and an amazing service on Sunday.

The pictures above are from Thanksgiving weekend- my mother is ecstatic- we finally got a family shot after several years!

Alright- gotta get to work. Blessings on your day

Passion and Purity

The Lord led me to this book again a few days ago. My mom had encouraged me to and I had read it a couple of years ago prior to our wedding, but I was drawn to it again this week. I have read many books on purity of a woman, dating, not dating, christian living, pursuit of Christ, love, marriage, etc. but I quite honestly have never encountered a book that parallels to this one in honesty, truth and revelation.

The story of Jim & Elisabeth Elliot is remarkable, and one that many Christians are familiar with. It's a classic love story with it's own unique twists and turns, but more than anything, it's a lesson in patience, sacrifice, obedience, trust, humilty, seeking God and waiting. Waiting for something for which there is no guarantee. Waiting because you believe the possibility of attaining it, if it should be yours to attain, would be worth any price of time or energy or self-sacrifice you might pay in the process.

There are far too many truths and insights to write them all here, but I strongly encourage you, man or woman, married or single, old or young to get a copy of this book and read it when you get the chance. It is so helpful, especially for those entering a courtship or that time where you find your mate, but valuable to any walk of life.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"The problem starts when we make up our own minds what will give us happiness and then decide, if we don't get exactly that, that God doesn't love us." (in reference to self-deception and contentment)

"But the things that we feel most deeply we ought to learn to be silent about, at least until we have talked them over thoroughly with God....never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth shut."

"Thy will be done. Acceptance of whatever that means is the great victory of faith that overcomes the world."

"Women expect too much of men...I beg women to wait. Wait on God. Keep your mouth shut. Don't expect anything until the declaration is clear and forthright."

"If virginity [not just sexual] is to be preserved , lines must be drawn. Why put yourself in any situation where the lines become smudged and obscure? Why take the risks? Why accept the pressure of tremendous temptation when you can easily avoid it by refusing to be anywhere where compromise is possible. "

I could go on and on.....but I won't. Have to leave some things unsaid so YOU can read them for yourself!

Blessings on your day :)