Celebration Time!

Friday April 25th was my 28th birthday! Crazy to think in just a few years I will be the big 3-0! We made a weekend of it. Friday night Chris made reservations at this fancy place in Weehawken on the Hudson River. It has a wonderful view of Manhattan & we were there for sunset! He did a great job. Saturday we headed to the Woodbury Common outlet mall in NY State. It was perfect weather so we really enjoyed ourselves - yes even Chris enjoys shopping! Don't ever let him tell you otherwise. Fortunately the weather has been really beautiful for the past few weeks. Just a few Saturdays ago we also went to visit the live animals at Abma's Farm. We are hoping that Spring really is here :)

I also should say Happy Birthday to my twin sister Susan! I am truly blessed to share this day with her. She is my sister and my friend. I love you & miss you!

Enjoy the pics!

Round 2

As many of you remember,because Amanda told everyone, our first anniversary was spent moving accross America. Amanda wasn't thrilled with the fact we didn't go away somewhere special but circumstances didn't afford us that opportunity. Well...this year I have decided to make it up BIG time. Today I booked for us to spend August 1-8 in Rome. Our anniversary is the 6th so this hopefully will be perfect and hopefully get me out of the doghouse for last year:) If anybody has ever been to Rome and has ideas on food, sights, or anything else I'd love to hear it so that this can be a trip to remember.

T4G '08

This last Monday through Thursday I had the great opportunity to be in Louisville, KY for the Together for the Gospel Conference. One of my good friends from college, Ryan and I had the opportunity to catch up on life and hear some of the best thinkers in Christian circles today. I'm going to give you a brief summary of what I learned at the conference but if you'd like to listen to any of the messages I'd encourage you to go to www.t4g.org and listen to them ASAP.

Ligon Duncan-- He spoke about the importance of doctrine and systematic theology. He talked about the importance of a pastor teaching his congregation to know doctrine and theology and to instill a passion for reading. Sound doctrine is crucial to the future of the church.

Thabiti Anybwile-- He talked about the importance of not seeing racial difference but focusing on our commonalities in Adam, Christ, and the church. He talked about the fact that although we may all look different we are all brothers by birth through Adam. If we are Christians then we are all brothers through Jesus and we are also brothers in the church, the body of Christ.

John MacArthur-- He talked about the doctrine of total depravity. He talked about how the Bible teaches that not only is man not willing to come to Christ but is unable. He talked about how when we truly understand how we brought nothing to God but that He saved us of His own choosing it will lead us into a tremendous since of humility and thankfulness for His love.

Mark Dever-- He talked about how we shouldn't add or detract from the Gospel. He talked about how we can make the Gospel kinder by taking out the sacrifice or how we can add to it by saying you must espouse something else (ie. must be a Republican or for traditional hymns). He talked about how your life story or you good deeds aren't the Gospel. The Gospel is very specific and always must be the center of what we say and do.

R.C. Sproul-- He talked about how Christ because a curse for us and took on the wrath of God for us. He talked about the importance of truly appreciating what it is that Christ did for us and how much it hurt Him to have His Father turn His back on Him.

Albert Mohler-- He spoke on the importance of the penal substitutionary atonement. He talked about all the distorted views that are around that try to say that the cross was something other then Jesus paying the penalty due a holy God in our place because we could never be able to pay the price demanded.

John Piper-- He talked about Christian suffering. He talked about how the Bible expressly states that if we are a child of God we will suffer. He talked about how it is important for us to step outside of our safe boxes and get uncomfortable. He talked about how he teaches his congregation all the time about suffering because he wants them to think theologically when suffering happens and that will only happen if they know how to react before it comes.

C.J. Mahaney-- He talked about how a pastors life should be overflowing with joy. He talked about how Paul was the most joyful man alive and in writing Philippians, from jail, he talked about joy. He talked about how joy is found in thankfulness, faith in God's plan, and love for God's people. He talked about how as Christians we shouldn't complain because when we complain we are saying that we have a better plan then the plan God has for us.

This conference was a great blessing to me in so many ways because I got to see these men that I know only from their writings in a personal time with friends and got to see them pour out their hearts about their love for Jesus and His people. They spent a lot of time talking about how it isn't about style or methods but it is about the Gospel. One quote that really stood out to me was when C.J. quoted C.H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon once said, "Whitefield and Wesley might be better preachers then I am but they don't preach a better Gospel". This is quite funny coming from the master preacher Spurgeon but his point is well taken.

This conference encouraged me to not worry about being this or being that but to be faithful to the message that God has given us and to trust Him to do His will. Too many times, and I am just as guilty as anyone, we think as preachers it is about us being funny enough or smart enough in our delivery but it is not about us but about the Gospel message.

Tourist Attractions!

Chris & I are becoming quite the tourist attraction for family & friends. Funny how NYC will do that to you! Phoenix was a great place but clearly its not the BIG APPLE.

This past weekend my sisters, brother-in-laws, niece, nephew and mom all came to visit us. They arrived late Wednesday night and left on Sunday afternoon. We had a wonderful time and below is the slide show of their trip.

We did ground zero, the Statue of Liberty, Soup Man, Phantom of the Opera, FAO Schwartz, a tour with Reagan (the highlight for many) and a few local things in between. We cooked our favorite meals and played with the kids alot. Drew & Emmerson are quite a pair! They have so much energy - Chris & I were wiped out when it was all over.

Come back soon ya'll! We loved having you here.

Blessings.....

HOME SWEET HOME

We have been very busy since Christmas. Here is an update on the latest in the Farrell home.

In January we began our search for a permanent home. After a few phone calls and drives through the neighborhoods we learned a few things about NJ real estate. If you want to rent an apartment regardless of whether its a 2-family home or a large complex you have to go through a realtor - and that realtor comes with a fee that the renter is required to pay. Nice, so not only would we be putting one and a half months rent in as a deposit we would also pay the realtor 1 month's rent. Scary huh! We needed to take our search to another level. So Chris called a friend and eventually everything just fell into place. Crazy how quickly God works sometimes. We are un-believably blessed!!! We are now the proud renters of a 3 bedroom apartment. Its actually a 2 family home so we have 1 neighbor downstairs but seperate entrances. We have all hardwood floors & tile - which we love! Chris' allergies are thanking us as well! The kitchen is nice and big and the price was just right. Along the way we also made some great friends in our landlords. Dave & Joy Meyer are two amazing Godly people. They continually bless us in ways we never imagined. The day we moved in they even provided lunch.....then later that day when everything has settled Joy puulled me aside and gave me our first housewarming gift. She has gone to the store and bought all of her favorite cleaning products, sponges, paper towels, dish detergent, laundry detergent (Tide HE for the new front-loading washer), hand soap, popcorn and a few others. She also gave me a dish towel she made. These people are pure gold! Did I mention that Dave is giving up more time tomorrow to help me hang my curtains :) We are finally planting our roots in New Jersey.

Here are a few pictures - we'll call these before because there is still some work to do. My apologies to Brooke - we did not take pictures outside tonight because its snowing. We'll have to do that the next go round.













SHANE & SHANE

Chris had a specifically busy February, we moved and then a week later he put on a Shane & Shane concert at the church. It went off great! If the weather had cooperated many more people would have made it - we still had a full house! People drove 2 and 3 hours in the snow to get there. We enjoyed meeting the group as well as Starfield and Bethany Dillon. David Nasser also provided a great message & wonderful entertainment! It was a fantastic night of worship & praise! We look forward to doing it again soon. We know many were blessed by the message & the music.

HAPPY VALENTINES & PRESIDENTS DAY!

This year we celebrated our Valentine's with a weekend getaway to Colonial Williamsburg, Va. Chris & I both had a 3 day weekend so we took full advantage! We had not been on vacation since our honeymoon - it was time. We relaxed, saw the sights, took a few tours, drank some wine & just enjoyed every bit of it. My job has been really crazy lately so it was the perfect way to wind down and just get back to hanging out with my fabulous husband! These pictures really don't capture his personality well enough :) He is my everyday blessing!

Thanks for a perfect weekend baby!

An Uncommon Christian

Ralph "Jack" Dyess - Our Grandaddy

Chris & I experienced a hard loss just as 2008 began. We started back to work after a restful New Year's day and then Thursday morning January 3rd Chris got the call. His Grandfather was at Lewisville Medical Center in the ER and time was the unknown. I was on business in Chicago so Chris made arrangements to fly from Newark to Dallas and I did the same from Chicago to Dallas. We arrived that Thursday evening and headed straight to the hospital. Everyone was there, all the siblings, aunts, uncles, parents & even the little ones. We spent a few hours with Grandaddy as he was awake & although not comfortable I know he was enjoying that all the family was around. Chris & I both were able to speak to him and remind him of how loved he is! The next day his body really slowed down and mostly he slept. Chris had a few other conversations with him that I know he will never forget. On Saturday morning January 5th Grandaddy made his was home, home with his Heavenly Father & home with Chris' Grandmommy.

Chris and his Uncle John, as well as Dick participated in the funeral. They all did such an amazing job! There were so many stories shared that really reflected the life of such an incredible man - and an incredible legacy. They spoke of Grandaddy's hard work ethic, his soft heart, his sharp mind that never stopped learning & studying God's word, his devotion to a wonderful wife, his ability to teach young minds, his understanding of unconditional love as seen through his granddaughter Kimberly. Really the list could go on forever. The things I will always treasure were only 3 years in the making but still so special. The first night I met him with Chris - he wanted to know if I like farming....planting seeds and watching them grow - he was in his way describing the wife I would be to Chris and how I would share his church planting dream. He sat directly across the table from me that night as well as many other times and would remind me that he did that so he could take in my beauty :) We talked to him often over the phone and he would always ask Chris "How is your beautiful bride?". It makes me smile even now. We will never forget his voice. Most importantly he always expressed how proud he was of Chris for following the Lord's guidance in his life, and choosing to follow His calling into ministry. You could see so much JOY in his eyes - he just beamed with God's glory! His faith was obvious everyday and we were also proud of him!

Many thoughts went through my mind at the funeral and in the days since. One thing I haven't been able to get off my mind is what a wonderful CHRISTIAN Grandaddy. He was truly an UNCOMMON CHRISTIAN. It was back in high school that our youth minister centered a retreat around the poem below and I just kept repeating parts of it in my head - so I thought I should share my thoughts on Grandaddy for you to read.... as well as some pictures.

I choose to be an “Uncommon Christian”

I will live my faith in Jesus of Nazareth,
As seen in my everyday life, conduct, attitude & speech.
To the best of my ability and by the Grace of God
People will see Jesus when they see me.

I cannot justify loving only those who love me,
Aiding only my friends, and praying only for my fellow Christians.
I will love those who hate me, aide my enemies,
And pray for those who do not know my Lord.

I aspire to be like Him, to live on unseen resources of faith,
To tap the unlimited supply of His love
Through the life of His indwelling Holy Spirit,
Emerge from my moral conflicts “more than a conqueror”.
And through this power to rise above all earthly standards
To the completeness of His perfection.

I acknowledge that this is an impossible quest,
But I accept the challenge of its impossibility in
The knowledge that its pursuit will force me to rest on Him.

I desire great challenges, expect rippled seas & abandon all personal “rights”.

I consider it a curse to have a quality of life that is indistinguishable
from unbelieving men & common Christians.

My present failure to fulfill these intentions merely proves,
That God is needed even more than when I first believed.
I need God more each day than the last.

(Vandelia Winter Retreat 1995)

More pictures to come on future blogs. We want to keep his memory alive!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

We celebrated Christmas this year NYC style! We are blessed to live here & the Christmas season was filled with excitement in the city. Every morning for the past few weeks I have been greeted at the World Trade Center by the Salvation Army bell ringers - these 2 were not your average bell ringers - they had a jambox with Christmas music blarring! It put a smile on my face everytime. What joy they bring to the people of New York. Its great how the simplest of things can make your day :)

Dick & Diana spent Christmas with us again this year and I think we wore them out! There is just so much to do around here - and so little time to do all of it. Below is a slide show if our adventures. I will try my best to give you the play-by-play....

Thursday, December 20:
Dick & Diana arrive & we cooked dinner at home. The menu was a mix of favorites! Pecan Chicken (my mom's recipe) & Potatoe Casserole (Diana's recipe). Yum Yum! Who doesn't love home cooking!

Friday, December 21:
We slept in & then took the train into the World Trade Center to see the memorial & the construction site. It really is still moving to see all of it, even though I see it almost everyday. From there we made our first Subway trip to Time Square. We took some pictures & then worked our way up to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree & all the lights! Its was perfect! Dinner reservations were at 5:30pm so we had to move quickly to Virgil's BBQ on 44th Street. We had a very filling dinner! The BBQ was great - even though its not Texas. Then we headed to the THEATER! Dick & Diana's request was Les Miserables & it was amazing! I tried to hold back from belting out all the songs - I am a Clark what can I say :)

Saturday, December 22:
Down the shore.....We made a short trip to the New Jersey Shore for shopping & site seeing during the day. Then we prepared for Saturday Night Football & THE COWBOYS! Our only mistake was picking the Palisades Mall as our venue - parking was a nightmare. FOX Sports Grill was nice though.

Sunday, December 23:
Christmas Day in the Farrell house! I put a brisket on late Saturday so Sunday afternoon we could enjoy another meal at home....Chris is going to think something happened to me....all this cooking! Anyway, it was pouring rain outside so we thought we would take advantage of a lazy day inside to open gifts & take a nap. It was a blast as always! Diana & I also appreciated the fact that we looked nice for the Christmas morning pictures - as opposed to that just rolled out of bed look we typically have. Later that day we took in a movie at the local AMC - "I AM LEGEND" was Chris' pick. I think we all enjoyed it!

Monday, December 24:
Christmas Eve. This was our second trip to the city for some shopping! We made it to the NBA store, Trump Tower, FAO Schwartz & The American Girl. It was a busy day & we had to be back in Hawthorne by 4pm for a 5pm Christmas Eve service at church. We cleaned up & made it on time. Chris participated in the service & I know Dick & Diana really enjoyed seeing the church, meeting the people & singing the carols. After all HE is the reason for the season!!!

Tuesday, December 25:
Back to NYC for more fun....Our lunch reservation was for 12:30pm at Bryant Park Grill. We decided that traffic would be light enough to make the drive in instead of using public transportation. We arrived early & sat in the park calling family members to wish them all a Merry Christmas! We were seated early in the Holiday Room - it was beautiful! I think we all had a great meal & of course great family fellowship. We even toasted to the coming year! The afternoon was our chance to catch the last few tourist attractions so we took the Subway from Bryant Park to Wall Street. On Wall Street we saw the NYSE, Federal Hall & my office building (the highlight :)). From there we walked to the Staten Island Ferry & rode across to see the Statue of Liberty - still an amazing sight! Afterwards we made our way back uptown to Central Park for a stroll before we came home.

Today we took Dick & Diana around to our stomping grounds Ridgewood, Ramsey & Wyckoff. We had breakfast at the Daily Treat & shopped a little along the way. Then we rounded things up and made the trip back to the airport to see Dick & Diana off & back to Texas.

We hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!