Winter Wonderland

Well, from December 21-29 Ryan and I were skiing in the beautiful Rocky Mountain snow of Colorado with the Brannan clan. It was truly a white Christmas and a blessing to spend my 26th birthday with our sweet family. 

The whole crew (minus Ryan who's taking our pic) out for pizza

Sorry for the small pics... these were from my phone :)

Davis Christmas

Ryan and I had my mom and Holley over today for an early Christmas celebration. We had a delicious spread and enjoyed some good quality time together. I am very thankful for both my mom and my sissy :)

 ((Ephesians 3:16-19))

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

To the praise of His glorious grace

My Bible study group recently concluded a two month study on the book of Ephesians. I love this book for several reasons, but mostly because of Paul’s bold instructions for Christian living and for its message of grace.

The Lord has used His Word and His people to teach me a lot about grace over the last year. It all began with a little book called Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian (who happens to be a CIU graduate and, oh-you know, Billy Graham’s grandson.)

In his book, Tullian stresses the importance and practice of grace in our Christian lives. Because, after all, it is by GRACE we are SAVED! It is by GRACE we are ABLE to mature spiritually. Not because of our constant striving or working or doing. It is by GRACE we are able to become holy, sanctified, and righteous before God. Tullian explains this kind of grace by saying, “When gospel grace grips your heart, life becomes all about gospel grace. When the gospel reorients how you think and feel and live, all of life becomes about the work Jesus accomplished for us, not what we can accomplish for him – or anyone else for that matter. We’re liberatingly decreased while Christ is gloriously increased.”

Learning about true, gospel grace has set me free from climbing the proverbial ladder to heaven. Understanding true, gospel grace has taught me that it’s not about me or how good I can be… it’s about Christ and what He has already done.

Studying Ephesians the past couple of months has only driven that point home even further. Paul tells us in 2:8-10 that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” I have understood since I was a little girl that accepting Christ as Savior and believing that His atoning sacrifice for my sin is what grants me eternal life. But am I living in His grace by constantly “checking spiritual boxes” in my mind and by being enslaved to the notion that I must always “measure up?” No. Because that's love of self, not love of God.

Martin Luther sums up our plight best by saying, “The sin underneath all our sins is the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and that we must take matters into our own hands.” Learning to rest fully in God’s grace is a life-long endeavor, but I am thankful that no matter how often I take matters into my own hands; His grace knows no end.

God’s message of grace has transformed my life in every way. I hope and pray that you, too, will be awakened to “the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

((Ephesians 1:3-10))

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

The Fab 5 from '05

I am thankful for these wonderful friends and cherish the many years, birthdays, holidays, weddings, showers, and countless hours we have spent together. I am most thankful I get to watch the three of them experience pregnancy all at the same time! I like to call us the fabulous 5 from '05... our graduating class. The only one not pictured is Megan who couldn't make it for our get together :(

Jess (due June 1) Brie (due June 16) and Mere (due May 20)

Photo Opp

Here are some pictures from a fun little photo shoot we had recently with Ann Marie Photographics :) 

Thanksgiving 2012

Our Thanksgiving was filled with... 

Sweet Babies

Cute Kiddos

 Loving Family

Pretty Scenery

Lots of Laughter

And Lots of Love 

Hope your Thanksgiving was too!

Remembering 4 Years and Giving Thanks

Today marks four years since I lost my precious Dad. While the Lord has used the last four years for His glory, I inevitably come to this day with sadness. Selfishly, I wish my Dad could be at my Thanksgiving table today or, simply, that I could pick up the phone and call him. I wish that he could see the young lady Holley has grown to be and that he could have seen her win a medal at State last weekend. I wish I could dance with him in our living room again and blare James Taylor in the car with the windows rolled down. I wish we could have one last heart-to-heart. His absence has left a perpetual void in my life that goes deep down to my soul, but praise God!... I have a Savior who gives me hope.

God, in his great mercy, has given me the strength to carry on over the last four years with a hope-filled heart. Even though I miss my Dad and long not to have to acknowledge anniversaries like these, I know that none of this caught the Lord by surprise on November 22, 2008. I am thankful that He is the Author and knows the number of our days and that His resurrection promises me that my citizenship is in heaven.

Today I give thanks for Hope that is firm, secure and anchors my soul for eternity. I have hope because the same God who was raised from the dead is the One preparing a place for me in the heavenly realms… right beside my Dad. I am thankful that in life and in death His grace saves me, sustains me, and gives me hope. I am thankful that, if I have nothing else, I always have Hope.

Four years after my Dad’s ushering home to be with the Lord, I will celebrate Thanksgiving with my husband and his family. My angel of a father will be celebrating at the table of the King. Oh, Glorious Day!

Thanksgiving 2007 - Houston, Texas

 

Because he lives
I can face tomorrow
Because he lives
All fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life and is worth the living
Just because he lives

Happy Thanksgiving

The end of an era

After cheering from c-team through varsity, watching Holley cheer c-team through varsity, and three years of coaching LMS c-team somewhere in between, Lexington cheerleading is officially phasing out of our lives. It's been a long, fun, memorable ride. This pretty girl has cheered her last football game and has competed for the very last time. Holley and her team went out on a high note for her senior year... First Runner Up at State! 

Captains

Last football game

Congrats on a great season, Holley Girl! Now on to basketball :)

Thankful in 2012

What I’m most thankful for these days… 

1. How the Lord is teaching me to accept his grace in full. I’m so thankful for all He has revealed to me in the last several months. Our life should be about Christ... His story... and the GRACE he gives us to do all things. While we are important, we are not the main point.

2. That Ryan has received his religion degree from Liberty University!

3. Holley... and being able to enjoy all of the bittersweet "lasts" with her as a senior.

4. Starbuck’s pumpkin spice lattes.

5. A slower pace :)

6. That we leave for snowy Colorado in 36 days!

7. For the health and love of my family.

8. For the fun Ryan and I have day in and day out. He makes everything an adventure :)

9. Friendship. I am blessed to carry my best friends from childhood. And from college, Mere!

10. For a good mind that recalls precious memories of my dad and our time together every.single.day.

11. Thursday night Bible study with some wonderful ladies from CIU. I'm learning a lot AND having fun studying Ephesians. 

12.That my prayer to see “22” in some fashion has been answered daily for the last four years. On license plates, on scoreboards, in movies, on clocks, in songs, on paper, in conversation, on receipts, etc. His mercies are new every day. Great is Thy faithfulness!

((1 Thessalonians 5:16-18))

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

58

My Dad would have been 58 today. Happy Birthday to the best Dad there ever was. :)

Psalm 63:1-8

You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands. 

 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

 On my bed I remember you;
    I think of you through the watches of the night. 

 Because you are my help,
    I sing in the shadow of your wings. 

 I cling to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

18

Happy Birthday, Holley! If Dad was here he would surely be singing to you...

Have I told you lately that I love you
Have I told you there's no one above you
Fill my heart with gladness
Take away my sadness
Ease my troubles, that's what you do

And that you certainly do for all of us. Hope 18 is your best year yet. We love you!

NEEDTOBREATHE

Holley turns 18 on October 12... So in honor of this special birthday, Ryan and I bought Holley and Grant NEEDTOBREATHE concert tickets! The concert was last night at the Township and it was AMAZING!! Probably one of the best I've seen. The company was pretty great too :)

Wistful Wednesday

Today would have been my parent's 31st wedding anniversary. 9/19/81