A Trip Down Memeory Lane...

...or rather, Heights Blvd.

We've already started to joke about how we'll take our kids for drives down the Blvd. and say things like, "That's where Mommy and Daddy first lived right after they got married." And, "That was our favorite little cafe to go to for lunch." And, "That's where Mommy ran many, many, many miles on that awesome jogging trail."

Today is our very last full day in this house and really, I should be packing like a mad-woman on speed. But as I've been going through closets and drawers, I keep being reminded of some sweet times we had here. And I just know I'll regret it in the future if I don't take time to record some of my thoughts.

I know my last blog post was less than stellar concerning this beat-up, old house, but despite all it's flaws and frustrations, it holds 3 years worth of some wonderful memories for us. Do you mind if I share a few of our favorite?

1. We were beyond excited about this amazing space the LORD gave us, right on the beautiful and highly sought-after Heights Blvd. Here we are checking it out, before we (well, Matt) moved in.
2. We came right home after our Wedding Day. I will spare you any elaboration on this memory. ;)
3. We used to pack this place out with UH students before we became an official student group and could meet in a room on campus. We were so proud to have a place where they could all come.
4. We've LOVED the fact that our dear friends Beth and Kyle Volkmer always choose to come stay with us when they're in town. We love them so much and have really had lots of great times together in this house eating food and playing games and talking about the LORD. We are even more grateful to finally be able to give them a door to the guest bedroom and their own bathroom when they continue to come visit.5. I have been overwhelmed with joy at the many thoughts of what the LORD has done in this living room every Monday night of last year. I had our girls' small group here and the LORD always seemed to meet us here. Every one of us there really grew in the LORD and just fell in love with each other. When we think back on those times, we'll picture this living room.



I could go on and on, but I really should get back to packing before my husband comes home and finds that I've done nothing since he left to take a load to the new house.

LORD, I'm so grateful for the last three years in this house and for every single one of the memories that are etched in the floors and on the walls. Thank you for bringing your peace to rest here so often and for each person that ever walked through the front door and into our lives. We really do cherish every bit of it and will hold it dear in our hearts. Please forgive me for when I've been ungrateful for this house. For when I've whined and complained and been out-right angry about having to live here. You are so good and you gave us such a jewel of a very first place to call home. Father, please continue to bring your peace to this house. Lord, I pray that whomever would live here next would feel your Presence like we have and would cherish the memories they'll make.

As if We Needed More Reason

It seems as if every single day since we signed a lease to move into our wonderful, beautiful, brand new house something occurs in this house that reminds us and further solidifies our deep longings to get the heck away...and fast!

Examples of these awful and annoying occurrences include, but are not limited to:

1. Tiny little bugs crawling out from behind the molded shower walls.

2. No parking spaces left because of the constant parties going on at the firehouse behind our house.

3. The constant (loud) parties going on at the firehouse behind our house. Who has a party til 2am on a Tuesday night, anyway???

4. Our mailman deciding when it's convenient for him to come to our house. So what if we don't have any mail to receive that day? Shouldn't it occur to him that we may have outgoing mail...like, maybe an important bill to pay?

5. The GIANT roach that basically crawled up the blanket draped across my legs and all around the bookshelf until he finally made himself comfortable in my shoe. (I tried not to cuss him out.)

6. The A/C that chose to stop working in the middle of August, leaving my husband and I to sweat it out all night and well into the blistering, record-high afternoon. What makes it worse is that because the house is so old, the windows are all painted shut, giving us absolutely zero ventilation. Apparently, I get REALLY angry when I get hot. Poor husband.

I know this sounds like I'm complaining a lot. And maybe I am. But what I haven't told you is just how overwhelmingly thankful each of these situations make me. Every time I step into the shower in the morning and see the yucky moldy walls, I'm spontaneously sent into a praise session to the LORD. He gave us this house that we still live in 3 years ago and it's been so perfect for us (almost) this whole time. We've been ready to move on up for a while now, and He's made it possible for us.

In the changing seasons of our lives, we're so ready for something different and something better. It really was the orchestrations of the LORD that made it possible to get this new house. It's perfect! And I can't wait to move in. Until we do, I'm making it a point to count all these little annoyances as reminders from the LORD to give thanks in all circumstances.

And how easy is it to give thanks for this!

"To Save A Life"

Friday nights mean Pizza nights in the Hoogendoorn household. Sometimes we go out for pizza and sometimes we just curl up on the couch with either frozen pizza or delivery of some sort and a Redbox movie.

Lately, we've been fairly disappointed in the lack of good, quality movies to watch these days. They're either all very and unnecessarily sexual and trashy or have absolutely no decent plot. But tonight, when my husband came home with "To Save a Life," I thought it might be well worth the watch. I was right. Oh, so right.

We had seen a preview for this quite awhile ago and were really interested in seeing it, but somehow we completely missed it when it was in theaters.

Y'all, this is such a powerful film. If you haven't seen it, you really, really need to. Did you like "The Blind Side"? This movie is very similar, only a lot more Christian emphasis.

I think Matt and I both were really affected by it (tears may have been shed) because it really is a picture of what we do. There are so many people (specifically, students) who really are hurting and feel alone and like nobody in the world cares a lick about them. All it takes to make a difference is to just simply become friends...just one at a time. Love them like they've never been loved before. Tell them how significant their life really is and that they're not an accident.

If you haven't seen this...pick it up soon.

If you haven't made a new friend lately...pick one out. There are so many to choose from.

Things I'm Enjoying

Here are some of the things I've been enjoying this summer:

Avacados. I would truly eat one a day if it weren't so darn difficult to find ripe ones. High in calories (boo!), but also high in good cholesterol (yay!). And oh, so yummy with a little sea salt.
This fun summer dress (well, not this exact one, but one very similar to it) that I got on sale from the Gap before our trip to Phoenix. I only wish the straps were a little thicker so I didn't have to feel like I needed to wear a sweater with it. But it's cool and comfy...and it has pockets!This series by Francine Rivers. I'm a big believer in summertime fiction, but I'm not typically a huge fan of cheesy, Christian romance novels. And although some of her stuff can be on the cheesy side, this series has been one of the most challenging, convicting and encouraging book(s) I've read. Because it's a trilogy, the plot and the character development is very thick but not overwhelming. I started the first one at the beginning of the summer and am only a few chapters into the last one. Hoping I can get it finished by the time school starts in a few weeks.Iced Tea in this new pitcher of mine. I've never really been a big iced tea drinker, but I've been just downing this wonderful stuff all summer long. It's probably because I decided to stop drinking coffee several months ago, but still need that tiny flow of caffeine throughout my veins. Call me an addict if you will, but at least be grateful that I won't rip your face off because I've had my fix. I'm a much more pleasant person when I've had my fix.The Apostle Paul and his letters: Acts, Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians. I've read these books countless times throughout my life. I've even memorized several select passages from each. But I've never really read them for pure enjoyment. Paul was such an incredible man. I'm so grateful for his commitment to the gospel and to the Church early on. Sometimes I wish I could be more like him.What have you been enjoying this summer?