Bradley Edwin

...3 weeks old.







...And in Cubbies colors :) Guess he is excited for Cubs Pitchers and Catchers reporting to Spring Training TOMORROW just like me! When baseball starts up that means summer isn't TOO far behind it!

Fat Tuesday

If you knew me college, lived with me, or ever became close friends with me, you know a few simple facts about me. If we were playing "Family Feud" the following earthly things are the top seven answers that the survey would say "Christen Sanders loves and and/or is very passionate about"

1) The Chicago Cubs

2) The Indianapolis Colts

3) Caffiene

4) The Rocky Anthology

5) Ice Cream (more specifically: Chocolate Chip)

6) Survivor

Now...for #7....think for a moment. Can you guess it?
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..
...
....
.....
......
.......ok i think you get the picture...

7) LATE NIGHTS!


You may have guessed it, OR you could be hitting yourself on the forehead as I do after many rounds of "Family Feud" saying "Duh! I knew that!"

Now, there was a purpose for this post. As I look at my clock it says 12:09am. Yes, it is not THAT late, especially for my standards, but I am fully participating in Fat Tuesday because for Lent which begins tomorrow I will be in bed by 11:30pm every night until Easter (weekends it is extended to 12:30am). For someone who makes a habit out of staying up until 1:30am or 2:00am a bit too frequently on weekdays and in the upwards of 3am on weekends, I feel that I am truly making a lifestyle change.

The purpose of giving up my late nights is so that I begin reading my Bible every night at an earlier hour where I'm not giving God/Scripture the time when I may be nodding off or so tired that I'm just trying to fulfill a "check off my list" of things to do today. I want to be able to fully study Scripture with a clear mind that isn't foggy with sleep. And I already know going in that I am going to fail. I know I'm not always going to make it by 11:30, but I want to make a true effort to make a lifestyle change to better my relationship with Him.

We'll see how it goes. Rachel (my "roommate") has said she will try and help hold me accountable -- I'm going to need all the help I can get!


Special Shout-Out----

To the Dentist that has put up with me for life and is apparently (according to Mom today when I talked to her over the phone) an avid reader of my inconsistent blog -- DR.LEMNA! (Sorry Dr. L, it is weird to call you Jaime even though I'm an adult now! haha) I hope all is well and I will try hard to make an appointment to let you clean my teeth when I'm home! Miss ya!! Sincerely, "The Reverend" ;-)



Happy Fat Tuesday Everyone!

Nephew #2

As most of you know nephew #2 was born January 20th. I just realized I hadn't even posted on his arrival. Welcome to the world Bradley Edwin Sanders!

Can't wait to meet this little guy!

In your honor...

Although some would claim I'm in denial or what have you, I actually don't mind being single on Valentine's Day or as some might proclaim "Singles Awareness Day" (which I JUST noticed the acronym S.A.D in that statement. How ironic. haha)
I know most of my family members were already married and pregnant with children by the time that they were my age, BUT I've become quite content and comfortable in my old spinster age.

In honor of Valentine's Day I would love to say "I love you!" to all of my friends and family that I have not seen in a few months!

So in your honor, I will post these wonderful pictures :) Enjoy!













Love and Miss you All!!

Help!

Hey Everyone!

Chase Community Giving is sponsoring a $25,000 gift for the charities/non-profits that have the top 100 votes. Could you help us by voting for the organization that I work for!?

Our organization's name is: WW Community Connections, Inc. and it is in Warren, Michigan.

Go to this website.





THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH! :)

God Bless!

A Wonderful Thought for Today...

Currently I am living with an amazing family here in Michigan and Beth Kring, the mother of the family, sends out DT (Devotional Thought) emails randomly throughout the week to a great number of people that she is close to. I am very grateful to be an addition to the Kring family, and have been blessed far more than I deserve, and one of the many blessings is being on Beth's email list. Today I read the DT for yesterday that she sent out and was very inspired by it and I thought it would be a wonderful one to pass along to you :)

Thank you Beth!

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Today's Verse: Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Think on this: This past week I was privileged to spend time with family, relax a bit, experience a great service at church and spend time with friends. This morning I was working on the annual Christmas letter I send out when I remembered an old story, perhaps you've heard it before.

A wise professor once taught his students a valuable life lesson about setting priorities by taking a large, wide-mouth jar and setting it on his desk. And into the jar he put some big rocks. When he finished, he asked his students, "Can the jar hold more?" The students agreed it could. So he poured some smaller rocks inot the jar. And he asked his students, "Is it full now?" And they replied: "Yes, the jar is full." But the teacher then poured sand into the jar which filtered down around the rocks. And he asked, "Now is the jar full?" And the students emphatically replied, "The jar is really full now." But the teacher said, "Wait!" Then he began pouring water into the jar. And the water soaked down around the rocks and the sand until it was brimming full. And the teacher said, "Now, is it full?" And the students replied, "Yes! Now it is truly full!"

This was his point: "If you want to live a full life, you need to begin by putting the big pieces in first!"

As I was recounting all that has happened since my last "Christmas Letter" I realized that although there were a number of "big pieces" it was often the small stuff that caught my time and attention. Did I short changed the really big stuff in my life? I want each day to start, end and be saturated with the peace and presence of Jesus and that won't happen without a conscience effort on my part to make it so.

As you officially enter into the holiday season I would challenge you to take a hard look at your "life jar". are you filling it with the things that matter most?

Worth repeating: "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey
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Hope you enjoyed Beth's wonderful insight today and were blessed by it just as I was!

23 and counting...

One thing that I have learned in my old age is I love having birthdays. I may have only had 23 of them so far, but with each year that goes by I learn that as my physical body is adding years, but I am also adding blessings. A year ago I did not have blessings such as: the Krings, my Warren Woods Church of the Nazarene family, a job that works to better the life of others, and so many, many other things.

I sure felt the love last Thursday on my special day. I couldn't tell you how many times I heard, "IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY" from the lovely Mrs. Beth Kring, the numerous facebook posts/messages, text messages, and phone calls.

Thank you to everyone who made it so very special. Here are some pictures that Beth & Rachel took.

I know...not the most flattering picture of me. haha. Beth made them sing to me and make me wear the sombrero at my birthday lunch at Don Pablo's. With Rachel & Skyman :)
Krings want me to be a "true Michigander" so they bought me a Michigan State sweatshirt and a Detroit Red Wings shirt. haha.Sydney & Nolan helped me blow out my trick candles on the obnoxiously pink cake. They know how girly I am and how much I love pink. Yuck! hahaThe wonderful group (minus a couple).
Thanks everyone!