The March of special Moments!

Well, it really is more like the January, February and March of special moments :) We have had moments of joy, moments of pain, moments of success, and moments of fear. Moments with friends, moments with family, and moments together. Through it all, our God has remained faithful. 2 Timothy 2:11 states "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we are faithless, he will remain faithful." God revealed this verse to me about 2 weeks ago. His timing never fails. Little did I know to come would be many moments where I would need to know that my God is faithful even when I find it hard to be faithful, and moments where I would get to share this truth with my family and friends.
Some of our moments of joy have been trips to the Biltmore Estate to celebrate Valentines Day and our 3 months of marriage and to Auburn to visit special friends! Other moments of joy have been hearing we are going to be blessed with another nephew or niece through Erin and Dan!! We cannot describe the joy God has given us through these little blessings of life all around us. We had a moment of fear when my sister who's expecting twins was put into the hospital at 29 1/2 weeks because of preeclampsia. Many moments through the past week have been somewhat fearful for her and the babies, but through faith our God has brought peace to the situation and they all are back to being stable and healthy in the hospital...that was a big moment of JOY :) Moments of success have come as Justin ran his first 10K in under an hour and in the rain! He did such a great job! We also were so excited about Melanie's success in getting a spot in Region and State band! We were also happy to see the successful and safe journey for the 4 Wacks family from TN to SC! Also the safety that the Lord has given to Mr. Mike while he's away from us for a while for work out of the country.

As for Justin and me...we are literally in awe as we see God creating a new heart in both of us. He is growing a more personal and intimate relationship with both of us, which in turn brings us closer together. When the man is leads as God leads him, it make me feel so much more comfortable in my own skin and much more encouraged to be his helper and not have to "prove my strong womanhood" because I am told through his actions and words that I am strong and a lovely woman of God. Not all woman may know what I mean by that, but those who do, take heart; God is good and will show you that He can be your strength, sustainer, advocate, and friend. We have felt so blessed to protect our marriage with the Armor of Christ...for that is the ONLY sure way to do it. *(Some books that we would recommend are: Breaking the Surface by: Vicki Kyper, What God Does When Men Lead: The Power and Potential of Regular Guys by:Bill Peel, and of course The Love Dare from the movie Fireproof by: Kendrick.)

Thank you all for your prayers for Kathy and Devin as they go through this season and Mr.Mike as he's away. We also appreciate your prayers as Justin and I have passed the 1/2 way point to starting our journey with the Airforce...only 11 weeks. We wish everyone a very happy St. Patricks Day and 1st day of Spring :) Love you, Rebekah

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord will keep you from all harm-he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore!" -Psalm 121

Our List....

We all have a list. This list consists of worries, concerns, pains, hurts, wishes, anxieties, frustrations, convictions, and judgements. They can vary from marriage, to children, to school, to moving, to wants, to needs, to finances, to friendships, to family, to dreams...and then some. Everyone's is different. Everyone's is uniquely connected to them personally. And if you're like me, this list can often run over and over in your head.

Even though we feel that we have 'the right' to feel these many emotions on our list, it's not always the best thing for us. When we put all our energy on these things, we often feel drained and discouraged. We can also feel like we're in it alone; like we're the only one's who are feeling this way....which is not true. One thing is the same, and will always be the same. No matter what storms are in your life and on your list...God's response is the same.
So often we focus on our feeling, our desires, our wants, our dreams, our needs, our fears, our pains, instead of focusing on the everlasting and constant response that we receive from our
Strong and Loving Father. The following video explains what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHdcyue0bSw


Love you all.
Rebekah

Love is in the Air

In honor of "the month of love" I thought I'd share some of my favorite love quotes.

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” --Winnie the Pooh

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." --The Notebook

"I think our love can do anything we want it to." --The Notebook

"When I found him whom my soul loves; I held on to him and would not let him go."-- Song of Solomon 3:4

I am so grateful for the love God shows me through my family, friends, and my dear husband. Most of all I am so grateful for the relationship of love that I have with my Savior; my Pursuer and Friend.

"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 saints, 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." -Ephesians 3:16-19

LOVE~Rebekah

2 Months...So much joy!

Our second month of marriage has passed and we can't believe it has gone by so fast! However, we are continually amazed at all God has done in 2 months!! So many blessings; from graduation, commissioning, a safe move, finances, a place to live, new friends, old friends, and loving families...how could we ask for more? I cannot find the words to express how grateful I am for the learning and growing that is taking place in our relationship with each other and God.

*Plus a side note: Lots of our joy has come from the news that we are adding to our Aunt and Uncle bundle-of-joy with the addition of TWINS! Devin and Kathy will be welcoming Anna Claire and Charlie in April! Our nephew, Daniel brings so much happiness and fun to our lives! We are a very proud Aunt and Uncle :0)

Our New Year Resolutions are to hike more and to "run the race". A dear friend of our family, Jan, passed away over the holidays. From her life we have been encouraged to live life with the same endurance, joy, and positive outlook that she had. We are committed to not missing an opportunity to serve, have fun, or reach for a dream.

We are enjoying this stay in South Carolina and are really looking forward to the fun adventures we have planned while here, like hiking, the Biltmore house, and a few trips to Auburn.

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." --Colossians 3:2

Love, Rebekah

One dream down! Millions to go!!

So many dreams, so little time! Oh how proud I am of my 2nd Lieutenant! He has reached one of his many dreams. He also graduated with Cum Laude! He has worked very hard to accomplish so much and this is only the start. He encourages me to go after my dreams with no apologies, but just determination and belief in the gifts and abilities our Father gives us to reach those stars way up in the sky :)

One month...where is God 'settling' us?

Question asked by my husband this past week: "What is God teaching you?" This is a question I don't ask myself enough and I would ask you to consider your answer as you read.
1 Peter 5: 8-11 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."
This verse pretty much sums up what I'm learning. When you feel the devil may be "seeking" you out, stand firm and "resist him". And know that it will be really hard and sometimes sad when you are fighting, but know that there are others who are going through the same or even worse "sufferings". Call on the name of Jesus to save you. "After" the suffering, God will "settle" you. I love that word, settle. I feel like that is what so many people are running after: a settled heart and soul; to be at peace with who they are and where they are. God is bringing me to this place; where just because I don't know exactly what He has in store for me, I'm okay with that. I'm more than okay, I'm excited to see His plans!

More than anything, we are excited that we get to explore the future together. We are so happy and feel blessed to spend the next few months with family and friends in South Carolina. So Move #2, here we come!! :)

Honeymooning in Beautiful Places!!

Hello all! We are back from a beautiful adventurous honeymoon to the Western Caribbean! Justin planned this whole trip and did a fantastic job! We did a variety of fun activities from snorkeling to climbing waterfalls...we did it all! The weather was beautiful the whole time, staying between 85 and 90 degrees with just two small showers the whole week! It's such a wonderful week when you get to spend every moment with the love of your life. We had special romantic things like someone singing "happy honeymoon" to us at dinner, to having a special couples massage one day. The first stop was in Cozumel, Mexico. We toured the Mayan Ruins here. We had a fantastic tour guide that taught us so many interesting facts and we got to see some amazing historical and beautiful sights (he knows I have a love of visiting historical sights). The driving was crazy here! We pretty much just closed our eyes and opened them once the tour guide said we were there.

The second stop was in BEAUTIFUL Grand Cayman. This was quite different than Mexico. We didn't feel like we were constantly being asked to barter for some souvenir. The people were so nice and we got to eat lunch at a place called Paradise, and trust me, the view was totally worth it. One couple that we met along the way, paid for our taxi cab...it just makes your day when someone does something nice, just because. Out of all the places we went, the water was the most beautiful color here!! We spent half the day on the beach!

The last stop was in Jamaica man! We climbed a beautiful waterfall. It was harder than the guide made it look, but well worth the experience! We even got to slide down a part of it! I knew I wasn't in the US when the guide's instructions were, and I quote, "just sit and hold your tits". I was in shock, but he didn't seem to think anything was wrong with it. That's just one of the many CRAZY experiences we had in Jamaica :0)

We had two formal nights. One was on Thanksgiving and the chef created a 'wonderful American Thanksgiving meal'. Justin didn't agree...he just wanted to know where the Macaroni & Cheese and rolls were :)

We are happy to report we are home safely and even more in love. We have 1 out of the 4 moves this year down and 3 more to go...we are really beginning to see the positive in the moves and looking forward to all the people we will meet, adventures we will experience, growth we will have as a couple, and opportunities we will have to serve and show God's love.

Thanks for your prayers. We really can't wait to see everyone soon for the holidays!!

The Lord has continued to be my strength, the One who completely understands all my thoughts and feelings. I must give Him every piece of the glory for what He has done in my life and in our marriage.

Psalm 17:8 "[Oh Lord,] Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."

Love, Rebekah