Yes, Jesus loves me

Couldn't sleep. Spending time with Him in the quiet tonight. What an extremely blessed time. Gosh, that sounds fake. But this is so real. How else do I say it?

This verse popped in my head:

Zephaniah 3:17 (English Standard Version)

17 The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.


I found this article about how the Father is in our midst and sings over us...

http://members.cox.net/theokratos/Our%20Rejoicing%20God.pdf

Now, I don't try to make graven images of God. Like, I don't try to make him look like something physical, but I've really been trying to get a picture of what it would look like in my limited capacity for Him to rejoice over me with loud singing. This picture of singer Derek Webb I think portrays a kind of imagination of that. * A friend from church, Mike Haskew, took this pic. I swiped it from his flickr album*

The Father is simply amazing. Spend some time with Him today.

Graciously,
Micah

(Scroll down and play "Sing Over Me" from the playlist.)

My Holiday Feet

Small Group was last night. We were running late. When we got there, there were already women leaving- without their husbands. They were ALL excited. I'm like... What's going on??? Ben said, "Surprise! You're all going to get a pedicure while we stay here with the kids." WHAT??? Totally threw me off! I didn't even believe it for the first 15 minutes. AMAZING!

So here are my new toes in my favorite socks my hubby got for me on my last birthday. They're red for the holidays. I like to wear my socks with my blood-red shoes from Clark's. So comfy you can exercise in them, I wear these with "dressy jeans". So, I think my new thing is comfort- we'll see how that goes... Anyway, I like the way the fish net socks look in these shoes- different.

Do you remember when you used to go to Sunday School as a kid? One of the most vivid things I remember learning is how to put on the armor of God. I guess as I got older I figured I needed to move on to bigger and better more "spiritual" things in my relationship with Christ. HA!

But lately I've been reminded of what the Bible commands us to do everyday... Eph 6:11 says "Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." My blog today reminds me likewise to "shod [my] feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (vs. 15)

I am thankful to God for my wise husband who was literally sent to this Earth to keep me humble. I used to think I was a very humble person. I'm coming to find that I actually have years of pride built up in me. Last night, for example, I was 'fishing for compliments' from my husband as I often do in one form or another. I HAVE to know that I'm loved, and beautiful and cherished... He knew exactly what I was doing and  just stopped me right there and said, "That is pride."

He was right.

So today, I am meditating on the gospel that says:

 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but it is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."
1 John 2:16-17

What's your favorite 'footwear' this fall (phyical and spiritual)?

Micah

My Dearest Micah

Okay....since this is partially about glamour I figured I would share my new Holiday dress with you. $24.99 from Target, solid black satin with toole (sp?) underneath. Now, the fun part....I took outdoor three inch wide satin ribbon ($3, Joanne's), large bag of multi-colored rhinestones ($12, Joanne's), rhinestone super glue ($2.99, Joanne's) and made a fun Bling belt! The dress is very versatile and can be dressed up with great red heels or dressed down with tights and a pair of flats. This was for our salon's Christmas ad...so much FUN!

Hi Love!

It is 1:26 over here in Florida and I am desperate to talk to you...but I don't think its a great idea to call you at this hour ;) I suppose it is the woman in me that gets "sappy" and sentimental around the Holidays but I couldn't help but thinking about where we both were last year at this time and where we are now. Last year at this time you, Ben, and Chris had just welcomed baby Heidi into the world. I still remember the first time she came to church, how natural you make motherhood look (in my eyes you are super-woman), how "googly" eyed Ben was over his baby girl, and the way that Christopher would look at her...absolutely precious! Daniel and I were getting ready to embark on our journey together and we were anxiously awaiting our wedding day. You were to faithful to pray for me during that time, it meant more than you will ever know! It was the beginning of a friendship and sisterhood that I hold so dear to my heart. I know God is using you and Ben in such an amazing way to grow His kingdom and encourage people in Christ. I can't wait to visit!

You are a shining example of the Proverbs 31 woman:

Pursues an ongoing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Loves, honors, and greatly enriches the life of her husband, encouraging and supporting his leadership within his family and his church.

Nurtures the next generation, shaping and molding the children who will one day define who we are as a community and as a nation.

Creates a warm and loving environment for family and friends.

Is a faithful steward of the time and money God has entrusted to her.

Speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction as she encourages others and develops godly friendships.

Shares the love of Christ by extending her hands to help the poor and opening her arms to the needy.

This semester I am honored and humbled to serve a small group of girls every Sunday night. We meet at Panera and discuss our book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free. It is an awesome read and God has used it in my life to bring lies that I didn't even know I was believing to light. Lies about Him, ourselves, sin, womanhood, children, marriage....she breaks down what our world pushes on women and what the Word says. I tell my group quite often that we should be aware of what kind of people we surround ourselves with and who we get advice from. It is so important for our young woman today to have friends that they can trust, lean on, and be real with...gals that seek Christ above all things and gals that pray for each other through struggles and triumphs. I feel so blessed to have you as that kind of friend. Thank you for being a true sister-in-Christ. You are loved and cherished!

Miss you!

KB

Happy First Birthday, Heidi!

Last night, as I was lying in bed, I remembered how a year ago I was going to the hospital at that time. I had complained for weeks and weeks about not being comfortable and not going into labor soon enough. Labor was an amazing memory. Amazing. Ben was there for me all the way! I am so blessed to have that memory, and so blessed to have my beautiful baby. God, thank you for the blessing of Heidi. Please continue to teach me how to raise her to love you more than life and to magnify you in all she does.

Today Heidi is walking, babbling, blowing kisses, yelling, turning pages in a book, playing Peek-a-boo, drawing on the Magna Doodle, eating everything (including cake), and loving!!!

Happy Birthday, sweet girl.

Domesticated Ducks

These ducks knew people meant... food!

Tipful Tuesday

Embrace the Chill
(Follow the link)



Heads up.. Hats are in!

Pull an old one out of your closet. Don't be shy. Wear one today.

They're a great accessory and then you have an excuse for "hat hair" ... Hay-oh!

Cutting Christopher's Hair

He thought this was funny!

I had to fight to get this picture. He's laughing cuz I backed him into a corner.

He's so silly

Micah Hester, your favorite jewelry lady, Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Fun Little Tip for Holiday Party Goers

from Twist Tip http://www.twistentertaining.com/portal/twisttip/tabid/66/Default.aspx?q=252

How to be a Good Guest

~November 5, 2009~



The invitations to holiday parties will be piling into your mailbox here shortly and well, how do we say this delicately... Some of you might need a few tiny reminders on how to be a good guest…ah hem, Auntie Vanessa. Your hostesses have created fabulous parties, so make their life a little easier and follow these Twist Tips on how to be a good guest.
As soon as you get an invitation, check your calendar for availability, mark it on your calendar and then RSVP. Don’t forget to send your spouse an email reminder to put it on their calendar too. Is that sad that we send our spouses email appointments now?

If you RSVP "yes" to a party, then you need to attend and be on time to the party. Pretty simple folks.

Do not bring guests that were not invited to the party - your kids, your dog, the odd co-worker that clings to you every so often, etc.

If you have out of town guests, decline the invitation to another's party, but explain why. You never know, the hostess might tell you to bring your guests along or they may not. Either way, you allow the host to make the decision and not impose strangers to their party.

Offer to bring something to the party and always have a few suggestions in mind. For example: “Maria, I would love to bring something to the party. Would a dessert be ok, I know you love my cheesecake lollipops.” Also, don’t just bring a food item with out asking. It may totally disrupt the menu that has been planned.

If the hostess takes you up on your offer to bring something, don't forget all of the pieces to serve the dish - the platter, spreader, cheese knife, etc. Nothing worse than showing up to someone's house and needing a lot of help to get your dish on the table.

Bring a hostess gift that's low-maintenance; don’t make the hostess jump through hoops to put flowers in water or have to heat something up. Bring a fabulous bottle of wine, cocktail napkins, a board game for the family to enjoy, etc.

Chat it Up - The hostess has invited people from different parts of her life, so introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. It is a huge stress reliever to see guests mingling and getting along.

Pitch in when you notice things that need to be done, like refilling the ice bucket at the self-service bar, taking dirty plates into the kitchen or showing someone where the restroom is.

When it is time to go - please go! The party was fabulous, but don’t be the last guest to leave. Take the hint when you see the hostess cleaning up the kitchen or appearing in their pajamas - you know you should have left an hour ago!

Best Date Ever!

This was the view from our date last night. Ben took me out to celebrate our second anniversary. (Yes, it was over a month after our actual anniversary.) He totally surprised me and arranged a private plane ride over the greater Houston area. It was beautiful. We left at about 6pm. The sun had just set. We flew low enough to recognize all the buildings and we even saw the moon rise up into the night sky. Ben flew for about two minutes. That was exciting. The ride was smooth and comfortable. It was something we were both doing for the first time, so it was really special. An awesome leader from our church was the pilot, and he was so sweet to make this a great experience for us.

After the flight, we went to a yummy dinner at Carrabas! Mmmm... it was delish!

I am so grateful for my hunny- for him to go out of his way to make our night special. What a treat.

God help me be a good friend

In Job 4 Job's friends have come to him after major tragedy has struck him. They sit with him for a whole week without saying anything for they saw "his pain was very great." (Job 2:13) Then Job laments and one of them opens their big fat mouth... "If one ventures a word with you, will you become impatient? But who can refrain from speaking?" WHAT??? He didn't want an answer to his courteous question!

When we use courtesy, are we just using it for the sake of using it, or do we truly desire the other's best? The Merriam-Webster online dictionary states that a courtesy is an act of consideration. Did Job's friend really use consideration when asking Job this question, or did he mean to speak his mind from the get-go? Hmm...

I am so stinkin' guilty of trying to give my friends and even strangers unsolicited advice. Recently, I gave some of this unsolicited advice to one of my leaders! What was I even thinking??? The problem is, I wasn't. If I would've thought carefully about what I was going to say, then I may not have said anything at all. Thankfully, my friend and leader was gracious enough to keep a short account and let me know that what I did offended her. WHEW!

So, when we are listening to a friend vent frustration or lament about life, we need to be very careful not to 'spew out' what we think is wisdom to that person. One book I'm reading puts it this way, "The carelessness of our speech may also show up in our lack of wisdom when we spout surface answers to deep problems and hurts." (from Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Carole Mayhall.) The Bible says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." (Proverbs 12:18)

One thing I have been advised to say when in a situation where I feel like I need to say something is, "Do you need a listening ear right now or a soluion ear?" I think this question is very good- when put into practice. If you are a solution oriented person, but you know you just need to listen, then you can prepare yourself to do that. If you are a good listener, but a solution is needed, you can pray for that.

So today, if given the opportunity, be a good friend- be sensitive to others and ask if you're needed as a listener or a solver. Then you can truly be courteous and helpful to your friends. Let's pray about this together and allow God to give us the grace that only He so freely gives.

Holy God, Your word says that "the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:17-18) Let us make peace, Father. For Your Son, who lives in us is the Prince of Peace. We only want Your wisdom. Our wisdom is not true. Give us a gentleness to our friends and neighbors that only comes from you, so that when they see how we are with them, they only see YOU! Amen.

sarah and me sept 5.jpg

Friends to the end. Sarah and I at her wedding shower.

First Blog

It's been 37 days since we moved from Florida to Texas. Here are my first thoughts in writing. This move has been trying, yet God has been gracious. He has already begun drawing my heart closer and closer to Him. I haven't ever desired Him more than I do now, and I know this is only the beginning. This Blog is for all of my friends. Old and new! I treasure you all.
I am not good at sharing my heart always. This is a growth experiment for me. I want to try to blog on a regular basis, so the theme may not always be the same. I desire to be one of Christ's close disciples, a respectful wife, loving mother, encouraging friend, faithful community member, growing musician,  and one edgy fashionista. Yeah, I'm not perfect in any one area, but little by little, I'm becoming more like Christ. And that is what gives Him glory!!