I survived...

I survived Justin's week of wearing a moustache! On a harder note, I also survived the last two weeks of dealing with a man in my church's suicide. I became very anxious after learning about it. I think it is just hard for me to process what happened. The funeral was really hard. Seeing his 3 month old baby asleep in his mother's arms was really hard. And I just got really anxious because it reminded me that I'm not in control. Jesus has been so faithful to provide people to pray for me and to keep teaching my heart that "He is good and does good."

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you,
for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will
help you,
Surely I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10 NAS

Why should I fear when I have a God like this? He is powerful and good, even in the midst of the greatest suffering. This quote from the book I'm reading with my small group has greatly encouraged me.

In response to humanity’s deepest, heartfelt questions, God sweetly speaks of his sovereignty. “Take heart, I am in complete control. I am the definition of holiness and love. All of my ways are right and true, all of my decisions are best, and I will not rest until my plan has been completed.”
There is comfort in your moment of greatest mystery. There is encouragement in your time of greatest confusion, and hope in your moment of greatest discouragement. Your world is not a world of constant chaos controlled by impersonal forces. Your destiny is not in your hands or in the hands of other people. You are held in the hands of your heavenly Father, who rules everything! You are a child of the King of Kings, and you live under the shadow of his wing. You are part of his plan. That means that the exercise of his power and authority is for your blessing.
You and I can rest in the middle of deep and personal mysteries. We can press on when little around us makes sense. There is reason in the mystery and order in the chaos, because behind it all stands the One in control of it all.
What does this mean for each of us? It means peace when my brain is unable to put it all together. A Christian’s inner peace is never based on his ability to take the teachings of Scripture and figure it all out. Our peace always rests on the presence, power, and character of the Lord. Because he rules heaven and earth according to his wise plan, I need not live in anxiety and fear. God’s absolute sovereignty guarantees the fulfillment of each of his promises to every one of his children. This includes you!

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, Paul David Tripp, p. 30

Georgia better win

All I have to say is Georgia had better win this game! Why? Well, it isn't because I'm a really devout GA fan. I mean I want them to win b/c they're GA. But they have to win b/c Justin made a bet at work with his Alabama co-workers that whoever loses has to wear a mustache for a week! The score is presently 23-0 Alabama, and I'm getting worried...GO DAWGS!

from Bible Study

I continue to be so blessed by my Bible Study at dear Ruth's house. This year we are reading the book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands. Ruth has so many quotes memorized; it is really astounding (esp. her knowledge of the word)! Here are a few that came up tonight.

"Faith is trusting in God when life gives you reason not to."
Corrie ten Boom (author of The Hiding Place, which I highly recommend)

"The root of all sin is the suspicion that God isn't good."
Oswald Chambers

"All of our sins can be traced back to pride, unbelief, and self (or p.u.s.)." Gross but true! Apparently, Bob went into great detail about how our sin is like a great boil full of pus waiting to burst, and it bursts forth from pride, unbelief, and (love of) self.
Bob Flayhart (Pastor of Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church in b-ham)

Yummy Salmon Dish

Justin doesn't even like salmon but we both LOVED this recipe. It sounds weird but it really is delicious (if you like flavorful foods).

Barbeque Saucy Salmon (Rachael Ray)
1 T olive oil
1/4 red onion, chopped
2 T red wine vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 T tomato paste
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 fillets salmon or salmon steaks
salt

Make the glaze: Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil then onion, and cook onion 3 min. Add vinegar and cook until reduced by half. Add syrup, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and pepper. Bring to a bubble and simmer.

Meanwhile, start the salmon: Heat up a grill pan over med.-high heat. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and season with salt. Grill (I used cast-iron skillet) for 5 min. and baste liberally with the glaze. Flip salmon and glaze opposite side for 5 more min.

1966 Yearbook Photo

Thanks, Marisa. That was fun!

Steadfast Patience

Notes from my pastor last Sunday on James 5:7-12:

Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, [1] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

-God wants to grow godly character in us. The soil of suffering and adversity yields godly character.

-Patience=self-restraint that does not retaliate

-We must have a determination not to fall away in the face of suffering.

-Jesus's maturity came through suffering.

-To be patient you must have a resolute heart (settled, determined, focused heart).

-We establish our hearts by grace and by the anchor for our souls--the gospel.

-The gospel reminds us how much slack God has given us. We are called to love others in the same way.

Questions:

-Do I believe grace grows best in the soil of suffering?

-Do I see the end and know that patient edurance is worth it?

-What do I expect of God and why?

Blessings

baby ethan

em and matt (4th of July in Kennesaw)
corey and anne (good times at the coke museum)
mom playing in the olympic park fountains
celebrating justin turning 26 this august with robert and anna

Jesus Keeps

I'm so thankful that Jesus always loves me. He is the one person I can always count on to love me well and completely and without regard to my behavior. This week the stresses of school and my lack of sleep have caught up with me. I've struggled to be kind and patient to my husband as well as my students. The Lord has used my sweet students to remind me of the great work he is doing and allowing me to be a part of. We pray each morning, and on Fridays we pray for the lost. Hearing their sweet prayers for those unsaved people they know was such a gift to me this morning. God is so faithful to bring us to places and put us in situations where we can't make it without him. I want to love people better and I'm encouraged because Jesus wants me to love people better, too. I'm thankful that in Christ I have hope.

"My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned, and thy truths seep away. Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace."

Fourth Grade

My students are so precious. I've been teaching at Westminster Classical School for a little over a week now, and I love it! My students are so eager to learn and my school is committed to helping them understand and live out of the gospel. On Monday two of my girls asked if they could sing a song they wrote over the weekend during snack time. Little did I know, it was a song about me! Here's how is goes (after a brief "Somewhere over the rainbow" intro...:)

Lisa Driver

Lisa likes to drive a car.

Lisa likes to eat a bar.

Lisa likes to teach girls,

and in her hair she has some curls!

She also likes to teach boys.

Even if they make some noise.

Lisa likes to look at bugs. [I have them fooled! We're studying bugs.]

She also likes to give some hugs.

Lisa likes to bake a cake,

and spend the day at the lake.

She is smart. She is cool.

We're so glad she's at our school.

Go Mrs. Driver!

The boys, of course, had to respond to the "noise" comment and came up with a cheer of their own. Here's a picture of the two girls who sang. Aren't they cute?

Sad news

Aunt Clemmie passed away this morning. She had a stroke last night and was brought to the hospital where she was put on life support. She never regained consciousness. Aunt Clemmie was the matriarch of the Walker family in Carrollton, Georgia (Justin's mom's side of the family). She planned all the Thanksgivings and reunions. She was Justin's Papa's brother's wife, which sounds far-removed but they're a very close-knit family. She always had a smile, hug, and welcoming word for me and I'm really going to miss her. She was beautiful at 81.

Poor Arlo!

Yesterday was a crazy day. Justin and I played at church, as usual, and were planning on going back for the Czech Rep. team's update at 6pm. Instead we got a flat tire on the way home from the Hoover library (best library ever!) and then almost killed our cat while we were eating dinner. Justin's elbow got a little too enthusiastic about his milk and knocked the glass onto our hard, tile floor. Poor Arlo got sliced in the leg in two places and was bleeding all over the carpet! We got him to the garage and called our vet friend. Anyways, we didn't make it back to church and Justin felt so bad for Arlo that he is more certain than ever about our decision to wait to have children..."If I feel this bad for a cat..." What a sweet man:). We love our kitties.

The Kirkpatricks

These are my Kirkpatrick (Katie and Kristy are sisters) friends from B-ham. They have been such a blessing to me! The top photo is Kristy and me at her wedding to Parker (see next pic). The bottom one is Katie and me. Justin and I played and sang at the wedding, which was in Demopolis, Alabama (a really cute, small town that reminds me of a southern version of the Gilmore Girls' town). Kristy is a nurse and Katie is a teacher at Briarwood.

7- 7 -4 -2

Apparently I'm a 7-7-4-2 on the Kolbe Test. I had to take this test for my new job. It's not a personality test but rather a test to tell how you instinctively respond to situations and what is stressful for you. There are no "good" or "bad" numbers but all have their strengths and weaknesses. Here's a breakdown of my score:
Fact Finder score (out of 10) 7 = I want to master knowledge before teaching it/talking about it; I want to share what I know; I give detailed, thorough answers

Follow Through 7 = I'm good at systems and organization; I finish what I start

Quick Start 4 = I value innovative ideas but like to minimize chaos; I don't love risks

Implementor 2 = I can imagine what something should be without physically touching it.

The Kolbe guy said most teachers have high Fact Finder and Follow Through levels so I was right on track! He said when kids get high quick start teachers they find them fascinating (ie Kaitie) b/c they're different from the average teacher who LOVES her systems and order! How funny. Playing right into my natural desires for order, I can't wait until I settle into the school year and all the pre-school stuff is over....

Gibson=Joy

Ever since my husband bought his new, old guitar he's been playing nonstop around the house. I love having him come home and (I realize this sounds super 1950s) play while I'm cooking dinner. It bring me such joy to have a husband who uses his musical talents to honor God. We've been having fun going through the Trinity Hymnal and learning some old hymns. Here he is playing with his brother at our new house. Two of our current trinity favs are "Were you there?" (old spiritual) and "Jesus Keep me near the Cross" (Fanny Crosby).

heaven

"There have been times when I think we do not desire heaven; but more often I find myself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anything else...It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work...All your life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness. The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have attained it." C.S. Lewis

Glimpses of heaven-
hummingbirds drinking from my butterfly bush outside the kitchen window
looking at justin as he sings to Jesus
admiring my sister
my two cats snuggling
gram's hugs
my dad's swedish buns
holding ethan
making a new kindred spirit friend
cooking a big fancy dinner for people I love
walking along the beach at dusk/dawn

I like John Mayer's new album

In case that last video left you wanting more...haha! I really have too much time on my hands. When does school start again? These are my fabulous siblings in love. Maybe I should buy this program so I can make videos longer than 5 frames..?

Does anyone else think this is crazy?

We're floating here on a large ball that has just the right everything for all of life to exist. I try to remind myself of that when I read things in the Bible like animals on arks and donkeys talking. It doesn't seem quite so outlandish when I remember that I'm floating precariously on a huge ball.

Abby took these pics of me and Justin wandering through UGA's beautiful
Founder's Garden. I made them into this unbelievable video!!! Enjoy.

Can't have it both ways

So this year has seen its share of changes; namely, our moving to Birmingham from my beloved city Athens. I struggled to see God's plan for me here in this new place when I had no job, friends, or reason to get up in the morning. So after sleeping in as late as my body would let me, God had his way with me and taught me that Jesus is enough. He's more satifying than everything that was taken away from me. I fought hard to remain bitter and resentful but Jesus loves me too much for that. He wrapped up his arms all around me and told me to trust him. Slowly, the dark cloud drifted into someone else's sky and I was left to see the bright mercies of God that spring new each morning for sinners like me. I can't have the joy of both places but I'm being shown that there is something greater that I need that no city or group of people can provide: the love of Christ for me.