A New Years Prayer

I read this prayer in a devotional last year, and I thought it was the perfect way to start off a new year. So this year I am sharing it with you. Happy 2011!

Father, it is written in Your Word that You are the Author of Life, the Creator of my heart, the Lover of my soul, my Savior and Redeemer. Today I find myself at the beginning of a new year. Lord, I don’t want to make the same old resolution. Really all I want is more and more of You! So today I choose to start anew. I choose to make You Lord of my life. Your Word tells me that in You, I am a new creation. I have been bought at a great price…the price of Your Son’s precious blood. Old things are gone and all things become new in Your Son’s powerful name. Help me believe this Lord, believe it with all my heart.

Today I dedicate myself to You and present each part as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to You. I do this not in my own strength but in Yours. I boldly ask You, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, to create in me the power and desire to will and to work for Your good pleasure. I know You have great plans for me…plans to prosper and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. Today with great anticipation I receive those plans and the gifts and talents which You have given me to accomplish those plans.

Allow my life to reflect You in every way. Allow me to lovingly live out and express Truth in all I say and do. Help me to live purposefully and accurately, not as unwise but as wise. Whatever I do in word or deed, help me to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in complete and total dependence on Him. Thank You, Father, that You will be faithful to complete what You have started in me. To You be all glory and honor and praise. Amen.

Written by Wendy Blight

A random list of things we are Thankful for!

1. A beautiful song
2. A comfortable chair/couch
3. A cool breeze
4. A gentle rain
5. A good book to read
6. A wonderful husband/wife
7. Loving parents
   
8. A soft pillow
9. A warm blanket
   
10. A scenic drive
11. Air conditioning on hot summer days
12. Heat on Cold Winter nights
    
13. Beaches
14. Being able to pay the bills
    
15. Children laughing
16. Christmas morning
17. Church
    
18. Compliments
19. Computers that work( Mac's)
    
20. Cooing Babies
21. All things Chocolate
22. Dishwashers
23. Diversity
24. Fairness
25. Crackling fire in a fireplace
26. Freedom of religion
27. Freedom of speech
28. Fresh ideas
29. Good conversation
30. Good friends
31. Good health
32. Good movies
33. Good teachers
34. Grace
35. Grandparents
36. GPS
    
37. High-speed Internet access
38. Honest people
39. Hugs
40. Indoor plumbing
41. Kind men/women
42. Kittens
43. Laughter
44. Live Christmas trees
45. Morning coffee/tea/hot chocolate
46. Oppertunities to serve
    
47. Parking spaces near the front
48. Pictures
    
49. Polite drivers
50. Porch swings
51. Prayer
    
52. Pregnant women
53. Puppies
54. Quiet mornings
55. Rainbows
56. Salvation
    
57. Shade trees
58. Strong Leaders
    
59. Sisters and Brothers
    
60. Smiles
61. Snow covered mountains
62. Snowflakes
63. Sunrises
64. Sunsets
65. Sunday morning Sermons that hit you in the gut
    
66. Thanksgiving dinner
67. The color of autumn leaves
68. The ocean
69. The words "I love you"
70. The words " I am proud of you"
71. The lessons learned through trials
    
72. True friends
73. Uninterrupted dinners
74. Hot showers
75. Grow Groups
    
76. White puffy clouds
77. A God who Loves us
    
78. A night at the movies
79. A phone call from a friend
80. A job that I still enjoy
    
81. A good hair cut
82. Forgiveness
83. Exercise
84. A large variety of foods
85. having so many things to be thankful for that I have to stop making a list!!!!
    

Celebrating 5 wonderful years!

Last Friday Chip and I celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary. Can you believe it has been 5 years? It seems like it was only yesterday that we were getting ready for our wedding. To celebrate, we took a little trip together to Port Clinton, Ohio.

We stayed at a little camp ground in Port Clinton called Shade Acres. It was a quiet little campground but was surprisingly clean and quiet. That was extremely important to me.

Over the weekend we visited several little places in Port Clinton, Marblehead, Put-in-Bay, and Kelleys Island. There were Wineries to visit, Many trails to hike, Boats to ride, lighthouses to visit, and many other local landmarks to enjoy. Most importantly though, we got to spend the weekend doing what we love the most, spending time together making new memories and remembering all the wonderful things we have gotten to do, places we've visited, and things we have accomplished so far in our life together. We are so wonderfully blessed.

So, what is in store for the next 5 years? That is a wonderful question...we are thinking about that as well. We know what we are hoping and Praying for, but I guess we will Just have to see what God has in store for us.

For the Love of Creation

This post is going to be simple. I am going to let the pictures talk for them selves after a simple explanation.



The Meyer family vacation in Avon, NC has become a tradition that we all love to love. Although we go to the same house, sit on the same beach, visit the same sites, and enjoy roughly the same foods while we are there, there is one thing that we all agree on.

Creation is always amazing and worth taking the time to admire. It is always evident how small we all are when we stand in the ocean and get slammed into the sand by a big wave and how Big God is to have created all the things we admire at the ocean.


So, while there are pictures floating around of all our beautiful faces...these pictures show some of the true beauties we got to experience on family vacation. WE ARE SO BLESSED!

UGLIES!!!!

One of our favorite things on the Outer Banks, besides of course the ocean and the sun are a wonderful little treat we call Apple Uglies!! These wonderful little treats are a donut/apple fritter thing that is HUGE. They come from a little Bakery called the Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton, North Carolina! It is a little hole-in-the-wall place but they are the best things! If they were not almost $5 a piece, I would have to have one every day I am here! So, if you are ever on the Outer Banks and planning a trip to the Hatteras Light House, find this bakery and enjoy!! Then you will understand what I mean.

There is a theme that surfaces at every graduation ceremony be it from high school or college. CHANGE. It is during that time in ones life that each person becomes increasingly aware of the inevitability of Change. When I left High School 10 years ago I was certain that Change would happen, be it for the good or otherwise. It is easy to point out changes that have taken place in retrospect. And while I can list some of those bigger changes that have occurred in my own life, I had only on occasion thought about the changes that might have taken place in the lives of those that I went to school with.


Nothing makes one think of these things more than a reunion. So, Chip and I packed up the new Escape and made our way to the Tionesta, Pennsylvania.

The process of getting ready for this reunion was a bit of a stressor for me. 10 years away from this group of people, and the rural lifestyle had me going crazy about what I should wear, what Chip should wear, what I should take, and what pictures I should submit from the ten years we’d all been apart.

Turns out, I should have just remembered what we were all like before we left high school and let that inspire my decisions. I mean... A rural small town, a reunion at a horse ranch…I should have figured it was going to be a pretty casual affair.

Here are a few observations from my reunion.
1. It’s true that a shift in appearance has occurred. People who where once very thin are not so anymore. People who were larger are now smaller. Different haircuts change a persons face. But when you find a familiar face from across the room you automatically think of that person just as you did 10 years ago.
2. Those people who were the best of friends in High School are still the best of friends even though miles separate them.
3. People are more considerate of their family time. Every one of us that traveled back to our hometown was thankful for an opportunity to see our family members. Those with Children were most excited about having a weekend to allow their children some quality grandparent time.
4. You can take someone out of the small town, but it is true that the small town never really leaves people.
5. You never really forget your first crush.
6. Pictures are a priceless thing to help one remember as time goes by.

I think the thing that surprised me the most about the reunion was that people were more concerned about how happy and healthy everyone was. Not that they weren’t inquiring about what we are doing and where we are living but that those things were less important than health and happiness. (Which of course they are!)

Anyhow…I am really thankful that I grew up with the small group of people that I did because even after 10 years passing, hanging out with them was like old times. I am beginning to realize more and more how unique that is and I wouldn’t change it for anything!

So, Class of 1999 if you are reading this, Thank you for being the awesome people you are and I look forward to staying in touch and getting together again sometime soon!

stay tuned!!!

Hello Friends and family!

I just wanted you all to know that I haven't forgotten my blog...there just hasn't been anything all that exciting happening for me to post about....but as things usually happen all at once for us there is a bunch of things coming up that I will post about for you all to see. Here are the highlights of things to come:

Marcia's 10 year high-school reunion( a weekend visit to Tionesta)

Vacation to the Ocean( annual Meyer Outer Banks trip)

Camping with our small group ( The Parker Farm in Southern Ohio)

Amy's Wedding shower/ 4th of July weekend extravaganza ( Back to Pennsylvania...locations still not completely known by me)

Chip and I's 5th wedding Anniversary

AND THIS IS ALL GOING TO HAPPEN BY THE MIDDLE OF JULY!! OUR RUNNING SHOES ARE ON!!

Then in August we have Marina and Jame's wedding and vacation to Pigeon Forge TN with Brad and Rachel. These are just the things that are already on my schedule. There is a potential for more.

This is not to say that there hasn't been some fun things happening. We bought a newer car in March which has freed us up a little as far as travel goes. Been home to PA a couple times...Easter, Marina's wedding shower, and Marina and Irina's graduation.
We went camping in Ohio Amish country with Brad and Rachel in their camper for a weekend. That was super fun. Took a couple day trips to Hocking Hills to see the different water falls and hike on some of the trails. There have been many days of hanging out with our ever so cute nephew as well as visits from several friends and family members.


Look forward to more fun and exciting things!