Love letter from God - E-Water

Love letter from God - E-Water

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Ali, our 3 year old Acrobat...or AcroCat

Read with a Steve Irwin accent:
"Watch, as the fierce jungle cat makes her way 6 feet over the treacherous cavern below."

"KRYKIE, What a jump!!"

"She lets out a loud roar upon making the death defying leap!

Ain't she a Beaut?!"

4 Years Blessed!!

Ian and I have been married for 4 years today! Oh, the blessed bliss of being married to my beloved! We celebrated yesterday because he had to work today; something about being a public servant...protecting citizens... ;) We watched our wedding cd and listened to our vows. It brought back such crazy exciting jitters! I remember this day vividly and feeling like life had just begun. It is so great to reflect on the wonderful times gone by! It leaves us with such grateful hearts to our friends, family & loved ones.

We also went to this great place for dinner called the "MaderD"(Maitre d'). Clever, right? No? :) Yea, we decided to head to Kroger & choose whatever we wanted. I had Sushi and Ian had steak & potatoes. He called it Surf & Turf :) Ha!

Some would ask, "What valuable things have you've learned in your four years of marriage?"
We still have so much to learn, but some things that we strive to remember are, no matter how many years go by, we are still Bride & Groom and a marriage must have Grace. We're learning the importance of exemplifying a deep Love for one another and an even deeper Love for the One that created us for each other.

Ian and I are looking forward to many more years of marriage, in which he hopes to gain a doctorate in "Britology" and I in "Ianology". Thank you for sharing in our joy!

P.S. A huge shout out to the Pauls! Happy Anniversary to y'all too! It is a Great day!

James 5:16

Friends & Family,

We read in James that "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much". So, Ian and I wanted to humbly ask for your prayers.

It has been our desire that I remain home and focus on my career as a "help meeter"(Ian), "need meeter"(others), and photographer. However, it has become increasingly difficult to live without a steady second income, so we have decided that for the time being, it would be wise for me to get a job in order to assist financially. I will be continuing to grow my photography business on the side, as it is still eventually what we would like for me to do full time.

Please pray that:
- the Lord will soon reveal what He would have us do.
- we will understand that this trial is a blessing, not a curse.
- we recognize this as time of spiritual growth.
- we will communicate with one another in love and grace.
- we cling to one another and to the promise of Phil. 4:19; trusting that our God shall supply all our needs.

Much Love & Many Thanks!

Mader's

What's New...

Just wanted to fill y'all in on some recent Mader Mania :)

Highlights:
- Ian's first day of FTO was Monday!!
- Mandy(my sister) is marrying the lucky Mr. Campbell on August 1st!!
- Dusty & Amanda are due to have Baby Davis any day!
- Mom & Dad Mader sold their house in St. Louis!!
- Jeff(my brother) is excited about the Army and is planning on coming to A&M afterward!
- My Grandparents celebrated 53 years of marriage on June 3oth!!
- So many friends having babies!!
- Wrigley turned 2 on the 5th!
- Mom informed us that Andi(her golden retriever) had 9 puppies yesterday!
- A friend from church has offered to build me a website for Focus Found!

Lowlights(Please Pray):
- The Paul's will be moving to Pennsylvania. We are happy for them, but sad to see them go.
- My dear friend, Susan will be moving to Houston soon. Gonna miss you, Girl! I've been so blessed by our friendship and to witness the Lord's work in your life!
- My Shiloh is not doing well. Sadly, she will only be with us for a short while.

Fret Not.

Wouldn't it be nice to be free from all worry? Today's devotional in "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers really impacted me this morning. Naturally, we worry about a great many things, but we are called to not fret. Ps. 37:8. I encourage y'all to read it if you own the book.

Here are some healthy tid-bits to ponder.
"Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on our relationship with God Himself...Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way...Our Lord was never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not "out" to realize His own ideas; He was "out" to realize God's ideas...Fretting is wicked if you are a child of God...All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God...Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that [any] thing."

So many of you are experiencing life changes (having babies, moving, job searching, financial fluctuations, relationship tension, etc.). I will be lifting you up in prayer, in hopes that you will surrender any worrisome burdens to our Almighty God. He will provide for you and just as the Shepherd desires the best for His sheep, you will be blessed for trusting in His rod & His staff. Fret Not.

Happy Independence Day! We have been freed from more than we realize.

Hairs cut

Yes, indeed it is true. My hair has been cut. I did not get it cut. I cut it :) I dared to take scissors to my mane. I know it's weird, but it actually turned out exactly how I wanted it! Anyone care to have an opinion? :) The picture's just for laughs :) Feel free to express your thoughts.

We like Sheep...

We discussed Psalms 23 in bible study this morning. It is true that the Word of God is living and active, because this beautiful Psalm impacted me today like it never has before. Tristy Fischer(pastor's wife) led our discussion and brought to light so many things I hadn't seen before. This passage is so full of life and colorful metaphors. I wanted to share what we learned with you.

Read Psalm 23 aloud with these things in mind.
This Psalm is written in present tense. It is active, not passive. The subject, being the LORD(Yahweh)...not David(me), is emphasized in this active passage. The purpose of the the 23rd Psalm is to draw attention to the Lord's reputation. Why does He do all these things(makes, leads, restores, guides)? For me? No...For His name's sake. To prove He is the Good Shepherd.
- Reflect on the characteristics of sheep:
Sheep aren't very bright. They don't like being alone. They startle easily. They follow the leader & imitate all the other sheep in the flock. They need to be sheered. They need a leader, provider, and protector.
- "Cast" Sheep: one that falls over and can't get up. She's frantic and will flail around for hours. The more she struggles, the deeper the rut she'll find herself in. She will eventually die because she cannot get upright by herself.
- Reflect on the characteristics of the Shepherd:
He cares for the needs of His sheep. Always watchful. Never leaves them alone. Has only the wide open wilderness and his sheep, causing him to bond with them. They are his #1 priority. When one is "cast" he picks her up. He will return them all to the safety of the fold. He will protect them from predators. His goals are to see that his sheep have the best food, the best water and learn to willingly accept His leading. Sometimes, while on their journey, he will gently touch his staff to the sheep's side to encourage her to stay on the right path beside him. The shepherd and his sheep walk together.

We were encouraged to read this Psalm while exchanging all the personal words (I, me, my) with our name. Give it a try & be comforted!!