Ring Shopping

Engaged!

I am very pleased to be able to announce to the world that my sister is engaged!!!

Yes, it's true! Nathan proposed exactly one week ago, on a beautiful, snowy, Sunday morning, and she said YES!

Here's the story in her own words...followed by pictures in my words! :-)

This past Sunday, April 19th, Nathan invited me on a walk to one of my favorite places on his parents' property. At the top of a hill above their house is a large, open meadow. Off of the meadow extends an arm which overlooks a vast basin. I have spent much time alone at this special place and Nathan and I have taken frequent walks to the overlook. After a three day snow storm, a foot of untouched snow covered the area, adding to the romance! :) The setting was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, the company was delightful!

After trudging through the snow and arriving at the designated place, Nathan wasted no time declaring his love for me and asking me if I would marry him! I answered, "Yes!" and told him I loved him too! We enjoyed gazing at each other, smiling, sighing, and basking in the goodness of God together! We stayed so long that Nathan got a sun/snow burn...poor guy! :)

Nathan wanted to go ring shopping together and let me to choose the ring I wanted, so we started shopping yesterday (Monday of last week). I did find a ring I really like, but we are continuing to weigh our options and check around as we have time. After walking in the stores and knowing nothing about engagement rings we both feel that we have received quite an education in that area and can sound intelligent now! It's been a fun experience! Well, I need to go prime some of the ceilings, so I'll leave you with the good news and some pictures!

Enjoy!

~Katelin :)

This is the beautiful-looking day that Katelin woke up to last Sunday...not knowing at the time that it would be a most memorable one!

They tried going to church that morning, but the snow drifts made the driveway up the hill impassable.

Since they couldn't go to church, Nathan suggested a walk instead. At this point, Katelin's atennae went up since she is usually the one to suggest a walk. Hmmm....

(Please note - the above photo was actual live coverage of them taking off on their walk, while all the following pictures are staged to re-live on camera what really was a private event!)

The snow was so deep, that Katelin followed in Nathan's boot prints, causing only one set of tracks to be formed in the snow.

And so it was, upon arrival at the high meadow with the gorgeous view in the background, Nathan proposed!

And she said, "Yes!"

Close-up of the happy couple.

Oh, so happy!

The Author of Romance has done it again!

Pictures From Katelin!

Katelin is continuing to have a blast helping Nathan on his home renovation project!

Nathan sprays the outside of the house with a fresh coat of yellow paint.

Their favorite place for a date! :)

Katelin's hard-working fellow.

They continue to make time for "connecting" face to face with long talks every evening.

This is one of my favorite pictures of Katelin. She looks totally smitten!

Maybe Joseph is taking his job as "chaperone" a little too seriously???

Snuggling with the little kids.

A huge snow storm blew in, causing work on the house to temporarily cease. For three days, the whole family couldn't exit their property due to deep drifts. So, they made up for the loss of work by sledding and building snow men!

Katelin enjoying the snow.

Love birds. Or maybe I should say snow birds. :)

Recent Meditations from God's Word

“And ye are complete in Him…”

(Colossians 2:10)

“According as His divine power hath given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue..”

(II Peter 1:3)

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye,
always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

(II Corinthians 9:8)

“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us
to triumph in Christ!”
(II Corinthians 2:14)

According to these verses, God has given us, through Jesus Christ, perfect completeness in Him, all things that pertain to life and godliness, all grace for every good work, and the power to always triumph. He has left no stone unturned in the transforming work He seeks to do in our lives. He has left nothing out; nor failed to provide us with anything that we need to live the Christian life victoriously. It is up to us, however, to appropriate these amazing gifts…to choose to walk in the grace and triumph He makes available.

What an amazing God we serve!

Life Update

Greetings to each of you from my little corner of Texas!

It's been a little while since I've shared the happenings of life around here...so, considering that today is a day off work for me, I thought I'd post a bit of news!

For starters, my sister, Katelin, seems to be having the time of her life in Colorado right now! She's visiting Nathan for several weeks before his return to Ukraine in May and is treasuring the opportunity to be with him every day before he leaves. They're working together on the renovation of a small house that Nathan purchased several months ago as an investment. He plans to rent it out while he lives on the mission field for the purpose of extra income. Right now, however, it's definitely in the fixer-upper stage! (Though I must say there is a breath-taking view of Pike's Peak out the back window!) Katelin has been up on a ladder most of the week taping off areas for painting and giving primer coats of paint to small areas of the exterior of the house. Despite the crazy weather changes (snow one day, 60 degrees the next!), she has loved donning her grubby clothes and working alonside her "fellow". :-)

In addition to full work days at the new house, Katelin and Nathan (or Nate-lin and Ka-than, as my dad likes to call them) are making plenty of time for "couple time" each evening. For some reason, they just love to sit and talk...and talk...and talk. They also like to take walks, play games with the siblings, cheer on brothers and sisters at swim meets, and laugh with the family around the dinner table. Katelin says she's fit right in with the Day family and is enjoying getting to know each person better.

She informed us last night on the phone that Nathan is officially past the "twitter-pated" stage and has "totally flipped" over her! *smile* Love is definitely in the air at a certain homestead in Colorado!

On a personal note, I am thoroughly enjoying my new job at Care Net Pregnancy Center! For those of you who have asked for more details, my position is officially that of receptionist/office manager, but the actual work I do seems to entail so much more than a mere title can communicate. I answer phone calls, schedule appointments for clients, greet clients as they arrive, connect clients with their counselors, schedule ultrasounds, enter data into the computer, file paperwork, keep forms printed for various uses, type up papers for my director, order supplies, answer questions, manage pick-ups and mail-outs of proof of pregnancies, and much more!

I love the mission of the center. I love the Godly women I get to work with. I love the interaction with our clients. I love the actual work I do. And I especially love the satisfaction of knowing that I'm right where God wants me to be, helping to make a difference in the lives of young women. All-in-all, it's an ideal fit!

The hours are also perfect. I work Monday-Thursday from 9-5. Since my job is such a high-energy position, it is a blessing to have each Friday off! Fridays and Saturdays give me a chance to catch up on rest, housework, and other projects in life. :-)

My plan at this point is to work for at least a year at the pregnancy center, during which time I hope to be finished with Bible college. Then, it is my hope and desire to get established in some form of orphan ministry on the foreign mission field. But we'll see what God's plans are! I've learned over the years that His plans often turn out differently than I originally anticipate...but without a doubt, they are always best!

So...that's life around here these days!

Because of the Resurrection

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which according to His abundant mercy

hath begotten us again unto a lively hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,

and that fadeth not away,

reserved in heaven for you..."

1 Peter 1:3-4

5 Minutes That Could Change Your Life

Today, as I was catching up on articles that have been posted to Eric Ludy's new website, The Bravehearted Gospel, I came across one that I was amazed and excited to read.

This article succinctly encapsulates a message from God's Word that totally changed my life when I first heard it preached 4 years ago on a tape series through the book of Romans.

I was amazed to read it because this message is a rarely-taught concept that seems so clear from God's Word...and yet is missed by so many. How encouraging to know that others out there understand it and are living it out!

Take 5 minutes and read this article. More importantly, read the book of Romans.
It could change your life too!

http://www.braveheartedgospel.com/Blog/Entries/2009/3/30_costly_grace.html

A True Friend

What a blessing it was to meet up with my dear friend, Tara, this past weekend at a wedding! Ever since Maiden's Quest Ministries came to an end last fall, we haven't had the opportunity to spend much time toegether - and how I've missed it! (Ironically, it was at a wedding at the same location we went to this past weekend that the idea for MQM was first birthed! Needless to say, Tara and I had fun reminiscing "where it all began!") She and I went out for a bite to eat ahead of time and greatly enjoyed catching up on the happenings of life and the lessons from our Father that we've been learning.

I was so refreshed by the time spent with Tara! The Lord knew I needed it. She is a true friend who encourages, edifies, and sharpens me in Christ. She is also a LOT of fun to be with! Her love for Jesus is simply contagious.

Friends in the Lord are truly the very best kind!

Set Apart Girl Magazine

The April edition of Leslie Ludy's "Set Apart Girl" magazine has just been posted to the web, and it is well worth the read!

Click here to be inspired and convicted!

Nugget for the Day

"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph!"
II Cor. 2:14