The Farmers

How deep the Fathers love for us...

2009-12-21T11:07:00.001-05:00

We sang this song at church yesterday and it brought me to tears. It is a beautiful picture of the gospel and what this Christmas Season is all about. Click here to hear the song, you will be blessed! Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son, To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss, The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One, Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross, My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocing voice, Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there, Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything, No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom

Friends in C-town!

2009-12-08T12:10:00.000-05:00

Almost 4 years ago Robby and I moved from Troy, AL to Columbus, GA. At first I thought it would be fine. I would meet new people, stay in contact and see my old friends all the time. But I was sure wrong! It was so hard to meet new people in Columbus and even harder to find true friends to connect with. And now it's harder than ever to see old friends! Half of them don't even live in the south! I never knew how hard it would be but God was so good to me and answered my prayers. I was very sad for about a year, even depressed. But HE was faithful to me and brought me new friends, and they are so precious. These friends have blessed my life and I know they love me because when they met me I had nothing to offer them and yet they took me in any way! Here are some pictures below of some very dear people to me!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-08T11:19:00.001-05:00

It's been busy as usual around the Farmer household but we are exciting to be celebrating 6 years of marriage, Robby's birthday and Christmas all this month!

I pray you and your family will have a wonderful Christmas remembering our Saviors birth! If He had not come, we would not have much to celebrate!

My prayer for my friends and family this year comes from Mark 8:34-38. That we fix our eyes on Jesus this Christmas season. That we would deny ourselves these worldly desires, (more stuff to fill our homes with) adore God for who He is and what He has done in our lives and that we would follow Him. Worship the creator rather than the created things in the stores. That we would stop every day, drop to our knees and take hold of Jesus' hand.

It is so easy to fix our eyes on the things of the world this time of year and I usually don't catch myself doing it until after I have done it. So this year I am being "intentional" about my time with Jesus. I hope you can find time everyday to spend time talking to him, reading the word and kneeling at His feet!

Merry Christmas!

My prayer...

2009-11-04T17:56:00.001-05:00

Our lives are full of sin. And I find myself lately asking the Lord to forgive me a lot and cleans my heart. Sometimes I am so aware of my sin that it breaks me to tears. This is a song that I love that I have been praying a lot lately. Hope you like it:

Heal my hart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into Eternity

May we use our lives to further His kingdom and not our own!!

Love2all

Sept/Oct happenings!

2009-10-12T12:52:00.000-04:00

It's been lots of fun the past month and into October. We had lots of fun things going on: Claire's surprise party, Cami Teal's 3rd birthday, Troy football games, women's retreat and the "Playing in the Hay" party for Mack and Rebecca! I'm looking forward to the fun stuff coming up too but for now here are some pictures to catch up! - Love2all!

Thank you

2009-09-29T15:34:00.000-04:00

Thank you for all my sweet blogging friends, and family that have called me, texted me or wrote me a encouraging note this past week. I was really battling last week and thanks to your prayers and encouragement the Lord brought me through it. HE is in control of my comings and goings and has held a hedge of protection around me! I can shout to Him with thanksgiving and praise!

My friend Laura Susan is a beautiful singer and I love the song "Til I see You" when she sings it. I can hear her now! Read the lyrics, I think you will like it too!

"Til I see You"

The greatest love that anyone could ever know

That overcame the cross and grave to find my soul

And 'til I see You face to face

And grace amazing takes me home, I will trust in You

With all I am I live to see Your kingdom come

And in my heart I pray You'd let Your will be done

And 'til I see You face to face

And grace amazing takes me home, I will trust in You

I will live to love You

I will live to bring You praise

I will live a child in awe of You

You are the voice that calls the universe to be

You are the whisper in my heart that speaks to me

And 'til I see You face to face

And grace amazing takes me home, I will trust in You

You alone are God of all

You alone are worthy Lord

And with all I am, my soul will bless Your name

Will you pray for me?

2009-09-20T23:41:00.002-04:00

I really try to post positive, upbeat, fun and interesting things. So I am giving you a heads up, if you read this post you might think differently of me.

For several months now I have been questioning my value to others. Do I really matter? If I wasn’t here, would I be missed? I know you might be thinking, come on Hollie of course you matter and would be missed, but truly my insecurities are getting the best of me right now. To many times I have made people big and God small. There are many reasons why I feel this way but I won’t get into them. All I’m asking for is prayer. Would you lift me up today and ask the Lord to send some encouragement my way? Would you ask the Lord to help me with these insecurities and help me to believe despite my circumstances that I do matter and that I do have value? I know what scripture says but I am struggling with believing it tonight.

This is a selfish post, I know, but ask the Lord to make less of me and more of HIM!

Thanks for your prayers!

Love2all

College football lives here!

2009-09-02T23:30:00.003-04:00

Okay well maybe not here in my house but it's Robby's and mine favorite time of year! We get so into it and so excited about the game! Now you know our team is THE TROY TROJANS and that's who we are most passionate about! Our first game is Thursday night and we will be listening to it on the radio (no TV for this one). And let me just go ahead and encourage all the Troy Alumni to support you your alma mater...we need your support and encouragement! It might be tempting to pull for one of those other schools in your state but why? They haven't given you anything, your just following the crowd! So stand up and have courage to support and cheer on your school's team this season...

GO TROJANS!!!

Check out THE TROJANS web site here.

Fall LifePointe Groups

2009-08-21T11:53:00.004-04:00

At CrossPointe, LifePointe Groups are how we connect and do life together. This past spring, Robby and I lead The Supper Club Group and we enjoyed it so much and God really blessed us thought this group. So this fall we decided to lead another in conjunction with Bo and Meredith Mobley. We are really excited about the group and can’t wait for the first meeting, which isn’t until Sept. 13th. To learn more about our group or any other group at CrossPointe click here to go to the website!

Pictures from July

2009-08-21T11:05:00.008-04:00

Galatians Chapter 4

2009-08-21T10:48:00.002-04:00

Galatians Chapter 4

Before Christ came, all people were enslaved to sin 0 by His death, He paid the debt and purchased our freedom.

Jesus not only fulfilled the law by keeping it perfectly, but He also paid its curse.

This ultimate sacrifice paved the way for God to adopt us as His very own children – we are qualified to receive spiritual inheritance.

Our good deeds don’t motivate God to love us anymore than He already does – no matter how great they are – but they do fulfill the purpose of God.

Vs. 15 Without spiritual connection – we have no joy. Joy comes within and it produced when we understand that Jesus is the source of our peace and contentment no matter what the circumstances!

If we put our trust in Jesus Christ by faith then we are children of the promise (as opposed to Ishmal)

As Christians we will be mocked and ridiculed if we are being bold witnesses of Christ – but this shouldn’t surprise us, Jesus said it would happen.

Galatians Study Cont'd

2009-08-21T10:19:00.003-04:00

Galatians Chapter 2

Even though God calls Christians with different ministries in different places, our Good News Message is always the same – the only way to be saved from our sin is through faith alone in Christ alone.

Paul used his heart and head to prepare for his visit to Jerusalem and so should we when we are preparing for anything! We are not to draw on feeling alone but we should also us knowledge from the word and advice of mature Christians.

Life should be a blend of responding to God’s prompting in our hearts by using our heads to carry out our assignment.

The truth of the gospel and the person of Jesus will always bring unity in the diversity of the body of Christ.

Question: How can I demonstrate the Gospel of Grace to other in tangible ways? (vs 10)

Paul and Peters confrontation (vs 11-16) shows us that for the right reason, it is never easy, but necessary and beneficial .

We are made right with God only by believing and receiving God’s gracious gift of salvation through faith – not by obeying the law. The Law=human effort

Vs. 19-20 – It is possible for sinners to live the Christian Life!

No one is capable of perfection – that is why when we accept what Jesus did on the cross we are then admitting our good works can never help us – because this life in not about us – but about what HE did on the cross for us!

HE lived a perfect life – and then took on my and your sin, and died the death we should have.

Galatians Chapter 3

God delivered the Galatians, you, and I, by means of justification by faith, not by works of the law.

Some proofs that we, the Galatians, have been justified by faith, and not the law:
1.We received the Holy Spirit as a gift, not a result of anything we have done
2.We are spiritual descendants of Abraham – those who believed God by faith (3:6-9)
3.God’s will and testament can never be revoked, the promise God made to Abram(He would receive salvation by faith, not by his good works) was ratified when Jesus died on the cross!

Vs. 10-14: If we want to get into a right relationship with God, if we want eternal life, if we want to get to heaven, if we want to count for something in this life – we must put our trust in Jesus! Accept by faith what He has already done – it’s not about how good of a person we are – it’s about HIM! Our good works can only condemn, they will never be good enough; they can’t justify or save us!

Vs. 19-25 The Law of Moses: Why was it given and how can we apply this to our life:
1. The Law was given to show us how guilty we are of our sin
2. To show us we are prisoners of our sin
3. To keep us in protective custody
4. To be our guardian and teacher

What does it mean to be justified by faith?
1. We are children of God
2. We have been united with Christ in baptism (by the Holy Spirit)
3. We have been made like Him (clothed with Christ)
4. We are one with Christ Jesus
5. We are children of Abraham (heirs of the promises God gave to Abraham)

The Truth’s of Galatians continues to teach me that I am eternally grateful for Jesus’ work on the cross! He did for me what I could never do for myself! I pray I continue to live this life out of an abundance of what He did for me – nothing else matters except for the work of the cross!

Does the way you live your life reflect this truth?

July has been busy...

2009-08-02T17:52:00.008-04:00

I can't believe the whole month of July has gone by! Where has the summer gone to?
Well here is a recap of the month:

July 4th weekend:
We spent the weekend camping, outside at Smith Lake with Robby's family. I would describe the weekend as: adventurous, hot, new experiences!

ATL Shopping was next with Meredith and Claire. Let's just say we visited every store at Lenox and they were glad we came!

Next was, Volunteering at the Highland Community 2nd Chance Resource Center . This summer our women's group at CrossPointe has had Celebration activities going on and this event has impacted me the most. This is a homeless ministry in Columbus that is doing great work for the kingdom! I totally could not get myself together when I first got there. All I could think about was how blessed I was that I could go to ATL and shop in stores, meanwhile there are people in my community who don't own cars, we have to go shop in shelter's for clothes that have been worn. Needless to say God really spoke to my heart, confirming more and more that this life is not about me but about HIS Glory and HIS Plans!
Thank you Lord for your grace in my life!

A much needed Spa Day at Sunday's was next! If you know me then you know I am a sucker for spa's. The one in Columbus is good but the best one I have ever been to is the Qua Spa at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas! If you ever visit Vegas, this is the place to go; check out their web site!

The big 10 year high school reunion was next! Can't believe it's been 10 years since I graduated from high school. It seems like yesterday I got my driver's license and was dancing on the football field with the Pantherettes (high school dance team)! It was great to catch up with everyone and I really enjoyed seeing old faces.

20 Something’s pool party! This is one of our groups at CrossPointe that Robby and I have a good time being involved with! Every time our group gets together it's always a good time. Jamie Rosa hosted us at his pool and cooked some great food! By the way ladies, he is single!!

Ellasyn Claire was born! I can't believe this day came; my best friend from college had her first baby. It seems like yesterday we were eating lunch at Saga or hanging out at the sorority house but 5 years later, we are both married and she has the most adorable little one! Congratulations to Lynsey and Blake on their new baby girl!

Towards the end of the month we went Scalloping in Port St. Joe! Okay new adventure for Robby and I but we had a great time. We went scalloping with our friends Jamie and Claire and their dog McCoy (Sammy would not have liked this trip, we spent the whole day in the water and it does not like water at all)! We caught enough scallop’s for Claire to make a yummy dinner the following day. We hope to make this a yearly tradition!

The last event for July is the best one of all. After pinching pennies for 16 months we have finally debt free! We owe nothing to no one (well except our mortgage)!! I can't tell you how freeing it is to be debt free! Shout out to the Counts' family and Dave Ramsey for encouraging us along the way!!
I'll post pictures soon!

coming soon

2009-07-16T15:33:00.001-04:00

Things have been so busy! I promise an update is coming soon!

Love 2 all!

Galatians Study

2009-06-25T22:27:00.003-04:00

This summer I am studying Galatians and I am really enjoying it. There are some many foundational truths; I wish I would have study this before Romans back in the fall!

Here are some things the Lord is putting on my heart:

Without Grace (unmerited favor) there is no way to have freedom from sin.

My spirit and flesh are in opposition

We are justified by faith alone - not by what we do, or don't do.

There is nobody outside the reach of God's amazing grace. There is not a single person, no matter how bad or how stubborn, who Jesus does not love (look at Paul's life!!).

Salvation is by God's grace, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There's nothing we can do to establish a right relationship with God except to believe in His Son and receive Him as our Savior and Lord.

The Christian life is about acceptance, it is not performance-based.

The only way to discern a lie is to know the truth...the truth is found in Christ.

Paul makes it clear to the Galatian's that he spent three years alone with the Lord to prepare himself for his ministry. Through prayer and study he knew God so intimately. This makes me ask myself, how much time do I spend before the Lord before I go out to bible studies or other various Christian events?

Chapter 2 is really good too...more on that later!

I pray each reader is spending time in the word and valuing your time with the Lord! He loves you and desires these things more than we could want them for ourselves!

Love2all!

PS... The picture above was placed to intrigue you to read to the bottom! It has nothing to do with the post! But I took it last Spring when Robby and I were flying over the Hoover Dam on our trip to Las Vegas!!

Mack's going away Party

2009-06-24T10:38:00.008-04:00

Dr. Mack Hendrix is headed to Virgina; we are sad to see him go but so happy for him and his new fiancee Rebecca! Mack has been my go to docotor for all my sickness this year. I am so thankful to have gotten to know him and Rebecca! We celebrated this past weekend at the River. We love you and will miss you Mack!!

Mack and Rebecca

With Becca, Laura Susan and Danielle

With Megan, Rebecca, Claire and Laura Susan

With the greatest husband!

The past couple weeks...

2009-06-16T15:22:00.005-04:00

Girls beach trip!

Birthday celebration with family in Birmingham!

Wedding dress shopping for my sister (Lauren) who is getting married!

A celebrated birthday

2009-06-04T21:59:00.014-04:00

Well this past week I turned 28 years old. Life is going by fast, seems like just yesterday I was 21! But it was a great day and I felt very loved and celebrated!

This is Will Hawk, our youth pastor and it was his birthday too! Will is tons of fun and we always have a good time at the office but on our birthday we acted a little bit more silly than usual...can you tell by the picture?

The cake on the left was the brownie cake that Karen Anne (Will's wife) made for us. It was so yummy and the cake on the right was what was left of the ice cream cake that Jennifer (our pastors wife) got us. Let's just say I ate enough calories between these two cakes to last me a week!
Robby and I on our way to eat at Carrabba's! It was so yummy!!! I had the Rigatoni Martino, next time you go, I recommend trying this!!

One of my favorite part's of the day was eating ice cream at Bruster's with our close friends. Thank you to The Herndons, The Pages, The Groce's and the Mobley's for coming to eat ice cream! (We missed the Cains :( but hope you guys had fun at the beach!!) And most importantly thank you for the spa gift certificate!! I can't wait to use it!

Love2all!!

The River

2009-05-29T13:34:00.008-04:00

We have been hanging out at the River the past couple weekends with our wonderful friends Brittany and Taylor and Claire and Jamie. Here are some pictures...

lately...

2009-05-29T12:41:00.004-04:00

For some reason, everything has been bothering me lately. I can't put my finger on it, but I have been experiencing all different emotions this week: sad, mad, happy, overwhelmed, frustrated, excited, discontent, annoyed! But usually I can just by-pass all these emotions and go with the flow; this week I can't. So here is what is helping me get through it:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." ~John 15:1-5

I could go on and on about how these 5 verses have held my heart this week, but the bottom line is my father is pruning me and I must trust him and abide in him!

The OT frequently uses the vineyard or vine as a symbol for Israel, God's covenant people, especially in two “vineyard songs” in Isaiah. However, Israel's failure to produce fruit resulted in divine judgment. Jesus, by contrast, is “the true vine,” and his followers abide in him and produce fruit.

What Jesus is saying here is that we as believers can not sit still, we must be pruned daily and that is what he is doing with my emotions this week...pruning them! I think it's pretty normal to feel all these different emotions but it's all in the way we handle them. I can't let my emotions control my decisions or abilities but rather I must trust in my God and act on truth...not react to emotions!

If you read this say a little pray for my "pruning" this week and that I would abide in HIM and not my emotions!

Final car payment

2009-05-15T20:15:00.005-04:00

Robby and I paid off my car tonight!! I am so excited, we officially have no more car payments ever again! We paid both our car's off two years early and look forward to paying cash for the next one! We will never finance another car again!

IT's a great feeling not owning someone money, now we are almost debt free! Just a couple more thousand and we can join the small number of people in the world that have no debt! All thanks to our mentor, Mr. Dave Ramsey. If you don't know about him or his "Seven Steps for Financial Peace" then I encourage you to check out his web site, click here. We started his program 9 months ago and it has changed our lives! We are on our way to step #3 soon!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:31:00.003-04:00

Today is a very special day for all the moms and moms to be. It's a day we celebrate their hard work, love and dedication. God designed moms to be the glue of the family - the substance that holds our families together. It's our God - ordained career laid out by the creator from the very beginning of time. There is no other job a women has more importantly than being a mom!

In the Bible, Titus and 1 Timothy talk about us being the "keepers at home" and I love that God has called us to prepare a house like His house, a home like His home - a beautiful picture and foretaste of what is yet to come. The biblical term used for "keep house" actually means "to govern or manage a house or the domestic affairs of a family." We get to be the master of the house, all that goes on is our domain!

I just read a book several months ago called "Youniquely Woman" Becoming who God designed You to Be; by Kay Arthur, Emilie Barnes and Donna Otto. It was so good and there was a whole chapter devoted to "parenting with a purpose". I pull this book out every so often and revert back to it. It is so good for moms, wives and women who want to live intentional and serve the Lord.

Thank you Lord that your design for women is to be the helper and keeper of our homes and the role model for our children. Thank you for the example of the Proverbs 31 women, may we aspire to be like her and please our king!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOMS!

Broadhurst Pollock Wedding

2009-04-29T13:43:00.011-04:00

Last weekend we took a trip to Orlando, FL with our friends Will and Brittany for Lindsey Pollock and Blake Broadhurst's wedding. Lindsey and I were sorority sisters and Robby and Blake played football together at Troy. Robby was a groomsmen in the wedding and loved being there for Blake. It was a very adventurous weekend to say the least!The bride and groom cutting the cake...Lindsey was a beautiful bride!

A close-up of the cake...

Robby and I

Our friends Will and Brittany

A special treat of the weekend was getting to see our old friends from Troy, Demetrius and Amy Summerville. In this picture Amy is with their youngest child Journey. They also have the most adorable baby boy Jayden. Check out their blog here!

And the last special treat of the weekend was getting to go shopping with one of my heart friends Laura Susan (LSC)!!! We are in a small group together with our other heart friends Claire and Lauren. We call ourselves heart friends because we really do love, care and pray for each other. I could not make it through my week with out these girls, they have become my family in Columbus and I am so thankful for their friendship. Anyway I'll stop gushing over them and tell you that LSC was in Orlando for a pharmacy conference (she is a pharmacist) and since I was there too we decided to hit one of the major malls in Orlando! We had a blast in this big city and ate dinner at this fabulous Italian restaurant. I am so glad we got to spend some time together, away from our normal routines! Love ya LSC!!

Phil 3:13-14

2009-04-22T23:30:00.002-04:00

These two verses are very important in my life right now, I thought I would share. Hope it speaks to you...

I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Jesus wants us to spend time in His word...reading the scriptures. Have you done this today? Do it! He loves you and wants you to draw near to Him!

The Gospel

2009-04-09T13:50:00.003-04:00

John Piper had this to say a couple days ago on his Desiring God website. I love the wisdom this man has and the challenges he puts out to Christians. Read it and tell me what you think..

(Author: John Piper)

Here is a simple exhortation that I have been trying to implement in our family:

Seek to see and feel the gospel as bigger as years go by rather than smaller.

Our temptation is to think that the gospel is for beginners and then we go on to greater things. But the real challenge is to see the gospel as the greatest thing—and getting greater all the time.

The Gospel gets bigger when, in your heart,

grace gets bigger;
Christ gets greater;
his death gets more wonderful;
his resurrection gets more astonishing;
the work of the Spirit gets mightier;
the power of the gospel gets more pervasive;
its global extent gets wider;
your own sin gets uglier;
the devil gets more evil;
the gospel's roots in eternity go deeper;
its connections with everything in the Bible and in the world get stronger;
and the magnitude of its celebration in eternity gets louder.

So keep this in mind: Never let the gospel get smaller in your heart.

Pray that it won't. Read solid books on it. Sing about it. Tell someone about it who is ignorant or unsure about it.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel.... For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

The Time

2009-04-06T12:53:00.003-04:00

I was reminded this weekend just how fast life goes by. We celebrated my grandmothers 91^st birthday on Friday night. She has had a wonderful life, and she is still going strong. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be at that age but I am so thankful that Grandmommy is still here! Thank you Lord for blessing us all with her life! Happy Birthday Grandmommy!

I also got to see my youngest sister go to prom! Katie looked beautiful as always and it was a real joy to watch her get all dolled up. It seems like yesterday I was going to prom…oh how the time flies by!

I also got to spend time with my little Bryanna (she is on my hip in the picture) and I just love her and miss her so much. Every time I go up to Birmingham she always has something new to tell me and always a new game! This was one of the hardest times though that I ever had leaving her. She just cried and was so upset and didn't want her howie to leave...I cried too. I wish I was in her life everyday, I guess it will only get harder as she grows. But the good news is that she knows her aunt howie and loves her!!

Welcome to the world!!!

2009-03-27T13:54:00.010-04:00

Two great friends just had their babies! Welcome to the world Charleigh and Ava Greer!

Meredith and Bo Mobley, friends from church, had Charleigh Marie on Thursday at 7:20 a.m. She weighed 7 pounds 1 oz and was 17 1/2 inches long. She is beautiful and The Mobley's were so excited to add their second child into their family. Meredith is excited about coming home on Saturday!

Lacey and Heath Hughes, friends from college, had Ava Greer on Wednesday at 4:33 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds 15 oz and was 21 inches long. They are thrilled to have their first child. Lacey is going to bee be a wonderful mom. You can check out her blog by clicking here.

Both mommy's and babies are doing great!

My Blog Reader

2009-03-23T00:18:00.002-04:00

I like to follow a number of blogs to stay up to date with friends, relatives and even the latest fashion, tips on being a great wife and numerous other topics. So I decided rather than going to each blog to see if there was anything new out I would get me a google reader. It's great because I just sign in to google reader and read all the new post each day.
But here is my complaint, I can't comment on the blogs from my google reader. If I wanted to comment I would have to go to the bloggers page and comment. I think that is crazy!! What is the purpose of having this reader if I can't interact with it! Come on you smart, techy people at Google! Can't you figure out a way for me to read and comment in my reader??
Please work on this to make my life (and maybe some other bloggers) even more easier!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-03-12T17:47:00.005-04:00

Today is a special day for two special people in my life...my little sister Katie and my niece Bryanna. It's their birthday!

It seems like yesterday I was rocking Katie to sleep or playing Barbies, or swimming in the pool at BB and granddaddy's house but today she is 17 years old! We still share special memories but I am reminded today of how fast life goes by. She has grown up so fast and is so beautiful, I know she will change this world and make it a better place in her future! Happy Birthday Kaite-Bug...I love you!

Now on to little Bryanna. She is an adorable two year old today! The first two years of her life have been so sweet. She is a lot like by brother when he was a child. Loves to play outside, eat dog food and get really dirty! She does have the Kemp temper though! (Unfortunately a lot of us carry this around) I love being an aunt to her and I wish I could be in her life more, I try as hard as I can to spoil her while I can...I can't wait to see her and give her presents this Saturday at her birthday party! Happy Birthday Bry Bry...Aunt Hollie loves you!!

Half Marathon Race

2009-03-04T17:00:00.010-05:00

It is finished! I ran and finished my first ever half marathon this past weekend! Our friends Jamie and Claire along with some friends from church all went down to Seaside, FL to run in the half marathon. While the rest of the south was getting snow we were at a very windy and cool beach, running our hearts out! I really did not start feeling bad until mile 10, that is when I got a horrible cramp in my stomach which slowed me down. But needless to say I finished in 2 hours and 33 minutes (with the Lord's help)! I hope to do it again next year but my goal will be 2 hours and 15 minutes!
The whole weekend was fun and we enjoyed being in Seaside, just a cute town!

Recap...

2009-02-23T14:28:00.013-05:00

So it is the end of February and I haven't posted a blog since December! The time has just flew by!

Here is an update:

January:

Tax's, Tax's and more Tax's!! My main focus this month was to get the church's 2008 tax's, W-2's and 1099 forms filed and sent out along with all the tithing contribution statements. Needless to say I had no idea what I was doing but the Lord helped me through it all! They are all signed, sealed and delivered!

I got to go to the Celine Dion concert in Birmingham with my two sisters, step-mom and aunt! It was a lot of fun and Celine was beautiful! I had tons of flash backs to my dancing days and wish I would have done a solo to one of here songs"Because you loved me"...I would have dedicated it to my Nana.

Our women's retreat caped the month off "Connect 09" It was so fun and I got to learn some really interested things: my personality type, how to be ministry focused in everyday life and how important it is to take care of our bodies (thanks Jenny Hord)! Jennifer our pastors wife did an amazing job with planning every detail and I am so lucky to be able to work with her. Great job Jenn!

February:

I recommitted to my eating/weight loss program this month. So far I have lost 34 pounds but stopped trying when the holidays came so I am back on the program with 25 more to loose! I'll keep up posted.

Robby was, as always, Mr. Romantic for Valentine's! We had a nice relaxing night in and he made a great dinner that he found of the Olive Garden's website. See below:

Roast Pork Loin with Grapes and Wine

Ingredients

3 tsp garlic, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt2 tsp black pepper, coarsely ground

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 lbs center-cut boneless pork loin

1 cup dry white wine

1 lb red & white seedless grapes

Procedures:

Preheat oven to 375º F.
COMBINE garlic, sage, salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp of oil in mixing bowl; evenly coat pork loin.
COAT large baking pan with 2 Tbsp of oil. Place pork loin in baking pan; cover pan with aluminum foil. Place in oven and roast for approximately 10-15 minutes per pound or until temperature reaches 155º F (medium well).
REMOVE foil; roast additional 15 minutes or until well-browned. Remove pork loin from pan and place on cutting board. Let stand for 10 minutes.
PLACE pan used to roast pork on stovetop over medium heat. Add wine. Using spatula, scrape bottom of pan to release drippings. Add grapes; cook until soft and wine is reduced by half.
SLICE pork loin into 1/2” slices and place on serving platter. Pour grapes and sauce over pork. Serve immediately.

It was great and we enjoyed hanging out together!

Of course the big event for February was getting ready to run the Sea Side Half Marathon that we committed to do back in the fall. My friend Claire and I have been training mostly together and along with our husbands. It's next Sunday and I am really excited about it. The training has been hard...I am not a runner...but I am working on it! Much prayer will be needed on March 1st at 7 a.m.!

Celebrating 5 years of marriage!

2008-12-12T13:33:00.009-05:00

We celebrated five years of marriage last weekend in Gatlinburg with my brother and his wife. We had a great time with them and enjoyed relaxing by the fire in our cabin. We went skiing, shopping and did a little exploring! It was very cold and even snowed!
I still can't believe Robby and I have be married for five years! I am so thankful the Lord gave me an amazing husband who loves me even though I can be a pain! I love him with all my hear and look forward to the next five years! I wonder how our lives will look then?
Here are some picture of the trip!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-02T15:20:00.006-05:00

The Farmers spent their Thanksgiving mostly in a car as usual. Now, I am trying not to sound negative but just once in my married life I would like to spend Thanksgiving at my home with my husband and my little Sammy. Maybe one day!

The holiday was good though and I have a lot to be thankful for and as I prayed and prepared for all the travel I came up with a short list of things I was thankful for. Here are a few:

*Being a daughter of the King

*A loving, forgiving husband

* Family, even if they drive me crazy, at least I have them!

*Wonderful Friends

*Good health

*Wonderful church family

*Mine and Robby's jobs

*My little dog, Sammy

*Living in America

*Freedom

*Love

Hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

20 Something's Get Together

2008-11-03T13:00:00.015-05:00

Our church, CrossPointe, has a group called the 20 Something's. Basicly if your in the age range of 20 - 30 you can be apart of this group! This past weekend our courageous leaders Danielle and Reynold planned a fun get together at Jamie and Claire Herndon's family farm. Let's just say we had a lot of fun! But the pictures can speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Being the aunt

2008-10-28T13:36:00.011-04:00

I love being an Aunt! My niece Bryanna and my mom took a trip down to Columbus to see me two weeks ago. Here are some pictures...enjoy!

My effort to save money

2008-10-28T12:42:00.006-04:00

I made an effort a couple weeks ago to save money. How, you might ask? Well I paid a visit to Wal-mart. They are the low price place...right?

Now I have to say in college I loved Wal-mart, it was really the only place in Troy to shop for groceries, toiletries and house hold items. But Since I have moved to Columbus Wal-mart is kind of out of my way. You see Publix is right down the street from my house so it's very convenient to go to.

My experience at the low price place was needless to say terrible a couple Friday's ago. I went on a Friday night around 8 p.m. I needed groceries and the basic toiletries for the house. After wondering around a big store for over an hour (never once could find someone to ask where anything was) I finally found most of the items I was looking for. Then I had to find a check out counter that was open. Lucky me, I found two and of course the lines at these counters were a mile long!! I really don't understand why they don't open more check out lines. So after waiting 17 minutes (yes I was looking at my watch with a very unhappy look on my face) I finally got to put my stuff that I had spent over an hour looking for on the belt to be swiped. The cashier was somewhat friendly. She had to bag all my groceries and then I had to put them all in the buggy. Then I had to push my own cart out in the rain to load them into my car. Once the buggy was empty do you think I could find any empty cart holder to put my buggy in? NO!
So although I might have saved a couple extra dollar going to the low price place, was it really worth it? At Publix the employees are actually around the store to help you find what you are looking for. At Publix there are always plenty of check out lines open and then they also bag your groceries, put them in the cart, take them to your car and take the buggy back with them! So I am here to say yes, I might have saved a few extra dollar but it was not worth what I had to go through to do it!

I will still remain a faith Publix shopper even though I might pay an extra $.30 for my milk! and like there logo says, its a pretty pleasurable experience!

Sisters

2008-10-13T14:37:00.003-04:00

I love that God works in amazing ways and turns bad things into good things. My parents got divorced when my twin brother and I were 18 months old. Of course we don't remember this but there are a lot of other things in my childhood that remind me of it. It wasn't all bad but I did always have an empty place in my heart because of a missing father.

My dad remarried when we were 3 years old to a very sweet lady, Donna. And they had two beautiful daughters Katie and Lauren. I love them so much, and I am sure they have no idea how much...although I tell them all the time. Lauren is 21 and goes to University of Montevallo. She pledged Chi Omega a year ago and it made me so happy because I was a Chi O in college too. Kaite is 16 and just got her first car. I am so thankful that God put them in my life. I love being the big sister and being able to bless them with new clothes, fun adventures and going to get pedicures.

We got to spend a little time together this past weekend just hanging out and I cherished this time.

My heart is so pleased that the Father allowed me to be a sister and I am so humble to have this responsibility! For all those sisters out there make sure you always tell your bothers or sisters how much you love them and care for them!!

October Update

2008-10-06T14:16:00.008-04:00

So when I first started my blog I thought I will write something at least once a week. Well that is not happening but I am going to try to start doing better!

Just to recap the last month:

Robby and I went to Sea Island with our friends Jaime and Claire, Rosa and Mack and their girlfriends. We had a blast, and it was a new place I had never been. I love adventures and going to new places. Sea Island has a rich heritage; it's on the Atlantic cost and is a resort island. It is part of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles of Georgia together with Jekyll Island, St. Simons Island, and Little St. Simons Island. In 1911, Howard Coffin purchased 20,000 acres of land and began developing it as a private resort. In 1928 he began an overnight inn and lodge named “The Cloister”. The resort it now controlled privately and public access is limited.

We have also been watching a lot of football. We are Trojan fans (Troy University) but our team has struggled somewhat this year. We are ready to see them play in person in a couple weeks.

Also this past month I hit the 30 pound mark! It's taking me longer to loose this weight but I am doing it the right way and God is helping me. My biggest problem with gaining the weight has been my emotions. I could talk days about it but I will spare you! My next goal is another 20 to get me to a 50 pound weight lost, and I am hoping to do this by December 6th (My 5th year wedding anniversary)! I'll keep you posted!

Two weeks ago Robby and I attended the 3rd annual Madisyn Kemp Golf Tournament. This was to benefit my sweet niece who passed away in march from SMA. For more about her life and the disease that took her you can visit her website at http://www.madisynkemp.com/. I had a great time seeing family and visiting with my sweet Bryanna (Madisyn's sister).

Pictured below is my dad, me and my two sisters Lauren and Katie.

Well, that's all for now. Look for more soon, I promise!

My ankle

2008-08-27T22:39:00.009-04:00

I have to put a disclaimer out there for this post:

I don't have the prettiest feet in the world; with all the years of dancing in point toes, barefooted, and dance boots my feet have taken a beating over the years (and I am only 27). So when you look at these pictures just look at the ankle!

My friend Clair and I were running our weekly trail at the park and it had been raining so we were being careful. Lately we both have been tripping a lot and we attribute that to our tennis shoes. I am going on over a year now and the support is just not there. Well I tripped yesterday and it stung a little but I kept going. When I got home last night after making dinner (taco salad) I noticed my ankle was a little swollen. I didn't think too much of this because it's done this before. (There was this one time in college when I hurt it bad, freshmen year).

Today I woke up to an even bigger ankle...what is the deal? It does sting a little and my brave, strong husband tells me I'll be fine but still I can't get over how fat my ankle is!

See pictures below, your sympathy is appreciated!

This is the normal ankle: This is the swollen ankle:

Life

2008-08-19T17:20:00.009-04:00

Two weeks ago my mom, sister-in-law and niece came to visit me. I was so excited. See pictures!

Update

2008-08-04T18:54:00.010-04:00

Wow, so much has been going on lately that I haven't been able to write. Last week we were at the beach all week...it was wonderful. I had a great time with Robby, my sisters and step-mom and we also met up with some friends. But God also used the time to speak to my heart, I will write about it soon.

Monday was my friend Kimberly's last day with our church, the time has come for her and Jarvis to move to Birmingham. I think most of us kept thinking the day would never come...and when the day did come it was so sad. We are losing our partners in the gospel and very good friends. Needless to say it's been a whirlwind of emotions lately. I'll write more when I get time but for now see pictures below.

Sammy's new friend

2008-07-21T14:22:00.006-04:00

Last week Cane Wright (Kimberly and Jarvis' son) came over to play with Sammy. They had lots of fun chasing each other and tackling one another. Here are some pictures of their adventure.

The dog days of summer...

2008-07-21T13:40:00.006-04:00

Or at least I think the saying goes something like that. Anyway, Sammy and I went for our morning running this morning and it was pretty hot. He did a great job though and finished with me (only 2 miles). I was getting ready with my normal routine when I walked about of the bathroom into the bedroom to find one tired puppy. I guess it was to hot and he was tired so he climbed right up into the bed and was cuddled up right in my spot! See pictures below! Poor puppy - I often wonder what dogs think. I wonder if he was thinking "this is the life"...because he sure looks like he has a great life! If I was a dog...I wonder what I would be like? Probably prissy and want to sleep in the bed, under the covers too!

Beilze Trip and my first full week at CrossPointe

2008-07-16T20:14:00.005-04:00

A group of 30 people from our Church left on Saturday to go on a mission trip to Belize. They are working on lots of projects and ministering to the people anyway they can. Please say a special pray for the team, I am sure by now they are getting tired and weary.
On another note, my first week at CrossPointe has been wonderful. I am sad that Kimberly is leaving but I am thankful that God has brought me in to be part of the team. For the first time in a long time I feel appreciated, valued and apart of something much bigger than myself. And it's not anything anyone has said to me it's just the way the staff and church members relate to one another. So far I have learned lots but the funnest thing has been publishing the podcast...who knew I could do something like this!
Kimberly has been a wonderful teacher and I am really going to miss her, I know everyone else will too. Please pray for her and her husband Jarvis as they move to Birmingham for his job. They are really wonderful people and CrossPointe is going to miss them so much!

So the theme today is prayer! Pray for our the Belize team and Kimberly and Jarvis!

LOVE

2008-07-11T14:47:00.001-04:00

As I was spending time with the Lord this morning I came across Deut. 6:5-7 and it reads:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

I felt so overwhelmed, I have read this before, but the Lord spoke it to me this morning in a different way. Sometime I don't even know how to love with all my heart, yet alone with all my soul and strength! Why do I struggle with love? If HE loves me that much then I should love Him and everything else in this world just as much. Is it because I have a worldly view of love? As I studied more I felt His grace upon my shoulders. You see even though we don't love like He loves, (because our love is imperfect) we still should love! I know I have a hard time showing and receiving love and that's when the 5 love languages come in handy. They are: Affirmation, Time, Gifts, Service and Touch.

Love - it's the greatest gift of all and even though we love imperfectly we still should love. So today I send out all my love to everyone and everything...even to the bugs!

Transitions…

2008-07-07T00:31:00.001-04:00

So…it’s midnight on Sunday and I am suppose to be in the bed getting some much needed sleep for a busy week I have ahead of me. But, I am still up thinking and wondering how much my life has been in transition over the last 5 years. First it was transiting from college to married life, hello wake-up call! I love married life now, but since I wasn’t the type of girl growing up that day-dreamed about it, I really didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to report that in December, Robby and I will have been married for 5 years!
Then there was the transition to working full-time at the newspaper in Troy, then the transition to working for the university, which I loved and to this day miss. But the hardest transition so far was moving to Columbus. No friends, no family, no contacts…nothing but my faith and husband. Then there was the job transition from CSU back to the university, this was a big step in responsibility for me. I have enjoyed this job, but it’s brought about more stress in my life than I care to have! There were nights I would lay awake thinking about work, not being able to shut it off. Of course, I was trusting in the Lord but I still felt the weight on my shoulders. I don’t think I could bare the thought of standing in front of Dr. Hawkins and explaining why the campus didn’t meet the goals.
Now I am transitioning to CrossPointe…and it can’t come fast enough! I am really nervous because the one thing I don’t want to do is disappoint people. This is also a big transition in lifestyle too. Robby and I no longer have separate checking accounts (we won’t need them anymore) so my spending will be monitored now. Let’s just say I have fears about this transition but as always I am trusting in something that is greater than myself!
So here’s to transitions, each time it gives us an opportunity to grow, trust and build our faith…
Now on to some much needed sleep!

Our Spot

2008-07-06T23:46:00.001-04:00

Welcome to our blog spot! I have finally made a blog; something I have been wanting to do for a while. What a great way to keep in touch with people and learn about others. Several of our friends have been blogging for a while and so I made up my mind it was time! I hope you enjoy The Farmers spot!