Everyday Updates

What is it that you wake up to in the morning? Generally, we wake up a little lazy in our dorm apartment, let out dogs jump up on our "craiglist" bed, and smother them with attention for a few minutes before we are both off for the day. We usually come home to the pups ready to play and Bentley pulling Lexi across the floor by her collar. Never gets old!

After this strange and never-ending winter, our neighbors came to us requesting that we pave our road. This was an answer to our prayers as we were the only ones wanting to do so originally. And now that Spring is on its way, our paved road should be coming within the next month! No more mud... except for our back driveway. It is a huge step forward!

What is more exciting, Brenton and I will be able to enjoy the road so soon! We have had a wonderful time with the ladies in our dorm this past year, but we plan to move into our house officially this June. Brenton will still be coaching and I will continue my work at The Cove, we will just be moving on from dorm life. Kind of fun that we can say three out of our four years of marriage have been in a dorm! We have surely had some adventures, long nights, and good times.

Ebay Attempt

So I ventured out as a seller on ebay tonight. I have not a clue what I am doing and I realized how much I do not enjoy being on the internet extensively. Took care of what I needed to take care of, but there are just way too many details to work through the first time! I pushed through as I thought about how proud my ebay sister-in-law, Claudia, would be. This is for you sis!

McGregor dorm at Montreat College is throwing it's second Clothes Swap later this month. Last semester we had a glorified "clothes" yard sale and sold everything for $1 to help cushion our dorm budget. The girls were a little reserved about the idea until they saw what it was about and how cheaply they could get nice clothes. Thankfully, my wonderful Cove friends are big time GW (Goodwill) shoppers, always looking for name brands and faithfully switching out items they are able to resend to GW. I took a few Goodwill runs off their hands and we had quite the Clothes Swap in our dorm.

I started to clean out my closets this week for round two but then I thought, "Why not try selling some items to a Consignment Shop first?" Then the nicer clothing items came to mind; "Why not ebay?" All the doubts came rushing in... More work, more time, may not even get a bid... but I did it anyways!

After Brenton's response, I am not expecting a bid. I think he helped me realize it was a fun venture but I really do not know what I am doing... but in NO way did he insinuate this. He liked my store prices as I took a few items down to the cent and he found my high starting bids humorous. (His heartfelt laughter was all in good fun and made the whole night worth the time!) However, I really do wonder if I started the bids way too high, but how do you ebayers do it if you do not want to get taken? I did not spend all this time on the computer to next stand in a line at the post office for $5. The question still stands... "What am I doing?" But then, again, I guess it really does not matter since I do not plan to get any bids. Just another chance to explore and another random adventure.

Our Little Ski Town... Or So It Looks

When the Bosses Are Out

An email a co-worker sent to me at work... "What my other co-worker and I do when the bosses are out!" A good, needed laugh last week.

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The Gentle Giant

A shaken community, a life well lived and a future with the Father. For both Howard Fisher and the Montreat community, the last few days have been a glimpse into life with the Father. For Howie, it became a reality as he woke up in heaven early Wednesday morning. For the Montreat community, it is the image of Howard praising the Savior at the throne and a reminder of living eternally while still on earth.

Howard Fisher, the gentle giant from Jamaica, was a stellar goal keeper on the Montreat Cavalier soccer team. His smile would change your day and his light-hearted humor would make you laugh in a heartbeat. Howie was a senior, one semester away from graduation, and being looked at to play soccer professionally. He had a sweet girlfriend that he'd planned to married, also graduating this year.

At Christmas, Howard went home and visited the hospital feeling dizzy and weak. He headed back home for the holiday, but realized he was not getting better. At the end of December, Howie was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare condition. The developed state in which it was discovered, did not leave much chance of survival. The CEO of Duke was working with many to bring Howard to the states for treatment, and the school was raising hundreds of thousands to help make the flight and the bone marrow transplant possible. However, our almighty God had other plans.

Howard's mother would stand at his bedside in Jamaica and tell Howie, "Just trust Him." It is our almighty God, still just as powerful as He was Wednesday morning, calling Howard home. And there was no better testimony to this fact than the testimony of his own family, accepting the will of the Lord and His hand at work.

Howie's example, hard-work and love for the Lord will always be remembered. It was a life well lived and is a testimony continued, even after Howard's life here on earth. The memorial service today was truly evangelistic and worshipful, it spoke forth what Howard was all about. One of his favorite worship songs speaks forth his heart's desire.

How lovely is
Your dwelling place
Oh Lord Almighty,
For my soul longs
And even faints
For You
Oh, here my heart
Is satisfied
Within Your presence
I see beneath
The shadow of
Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

One thing I ask,
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells
One thing I ask
And I would seek,
To see Your beauty
To find You in
The place Your glory dwells

His soul will no longer faint or long for Him. Howie now understands this reality better than us, as He has truly seen the Father and is dwelling in His presence at this very moment, no doubt smiling. Never has he, nor have we experienced such inexpressible joy. He asked and sought, and has now seen "The place where His glory dwells."

Cold Weather & Bare Trees

Winter, seemingly endless with it's cold weather and bare trees. And so it was that we had another big snowfall this past weekend. We had 10 inches of snow between 3pm and 12am Friday night. Steady sheets of snowflakes fell consistently. Walking from the car inside, my head and coat were covered in plump white flakes.

Brenton had to leave for the airport shortly after 4pm, with a good inch of snow already on the ground and during our "Winter Storm Warning". At 6pm he called saying he was leaving the airport. What is normally a 45 minute drive was taking a bit longer with the snow showers. An hour and a half later he called to say he'd sat on Interstate 26 without moving. At 11:00pm I jumped off the couch when I heard the dog bell jingle as Brenton opened the door. Ironically, the gentleman Brenton dropped off at the airport made it to Chicago, on a re-routed flight, before Brenton made it back to the college.

Sure enough the snow came down good and hard. I missed the good pics though, quite a bit thawed out today with the warmer weather. Guess that means there is still work on Monday! But at least there is also 24 to look forward to Monday night!





Lexi (left) & Bentley (right)