I'm Believing God.

I can't explain how excited I am right now. I just ordered Believing God and figured out how we get our homework and watch the videos. I was looking through the homework sheets, and I CAN'T WAIT TO DO THIS STUDY AGAIN!! Believing God is so full of hope and life purpose and God's specific call on each of our lives. Seriously, this is going to be good.

After a few emails it was decided that Believing God is the way to go this time around. Maybe it was just that people liked Beth's hair better in this study. I don't know. But I am excited that this was the pick.

At this point there are eight of us who are in, plus a team of eight girls who go to Bible College together. (Ladies! I want to meet you! I think Amanda and Lindsey are the greatest and I would LOVE to sit in on your conversations each week as you do this study together. Please leave comments on Sunday's when we all post what we're learning. I'm expecting great things from our God.) So stinkin' fun how God works. I used to babysit Amanda who then came to work for me at the camp I worked at in Alexandria, Minnesota. And she and another favorite staff person have a group of college friends who are doing this study in tandem with us. I love this.

So here are the instructions to get started:
Right click on this link Believing God and scroll down to "Open in New Window" (This way you can see these instructions AND do what they say...)
1. First click on System Check and make sure you have Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
2. Then click on Enroll Now
3. (This all really should be self explanatory from here on out...just keep following their instructions like you would anything else you would order online.) Click on Enroll Now on this next page
4. Fill out all of the information (name, address, credit card info etc..) With tax, the study came to $25, for me. Continue to Checkout.
5. Oh, I guess I could keep spelling this out, but it really should be pretty self-explanatory. So, if you have any questions just drop me a line.

I will start on SUNDAY, watching the video that day, and beginning my five days of homework anytime after that. Some weeks I do all five days of homework in one sitting, other weeks I spread it out. Just depends on how life rolls.

Once you've ordered everything, hang tight until Sunday. And then we'll begin. If you're still deciding, no worries. There is still time. But, if this is not the right season for you, my hope is that you might still join in the conversation each Sunday, leaving a comment, adding your two cents.

I'll leave you with the five statements we are going to grab hold of all throughout this study:
1. God is who he says he is.
2. God can do what he says he can do.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's word is alive and living in me.

I'm Believing God.

three random things

1. Drove by the bank on the way to work today. The electronic scrolling sign said, "-14 degrees." And then it scrolled up and said, "Need a vacation loan? Inquire within." A+ for their marketing.

2. When we were driving home on Saturday we had this conversation: "one year ago today we were driving our uhaul to Nebraska." "wow. was that a year ago today? exactly?" "yep. exactly." "When does our lease expire then?" "oh, good point. today." "do you think we should renew? because I think we should see if there is a bigger apartment on the non-parking lot side available for the year. maybe ask Jerry when you call him next." "okay."

Fast forward three hours when we're home and bringing our suitcases in. Rory calls Jerry. Jerry says apartment across the hall is open and unlocked...we could go see it. We go. We tell Jerry we like it. Jerry says it's yours...just be out of #305 by Tuesday morning so it can be painted. I say, "we're going out with your brother on Monday when he's in town for business." Rory says, "we better get moving then."

So we moved our apartment on Sunday in six hours. The apartment we moved to is literally right across the hall, and every single possession was moved in 2 laundry baskets from one cupboard to another cupboard across the way. In the world of moving, this is the way to do it. No stairs, no moving trucks, no boxes. A+ for efficiency.

3. I'm really excited about the interest for joining the Beth Moore study. If you're on the fence, give it a whirl. You're basically only committing to taking some personal quiet time each day for yourself. And that can only be a good thing. A+ for growing in faith.

Beth Moore Bible Study...

So I mentioned this a month or so ago...and here we go!

I would LOVE to have anyone who is interested to join in a bible study with me. My church offers great studies, but they are all during the day when I'm working and it just bums me out that I am missing this sort of community. But I still want the accountability of personal faith growth, so I'm excited to give this cyber-study a try.

The process of this particular study is pretty simple: five days of printed homework each week and one hour long video to watch online each weekend. The homework takes 20-30 minutes to complete (it's a bit shorter than other studies). Beth Moore is a gifted teacher, and the way she walks you through the Bible will definitely leave you changed, challenged and excited to see what God has for you next.

Now here is the thing. When I posted about his before I had just finished BELIEVING GOD and had said that I would love to do the next study LIVING BEYOND YOURSELF next. Since then, a few have mentioned that they really want to do Believeing God, and honestly, I would not mind one bit to do it again. This one really changed the way I see my God, and I would be thrilled to do it again. I would also be thrilled to do Living Beyond Yourself too.

Maybe do this: If you're interested in joining in this good time, check out the two links above and then drop me a comment or an email telling me your two cents. I'll make the call by Wednesday so we can get started on Sunday, January 10th (THIS SUNDAY! YEAH!). I'll have instructions on how to purchase the study for $23.95, which includes the homework printout worksheets and online videos.

More details to come on how we'll interact as a group through email, but for now, just consider joining this study if you need a season of growth with your God. I promise you will not regret it.

six years ago today...

...I went on my first date with Mr. Rory Groves.

We met at his house and I remember thinking he was so easy to talk to and that he was really good looking and that he had a great house and that I already liked him a whole lot. Then we drove to a white elephant christmas party at Kyle and Lisa's where we were met by 8 couples from his home church who had all been married ten years or more and all in the same small group for much of that time. To say this was an intimidating first date is a severe understatement. (I now know these couples and it is so funny to reflect on this nervous, excited evening with them...)

We drove back to his house and said our goodbyes. I got back in my car, and I remember laughing out loud and screaming a bit on the drive home. I liked this boy. A lot.

Today is January 3rd, and this was all six years ago...When we were dating, we would celebrate each 3rd of every month with cards and special outings in honor of our four or eight or ten month dating anniversary...

So Rory Groves, Happy seventy-second month dating Anniversary. I'm still smitten.

lots of christmas pictures

I just put together a slide show of my week of christmas goodness (posted below). Be sure to hit the forward button to fly through the pictures...there are lots of them, spanning the Harrington Christmas, the Bredberg Christmas at the farm, New Years and the Groves Christmas Stockings.

I'll write more specifics later but a few highlights would include: family, smurf houses, sledding, lots of niece and nephew time, dad's model trains, tutu's, Quiddler (Kristin, I bought it and Rory LOVES it!), the Gap outlet, good friends on New Years, more tutu's, Stumblebum and perhaps the most exciting...Rory's mom GOT ME A FOOD DEHYDRATOR!!! SHE DID!!! I am anticipating many a post detailing our dehydrating.

It was so good to be home, but we are feeling good back in Nebraska too. It was one year ago tonight we moved to this new state. As we drove back from Minnesota today we talked through how the year had treated us and agreed it was a great 2009. And we're ready for another great year ahead.