November 3 HONOR | Congratulations to our Emma for her induction into the @NCCSEagles National Junior Honor Society this morning! I love their pillars of Leadership, Scholarship, Service, and Character. My hope and prayer is that the Lord will help her make wise choices with her character as she grows…the rest will follow that. Had to get some pics with some of her best friends as well! #GoEagles #WeAreNCCS #NCCSFamily #7000days
November 3 GRATEFUL | I’m so grateful for the opportunity our family and some friends had to just sit in the goodness of the Lord tonight. We sang, we remembered, we lifted our voices, and we made much of Jesus. Thank you Lord for filing my cup. @macpowell and @stevencurtischapman have written so many of the songs that tell the story of how Jesus has worked in my life since I chose this “Great Adventure” 27 years ago at youth camp when I gave my heart to Christ. Tonight was a chance to just soak in the joy of the Lord. My cup overflows. #SaddleUpYourHorses #ShowMeYourGlory
November 4 GATHER | We enjoyed a precious time of worship and fellowship with the Ladies of @cedarcrestchurch tonight at the Gather event. The message from @kvandy3 about inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives to help us host others and welcome them into the presence of God really encouraged me and helped sort out some of my thoughts about building relationships people I feel the Lord is nudging me towards. I also really appreciated her thought that “we are the hostess of our soul.” That means that we have to control what we invite in and what type of distractions we will allow. All of this fell under the story of Mary and Martha in a very practical and helpful way. Emma and I had a great time with friends and of course, the hot chocolate bar!! The music was incredible as well!
I know that so much went into the planning of this evening and I’m so grateful to have been able to go! #cedarcrestwomen #Gather21 #7000days
November 5 BRAVES CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE DAY OFF SCHOOL | Soup making.
Board games.
Parade watching.
Nap Taking.
This bonus day off in honor of the @braves is much appreciated in our house. It felt a lot like Thanksgiving and I love this season!
November 11 VETERANS DAY | So grateful on this Veterans Day to all who have served and especially for the men in my family who have dedicated their lives to serving others and protecting our freedoms.
My Grandfather Captain William C. Wintz
US Air Force-WW2 Yalta Conference
My Uncle Lieutenant JG John Van Eyck
US Navy Chaplain-Vietnam
My Brother Major Kevin Abel
US ARMY-Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, DC
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13
November 13 ROLL TIDE | What a day! Emma and Eli both have birthdays over the next few weeks. In order to celebrate, we experienced our first football game at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium together. We had a blast! There was so much to see, the weather was perfect, and Bama just bulldozed their severely undermatched opponent New Mexico State. We are already looking forward to going back again soon! #RollTide #GoBama @alabamafbl
November 15 THIRTEEN | Happy Birthday to our sweet Emma! You are a joy to our family and we are so grateful God gave you to us! You are a young lady of many talents and you love to stay busy. As long as you always do things from a knowledge of your identity in Christ and in order to help others, there is no limit to how the Lord might use you. You love big and always keep us smiling. Thanks for being our adventurer! Emma, we love you so big. You are easy to celebrate! #7000days
November 16 THESE ARE THE DAYS | @NCCSEagles Tennis and Basketball for Emma and an Art Show for Eli. Grateful for these days of cheering our kids on in a variety of things. It’s such a blessing to have wonderful teammates, coaches, directors, and families to be on this adventure with. Also, yes…we did eat lunch at 4:10pm at Chick-fil-A. But their dining room was open and we couldn’t miss that opportunity! @clintstrange32 and I are so thankful for these precious kids. What a joy to watch them learn and grow with so many awesome people investing in them! #7000days
November 17 JOHN 17:1-5 | This is a passage that Emma and her 7th grade friends are memorizing for their Bible class @NCCSEagles this week. We’ve enjoyed reading it over with her and thinking about each of the verses. If Jesus valued prayer for himself, when he himself is God, how much more then do I need that fellowship with the Lord on a regular basis? In John 17, Jesus prays for himself, his disciples, and all believers knowing what was to come in the days ahead.
God is faithful. He is working!
November 18 SO GLAD WE MET | 20 Years ago today I met Clint Strange for the first time and my life has truly never been the same. I’m so grateful for the group of friends who felt the Lord leading them to introduce us. Ever since then, I’ve only had eyes for him. God’s goodness and grace towards me through Clint is nothing short of miraculous in so many different ways. He loves and leads me and our kids so well and aims to point to Jesus in everything he does. I love you Clint Strange!
November 18 HAPPY BIRTHDAY | Today we celebrate @jdgraffam! He is Captain Fun for the family as the world’s best brother-in-law and “fun”cle. We can’t wait to see him and his crew next week for Thanksgiving to celebrate in person. The best part about that first pic?? That isn’t how JD feels about himself…that’s how he aims to make everyone else feel about themselves. Happy Birthday Uncle Deedle!
November 19 PARADE | Our Lower School @NCCSEagles started a new tradition last year…The Eagles Thanksgiving Parade. Today’s parade was the most awesome way to kick off Thanksgiving Break with lots of smiles. I’m grateful for the way our upper school faculty, staff, and students are always willing to jump in and help with whatever is needed. Today we got to help fill up balloons, decorate carts, hold hands of younger students, cheer on the parade, serve cake and pie, clean up, and much more. This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for our awesome school family! #GoEagles #WeAreNCCS #NCCSFamily
November 23 GALATIANS 4 | Galatians 4
My favorite thing about the week off is the slow and unrushed mornings. My family loves to tease me about getting up early, but it’s always worth it to enjoy the quiet before the day gets underway.
This passage from Galatians 4 is convicting to me and explains so much about where we are as Christians in this world and the way my heart tends to forget. Can people see a difference in the lives of the Christians they know? If we know Christ and have been known by Christ, why do we continue to try and “blend in” with the world? Why do we forget from where we have come? Christ is better! #Pickwick
November 29 THANKSGIVING | Grateful for a change of pace this past week to visit with those we love, to wear loungewear everyday, and to rest. We didn’t get pictures of all the people…but our hearts are full as we look back over a week of being reminded of God’s faithfulness. #7000days
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
