Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from ours to yours! We pray it's a day of resting in the peace of knowing that Christ has walked amongst us and Hes coming back! 

Weeks 30 & 31

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Almost 30 lbs :-**O

Maternity clothes: Lots of "dresses as shirts" lately :)

Stretch marks? None

Sleep? I toss and turn all night and once I get comfortable enough to fall asleep then I'm good!

Miss Anything? My breath, being able to sit or stand for longer than 10 minutes at a time, and laying on my stomach!

Movement: Yes she's hyper-active and it hurts! Maybe she'll get it all out before she makes her debut! The other day I saw what was either a butt or a head go right across my stomach which made me literally sick the rest of the night. I don't like that stuff. 

Food cravings? Actually, I'd much rather drink anything than eat something these days. I'm thirsty all.the.time.

Anything making you sick or queasy? All her movements tend to make me nauseous!!

Gender: girl

Symptoms: Heart.burn.to.the.extreme, ex-hau-sted, shortness of breath, and swollen/sore feet & hands!

Labor signs? No just very crampy!

Belly button in or out? It wants out...bad!

Wedding rings on or off? On & tight

Happy or moody most of the time? Too tired to be either!

Worst moment this week(s): Came home from "O Holy Goat" after being on my feet for 6 hours straight. Needless to say my body STILL is holding a grudge. 

Best moment this week(s): Finding out that little one is heads down! Hopefully she'll stay that way!

Looking forward to: Christmas!! & Baby Shower in January!

Baby info: She measures close to 16 inches long, and weighs about 4 lbs. Her eyelids open and close and she can track light inside of the womb as well as use all five senses. 

Nursery Board Inspiration

Ever since we knew we were having a girl, people keep asking me what the "theme of the nursery" would be and in true Chrissie fashion, I don't really have a specific one. I wanted something "not-typical", "not too pink", "not too baby". I know this sounds bad but I really don't like "baby stuff" Ha-ha! I don't like the bright colorful play gym things and all the plastic toys. I know, get over it, right? I think it's my "everything HAS to match personality" that gets the best of me sometimes. 

So, I wanted something that was shabby chic, rustic, light & pretty, with some modern touches. This was my "inspiration board" when decorating and picking out things for her nursery. Most things pictured I've been successful at finding. We have the exact dresser pictured (a $40 goodwill find), the crib from Target, some really cute prints for a gallery wall, a homemade fabric garland, a homemade headband holder and cute PB bedding from a friend :) I think the whole "chair, glider, rocker piece" will be the death of me. The chair above is the most functional (at the most affordable price) I've been able to find so far. Any cheap suggestions would be welcomed! When the nursery is fully complete, I'll do a little "nursery tour" of pics on here but until now, this is what we're working with!

Grinchless...Farewell 2013!

We concluded Pursuit last night for the year of 2013! What a crazy year 2013 was! I'll be sharing some huge numbers with you that we saw throughout the year come January when we kick off 2014 with a celebration service but until then, here's what happened last night!

• God didn't wait for you to start loving Him before He started loving you!
• God's love is active not passive!
• We shouldn't wait for others to ask us about a relationship with Jesus but instead we should pursue others with the same passion that God pursued us with!

"She will give birth to a son , and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins...The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel - which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:21, 23 (NIV)

• He not only came to save us but he came to walk with us. He not only saves you - he stays with you.
• There's no distance He won't go to show His love for you.
• What (Jesus) was up had to come down so that what was down (us) could go up.
• God's not afraid of your mess. Jesus came in the flesh to bring you out of your mess!
• When we were at our worst, God gave us his best. Do we celebrate this gift at Christmas? Or do we celebrate ourselves and all our gifts at Christmas?

"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:6-9 (NLT)

• Jesus is the only gift that never gets old & will always leave us satisfied!
• Santa's gifts are for the "nice". .Jesus' gift is for the bad- the sinners. Us.

Last night, we wrapped up 2013 with 146 students, 10 new guests, 4 salvations, and 1 rededication!!

Money in a Ministry Family

PSA: I know this is lengthy ;)

My husband always says "more is caught than taught". Growing up, I "caught" a lot in regards to how to view and manage money. Money is a sticky subject in every aspect of life. Jesus preached A LOT on money and yet we tend to stray away from any conversation or message involving the "m" word. But, if the church (& christian families) don't set the example, who's going to? The world? The world isn't exactly the place where I want my money influences to come from.

As a pastor of a "large" Baptist church that was faithful in giving and saw the fruits of their giving, my parents did okay financially when I was growing up. We lived in a gated "golf-course" community with 5 bedrooms, a pool, a home office, dining room, family room, living room, kitchen, and plenty of house to move around in. We ate out once or twice a week and somehow my parents managed to feed my two ever-growing-athletic-brothers. We never went without things (that were necessities). My sister and I had jobs to buy what we wanted; clothes, jewelry, shoes, movie tickets, and weekend activities. My brothers played sports so my parents didn't make them work. So yes, we had nice things and we had what we needed to live on. What pains me is when people think that pastors and church leaders should live well under their means "to be some kind of example". If you are giving back to the church and not using your money in an immoral way, should it matter to others where your money goes? My parents decided to put their money into a house where their kids could grow up in and our friends wanted to hang out at. My mom always said she'd rather our friends hang out under our roof than for us to be hanging out who knows where. So, they strived to make our home a place that us and our friends wanted to be. And, honestly, I loved being home.

People have always, and will always, choose to spend their money where they see fit. Some spend it on cars, others on weekend vacations, others on expensive schools, some on adopting kids, some on college funds, some on food, some on their kids, etc. I'm saying this because people have their priorities when it comes to how they choose to spend their money and that's OKAY.

We have decided that from day one we are going to instill in Brooklynn that nothing belongs to her/us. Everything we have belongs to our creator. One way we are going to instill this in her is by having "give", "save", and "spend" jars in her room. As long as she tithes and saves, I really could care less where she spends the rest (as long as it's ethical of course).

As a PK and wife, my family has always lived in a "glass house". People like to make assumptions about how we spent/are spending. For example, Hux and I eat out almost every dinner-time meal so they assume we spend money we don't have. 75% of the time, we eat on a gift card or a coupon and we always share a meal and get water. Essentially, for us, it's cheaper for us to eat out (most of the time) It's always so easy (and Hux and I do this, too) to judge how someone chooses to spend their money. raise their family, or run a church. Only God knows the heart of a person and He's the only one fit enough to judge a person's intentions in the decisions that they make. We, as people, never really know the reasoning behind why people do what they do but we like to think we do. Being a part of a ministry family has taught me the importance of not judging another's decisions because we, too, have been judged and watched and it's not fun.

These kind of posts are not meant to say that I'm a "victim" of being in a ministry family. They're more intended to open eyes. You can say I'm passionate about ministry families because I've been in one my whole life, my sister married one, and my brothers want to plant churches/play a role in church programming after college. Ministry families are held to a standard that most are not held to, unfortunately, and always treated differently.

So, lift your leaders and their families in prayer because a lot of their lives revolve around serving yours :-)

29 Weeks

How far along? 29 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 23 lbs

Maternity clothes: Here & there. 

Stretch marks? None

Sleep? What's that? Just getting practice for when she comes ;)

Miss Anything? Energy

Movement: She's never still. Hopefully not a sign of things to come. Must get that from her daddy!

Food cravings? Nah

Anything making you sick or queasy? I actually have been queasy lately (especially when she moves a lot...tends to make me not feel so great). I think my third trimester and first trimester have switched places on me. 

Gender: She :)

Symptoms: Exhausted & crampy!

Labor signs? No but I get crazy shooting pains in my sides and I just think to myself, if she were to come now...we'd be screwed. Haha.

Belly button in or out? Or flat

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Worst moment this week: Sick of doctor visits!

Best moment this week: I was quite the Martha Stewart wanna-be this week and made some things for the nursery!

Looking forward to: Christmas break!!

Baby info: She's the size of a squash. I'm glad people don't compare each other to food. That'd be weird. She's roughly 15 inches long and weighs close to 2 1/2 lbs. The doc told me Brooklynn was gonna be a chunk-ster (another "perk" of PCOS). I guess I'm okay with that, maybe she'll sleep better and I won't always be scared of breaking her. Her eyes can now move in the sockets. She may start settling into the proper birthing position soon which makes sense because every time I stand up I feel like she just shoots on down towards the bladder!

Ginch-less wk. 1

We only have ONE more Pursuit in the year 2013! So, last night we started our two-week Christmas series centering around the unselfishness of Jesus and how we all tend to have a little "grinch" in us. Here's some things we covered!

• God has called us to be selfless - not selfish

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

• The way UP in life is DOWN (humility)
• In order to be focused on others, we have to have the right mindset regarding ourselves -- it's not about US!
• In order to add to someone's life, we have to subtract from ours!

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." Philippians 2:3-5

• Jesus could have easily worn a crown and said, "Kiss my feet". Instead, He bent down & washed others' feet.
• Jesus wasn't FULL of himself, instead he emptied himself.

So, what does serving others cost you? Serving others cost Jesus His life. The next time you have the opportunity to do something for someone else, and not just during the Christmas season, think of how little of a sacrifice you are making compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made for you!

A Pastor's Kid to a Pastor's Wife & Back Around

In the past three years, I've gone from being a Pastor's kid to a Pastor's wife and now soon-to-be-mom to a Pastor's kid. When people ask me "what was it like growing up as a Pastor's kid?" I answer with two words, "tough and joyous". Tough when I was a middle schooler who couldn't go to rated-R movies but joyous because life was good for us and God was good to us. I'm going to tread carefully here because some will not agree with me, but that's okay...(does anyone ever agree on anything these days?) There are a couple lot of things that I took to from growing up that I still hold firm to today. At the top rank faith & money (yes, money). I was going to make this all one post but if you're anything like me, you wouldn't read it. Long=skimming. So I'll break it up for you and I and try to be brief-ish.

When it came to faith, my parents never pushed their faith on me but I saw the work God was doing through them as a couple, their ministry at church, and through me and my siblings. That was something that I wanted to be a part of. God was never about religion or head knowledge in our house. Our families relationship with God never had anything to do with rules, regulations, do this & don't do that "because Jesus says so" but had everything to do with a lifestyle of loving Jesus - everything would flow from that! Did they encourage quiet times and sunday service attendance? Of course. Did they make us attend every function the church had when the doors were open? Nope. But we wanted to. Why? Because we loved the church. All four of us loved the church. Of course there were Sundays that we wanted to sleep and play hooky (and sometimes we did, let's be honest) But that didn't take away our love for the church.

So, how did my parents do it? Get us to love the church? Different ways. But now that I'm a Pastor's wife, I believe there was one prominent reason why we loved the church. And it was not because we "loved Jesus" (*gasp*) Here's the secret...my parents never (I honestly mean, never!) talked bad about another church in front of their children. Are there things that other churches did/do that they may not have agreed with? Sure! But did we hear about it? Never. Here's the deal, if you are always bashing another congregation, it will more times than not, put a bitter taste in your child's mouth for church. And not just the church you are criticizing, but every single church, yours included. If my parents had always talked negatively about a church, I guarantee you that I would not have married a minister and risked putting my future children in the "line of fire". Another thing that my dad was very good at was putting his family ahead of his congregation. And yes, there were many people and staff members that didn't agree with his ways. He missed many meetings, Wednesday and Sunday nights, and events at the church to sit at a dance recitals, cheerleading competitions, or baseball games. He was living proof that loving ministry and loving God are not the same thing. The church never dictated his devotion to his family. In turn, leaving me with no resentment towards him or the church!

What it all boils to is this: the Church is the bride of Christ, how do you talk about your bride to others or to your children? If you're a man and you bash your wife or you're a wife and you bash your husband in front of your children or to other people, it's going to put a sour taste in your child's mouth towards the other person. I've been around people who have criticized their husband/wife in front of me and to be honest, it's made me look at that person differently whether their issues were legit or not...but I wouldn't know the difference because I didn't live in their house and see first-hand what the issues really were. Wouldn't it be the same when we talk about the church in the same manner?

Am I perfect at this? Nooo! We all think we know the best ways to run a church or lead a family (even if we've never done it!) However, ever since I've been married and been knee deep in the ministry, I've learned this: If you're a follower of Christ and you preach the bible and yearn to see people move from death to life, we are ALL on the SAME TEAM striving for ONE PURPOSE for ONE NAME! This is what I grew up believing and it has saved my personal-sanity and my church-sanity ;) Think of what could be accomplished if we joined forces as The Church instead of going to battle with The [other] Church(es)!

So, as a soon-to-be-mom, I want Brooklynn to grow up loving the Church and her Church leaders and not grow up being so wrapped up in church skepticism that she loses focus on loving Jesus and what His bride is doing for our world.

28 Weeks [3rd Trimester]

Check out that $40 dresser. Thank you, thank you!

How far along? 28 Weeks! Hello 3rd trimester!

Total weight gain/loss: Let ya know tomorrow. Somewhere in between 19-20 lbs. I'd assume

Maternity clothes: Still a few

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Sleeping good...propped up and all!

Miss Anything? Comfort

Movement: She's pretty crazy!

Food cravings? Whatever you'll give me :)

Anything making you sick or queasy? Nothing specific but I have had small spurts of queasiness. Who knows!

Gender: Girl :)

Symptoms: Mainly just sore ribs and back...and that obnoxious heartburn! And I have to lay down after I eat to breathe. Ha-ha!

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in or out? Still flat as a pancake! Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? (this was a dinner discussion...welcome to our family!)

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Worst moment this week: I had my three hour sugar test. Wasn't too fun & veins weren't too happy but I PASSED! Hallelujah!

Best moment this week: Spending so much time with my ENTIRE family. That never happens! The food wasn't too shabby either!

Looking forward to: Getting this child here!!

Baby info: She's the size of an eggplant. Starting to develop fat and her lungs are maturing! She can recognize our voices and muscle tone is developing.

Second Trimester Favorites

As the third trimester comes speeding in, thank goodness, I've rallied up some of the things that have helped get me through.

1. Clearasil Refreshing Superfruit Scrub: I'll start by saying for the first trimester and first half of the second trimester, my skin was...well, hellacious (for lack of a better word) Now I know, this has salicylic acid in it (which is a no-no during pregnancy) but it's fine to use as long as it doesn't sit on your face too long. Now normally I cannot use any kind of face wash/scrub unless it's natural or ultra gentle because my face doesn't like it. But, as everyone says, pregnancy turns the normal into the abnormal and vice versa. Basically, this has tremendously helped my skin!

2. Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia Lip Butter: Along with my skin, i've had crazy dry lips. I use this every day multiple times a day and I'm good to go!

3. Loreal Thickening Shampoo/Conditioner: As some of you know, my hair has decided to start falling out a little earlier than "normal". I picked this up and can already tell a huge difference. Whether it's all psychological or not, I don't care...I feel better! 

4. Bella Vida Maternity Jeans: Picked these babies up from Ross for like $10.00. If you ever see me in jeans, these are them. They get the job done!

5. Heating Pad: This isn't the exact heating pad I use. I stole my parents old heating pad and use it at night when my ribs begin to make popping noises. That's not an exaggeration. They pop.

6. Spring Valley Prenatal Gummies: I could eat these as candy. Enough said.

7. What to Expect When You're Expecting: "The pregnancy bible". I like reading this because I don't have to sit and read the whole thing. You just read as you go throughout your pregnancy because it's broken up into weeks. Light reading = that's me.

8. Pumpkin Spice: I don't think this has anything to do with pregnancy and everything to do with the season but anything Pumpkin is for me (creamer, cake, candle-scented, etc.). I'm not a Krispy Kreme girl either, I prefer the cake donuts from Dunkin but holy moly... the Pumpkin Spice donuts from KK will rock your life. Go get one, or a dozen.

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 18-19 lbs.

Maternity clothes: Most of my regular clothes still are working for me! A few maternity things here and there!

Stretch marks? None yet!

Sleep? I have to sleep propped up but other than that sleeping pretty well!

Miss Anything? Just feeling "normal"

Movement: I'm getting used to the jabs and kicks but that rolling around business is not my favorite.

Food cravings? Bread (which I have to steer clear of) and sweets (which I also have to stay clear of) What is this life!?

Anything making you sick or queasy? Trying to get ready while I'm burning up!!

Gender: baby girl :)

Symptoms: Ready for my list? Haha just kidding. Achy ribs and back, gas (which I'm sure you wanted to know, right?) Short of breath and crampy legs.

Labor signs? Not legit labor but I have had those braxton hicks things. I used to like the name Braxton. Not anymore. Haha. They are pretty uncomfortable but still don't compare to kidney stones. Bring it on, braxton hicks. Haha!

Belly button in or out? Still hangin' in there. Pun intended.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or moody most of the time? Happy

Worst moment this week: Ready for this one? Failed my one-hour sugar test. Which was no shocker to me. The doctor basically said it'd be a miracle if I passed. Another thing to thank PCOS for. My sugar levels have nothing to do with my diet and everything to do with PCOS and genetics. 

Best moment this week: We scored a huge white dresser in perfect condition for $40 at Goodwill for the nursery. Cha-ching!

Looking forward to: My 3-hour sugar test in the morning. #saidnooneever. Thanksgiving for us starts Tuesday night and a little sugar issue won't be stopping me from pumpkin pie. Better believe that.

Baby Info: She's inhaling and exhaling with her developing lungs and she's showing brain activity. 

Wage War 4

We wrapped up our Wage War series last night and it was nothing short of amazing! Here's a recap if you missed out!

"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins NO MORE." Hebrews 8:12

• Man meant for the cross to be a form of humiliation. God used the cross as a form of life transformation.
• There wasn't any length God wasn't willing to go to to prove His love.
• The cross is the ultimate definition of love.
• When we're found guilty, there's a punishment. Someone had to pay our debt in order to bail us out. Jesus paid it all.
• Some of us carry around our sins and baggage everywhere we go. God has already/will take it all off our backs and nail it to the cross.
• Nothing you could ever do could make God love you any less.
• God didn't come into the world to punish you. He came to save you.

"For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin."

Psalm 32:3-5

"...having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away nailing it to the cross."

Colossians 2:14

Last night was proof that the simple word of the gospel still saves. God is still in the business of saving His children through the work He accomplished on the cross. 

*Last night we saw 187 students, 10 new guests, 3 salvations, and 3 rededications!*

Jessica & Justin

As many of you know, my sister got married on November 9th! It was a great day! Low stress, low maintenance, lots of laughs, a few tears, and a new family! I thought I would share some of my favorite pictures from that day! Her photographer was great! You can check her out here! And here's the link to see all of the pictures from that day! http://photographyanddesignbyjenny.pass.us/jessicajustinwedding/

Maternity Pics

We had some maternity pictures taken last week thanks to one of our students! He's raising money to go on a mission trip to Jamaica during Spring break and seeing as how we got to experience the life change that the Won by One trip brings, we wanted to help him out! You can help him out too, here!

Here's some of my favorites from the day