not only is he a professional scuba diver, he's a news anchor as well!

gotta love my husband...the goofball and his 'other' wife, scott christopher...
check out their new venture as news anchors for "the sunday morning update"

http://scottfergu.wordpress.com/

pictures make me smile! :)

okay, i just received some pics from our girls trip to nashville...oh what fun we had! i can't wait til our next visit...here are a few photos...enjoy!

seven years & still in love...

today is our 7 year anniversary! we feel so thankful for the past 7 years we've shared...both the good times and the not so good...we have grown sooo much in our love towards God, our love towards each other, and beyond!!! God has blessed our marriage more than I would have ever imagined!!! i hope and pray that more people in this world would know the love that we share! We chose to love each other 7+ years ago...and there were days that were hard to keep the joy & passion, however...I am thankful that God chose to love us first and that Greg chooses to love me more & more every day...I'm a SUPER blessed girl and I LOVE my 'professional scuba diver' more than anyone (but God) will ever know! :)

Greg and I have a tradition of 'taking turns' in planning our anniversary celebration. This year was Greg's turn...he did an AMAZING job!!! With gas prices outrageously HIGH and limited time to be away without the kiddos, he planned a romantic getaway to The Kellogg Center in EL...we had a WONDERFUL dinner at The State Room, then chocolates/strawberries and a FREE movie in our room...then another amazing meal...breakfast at the State Room before heading out to do some Christmas shopping...oh the sacrifices he makes for me! Shopping among a million other holiday shoppers...I love to Shop...Greg does NOT, but on our anniversary weekend he went along w/ me anyways...what a sweetheart! ;)

It was a GREAT weekend celebrating 7 years!!! I'm looking forward to planning our 8 year celebration next year! :)

be loved & be love,
:)
1 Corinthains 13:13

merry christmas...

Brennan Manning, in The Ragamuffin Gospel explains, "To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God's grace means.

May we all be able to experience the JOY & PEACE God has for us this Christmas season. Grace is the BEST gift of ALL and my prayer is that we can acknowledge our darkside, our pasts, but embrace our new life in Christ and be able to smile in joy and peace! Grace was gifted at the cross...may we celebrate the life of Jesus, who brought us this gift as we celebrate His birth this Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to YOU!
be filled w/ peace...

let freedom ring...

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Forgiveness provides freshness and beauty in our lives. I know how it feels to live a life in bondage. For years after making poor choices, I felt that God had frogiven me for those wrongs, however God's fullness of peace had yet to encompass me...I hadn't been able to forgive myself!

As a woman, I believe that this is the most difficult step in forgiveness...it's the 2nd part of 1 John 1:9...it's mush easier for us to..."confess our sins and receive forgiveness from he who is faithful and just" However, when do we truly receive the purification from all unrighteousness??? When does that FREEDOM set in??? I belive it's when we allow the Holy Spirit to move within our hearts...when we stop believing Satan's lies. When we truly forgive ourselves, that's when the peace sets in and frees us from our dark past.

It's an amazing difference #1) accepting God's forgiveness and #2) letting ourselves off the hook. Deep down, I think it has more to do w/ our self-image/worth. We almost feel so bad about ourselves, we pretend that what we did was forgiven by God, but we never accept the sweet freedom God has for us in His forgiveness if we don't also forgive ourselves. We feel like what we've done is unforgiveable and dark and wicked...these feelings are NOT from God!!! It is Satan deceiving us and trying to gain a foothold on our lives. If we truly believe in Jesus and he lives in our hearts, then we need to accept the truth in our minds and soon our hearts will follow!

Speak truth and Speak it LOUD!
Sweet Freedom is an AMAZING gift from God and He wants us ALL to experience it...it brings Him glory to see us live in PEACE!!! :)
Thank you Father for the cross where your gift of forgiveness was born! :)

real love never fails...

WOW...my morning devo hit me in the heart! It was AMAZING! (on so many different levels...truly amazing and spoke HUGE to my heart this morning!) it was about true love and commitment and that they are both choices that we make on a daily basis.

After a long, hard look at some struggles Greg and I were having a couple weeks back w/ each other (mostly communication stuff) and some feelings towards our church...this devotional hit home for me. I totally understand the fact that our love for people and places and things should not collapse in hard times. True love and commitment is strong and unconditional!

The piece by Mary Southerland, points out that commitment is foreign in today's culture. We want everything to be easy, painfree, happy, and convenient! (That's total BS!) ...just like the myth of Christianity...it's supposed to be a "happy" life...no struggles, no worries...yeah right! :)

Our Love and Commitment to things and people is what makes us stronger! It's easy to just walk away from difficult situations and relationships. Commitment never stops trying! True love looks past the "current circumstances" and locks its gaze in on the "PROMISE"

(read jeremiah 29:11-12)

God promises that he knows what's best for us...he has plans to prosper us and not harm us...we need to trust in Him and put Him first...He never walked away from us, and I know taht I'm not that easy to love...hands down!

1 Corinthains 13:8 - "real love never fails"

Today, I thank God for saving my life and for His faithfulness to me. Today, I thank my husband, Greg for not bailing on me when I'm tough to love (which is a lot of the time). Today, I thank my friends and family for not leaving me when the going gets tough and I'm in a negative mood. I am thankful to be surrounded by people who love me and are committed to me! I am truly blessed!

Father, help me to make real love and commitment a heart habit! I want to be strong in my faith to You and to others...thank you for your perfect example of love! :O)

smiling friends vs.barking dogs

thinking today about what amazing friends i have...i'm so blessed!
friends that smile & speak words of encouragement to me rather than harsh words and barking...my friends are beautiful examples to me!

my hope today is to be a better friend, wife, mom, and person...speaking words that build people up rather than tear them down. my hope is to be a person that brings light as i enter a room and not a dark cloud...i want to spread joy and peace and happy days to those i encounter...i want to be conscious of my words and even my thoughts...that they are ALWAYS positive & encouraging! (i know that sometimes harsh words are needed, but let them be honest words spoken out of love, not judgement!)


this is my prayer for today...

ephesians 4:29 says:
do not let any unwholesome talk come from my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen .

fulfilled promises...

thank You for Your promises today, tomorrow, & always...
i'm dreaming hard right now...today, i choose to lay my dreams at Your feet and ask that what is of You will stand and what is not will fall away!!! i will choose to praise no matter the outcome and i will choose to give You the glory!

my dream of finishing school seems so 'normal', not really sure why it is something i have to lay at His feet, but i am willing if He promises to make my paths straight...that's all i want...confirmation that what i am doing is of His will in this season of my life.

Your word tells us of Your promises...plans to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us hope and a future (jeremiah 29:11)...i await hearing Your promises for my future...

thank You for Your promises, for Your truth, and for Your love!

music city usa, here we come...

so, it's offical...we're off to music city usa for a girls weekend, november 8-11th...i can't wait! we're staying in the penthouse suit of the marriott in nashville and will be visiting the opryland hotel, riverboat cruise, and i'm sure many shopping malls!!! after the LONGEST week of my life...i'm ready for a mini-vaca w/ my girls! :) and thank goodness greg is on board...he's my hero! :) stay tuned for more stories and i'm sure i'll post about all the fun when we return...but until then...it's back to life as mom, etc!

ok, let me reword that since blogspot won't let me edit or erase my previous post...am i being selfish???

well, today is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! i am glad that God has given me another day. however, today i'm not feeling much like rejoicing...and just yesterday i was feeling grand! (what a rollercoaster ride) today, i am wondering why? what on earth am i supposed to be doing? yes, i know i'm a mom...yes, i know i'm a wife...yes, i know i have too many responsibilities at church...yes, i know i am a friend and daughter and sister in Christ to many, yes, i know i am currently a part-time college student...but what does He REALLY want of me? i'm doing my best, but for what? for a day of questioning? i'm sick of questioning...i want answers and i want them now!!!

i want my degree more than anything else right now. i'm succeeding in school, doing better than i have since high school. i'm excited about it BIG time...but am i the only one? am i being selfish for wanting this? i really don't think so, but apparantly that's the consensus around here and i'm pretty much ticked off...

so there, i'm having a bad day and i know the good Lord will get me through, but my prayer is that He will speak to me in the midst of my pissiness (excuse the expression) happy day to you, i hope you are being encouraged today...because i am NOT!

am i full of self-pity or am i just rightfully pissed-off!?

got poop?

ok, i know this pic is a bit old, but it's the only one i found appropriate for the following blog! ;)

so, our daugther, julia leigh, has been not-so-honest w/ us lately about going potty. she has been hiding the fact that she has not gone #2 in at least 1-2 weeks, possibly longer! we found out by process of elimination...believe me, you don't want me to go there...it was a pretty gross laundry day for me! ;( anywho, we took her to the doctors 1st thing wednesday morning after we were concerned w/ more than just potty problems. julia had not eaten for 24 hours straight and was vomiting any liquid she tried drinking. the dr. appt. took over 2hrs. it was interrupted every 2-3 minutes w/ the urge to push and then....nothing! the resident doc was having trouble w/ the smell and tried to do an exam and next i knew, he spit up in a kleenex and then called the official doctor in for the exam. (i was so embarassed, but seriously, is that guy ever going to cut it in the medical profession!? he must not have children either!?) so LONG story short...we began giving julia oral laxatives (no poo), then 3 suppositories (no poo), then an enema...yuck...still no poo...

so this morning i was doing my 'girlfriends in God' devotional and it talked about how we aren't perfect and even though we try to be supermom, we can't make the grade, even w/ God on our side. perfection will not come until we stand face to face w/ Jesus someday! this was what i needed a lil bit of encouragement...an honest woman's point of view who has been wife, mom, etc. who has accidentally place dher mug of coffee in the freezer thinking it was the microwave or forgot to include her son's underwear in the laundry and left him wearing the same pair 2 days straight...WOW, the whole supermom theory out the window! that is what i needed, real people being really honest!!! this week has been tough...sick julia ALL week, constant potty breaks to no avail, psych exam monday followed by lecture til 10pm, cancelled advisor appt, bio lab tuesday night til 10pm, insertion of suppository #1, nathan's conferences and football wednesday, insertion of suppository #2, micah's speech session thursday, insertion of suppository #3 , bio lecture test thursday night followed by lecture, enema, micah's audiology test at MSU, reading my morning devotional at girlfriends in God (crosswalk.com), praying and handing everything including julia's potty problems over to God for good!...and then guess what!?

she pooped! praise God on heaven and earth!!! thank you Jesus! literally, thank God it's Friday! thank you for your strength and patience this week, thank you for relief, thank you for tonight! greg and i are headed to dinner and a movie w/ rich & jen. thanks to lindsey, our backup babysitter, on-call, ready and willing! i love my friends and i love my Jesus!!! and even though it's frustrating at times to abandon control, i thank God for reminding me that He will always make our paths straight when we trust in Him!

Proverbs 3:5-6

check out the devo at: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/girlfriends/

(check October 5th's edition: "Mother of the Year")

enjoy!

bad girls, bad girls, what ya gonna do...

so, we've begun a new book study w/ the ladies of faith, entitled Bad Girls of the Bible. i haven't yet figured out what type of bad girl i am/was, but in my devotional time this morning i searched a topic online and found this great article...it's so cool to see how it coorelates w/ the book thus far...sorry it's so long...it's good, i promise! ;) enjoy!

The New Bad by Greg Laurie
It seems as though everything is turned upside-down in our culture today. Think about it: Good has become bad and bad has become good. This is even true of certain slang expressions we use today. Back when I was a kid, words like "far out" and "groovy" were popular, although I could never bring myself to actually say "groovy." Some of these terms have gone by the wayside, but certain expressions dating back to the 1950s are still popular today, such as "cool." Here in the 21st century, people still say "cool."
But today, we have another word, "hot," which means the same thing as "cool." To take it a step further, if something is really cool or really hot, we say that it's "bad." If you have a really fast car, someone might ask you, "How fast will that bad boy go?" They wouldn't ask, "How fast will that good boy go?" because good is bad and bad is good. Everything is turned upside-down.
In the old days, back when more people would try to live a moral life, if someone was doing drugs or having sex before they were married, people would say, "Oh, that is bad," and "bad" actually meant bad. But now in our twisted culture, which is reinforced by music videos, television, and all the rest, someone who might do these things would be-in a way-good. Meanwhile, someone who doesn't do these things would be considered bad.
Here is what the Bible says: "What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever" (Isaiah 5:20-21 NLT).
If you are a true follower of Jesus Christ, then you will be considered bad in the eyes of many, and by "bad," I'm speaking of the negative sense of the word. You will be thought of as conceited or lame or out-of-touch or insensitive. So here is what it comes down t If you want to be a true rebel in today's culture, if you want to be a real bad boy or bad girl, then simply follow Jesus Christ. That is true rebellion. In today's culture, it is not rebellious to do drugs. It is not rebellious to have sex before you are married. It is not rebellious to party. These things are the norm. But it is rebellious to live a godly life. It is rebellious to go against the flow of the culture.
Psalm 1 begins, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (verses 1-2, NKJV). Note the progression in this verse: First you are walking, then you are standing, then you are sitting. And that is exactly how temptation works. You are just walking by, minding your own business. Then you are standing and thinking, Whoa! What is that? Then the next thing you know, you are sitting. You are doing something you shouldn't even be thinking about, much less engaged in.
So be careful. The Bible says, "Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant" (Galatians 6:7 NLT). Satan will try to pull you in and destroy you. But Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10 NKJV). In other words, He wants you to live a life that is full. You don't need drugs. You don't need alcohol. You don't need to chase after the things this world says you need to make you happy. If the things this world offers has all the answers, then why are people so miserable? Because that is not where it's at. It is in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Why settle for the cheap substitute when you can have the real thing?
Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life." That is life not only beyond the grave, but life during life. Medical science seeks to add years to your life. But only Christ can add life to your years and give you a life that's worth living.

1st day...new school, new teacher, new teeth!

today was nathan's 1st day back to school!

he begins 2nd grade today, on a new school bus w/ a new driver (#9 - mr. sherman), in a new school building (murphy el.) w/ a new teacher (mrs. megge) he'll be meeting new friends, and making new memories! not to mention LEARNING LOTS of new stuff!!!! :)

we are so thankful to have 3 beautiful children who love God and love beginning new journeys each year w/ school and friendships and beyond!

nathan is our oldest, so learning the ropes has been challenging, we're blazing through new territory in everything...our school system, doctor appointments, development, attitudes, spiritual growth, etc...but we continue to be reminded that we must pray over ALL things...even those that might seem insignificant...they are still important in the life of a child.

we had a rough week last week...i began college classes for the 1st time in a LONG time, julia began preschool, and nathan had his 2nd grade open house. we were all very excited to begin the school year and this new journey w/ nathan...into 2nd grade! and nathan was thrilled to meet his new teacher and see his new classroom! (BUT we never really prayed about the specifics, we never prayed for anything other than thank God for this new year and that was it)

upon entering his classroom for the first time i was disheartened by the lack of familiar names on his class list. in fact, i became a bit irritated! i heard nathan's disappointment with not having anybody in class that he knows (except one child from last year's class, whom is a disruptive & volatile child) anyway, it was hard as a parent to see his sad face, to hear his disappointment, and to feel his excitement turn to anxiety...bummer big time! :(
i then spent the next 24 hours on the phone & internet talking w/ principals, former teachers, superintendents, teacher & administrator friends & family! researching online about responsive classrooms and the need for familiarity in transitioning children, on and on and on...it was a BLAH day indeed!!!

after expressing my disappointment and concern, i grew even angrier! :( it was only after 8 hours of fuming, that i was overcome w/ a cloud of peace! God spoke to me at 4pm and said, "Nathan is going to be Alright!" He filled me w/ peace again. And with excitement for the coming school year! He said, this is good for Nathan and good for the new classroom. Nathan is a nice boy and a good student. "He is my child," God exclaimed! and it finally hit me...God's plans prevail, not mine! God's plan for Nathan's 2nd grade year are already in place and who am I to change them!? His purpose for Nathan this year could be to share his love for Christ w/ a new friend or maybe the teacher!? Who knows? But the truth is...God knows!!! And I'm trusting in Him for Nathan's life journey...including his public school education!

"Remember, Jen...this is all part of you and Greg's prayerful decision (way back when) to send Nathan to public schools...to share w/ others His truth and love!!!" (maybe you (jen) should continue to be prayerful!!!)

hmmm...i think God just hit me again w/ a 2-ton brick...duh!!??!!
stop being so stubborn, jen...TRUST!!!

back to school...

2010!

my new graduation year from Michigan State University...only 10 years behind schedule, no biggie! better late than never, right!?

it is OFFICIAL...i'm back to school! (it reminds me of adam sandler singing in billy madison..."back to school") :) anyway, last night i 'enjoyed' my first college course/lecture in 9+ years and it was GREAT! LONG, but GREAT! due to family priorities, my classes are scheduled at night, so a 4 credit course meeting 1x/week = a 4 hour class...6pm-10pm...WOWZERS! this is when i begin feeling old! however, i am happy to report that i am NOT the oldest person in my psychology class...now, that could change tonight when i attend my biology lecture...cells & genetics...just my forte...can't wait!!! :)

oh, happy day!

Psalm 118:24

summer fun ending...routine beginning...

WOW...so much has happened since my last post! We had a blast camping w/ a group of collegesomethings! We've shared a couple special weddings of close friends, we've opened our hearts to a new pastoral candidate at Faith, we've celebrated the life of a legacy of Faith, we've begun farewells to special friends & leaders as they prepare their next season serving God...we're drained, but pluggin away w/ His help! He is our strength today...

Have you ever felt dehydrated from crying so much???
Can I get a glass of water right about now!? Please!? ;)

No, but for real...Tears have become a way of life for me over the past 2 weeks! I am soooo looking forward to summer ending and routine beginning! Even though we have a lot on our plates and new journeys ahead...we look forward w/ great anticipation of what our future holds!

Gosh, where do I begin...sometimes I giggle at the thought of knowing God has a silly sense of humor and it irritates me! :) In a good way I guess...anyway, I was preparing for my Jumptown (Children's Church at Faith) and it FINALLY hit me! We've been learning this, or should I say...I've been teaching this to my crew for the ENTIRE month of August and it finally hit me...TRUST! Definition: Putting your confidence in someone you can depend on!
Verse: Trust in the Lord w/ all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Bottom Line: You can trust God because He's in control of EVERYTHING!
WOW...dont' ya just want to laugh...God is using a children's message to hit me hard right where it counts...I guess He's done w/ using adult ways w/ me...He's realized that I am too darn stubborn and in order to get through to me, He must use simple terms...

OK God I get the Point!!!!! AGHHHHHH!!!! :)

After all the tears, I have learned (again) that I can't put my trust in my friends & church...my friends may move away...far away, my church may be shaken, it is not perfect...but He is & has ALWAYS been...He will never leave me nor forsake me...He is my constant!!! And if I'm not trusting God w/ everything, then I'm trusting Him w/ nothing! It is time for me to let go and let God...

He is in control and He has promised to be with us...He has already gone before us and so we must trust that His plans are already in motion and boy oh boy do I look forward to the day when I can say THANK YOU...face to face to my Jesus, for His fulfilled promises!

The best is yet to come...
I love you Jesus, thanks for your peace ----

my first post

well, here it is...my first post! i thought i'd try out a new site to post my blogs...the myspace thing wasn't cutting it for me.

so, the end of summer is approaching and we just returned from a long weekend trip to gaylord for my dad's surprise 60th (oh what a blast!) and we have one final hoorah before school begins and things settle back into normality around the thompson household. we are taking a trip to leelanau state park in northport, mi...it is a rustic campground and so far, it is our favorite place we've found for family camping! we are taking our 3 kiddos along w/ a few college/somethings from UG...should be fun times and so far, the weather looks to be BEAUTIFUL! (i will post more on our excursion when we return)

on a personal note...i'm very excited and nervous all at the same time...i'm pursing my degree AGAIN...after 7 years of being a stay at home mom...i'm looking forward to this new season in my life and hope to approach it w/ a boldness like never before...i am an intelligent person, who's eager to finish something i've already started. this has been a humbling experience for me to say the least...i had to pick up my transcripts from michigan state university the other day, only to be reminded of my OLD self and the horrible memories that come along w/ my first attempt at college...all the partying, screwing around, skipping classes, etc that i did...YUCK, how embarassing! anyways, i guess on the positive side of things it is only a reminder of where i've come from and the changes that have taken place in my life...for which i am very thankful! i am a NEW person in Christ and i am pursuing this goal w/ a freshness that is ALWAYS exciting! so pray for the best and i will too...only God knows what the road will hold, but i claim it will be a road of excitement & fulfillment! (yes, it will be hard...i have a hubby & 3 kiddos that i need to tend to first, but this is my dream and i am striving HARD!)

on another personal note...i am in a tough spot right now...seeing good friends move on to new jobs, new homes, new cities, & new states...i understand the whole truth of "He gives and takes away" but why does it have to happen ALL at once!? i've crawled into my hole over the past month or so, really trying to figure it all out...silly me! i'll never figure it out, but for some reason i feel as though i'm hiding out or something...trying to make sense of it all. again, the positive side is that God's way is alwas best and if i truly believe that, then the best is yet to come! :) i'm trying hard to smile today, but it's worth it...the power of a positive attitude!!! :)