The Finished Race...

This morning, after a long and painful eight month battle with pancreatitis and it's complications, my mother, Anne Marie Zeringue White, passed away at the age of 54.  She left peacefully, with her husband and my father at her bedside holding her hand.  She is now resting in the arms of her Savior, surrounded by those who she loved who have gone before her, most significantly of all, her Mother who passed away when Mom was but 22 years old.

I am currently on vacation in Virginia, visiting old friends, some of whom are driving back with me tonight.  Services are tomorrow and Saturday.

Thank all of you for your prayers...

Blessings...

~Christine

Summer Weddings and Vacations...

Well, what a busy summer so far.

School full time would be enough but of course I can't just keep things simple so I added a full time job, a mother in the hospital, three weddings in the space of a month and a half, one two week vacation, moving to Fort Worth, and eating....all before The middle of September.  I'm crazy...ok, hush now, I know we already knew that.

So, I just payed $400 for my first ever car repair on the new car...in preparation for driving to VA on Monday for wedding number 3.  And I got a new inspection sticker into the bargain.  All I can say is...Daddy made me do it. :-)  Daddy's are so smart sometimes...and it's driving so much smoother now.  Yeah, I know, I'm such a girl. :-)

Lyndsey's wedding was this past weekend...it was beautiful as always...pictures soon!

And then yesterday...Mom, who has been doing so well lately, had a seizure.  Turns out it's not anything like lesions on her brain but instead its metabolic issues which have yet to be explored and so they are going to give her some new pills.   Everything is well for now.

And I will get around to a real update soon...for now, must run!!!

Blessings!

~Christine

And Time Marches On...

Life is such a funny thing.  So incredibly changing.  Maybe it’s just the fact that I am 23 and it’s “that time in my life”, or maybe it is how life will always be.  One thing I know, it’s never going to be “normal.”  What is normal life anyway?  I’ve often wondered and I usually arrive at the conclusion that it would be pretty boring.

Tonight, I applied for my nursing license in Texas.  Lord willing, I shall be happily ensconced in an adorable apartment, cooking food for my friends, busily working on school, orienting a new job…all in Fort Worth, by the first week of September.  It’s going to be pretty much the most awesome thing ever.  Mr. Hurd thinks I should try for Downtown…I must say that the idea has charm.  We shall see.:-)

I have new steam behind me in this move.  Last night my Father informed me that he has decided to sell the Pecan Street House.  Now, you must know that this is the house where I grew up.  It’s the one I was brought home from the hospital too.  I spent the first 16 years of my life here and then, once I graduated, I found myself renting it from my parents.  Need I say that I have a connection with this place?  It’s sad to leave it behind and know that life won’t ever be the same.  This place has always been here…yes, I am being nostalgic.:-)  Who can blame me?

But then I think ahead.  Wonderful adventures await!  Fort Worth will be wonderful and the goal of moving to England remains.  We shall see what God brings.  Many wounds to my soul are being healed right now and I am excited to see what God shall bring.

Latest life plan idea…being a nurse on a Marine Biology boat.  Something about that just sounds fun!

Blessings…

~Christine

Of Happy Places and Wedding Vows...

This weekend my darling little friend, Hannah Treadway tied the knot with the love of her life, Micah Hurd...Here's a snapshot of the weekend...see facebook for more pics.:-)

Jaime and I...he's pretty much the most amazing little brother ever!

This is what happiness looks like...Jaime, Hannah, Micah, and Rachel.:-)

Way too cute...Amanda, Melody, Allison Treadway and Brooke Hampton.

Lindsey and Benedict.:-)

Random...

It's my happy place for a reason...from the Hurd's front yard...amazing isn't it?

From the backyard apartment...

Cameron, Hurd #11. Not the face of innocence.:-)

Abigail and Michael Kramer...one of the world's cutest couples!

Kitty Digest.

Amanda...the world's most amazing maid of honour!

Pretty much my new favorite picture!

Myself, Keri, and Ashley...at the wedding!

Ethan, Jaime, and Aaron.

Mr. and Mrs. Micah Hurd...Adorable are they not?

Sooooo happy!

*just laughs*

There you are...enjoy!

Blessings,

~Christine

Looking Forward...

“Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” ~Philippians 3:13. 

“All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one: you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence and hope is gone.” ~Jane Austen, Persuasion.

“It was unspeakably worth the wait.” ~Elisabeth Elliot.

These verses and quotes are ones that frequently find their way into my mind these days.  The prayer of every moment is “Thy will be done.”  So simple a phrase, so hard to uphold. 

Sanctification.  Why is it that we cannot see and rest in the will of our savior?  I know, without a doubt that He acts on my behalf but daily I find myself trying to take my life out of His control and daily I am forced to return my steps and ways unto Him 

Tonight I find myself sitting up late when I should be catching up on much needed rest, thinking of things which I cannot change.  The what if’s that haunt my mind and the things which I wish I could change remain the same.  The treasure that was taken away must be sacrificed and day after day my heart must be sacrificed to the Lord’s will for my life. 

One person very dear to me has often told me that I have a “martyrs’ complex.”  Honestly, I have to admit that I do.  He has, on more than one occasion, been right about my personality.  However, sometimes I think he completely missed this key point and desire of my heart.  My heart longs for the Lord, I strain to love Him enough to be able to stand up, no matter the result, and say that the Lord is my God.  What kind of faith did the saints of old possess that enabled them to look lions, emperors, and torture in the face and never waver from the steadfastness that has given them a place in history.  What was it that made us remember their stories? 

So, my friends, I have an announcement to make.  It is time for me to move forward, to leave this place and go forth on my adventures.   Three weeks ago I made the decision to move, at the end of this summer, to Fort Worth, Lord willing.  I have wonderful friends, an excellent church, and a job will be no problem.  This stay in Shreveport has been good for me.  It made me consider where I came from, revisit my childhood and the pains of the past.  This house, this home, once a place of so many happy memories is also the place where the greatest hurt of my life was incurred.  I have thought and prayed about it, spoken to my mother and received her blessing, and my decision made.  It is time to leave what lies behind and move forward to that which lies ahead.

Fort Worth has long been a place where I have found blessings and happiness.  I am blessed to be loved dearly by a wonderful family there and I can hardly wait to be near to my friends who I have spent so much time with over the past eight years.   Yes, I will be farther away from my family but by the end of the summer Momma should be doing much better and it is time for me to leave.  I have always known I would one day and I feel that the time is now.  Louisiana will always be treasured as the first home of my heart, but it is not where I am to remain.  Desire pulls my away.  We shall see where God shall guide.

Tonight, as my heart rests here, I know that I am a blessed woman.  God’s mercies to me abound.  The very fact that I am still able to lay eyes on my mother daily alone speaks how blessed I am.  But more than that, I have come to see that even though I lost that which was dearest to my heart, my Heavenly Father saw fit to bring it back to me in such a way that gives me back that which I treasured most.  What could be more gracious than that? 

So, as I rest here, the Psalms playing on the itunes bringing peace to my heart, I find that this has been a good, but lonely day.  Loneliness is that which I struggle with the most.  I have come to realize that it is God’s way of drawing me closer to Him.  Why is hearing His call so hard so often? 

Enough rambling…time for sleep.  May our Heaven Father guard and guide you!

Blessings,

~Christine

School...

Somebody re-enlighten me.  I went back to nursing school why?  

Oh yeah....I remember now...:-)

Just keep swimming....just keep swimming...

Lead Me To The Cross

Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
You are
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

Blessings,
~Christine