the searbys

Ok, nobody freak out. Maybe you didn't read the title carefully enough. Yes, it says PROSTHETIC cancer. In case you don't know, prosthetics are artificial limbs, etc. Why the title? Well, we were driving home this afternoon when Jen informed me that someone's father at work was just diagnosed with prosthetic cancer. As you can all imagine, I was quite perplexed. How was it that someone's artificial limb had cancer? Is cancer mutating that much!? A few seconds later, as I explained to her what she'd said, we shared quite the laugh and decided immediately that we'd better post a blog entry about this. So, there it was. Hope you get to laugh today too. It was a real blessing for us as times are a bit tough right now.

We found out on Monday that I was not selected for the senior ministry at Harvest Christian Church. Yet, I would say that on that front, we have a lot of peace. We are fully intending to stay at Harvest, be involved and grow with our friends there. The stress comes in the form of my need now to find a job. Of course I want to find something fulfilling that pays the bills and gives us some stability. Those components don't always come all together. Needless to say, we'd appreciate your continued prayers and thoughts and have appreciated all your encouragement these past few weeks.

Have a great day!
-joel

This morning I said to myself, "you have to be thankful for the weather here everyday. You can't let it become commonplace." I mean it just blows me away that it is almost 80 today. I love it! I really didn't think I would like the Florida weather but I'm beginning to think I can't live anywhere else. Plus, we just love Gainesville. It seems like I wake up almost every day and just think, "I am so glad we live here." Can you ask for anything more in the place you live?

I know we haven't been posting as regularly (ok, not hardly at all) so I'm trying to get back on track. Most of you that read this talk to us quite a bit anyways but some don't so we need to keep it updated. Also, most of you that read this know that we are waiting to hear from the church here, Harvest Christian, as to whether or not I'll be serving here as minister. It has been, admittedly, a bit frustrating to wait but it has also been instructive and challenging to our patience and faith. So, I thank God for it. In addition, we're still really excited about what's going on here, regardless of my "status" with the church. We've had more people in church every Sunday for five straight weeks and the spirit has been great, a real forward-moving and positive atmosphere right now. Be assured, we'll keep you all posted as soon as we know anything. We so appreciate your prayers and thoughts on our behalf and love you all for the many ways you've touched our lives. Hope you have a great week.
-joel

Last night we had some friends over to make homemade pizzas. Joel made some amazing dough (Jen wrote that part) and we all contributed toppings to make fabulous pizzas! These were not just any old homemade pizzas. We're talking yeast dough, risen for two hours! We used part of the dough to make breadsticks as appetizers, along with marinara and garlic butter to dip in. We had a great time as we just spent the whole night eating and drinking. It reminded us how important and sometimes sacred a good meal, good friends and great conversation can be. Hope you have some good pizzas and some good friendship soon! Here's a picture of the night.
-joel and jen

If you were at WalMart searching for rice, who would you ask? Apparently the man there tonight thought our cashier in electronics would know where to find the rice. He came up to her and simply asked, "Do you have rice?"

-Jen

I realized neither of us ever blogged much about our trip home. So, I thought I'd share some pictures rather than boring you with words :)

Christmas Eve Day was spent with the Parmenters in Champaign. Here is a cute picture of Emma Kate that I thought I'd share.....

And, here are Grandma & Grandpa Parmenter opening their extra special gift. They are going to France this summer!!!

Next Stop: Bridwater Christmas. Kelsey & Charly are cheesing for the camera....

Christmas Day was spent in Bellflower with my family....

Grandma & Grandpa Bridgwater and Grandma Edi came over too! It was a great day spent with the family. We hope they'll all come visit us soon:)

-Jen