Mr. Gosnell Goes to CCA

Adam is on the substitute teacher list at CCA. However, we (CCA faculty/staff) fill most of our absences in house, so he's never been called - until today! He subbed for our Latin teacher for about half a day. I knew that he was coming in at 11 a.m. and I was a little anxious. It was my idea for him to apply to be a substitute. I knew that he would do a good job, but really I wanted him to like it! (I secretly want Adam to teach high school one day, but that's a different story.)

11 a.m. came and went. The bell rang for lunch and the next thing I know, I have 5 or 6 students come by my classroom... "Mrs. Gosnell, your husband is here! He is SOO cool!! He let us ask him questions. He should get a job teaching here - I would be in his class." And on and on it went! Haha. Apparently Adam made quite an impression :)

I'm so thankful that he was able to come and that he had a positive experience. It's exciting to share such a huge part of my life with him - even if it was only a few hours.

He told one class that if/when they finished their work, they could each ask him two questions. Here are a few of our favorites... (A = Adam; S = Student)

--A: I'm Mr. Gosnell. S: The same as Mrs. Gosnell?!

--S: What do you do? A: I'm a student. S: But what's your job? A: I'm a full time student. S: Well how do you support Mrs. Gosnell?

--S1: How old are you? A: 23.
   S2: How long have you been married? A: One year. 
   S3: How old were you when you got married? A: ... 22.

--Questions also included "What's your favorite color?" "Do you have any siblings?" "How old are your siblings?" "How did you propose to Mrs. Gosnell?"

Our First Wedding Anniversary

One year ago, Adam and I experienced one of the best days of life. One year ago, our friends and family loved on us and supported us as we began a new stage of life. One year ago, Adam and I made a covenant with each other and with God to love and cherish each other 'til death do we part. One year ago, we said "I do." It's been an amazing year. I love you so much, Adam, and I pray for many more years together!!!



Adam and I spent yesterday in Boston proper. We had no schedule and no plan... just a short list of possibilities. The weather was pretty cloudy, so it was a cool day. We had such a great time! We drove in and parked at the Boston Common Garage which is located next to the Boston Public Garden. How cute are these "swan rides"?!

After seeing the Public Garden, we visited the Boston Public Library. It's HUGE and very beautiful. The John Hancock building is near the public library and it's also very impressive. There's also a large courtyard where we had lunch from a stand. I had a hot dog and Adam had "the true Boston experience" (according to our server) by eating a hot Italian sausage.

We then took the "T" to get to Harvard Square. The "T" is their Subway. They didn't ask me, but if they had I would have gently reminded them that the word "subway" begins with an "s"... just sayin ;) Adam did a wonderful job navigating us! The T was very busy and a little scary when it makes the screeching sounds. But it's relatively cheap and of course a great way to avoid driving in the city limits.

At Harvard Square, we visited the Curious George store and the Harvard bookstore. We also had ice cream at "J. P. Licks". (For the record, Curious George will be at the Curious George store next week. I wish we could take our nephew!)

I feel like I'm leaving things out, but this at least gives you a glimpse into our day! We also saw the U.S.S. Constitution museum, and the Constitution Marina (pictured below). We love being near the water and I especially enjoy seeing all the boats!

We took the picture below before having a bite from our wedding cake topper today. Let me just tell you, this poor cake survived for a whole year in our freezer... which included a two day trip in a cooler to Massachusetts. This cake was a trooper! But, alas, it's just a cake, people... It didn't taste very good! Haha. So we enjoyed the tradition, but chose not to indulge in very much of the cake ;)

The Gosnells Move to Boston: Part 2

   

The first stage of #gosnellsepicmove2013 is officially complete! After Adam's graduation, I had two weeks left of work at Ouachita High School. Those two weeks were bitter-sweet for me. I absolutely love Ouachita High School, my students there, and the wonderful support system that surrounded me. They were so sweet and encouraging as we said our goodbyes. Saying goodbye is always difficult, but we know that God has big plans - both for me and my students. While I was finishing, Adam slept in, read things not assigned to him (two of his most favorite things!), and packed most of our apartment. When I came home in the afternoons, he would say "Alright, X is packed, Y is ready to be packed, and I need to know what you want me to do with Z." I pretty much only answered questions; it was great! I'm so thankful for a serving husband.

We needed to be out of our apartment on June 1, so last Friday Ryan (Adam's brother) came to help us load up. We worked hard to fit as much of our things as we could into three vehicles and two trailers. It was exhausting, but productive! Adam's parents helped us make one last trip on Saturday and we turned in our keys Saturday night. Literally everything we own is now stored in half of the Gosnells' garage!

For the month of June, Adam and I are spending time with our families. We're planning to begin "the trek" up to MA on June 28. I can't believe that's less than a month away!

Please continue to pray for my job search. Because obtaining a MA teaching license is a much longer process than I anticipated, I have expanded my job search to school secretarial positions as well as substitute positions. However, I also believe that God is bigger than a teaching license or state department, so I'm still hoping and praying that I'll be able to teach in the Fall!

(Thanks to Brittany Green for taking the pictures you see of Adam and me in our very first apartment together!)

Congratulations, Husband!

I'm a little late with this post, but I am SO proud of my husband!!! On May 11 he graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Ouachita Baptist University. His majors were in Christian Studies (w/ an emphasis in Theology) and Biblical Languages. It's a mouthful, for sure, but it's official!

We are so thankful for the love and support from each of our families and we enjoyed having both sets of parents in town for this special event! Adam's grandparents and several other family members came into town as well. Our sweet friends, Trevor and Marissa, surprised us by coming all the way from Texas! We are so loved and so blessed!

The Gosnells Move to Boston: Part 1

It seems like I have waited forever to make this announcement... Adam and I are moving to Boston!

Not too long ago, I wrote When God Closes a Door.... At that time, we had begun to look pretty seriously at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. Adam had ceased work on the applications for other schools and I had even looked into a couple of job openings there. I also resigned from my present job during this time. Then we received a letter informing us that Adam had not been accepted to Beeson. So we were back to the application process and my job applications were put off once more.

Shortly after, Adam was accepted into Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in  South Hamilton, MA (roughly 35 minutes North of Boston). As we began to learn more about the school, God began putting the pieces together. Adam received a Trustees scholarship before we had even begun to apply for scholarships. We were able to get on the priority housing list, which meant a reasonable rent for on campus housing, as opposed to Boston's high prices. G-C (Gordon-Conwell) offered to put us up and provide meals if we could get ourselves there for a visit.

We began looking into flights and then found out that Adam's dad could help us out with frequent flyer miles, so last Thursday we took off! We drove to Dallas as soon as I got off of work on Thursday and then flew to Boston on Friday morning. We spent Friday afternoon touring campus and meeting with Admissions as well as Financial aid. I was very anxious when we went to bed Friday night. I prayed that God would bring peace and that His direction would be clear. On Saturday morning, I truly felt like a burden had been lifted. God provided peace, confidence, and assurance.

Since making this decision official, I am looking into two job openings. One of the teachers that I was under during my student teaching reminded me that she is from the Northeast and mentioned that we could possibly meet when she visits there during the Summers. One of my co-workers shared with me that she lived near Boston and spoke of how wonderful the Summer weather is. Etc, etc. Isn't God good?!

Spring Break: A Daily Account

• Saturday, March 16 ... We left Arkadelphia around 8:30 and headed to Branson, MO where we met Adam's parents and brother. After lunch, the guys headed to laser-tag / go-karts, while the girls hit the  outlet mall! We attended the Sights & Sounds Theatre production of Joseph that evening. It was a wonderful show and I love seeing the Bible come alive!
• Sunday, March 17 ... A little more shopping and eating before we bid farewell to Adam's family. Adam and I attended the Dixie Stampede for dinner. Watching the horses was my favorite part! It made me feel like a little girl again. After dinner and the show, Adam and I visited an antique store and then went to Applebee's for drinks where we played Phase 10. It was a very simple way to end our evening, but it became one of the highlights of our trip.
• Monday, March 18 ... A short time in Branson that morning, a drive back to Arkadelphia, and a movie/pizza night :)
• Tuesday, March 19 ... Tuesday was a pretty laid back day. We cleaned our apartment, ran a few errands, and took a long walk.
• Wednesday, March 20 ... We left Arkadelphia just after 8 (we were very proud of ourselves!) and drove to Arlington, TX. We met up with our friends, Nathan and Meagan, who graciously hosted us! Nathan's pastor took the four of us to visit Dallas Theological Seminary that afternoon. The evening was spent talking and playing games. Such a fun time!
• Thursday, March 21 ... Nathan and Meagan took us to Mr. B's Burgers (voted best burgers in the world, by owner) for lunch. It was delicious! We played Euchre for most of the afternoon and then Adam and I headed back to Arkadelphia. I drove in Dallas traffic and didn't kill us (or anyone else!). On our way back, we met up with more sweet friends, Trevor and Marissa and Marissa's parents!
• Friday, March 22 ... The epitome of a lazy day. Very little productivity, lots of sleep, no showers, microwave meals, tv, reading, etc. It was fabulous!
• Saturday, March 23 ... Today we are continuing our laziness with less vigor. I have to finish preparing for school next week and we have to get rid of the new ant problem in our shower :/ We've also been invited for dinner at Kevin and Erin's place, so we're looking forward to that this evening!
• Sunday, March 24 ... Tomorrow we're planning to attend church and then prepare for the week to begin. We'll also attend church tomorrow night to begin Easter week!

Did you get a Spring Break? Did it include travel, friends, and laziness like ours did?!

Ch. 1: The Greatest Challenge In the World

I've recently begun reading "Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas. So far it's pretty good, so I'd like to journal my thoughts after each chapter. And if I'm going to spend all that time journaling, why not use it as a blog post? So here we are with chapter 1! I'll just bullet point the thoughts that meant the most to me. (All quotes are from the book unless stated otherwise).

• The overarching question or challenge in the book is this, "What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?" (Umm, thanks for ruining my honeymoon phase). In all seriousness, though, Adam and I tried to be honest about this reality before we walked down the aisle - we will not always be happy in our marriage. When Adam asked me to marry him, both sets of our parents were having marital problems... Through watching our sets of parents struggle, we learned that there will be days when the marriage covenant is all you have left. And on those days, that covenant has to be enough.
• "Romantic love... can never be stretched; it simply shatters. Mature love... must stretch, as the sinful human condition is such that all of us bear conflicting emotions." I know that Adam and I haven't been "tested" yet in mature love. I know that we're still in our honeymoon phase and that we experience romantic love much more often than mature love. But that's okay. When the testing does come, I believe our love will stretch.
• Thomas writes about 1 Corinthians 7:2 when Paul says, "It is good for a man not to marry, but since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." Yes, the Greek is referring to sexual relations and the "immorality" is mainly lust, but Thomas suggests that marriage confronts more immorality that just lust, not the least of which being our human selfishness!
• Thomas' final words in this chapter deal with not expecting too much from a marriage. Marriage will never completely satisfy or fulfill someone - it was never intended to do so. Marriage will not remove my insecurity issues or magically make me a perfect wife - it was never intended to do so. My husband can't be God to me and I can't be God to him.

That Cheesy Post

That Cheesy Post That People Say They Don't Want to Read

You know the ones... I tell you all about how wonderful my husband is, how blessed I am to have him, how God knew exactly what I needed/wanted in a man, etc, etc. You say "Ugh, mushy, no one wants to hear that!" But you read it anyways. I know... Because I do it too. So here we go.

I came home yesterday to a teddy bear sitting on our table with roses in its lap. Adam met me at the door and told me that he also bought the oreos (I requested these instead of chocolates). We then walked into the kitchen together. I think he was hugging me when I looked up and saw a new spice rack sitting on the counter (with our spices already set up perfectly). I literally started jumping up and down! Our spices have been in a large bowl on our counter since we got married and it drove me crazy. It took forever to find anything and I always made a huge mess! Now I have a beautiful spice rack that spins around so that I can find things easily! Great job, husband!!! Adam later told me that he was pretty sure he'd nailed it because he had appealed to my cute side (the teddy bear), the romantic side (roses), the thoughtful side (my oreos), and the functional side (the spice rack). He was pretty proud of himself, haha. And he should have been! I was a very happy Valentine!!! And then we were able to spend the whole evening together at home, which we love!

So there it is... my cheesy post. :P

Batter Up! Applesauce Pancakes.

Adam and I typically have a very lazy Saturday morning! Sometimes he goes to play racquetball with a friend or we're out of town, but other than that we sleep in, read, watch tv, take a nap, etc. We love it! Every once in awhile, I like to make us pancakes for breakfast. When I do, I've always followed the recipe on the side of the Bisquick box. I thought that's the way we usually made them when I was growing up. And maybe we did, but I remembered them tasting better! Haha. So I wanted to try a new pancake recipe.

Pinterest to the rescue! I used the "Explore" tab and searched for pancake recipes. I might have included Bisquick in my search as well because I wasn't really interested in a full out baking experience. I'm not very brave in the kitchen and my counter space is extremely limited! This recipe is called "Mom's Applesauce Pancakes" and the Pinterest link takes you to allrecipes.com. I adjusted the servings for 2 people, but the recipe is easily doubled or quadrupled. Also, the original recipe called for lemon juice, but I left it out because I didn't have any on hand. They're delicious! Enjoy!!

1 cup Bisquick

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 egg

1/2 cup applesauce (I used original)

1/4 cup milk

Mix together Bisquick and ground cinnamon. Make a well in the center (I've never understood this in recipes. I understand how to do it and I faithfully follow my recipes :), but I don't understand the point. Do you know, Rachel?). In the well, add your egg, applesauce, and milk. Stir until well blended. (At this point, your mouth should be watering because the applesauce and cinnamon smells AMAZING!!) Heat your griddle over the stove and then pancake away! Adam and I enjoyed them with peanut butter and syrup.

Note: This made 5 pancakes and I make mine about 1.5 - 2 inches in diameter. But like I said, the recipe is easily doubled.

Happy New Years!

I stole this questionnaire from another blog... You can view the original here. Adam and I answered these questions over dinner this evening and these are our answers. Enjoy! And feel free to share your own answers.

A LOOK BACK AT 2012:
My favorite vacation was.... A & R - our honeymoon!
I liked listening to... A - The Civil Wars / R - KLOVE
I liked hanging out with... A - Rebecca on forever long car trips / R - Adam {Aren't we sweet?! Haha.}
My greatest accomplishment was... A - my grades / R - becoming a wife and receiving Teacher of the     Month
I learned how to... A - make my own breakfast / R - play Call of Duty
I made some extra money by... A - running sound for weddings / R - substitute teaching (during the Summer)
My favorite TV show was... A - Mad Men / R - Once Upon a Time
My favorite place to eat was... A - Wendy's / R - ??
My favorite color was... A & R - purple
My favorite treat was... A - oreo balls or Frozen River Stone / R - Frozen River Stone or oatmeal

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2013:
I want to learn how to... A - grill / R - balance work and home
I want to be better at... A - having a consistent quiet time / R - praying
I want to go to... A - ?? / R - Chattanooga (Shout out to my favorite Schelbs!)
My favorite subject in school will be... A - Greek or Theology / R - teaching
I want to try... A - a new food / R - ??
I will spend most of my time... A - thinking and reflecting / R - working
My goal is to... A - be consistent with a reading plan through his birthday (8/3) / R - keep up with the Scripture Memory Team through Beth Moore's blog; you can find out more here.

I'm thankful for all that God brought for 2012 and I look forward to 2013. Happy New Years!

Recognizing Love in All Languages

I know that I have no business giving marriage advice :) We've only been married a few short months, but I believe that God showed this truth to me and I wanted to share it.

Adam was in the shower and I heard him call to me. He didn't hear my "Yes?" from the other room, but I quickly remembered that he was out of shampoo. So I pulled out the new bottle (still in the bag from my errands last night) and went to pass it over the curtain, "Is this what you needed?" "Yes," he replied, "I love you too!" I smiled...

I later realized that when I brought Adam shampoo, he recognized this as an act of service. By doing so, I communicated "I love you" to him and he responded by saying "I love you TOO."

I was so humbled by that. Do I recognize when he is communicating "I love you" to me? Too many times I just rush right on instead of taking time to stop and communicate "I love you too." I don't stop to thank Adam for cleaning up the apartment. Or I take over when he offers to cook dinner. Or I blow him off when he says I'm pretty. (That last one sounds much more terrible in print than I had imagined :/)

Love is a journey. It's humbling and scary and exciting all at the same time. I love you too, Adam Gosnell.

Young Theologians

Recently, I looked at Adam's bookshelf (very tall, very full, and very intimidating) and asked him to recommend something to me. I haven't enjoyed very much time to read since school started, but I decided that I just needed to make time! So Adam made a few suggestions and I fingered through them for a couple of days before deciding on "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians" by Helmut Thielicke.

Let me preface that I do not claim to be a young theologian... although I'm sure some would argue that all Christians are (in some sense) also theologians. Perhaps I should say that I don't claim to be a young theologian from an academic standpoint. In other words, I'm not taking theology classes and no one is waiting on me to translate Galatians 6. However, my sweet husband is. I chose this book in an effort to understand Adam more and to show my support for his calling. His calling (and as a result, my own calling) is very unique and, as I learned from Thielicke, presents some very unique challenges. I'd like to share with you the two that stood out to me the most.

Thielicke believes in a "theological puberty." He says that because young theologians are learning so much at once, it's almost like buying a young child pants that are two sizes too big. We expect him to grow into them, but we don't expect him to model! Thielicke goes far enough to say that "it is a mistake for anyone who is just in this stage to appear before a church as a teacher... During the period when the voice is changing we do not sing, and during this formative period in the life of the theological student he does not preach" (Thielicke, 12). There are several implications here, but there is one that particularly applies to my every day life - not everything my husband says is gospel. I know that those of you who have been married awhile are thinking "Well DUH!" And believe me, I know that he is not right about everything :) But Adam goes to class, studies the Greek or Hebrew, reads a million books, thinks about all these things, etc, etc. and when he forms an idea about something theological, it's tempting to accept it and move on! Please don't misunderstand, I'm not a pushover. I have plenty of ideas. But the fact remains that this is something that I struggle with and Thielicke seemingly "hit the nail on the head" for how I should think and react to my husband's journey right now.

The second point that struck me from Thielicke's book is that young theologians (and theologians, in general) face very specific temptations as a direct result of their theological journey. It was enlightening to become aware of these temptations and learn a) to support my husband through this struggle and b) to offer consistent grace in these areas.

If you are a young theologian or you happen to love a young theologian, I recommend "A Little Exercise for Young Theologians," by Helmut Thielicke. I think his thoughts will encourage you and perhaps help you understand this journey better!

Recently.

Apparently I've been away from my blog for almost 2 weeks... When did those 2 weeks happen?! No seriously. I've debated for a couple of days now about what to blog about. I felt like I should have something wonderful and witty, but alas. It's just me :)

We're pretty settled into our apartment now. There are still a couple of "Where do I put this?!" stacks, but other than that it looks good! It definitely feels like home and that is what's most important! My favorite things are probably our new couch (Thank you, Wright grandparents!), our Mona Lisa puzzle (glued together and framed), and beautiful sconces that we hung today (Thank you, Nikolaishens!).

As Adam gets ready for apartment residents to move in (he's the apartment manager here) and for his classes to begin, I am getting ready to teach! This past week I was at a workshop for a couple of days as well as in my classroom. It's recently painted and it's slowly beginning to feel like my classroom. My list of questions for my principal that I started yesterday has grown longer and longer! I feel like all of a sudden there were a million things that just hit me. Shouldn't I know this already?! Oh well. I'm sure there will be a million more questions by the time school starts! I also had my first phone call from a parent/guardian. Let me just say, they left out the part about "This is what to say/how to respond to parents/guardians" during my time in college.

In other news, Adam has volunteered to make dinner tonight! He makes a pretty mean spaghetti, so I'm looking forward to it :) So blessed to be married to this sweet man!

So We Got Married!

"Our wedding will not be perfect. Ppl may not be impressed. But if God is glorified, it will be enough. #hardlessons"

I tweeted this on June 28, 16 days before our wedding. And I think we pulled it off. ;) My Dad said it perfectly when he said "God showed up and showed out." Needless to say, we LOVED our wedding day!!! Everything about it... from the surprisingly relaxing morning to sweet phone calls from dear friends who were away to saying "I do." I wouldn't have changed a thing! (Okay, fine. There were a couple of things I would have changed, but nothing major ;))

The day went by SO quickly. I found myself (especially during the ceremony) trying to slow my brain down and just take it all in. After the reception, Adam and I drove to Little Rock to our hotel. The drive was about an hour and we spent this time reveling in the fact we were married, sharing stories from the part of the day we spent apart, and making a list of things we wanted to specifically remember about the wedding! Adam also prayed over us and our marriage. It was a very sweet time and I wish I had a "videographic" memory to replay it over and over!

There are so many things that I wish I could share or express... Time is just too short and my vocabulary fails me! I'll close with this. The blessings, service, and encouragements poured out on us from sweet family and friends was nothing short of incredible. Few times have I felt and seen such love. Both sets of parents stayed up late finishing the reception decor on Friday night (while Adam and I "partied" at the Bachelor and Bachelorette parties no less). Grandparents traveled 5-13 hours to be with us. And we had the most amazing wedding party! They were awesome. The Groomsmen named themselves "the posse" and told Adam they'd do everything he needed. My bridesmaids picked things up for me, transported luggage, corseted my dress (unplanned), etc, etc. They were incredible. They are extremely special to me and I miss them dearly!

I'll try to post pictures when I have them. And there will be a Honeymoon post coming soon!

Quick Update: Pine Square 9

Adam and I are in the process of moving into our first apartment together! (Don't worry, only his stuff is here; he's still living at his buddy's place until after the wedding ;)) We are so thrilled with the apartment and things are becoming much more real as we approach the wedding day! I can't believe I'll have the privilege and joy of being his wife in only 8 days!!!

On the 4th, Adam's parents brought many of our wedding gifts that they've been graciously storing and helped us unpack. My parents will be here tomorrow with our furniture! We've been putting tape on the floor and trying to picture how it should be laid out, so we're anxious to see it in person.

Here's a sneak peak of our kichen!

The Wedding Dress

So... Our wedding is two weeks away! It's crazy that we are finally here and it's really going to happen! :) :) I pulled out my wedding dress this evening. My excuse was that it shouldn't be kept in the bag for too long... I really just wanted to look at it again. But as I was looking at it, I thought "I don't deserve to wear this dress. Am I really ready for the responsibility of marriage? Will I be able to be the wife Adam needs me to be? Will I be able to honor Christ in that role?"

I remembered that there is another white dress I don't deserve to wear. God, in His loving grace, reminded me of my salvation. He reminded me how He saw my sin and chose to send His Son... so that I could wear a white dress of righteousness instead of my filthy rags. And just like my wedding dress is adorned with jewels, He has adorned me with jewels because He has made me like His Son. He has made me an heir to the throne. He has blessed me with a grand inheritance. I am overwhelmed again by this glorious thought.

I believe that, in God's grace and kindness, He has led Adam and I to the marriage altar. I also believe that He will equip us daily with just what we need to fulfill our vows in obedience to Him. No, I don't deserve to wear this dress (which makes me all the more grateful). I am only ready because Christ has made me ready. No, I am not able to be the wife Adam needs... But Christ will enable me and teach me. And I will seek always to live in His strength so that I can honor Him through my role as a wife.

The Countdown

Today marks ...
* 1 month
* 4 weeks (+ 2 days)
* 30 days
... until our WEDDING!!! I can't believe it's almost here! Finally :)

Until then...
* Our last shower is on Saturday.
* I pick up my dress next Friday.
* We move into our new apartment in 2.5 weeks. (I'll be staying there, while Adam will continue staying with his buddy until the wedding.)
* Our parents come to visit (and to bring us furniture!) on July 4.
* My sister comes to visit July 9 - 14.
* We are wrapping up last minute details and I am reminding myself not to be a perfectionist ;)

God has been so good to us and I want to be careful to enjoy these last few weeks. It's sometimes hard not to become impatient, but I know that He chose July 14 long before we did! Beginning our lives together is well worth the wait!