The Last Few Weeks

To recap March...

On March 2nd, Owen Daugherty was born! He's absolutely precious, and makes a fabulous addition to the Daugherty Family.

Benny, me, Owen, Jess and Travis on Owen's birthday.



Several days later, at the Daugherty's with Aden and Owen. Aden is such a great big brother!


Jared Galema really loves guitar hero. One evening when we were hanging out with the Galemas, Jared kept asking to "play." The way that he "plays" is that Adam has the real guitar hero guitar and Jared uses Cassity's Hannah Montana guitar. Benny also wanted in on the fun...so he used a yellow wiffle ball bat. Of course. (At the bottom of this post you will find a fabulous video of this event.)



Last weekend, we were in St. Louis for Polly Bennett's wedding. Polly was on staff with K-Life while I was in college, and is an amazing woman. Not only was it great to see Polly again, and to share in her celebration, but I got to see lots of other great college friends, as well. The wedding was at a glass factory, so there was lots of beautiful hand-blown glass everywhere.

Benny and I, in front of some of the pieces.


With Liz and Jon Horn. Liz and I have been friends since 7th grade when we had lockers next to eachother. It's been so neat to watch our friendship evolve over last 15 years...through junior high, high school, college, marriage, and for her...kids! Even though we haven't lived in the same place for 5 years, she still remains one of my closest, most reliable and faithful friends.


Love you, Liz!


This couple...Chris and Sarah Boddy... are really fun. I first met them when they were on staff with K-Life in St. Louis, and Benny and Chris worked at K-2/attended the Institue together. They are now on staff with Pine Cove Camps, and just had a little baby boy 7 weeks ago.


Kelsey Kindernecht...she was in my Sunday School class when I was in college...she was in 4th grade when I left, and now she's a SOPHOMORE in high school. She's absolutely beautiful, and definitely made me feel a little old :)


This is an amazing group of women. Katie Fabbiano, Bailey Mohr, Polly Baker, Genese Marshall, and Liz Horn. I did K-Life with these women, and each of them had a specific way of showing me how to have a genuine, real relationship with the Lord that could be lived out in a meaningful way on a daily basis. Thanks ladies, for the impact you've had on my life!

My Baptism!

Today after church, I was baptized! (I was baptized as an infant, but I believe that baptism is an important step of obedience for every believer AFTER you have repented and accepted Jesus as your savior...see Acts 2:38. I became a Christian in junior high, but hadn't been baptized since.) It was such an incredible experience, because baptism symbolically unites us with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:4-6). Several friends were there to celebrate the day with me, and Benny actually got to baptize me! He did such a great job facilitating the time, and he just helped to make it extra-special.

We both came into the baptistery, he introduced me (and brought a few tears to my eyes--of course-- because of the sweet things he said about me), and then I said a few things. He read some scripture, and then proceeded with the confession and baptism.













(My BIG, cheesy, I've-just-been-baptized-grin.)



Sweet little Jared Galema, afterwards.


Aden and Travis Daugherty.


Leslie Galema, Jess Daugherty and me.


These are two precious students from Anderson University who I'm blessed to be mentoring this year...Alison Bachtel and Betsy Reiff. (They both worked at Kanakuk last summer! Fun connection!)

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and such an amazing husband...but even more, I am astounded at the loving and grace-centered relationship I get to pursue with Christ each and every day because of His death on the cross for each one of us!! God is so good!