December 2010!

Aren't they the cutest?

Brian and his make-up bag! Ha!

Sister and Best Friend!

First Christmas to come home MARRIED!

Aunt J.B. and Uncle Tracy!

We are really good at being silly!

The other "Smith" family!

Can't believe Kelsey is in college! She is the baby

in the family. Now, she is a beautiful woman of God.

The whole gang going comfy!

Poppy & Mommy on Christmas morning!

Typical!

Christmas Eve!

Mamaw & Papaw with their girls!

We are growing up fast!

Kelly & Jordan!

Cuddled up by the fire! We work around the dog!

Sweet time with Carter and the Rife family!

My amazing and precious parents!

On our way to dinner, a movie, and to

look at Christmas lights!

She is accustomed to the

leather recliner.

My beautiful Mother with my baby girl!

(Mimi & Poppy)

Celebrating Jordan's college graduation!

A great Christmas present!

So proud of Jordie!

Some of the girls! Baby, it's cold outside!

Ready, Aim, Fire!

I've been knowing that 2011 was right around the corner. I even had a small get together with friends to ring in the new year! Yet, somehow I still feel caught off guard. I am working on goals for the upcoming year, and my mind is swimming with all the ways I could improve and grow in every area of my life... (To be posted at a later date in bullet point form and God-willing with the practical steps of how to get there)... In these moments, I am reminded of His patience, of His kindness that leads me to repentance. Tonight, it's been good to turn everything off and sit still before the Lord. There is something about being still and knowing that He is God. It puts everything into perspective. I believe this is something we must do every day, but some days (I feel) everything needs to stop. Everything must be put on hold. My house that so desperately needs to be vacuumed. My Christmas decorations that need to be put away. My laundry that needs to be washed, dried, folded, and put into the appropriate place. You get the point. It all can wait. It all must wait. Why? So that I can listen to the One and only voice that matters. He is greater than my heart and knows all things. I need to hear from Him. I won't make it if I don't. What a gift it is to be able to sit down and read His Word, to hear Him speak each and every day. To know all that I have in Him and through Him and to have access at any moment. To be able to approach His throne with confidence! Oh the benefits! May we not forget that there is no greater thing. The name of this post is "Ready, Aim, Fire" for a reason. I must be ready. I must sanctify Christ as Lord in my heart, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks me to give an account for the hope that I have. If all of life is about knowing Him and making Him known, what does that look like in my life? It looks like me knowing Him in such a way that I might be able to love others the way He does, the way He did when He walked this earth. It looks like me abiding in His Word, taking up the Sword to fight the enemy, because he is always lurking, always seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. I'm so grateful that Jesus came that I might have life and have it to the full. I'm so blessed that He has given me all that I need to live that life and share that life with others. I'm asking that He would take me deeper and wider and higher in His love and truth that I might bring Him glory in all things. I long to be ready, to live my life with great aim, and to fire away at the enemy... Knowing that the Lord has already overcome and that in the end...He wins!

Lord Jesus,

Help me to run the race in such a way that I might win. By Your grace, I can exercise self-control in all things. I long to run each day of my life with great aim. I desire to be about Your business, Your purposes for this earth. Give me Your pure and holy passion that runs after all that is eternal. It is Your divine power that has granted me everything I need for life and godliness, and I want to partake in all that You have to offer. Let me continually put my flesh to death. Thank You for being alive in me. Be at home in my heart. Get rid of all the junk. You are welcome. I desire to be set apart for You, Lord. For You alone are worthy, precious Jesus. Remove all that is not lovely and pure and noble. Give me the grace to think on all that is. I want to love You well. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You. It's all about You. Help me to walk by faith. You have not called me to shrink back, but to boldly call out to You, my only Hope, my Salvation once and for all, and in each and every day. What can I say to describe even a glimpse of Your glory? I cannot say enough about who You are and who You have been. Great is Your faithfulness. Thank You that all that You give is not based on what I have done or what I can do, but on what You accomplished on the cross. Your compassion fails not. I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of Your call. You demand my soul, my life, my all. Take it Lord. Use me. Mold me. Make me. Transform me for Your glory and the display of Your splendor in this coming year. Thank You Lord for 2010. Because Your love is better than life, I am ready for 2011!

Merry Christmas!

Another year has passed, and it is with a heart full of gratitude that I sit and write tonight. Thank You Lord. I recognize that every good and perfect gift is from You. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus. I am so grateful for His birth, His life, His death, and His resurrection! Thank You for salvation. Thank You for life to the full! You are the greatest gift. Because Your love is better, my lips will glorify You. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Be Merry!

I recently had some friends over to celebrate Christmas. We work so hard, and I felt like we needed a little breather. So, we made it a girls night! It was really a lot of fun to get to be with everyone outside of the work place. I wish I could have invited all of our amazing staff. There are so many that I love! This time, it was just therapy girls and our dietitian. I am truly grateful for the new friendships God has given me through my work place. It was great to be able to open up my home for us to visit, eat, and play games. Here are a few pictures from the evening...

Enjoying each other's company!

Poppy loved Beata and Marci!

Everyone getting excited about Catch Phrase!

Fun!

Marci!

Beata!

Hannah!

Holly & Hannah!

Passing it on!

Two truths and a lie! We played with the theme being

the "worst" Christmas gifts we've ever received!

Gayle! (Mother, Grandmother, Co-Worker, & Friend!)

Thankful!

Mary Martha!

Wow! November. Where did you go? I feel like my mind is all over the place tonight. Lord, help me. I have so much to do, so much to decorate! I can't believe that it is already December 2nd! Jesus, I want a "Mary" heart on this "Martha" day and on every other day that there is a lot going on... You are worthy to be praised, served, thought about, talked to...Yes, You are worthy! In the midst of all that needs to be accomplished, let me find You! Thank You for reminding me that everything else can wait. Of all the things I need to do, I need You more. Of all the things I want to do, I want You more. I'm seeking! Thank You that You promise the more we seek, the more we find! Forgive me where I've not sought hard enough. Thank You for the grace to choose You, to love You, to obey You. In and of myself, I am completely incapable of doing any of the above. I long to serve like Martha and sit like Mary! And I know that sitting with You, being content to linger, only leads to serving like You did and changing the world! Lord, this is my heart! I love You Jesus!

Fall Review!

My Sweet Girl!

Thanksgiving in Arkansas!

Hanging out at home!

Amazing friends! They got me hooked

on Monavie!

How did I get this old?

Love these people that came to celebrate

26 years with me!

Fall Festival. Our crazy crew at Hope Works!

Love my church! So fun to reach out

to our community together!

Surprise Party for Jen's 26th Birthday! Barrett was so thoughtful

and put together a wonderful celebration for his beautiful wife.

Homecoming! What a great weekend! I didn't take nearly as

many pictures as I would have liked. Ha! (I know, I'm ridiculous.)

Teaching the most amazing children

how we can count on God!

Family Dinner. Celebrating the birth of

my incredible Dad & Sister!

My best friend got married!

Visited Jen, Sidney, & Captain!

Christmas in Cowtown!

Dinner with Meg!

Things I've gotten to do or be apart of this fall...

* Lauren's Birthday Dinner

* Regan's Birthday Lunch

* Baylor vs. TCU Football Game

* Anna's Loft Warming Party

* Fall Festival @ Hope Works

* Worship with our amazing kids @ Hope Works

* Home Group

* Ranger Games

* Boot Camp

* Zumba

* Body Pump

* Lunch with a former patient

* Hanging out with old and new friends

* Monavie Meetings

* Eating a lot of yogurt (I love TART!)

* Game Nights

* Family Time

* Commuting to Garland for work

* Sweet times of prayer and worship with family and friends

* Decorating for fall (Must get ready for Christmas!)

* Enjoying my fireplace

* Read "Choosing To See" by Mary Beth Chapman

* Fiesta at work

* Be still and KNOW that He is God

There's been so much more! But this is just a review of the few things that I have been apart of and some of the sweet people I've gotten to be with! Thank You Lord! Fall is flying by so fast! Time flies when you're having fun!

BECAUSE HIS LOVE IS BETTER...

Name change. When I first began this process, I knew of one person that actually blogged. I was in graduate school, and one night (when I should have been studying) I thought I would give it a whirl. I never liked the name "Casual Conversation With Morgan." However, in the moment, I was just trying to think of something. My friend had a blog named "Chelsey's Chatter." I thought it was cute, and I really didn't think my blogging adventure would last very long. So, I typed chatter into the thesaurus. And the rest is history... Somehow, I came up with the longest blog name possible. Well, I don't know that I have shortened it, but I've given it more meaning. At least, to me. You see, names are a big deal to me. When I looked at what I wanted my blog to be about, I feel like that part was easy. It was like the words just rolled off my tongue, truly an overflow of my heart. That did not happen with the title of my blog. Now, almost three years into this journey...God spoke the name to me this morning. "BECAUSE HIS LOVE IS BETTER..." kept resonating in my heart. I thought, of course! How could it be anything else? Because His love is better, my mouth will speak, my hands will type, my mind will think thoughts that are worthy of being written down. Because His love is better, I will choose to be a blessing, to encourage, to spur others on in love and good deeds. Because His love is better, I will remain thankful. Because His love is better, I will remember His faithfulness. I will choose to be authentic, to be vulnerable. Why? Because He loves me. Because He loves you. Because He deserves all of the glory, and honor, and praise.this isn't just a cool phrase that popped into my head or something i was just trying to think of...it's straight from the word of god. it is truth. it's the cry of david when he was in the desert. he said, "you, god, are my god, earnestly i seek you; i thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. i have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory. because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. i will praise you as long as i live, and in your name i will lift up my hands. i will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. on my bed i remember you; i think of you through the watches of the night. because you are my help, i sing in the shadow of your wings. i cling to you; your right hand upholds me. those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. they will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. but the king will rejoice in god; all who swear by god will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced." Jesus, You are truth. I thirst for You. My whole being longs for You and all that You want for me. Silence the father of lies. You have the victory. You have the power. I rejoice in You and what You enable us to overcome as Your children. Thank You for that kind of love. When I look back at what You have done (even in the last three years), I am amazed. I have seen You. I have beheld Your power and Your glory. I know that Your love is better. Forgive me for the moments that I forget. I hate when I'm like the Israelites. How soon we forget. I trust You. Thank You for Your right hand that upholds me. You are faithful.

Perfection...

"...forget your perfect offering,
there's a crack in everything.

That's where the light gets in."

-Leonard Cohen

Happy Birthday Regan!

We are so glad that you were born!

Short Term Goals!

September 21-October 5:

1. Read 1 Corinthians, Psalms, & Proverbs

2. Go to gym 5x/wk

3. Read one professional article

4. Register for VitalStim course

5. Say no to bread and fried foods

6. Brainstorm for kids' worship at Hope Works

7. Write two new blog entries