100 Things You May Not Know About Erin

1. I am a germ-aphob.
2. I get car sick very easily.
3. I hate scary movies.
4. My toenails must be painted year-round.
5. If I were to go back to school and change careers, I would like to go to nursing school.
6. I HATE coconut.
7. 2 things that are always in my purse: lip gloss and Germ-X.
8. I wish I had the life of a Food Network star...someone does all the grocery shopping, gets all the ingredients ready, and cleans up. All you have to do is show up and cook!
9. I wish I was a better housekeeper.
10. Orange Beach, Alabama is my favorite place on Earth.
11. I love college football.
12. I talk to my dog like he is a real person.
13. I have an amazing in-law family.
14. I knew I was going to marry Mike even before our first date (and I was even 16 at the time!)
15. When my alarm clock goes off in the morning, I hit the snooze button about 10 times.
16. I have absolutely no athleticism.
17. I don't cough...I bark.
18. I love teaching school but I enjoy my my summer break waaaaaay too much.
19. My favorite color is pink.
20. I have become addicted to my iPhone.
21. I am a procrastinator and I hate that about myself.
22. I dread going grocery shopping.
23. One of my favorite things about being a teacher...all the school supplies!!
24. My favorite school supply...Post-It Notes!!
25. God called me into the ministry when I was just in middle school and later placed it on my heart that I would marry a minister.
26. I took piano lessons for almost 10 years.
27. My first job was in a pharmacy.
28. I have to wear earrings at all times (well, except when I sleep)
29. I love taking pictures, but I am horrible at getting them developed.
30. I am not a morning person.
31. I blog-stalk complete strangers.
32. I have never beaten Mike at anything and it makes me sick!!
33. I am addicted to checking my email.
34. The shirt I wore on my first date with Mike is still hanging in my closet. (Our first date was March 16, 2001.)
35. My favorite restaurant is the Bright Star.
36. I am a scaredy cat, wimp, sissy, etc. and not much of a risk-taker.
37. I love the smell of hardware stores.
38. I almost always cry at weddings--even if I don't know the bride and groom.
39. When I retire I would like to work in a bridal dress shop.
40. I wish I would have gone through rush in college.
41. I have highlighted my hair since I was in the ninth grade.
42. I performed in a musical production group at the Alabama Theatre for 3 years while I was in middle school.
43. I may not be athletic, but I am very competitive.
44. Some people tried to talk me out of pursuing teaching, but I knew it was my calling.
45. I have never broken a bone.
46. I love reality TV.
47. I watch The Today show every morning.
48. I will not leave the house without make-up on.
49. I was voted Second Mile Teacher for 2010-2011 for my school--such an honor!!
50. I. Am. A. Beach. Bum.
51. I only buy/use Crest toothpaste.
52. My favorite book is The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.
53. I could eat a baked potato every day.
54. I have never had a speeding ticket (at least not yet!). Praise the Lord!
55. I love eating at Subway, but I think it smells like throw up.
56. My dream vacation is to go the Greek Isles.
57. I lived in a dorm for 3 years of college.
58. I prefer Diet Coke over Diet Pepsi.
59. The Paul Finnbaum Show makes me laugh.
60. I have never seen the movie/musical Annie.
61. I hate roller coasters.
62. When I was little, it was not unusual for me to try to steal things from the store. (I got many spankings for doing so.)
63. I am a Lionel Richie fan.
64. I am a rule follower and I get bent out of shape when people don't follow the rules.
65. I'm glad I married a man who prefers Hunts ketchup because I could not be converted to another type of ketchup--we would just have to have 2 kinds of ketchup in the fridge.
66. I have to read the directions when putting something together--not because I can't figure things out, but because I am OCD.
67. I laugh when people fall or hurt themselves.
68. I hate taking my car to get serviced because I am afraid I'm going to get scammed because I am a woman.
69. I may be a minister's wife, but I hate listening to WDJC.
70. Steve Carrell always makes me laugh.
71. I have a hard time telling people 'no.'
72. I pick junk out of my husband's ears. (Nasty I know, but he has old-man ears.)
73. I probably have more blond moments than I am willing to admit to.
74. The word 'duty' makes me laugh.
75. DVR changed my life.
76. I avoid confrontation at all costs.
77. I have mitro valve prolapse.
78. Mike Stevens is the best preacher I know.
    
79. I love to read.
80. I am not a breakfast eater.
81. I like to sleep late.
82. I would like to learn how to play the violin.
83. I have a Twitter account but I have never "tweeted."
84. I can be very skeptical of people.
85. I have never been to Disney World and at this point in my life I have no desire to go.
86. I would like to own home on the beach one day.
87. This list was a lot harder to write than I thought.
88. I don't really have a favorite movie...I like a lot of different ones, but if I had to choose an all time favorite, I would have a really hard time.
    
89. I can have bouts of road-rage.
90. I have never been on a cruise, but would like to go on one some day.
91. I hate going to the dentist.
92. My favorite passage of scripture is Isaiah 43.
93. My favorite hymn is "Great is Thy Faithfulness."
94. I think sandwiches at the beach taste much better than they do at home.
95. I can't stand orange juice with pulp.
96. I worry way too much about what people think about me.
97. I wish I was more creative and "artsy."
98. I tend to laugh at moments that aren't always appropriate...church, funerals, and other serious situations. (Usually this laughter is caused by other people like my husband or my dear friend who sits by me in choir--you know who you are!!!)
    
99. I am married to my best friend and I love him more and more each day and I am surprised that he puts up with me sometimes.
100. I am in awe of how much the Lord loves me and I desire to live whole-heartily and selflessly for Him.

The Waiting Room

Is it just me or are waiting rooms usually uncomfortable and unpleasant?? The chairs are uncomfortable, the magazines are out of date, the TV (if there is a TV) is playing an annoying game show or infomercial, and the temperature is either too hot or too cold. Not many people desire to spend time in a waiting room and I think it is safe to say that most of us like to spend as little time as possible in one.

Recently, I have found myself in the waiting room of life. I have circumstances that are out of my control that I am just having to wait on. Lately, the waiting has become a little uncomfortable. I have a bit of a "Type-A" personality and this waiting around just isn't my "thing." I want things accomplished, finished, and checked off my to-do list...but I am having to wait...and wait...and wait...I'm beginning to grow frustrated and wondering why I'm not being called out of the waiting room...but...then I am reminded that as I wait...His grace is sufficient and He will help me persevere through the turmoil of waiting. As I wait, He is pulling me and stretching me to realize that His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. And that maybe, what I'm waiting for may just take a little more time.

So as I wrestle with waiting, I know that the waiting room is not a permanent place, but a place for Him to mold me into His likeness.

How Do You Measure a Year?

Well, it is mid-January and I am now reflecting on the previous year...But in my reflection, the song How Do You Measure a Year comes to mind. Seriously, how do you measure a year???

When I think back on 2010, nothing really significant comes to my mind. However, one experience was pretty life-changing---our mission trip to Jamaica. It truly was an awesome experience serving the Lord and watching our students whole-heartily being the hands and feet of Christ for about a week.

But really, how do you measure a year??? My only hope is that in the 525,600 minutes within last year were God-honoring. However, I have a feeling that if I kept a log of every minute of every day, there would be more time devoted to myself rather than to my Lord and others. There were probably way too many minutes devoted to Facebook, TV, and other mindless activities that don't amount to anything.

But thanks be to God, because while I wasted countless minutes, He is faithful to His children.


But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. -Psalm 86:15

Sweet Sixteen

There are many perks to being a youth minister's wife. One of which is watching our students grow up. We have been serving at Union Hill for 5 years and its amazing to see awkward teenagers grow-up into Godly, self-sufficient adults.

Recently, we have had many students turn 16. Its so fun to watch these students as their "big" day arrives. They anxiously talk about taking the driver's test and whether or not they will get a car right away. The girls, of course, are more worried about the outfit they will wear for their picture. I mean, you have to look good because you have to tote that picture around for 4 years! :)

While watching these students, it has allowed me to reminisce some about when I was 16. It seems like it was such a long time ago...before bills and responsibilities, before heartache and hardships. I look back and see myself as a young and naive, wanting to seek approval from my peers, but at the same time from the Lord. I remember trying figure everything out and I wanted to discover the purpose God had for me.

There are some instances that I wish I could go back and ask for a "do-over," but I understand that those circumstances have shaped me into the woman I am now. As I think about wanting a couple of do-overs, I am reminded of a song that I learned as a child that proves that no matter how long our lists of do-overs may be, He never gives up on us.

He's still working on me,
To make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The sun, and Earth, and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and faithful He must be.
He's still working on me.

It blows my mind that as I sit here wanting a do-over, He remains faithful no matter what. And, in a sense, He has already granted me a do-over--and its the only one that really matters.

Endure

This last week Mike and I attended Refuge--a conference put on by Student Life for youth ministers and their wives. Needless to say, it was a refuge. It was a blessing to be ministered to and encouraged.

A scripture that was used in a particular sermon was 2 Timothy 2:3-6.

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

The two words "endure hardship" stuck out to me. As the pastor was still preaching, I scanned through the book of 2 Timothy. Paul says the same two words again in chapter 4 and that got me thinking...

This concept, I think, is foreign to some believers. We all have those friends who say, "Well, ever since my grandmother died, I don't believe in God." Or, "Well, since I lost my job, I just don't trust God anymore." Or, "Well, since my husband has been unfaithful, God doesn't love me anymore." What Bible are they reading?!! In fact, the Word says quite the opposite--and it comes straight from Jesus' mouth in John 16:

"In this world you will have trouble."

God never says that we will have it easy. And, those friends we have that claim that they don't believe in God anymore because their 87 year old grandmother has died, or some other horrible thing has happened, have bought into a lie. The Lord is straight up with us all throughout the Scripture, like in 2 Timothy--He tells us that life WILL get rough sometimes. That horrible circumstances will happen. That hearts will be broken and our lives may be in shambles at times. BUT, praise God, every time He tells us this truth, He follows it with a promise...like in John 16...

"But take heart! I have overcome the world."

In my short life of 26 years, I have encountered some hardship and wondered why God chose to inflict hurts/battles/trials on me. But no matter how bad it hurt or no matter how hard it was to come through, He was always faithful (and He will continue to be faithful). That, my friends, is what I hold on to with all my might while I am enduring the hardships that come my way.

Fresh Start

I love the beginning of school! I love preparing my classroom and getting everything organized for the upcoming year. But most of all I love buying new school supplies. I have a weakness for pens, pencils, and especially Post-It Notes! I could spend hours in the school supply aisles of Wal-Mart. I think the love of supplies is partly why I became a teacher.

However, as I laid in bed mulling over how to arrange my room and the new supplies I needed, I was reminded of a promise...that I am in fact, something new as well.

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons!
--2 Corinthians 5:17

In my Father's eyes I am no longer that chewed up, scuffed up, broken-in-half pencil. But because of His grace, He has transformed me into a brand new shiny, yellow number two pencil--without the bite marks and dingy eraser. And now because He has given me that fresh start and He lives inside of me, I get to share His love with precious first graders five days a week!

First Blog!

Well, I have started blogging. Mike seems to think that blogs are only for those couples with children, and since we don't have any, with the exception of our dog, I must be wasting my time. However, contrary to his belief, I don't think I am wasting my time and like every good and supportive wife, I am out to prove him wrong. :) Ha! (Like that really ever happens.)

"Peas and Carrots" you ask?? Well, I couldn't think of anything clever and since Mike doesn't seem to support this project, I was on my own. One of our favorite movies is Forrest Gump and at one point Forrest describes his relationship with Jenny like "peas and carrots." While we were still dating Mike would say frequently in his best Forrest voice, "We go together like peas and carrots." And I happen to agree!