Blog dedication, Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! So, I thought that writing a blog dedicated to you would be a perfect birthday gift. Fellow bloggers, you see my dad, he loves the blog world and is a frequent blogger, kind of hip...I know.
Dad, I am so thankful for you. I am thankful for the loving, encouraging father that you have been to your children. I am thankful for the way that you love mom. I am thankful that you are an overcomer in Christ Jesus (heart surgery). I am thankful for the way you have held the Sudan family together.
Now, since I have never owned a camera, I did not get a chance to place pictures up of us, but one thing I wanted to do was place courage into your heart. I wish that I could really explain to you the man that I see when I look at you. You have been the most influential person in my life. You have taught me how to be a man. You are a humble servant, a leader, a prayer warrior, a loving father, an encouraging friend, etc. Most importantly your life has been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and that has affected every area of your life including the way that you lead and love your family.
I love you dad and hope that you have a Happy 54th Birthday!.

hi-yah OnGuard

What a difficult calling....love your wife as Christ loves the church? Husbands, we have quoted this verse time and time again, implemented it in our vows, and even tattooed it on our hearts, yet, do we really understand the depth and sacrifice of this calling? How serious are we taking the commands of God?
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred covenant, sought after and longed for by single men and women all over the world, especially among believers. Is it the sex, the love, the fellowship, the title, the safety, or the respect that draws people to this covenant? I know that many of those attributes really pulled me towards marriage. Now, being a seasoned veteran of marriage (not even 2 years) I have come to the realization that there is much more to marriage than the safe/happy list above. Another realization that I have recently faced is that, Christian marriage is under attack by the enemy. I believe that as husbands and wives we are in a constant battle for our marriages and the sanctity of marriage must be fought for....so be on-guard!
Why is that? When you break it down, what is marriage? I find from Scripture and from my 2 years of experience, marriage is complicated...it is more than living together, more than sex, more than happy lives together. Marriage is a relationship in which we must die daily to the selfishness and pride we are so accustomed too and lovingly serve and respect our spouse. No wonder this covenant is constantly under attack by the enemy, a relationship in which you are to put your spouses needs before yourself. A relationship that displays the gospel message (Christ's love for His bride, the church), a relationship in which this gospel message can be lived out daily by husbands and wives. Marriage can be a very powerful evangelical tool. When we exam Christ and His relationship and love for the church we see.....Christ forfeiting His throne in heaven for a short time to take on flesh and become like us. (spouses we must constantly be forfeiting our pleasures and comforts for the other)...Christ loves us while we our still sinners. (spouses- confess and forgive each others sins, spur one another on in love)....Christ prayed for us. (spouses pray for each other, fervently)...Christ came not to be served but to serve (spouses serve one another daily)...Christ pursues us (husbands pursue your bride, keep the flowers fresh and wives put courage into your husbands)...Christ leads us. (husbands lead your wives with wisdom and humility)...Christ has been faithful to us (spouses remain faithful to one another).
Marriage is beautiful, precious, powerful, yet daily under attack. As believers we must fight for the sanctity of marriage....be on-guard.

J

Little Duncan- aka: Peanut

So a new little addition to the family was born last thursday...his name is Duncan and he is a little cutie-pie. We have been calling him peanut though because he is so small and itty bitty. He was born on Thursday, June 18 at 5:08 pm at 6 lbs 6 oz. I need to get more pictures....because these below are the ones taken right after he was born and you can't see his face very well, but they will do for now! Enjoy!

Schlitterbahn-bahn-bahn

yep...thats right, we recently went to Schlitterbahn with my family and it was AWESOME. Here are some pictures from the weekend...


Mmmm dippin dots!


Goofy Ashtin


Good Ol' Mark and Tamra


The Gristmill in Gruene, TX


kiddie area for Ashtin


The crew...minus my dad.


Me and the J-bird

Boycott "Orphan"

I am posting to inform those reading this to boycott a film coming out called "Orphan". I'm sure not many of you would probably see the movie anyways, but spread the word and tell people not to support this film. It carries an intense negative message regarding adoption- especially the adoption of older children. Having worked with abused and negelcted children that are currently available for adoption, this movie breaks my heart. Adoptions allow for beautiful opportunities for children and families to experience the fullness of life that Christ has given us on this earth. I have met and loved many beautiful children in the foster care system that have been through more than most adults have experienced in 50 years, and these children are NOT damaged goods,thank you very much Warner Brothers. Sorry, I am getting worked up, I'll shut up now. You can read about the film below...

Info from Forever Families:
There is a horror film being released on July 24, called Orphan, about a family who adopts an older girl who "is not what she appears to be." The film is currently being promoted, and the trailer is available at http://orphan-movie.warnerbros.com The adoption message is extremely negative, and plays into the stereotypes of adopted children, particularly older children, as damaged.

Though we have not been able to preview the entire movie, the trailer leads us to believe the movie will send a horrific message about adoption. The adoption community is protesting the release of the film. We urge you to contact the makers of the film, as well as your local movie theater chains, with your concerns. Contact information:

Warner Bros.
4000 Warner Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91522
818-954-6000

Silver Pictures
4000 Warner Blvd. 90
Burbank, CA 91522-0001
818-954-4490

Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY 10019-8016
212-484-8000

Proud Wife

That's my hubby...being a cute uncle (to his new little niece, Emery). I must say that I am a proud wife. Jas has many characteristics that I admire and I just wanted to focus on one today that I have been thinking about lately. This characteristic is Jason's generosity. Jason is generous towards others in many ways-- with his time, with our money, with his giftings. I admire this about him and it challenges me, too. It's funny how often times our spouses giftings may be one of the other spouses weaknesses...and God uses that to challenge, sharpen, and teach us in marriage. I feel that sometimes I prefer to choose when I would like to be generous and what I don't want to. And it is often Jason's inclination to share generously with others. So I just wanted to throw that out there...brag on my man for a bit :)

Also, in other news-- Jas took his physical agility test this morning at 7 am and did great! The applicants are supposed to finish by 10 minutes and 20 seconds with no errors and Jas finished in 8 minutes and 12 seconds! We are excited to move on to the next phase of the fire fighting application process. We will continue to keep you guys posted on the journey.

A weekend away...

Thats what Jas and I did last weekend...took a break. a little retreat, if you will. we went to Galveston and enjoyed playing at the beach, going out to eat, sleeping in, and watchng movies. We stayed at the Hotel Galvez too, which was a bonus. I love its historical-ness. It was built in 1910...pretty cool. Anyways, Here are some photos from the weekend. I must admit that we did get a bit sunburned...we were only out at the beach for 3 to 4 hours, but I am awesome and didn't wear sunscreen (and basically haven't been outside since our honeymoon nearly 2 years ago) and Jason put two blobs of sunscreen on his shoulders. this resulted in having the white shoulder pad look. pretty cute. enjoy! happy memorial day weekend!