It beginning to look (and feel) a lot like Christmas!

I am finally done with exams and one Christmas break!  Ryan and I are looking forward to a couple of days here in Birmingham, for R&R and apartment hunting, and then we are so excited to be heading to Hattiesburg, Ms to spend Christmas with my precious Mamaw and family.  Here is what our house is looking like these days...

Christmas tree.  In the front window of course.

The table for fall... and now the table for Christmas.

Ryan at the door of 204!

Ryan's favorite: our Charlie Brown christmas tree

A couple of days ago my mom suprised Ryan and I with a Christmas basket full of goodies.  Including, cider which I am so excited to make and my favorite Christmas bakery item, Edgar's Stolen Bread.  Delicious!

Ryan's Graduation

Ryan graduated December 10th with a Masters in Theological Studies from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University.  Here are some shots from the day:

Ryan in front of the beautiful Hodges Chapel.

Ryan's family that was able to join us.  (Thanks for taking the picture Mom!)

Congratulations Ryan!

What real faith looks like

Image from www.gbcdecatur.com

Over the last 2 years or so Ryan has introduced me to several Christian blogs that have brought me a lot of encouragement, interesting information, and sometime a good laugh.  Below is a quote that Ray Ortlund shared on his blog recently that I wanted to share.  It brought me a lot of encouragement today.

“Pseudo-faith always arranges a way out to serve in case God fails it.  Real faith knows only one way and gladly allows itself to be stripped of any second way or makeshift substitutes.  For true faith, it is either God or total collapse.  And not since Adam first stood up on the earth has God failed a single man or woman who trusted him.”

A. W. Tozer, “True Faith Brings Committal,” In The Root of the Righteous (Harrisburg, 1955), pages 49-50.

It's beginning to look a lot like finals...

Image from worthingtonlibraries.com

Sorry for the lack of posting!  My life is a 2 page (single spaced, 12pt font) to-do list right now.  To-do items include:

• study and take 8 final exams in the next 8 days of school. 
• finish about 4-6 hours worth of lab work
• complete 2 oral path assignments, one due today and one due Sunday
• review schedule for next week, call patients that need to come in

But on the fun side of my to-do list:

• celebrate with Ryan on Friday for graduation with his master's degree!  (Ryan will probably be pursuing another masters and possibly doctorate, but I am SO proud of his hard work on this degree and and excited that he will be a graduate of a not so easy masters program with an awesome academic record!)
• Head to a party Saturday for my good friend Sybil who is getting married on Dec 18th.
• Finish decorating the Christmas tree!

I will try and do a picture post this weekend from Ryan's graduation and pictures of our house decorated for Christmas.