Summer So Far

I'm sorry that I have neglected to write or post pictures for the last few weeks. This summer has been very busy and will continue to fly by as God fills our days with work, family time, vacation and the demands of life. So far, we have taken a few trips to Roanoke VA to see family, including my niece! The Fourth of July included a water skiing adventure on Smith Mountain Lake. On the home front, Tim and I have enjoyed many afternoons and weekends with my parents and sister. Tim ventured back to Roanoke to help my brother move while I traveled into Baltimore City to take a PRAXIS exam; both events were exhausting but fruitful. On July 27th, we celebrated our 24th birthdays!!! Among the many family parties was a trip to Busch Gardens sponsored by Granny & Papa... Tim thoroughly enjoyed riding The Griffon 3 times!!! That brings us to our anniversary, which we celebrated yesterday. The last two years have flown by! God has blessed us with so many beautiful memories and poignant life lessons. We were able to slip away to Old Towne Alexandria to remember what God has taught us during the last year and make goals for the next. I hope that you all enjoy the snapshots from the summer:)

Birthday and 2 Year Anniversary

4th of July - Roanoke & Smith Mountain Lake

Day at the Falls

Weekend in Hershey, PA

Tim and I were blessed with beautiful weather and each other's company when we ventured to Hershey, PA last Saturday. Tim bought tickets for us to see "Lord of the Dance" for Valentines Day. I have been so excited for months...I'm kind of obsessed with Michael Flatley's shows!!! We decided to make a day of it, so we left early to make our lunch date at the Hotel Hershey. It is an expensive hotel, so we decided to just have lunch there. What a gorgeous place!!! We had lunch over looking gardens and the pool, and then strolled through tulip fields after lunch.

The show was AMAZING!! After the first act, Tim looked at me and said he was shocked. Once the show starts, the viewers never want it to end. I love the action and the music, but the talent that the dancers have blows me away. Maybe in heaven I can ask for that talent. Check out his website at http://www.lordofthedance.com/#/sightsandsounds/video_gallery_001/.

If you are interested in the Hershey Hotel the link is http://www.thehotelhershey.com/index.php.

It was such a fun weekend and I am so thankful I could share it with my best friend!!

More than Enough

Some days it seems like a dark cloud lingers over my head. Today was one of those days. I allowed my mind to be filled with anxieties, fear, and selfishness. My mom reminded me that when we count our blessings all of our worries start to disappear. I was driving when my mom reminded me to be thankful, and then the song "More than Enough," by Barlowgirl, came on the radio. I lifted a hand toward heaven and was reminded that I have all I need in Christ. Beyond that, He always has what is best in mind for His children. So, I lifted my requests to Him and then started to rest in His peace, being gently reminded that His grace is sufficient for me.

Side note...aside from my hubby being in class tonight, my evening has gone very well:)

Reflecting on Easter

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/2010/4563_The_Immeasurable_Greatness_of_His_Power_Toward_Us/


Easter day came and went. It was a beautiful day spent in church, with family and enjoying creation. The day was perfect, well almost. Easter is the most important holiday as a Christian, yet I felt apathetic. In fact, most days I find myself feeling apathetic to the truth that I belong to Christ. I am not pleased when dwelling on this truth and my heart kind of cringes to write it openly.

While doing my quiet time today, I read the above Easter sermon by John Piper. The sermon focuses on a prayer for spiritual wisdom that Paul spoke of in Eph. 1:15-23. The sermon hit on the honest truths that are weighing on my heart. Paul knew that Christians would be apathetic to the great power they possess in Christ. He knew Satan would continue to attack Christians and attempt to blind their eyes to the glorious truth that we are not bound to things of this world. He knew that the Chrisitan fight to bring God glory in day to day living would be a lifelong battle.

Paul's prayer that I "may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe..." The same power that raised Christ from the dead, that seated Him on the throne in heaven and the power that rules over heaven and earth is working in me. Paul knew when he wrote the prayer that my eyes would need to be enlightened and that I need Christ to reveal this power to me. He knew that the church would struggle with keeping the fire of faith lit.

This message has just encouraged me to know that I am not alone in my quest to know God and attempt to understand the miraculous power He has bestowed on His children. I certainly do not live in the "exceeding greatness of His power" each day of my life. I think that will be my Easter prayer; for the revelation of even a portion of the power of the risen Christ in me.

~ ERS

The Cutest Baby

Tim, Lauren, Charlotte, and David all came for a visit last weekend. We were able to share laughs, stories and Mary's golf tournament. Charlotte always gives me a laugh!

Fun at Ryan and Irene's Wedding

Ryan and Irene Schaffer were married on March 20, 2010!!! Tim and I spent the weekend with Jon and Abby Holuta and Jeff and Rachel Griffin. We had so much fun celebrating with Grove City friends! Tim and I always feel more at home in Pittsburgh than Baltimore...I think it may be because it's Steeler's country!!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Elizabeth ~This is our second Valentine's Day as a married couple but our fourth celebrated together. It's funny how nothing compares to the first Valentines as a couple who is madly in love:) I remember every part of our first Valentines Day while courting; every part of the day was so special and new. I am blessed to be cherished by a husband who not only loves me but is also very romantic. I have found that each Valentines Day becomes more special after marriage. Not because fireworks are going off or everything is new, but because the love is more real. It is amazing how God allows love to grow and roots to go deeper. Being pursued after marriage is even more precious than while courting because it is such a picture of Christs love for His children. Christ continuously draws his children to himself and expresses love when a person is fully known, and not always lovable. Thank you Tim for loving me with a beautiful, Christlike love!

Tim ~ I love Valentine's Day because it really gives me an opportunity to try and be creative and surprise Elizabeth in a new way. This year, we were gone for the weekend with family, so it was a little harder to plan things, but I think I was still able to suprise her a little! Elizabeth is right when she says that it is different in marriage than during dating, but I also believe it is more sweet. God has given me more and more love for Elizabeth the longer we have known each other, and I look forward to many more Valentine's Days with my beautiful wife. Thank you Elizabeth for being such a wonderful woman of God!

Christmas 2009

This Christmas was spent in Georgetown VA near DC. We had the unique privilege of staying in the last privately own mansion in the city. It was our biannual Abel Family Reunion. We were blessed to be with family near our country's capital!

Christmas 2009