Camera happy...

I just wanted to show everybody how much Ava

is starting to look like her mom. :)

P.S. The only reason she looked at the camera was because

she wanted it and I had to hold her down - hence the arm across

my neck trying to push herself to it and my hand holding her chest

in another! Haha.. one of these days

she will just sit there. Maybe....

here ya go AUNT STEPH!!! <3!

This post is dedicated...

I am posting this for an old friend of mine.
He needs encouragement and I'm trying to share with him the wonderful things our God can do for him.

Please pray for him and his salvation.


"Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you"
1 Peter 5:7

something old, something new.

old.

new.

old.

new.

needless to say, ava is adorable...

and i am growing my hair out because i LOVE long hair again!

:)

"Fellowship in the Gospel"

Today was the perfect day for this reading. I read today's reading but at times, some things don't seem to stick as well. It's like God wanted today's reading to stick out more to others while November 10th's sticks more with me today. Perhaps September 2nd's reading will reach my heart on November 10th! :)

I really needed this!


"November 10, 2008
Fellowship in the Gospel
ODB RADIO: DownloadREAD:
. . . fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ . . . —1 Thessalonians 3:2

After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, "God has called me for this and for that," you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, "Lord, this causes me such heartache." To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy "world within the world," and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being "frost-bitten.""


+ <- Ava typed that plus sign. I couldn't bring myself to delete it.

A time for change.

Tomorrow is the last day of my life in Peru, Indiana. Thank God! This town reminds me of a piece of my life that I would rather not remember. So many things have changed over the past year and one of these things is my contentment in living in this town - it has gone out the window!

I have cut all ties with all friends living here. It is hard sometimes when driving down the road and you see someone you knew - sometimes it makes me resentful (and I don't like feeling negative about anything anymore!). However, I have made a few new ones! :)

The only sad thing about this move is I feel bad for taking Ava and her daddy far away. I realize it is only an hour, but it was only 10 minutes. I have a lot of thoughts jumbling around within the walls of my brain right now - of which I won't bore everybody with. Let's just say I really hope that the Lord will change something in Sean's heart through all of this. How amazing would it be if Ava's parents were to marry someday?

It is time for a new start for a new me - and a new life that has been brought into the life of the new me! :)

Speaking of that new life - a few of you have asked for more videos of my Avie love. Once we get settled, I will happily make some more! That is, if the camera can keep up with her! She is so fast! She is really good at standing and holding on to things now. And she thinks when you blow kisses to her that it is the silliest thing in the world. <3 to my baby.

It is really time for me to go to bed. I have a long day of last minute throwing things in boxes. And some work to do still. I can't WAIT until this weekend and this move!

There comes a time...

when a new post is necessary!

And here goes the update...

First, I just got a new car. Yep. It's true.

I've got a little ol' pile of tin.
Nobody knows what shape it's in.
It's got four wheels and a runnin' board.
It's a four-door, it's a Ford.
Honk honk, rattle rattle rattle
crash, beep-beep.
Honk honk, rattle rattle rattle
crash, beep-beep.
Honk honk, rattle rattle rattle
crash, beep-beep.
Honk honk.

:]

Had to get that out. Anyway, it's a 1990 Mercury Topaz. Yes it indeed does have 4 doors and is a Ford (the keys say so, anyway)! It has a broken cd player and I love it. It just need some tlc as it was a to/from work car and is really dirty.

Next. Ava is crawling. Yes, Kennedi's (she is my oldest little sister for those of you who aren't aware) blog does read that she has been crawling for a while - but not like she is now. She is EVERYWHERE! I came inside today from talking with the people I got my car from (she was not alone in the house please know) and Ava (who was on a totally different side of the room by this time) got her first taste of pastels. Not the color - the things you USE to color. She was sitting down with a pile of them around her, licking one. I wouldn't mind so much if it were like crayons - but no - it had to be chalky pastels! Ew! Oh well. Hopefully she isn't a glue-eater since she liked those.

Also we had Ava's 6 month check up last week. She is now 16 lbs and 4 ounces. She is in the 50th percentile (as opposed to the 100th at her 4 month checkup) in her weight class now. I think she isn't as chunky now because she is moving around so much. She hardly ever lets me hold her anymore! Her head has moved up 3/4 of an inch since a visit one month ago - now to 16 inches around. AND her length is a whopping 28.5 inches. THIS is why my girl fits in 12 month-sized clothing.

Sean got a job this past week. He went back to a place he worked a few years ago and they ended up hiring him. I guess they realized that he is a little bit more mature now than he used to be. Hopefully this one works out for him. He is a cook at the Siding in Peru. Praise the Lord for the fact that he was able to get a job as this is something we've been praying about - now hopefully he can move in some other areas of Sean's life next!

We had a tree fall on our house this past Tuesday. Most people know about this so I won't bore everyone with the details but if you are a member of the Jones family and are interested, give me a call and I'll be glad to share the story with you. Actually, I need to call some of you anyway. It's been too long.

I have a video to upload but I am pinned to the chair by a sleeping baby in my lap (I know, I spoil her) right now and nobody answered my *nudge* to the downstairs computer by MSN Messenger so I suppose I will mosey downstairs in a bit to get the camera so that I can upload it. It is nice. Ava eating my face. Absolutely lovely. :D

Love,
Courtney
& Ava, too!