hope.

"on Him we have set our hope..." 2 corinthians 1:10

biblical hope is described as the consequence and expression of faith; it is not wishful thinking but an absolute confidence in God's promises for the future, based on his faithfulness in the past.

(taken from esv study bible)

i have seen and tasted hope in a new form during 2009. during a season of darkness the Lord has shown me that His love and grace and mercy never fail. that He is the rock, my redeemer. that He gives in abundance and His ways are always higher than mine. the hope found in Christ is better than anything i could put my hope in on earth. so, i am thankful. i am thankful for a Savior. one who gives and loves and promises life everlasting. i am thankful for new beginnings.

for redemption. for Him who gives us hope.

"the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end.

they are new every morning. great is your faithfulness."

lamentations 3:22.23

behold, the lamb of God.

"she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call His name Jesus;

for He shall save His people from their sins" Matthew 1:21

after you read your bible today, take the time to listen to this album.

it will change the way you experience Christmas and will encourage

your heart to rejoice in Christ on the day of His birth.

Gather round, ye children, come;

listen to the old, old story

of the power of death undone

by an infant born of glory:

Son of God, Son of man.

So, sing out with joy, for the brave little boy,

who was God but he made himself nothing.

He gave up his pride, and came here to die like a man.

So rejoice, ye children, sing. And remember, now, His mercy.

And, sing out with joy, for the brave little boy, is our Savior:

Son of God, Son of man,

adventures of december.

at the strike of december 1, the tree at barwick street is trimmed, the lights are in the windows, and the wreath is on the door. a favorite part of this month is the coziness of having the lights on the tree while enjoying christmas movies on the couch with pjs and hot chocolate!

but december also brings with it many adventures. i will name three. perhaps the top three. but these events made me smile

and brought joy to my heart.

first, our annual caroling trip to laurel crest.

each year, our bible study (and many others!) gathers together for a sweet night of fellowship, including caroling, followed by chili and potatoes at the foster's home. the residents at laurel crest are precious, and always beyond grateful for our visiting them. we are blessed by this time, as we sing songs of promise and hope given to us at the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. we are reminded of this hope and

the blessings He gives us in this life.

the group singing together.

our monday night bible study, minus jess.

a favorite: marshall and her father. the highlight of the night!

second, our annual christmas cheer and a beer.

sounds strange. but this is no new thing to barwick street. in fact, 2009 was our 5th annual "CCB", as we so endearingly call it. each year the roommates gather together to deliver "christmas cheer" to some of our friends in columbia. at it's origin, a six pack of beer was purchased, meaning a delivery of cheer to six homes.

our stops for this year are as follows:

dibiase.

foster.

henderson.

adam and trey.

shannon springs.

duncan street.

the highlight of CCB 2009 is the addition of santa claus, aka ryan. however, he will not appear next year, as he must take our mary elf to be his wedded bride. but we were grateful to have ryan join in on the fun this year and are eager to reveal our plan for CCB 2010.

stay tuned...only 365 days!

third, the marriage of jill spork and ben harling.

since january 2009, we have been anxiously awaiting this precious day. jill is a longtime friend of mine, but our friendship is unique because we've shared a childhood in greenville, some college years at pc, and life as working adults, both teaching children with special needs.

that was God's doings. obviously.

but so fun to see the beginning of it all and to know that He knew all along that we would be deeply connected this many years later.

thank you, Lord, for your grace. your love. your blessing. you give in abundance and we only recognize glimpses of it. we are thankful for the month of december, and what it means to us as your children.

we are thankful for the promise and hope that comes with the birth of your one and only son. thank you for salvation. the gift of redemption. and you give out of your abundance.

we know you give ONLY good gifts. and we praise you. Amen.

birthday in december.

have a birthday!? why NOT celebrate with grilled pizzas and a trip to see the lights at the zoo!? sounded like a perfect idea for our dear friend, ashley, so we all joined together and celebrated another year in the life of ashley gray. what a joy and blessing she is to us all. we love her magnetic personality. her love for the Lord. her love for laughter and life. her love for people. we are encouraged by her friendship

and the ways she so sacrificially gives to others--always.

thank you, Lord, for our sweet friend and the life you've given her.

house divided.?!

barwick street was divided for this football game. clemson. carolina. officially, you may say two against one, but unofficially (based on these pictures!), you may say three against one. it was a pretty civil occasion between the group, and everyone walked away full and happy--having enjoyed each other, tailgating, football, wonderful weather, good friends, and a great ending to the 2009 thanksgiving weekend.

so thankful for friends to live with that make my house a home.

i love my little life at barwick street!

wedding bells begin.

on november 20th we officially celebrated the engagement of

ryan and mary. aunt macky and pa hosted a beautiful party at the palmetto club and everyone joined to celebrate the happy couple.

we are thrilled for the upcoming marriage and thankful for God's blessings in the midst of their dating and engagement to this point. march 27th will be a very special day for us all!

the happy couple with mary's precious pa.

the barwick girls.

mandy and mary.

the sassy mary is ready to go!

lord we are thankful for your grace and goodness to ryan and mary.

for your provision. for your sovereign hand to bring them to this point. we pray your blessings on their marriage and that they would always bring honor and glory to your name. amen.

hank's new do.

so, hank got groomed yesterday.

ask me what i think about the final product:

there is really nothing left to say.

dear shandonwood, next time you decide to take all of the doodle out of my labradoodle, please call me. his tail is supposed to be long and curly. sincerely, hank's keeper