Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Who am I?

Who am I?
(A question we should all take time to answer.)

I am blessed, broken, and beyond repair.
I am made whole, understood completely, and indescribably filled with grace by our Savior.
And Him alone.
Life lessons...I've had plenty and know that there are many more to come.
Heart breaks...countless.
Sisters...two.
Soulmates...one.
Fears...I try not to count.
Dreams...too many to count.
Loves...I can think of four. Family, Friends, Teaching, and Nature.
Tears...I've been told I have too many.
Laughing...one of my favorite hobbies.
Dogs...a fear turned into a love.
Flying...ironically my fear and my husbands dream.
Friends...if you let people use you, they will...if you let people love you, they will.
Fate...it surprises you, whether you let it or not.
Singing...medicine for the soul, no matter what my emotion is.
Anger...one emotion that can be used as a weapon...use with caution.
Prayers...I've learned to have Faith, He is there listening and cares.

*The truth is this...not everyone cares about Who you are, or Who I am...some people will read the title of this post and stop there. But their views don't determine your value. It's all about who your Creator made you to be, and by knowing that, you are able to tap into your purpose.

"Who am I?" by: Casting Crowns
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..



Monday, April 20, 2009

Spring Joys!

There is so much to be thankful for during this season! The beauty of nature, the resurrection of our Savior, and answered prayers! We got to enjoy the beauty of nature by taking a trip to Asheville and celebrating our 5 months of marriage :) We had so much fun getting away and being in God's creation! We have a new favorite restaurant up there called The Fiddlin' Pig! We enjoyed celebrating Easter with family and friends. "For no greater love than this that a man lay down his life for a friend." The awesome thing is that our Savior laid down his life for friends and foes. It was inspiring and exciting to celebrate this for the first time with Justin as my husband...my soulmate and brother in Christ. Last, but not least we are blessed to see many answered prayers around us!! Anna Claire and Charlie, our niece and nephew in the NICU, are doing better everyday. It's also so uplifting to see the faith and joy that Christ has shown through my sister and brother-in-law's outlook. The babies should hopefully be home by Mothers Day! Also, Justin's Dad has continued to remain safe and busy while working overseas and Justin's sister and her baby-on-the-way are doing really well and staying healthy!

All around us are blessings...not because of what we do, but because of the gracious Lord we serve. We are really enjoying our last 6 weeks and can't believe how fast the time is going!

Thanks for your prayers.
We love you all!
R & J

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

My husbands a Poet and I didn't Know it!

Justin recently wrote a poem for my dad's birthday that went along with a gift of taking my dad on his first flight with Justin. There's something about letting people write about things their passionate about...it just brings their writing abilities to life! Enjoy!

There is a place

By: Justin Brazell

There is a place way above the rest

It is a place that will put your skills to the test

It can scare you, calm you or even inspire.

It is cold as ice or as hot as fire.

There is a place that is truly amazing

God’s beauty from here is worth praising.

From here you can see the curvature of the Earth

See the end of the day and even the birth.

There is a place that will make you smile

When you’re there you really just want to stay awhile.

It can be calm and it can be rough.

And going through can be very tough

There is a place that will bring you joy

It’s like having a grand baby girl or a grand baby boy

It can be blue, gray, green, orange, and even pink

When you see these colors together it can really make you think.

There is a place that you can go but cannot stay,

Like we both know gravity will have her way.

It is the place where God resides.

And the place where His angels glide


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Sweet memories of Sunsets in South Carolina

We've made some great memories in the past week! One being our first flight with my parents. It was a beautiful sunset, very smooth with the exception of a windy landing :)



We also had a fun trip with Justin's side of the family to Charleston. It is one of our FAVORITE places to go and we really wanted to go there before we left for Texas. It was so much fun to play with Baby D and walk the beautiful shoreline with my honey! We had a delicious dinner and ended with a beautiful sunset off the battery.





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Justin and I are enjoying Spring Break and the week of Easter. Remembering what our Lord, Jesus Christ, endured this week is refreshing and humbling. We are blessed to call him King...our Risen King!!!

Thanks for your continued prayers as we prepare to leave in less than 8 weeks!
Love, R & J

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Birthday, Bulls, and Babies!

March 20th was a special day...Justin's 23rd Birthday! We celebrated with a wonderful steak dinner at his parent's house and a Sunday lunch at my parents house. His big gift was his new ride!! A Toyota Tacoma! But he also got a little art project I'd been doing for him, money for flying, an AU golf clip, a pilot watch, and a remote control helicopter from his dad. As you can see...he 'got the goods' this year :) I also tried something new and baked him a red velvet cake (which I found out 2 months into the marriage was his favorite) He use to stop at a small cafe on the way up to Presbyterian College every weekend and get a slice of their 4 layered Red Velvet...I'm sure that I have a few more years to go before I get to their level of perfection ;)

Another really special surprise for his birthday were tickets to Bull Riding! It was quite the experience! We were 9 rows away from the craziness and were having a BLAST! It was my first time getting to go see PBR, and man was it worth it! Lots of fun memories with Justin and his two cousins!



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As far as the two of us go, we are enjoying life in South Carolina and trying to take in as many experiences as we can within the next 8 weeks. "Blessed" is only the beginning to explain how we feel to have the opportunity to experience the miracles of life and growth through our new nephew and niece. The power of prayer really does exist and it lies with the Holy Spirit that lives in our hearts. We also feel blessed to have this time to grow closer to family, friends, and each other before our moving begins with the Air Force! Please pray for us to take in the moments and not rush the time away. Also pray for each of our family members and us who are all going through many transitions and changes. God is good All The Time...this includes those moments that we are afraid to enter into. As my mother-in-law put it "he's ahead of us...He knows what's happening and He's right there with us...it's not a surprise to God."

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"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in TRUTH." -3 John 1:4
All our love!
Rebekah (and Justin)