A Little Review of 2011

January 2011

Rang in the New Year by taking a leisurely drive down to Oregon

Worked and took classes

It was cold and there was a lot of snow

February 2011

Both of us started classes (Carson had 27 credits, I had six)

I worked full time

My phone decided to fall into the toilet and survived the adventure

We celebrated our first Valentine's Day

We took pictures as the "Reilly Family"

March 2011

We got new furniture for the living room

I turned 22

We housesat for a couple in our church

We went to Sandpoint, ID for Spring Break

April 2011

Carson's parents came to visit

We celebrated Easter 

I used my new sewing machine

May 2011

I put my two week's notice in to my job (and ended up staying an extra two weeks)

We both ran Bloomsday

We celebrated one year of marriage

Carson graduated from Moody Bible Institute!

June 2011

Carson moved to Naches for the summer

We learned that we don't say goodbye well

I got a roommate for that time

I visited Carson

I was recruited to teach at VBS

July 2011

I celebrated the 4th of July in Hayden, ID

The Reilly Girls had another girls' night

Carson broke his foot

We spent time in Olympia 

I went to Pennsylvania and saw family and Jillian

August 2011

Erica became my roommate for the month of August

I attended Josie and Chris' wedding in Montana

We attended Catherine and Levi's wedding later that week

I started school full-time

September 2011

Carson moved back to Spokane

We celebrated Rachel's birthday with a pool party

John and Rachel got engaged and we went dress shopping

I was creative again

October 2011

We went on the Reilly Retreat

Jillian came to visit

We dressed up for Halloween

Molly, Erica and I were the 3 Blind Mice

November 2011

The leaves changed 

We had our first foot of snow

We were married for a year and a half

We celebrated Thanksgiving

December 2011

School ended and my grades didn't suffer

Carson turned 25

We celebrated Christmas just the two of us

We traveled to Pennsylvania for Christmas

Line Leader

When you were little, were you ever chosen to be line leader?

The line leader is the person the teacher has selected as best listener. This special individual has been noticed for sitting down, following directions, keeping hands in their lap, and not talking when the teacher is speaking. Line leader is an important distinction. You stand proud as you walk to the lunch room, leading your classmates down the hall.

I use this example for two reasons. The first is because five days a week, I see this carried out. Three times a day, we form a line to snack and lunch and someone is chosen to lead the group. With head held high, the line leader carries out his or her duty with excellence and a certain amount of pride.

Secondly I use it because it is a reminder. To be the line leader is to be different from everyone else. You're one of them, but you were the only one chosen to lead. Might we say set apart? Chosen?

Last night Carson and I were studying Colossians 3:12 - "So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."

"Because you have been given a distinction [salvation, line leader :)] act this way..."

We got some specifics out of it too but I thought I'd share that little story and illustration with you :)

Bible Study Methods

I've realized that this blog has been remarkably silent on the "What we're learning" front. That ought not to be!

Since we've been married, we read a Proverb a day to correspond with the date. So many things that stick out each time we read that even though we're reading the same verses month by month, we're constantly noticing new things.

We're also reading through the Old Testament, slowly (we're in Numbers).

BUT, we've been feeling a little dis-unified in our devotion times together. We both want to benefit, but to be honest, just reading alone was a little dry for us. We prayed about it, and Carson came up with this idea: Applications.

In Old Testament Survey (the class he's the TA for), the students are required to do "applications". They're 1 page papers that basically compile the basics from a study on a passage. There's an interpretive summary of the passage, a very clear, concise "big idea", and an application based on that.

So we've been doing that for the past two days. We read a passage of Scripture (we're going to start with Numbers, chapter-by-chapter for the OT and 2 Corinthians, passage-by-passage for the NT) and then discuss it, pray about it, understand what it's saying, write a summary, big idea, and personal application.

We've only done this two days so far but it's been really great. I recommend it.

What do you do for Bible study, personally or as a family?