Please be in prayer for my dear friend Lauren. Lauren is expecting a little girl in August, her name is Autumn. Autumn weighs 2lbs. 1 ounce and she's growing strong, but Lauren has already started having contractions. A couple of days ago when she went to the doctors she was having too many contractions so the doctor has put her on medication and she is currently chilling at home gettings lots and lots of rest. Lauren is a busy girl who normally runs around a lot, but this summer she will be spending lots of time resting. Please pray for her, Josh & Autumn as they go through this time. Pray that Lauren will get plenty of rest and that the contractions will become few and far between. Pray that Autumn will continue to grow healthy and strong. Pray for the family as they prepare to move into a new house soon. I would appreciate the prayers for her. I love her dearly and I want to see only the absolute best for her. Thanks!

So I'm reading the book "Captivating" by John & Stasi Elderedge and yesterday I finished the Chapter called "Romanced". Bubble bath, champagne & candles...what better way to be romanced by Jesus than that. My roommate and her boyfriend had just finished going outside for cheese, fruit & wine. I thought about it for a minute and realized how I love summer nights and how romantic that would be for me. Then I realized I had champagne and I had candles and I can never resist the temptation to take a bubble bath so I let Jesus romance me by deciding that surfing the net wasn't nearly as enjoyable as focusing my mind on Christ and spending my free time with Him. I lay there thinking to myself how incredible it is that He loves me as much as He does, and He truly does desire to romance me. He whispers sweet things to me all the time and He sends me glimpses of His beauty that He knows will put a smile on my face. As stated so perfectly in the book: "He knows what takes your breath away, knows what makes your heart beat faster". For me thats usually apart of nature...a sunset, a shooting star, the peacock opening its feathers, a lightning storm...each of those He has sent my way to romance me. Such things truly put a smile on my face. One of the last things I read in the chapter was "Getting time with your Lover is worth whatever it costs" and thats when I realized this past weekend in all that I had to do I took time away from my day to make sure I saw Cody and that hit me hard as I read that. Wow, I was willing to do whatever it cost me to spend time with Cody, but I am not that way with Christ...OUCH! So last night it was Christ who I wanted to be romantic with, it was Christ who whispered sweet nothings to me.

"How beautiful you are, my darling." SOS 1:15

"You are the one that overwhelms his heart with just 'one glance of your eyes' (Song. 4:9b). You are the one he sings over with delight and longs to dance with across mountaintops and ballroom floors (Zeph. 3:17). You are the one who takes his breath away by your beautiful heart that, against all odds, hopes in him. " Captivating, by John & Stasi Elderedge

So after not being able to announce this for a few days now, I can finally say "MY SISTER IS HAVING A BABY!!!!!!" I had to wait for her to tell the family, but now everyone knows so it's all good to go. I'm gonna be an aunt in 9 months, insane! Oh I'm so excited! I'm so happy for my sister & her hubby. And I'm so excited about this baby.