Coming Home Soon

This is a picture is from last Christmas when Josh and I were home in Ohio visiting my mom and sister. You can barely see little Gabriel in the background in his highchair.

In only a few more weeks we will be on the road again on our way to celebrate the holidays with both families. It is always such a great time for reflecting on the past year and catching up on old times.

This time is always fantastic and I wish we could do it more often.

Until then I will be praying for all of you and I can't wait to hug you when I see you.

God Bless,

HB

A welcome cool...

Now I know I don't post every day, but have all of these posts I have been meaning to put up. Soon I will post pics from our vacation to Florida this summer so that all can see how much fun we had.

It is so nice every year at this time when the weather gets cool and you can once again see the leaves change and breathe clean air.

This is going to be a great fall. Both Josh and I are working hard to complete our dissertations and we will both be finished within the school year.

I also am finding that with a little persistence each day, I get closer and closer to my goal.

I wish I figured this out 4 years ago, but better late than never.

I hope that you all will have a wonderful October and enjoy the pumpkin carving and spooky movies and holding close to each other and just loving what God has provided and continues to provide.

God Bless you all,

HB

Healing

Many of you who read this already know that I have arthritis. Sometimes when I say that to someone whom I just met they actually giggle because they can't believe it just by looking at me.

I suppose people with many diseases of this nature get the same response. It does not offend me, if anything it reminds me that this disease does not own me.

I have to admit though, that in the past few weeks I have been struggling very much with regular flare ups in my hip. It is tough, and I can't say that I have been the best servant of God when these tough times come around. I have prayed for many years that the Lord would take this disease completely out of my body, and sometimes he does for years at a time, but I know that when God heals, he does so completely and not just on a part-time basis.

Many people struggle with all kinds of pain, both emotional and physical and I do believe that God can heal. I do believe that He can take all of this away, however for whatever the reason, He has yet to do so with me. I am human in every way. I have fears, I cry, I constantly look for answers, and every time I look for answers I am reminded, once again, that I am not looking in the right place.

My prayer for anyone afflicted with any pain that causes them to lose days and even weeks of their lives is this: May God come upon you like a quiet sunrise; beautiful, warm and silent.

May He speak to you like you've never heard him before and comfort you in this difficult time.

May the Lord touch you and heal you from this pain for the rest of your life here one earth, for we are already healed in heaven. May you cry no more for yourself and this disease, but rejoice in the freedom of God's peace and glory and power.

He is the answer and we must read His word and rely on him. He will take this away... no questions...no doubts....no fear. Be still and know that He is the Lord.

Thank you for your prayers!

God Bless

HB

So much happens in a year....

Well it has officially been a year since I started this blog and so much takes place within that short period of time.

Two of my good friends welcomed new babies that are just too cute. My niece and nephews grow up too fast and are learning things at record speeds.

My sister and father and their families have moved back to Ohio and now can see each other anytime. Sometimes life passes us by so fast it feels like we've been sitting still the entire time.

I have noticed that I have become more patient with God and where he wants us to be.

Josh and I are learning to like the simpler things in life and not everything has to be about getting out of here. Although this town is not where we would like to settle, I know that God has a purpose for us being here and slowly he is revealing that to us.

I miss all of my family and friends. I can't wait to go on our summer vacation with my in-laws.

I will also try to make a trip home in early July to celebrate my mother's belated 60th birthday.

I can't believe it! My mom will be 60, but she doesn't look a day over 45. I can't wait to see everyone. The older I get, the more I want to be with family and friends and just drink them in.

I wish I could I see them anytime I want and it has been difficult living so far away.

One day soon, I hope to be closer, but until then I must continue to rest easy that God has all of us right where he wants us and even if I lived on the other side of the world my love for my family and friends never wains.

God Bless you on this day, May 28, 2008.

HB

Winding Down

Sorry it's been a while. I am finishing the end of the semester. I can't believe it is already over. This semester has been quite a ride. I taught both saxophone and clarinet, which I was a little worried about because I don't have a lot of experience with saxophone. Now I can honestly say I would feel confident teaching saxophone again and I would have no problem. I was afraid in the beginning of the semester that I would not be able to reach the students because #1) I am not their regular instructor and #2) I don't consider myself a saxophonist. I soon overcame that fear and now I feel that I did accomplish something with them and no matter what they took away from their time with me I gave them everything I had both musically and intellectually. I will really miss teaching all of these students, because for the first time ever, I felt like a real music professor. It was definitely a highlight in my career. More good things happened this semester...my best friend Elizabeth had her second baby (Emma) and my niece and nephew celebrated birthdays. It has been a great time and I have learned a lot. Next up for Josh and I is going to Florida to hang with his family and then we will get to stand in our good friends' wedding in New Orleans. It is going to be a great summer!! God Bless, HB

A Few Memories

Here are some of the pics from our Christmas break. The first one is Josh and I sitting at the table getting ready to eat Christmas dinner.

The second pic is of our nephews Elijah and Gabriel. This was too cute not to include.

The last photo is perhaps a peek into our future. Josh playing with Gabriel at a gathering over a the neighbors house.

We had such a great time catching up with everyone and we can't wait to come back to Ohio and visit some more. We miss everyone so much!

Last week was very busy. Josh and I had a lot of rehearsal to attend for the spring Symphonic Band concert. All of our small ensembles played at the start of the concert and then I filled in on clarinet when the Symphonic Band took the stage. Needless to say we both feel like we need another spring break.

Things are back to normal here.....it is spring and with that comes lots of fun critters like wasps and what Josh and I call "those we do not speak of" ..the dreaded cockroach.

Although we've only seen about 10 wasps this week and none of the other...we know that these things have a funny way of working themselves into our home.

Anyway, we take everything in stride and hope that this year will be even better than the last.

Here's to a beautiful spring and summer and hopefully we will see you all very soon!

God Bless

HB

Easter is here once more

It is almost that time of year where the trees begin to bloom and the flowers start to grow. Spring Break is next week and I can not wait for it to arrive. I remember a time when spring break meant going home and lounging in front of the television for hours at a time. Now, it's different. I will be visiting my good friend out in Texas and working a little bit up at the school and doing a lot of practicing. It's funny how life changes slowly over time. This year Easter weekend coincides with our spring break, which is great because we get to relax and enjoy that time. I remember when my sister and I were little and our mom would dress us up in Easter dresses with hats, and little hand bags. It was always a great time with our family. My mom would cook a nice dinner and it really was all about being together as a family. It is difficult being away form those you love, especially at a time that means so much. God rose from the dead and being able to celebrate that with family is so special. Even though we will be far away from all of you this Easter, we will be thinking of you and most of all we will be giving praise that our Lord and Savior was risen from the dead. God Bless, HB

Off we go...

Well......the holidays are over now and we are back in the swing of a new semester. I will post some pictures of our travels in a later blog once I get everything downloaded. Josh and I traveled to Ohio and Alabama over the Christmas break and it was a lot of fun. We were able to visit with family and there is nothing better than waking up on Christmas morning and making cinnamon bread and watching everyone as they open their gifts. Now that our visit is over, Josh and I are back to teaching. This semester is going to be a challenge for me, because I will be teaching the saxophone along with the clarinet studio. Please pray for both Josh and I as we embark on the new semester together. Something that always hits me when I get back from Christmas break is how sad I am that I have to wait another year until that Christmas spirit comes back. I love Christmas and I especially love the music. I look forward to that time after Halloween and before Thanksgiving when radio stations begin to play Christmas carols. Most people get sick of them and by the time the New Year rolls around they are ready to pack it in, but I wish Christmas could go all year. I think that at Christmas time the ability to talk about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas helps me to come out of my shell (so to speak). I am quite shy when it comes to witnessing to others and I am not an "in your face" person with anything. I hope that through the way Josh and I live our lives and how we are apart from one another reflects and I pray that we can be positive christian models. I know that sometimes people gain more from what they see from you than what you may say. I just know that it is very difficult to speak up about God to anyone I know, even if they are a christian. So.....Christmas is a time of reflection, and being thankful and truly knowing the meaning behind all of the lights and gifts. I am so happy that Josh and I were able to spend that time with our families and hopefully we can carry that "spirit" with us all year round. Thank you for a great Christmas!! God Bless, HB