Some of you know that we have been playing sand volleyball once again. We weren’t able to get a team together in time, but a nice team, appropriately name the “Outcasts,” let us join them two weeks into the season. We won some and lost some, but overall it was a lot of fun. Well, last night was the tournament, and perhaps it was the cooler weather or the inspiration of the Olympic volleyball team we had been watching, but whatever it was, we won! It was a great night and lots of fun. Our second game, I was the first to serve and got us to a 9-0 lead. I think the most consecutive serves I had the whole season was maybe 2. Oddly enough, the championship game was against the team that we used to play with. We were glad to win and receive our gift certificates to a movie theater. I think the team was hoping for shirts, but we’ll take what we can get. The next season starts next Monday. We have a few people from this last team and Drew Hubbard is going to join us with our new name “Get Served.” It should be fun. Perhaps we wil have another championship to write about in a couple months.
Look-alikes Part II
We all know that Chad looks like Ben Affleck, but I too have been told that I look like certain celebrities. Here are some that I have heard: Celine Dion, one of the Dixie Chicks, and that girl from the “America’s Best” commercial.
2 months
We have been married for exactly two months now. Wow! In a way it has gone by fast, but in a way it feels like forever ago since we said “I do” and went to Jamaica. Chad, thanks for making these the best two months of my life. I love you!
Mrs. Webb
Well, a new school year is quickly approaching. I go back to school this Wednesday and the kids start back a week later. Some people may have thought that Franklin Simpson Middle School got a new math teacher, but no, Ms. Nicholson is now Mrs. Webb. It’s crazy to think that I will never have that name again. It is so much fun changing all my classroom things to my new name. Although it is a little more work, it’s neat to think that the students I get this year will never know me as anything but Mrs. Webb. I even thought that it’s kind of like starting over; any negative things that were said about Ms. Nicholson have hopefully left with the name. (Not that I think there are a lot, but you know, you can’t please everybody). Previously, I had my name by my door with some letters that I found and some green construction paper that have faded over the past 4 years. Last week, however, I went to the Parent-Teacher Store and picked out some pretty colored lettering to proudly display my new name on my classroom door. It looks pretty good if I do say so myself.
Also in my classroom is a lovely flower pot that looks very teacherly with a ruler painted around the top. It too says Mrs. Webb, but it wasn’t made for me. This belonged to Chad’s mom, Paulette Webb. I also have a board eraser and little desk figure that say Mrs. Webb. The desk even says #1 teacher. We found these things in his garage while we were clearing stuff out. I had asked Chad before if he knew of anything from teaching that had her name on it, but he didn’t. So, we were pretty excited to find them. I think it is pretty cool that we’re both teachers, and I think its is very special to have those in my classroom.
“Saved”
After a recent sermon at church, I was inspired to write this post. In many churches and Christian circles, the word “saved” is thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean? I grew up Catholic and this term wasn’t used in my church. I know before I started going to other Christian churches, I didn’t know what people meant when they asked if I was “saved.”
What are you saved from?
Being saved means that you are saved from having to spend eternity without God, and it also means that you get to spend eternity with God in heaven.
Don’t all good people go to heaven?
Matthew 7:21 quotes Jesus as saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
What do you have to do to be saved?
Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Is it really that easy? Sort of. If you believe in Jesus Christ and confess that He is your Savior, you can be saved. However, just believing that He exists is not enough. James 2: 19 states, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-and shudder.” In order to be saved, we must do more than just acknowledge that Jesus is real. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” If you are a believer of Christ, you should live for Him, giving Him honor in the things you do, think, and say. The way you live your life should reflect Christian values. We are naturally sinful and selfish, but once you begin living your life for the Lord, you will stop thinking only of yourself and begin thinking of how you can please God.
How do you know if you are saved?
1 John 2:3 states, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.” If you are obeying God and are truly living your life for Him, you can be assured that you are saved. You can find these commands by reading His word, the Bible, and also by hearing His instructions preached at a Christian church. You must also pray to Christ and He will reveal His commands specifically for your life. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If we obey this command, we can be Christ’s disciples and be saved.
What if you mess up?
Yep, that will happen. After all, we are human, and are naturally sinful. The good news is God is faithful even when we are not. 1 John 1:9 reveals, “But God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.” What an amazing God! When you fall to temptation, pray for forgiveness, and Jesus will always forgive you. Then, turn away from that sin and continue striving to live your life for Him.
There are so many people who say that they are Christians, and yet do not know that it requires more than just knowing Jesus is real or simply praying when times get tough. Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with God, almost as you would with another friend. I am saved! I know this because I have professed Jesus Christ as my personal savior and I am daily trying to live my life for Him. Christ died for the sins of everyone. He did so in order to offer us eternal life with God. I am no different and no better than anyone else in this world, but I am saved because I accepted this gift of salvation that has been offered to us all. There is such peace that comes from knowing that I have a Savior who loves me and whom I will spend eternity with when I leave this world.
Another part of being a Christian is sharing this saving news with others. Sadly, I don’t do this enough. For this reason, there are many people in my life who I don’t know if they are saved. Perhaps they don’t either. What joy it would bring to know that even if they died today, they would have eternal rest with the Lord. If you are not saved or aren’t sure you are, then pray to Jesus Christ asking Him to come into your life and into your heart. Acknowledge that you have sinned and ask Him to forgive you. Profess that you believe that Jesus died for your sins and that you will live your life for Him from now on. And then do it. Pray daily and read the Bible. Go to church and tell others of the good news. Don’t forget to tell me and Chad. Or if you have any questions, let us know. We will be praying for you.
Hubby Birthday to Me!
Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. It definitely was! It was my first birthday as a married woman, and it was so special. Chad went and got my favorites for breakfast and brought me breakfast in bed. He took half the day off to spend with me, and we went to Nashville to shop and have dinner. We had a lot of fun just being together. It was a happy birthday because I got to spend it with my hubby.
Engagement Pictures
This past Saturday, Chad and I went down to Nashville for our engagement pictures. We were originally going to have Ashley (Chad’s sister) take them, but we ended up getting them as part of our wedding photography package. After seeing some examples, I was excited about taking them. I thought it would be nice to have some pictures up around the house where Chad wasn’t in a tux and I wasn’t in a white dress.
When we got there, Evan had some cute scenes all ready for us. He told us where to stand, but said that he wouldn’t be directing us very much. He simply said, “Every time I click, do something different, and if you feel inspired to kiss, go ahead.” Well, after about 10 shots, everyone realized that we really needed some directing. Chad was trying, but all I could do was smile and stare at the camera. We just didn’t know what to do. It was very awkward trying to look all lovey-dovey in front of a couple photographers. The most uncomfortable time was when we were asked to dance. We felt really silly as we barely swayed to some jazz music.
As the day progressed, it got a little easier. The last pictures we took were at Percy Priest Dam. We stood together on a little rock peninsula and looked out over the water. It was a little chilly, so we held each other tight. The best part was the photographers were at least 10 feet away, and we never knew if they were shooting or not. It almost felt as if we were alone. Later that night, Chad’s dad asked, “How did your dam pictures go?”
Evan said he probably shot about 600-700 pictures of us that day. From what he showed us on his camera, they look like they’re going to be great. I can’t wait to see them and share them with you all.
Home Sweet Home
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything. Well, I have big news. We bought a house! Yes, we will be homeowners when we close on March 17th. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to us! It is a very cozy and cute brick house here in BG. This will be my first house, and I’m so excited. We will have a couple months to get it ready and get moved in before the wedding. This house will be the “Webbs’ residence,” so neither of us will live there until we officially become the Webbs. This was the first house for the couple we bought it from too. I can’t wait to be Chad’s wife and live with him there! He has done such a good job of getting everything taken care of with the house, and I really appreciate it. It’s fun to have a mental image when I think about our future together.
I know the wedding is not that far away, but I’m so stinkin excited that I wish it were here tomorrow! I love you, Chad!
The Proposal
It was New Year’s Eve. Chad and I had planned to go to a game night and ring in the New Year with some friends. Because we were going to meet them at 6:00, we went to an early dinner at Outback. Chad mentioned that he forgot to bring the games, so he asked if we could stop by really quick to get them. When we got there, he said he was going to run in and get them, but I told him I had to go to the bathroom. He said ok and when he opened the door, I saw he had his living room set up beautifully with roses, rose petals, and candles. He had soft piano music playing and displayed pictures of us. It hardly looked like his house. His sister, Ashley, was a big help in this. On the table, he had a bible imprinted with the name “Jennie Webb” and the ring. I instantly knew what was going on. We hugged for a moment, and then he led me over to the table, picked up the ring, got on one knee, and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! The ring is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. He had a camcorder hidden in the corner to record the event, and he was supposed to turn it on before I came in. However, my bladder changed that plan.
We eventually made it to the game night, but didn’t stay too long. We went to my place, where we had some sparkling grape juice, and we celebrated the New Year and our engagement together. It was certainly the most amazing New Year’s Eve of my life!
Our First Date
I was really excited when Chad called me one Sunday night and asked if I would go have coffee with him on Wednesday. I let him know that I don’t like coffee, but I would be more than happy to go with him and get some cider or something. He let me know that he didn’t know I didn’t like coffee and that was a reason we needed to go out, so he could get to know me better. He told me he’d email me and we’d finalize plans. A couple days later, he wrote and we agreed to go to Starbucks on Wed. at 7:00. Great! It was a date!Wait! He never said actually said the word “date” or “take me out” or anything. In fact, he never said if he was picking me up or not. Was it really a date or was I just hoping it was? Although unsure, I told lots of my friends I had a date with Chad Webb.
Finally, Wednesday night arrived and I hadn’t heard from Chad yet. I didn’t know if I was supposed to meet him or if he would pick me up. I thought surely he will call and offer to pick me up. I mean, even if we’re just going as friends, I live right down the street from Starbucks. It would be rude not to pick me up. When it was about thirty minutes before we were supposed to go to Starbucks, I decided that I was tired of wondering what to do, so I called Chad. We made small talk for a moment and I mentioned that school was cancelled for the next two days so he could keep me out as late as he wanted. Before I could ask if he was going to pick me up, Chad asks, “So, do you still want to meet up at Starbucks?” Meet? You mean, he’s not picking me up? “Yeah, sure,” I said. “Sounds great.”
The excitement I had about having the evening turned into worry. Am I going to end up looking stupid because I told all my friends that I had a date with Chad? What if Sarah tells his sister, Ashley, and it gets back to him? How embarrassing!
When I met Chad at Starbucks, I waited for him before getting anything to drink. When he got there, I let him order first, thinking if he pays for my drink, it is a date. After he ordered his tea, the girl asked him if he needed anything else. He turned and asked me if I wanted anything as though he was just being nice. I accepted because I was going to be sure to give him clear signs that I like him, but at the same time, I felt rude for accepting something he was reluctant to offer. To make me feel even more uncomfortable, he asked, “So, what’s everybody doing tonight?” Uh, was I supposed to invite people? I mentioned what I knew a few of our friends were doing so I could at least look like I thought about asking other to come.
Once we sat down with our drinks, we talked and got to know each other more and I began falling in love with him. We left when they closed, but there was no walking me to my car or asking me out again. He did say he had a good time, but that’s only after I did. I left that night feeling more confused than before, but also more hopeful than before that he wanted to date me. I knew I liked him a lot and really enjoyed spending time with him.
Over the next few days, we ended up seeing each other everyday and talking, but he was still pretty ambiguous about everything. Finally, after a night of hanging out with friends, we left at the same time, but weren’t able to have any time to talk alone. I was hoping that since we didn’t get to talk that he would call or text me. Then, it happened. After days of wondering if my future husband liked me, he sent a text message. It said, “In case it isn’t obvious, I’m completely smitten with you.” Yaaaaaaaaayyyyy! He loves me! I’ve been on cloud 9 ever since.