Always opportunities to learn

Last week BJ started his first week of graduate school at the seminary.  He is LOVING it already!!  It is a lot of work, but he is so glad to begin this next step in his goal to become an Army chaplain.  I occasionally catch him singing the Hebrew alphabet song and it makes me smile :)

I've decided that while BJ is busy with his studies, I will also work to increase my knowledge.  No, I'm not talking about graduate school for me...at least not for now!  There are a few books that I just now have decided to get around to reading.  The first is "Who Calls Me Beautiful" by Regina Franklin.  It is a book about self-esteem in women and young girls.  For youth group, we are planning a girls only event in November to specifically tackle the issue of self-esteem, so I'm gearing up for that by studying this awesome book!  Secondly, I am pulling out a book that I was given as a wedding gift by BJ's cousin and his wife.   The name is "The Power of a Praying Wife" by Stormie O'Martian.  This book has high relevance to a wife at any stage in her marriage...but now seems like the perfect time for me to read it.  With BJ transitioning into a very overwhelming season of studying and pursuing God for his ministry, supporting my husband in prayer has never been more crucial!  I am just beginning this book, and although I've always known that prayer is important, I am learning that it is a duty and a privilege to pray for your spouse...and God's blessings can exceed any expectation I have for my marriage when I lift my husband up in purposeful prayer each and every day!

Needless to say, there is always something on which we can expand our minds...whether it is in a classroom, or simply from a book of our choosing!

                                                    BJ on his first day of Seminary!

God's Provision

Yesterday afternoon we received some good news!  BJ has been assigned to a new unit after almost a three month wait following his graduation and commissioning this past May :)  This new unit is in the Columbus area, not too far from our home in Ashland.  BJ is very excited to be a part of a unit again, and there are multiple blessings that come with it:  1.) This will provide some extra income for us each month.  Just last week in our couples' Bible study, we talked about trusting God with our finances and tithing.  As hard as it is to do so sometimes, God's blessings become so evident after you place your financial burdens on the One who provides income for us in the first place!  2.) We will have more opportunity to visit BJ's parents, sister, and grandmother on the weekends he will be at drill.  With BJ's interim position at Evangel on Thursdays and Sundays (although we are very grateful for the position and certain that it is God's will that he serve in this position) we realized with sadness that our trips to visit my in-laws would not be as frequent as we had hoped.  With this assignment to the new unit, a monthly visit to Columbus is almost certain!  3.) BJ will be able to work under a chaplain on his new assignment.  He is currently a chaplain candidate, so this opportunity to work closely with a seasoned chaplain will help him learn and prepare for his future career!

We are so thankful and praise God for His timing and His blessings in our lives.  We continue to praise Him for His faithfulness and for being our Provider.

A new town, a new home

Since our wedding two months ago, we have resided in the town of Ashland and are really enjoying it so far!  Our first impressions of the quaint college town have stayed true as we have learned the area in better detail.  There are a lot of Victorian homes near our apartment and they display the history of the area.  The week prior the 4th of July, the town became adorned with the colors red, white, and blue--American flags posted on all of the street poles and every street corner throughout the entire town.  The flag means a lot to us, so you can imagine how impressed we were with our new town!  I remember asking my neighbor where the post office and library was the first few weeks we lived here...well, in this town, practically everything is either on Main St. or Claremont!  I remember driving on Claremont looking for the post office and never seeing it.  It didn't even occur to me that I should check the opposite side of Claremont!  I've learned quickly, and so has BJ.  Our apartment definitely feels like home to us now, though we are still finding things to move around or hang on the walls :)  We feel incredibly blessed to be able to fill our apartment with gifts of furniture from our families and bargains from craigslist!

Our baker's rack and dining room table

BJ modeling our long couch!