Guatamala!

Pray for Mike and the team from Northside as they are serving in Guatamala this week! I have wishing with all my heart that I was there, but I know this is just not the right timing. They are in my thoughts and prayers constantly though... keep them in yours too!!

Love, Sarah

My favorite

Praying together after being pronounced husband and wife, unity candle, and taking communion together

Lots to say!

First off, I just had the most AMAZING 23rd birthday. Mike gave me a gift a day all week, starting with my new website on Monday. On Tuesday he gave me a new memory card for my camera which I have been desperately needing! Wednesday he gave me an external flash diffuser which told me that on Thursday.... my flash was coming! He made me breakfast Thursday morning at 5 am before work... (Who knows how, but he was WIDE awake...) and then we went out to dinner together that evening with a gift card from my parents. It was so much fun having all these little surprises all week long.

Also on Thursday, another huge blessing happened. Well, let me back up. Wednesday afternoon I stopped by the office after work to drop off some free biscuits. Our Associate Pastor Scott saw me and instantly noticed that I was very worn out with my job. Later that evening I went back into his office and he asked me why I had not applied for a position that had been open for several weeks in the church, which he thought I would be perfect for. I said that I felt a responsibility to Chick-fila (I know that sounds stupid) but they had saved a position for me for several months and I couldn't help feeling like I let them down.

He said, "Why don't you just email your resume and we'll see what happens."

So I prayed about it the rest of the day and sent my resume to Doug, the hiring pastor, late Wednesday evening. He emailed me in the middle of the night and asked if I could come in for an interview Thursday after work. I went in at 4:00 and had about an hour interview with him and felt very good about the position and about our potential relationship working together. He told me he would let me know by Monday if I got the job.

I got a phone call from him around 8:30 THURSDAY night to offer me the position!

God is so good.

So, anyways, now.... I am going to be...

The Assistant to our Pastor of Community Outreach! I could not be more excited about this opportunity to work at Northside (and get to work with mike!) and about the home we are building here in Lexington. We know with no doubts at all that God is richly blessing us here.

On another note, thursday we also got....
OUR WEDDING PICTURES!!! I am telling you, it was an awesome birthday! I love all of them so much and am glad that Mike talked us into getting a professional photographer for the wedding. I was going to drop that in interest of saving money and he knew I would always regret it --- he knows me so well!!

Happy birthday to me! 23 Years and Counting...
Love, Sarah

Chicken.

So i think Chickfila is a very dangerous job for me -- I was thinking about my past 3 weeks back to work and I have gotten sick and been sent home early, hit my head on an ice cream lever and had a bump on my forehead for over a week (i'm actually surprised I didn't pass out...) and on saturday I cut my hand cleaning a knife and ended up in doctors care.

I'm done with chicken! Mike says I am breaking his heart every time I say I can't eat it anymore, but after 5 years.... i just can't do it.... I think everyone feels that way about restaurants they have worked in for any length of time... you just can't bear it anymore.

However, we have decided that we are going to try save my paychecks towards a down payment on a house next summer -- get out of this leasing cycle! That is good motivation to get up and go to work every day... and try to come home alive.

The more time I spend at work, the more I realize how much I love my photography business. I pray every day that it will grow into something that could be classified at least as a part time job. Photography is a wonderful creative outlet for me, and it never EVER feels like a job.

The good hubs purchased a new website for me for my birthday... i am so pumped about it!! I kept looking at my old website and every time I went, I thought to myself "I would not hire me!" Thanks to Mike though, now it looks pretty darn good... at least I think so :)

Just one question though:
"Would you hire me?" :)

Visit and decide for yourself!! :)

Atlanta Braves

For our first married activity with the kids, we took a few of them to the Braves game. We started out the afternoon at the Varsity for lunch in downtown Atlanta, which is a local hit. This restaurant feels just like a concession stand at the ballpark and there was a crowd of probably 200 people waiting to order. I wish I had taken my camera in, but I had no idea it was going to be be something i'd want to document. Anyways, Mike and I were less than impressed with the greasy food, but apparently it is all about the experience, and the kids loved it.

At Turner Field, we were in the nosebleed section, but I actually don't mind sitting high up. We could see everything and I brought my telephoto zoom for my camera, which works perfectly as binoculars as well.

We topped off the experience on the way home with a stop for dinner at Mikes favorite gas station... yep... the Quik Trip. The kids were less than excited about it... and we heard many moans pulling into the parking lot. However, after giving it a chance, I think they all got their bellies filled. At least we hope so, since that is part of our job. :)


Oh, and the Braves won.

The beginning!

Hello READERS,

This is the first post of a lifetime of writing about daily life with my amazing husband and I. I still get caught off gaurd saying husband -- I've actually stumbled and said fiance several times since the wedding. We have only been married 11 days, but I am so excited about what God has in store for us. I love knowing that His purposes are uncomprehendable but always unbelievably wonderful and something to look forward too. :) Our dating life and our engaged life, however long and taxing, together we can look back and claim the name of Christ all over our past. What an incredible blessing. It makes me very burdened for those who can not say that they have found freedom in Him...that much more motivated to be different.

In light of this recent marriage, I have been spending a lot of time reading Isaiah 54 over and over again. It talks about the Lord being our husband and drawing us out from the desert into his unending and unbelievable love. Check it out. It's seriously amazing.

Anyways, here's a few snapshots of the transition from engagement to hitched... :)
Love,
Sarah

HITCHED! :)

Night before the big day!

Engaged!

Dating