the.turley.family

Last week I got to write about our experience with family in Michigan and now I get to write about what a great time we had with family and friends in Corbin. We are so blessed and God is so faithful! My plan is to write this post much like the last one, chronologically. So, check out what happened in Corbin... Friday after Matt worked hard for Perdue we hopped in the car for the 2 1/2 hour drive to Corbin, which mostly uneventful, but exciting because it ended with us being home for a couple days! It rained then entire  way so that was a little obnoxious, but other than that it was a great trip.  Friday night was spent mostly catching up with my sister who just got engaged!! Jake Hart proposed to her shortly after they both got back from missions in Nepal. I got to hear their story for the first time. Such a great story of how God brought two people together for his glory and their good. Love it! Saturday morning started with a bang! For the first time since 2008 (when ...

As some know I am teaching a couple classes this Spring at Western Kentucky University . I am SO excited! Today, on my first day back to BG, I am hard at work on the class. I've spent most of the day working hard on my syllabus, homework assignments, setting up Blackboard, and more! Trying to be as prepared as possible for this new adventure. Looking forward to a good semester!

This past Friday Matt and I set off for a much anticipated trip north! We got on the road earlier than usual and despite the wind throwing us all over the road we made it in record time. The trip was a little rough on Matt because of some nasty back pain - any prayer for him would be much appreciated - so God gave me the grace to stay awake, somehow! Usually I am in the passenger seat, cozied up, snoozing by the time we hit Dayton and it's "good luck Matt" for the rest of the trip. This time however, we plugged away and God kept me awake. Part of this new found alertness can be attributed to the fact that I was so tense from white-knuckling the steering wheel because of the wind that I could barely even feel my hands much-less be comfortable enough to fall asleep. Grateful though because it meant Matt could squirm around trying to find a comfortable position and try and get some much needed rest. Okay, enough about that. We arrived and went straight to bed considering i...

December 15 was a GREAT day in the year 2011. I gave my first Christmas present to Matt (right after Thanksgiving) and we were able to enjoy the fruits of that in Nashville on the evening of the 15th. His present last year was Detroit Redwings hockey tickets. The more exciting part of that night was that I also got my first Christmas present from Matt - an engagement ring and the sweetest (most unexpected) proposal. A (little over a) year has passed since that day and it could not have been a more joyous year for us. We set a limit on the gift giving and both of us were confident we could stick to it. Matt had been "dropping hints" almost every time we were in the store I eventually bought his gift from. Don't let me exaggerate too much - we weren't in this store that often, but each time we were he would say "I don't have a hoody and I really need one..." so needless to say my gift decision making process was an easy one this year. For him, it may n...

Just a short post about how God showed up today. This morning I was packing Matt's lunch and was quickly (because I'm always running late) writing the index card that goes in his lunch. Each card contains a verse from somewhere in the Bible and a note from me for the day. This morning, as well as many other mornings, I use the verse of the day from my iPod YouVersion app. The verse for today was Psalm 46:10... Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted on the earth I wrote it down, stuck in his lunch box, and didn't think another thing about it. Until... I was reading some information about PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). In 2009 I went to my doctor for the first time and while explaining some symptoms she looked at me and said based on what I'd been explaining I likely had PCOS. At the time all she told me about it is that it might make it harder to get pregnant. In 2009 I was single and while I had the hope of m...

Well, I've done it again. Gone and sinned.  This time sin is showing itself as being too quick to make up my mind about something or someone. I don't know that it's sin to make up my mind about an object, but it definitely is when it applies to people. When I judge someone too severely without really knowing them or extending any grace it is definitely exactly that, sin. What's funny (or maybe funny isn't the right word...what's ironic) is that it took food to make me realize this. I was thinking about what we had in our house in terms of food and whether or not we had enough groceries to last us the week. I did a mental list in my head of what is in our cabinets. Among the yummy stuff that I love is something that I used to turn up my nose to - tuna. As I thought about the fact that we have tuna in our cabinets my mind quickly ran through several thoughts most of which were centered around the fact that I used to hate  tuna. I had made up my mind based on o...

Oh Lord, help me trust you. Help me trust that you are taking care of orphans. That you love them, provide for them, and have a glorious plan for their lives. When things seem so overwhelmingly sad please help me see your sovereignty. Be near them tonight, warm them, soothe them, comfort them, give them hope. Help them know, no matter their situation, that your word in Jeremiah 29:11 is true for them - that you have a plan for hope and a future and that your word in James 1:26 is true - that you will provide people to care for them because that is acceptable in your sight. God, prepare my heart and my husband's heart and our families hearts for whatever you have in store for us regarding the care of orphans. Guide us. We love you. Amen My heart is broken as I look at the waiting child list on the website for Rainbow Kids .   It's one of so many adoption agencies/resources and there are 1953 children waiting on just this one site. I wasn't ready for what I would see eve...

Our youth group just finished reading through the book Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. It was a great read (for the second time for myself) and very beneficial for our youth group. We used small group time to work through the book, which means I read and discussed with a group of ninth grade girls. What a blessing they are to me! I told my girls several times that I wish I had had this when I was their age. Yes, I had wonderful teaching and it has made me the woman I am today, but I too fell prey to this faulty belief about God's will for my life. I read the book for the first time at the end of college and it reshaped my decision making. I realized I don't have to get so bogged down by wondering if when I make one decision to do something am I knocking myself out of God's will for my life. I can make decisions based on my passions, which are God given, my desires, and what I want. Yes, there are things to consider when making major life decisions and I want to...

Not sure what to title this one so I just started typing. We'll see what comes to mind by the end. So, I just finished a novel by James Patterson called Suzanne's Letters to Nicholas . Great read. I think I may have to recategorize myself from "not a reader" to "good-book lover". I don't feel it necessary to call myself an avid reader quite yet because I still need the book to hook me by about chapter 3 to be willing to stick it out, but I am starting my third book in a matter of two weeks, which is completely abnormal for me! Who knows maybe some day my self given title will change again. Anyway, the prompt for me wanting to write this post comes from a section of that book. I'm warning you now if you feel the need to read the book yourself you may want to stop reading this post now because I'm about to give away the ending. Suzanne, the book's namesake, dies suddenly at the end and to add to it her one year old baby boy, Nicholas, dies ...

the beginnings of sausage stuffing Matt's delicious turkey table: pre-food; set & ready finally got to use my apron! the sides: sausage stuffing, hashbrown casserole, and candied yams our beautiful table yum! We are incredibly blessed and grateful for the Lord's provision in our lives. Such a great first Thanksgiving as husband & wife!

While sitting on our couch, I grab my computer and pull up Facebook. Instead of the normal "what's on your mind" in the status bar it read "what are you thankful for?" Instead of writing a lengthy status on Facebook I decided to write it here. I can think through it and jot down each thing that comes to mind, which is exactly what I plan to do. This post may end up being quite random, but one theme running throughout will be a heart of thankfulness.  I'm thankful for... my relationship with Jesus Christ where I experience grace and have the promise of eternity with my creator my husband who pursued me and strives to be more and more like Christ my family - dad, mom, step-dad, brother, mamaw, extended family my fabulous in-laws - they took me in like they had known me their whole lives and made me part of their wonderful family the church we have joined our lives with and the fact that they've become our family the girls I get to do life w...

Oh, housekeeping Why can't I be like the girls who have this innate love for keeping a home tidy? Why can't I be one of those women who just naturally love doing dishes and laundry and dusting and ...? Why can't I enjoy being organized and neat? I can only find one word to answer those questions. Sanctification. I married a man, who I adore, who loves to have a clean house that is not cluttered. I, however, do not seem to have the same affection for a tidy home. Now, don't get me wrong it feels good when our house is clean and put together the way it should be, but it doesn't get under my skin when it's not. For my husband, that is not the case. This is one of the many ways God is sanctifying us. I know myself - I am 100% an extrovert who loves people and make being with people the priority. If I have the choice of spending time with people I will choose it over any other option in most situations. While this is one of my greatest strengths it is ver...