Zoo!

Today I took a day off work. I needed a break! I hadn't taken a day off since our trip home at Thanksgiving, so a personal day was in order! Thanks to a good friend whose husband works at Dallas Zoo, we had some free tickets to use! And the weather was PERFECT!

We'd visited there about two years ago, but much has changed since then. They've added the Giants of Africa exhibit, which was awesome! The elephants were fun to watch.

 

But my favorite was the giraffes! They have a feeding station where you can buy lettuce and hand feed the giraffes. So cool! I'd never pet a giraffe before! Definitely an awesome addition!

We also really enjoyed the aviary that houses a lot of unique birds from Africa. Seeing as we love birds, this was also a favorite! It's so neat to stand among them and not have to view them behind glass. 

Another new addition is the koala walkabout. They are one of ten zoos in the country to exhibit koalas. So cute! We arrived just in time to watch them wake up, wander about their habitats, and eat some eucalyptus leaves! 

Bluebonnets

Today we went to Ennis with some friends to enjoy the bluebonnets. They were so beautiful! Some of the hills looked as if they were covered in a blanket of blue. The weather was perfect, too! I love the beauty and creativity of God's creation. It was a wonderful way to spend the day between Good Friday and Easter.

 We also enjoyed the farm animals, especially the horses! They were skittish at first, but eventually gave in to some affection. 

 We had a great time with our friends. Thank you David and Lindsay for going with us!

Jewelry Board and Magazine Cross

After finally giving in and taking a peek at Pinterest, my creative juices have been flowing like crazy! I was given several new necklaces for Christmas and my birthday, so I decided I needed a better way to organize them than my little jewelry box. I found a $5 cork board at Target. It already had a black frame. I covered it with some scrapbook paper (stapled on so I can change it if I want to!), and I made some felt flowers for the corners. A box of black and white push pins, and I was set! Functional and decorative!

I had seen on picture of a cross made from rolled magazines, and I decided to try one of my own!  It turned out really fun! I love all the colors! It is placed on the wall outside of our door, a good reminder to me to both be crafty and, more importantly, of my Jesus. 

Merry Christmas!

Perfect Provision

One of the many reasons I love being at DTS...

Free Christmas Dinner!

Saturday morning, I walked over to the dining commons to pick up our humongous box of food! Each year, anyone at DTS can sign up to receive a free Christmas dinner. It's incredible! There were tons of volunteers offering their time to pack the boxes and carry them for you. I tried to convince them that I could carry the box back to our apartment myself, but a member of the President's Council told me that he couldn't get fired on his first turkey. So I obliged!

The box contained a precooked, smoked turkey, a box of stuffing, a dozen dinner rolls, a bag of amazing tortilla chips (even red and green for Christmas!), four potatoes, four apples, four bananas, four oranges, a bag of carrots, two cans of corn, two cans of green beans, a can of cranberry sauce, and a HUGE pumpkin pie!

As I began to unload the box, I noticed a lime green envelope that had slipped down to the bottom of the box. I figured it was a note to say Merry Christmas, and I pulled it out to read it. The envelope read, 

"The President's Council hopes that you are greatly blessed this Christmas season with this extra gift."

Extra gift??? I don't remember them including this last year... hmm. I opened the envelope to find a $40 gift card to Walmart!!! I don't know if someone donated them or what, but what a blessing! Christmas dinner, extra food, and $40 to Walmart!

God has continued to provide for us during our time here in ways we never would have imagined. He's made Matthew 6.25-33 real to me over the last two and a half years.

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? ... Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

God is faithful to keep His word. This Christmas season, I'm so grateful to Him for all the ways He provides for my needs. Most of all, I'm thankful for how He's provided for my spiritual need through sending Jesus to pay the penalty for my sins and that he rose again that I may live with Him forever.