$2 Tea Lattes at Caribou

Caribou has new Tea Latte Fusions and for a limited time they are $2 for a medium on Mondays! I've only tried the Black Thai latte iced but it is AWESOME and well worth the $2!!

I don't usually spend money on coffee drinks but this is a nice little treat. According to the barista at my Caribou, this promotion will be going on through May!

Calling all Minnesotans

August seems so very far away but in wedding timing it might as well be tomorrow. That is what I have learned this week. I am already behind the curve because we are getting married so soon(?) and I need to find a venue.

So, I am calling all Minnesotans, at least all my Minnesotan readers! Do you have a suggestion for a wonderful wedding venue? I would prefer it not be outdoor and we are on a shoe-string budget. The dates we prefer are the weekend of August 1st or the weekend of August 8th.

Don't be too shy to comment/share your opinion, I am desperate here! But if you are too shy, you could always say a prayer for me since we know that God is the one in control of these things! If you have my email, feel free to email also!

An engaging conversation (Pt. 2)

On Saturday (Feb. 21st), Sean and I celebrated Valentine's Day together. I realize Valentine's Day is Feb. 14th but Sean had postponed it as he was sick that week. I arrived at Sean's house at 6pm and all the lights were out. He had candles lit in the dining room and a table set for the two of us. He'd made dinner and it was waiting for us.

We ate dinner and when we'd finished, he started talking. He explained that these past nine months have been the happiest nine months of his life and he said the reason for that was because he started dating a wonderful woman named Claire and, "she came with a sidekick." He walked over to my side of the table, got down on one knee and asked, "Would you like to spend the rest of your life with me?" He pulled the most beautiful ring out of his pocket and I said, "Of course!"

The ring is beautiful but the most wonderful part of all of this is that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me! I am giving all the credit and thanks to God because we know that He is the reason we are together, He is the reason for everything. We will continue to pray that He remains the center of our lives as we take a new step in our journey!

"Love is from God..." 1 John 4:7

Two years saved.

Today I celebrate the second anniversary of my salvation.

December 5th, 2006 was the day that I moved to Minnesota, an act that required me to completely trust in Christ and give control of my life over to Him, so I mark it as the day of my salvation. I was hoping to do a long post about this today but unfortunately a busy 2 year old and a mountain of laundry got in my way. I am however thinking about how special this day is and thanking God for the sacrifice of His Son!

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

First date, revisited.

Today marks 6 months since my first date with Sean. The beautiful work that God has done since that night brings me gratefully to my knees. I feel confident of where He is leading us but no matter where this relationship goes God has used it to grow me tremendously. Through God's grace, Sean is an incredible man and on the day this picture was taken I had no idea that a man like this existed. I continue to pray that God will bless me with the opportunity to love Sean for the rest of my life to His glory.

(Thanks to Drew, I have a picture to remember that night forever.
Note: It took me an entire week to find a shirt to wear!)

When my walk is weak

When my walk with Christ is weak, everything suffers. School, mothering, girlfriend-ing (that's right, I made that word up), praying, you name it. It's one big snowball effect as things just add up. I feel...well, everything, a little bit of every emotion out there.

My walk has been weak for the past 2 weeks or so. Some days it improves but then it seems I'm down again. I feel so far from Christ but my heart and Spirit know that He is with me. It has been especially difficult because I see all the good God is continuing to do in my life and I don't feel like I am praising Him enough. I am so grateful that our salvation and His mercies are not dependent on our works. He has showed me that often in the past 2 weeks. If this were not the case I would be (we all would be) headed for the fires of hell.

I want to lock myself in a room and just read the Bible, pray and worship. I think that is what I will try to do tonight when the girls have been picked up and Aiden is asleep. Hopefully I will be able to do some journaling, I haven't been able to write in over 2 weeks, not for a lack of time but for a lack of words. For me, not being able to write, not having words to put in my journal is a sure sign of trouble.

I am going to the cross, my only comfort, my only delight, my Lord and Savior.

Missions

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Sunday's sermon marked the end of another Missions Focus at Bethlehem. Again I sat in the pews aching to stand up and walk down to the front when Paster John asked for anyone who feels called to do long-term missions to step forward. I have known for almost two years that I want to do missions on a long term basis and I feel confident that this desire is from God. I also feel confident that now is not that time for me. But on Sunday as I walked out of church I couldn't help but wonder if it was my flesh or God that kept me in my seat. Even now, three days later, I am unsure but I know that if it is God's will for me to serve Him in that way it will happen exactly when He intends it to. Just last week, Sean brought up the topic of missions and told me that he also feels that God is calling him to do it long-term at some point. How amazing to know that God is slowly pulling up our roots and possibly preparing us for such an amazing calling! For now, I wait contently on our Lord!

Love, E.K.

Two years ago, already.

How quickly time passes. It seems as though it was just moments ago that I held my baby for the first time. The pain and exhaustion of childbirth forgotten for those few first precious seconds. He truly is a gift from God and I am thankful for him each and every day. Below are the notes my mother took in the hospital.

Friday Oct. 20, 2006
7:00 a.m. Check in-1 cm
8:00 a.m. Begin Pictocin
9:36 a.m. 1st Contraction
10:00 a.m Dr. Maydew broke water-1.5 cm
light contractions
10:17 a.m. Contractions begin coming close together
2:00 p.m. 2 cm
3:00 p.m. Pain killer given
6:00 p.m. Epidural









6:30 p.m. Catheter
10:45 p.m. Fever of 106.9, vomiting
Saturday Oct. 21, 2006
1:00 a.m. Started pushing
3:00 a.m. Dr. Bonpain comes with vacuum
3:46 a.m. Aiden is born









4:55 a.m. 1st feeding

Aiden's life verse:
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians 1:9

me...

*I love driving at sunset with the windows down and a good country song on the radio.
*Sometimes, I just like being alone. This does not mean I don't love every moment God gives me to spend with others.
*I love dancing, any type of dancing and wish I had more opportunities to dance- but maybe it's my fault for not turning enough situations in to opportunities to dance.
*I struggle every day.
*There are times when I paint a smile on my face. I am always amazed when there are people around me who can see the truth behind that smile, they help me more than they know.
*I still have trouble opening up to just about everyone except God.
* I like Garth Brooks (in spite of that Chris Gains/multiple personality disorder period he went through).
*I probably never would have started wearing makeup if my dad hadn't spent all of my teen years telling me to put on a little eyeshadow. I didn't listen until I was 20, but he was right!
*I love weddings.
*When I was younger I was annoyed by everyone telling me that I look just like my mom. Now, I realize how much of a compliment it is. My mom is beautiful and I hope I inheritated those genes.
*I am not afraid of death but I am terrified of mice/rats.
*Writing poetry is a process for me. One line or stanza comes to my mind and I write the poem around it.