The New Year

Jacob and I have been extremely busy this New Year with work and church events. Jacob and I immensely enjoyed our first new years as a married couple relaxing with friends then at home. We have spent time getting to know those in our church better, a new book study and kids events. It has been extremely hard for us to not get our "kid time" in on Sunday's, since we are now in the adult class. Although we haven't had our "kid time" during Sunday School we had the pleasure of 18 kids from Providence (and 7 adults) spending an evening at our home watching "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." This was so much fun!!! I was worried at first that we wouldn't be able to fit that many kids in our living room (if you have seen our apartment you should understand why) but it worked out great!!! It was one of the busiest nights we've had but it was also the best. Not only did Providence children attend but my little boys (those I watch) also attended. It was a great time of fellowship and fun for the youg'ns of the church.

Other then spending time with the children of Providence, we have had the opportunity to get to know a new young couple from our church that is engaged. We had such a great time with them and see becoming fast friends. It has been a great thing to get to know the other young couples in our church.

Starting this year Jacob and I are sending out a monthly/bimonthly newsletter to update people about our lives, mostly internship, prayers and seminary information. If anyone would like to be on the list that is not already please email us and let us know. We are sending this newsletter to get prayer support for our lives as a newly married couple and those in the ministry.

NFL Playoffs

AFC

Wild Card

Jets V Bengals Jets Jets

Patriots V Ravens Pats Pats

Division

Jets V Colts Colts Colts

Patriots V Chargers Pats Pats

Conference
Colts V Patriots Colts Colts

(Believe it or not, we both picked the exact same things in the AFC without looking at each others picks!!!)

NFC
Wild Card

Cowboys V Eagles Eagles Eagles

Packers V Cardinals Cardinals Packers

Amy's Division picks

Eagles V Saints Saints

Cardinals V Vikings Vikings

Jacob's

Eagles V Saints Eagles

Packers V Vikings Packers

Conference

Amy's

Saints V Vikings Saints

Jacob's

Eagles V Packers Packers

Amy's Super Bowl

Colts V Saints
SAINTS WIN!

Jacob's Super Bowl

Colts V Packers
PACKERS WIN!

College Bowl Update

And the Winner is..... Jacob!!! Jacob predicted 19 of the college bowl games correctly while Amy only predicted 18 correct. Such a close race!

The Decision has been made

Through much prayer and deliberation, discussions and counsel, We have seen clearly what the Lord is calling us to do for the next year. The choices and debates about going to seminary, staying for another year of internship, and deciding on the right school, have all been weighty and difficult. Yet through God's refining fire we are becoming more and more vessels of God's love. Our call to minister to others is continually in the forefront of or hearts and minds. We have thought for a very long time that by going to seminary as soon as possible would be in accordance with God's Will for our lives. Our reasoning was: the quicker we get in and out of seminary, the quicker we will be able to serve God's Kingdom. We have lost sight of God's immediate desire for our service and efforts.
Amy and Jacob may be called to serve the Kingdom in a church post-seminary/post-ordination, yet we are also called to serve the Kingdom in a church pre-seminary/pre-ordination.
The internship work that Jacob and Amy have been doing has been affirming and challenging. Affirming in God's calling, and challenging for our souls. The testing of gifts these past few months has done nothing but convict with pure clarity God's claim on Jacob and Amy's lives.
We are called to do both, learn and be trained in a structured academic manner in seminary, and learn and be trained in an everyday, hands on manner. It is with these convictions that Jacob and Amy have been struggling to determine where God desires us to serve.
We have prayerfully decided to attend Covenant Theological Seminary in the fall of 2010 via Online-distance learning with the purpose of moving to St Louis in the late spring/Early summer of 2011. Perhaps Hannah Montana could claim we are seeking "the best of both worlds" by our decision, we have prayed that we are seeking to live according to God's Holy, Loving Will.

Romans 11:36:
"For from Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: To whom be glory for ever Amen"

Bowl Picks

Here are our bowl picks!!!

Bowl Game Date Team 1/Conference/Record Team 2/Conference Amy Jacob

New Mexico 12/19/09 Fresno St/WAC W8-L4 Wyoming/MWC W6-L6 WY Fresno St

St Petersburg 12/19/09 UCF/C-USA W8-L4 Rutgers W8-L4 UCF Rutgers

R+L 12/20/09 So Miss/C-USA W7-L5 M Tenn St W9-L3 M Tenn So Miss

MAACO 12/22/09 Oregon State/Pac-10 W8-L4 BYU/MWC W10-L2 BYU BYU

Poinsettia 12/23/09 Utah/MWC W9-L3 California/Pac-10 W8-L4 Cal Cal

Sheraton 12/24/09 Nevada/WAC W8-L4 SMU/C-USA W7-L5 Nevada Nevada

Little Caesars 12/26/09 Marshall/C-USA W6-L6 Ohio/MAC W9-L4 Marshall Ohio

Meineke 12/26/09 Pitt/Big East W9-L3 UNC/ACC W8-L4 Pitt Pitt

Emerald Bowl 12/26/09 BC/ACC W8-L4 USC/Pac-10 W8-L4 BC USC

Music City 12/27/09 Kentucky/SEC W7-L5 Clemson/ACC W8-L5 Kentucky Kentucky

Independence 12/28/09 Texas A&M/Big 12 W6-L6 Georgia/SEC W7-L5 Georgia A&M

Eagle Bank 12/29/09 UCLA/Pac-10 W6-L6 Temple/MAC W9-L3 UCLA UCLA

Champs Sports 12/29/09 Miami/ACC W9-L3 Wisconsin/Big 10 W9-L3 Miami Miami

Humanitarian 12/30/09 BGU/MAC W7-L5 Idaho/WAC W7-L5 BGU Idaho

Holiday 12/30/09 Arizona/Pac-10 W8-L4 Nebraska/Big 12 W9-L4 Nebraska Nebraska

Armed Forces 12/31/09 Houston/C-USA W10-L3 Air Force/MWC W7-L5 Houston Houston

Brat Sun 12/31/09 Oklahoma/Big 12 W7-L5 Stanford/Pac-10W8-L4 OK OK

Texas 12/31/09 Navy W8-L4 Missouri/Big 12 W8-L4 Mizz Mizz

Insight 12/31/09 Minnesota/Big 10 W6-L6 Iowa St/Big 12 W6-L6 Minn ISU

Chick-Fil-A 12/31/09 Va Tech/ACC W9-L3 Tennessee/SEC W7-L5 Tennessee Va Tech

Outback 01/01/10 N-Western/Big 10 W8-L4 Auburn/SEC W7-L5 Auburn N-Western

Capital 1 01/01/10 Penn St/Big 10 W10-L2 LSU/SEC W9-L3 PSU PSU

Gator 01/01/10 W Virginia/Big East W9-L3 FSU/ACC W6-L6 FSU W Virginia

Rose 01/01/10 Ohio St/Big 10 W10-L2 Oregon/Pac-10W10-L2 Oregon Ohio State

Sugar 01/01/10 Florida/SEC W12-L1 Cincy/Big East W12-L0 Cincy Florida

International 01/02/10 S Florida/Big East W7-L5 N Illinois/Mac W7-L5 S Florida S Florida

Papa Johns 01/02/10 S Carolina/SEC W7-L5 Uconn/Big East W7-L5 Uconn Uconn

Cotton 01/02/10 Oklahoma St/Big 12 W9-L3 Ole Miss/SEC W8-L4 Oklahoma St OK St

Liberty 01/02/10 Arkansas/SEC W7-L5 E Carolina/C-USA W9-L4 E Carolina Arkansas

Alamo 01/02/10 MSU/Big 10 W6-L6 Texas Tech/Big 12 W8-L4 T. Tech T. Tech

Tostitos Fiesta 01/04/10 Boise St/WAC W13-L0 TCU/MWC W12-L0 Boise St TCU

Orange 01/05/10 Iowa/Big 10 W10-L2 Ga Tech/ACC W11-L2 G-Tech G-Tech

GMAC 01/06/10 CMU/MAC W11-L2 Troy/Sun Belt W9-L3 CMU CMU

BCS NC 01/07/10 Texas/Big 12 W13-L0 Alabama/SEC W13-L0 Alabama Alabama

The small human mind

Psalm 8:3-4
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Who are we to judge God? He who made all things, who before time ordered the light into existence. Unbelief and doubt, two weapons of the devil, are constantly used to press down upon the faith of the saved. Two different objections have been raised in conversation lately to suppress the Truth of God as creator and LORD of all.

The first objection is that God is too small.
You've heard it before (or perhaps you have said it), "God cannot be all-powerful if he allowed sin into the world". This same sort of objection was thrown at Christ even as he hung suffering on the cross (Luke 23:35-37). We who are created dare hurl insults and challenges back at our creator. Consider this for one moment, we who cannot even comprehend or explain or fathom all of creation, raise objection to the creator. Try for a few moment to imagine the size of Jupiter's great red spot, it is large enough to contain two to three planets the size of earth...just trying to imagine something that big is hard enough let alone trying to understand the ways of Almighty God who created the entire universe. God is certainly not too small.

The second objection is that God is too distant.
You've heard it before (or perhaps you have said it) "God cannot possibly care about me or have an intimate close personal relationship with me, he is creator of the universe! how could be concerned with someone so insignificant as me?" Scripture has a response for this objection as well. Matthew 10:29-31
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows".
God cares for his creation, indeed he does more than care for it, he sustains it daily! not just by taking care of big things like the planets and stars, but also by providing for the very simplest of needs like food, clothing, and shelter. Look no further than Psalm 139 to sing with the Psalmist the many provisions the LORD provides.

God is not too small to have power to save us, nor is he too distant to care. Our God is an awesome God who has created Jupiter, it's great red spot, the earth, and each and every one of us. Our caring God has ordained a plan of salvation that redeems each and every one of his chosen children.
The next time you are confronted by the Devil's weapons of unbelief and doubt, remember God has promised to remain faithful to his people. Call upon His name and you shall be delivered.

Happy Gobble Gobble Day!

We are extremely excited for today! The opportunity to have fellowship with friends and family is always something to look forward to. This year the feast will be a little bit different since not only do we get to celebrate with friends and family, we get to celebrate it together in our new home!

There certainly have been some ups and downs during these first months of marriage, jobs, internship, family, cars, insurance, and even the weather. Yet through it all both of us continue to lean heavily upon Him who saved us. While emotions sometimes seem to dictate who we are in a particular moment, we have both tried to learn that our joy is not dependent on circumstances, rather on the saving work of our Lord. Praise God from whom all blessing flow :)