Christmas 2008

Where do I start? This Christmas was great! It started off with a visit to my Dad's where we got to see all of my brother's and sister's and our nieces and nephew. It was a great time just hanging out and catching up with everyone.























We had an amazing Christmas Eve service downtown where there were over 6,000 people and over 400 salvations! If you ask me, that's what Christmas is all about! We then went to Adam's parent's house where we hung out, ate (a great feast I might add), and open presents! A fun time!




























This year, we were able to spend our 1st Christmas in our new house! It was so much fun waking up together and hanging out with each other! We opened our presents to each other Christmas morning and it was so much fun!







































After we had Christmas at our house, we got ready and went over to Adam's parent's house to have Christmas with them! The food was great and it was so relaxing to just hang out with family!








































As the day started to come to a close, we ended up over at my mom's house to have Christmas with her and my sister. I love hanging out with them! I made my mom a book of pictures of Harleigh (I also gave one to my sister). It turned out really good and it even made them shed a tear when they opened it!


















































Christmas isn't over there folks! The next day we headed over to Adam's Grandparent's house to spend some time with them and his Uncle's family. Amanda came in town that day and fun was had by all!
















































After we left their house, we went back to Adam's parent's house so Amanda and John Mark could exchange their gifts.


















This year, Christmas was amazing! All the food, friends, and family were great! The Lord has blessed Adam and I with so many things and we are so thankful for them! Thank you Lord for sending your only son to this earth in the form of human to live a completely sinless, blameless life so that we can call Him our Savior and one day live with You eternally! People, if you haven't received this FREE gift, now's your time to take up this opportunity! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and if you've still got things to do in 2008, well, you better get to it, you only have 3 days left! Hasta Luego!

Christmas 2008

Where do I start? This Christmas was great! It started off with a visit to my Dad's where we got to see all of my brother's and sister's and our nieces and nephew. It was a great time just hanging out and catching up with everyone.























We had an amazing Christmas Eve service downtown where there were over 6,000 people and over 400 salvations! If you ask me, that's what Christmas is all about! We then went to Adam's parent's house where we hung out, ate (a great feast I might add), and open presents! A fun time!




























This year, we were able to spend our 1st Christmas in our new house! It was so much fun waking up together and hanging out with each other! We opened our presents to each other Christmas morning and it was so much fun!







































After we had Christmas at our house, we got ready and went over to Adam's parent's house to have Christmas with them! The food was great and it was so relaxing to just hang out with family!








































As the day started to come to a close, we ended up over at my mom's house to have Christmas with her and my sister. I love hanging out with them! I made my mom a book of pictures of Harleigh (I also gave one to my sister). It turned out really good and it even made them shed a tear when they opened it!


















































Christmas isn't over there folks! The next day we headed over to Adam's Grandparent's house to spend some time with them and his Uncle's family. Amanda came in town that day and fun was had by all!
















































After we left their house, we went back to Adam's parent's house so Amanda and John Mark could exchange their gifts.


















This year, Christmas was amazing! All the food, friends, and family were great! The Lord has blessed Adam and I with so many things and we are so thankful for them! Thank you Lord for sending your only son to this earth in the form of human to live a completely sinless, blameless life so that we can call Him our Savior and one day live with You eternally! People, if you haven't received this FREE gift, now's your time to take up this opportunity! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and if you've still got things to do in 2008, well, you better get to it, you only have 3 days left! Hasta Luego!

And the saga begins...

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I now pronounce that Adam and I are officially beginning our Christmas shopping today! Yes, I said today...5 days before Christmas! Wish us luck, and hopefully we will get it all done today and tomorrow! Ok, he's calling me...and we're off!

And the saga begins...

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I now pronounce that Adam and I are officially beginning our Christmas shopping today! Yes, I said today...5 days before Christmas! Wish us luck, and hopefully we will get it all done today and tomorrow! Ok, he's calling me...and we're off!

Harleigh Pics

Man...my husband is the best! I never thought he would post on here, but he never ceases to amaze me! Thanks baby for those sweet and encouraging words...you're the BEST!

Ok, as promised, here are some pics of our sweet baby niece, Harleigh Christina...Enjoy!

Harleigh Pics

Man...my husband is the best! I never thought he would post on here, but he never ceases to amaze me! Thanks baby for those sweet and encouraging words...you're the BEST!

Ok, as promised, here are some pics of our sweet baby niece, Harleigh Christina...Enjoy!

BREAKING AND ENTERING!!!

I have just successfully broken into my wife's blog account (Hence the Post). She is always telling me that I should post something on her account, but I constantly refuse. I have an obsession with blogs I have to admit. I read everyone's blog from church and I love to read my wife's blog when she posts. What I love about my wife's posts is that they are always from the heart and they let me in on what is going on in her world! Every married woman should have a blog and every husband should read their wife's posts. Reading my wife's blog is like getting in on some secret stock option before it goes public or like finding a Christmas present early. Her blog let's me know what is going on inside of her even though we talk all the time. Her heart comes out in her posts and for me it lets me know how I can serve and lead her. In looking back over her posts I have come to realize one thing. My wife is selfless. She never gets on here and writes about herself or about what she needs or what she wants it is always about others. I love how my wife goes public with bragging on folks and writing sweet letters to family members for all to read. She is absolutely selfless and would do anything for anybody. For example our pastor has been speaking about hearing God and how God uses ordinary things in our lives to speak to us. The other day the wife and I where having the Hamilton family budget meeting(This is always fun!) and I was dead set on setting a limit for each family member for Christmas. My wife was all in agreement until we got to a center member and she said "Adam, you can take some of the money you were going to spend on me and we can spend it on so and so... Like you can take all of it." In that moment God spoke to me and said, not out loud, but in my heart SHE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL! And she is! My wife is Special and I am so proud of her selfless sacrifice. I would never trade her in or get rid of her. She is truly a blessing from God. Elizabeth, thank you for letting Christ shine through you each and everyday. You inspire me and make me more like Christ. Thank you for showing me what it means to find joy through giving and sacrifice! I love you so much and could not live this life without you!!!


ADAM

BREAKING AND ENTERING!!!

I have just successfully broken into my wife's blog account (Hence the Post). She is always telling me that I should post something on her account, but I constantly refuse. I have an obsession with blogs I have to admit. I read everyone's blog from church and I love to read my wife's blog when she posts. What I love about my wife's posts is that they are always from the heart and they let me in on what is going on in her world! Every married woman should have a blog and every husband should read their wife's posts. Reading my wife's blog is like getting in on some secret stock option before it goes public or like finding a Christmas present early. Her blog let's me know what is going on inside of her even though we talk all the time. Her heart comes out in her posts and for me it lets me know how I can serve and lead her. In looking back over her posts I have come to realize one thing. My wife is selfless. She never gets on here and writes about herself or about what she needs or what she wants it is always about others. I love how my wife goes public with bragging on folks and writing sweet letters to family members for all to read. She is absolutely selfless and would do anything for anybody. For example our pastor has been speaking about hearing God and how God uses ordinary things in our lives to speak to us. The other day the wife and I where having the Hamilton family budget meeting(This is always fun!) and I was dead set on setting a limit for each family member for Christmas. My wife was all in agreement until we got to a center member and she said "Adam, you can take some of the money you were going to spend on me and we can spend it on so and so... Like you can take all of it." In that moment God spoke to me and said, not out loud, but in my heart SHE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL! And she is! My wife is Special and I am so proud of her selfless sacrifice. I would never trade her in or get rid of her. She is truly a blessing from God. Elizabeth, thank you for letting Christ shine through you each and everyday. You inspire me and make me more like Christ. Thank you for showing me what it means to find joy through giving and sacrifice! I love you so much and could not live this life without you!!!


ADAM

Walk in Love

The worship leaders at Elevation have a song they sing called, "Walk in Love". It's also on their album which you can find here. There is a line in that song that is so true..."It's Christ in you who's shining through when you give your love away". This line speaks to me everytime I hear it. No matter where we are, what we're doing, or who we're with, we always need to purposly give our love away because when it comes down to it, it's ultimately Christ's love that we're giving away. The church, Christ's body of believers, have so much power to whitness to people who are far from Christ just by showing them the love He has for His children. God can do so much in a simple hug, smile, helping hand, a listening ear, a giving heart, and so much more!

People, we've got to stand up and love our city and the people in it because Christ's love is never-ending and it's our job to imitate His love for the people in this world who are far from Him. So, whenever you're not having a good day or when you're 'mad at the world' remember this line:

"It's Christ in you who's shining through when you give your love away"

Walk in Love

The worship leaders at Elevation have a song they sing called, "Walk in Love". It's also on their album which you can find here. There is a line in that song that is so true..."It's Christ in you who's shining through when you give your love away". This line speaks to me everytime I hear it. No matter where we are, what we're doing, or who we're with, we always need to purposly give our love away because when it comes down to it, it's ultimately Christ's love that we're giving away. The church, Christ's body of believers, have so much power to whitness to people who are far from Christ just by showing them the love He has for His children. God can do so much in a simple hug, smile, helping hand, a listening ear, a giving heart, and so much more!

People, we've got to stand up and love our city and the people in it because Christ's love is never-ending and it's our job to imitate His love for the people in this world who are far from Him. So, whenever you're not having a good day or when you're 'mad at the world' remember this line:

"It's Christ in you who's shining through when you give your love away"

Listen

Yesterday, our pastor started a new series, "Can You Hear?". You can go here to listen to week 1 of this series. Let me tell you, this past Sunday was amazing! Pastor preached on hearing the voice of the Lord and I've got a cool story!

If you know me at all, you would know that I have a lot of irrational fears. Fears like losing Adam, losing a family member, flying on planes, accidents, etc. All of those fears are uncontrollable by me. The only thing I can control about those fears is my perspective. I have had a very hard time over this issue and it's to the point where I get emotional if I start to think about these things.

Almost 2 years ago, Adam and I were on our honeymoon and it was the morning we were scheduled to leave to come home. I woke up that morning around 4:30 or 5ish because I was so nervous about flying home. It was driving me crazy! I finally went back to sleep and in the next couple of hours something amazing happened to me. I woke up around 7 completely in awe. I woke Adam up and told him what happened to me. It was during those 2 or so hours of sleep that I heard the Lord speak to me. I didn't hear Him audibly, but I know He spoke to me. These were His exact words..."Do not worry, for I have your life in my hands". I mean, come on people, how cool is that??

So, Adam and I got home ok, but I wasn't ok. You would ask yourself, "how is she not ok if she heard the Lord tell her very bluntly to not worry"? My fears were still getting the best of me. No matter what people told me or what I read, they were still there. It was until yesterday that I found my freedom.

Pastor preached on hearing the voice of the Lord. He gave the example of a signal booster and how people use them to get a better signal on their phones. He told us that he was going to be our "signal booster" from God today and that we needed to listen up. I truly believe the words that he speaks come directly from the Lord and here's why. Towards the end of the service, he told us to bow our heads and close our eyes and he was going to remind us of God's promises. Right then, I started to pray, "Lord speak to me about my fears". I kept saying that over and over.

The first promise he reminded us of was that God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ and that the record of our sin has been canceled. I kept saying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". The next promise he reminded us of was that God is a friend who sticks closer to us than a brother and that we should not feel lonley. He told us that He would never leave us or forsake us. I kept praying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". He then reminded us of His promise that before we were born He knew us by name and that what we do in life does matter. He said that each one of us are a unique contribution to this world. I kept praying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". It was then Pastor said the word "insecurities". He proceeded to tell us these exact words..."Your life is in His hands". WOW. That was God speaking to ME. Pastor reminded us that God is the lifter of my head and that nothing happens to me by accident. I don't have to walk in fear and in shame. His promise to me is that He loves me and that He created me, He promises me that He is with me, He goes ahead of me, walks behind me, stands beside me. My God loves me. He showed me my sin of fear and he took it away. Thank you Lord for freedom!

This past Sunday was amazing and I want to encourage you to open your ears and listen to what God has to tell you. You don't have to be reading your bible, or praying, or singing to hear from God. He meets you where you are and invites you to listen. Thank you Pastor Steven for being a signal booster and thank you Lord for your healing!

Listen

Yesterday, our pastor started a new series, "Can You Hear?". You can go here to listen to week 1 of this series. Let me tell you, this past Sunday was amazing! Pastor preached on hearing the voice of the Lord and I've got a cool story!

If you know me at all, you would know that I have a lot of irrational fears. Fears like losing Adam, losing a family member, flying on planes, accidents, etc. All of those fears are uncontrollable by me. The only thing I can control about those fears is my perspective. I have had a very hard time over this issue and it's to the point where I get emotional if I start to think about these things.

Almost 2 years ago, Adam and I were on our honeymoon and it was the morning we were scheduled to leave to come home. I woke up that morning around 4:30 or 5ish because I was so nervous about flying home. It was driving me crazy! I finally went back to sleep and in the next couple of hours something amazing happened to me. I woke up around 7 completely in awe. I woke Adam up and told him what happened to me. It was during those 2 or so hours of sleep that I heard the Lord speak to me. I didn't hear Him audibly, but I know He spoke to me. These were His exact words..."Do not worry, for I have your life in my hands". I mean, come on people, how cool is that??

So, Adam and I got home ok, but I wasn't ok. You would ask yourself, "how is she not ok if she heard the Lord tell her very bluntly to not worry"? My fears were still getting the best of me. No matter what people told me or what I read, they were still there. It was until yesterday that I found my freedom.

Pastor preached on hearing the voice of the Lord. He gave the example of a signal booster and how people use them to get a better signal on their phones. He told us that he was going to be our "signal booster" from God today and that we needed to listen up. I truly believe the words that he speaks come directly from the Lord and here's why. Towards the end of the service, he told us to bow our heads and close our eyes and he was going to remind us of God's promises. Right then, I started to pray, "Lord speak to me about my fears". I kept saying that over and over.

The first promise he reminded us of was that God has forgiven us in Jesus Christ and that the record of our sin has been canceled. I kept saying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". The next promise he reminded us of was that God is a friend who sticks closer to us than a brother and that we should not feel lonley. He told us that He would never leave us or forsake us. I kept praying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". He then reminded us of His promise that before we were born He knew us by name and that what we do in life does matter. He said that each one of us are a unique contribution to this world. I kept praying, "Lord speak to me about my fears". It was then Pastor said the word "insecurities". He proceeded to tell us these exact words..."Your life is in His hands". WOW. That was God speaking to ME. Pastor reminded us that God is the lifter of my head and that nothing happens to me by accident. I don't have to walk in fear and in shame. His promise to me is that He loves me and that He created me, He promises me that He is with me, He goes ahead of me, walks behind me, stands beside me. My God loves me. He showed me my sin of fear and he took it away. Thank you Lord for freedom!

This past Sunday was amazing and I want to encourage you to open your ears and listen to what God has to tell you. You don't have to be reading your bible, or praying, or singing to hear from God. He meets you where you are and invites you to listen. Thank you Pastor Steven for being a signal booster and thank you Lord for your healing!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Honey Mustard Sauce

Yes, that's right, I said HOMEMADE! And if you know me, well, you know that I'm not that good of a cook. I found this recipe off of Paula Deen's website (not a very healthy recipe) and it was very easy and delicious! I thought I would share it with everyone, so here it is...

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 cup crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
2 tablespoon milk
1 egg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.

Yield: Serves 12
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Honey Mustard:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
Horseradish, to taste

2 tablespoons orange juice (more or less as needed)
Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2or 3 hours.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets and Honey Mustard Sauce

Yes, that's right, I said HOMEMADE! And if you know me, well, you know that I'm not that good of a cook. I found this recipe off of Paula Deen's website (not a very healthy recipe) and it was very easy and delicious! I thought I would share it with everyone, so here it is...

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
6 chicken breast fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 cup crushed sour-cream-and-onion-flavored potato chips
2 tablespoon milk
1 egg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crushed potato chips in a shallow dish. Beat together the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken cubes into the egg mixture and then dredge them in the chips. Place the chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. The chicken nuggets can be frozen after baking. Serve with your favorite sauce, such as honey mustard or ranch dressing.

Yield: Serves 12
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Honey Mustard:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice or juice from 1/2 lemon
Horseradish, to taste

2 tablespoons orange juice (more or less as needed)
Combine all ingredients except orange juice; stir well. Thin to pouring consistency for dressing or dipping consistency for dips with orange juice. Cover and chill for 2or 3 hours.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Enjoy!

Christmas is Here

It's that time again! Well for Adam and I, it's only our 2nd Christmas together, but it's our 1st Christmas in our new house! We don't have all our decorations up yet, but we did get our tree up this past Sunday. We went to the mountains this past weekend and cut our tree up there. There is always a prayer said before we put our tree up because if not, tempers and emotions seem to flare. I am proud to say that this year, none of that happened! Praise the Lord! Adam did great putting the tree up and putting the lights on it. I helped decorate it and position it where we wanted it. Kudos to my wonderful husband who did most of the work! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season this year and I'll leave you a few pics of our tree getting/putting up/decorating process...

Christmas is Here

It's that time again! Well for Adam and I, it's only our 2nd Christmas together, but it's our 1st Christmas in our new house! We don't have all our decorations up yet, but we did get our tree up this past Sunday. We went to the mountains this past weekend and cut our tree up there. There is always a prayer said before we put our tree up because if not, tempers and emotions seem to flare. I am proud to say that this year, none of that happened! Praise the Lord! Adam did great putting the tree up and putting the lights on it. I helped decorate it and position it where we wanted it. Kudos to my wonderful husband who did most of the work! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season this year and I'll leave you a few pics of our tree getting/putting up/decorating process...