Congrats Amanda and Shaun!

This past Sunday, Ryan and I were honored to be a part of Amanda and Shaun's wedding. It was awesome. We all had so much fun and we're so happy for them. Amanda and Shaun are some of the most genuine and kind-hearted people we know. We love them so much. Congrats guys!

Oh that last picture was all of us doing this dance! So much fun.

His eye is on the sparrow

This week in church Pastor Jeff spoke about the story behind a hymn called "It is well". The man who wrote the song lost his 4 daughters in a tragic event. Before he lost his daughters, he also lost a son to scarlet fever and his real estate to the great Chicago fire. He wrote the lyrics to "It is well" at the approximate spot where his daughters drowned. The message from Pastor Jeff was inspirational and I recommend that you watch it here.

But this post is not about "It is Well"...it is about one of my favorite hymns, "His eye is on the sparrow". This hymn was wrote by a woman named Civilla D. Martin in 1905. During that time, Civilla and her husband became close friends with another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle who Civilla calls "true saints of God". Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for 20 years and her husband was an incurable crippled but still conducted business in his wheelchair. Everyone who knew the Doolittle's knew them as people who were always happy and hopeful and brought comfort and inspiration to others. When Civilla asked Mrs. Doolittle what their secret is to being so hopeful and happy despite their inabilities, she answered, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me", and refers to Matthew 6:29. Civilla called this statement a "simple and beautiful expression of boundless faith" and was inspired to write the hymn, "His eye is on the sparrow".

The lyrics are:
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion / A constant friend is He / His eye is on the sparrow / And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow / And I know He watches me

I sing because I'm happy / I sing because I'm free / His eye is on the sparrow / And I know He watches me (He watches me) / His eye is on the sparrow / And I know He watches / I know He watches / I know He watches me

My favorite version by far is done by Tanya Blount and Lauryn Hill. I love this song.
Click here to listen to my favorite version...it's awesome.

Great commercial

I love this commercial. Especially the "Get out" part at the end. It's one of the little things that makes me giggle every time I see it.

Police are honorable and worthy of it

I know we all honor those who serve for our country in regards to the men and women who venture over seas to fight for our freedom and that is important. But we should also keep in mind the men and women who put their lives on the line everyday for our protection and safety within this country. I know cops out there can sometime get a bad wrap...such as comments like "They think they're above the law"...but there are cops out there that really care about our safety and put their lives on the line to protect us from harm.

If you're from DE, I'm sure you've heard of the cop, Chad Spicer, that got shot and killed yesterday in Georgetown as well as Shawn Brittingham who was also shot at and injured. Now I did not know Chad Spicer, Shawn Brittingham, or anyone within the DE police but a tragic event such as this has made me realize the impact police have towards the community. They try their very best to protect us from harm, even if it costs them their life.

My father was a Maryland State Police officer my whole life. He retired 2 years ago. And as a daughter of a cop for so many years, it was easy to think of his job as a cop as just a job. Sure, growing up we knew my father's job was risky, but after years and years of him being a cop, that concern diminishes. When he left for work growing up, the thought that my father wouldn't return never ran through my head because it was just another day at work for my dad...and fortunately he always did return home. Although it's tragic and extremely unfortunate, some cops never come home.

I remember asking him in high school if anyone had ever shot at him and he told me he had been shot at while trying to protect our community. That is serious...cops go out there everyday to protect us...their career is an extremely dangerous one. It's unfortunate but this world is filled with crude and senseless people and in any minute, the people who protect us could be one of their victims. We need cops like Chad Spicer out risking his life in order to protect the community. And it makes my heart ache for the family members that probably just said see you tomorrow...have a good night at work, because that's what I did every night my dad went to work. Acknowledge that they have a dangerous job and that they are appreciated for the work they do. If you have a family member or friend who is a cop, please let them know how much you appreciate them protecting you from harm. It is important to honor the men and women who fight for our freedom as well as the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect your community from harm.

My prayers go out to the family and friends of Chad Spicer, and as I've read he has a 3-year old daughter. I pray as she gets older, she will be grateful for a father who was protecting the community and honor and respect policemen and policewomen for the work they do.

Vacation Recap

Ryan and I got back from our free vacy on Friday...here's the recap:

Got to Williamsburg, VA Sunday evening and stayed til Wed. afternoon. We biked through colonial Williamsburg, played mini golf, ate out every night, and took a Ghost tour the last evening we were there. We also just relaxed and did a lot of nothing.

We left Williamsburg on Wednesday and heading to VA beach (where we got a $65/night oceanfront room...thanks Priceline) until Friday. They had the East Coast Surfing Championship while we were there which was pretty sweet.

It was so nice just being with Ryan. We definitely had a wonderful time.