29 reasons

On this Thanksgiving Day, I'm particularly thankful for my husband, who was born 29 years ago today!!! Here's a small list of reasons - one for every year of his life - that we (my family and me) are so very thankful for Brian...

1. For your humble spirit.

2. That you play hide and seek with Stryder every time you come home. And that you let him get on the bed and snuggle us before we go to sleep.

3. That you know more about mac products than 99.9% of the people who work at Apple stores. We will NEVER need to ask for outside assistance with any computer problem!

4. For your blue eyes.

5. That you fit in so well with my family. Sometimes, I still can't believe that I married someone who has so much in common with my dad and with my brother. You three were truly cut from the same cloth!

6. That you laugh easily (even if the joke isn't very funny).

7. That you'll watch girlie movies with me (you even let me drag you to High School Musical 3).

8. That you have made it a top priority and intentionally try to daily lead as the spiritual head of our household.

9. That you give me awesome back rubs whenever I need one.

10. That you clean the kitchen after I make dinner.

11. That you enjoy guy things, like cars, guns, technology, camping, and other manly things like that.

12. That you know about new Apple products before I do (Austin).

13. That you always warm my cold feet by sitting on them, or my cold hands by holding them.

14. That you pray with me every night before we go to sleep.

15. For your big and warm hugs (Mom Mann).

16. That whenever I run out of an ingredient in the middle of a recipe, you'll drop whatever you are doing to go to the store to get whatever I need. And you never complain about doing it.

17. For your sensitive heart.

18. That you are a hard worker and always persevere.

19. That you love dogs, and always pull over whenever we see a stray on the side of the road so we can "rescue" them.

20. Because you try hard at everything you do and you do things with your whole heart (Dad Mann).

21. For your generosity and giving nature.

22. That you are a gracious loser when I beat you in Wii tennis. (ha ha)

23. That you let me be a lady - that you respect my femininity and encourage me to be that which God has made and called me to be.

24. That you snowboard and can almost keep up with me when I'm on my skis.

25. That you seek to meet other's needs (Mom Mann).

26. That you take walks with me and Stryder after you get home from school, even when you're tired.

27. That you regularly buy me flowers, just because.

28. That you like running errands with me.

29. For your big laugh that always makes me laugh (Lesley!)

Because of these girls...

... my semester at the Focus Institute, away from college friends, wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I remember being so excited when these three and I started a weekly GNO (Girls Night Out). We met at our neighborhood Starbucks and usually closed it down. Most nights, we would then move to one of our cars and sit talking for hours longer in the dark parking lot. Since graduating seven years ago, the two Ashleys, Caroline and I have been meeting for extended GNO weekends every other year, with some random visits in between! (Our last get-together was about a month ago in Nashville, but I'm just now getting around to posting pics.)

... I have a unique bond with friends who lived along with me the once-in-a-lifetime experience that Focus was.

... I have those sorts of hilarious memories that make you randomly burst out laughing. (Like when we were running late to Ashley's wedding and decided to change out of travel clothes into wedding clothes. We picked a barn off the road to hide behind: we thought it was vacant. It wasn't. Oops.) May 2003

... I have the kind of friend who would drive through the mountains, in the middle of the night, in a terrifying blizzard, just to visit me. Caroline's trip to Steamboat: April 2004

... I have wonderful memories of picking up my wedding dress. GNO 2005: Dallas, TX

... I use Bare Minerals makeup (Caroline introduced us to it in Florida, so we all bought starter kits at Sephora and have been using it ever since.) GNO 2007: Naples, FL

... I've laughed until I couldn't even breathe.

... I've heard more funny (though sometimes horrifying) labor/birthing stories than I ever thought possible. GNO 2009: Nashville, TN

... I am a tiny bit more familiar with my camera (thanks to Netzer's tutelage). And I also now know how to crochet (thanks to Spann's tutelage)!

... I have been blessed with a network of Christ-following ladies across the country (South Carolina, Birmingham, Bloomington, IL) that I could turn to for absolutely anything. Can't wait until GNO 2011!

A great study

I just finished a really, really good Bible Study, so I thought I'd pass it along in case anyone is looking for a book to use.

For the past 12 Tuesdays, I've been meeting with a group of women at my church to do John MacArthur's Study Guide Series on the book of Hebrews. There are 12 chapters in this book (ideal for a 12-week study); each week covers roughly one chapter of Hebrews. MacArthur breaks it down verse by verse and expounds on the meanings of the words and phrases used. He then follows each section up with personal questions that truly make you think. He often directs his readers to other related Biblical passages outside of Hebrews, which promotes a more comprehensive understanding of Scripture and the way it all works together.

I feel like after completing this study, you could ask me about a specific verse in Hebrews, and I would not only be able to tell you where it was located within the book, but what it really means. And that is not because I have a good memory (which I really don't) - this book impressed Scripture in my mind like nothing I have ever used before. MacArthur uses Scripture to interpret Scripture, leaving very little room for personal conjectures to leak through.

A sample page

My group is taking a break now for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we're planning to start MacArthur's study of Romans mid-January. I. can't. wait. In the meantime, I just ordered James and will hopefully be able to finish it on my own before beginning Romans with the group.

Has anyone else ever done one of MacArthur's Study Guide Series? Or have you finished anything else recently that you would recommend?

Free!

I have exciting news to report this morning - after spending 259 days (let that sink in for a minute... TWO HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE DAYS) in one of the most notorious prisons in Iran, Maryam and Marzieh have been freed!!! Hallelujah!

After following the story of these two courageous sisters in Christ for the past few months, we are ecstatic this morning to hear of their release. They are with their families now.

We don't have all of the details yet of the reasons they were released, but really, the reasons don't matter. The point is that God was faithful to them during every second of their imprisonment. He is mighty to save and deliver. And we give Him all the glory!

Be sure to check out www.freethemm.com for more updates over the coming days.

The perfect house guests

Last week, Brian's parents came to spend a few days with us in Indy over his dad's birthday. As many of you know, this past year has presented some health challenges for his dad, so we were especially excited to be able to spend this year's birthday with him! Our family certainly has much to celebrate - we have witnessed firsthand the Lord's faithfulness as He has answered our prayers for healing and increased faith!

We had been looking forward to Mom and Dad Smith's visit for so long - we were so sad to see them go! It was really fun to be able to show them around some of our favorite Indy finds, as well as discover some great new spots together.

Taking a walk in the beautiful park that is a block away from our house. Most days we walk Stryder twice around the trails here, where he chases squirrels to his little heart's content. In the picture above, Brian has spotted a squirrel and Stryder is about to go flying toward it.

Dinner at our house.

Birthday dinner for Dad at Ambrosia, a FABULOUS family owned and operated Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. The food was so authentic and amazing that we ate here twice during the four nights that Mom and Dad were here. It was just that good.

Discovering Zionsville. This quaint little Indianapolis community is about the closest thing I have ever seen to Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls fans, you know what I'm talking about.) We spent a wonderful afternoon walking Main Street and exploring all of the little shops and restaurants. It even has a coffee shop (like Luke's) AND a park with gazebo. If we were going to stay in Indianapolis for good, I think Brian and I would both say that this area would be in our top picks of ideal places to live.

Riding the Monon Trail. Years ago, the city of Indianapolis converted an unused train railway into a paved path that stretches nearly 20 miles throughout the center of the city. It starts downtown and runs all the way through a northern suburb. We were blessed with unseasonably beautiful weather during Mom and Dad's stay, so we spent a gorgeous afternoon riding bikes and enjoying the last of the fall scenery. The trail has a connection just 3 blocks from our house - we still marvel at the unbelievably perfect location that God led us to!