What I have learned since moving to Tallahassee...

Well, it's been a while since my last entry, so I thought it was time to update my blog again. Not to much has been going on, but I have been having fun cooking and crafting since, I am still not working. I have been looking for a job, but still no luck. I know one thing, this economy hasn't helped at all. I am however, still enjoying cooking and keeping the house clean and organized. I actually have never been so organized in my life, wow did I just admit that?? Well, if you were to ask my mom how my room was growing up, she would probably say it was worse than a pig pen. Actually, that's probably not even a bad enough description, but since that was back in my teenage years I will move on. I am just glad my cleaning habits changed dramatically- oh and I am pretty sure John would agree with that as well!!

Last night, for some reason I got to thinking about all the different things that I have learned in the short time we have lived here in Tallahassee. I thought it would be cool to share some of these with you, so here it goes.

1. Feeling safe and secure is something to never take for granted.
- After the neighborhood that the rental house we lived in for our first 2 months in Tallahassee had 8 burglaries over the span of a few weeks as well as getting to make my first call to 911, I quickly realized how important it was to feel safe and secure where you live!

2. It really doesn't matter if the pastor of your church wears a suit or not.
- The pastor of the church we ended up joining here doesn't wear suits or a tie, which at first bothered me, but God taught me that it's not about what he wears, but where his heart is.

3. It's not fair to compare the last place you lived to your new location.
- In order to give Tallahassee a fair chance, I had to quit comparing it to Valdosta. I will admit, there are some things I still miss from Valdosta and one of those is the wonderful people!

4. Mowing the yard can be really fun, however, this does require a riding lawn mower!!

5. It's so fun and exciting to see how much you can actually save on food by using coupons and watching the weekly sale ads!
- I never thought there would be a day where I would be looking forward to the coupons in the Sunday paper!! You would be amazed at how much you can save by using coupons and planning your meals around what's on sale that week!

6. Before you buy something in town, check the Internet.
- I have saved up to $25 and received free shipping by ordering things online!

7. It's so important to take time out of our busy lives and let others who are going through hard times know that you are praying and thinking about them.
- It doesn't take much time at all to send a note or email and you never know how that might impact their day!

8. I never leave the house without all the doors locked and without being on "guard" while in town running errands.
- It is a normal occurrence in Tallahassee for someone to get mugged. This has really woke me up and helped me realize to always be alert of my surroundings!

9. Florida is definitely not the South! Boy, are Floridians missing out on all the wonderful food and southern hospitality found in Mississippi and Alabama!!
- Until two months ago, we had some new friends here that were born and raised in Tallahassee and they had never tasted or herd of Shrimp Gumbo! It's also normal to get honked at here while driving in town, as everyone moves at faster pace than I am use to!

10. Hobby Lobby is the best craft store around and sadly Tallahassee only has Michael's and Joann's. I really do miss my Hobby Lobby, but I will survive and most likely save lots of money!!

11. Recycling is such a great option to have and it saves so much space in your regular trash!
- Tallahassee is the first place I have lived where we have the option to recycle and are provided a separate trash can for it. It really has saved lots of space in our normal kitchen trash can and it also helps the environment at the same time!

12. The worse thing you can do to the walls in your house is to texture them!
- In Florida, apparently it's a standard thing when building a house to texture the walls unless you are applying wall paper. Not only do texture walls suck up more paint, but I think they look very messy - plus you can't get rid of it unless you sand all of the walls down, which I am sure would take hours!

13. Having a separate shower and tub in your master bathroom isn't really that important.
- Our home in Valdosta had a separate shower and tub, but our home we bought here only has a large shower. To my surprise I have not even missed the tub, plus we have a tub in the guest bathroom if I need one!

14. Living one day at a time and thanking God for not only the big things but also the small things in life should be an every day occurrence!

15. I am learning how rewarding it can be to use everything God has blessed us with to help glorify Him and further His kingdom.
- To often we forget to remember everything we have is a gift from God and how important it is for us to be good stewards of His gifts!

Well, I will stop here as this post has gotten really long. It's amazing at the things God can teach us as long as we are willing to learn! Even though Tallahassee is not my favorite place I have lived, I am excited to see what God has in store for us while we are here!

Grateful God has been working in our life!

It's been a while since I have written and that's mainly because a lot has been going on.

For several weeks, we have had John's job on the prayer request list in our Sunday school class. We really have not known at all what to expect in the future and still can't predict months down the rode, however we have received some promising news in regards to the particular plant John works at. The corporate guy over the forest products industry for GP, stated that since John's plant operates on the lowest cost they would do everything to keep it running at all times over other plants that make the same product. Now I know this doesn't "guarantee" anything, but it sure did ease any worry we had of them shutting his plant down in the near future. John and I really feel that God sent us that small piece of news to remind us that he is in control and we are commanded to not be anxious. Also, on top of this great news, John is also getting the opportunity to train and learn the plants environmental manager job since they currently do not have one and have no plans of hiring one until the market turns around. He is super excited about this opportunity, as it could open up many different doors in the future. Once he is trained he will then be the manager of quality and environmental stuff for his plant. John joked and said: "I not only get to learn new things, but it will also give me better job stability since I will be managing over two of the most important aspects of the plant." Again, this is just more reassurance that God can answer prayers in more ways than we could ever expect! Boy, isn't God good!! It's so great to have the peace that passes all understanding even during this horrific economical situation our country is currently facing.

Our church here in Tallahassee, decided last year to have small group Bible studies on Sunday nights in 2009 in different members homes all over Tallahassee, instead of the normal Sunday night service. In November, when this was decided they started asking for volunteers to open up their homes to host a small group. All this required was providing a place to meet every Sunday night. I felt God kinda tugging my heart and telling me this might be a way John and I needed to serve our Church, but I was a little unsure and asked God to give me a sign. A month later on the way home from a trip to visit John's parents in Alabama, I called and check our messages at the house and to my surprise we had one from a lady at the church asking us is we might be interested in hosting a small group at our home. I don't think God could have answered me any clearer and last night was our first meeting. It went great and we had 14 people here! We are doing a study on Mark and it was great! I am so excited to see all that God has in store for our small group and look forward to getting to know some more members in our church!

Well I saved this news for last since it's probably the most surprising and exciting news for our family..... and the news is.... my sister, Katy, and her husband Craig are expecting their first child!!! This was not a planned situation, due to the fact that they still have 4 more months in veterinarian school and have not even started looking for jobs yet, but I know God will work all the details out and He will take care of their every need! This awesome blessing from God is just a reminder that God's timing may not be ours, but His is always the best! I never would have guessed that they would have beat John and I to the wonderful blessing of parenthood!! Ha!! Now, if my parents already thought they felt old, I wonder how the thought of being a GRANDPARENT makes them feel! HA! HA! No matter how it might make them feel I know they are very excited and I am super excited about being a AUNT!! So, congrats Katy and Craig!!!

Well this ended up longer than I meant, which seems to always happen! I hope every ones new year is off to a great start and that you will remember to thank God for all that he does in your life!

I will close with one of my favorite scriptures: Romans 8:28 " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." I can honestly say that this scripture describes our life right now!

Another great Christmas and a blessed year!!

Christmas is already over and John and I are now back in Florida from a wonderful visit to both Mississippi and Alabama. This Christmas was wonderful! Not only did we get to see most of the Davis and Kirkpatrick family, but we also got to see the Hollomon family! This was the first year since my mom's parents passed away that we got to spend Christmas with them and boy was this a treat! The only one that didn't make it was my cousin Chris and I hate he didn't get to come, but maybe next year! John and I are so blessed to have the best families in the world!

It was so great to get to visit with family and eat some great food! Leaving is always the hard part, it seems to always remind John and I of our wish to live closer to home. I hope one day we will be able to live a little closer to family, but until then I will remain content that God has great plans for us here in Tallahassee.

While we were in Alabama, we got to attend John's church back home, which has been a rare occurrence over the last 3 years. Most of the time when we visit his parents, we have to spend Sunday driving home. The minute we walked in people were so excited to see us. It amazes me how friendly they have always been towards me. His church is a really small country church and has always treated me like they have known me as long as they have known John. This church is such a testament of Christ's love. I thank God for allowing us the opportunity to visit John's home church once again, but more importantly the impact they are having on their community.

Today, I have spent most of the day taking down all of the Christmas decorations and washing laundry from our trip. I have always loved putting up Christmas decorations, but taking them down is not near as much fun... At least I am almost done!!

My mom and dad are coming to visit this weekend and are also bringing the rest of our Christmas present, since we could not fit it all in our car. They gave us some beautiful light fixtures for our home and I can't wait to get them up! This was such a great gift and John and I could never thank them enough for this!! I am excited we are getting to see them again for a few days!!! When you live far from family- you cherish every moment you get to see them!

It's hard to believe that another year has already gone by. This month last year, John found out they were shutting down the plant he worked at in Valdosta, GA and he had to look for a new job. I can honestly say that without going through that event in our life, I would not be the person I am today. It's the neatest thing to see God take a situation such as a job loss to help you develop perseverance and to help you grow stronger with Him! God has blessed us so much this year with John's new job, new friends, a new home, a new church and many other things. As our economy continues to weaken, I am currently grateful that John still has his current job and we are able to pay our bills. The future looks so uncertain with the industry John works in, especially since they are shutting down plants every month and most of the companies are having major financial problems. So far we have been blessed and his plant has stayed in the clear. I continue to try and remain calm, knowing God is in control and He will get us through what ever this economy throws are way. I will always remember how God took care of us last year and that no matter what we will endure in the future that he will take care of us once again. I am so thankful I have a God that will never leave me nor forsake me!

I am excited to see what the future for John and I holds and to experience all that God has in store for us in 2009!! I pray that no matter what you are going through that you not forget that God is always there and He will never leave you!

Christmas is almost here!!!

Well Christmas is almost here and I can't wait to see my family!!I have finally finished my Christmas shopping, which I am very happy about. The traffic and crowds out right now in Tallahassee are getting worse by the day. I am guessing due to the economy there are more last minute shoppers this year waiting to see if sales are going to get any better.

Tomorrow night John and I are hosting our Sunday School Christmas party, so most of today I have been cleaning the house. It seems like I constantly need to dust this house, and I can't seem to get rid of it all. If anyone has any suggestions feel free to let me know. It's really funny how the older I get the more I notice I am like my mother. Ha! Did I really just admit that?? My mom has always never had a problem entertaining and hosting events are their house, and John says I am just like her in that respect.

Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year. One of the reasons is cause I get to go and visit family! If you have ever lived away from your family, holidays are times you always look forward to!!

Some of the best memories I have as a child are during Christmas time. One of the Hollomon family traditions that I miss the most is getting to eat Gumbo at my Daddyer and Memi's house. Memi was always such a good cook, and I regret not spending time with her in the kitchen. She could cook anything and boy when she cooked it was not just a few dishes it was a delicious feast!! Another favorite memory is getting to spend the night with my cousins Chris, Julie and Jon, at Memi and Daddyer's house during Christmas. We would always pull out all of Memi's blankets and sheets and make pallets on the floor, so we could all sleep in the same room. I will never forget some of the pranks we would play on the first person who fell asleep! Tooth paste or shaving cream in the hand was always a funny prank.. boy those were the days!! All of these wonderful memories really make me miss my grandparents on my mom's side. Ever since they both passed away, we rarely get to see our cousins since they live in Texas, but this year there is a slight possibility they might be coming for Christmas and eating lunch with our family. This would be a really nice surprise if they do end up coming!!

Also, for the first time ever the Davis family will not be together on Christmas day for lunch. As much as this saddens me, I know the older everyone gets the harder it is to get everyone together. I do feel blessed that for my entire childhood and most of my young adult life, I got to spend Christmas with all of my aunts, uncles and cousins. Thanks to my mom and dad's influence, I truly understand the importance and meaning of family!

As important as family is, the real reason we should celebrate Christmas is even more important. With out Jesus' birth we would not have eternal life. Instead of getting all caught up in the stresses of the Christmas season, I hope you will stop and remember the real reason we celebrate this glorious holiday and that is due to Jesus' birth. Happy Birthday Jesus!!

Just remember, if we take Christ out of Christmas we have nothing!!

Mississippi and Alabama here the Kirkpatrick's come!!