Modge Podge of a Blog...

So I have been horrible about blogging as of late. Not to say that there hasn't been a TON of things going on... because their has been! Gonna try to make this re-cap short and sweet, but let's face it... my name is Sarah Decker... and I like to tell stories... so don't get your hopes up on the short & sweet.

Baby Jake!

My best friend and soul sista, Beth (Rosamond) Emerson had her precious baby boy, Jacob Cole, in the wee hours of the morning on November 19th! I made a mad dash to San Antonio at 6:30am to get to see my new nephew and his beaming parents!

When I got there, Beth and Jordan were totally surprised and we had about an hour with just the 3 of us to talk about all of the funny stories that led up to Mr. Jake's arrival. And then, I had the absolute privilege of being in the room when they were re-introduced to their baby boy for the first time. (He had been in the nursery having tests run since about an hour after he was born.) Then the fun began! It was the most surreal moment for me, to see my two great friends literally become parents in front of my eyes. Beth and I shared tons of moments and laughs that included the statement "it's not about me anymore!" J and I had a moment where we both realized how unequipped we were. Even though I'm not a parent, it was just awesome to share these first few moments with the Emerson's as a family. Here are some of my fav pics from that morning!

Rubey's 30th!

One of my dear sweet best friends, Melissa Rubey, turned 30 in November! Her parents threw a fun party at this incredible restaurant, The Paggi House. It was fun to meet new people and celebrate my friend in a big, BIG way!

Thanksgiving 2009

Made it home for Thanksgiving this year! What a blessing to actually have the day after Thanksgiving off!! Our days were filled with relaxing, Mah Jong, football and basketball. One word: perfection.

We had a small Thanksgiving this year, but it was great! Jean and Kat came over and we had a blast!

Moms and Daughters


My lil' sis


Me and Granny Grace


Dad shooting at buzzards and Layla getting HYPED

CAE Exam

The week after Thanksgiving, I had to hit the books. My friend, Julie, and I decided to take the "Certified Association Executive" test this fall. So, we've been going to study groups every Wednesday for 10 weeks to prepare for this exam. The test was on Friday, December 4th. It.was.hard. Thanks to all of my friends and family who I totally neglected that week to study... and thank you for your prayers! We should get the results back in late January.

Linda's 30th Birthday!

Linda turned 30 on December 7th! We held off the festivities until the weekend after her bday... and man, was it a blast! We had a slumber party, old school style, at the apartment on Friday night. (I have pics, but don't have my camera to upload them... so just wait for those) We had pizza, desserts, pinata, dance party, glow sticks, laughs and good times.

And everything else...

I've been extremely busy with work... traveling quite a bit, but I don't complain because I love love love my job! I've also had Christmas parties, dinners, gatherings galore. It's all been in great fun... but I have YET to finish my Christmas shopping... which is totally unlike me!

God has blessed me beyond measure, and I'm continuously blown away by his sovereignty. 2009 has been a year of healing, learning and surrendering. I've also made the most wonderful friends in Austin that lift my spirits and keep me smiling. College ministry has been one of the most humbling, amazing things I have ever done, and I so look forward to what the Lord will do at UT in 2010.

I guess I want to leave you with this:

As we approach Christmas, really let it soak in how much God loves you. If not for anything else but the fact that He kept His promise... and He delivered all of us out of darkness through His Son! The birth of Christ is just God saying, "see... I told you I would!" If anything, it's an encouragement!

Also, I've been really meditating on who God chose to reveal His Good News of Christ's birth. Shephards and 3 wise men. Shephards were the lowest of low in the society of that time. But, God saw them as worthy, and made a huge display with the angels! Could you imagine the humility that those guys felt?! And then there were the 3 wise men. These guys were astrologers... they were ubber smart, and kings looked to them for advice. How interesting that God chose 3 men that the most powerful men at that time would actually listen to. So cool to see how God uses people: their places, their influences, their passions, their lives to reveal His glory.

I promise that I'll be updating soon. I have lots of fun events planned in Henderson for Chrimah and then NYC for New Years! I can't wait to celebrate with my family... and celebrate with my God on his fulfilled promise of Christ! I'm ready for Him to come back!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!