Our door with the fun new ornament that my mom got us this year
Christmas tree all lit up - I love that you can see it from the street
Christmas tree close up
The apartment with all the decorations....I tried to not go to overboard this yearFriday, December 12, 2008
Christmas at 1424
SarahBeth and I have had the tree up since the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and I have been meaning to post pictures but I keep forgetting. So here is what our apartment looks like this year for Christmas.
The apartment with all the decorations....I tried to not go to overboard this year
The apartment with all the decorations....I tried to not go to overboard this year
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A Final Goodbye to Bobby Ray
So yesterday I was in Wichita Falls for the funeral of my great uncle, Bobby Ray Burross(http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2008/dec/09/bobby-ray-burross/). Anytime someone dies it is obviously sad, but for me this one was harder than I expected it to be because he was like a second grandfather to me. Bobby was Poppi’s (my grandfathers) older brother and since they were so close in age all of the kids and grandkids just grew up together – we were one big family.
Everyone in Wichita Falls knew Bobby, and he was loved by all – he never met a stranger. Bobby loved to talk, but he never liked to talk about himself – he always wanted to know what was going on in your life. I remember Bobby being a constant fixture on the sidelines of my younger sister’s soccer games – he was everyone’s biggest fan no matter what you were doing. You could count on him for anything and everything.
Anyone who knows the Burross family – you know how stubborn we can be and once we have made up our mind to do something we are going to do it. Bobby lived up to this Burross trait until the very end because all the nurses and doctors said he would probably die over the weekend and they were certain he wouldn’t make it past the day nurses shift at Hospice on Sunday. When he did it was apparent to the entire family that he would let go sometime early in the morning of December 8th because that was the day his wife died four years earlier, and sure enough he went to heaven within 30 minutes of the four year anniversary of Louis death.
The funeral itself was beyond fitting for someone like Bobby – while we all cried, we all laughed – it truly was a celebration of his life. The church was packed with people who all loved Bobby and all had found memories and stories to share. While the funeral was very bitter sweet, it was as we pulled up to the graveside that everyone lost it – I don’t think their was a dry eye in the crowd. To our surprise as we pulled into the cemetery there was a navy regiment (Bobby served in the navy during WWII) lining the road beside what was to be his grave, as the casket turned the corner the entire regiment stood at attention saluting the casket. The soldiers proceeded to help the Pallbearers unload the casket. After the pastor had prayed the final prayer the soldiers once again stood at attention while one of them played silver taps on the trumpet – I honestly felt like I was in a movie. The soldiers then removed and folded the flag that had been draped over the casket and presented it to Steve, his eldest son. This was such a special and fitting tribute to a very special man, who impacted so many people’s lives for the better.
The flowers, cards, food, prayers, and support for our family were amazing and I can’t thank you enough.
Everyone in Wichita Falls knew Bobby, and he was loved by all – he never met a stranger. Bobby loved to talk, but he never liked to talk about himself – he always wanted to know what was going on in your life. I remember Bobby being a constant fixture on the sidelines of my younger sister’s soccer games – he was everyone’s biggest fan no matter what you were doing. You could count on him for anything and everything.
Anyone who knows the Burross family – you know how stubborn we can be and once we have made up our mind to do something we are going to do it. Bobby lived up to this Burross trait until the very end because all the nurses and doctors said he would probably die over the weekend and they were certain he wouldn’t make it past the day nurses shift at Hospice on Sunday. When he did it was apparent to the entire family that he would let go sometime early in the morning of December 8th because that was the day his wife died four years earlier, and sure enough he went to heaven within 30 minutes of the four year anniversary of Louis death.
The funeral itself was beyond fitting for someone like Bobby – while we all cried, we all laughed – it truly was a celebration of his life. The church was packed with people who all loved Bobby and all had found memories and stories to share. While the funeral was very bitter sweet, it was as we pulled up to the graveside that everyone lost it – I don’t think their was a dry eye in the crowd. To our surprise as we pulled into the cemetery there was a navy regiment (Bobby served in the navy during WWII) lining the road beside what was to be his grave, as the casket turned the corner the entire regiment stood at attention saluting the casket. The soldiers proceeded to help the Pallbearers unload the casket. After the pastor had prayed the final prayer the soldiers once again stood at attention while one of them played silver taps on the trumpet – I honestly felt like I was in a movie. The soldiers then removed and folded the flag that had been draped over the casket and presented it to Steve, his eldest son. This was such a special and fitting tribute to a very special man, who impacted so many people’s lives for the better.
The flowers, cards, food, prayers, and support for our family were amazing and I can’t thank you enough.
Bobby, BJ and Poppi
Monday, December 8, 2008
Solid as a Rock
Okay so I am fully aware this is a title of a Michael W. Smith song and I know it was also a Kanakuk summer theme in the 90's, but this post isn't about either of those things. God has recently been teaching me that I don't have to be solid as a rock all the time or be the rock that people (and myself) depend on - He has to be my one and only rock in every aspect of my life not just the parts I choose to let Him be my rock.
Recently, I have been very convicted of how I am the rock for not only myself, friends but also family. I use the term rock because a rock is something that is hard, firm, solid, and most of the time it doesn't break, and I am all of those things and more when something challenging, tough, or bad comes along. I am always the person who will make sure everyone is okay before seeing if I am okay, and while that isn't a bad trait I tend to take it to the extreme. A lot of times in a challenging, tough or bad situation I detach my emotions from the situation altogether, again not a bad trait but I don't usually ever allow my emotions to be - I just ignore them. So a lot of times in a challenging, tough or bad situation I will just be very matter of fact about it with no emotions whatsoever - this making me hard like a rock. God has shown me that I do this because I don't trust Him enough to be my rock in every aspect of my life, which is a very humbling thing to realize. But even harder to come to terms with and actually do something about it especially when you are a control freak.
The verse that has been stuck in my head all day long is Matthew 7:24-26
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."
While this is a verse I have known of since elementary school when we sang a song based off of this verse, it is a verse that only recently have I come to understand it's true meaning. A large part of my life is honestly built on the rock foundation like the wise man house, in that it is built on Christ's truth and love for me. But there are parts of my life that I still continue to build on the sand. My sand comes in many different forms - trusting myself, finding my identity in what the world says about how I should look or act, friends, family, job, insecurity, having to be perfect, and control. It is a daily struggle to not build on the sand, but to build on my rock, Jesus, but I know in the end He has to be the rock not me.
Where are you building house? On the rock of Christ of in the sands of the world. Just like the verse says, "the rains came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat up against the house; yet it did not fall"
Recently, I have been very convicted of how I am the rock for not only myself, friends but also family. I use the term rock because a rock is something that is hard, firm, solid, and most of the time it doesn't break, and I am all of those things and more when something challenging, tough, or bad comes along. I am always the person who will make sure everyone is okay before seeing if I am okay, and while that isn't a bad trait I tend to take it to the extreme. A lot of times in a challenging, tough or bad situation I detach my emotions from the situation altogether, again not a bad trait but I don't usually ever allow my emotions to be - I just ignore them. So a lot of times in a challenging, tough or bad situation I will just be very matter of fact about it with no emotions whatsoever - this making me hard like a rock. God has shown me that I do this because I don't trust Him enough to be my rock in every aspect of my life, which is a very humbling thing to realize. But even harder to come to terms with and actually do something about it especially when you are a control freak.
The verse that has been stuck in my head all day long is Matthew 7:24-26
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."
While this is a verse I have known of since elementary school when we sang a song based off of this verse, it is a verse that only recently have I come to understand it's true meaning. A large part of my life is honestly built on the rock foundation like the wise man house, in that it is built on Christ's truth and love for me. But there are parts of my life that I still continue to build on the sand. My sand comes in many different forms - trusting myself, finding my identity in what the world says about how I should look or act, friends, family, job, insecurity, having to be perfect, and control. It is a daily struggle to not build on the sand, but to build on my rock, Jesus, but I know in the end He has to be the rock not me.
Where are you building house? On the rock of Christ of in the sands of the world. Just like the verse says, "the rains came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat up against the house; yet it did not fall"
Sunday, December 7, 2008
My little ones
So I realized today as I was eating lunch with seven of my eight 7th grade girls that I haven't even written about them on here. So some of you would say that about two years ago this February I lost my mind because I realized that I was suppose to volunteer for a junior or high school ministry once again. I originally started just going on Sunday morning and helping out with a couple of friends groups at big events but nothing more. Well by the summer of 2007 I realized that God had not only called me to serve once again but also to lead a group of girls - this was a challenge I wasn't sure I was up for again so soon. After praying and talking with several good friends I decided it was best to just follow where God was leading me. So September of 2007 I partnered up with my co-leader Stacy (who at the time I didn't know, but she is probably the best co-leader one could ask for) and into our lives walked four Highland Park 6th grade girls.
I knew immediately that I was in fact suppose to lead these girls for the next seven years until they graduated high school, God willing of course, but I also knew that these girls were going to keep Stacy and I on our toes and challenge us to live a life completely above reproach at all times. (I know as Christians we are called to live above reproach at all times, but it is especially true when you are leading others.) By the end of 6th grade we had grown from four girls to nine girls.
It is hard to believe that Stacy and I have been leading these girls for a year and half now. It has been so much fun to watch them grow up, come to have their own personal relationship with the Lord - not just their parents, to watch them become friends with each other, to watch them be leaders in their schools, and to just watch them enjoy life every single day. Seventh grade has been a crazy year and at times trying year already, but it has been amazing at the same time. I am so thankful every single day for these girls and the opportunity to lead, encourage, and learn from them. I know I will write more about them in future post as they are such a big part of my life, but I just wanted to introduce you to my little ones.
I knew immediately that I was in fact suppose to lead these girls for the next seven years until they graduated high school, God willing of course, but I also knew that these girls were going to keep Stacy and I on our toes and challenge us to live a life completely above reproach at all times. (I know as Christians we are called to live above reproach at all times, but it is especially true when you are leading others.) By the end of 6th grade we had grown from four girls to nine girls.
It is hard to believe that Stacy and I have been leading these girls for a year and half now. It has been so much fun to watch them grow up, come to have their own personal relationship with the Lord - not just their parents, to watch them become friends with each other, to watch them be leaders in their schools, and to just watch them enjoy life every single day. Seventh grade has been a crazy year and at times trying year already, but it has been amazing at the same time. I am so thankful every single day for these girls and the opportunity to lead, encourage, and learn from them. I know I will write more about them in future post as they are such a big part of my life, but I just wanted to introduce you to my little ones.
Pine Cove last year - the original four girls - Delaney, Madison, Marielle & Becca
Jr. High Pine Cove Retreat over Halloween
7 of the 8 Girls Bridget, Katherine, Madison, Marielle, Chloe, Alexandra & Delaney
Stacy and I
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cookie Time
So today at work I got to relive one of my favorite college moments - Cookie Time. In college for special occasions my mom would send me cookie boutique's. Which if you have never had a cookie boutique then let me just pause and tell you I am so sorry you have been so mistreated all your life because they are in my top ten all time favorite list of things that make me happy.
Cookie Time would involve Lynn, Carin, Amy and I all breaking into the cookie boutique and all sharing one cookie (yes one cookie can easily be split between four people). We would eat the whole boutique over the course of a few days. We were also known for going and buying one cookie to split between us in order to cheer someone up or when we finished a rough week of school. While we were eating the cookie we would just sit in one of our two rooms and just talk and catch up on life. It was such a simple little thing but cookie time made the four of us so incredibly happy every time we had one
So today one of my co-workers received a cookie boutique from a vendor and the rule around the office with gifts from a vendor is that you have to share - so she gave my pod a whole cookie to share and we split it four ways just like I use to in college. I know it's silly but I don't think you can appreciate Cookie Time unless you are able to participate in it. So I say we all have a cookie?
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