Black Friday

I have officially survived the Day after Thanksgiving shopping nightmare! Mostly because this year, I declined the offer to shop with the gals in my family - who were departing at 5am yesterday!!

Instead, I took the day to sleep in and then drive leisurely back to Cincinnati. Once there, my husband and I did leave to head to a local mall - but not to shop. Each year, our church leases space in a local mall and provides free gift wrapping as an outreach to all shoppers. We had so much fun doing it last year, so we decided to sign up again this year. We spent 4 hours at the mall yesterday trying to offer solace to those loony people who decided to fight the crowds on Black Friday for a good deal.

So, I really enjoyed Black Friday for once!

Thanksgiving

I am so very excited that the holidays are finally arriving! I have been almost giddy all week - and not just because I only have to work 3 days. I am just thrilled that the Season has officially begun!

It begins with Thanksgiving... and what a wonderful beginning. As we enter into the holiday season, I think this is a perfect time to reflect on the year and count our blessings. I don't know why I need a special holiday to help me realize that I am very blessed, but each year it tends to be a not-so-gentle reminder. This year, I have so much for which to be thankful. If I were to begin recounting each thing, I would more than fill up a blog page.

For me, Thanksgiving is also a time to realize how much I love, miss and need my family. I only live 2.5 hours from them - but, have started to see them only on major holidays (about 4x per year). Last year, I made a resolution (after the holidays) to see them once a month - but, as is the case with most resolutions, this fizzled by March. I know that it will all come rushing back tomorrow when I sit at my grandmother's table with my family. I can't wait to spend the day with them - eating, playing games, catching up - and just enjoying each other's company.

In a nutshell, I am so very thankful for my family. I just wish it didn't take the holidays to pull me out of my busy life and let me stop and realize how great they really are.

Small Group

I feel like my husband and I just posted a dating ad in our church bulletin!

We attend a Vineyard church and absolutely love it. We truly believe their mission of loving people into a relationship with Jesus. At the Vineyard, they offer very practical ways that have truly helped me to reach out to other people and show them God's love - without the feared awkwardness. It is amazing to see someone's response when you give them a free soda, bottled water or even a car wash!

The church is relatively large - so, to combat the anonymity of a large church, they reach people through the idea of Small Groups. A small group is hosted in the leader's home and is truly a safe place where a group of Christ-seekers can worship, fellowship, ask tough questions, get accountability, and overall just have great relationships with people who share their faith.

So, to tie this all into the headline... Jeff and I are starting our very own small group! We would love to have a small group of young(er) married couples (under 35) that live near us. I am advertising it as a group for "young professionals" - hoping that we could really fellowship with people going through the same issues that we face (corporate America, married life, etc.). We truly hope that we are filling a need beyond our own! We have attempted to join small groups in the past, but haven't found one that really "fit" our needs. This is our solution!

Keep us in your prayers as we take this journey! We hope to make some great friends and build some great relationships while strenthening our own walk with God.