When I Said I Do...

I meant that I WILL, til the end of all time, be faithful and true, if only to you, that's what I had in mind, when I said I DO.

Aaron and I had the privilege of attending Family Life's Weekend to Remember Marriage Conference last weekend at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio, and it was WONDERFUL!! We recommend that any couple, at any stage, attend. It was so nice to get away together for the weekend, stay at a nice resort, reconnect, redo our vows and remember why we fell in love with one another in the 1st place!

On that note, this past Sunday our SS teacher gave us some good marriage reminder questions to think about...it has been on his heart because divorce, unfortunately, has become so prevalent these days...

1. Do you know your spouse's biggest hopes and dreams?

2. Do you fully understand how they prefer to receive (and display) love? When did you tell them last that you loved them in that manner?

3. If your spouse claims that you hurt their feelings, even though you don't understand how, have you displayed your sincere regret, explained you are sorry, and made an effort to not repeat?

This week, I challenge you to find out the answers to these questions and discuss them with your spouse.

We took away many truths from the marriage conference, but one that sticks out in my mind is that our spouse is not our enemy but a gift from God.

So as you celebrate Thanksgiving together with your loved ones this week, remember to praise and thank God for His MANY blessings, including the gift of your spouse. Confess to Him the times that you have taken this gift for granted and ask Him to help you not to do that again in the future.

Happy Thanksgiving!

PURPLE FEVER

Check out my cute new custom-made Fit Band!!

A lady at the Hillcrest Baptist Church Craft Fair last weekend wanted a TCU band for her daughter so MJ made her one like the one above (purple fabric with white polka dots on a black band) and of course I fell in love with it and had to have one for myself!

It is perfect timing too since my beloved Horned Frogs are currently ranked #4 in the BCS polls and will be the ESPN College Game Day featured game this Saturday!! Oh if only I could be there, but Aaron and I are going to San Antonio for a marriage retreat that we have had planned for months now!

Don't get me wrong, we are very excited about this getaway...we went to pre-marital counseling and have planned to do a retreat at our 5 year and 10 year anniversaries (it is always good to take preventative measures, especially in a world where divorce is so common)...although this trip was delayed (we have been married 6 1/2 years now) because little EJ was born 3 days before our 5th anniversary!

So, the big question is, "what's more important...my marriage or my FROGS?!!?"

The answer: I will be wearing my new cute Purple Fever Fit Band in honor of my froggies while I am in SA with my hubby! And hopefully we can see the game on TV! :) And let me tell you, if my Frogs end up playing for the National Championship by the grace of God, I am there!

For those of you out there who have a beloved school/team of your own...we make custom bands/lanyards for any school or team that we can find fabric to match! We are yet to find TCU fabric so while we keep looking, I will wear my purple polka dots with my head held high! We have already made bands in UT, A&M, OU, Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears fabric!

Just let us know which team/school you are dying to represent and we will hook you up!

Hook'em Horned Frogs!!

(I stole this phrase off the back of a lady's shirt at the TCU/Texas baseball game last spring, SO CUTE...my new signature phrase since I am surrounded by UT fans here in Austin, go figure!)

Click here to see our current collection of Fit Bands/Fit Cards and let us know what we can do for you!

If you are in the Austin area, come by and see us at the Bethany Lutheran Craft Fair this Saturday (Nov. 14), 9:00am-4:00pm! My entourage (aka. MJ and Melissa, as they like to call themselves) will be there selling while Aaron and I escape to SA for the weekend!

You Never Let Go

A little over a month ago, I had the privilege of being led in worship by Matt Redman for 2 whole days at the MOPS convention in Nashville! And let me just tell you, that man is inspired by God, there is no doubt in my mind! It was an incredible 2 days of worship, not just because he can sing and has great songs but because he shared the stories behind the lyrics, because he quoted the word and knowledge of the Lord like no other, and because he is completely humble and sincere...he allowed God to shine through him! He even took time to sign our cds and take pictures with us!

My favorite praise song at the time happened to be his song "You Never Let Go" and by the grace of God, he sang it several times during those 2 days, which thrilled me of course! I already knew the powerful words of the song, but that weekend I learned that he and his wife wrote the song together after she had yet another miscarriage! What a testimony to the truth that the power of Almighty God is "made perfect in weakness." He can take the toughest of times and use it to reveal His glory among us! In light of the recent shootings at Fort Hood, I am yet again reminded of this truth. So, to all of you who lost loved ones...the brave men and women who risked their very lives to defend our country...this song goes out to you.




This great tragedy that has occured in our nation also brings to mind the words of Casting Crowns, "Until the whole world hears Lord, we are calling out! Let the powers of darkness tremble as our praises rise! We'll sing until the whole world hears!!"

Rise up church, it is time to take a stand for Jesus...our world is in desperate need of a savior!

CHRISTMAS ORDERS

YOU MUST PLACE YOUR FIT BAND CHRISTMAS ORDERS BY MIDNIGHT ON DECEMBER 10TH TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN HAVE THEM FILLED, WRAPPED, AND SHIPPED TO YOU IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS! THANKS!!

M2M Scavenger Hunt

The Preacher's Wife is hosting a scavenger hunt for minister's wives, so me and my Fit Band business partner, Mary Jo, are participating! We look foward to meeting other women who truly understand the madness that goes with the territory...and of course, we hope to win! :) Here are my answers to the scavenger hunt questions:

The Treasures...

1. First Name: Erin

2. State and Country of Residence: The Great State of TEXAS, USA

3. Husband’s Ministry Title: Worship Pastor

4. Length of time in Current Ministry Location: 2 1/2 years

5. Children? If yes, give gender and ages: 2 CRAZY Boys! Anderson is 3 1/2 and EJ is 1 1/2.

They are the love of our lives and even though the house is falling down around us, they have filled our home with much JOY! We are not sure what we did for entertainment before they came along!

6. Number of unique homes in which you’ve lived during your marriage: 3 homes in 6 1/2 years

7. Cook Sunday lunch or eat out? Eat out! I never cook! If we don't go out, we grab something while we are out and take it home!

8. Typically on time for Sunday School or not? Try as I might, we are rarely on time! It is SO hard to get myself and my 2 boys up, dressed, fed, packed, looking nice, loaded up and to church on time ALL BY MYSELF every Sunday since my hubby has already been up at the church for hours before we even wake up! Do any of you other Worship Pastor's wives feel my pain?!!?
9. Favorite TV Show: American Idol, Law & Order: SVU, House Hunters
10. Something you watch/like/do that you would never tell the church people (Except now you just did…lol): I LOVE FRIENDS!! Favorite show of all time...own all of the dvds and have seen all the episodes a million times! I LOVE COUNTRY MUSIC!! I know all the artists and all the songs...King George is my favorite, love Pure Country...favorite song of all time, Amarillo By Mornin'! But actually, I have nothing to hide...all my church peeps know this about me! :)
11. Most annoying church-related pet peeve: People who complain about things for the sake of complaining yet are unwilling to be apart of the solution and FAKE PEOPLE...people who complain about you behind your back (yet are sweet to your face) but do not have the guts to come talk to you so that a solution can be found. How are things supposed to get better or be fixed if you do not even know there is a problem?!!? Do people really think you cannot see through that? I have no time for people who thrive on dissension and especially people who leave anonymous notes or send someone else to do their dirty-work or send emails when they are upset...get some guts people, be real! Honestly though, these things come with any leadership position. I was in coaching for years, dealing with the same problems. But the difference is...in coaching, I could just say, "get over it or get out of my gym!" Not so much in ministry, although I have thought it many millions of times!
12. One thing you need to throw away but can’t bring yourself to do it: Being the ultimate pack rat, I am sure my house is filled with things that I have no need to keep but I think they are important, priceless, sentimental!
13. The one food you can not live without: Mexican food!! Joe T. Garcia's baby!
14. Parsonage or have your own home? We have our own home 1/2 a mile from the church.
15. Freak when the doorbell rings or always ready for a visitor? Freak out!! My house is always a disaster! Please call 1st!

A Snapshot of Our Life

All Aboard!

Our cute little conductors had a blast partying with friends and trick-or-treating for the 1st time on Halloween night! All night we heard "Choo!Choo!" and "All Aboard!" from Anderson, our little entertainer! EJ just screams you know!

Our little guys...

A few seconds before this, EJ chunked his pumpkin!

The Fab Four...

They are so sad that their little cowboy buddy is moving away!

(Actually they have no idea, but we are sad!)

We were so lucky to have our friend Amy of Twelve Stones Photography at the party to take pictures of everyone's little cuties! Thanks Amy, they turned out GREAT!