As of now, Our lives: Lynchburg, va

Kevin and I are truly blessed that God has led us to live in Lynchburg, Va. I know their are MANY wonderful places to live in the world, and I do think the burg is one of them. The town is not the biggest, but also not the smallest. Lynchburg is very rich in Character, from the mountains to the all the college students who dwell here. The student's are gone for the summer and it is bitter-sweet. Sweet because we now have more room to park at the University, and the roads aren't as cluttered. Well it's actually not too bitter because most students seem to stick around and live in houses around here, which I like, because it keeps the town young. It keeps it feeling alive and edgy. Edgy I like, boring I don't. We definitely don't have the best mall in this town, but it's actually a blessing in disguise. It keeps us living simple. It forces us to climb the mountains instead of climbing the halls of the mall every weekend. Plus it gives us a chance to travel to all the other really neat vintage towns in the surrounding area that do have good malls. Adventure is always knocking, and that is what I like, not that we always get to take it (with school & work), but knowing it's there at any moment is nice.
I asked Kevin to tell me 3 things he likes most about Lynchburg & here are his answers:
1. Mountains
2. Brentwood (church)
3. Laid-backness
I agree with all those things! :) My top 3 would be this:
1. Mountains
2. Brentwood/Liberty University (both are Ministries we work/serve in they fit well together plus LOVE them both)
3. All the young life that is here, growing and thriving.

Let me elaborate on them:
I wouldn't like the mountains is they made me feel closed in, but really they are far enough away to keep it feeling open, but close enough to get to see and experience the beauty everyday. The mountains are a great escape and so many people around here are hikers and I love it! The outdoors is God's world, and I like being a part of it. Kevin and I didn't take much advantage of the mountains last summer, but we fully intend to this summer. Nature+beauty+working out=greatness/less stress! :)
Brentwood Church has been such a BLESSING to our spiritual lives. I think every christian needs a church they can call home. Kevin and I have truly found that at Brentwood. God has moved us, shaken us,challenged us, and changed us through our church and that's what a good church should do. As of recent I have been given the opportunity to take-over/oversee the coffee bar. I am beyond excited to do this, it is such an honor to get to serve for God. The motto on my heart for the coffee bar has been this: Serve Christ then Coffee - We are some of the first faces people see when they enter Bentwood's doors, and coffee is like a drug to some people, so why not show some Christ while giving them their "love". ;) The 2nd motto on my heart is this: Become the the Branches: John 15:5. This is huge to me! We are the hands for Christ and to me this call needs to be taken very sreiously. Christ has given us all a mission... a call to be the branches... reaching out to all who need to know Christ. I look forward to working with the girls and setting the bar high in helping to win souls to Christ!
As for Liberty University (where Kevin and I both work full-time), it breaks my heart when people who work at LU complain about LU. No matter where you are or who you are their is ALWAYS going to be negatives in the equation. But overall the positives always outweigh the negatives when working at LU. What an honor it is to work for one of the largest Christian accredited University's. It's not just a University we work for, it is a Ministry. Lives are changed every single day through education and to be a part of that is incredible. It's not often you see people who are allowed to pray at work, or who can proclaim the goodness of God. I am very thankful for my job, and the people I work with.
As for my 3rd pick, I love the fact that so many young people come to college here and then get sucked into the bubble and stay! It keeps things fresh and thriving. Well educated young people are a good thing, and I like to have them around. ;)
Speaking of well educated young people, Kevin just finished his LAST class for his Master's! Congrats babe!! You are awesome, and so smart! I've never seen someone carry SO many Upper level classes while working full time and being married. The next and final step is for him to find an internship. We are praying those doors open. If not then he will probably purse his PHD. We shall see. The roads are long, so we've got some time (Lord willing). :)

Kevin and I have been training for the 10k run in Oct(?).. We recently started running outside more instead of the treadmill. What a difference! We've been working hard and plan on keeping it that way. I am so thankful to be married to a guy who cares about health and fitness. We challenge & push each other and it's awesome! It usually happens that on the days I don't feel like working out, he does feel like working out and vice versa. When it's like that either he forces(encourages) me to workout or I force (encourage) him to workout. Overall it works out really well (no pun intended). :)

Have I mentioned that since last Sep/Oct I have lost around 23-25 pounds?! Yeah, that was a shocker to me last week when I looked at my old weight watcher weigh-ins from Oct. It is crazy that I am actually meeting my goals when it comes to health and fitness. It has been a very long haul, but ever so worth it! So much of it has to do with constancy, and dedication. My new saying is this: If you push yourself you will surprise yourself! & it is so true! How many times do we put road blocks in our minds and think, "I can't do that" - well have you even tried?! I am realizing this more and more. No more saying "can't" unless you honestly have tried and tried again. :) Here's a glance at what my dinners now look like: green, protein & more green. (Boca veg. burger with lettuce in replace of the bun)

I have cut out the carbs during dinner, and stick to the good stuff. Not that carbs are bad, they are a must in a healthy diet! But I have started to learn MY body (everyone is different) and I know I won't lose the weight without some carb sacrifice. I've been learning to listen to my body and the signals it gives, it's amazing the things it lets you know if you just stop to listen. :)

Well this post has gotten extremely long, so I am going to wrap it up with some pictures we took while walking around downtown Lynchburg a few weekends ago. I don't have many, but I do plan on taking a lot more pictures around town now that summer has approached. :)

Hanging out in an old antique shop









Eating at the White Hart - a very folk like place in downtown Lynchburg.
Everything is freshly made! The fries are the best I have ever had! and the vegetarian Fitzwilliam sandwich is SO good! I need to take more pictures there next time.