Merry Christmas All!

Our First Christmas being married has been so fun!!!

We started a couple new traditions this year. It began with some construction on homemade ginger bread houses! We gathered all the essentials the day before: graham crackers, tons of icing, M & M's, gummy bears, dots, and plenty of other fruit things. It was great to just throw on some Christmas music and build away! Stephanie's turned out a little better than mine; however, I was going for the most like the "Griswolds" haha! That night we cooked dinner, enjoyed some wine, and just layed around!

We decided to sleep in the living room that night, so we set up an amazing pallet by the Christmas tree! We made some hot chocolate and watched A Christmas Story. That next morning we woke up to a winter-wonderland! After exchanging gifts and just laying around, we ventured out into the snow!! (See pics below...)

Since then we have been traveling and seeing family. We were in Russellville Christmas day, Conway for one night, and heading to Fort Smith for the rest of the weekend! It has been such a great Christmas holiday. We are so thankful for everything the Lord has done in our life thus far and continues to do for us! He has blessed us with everything we have, especially calling us to Himself thru his son Jesus.

"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever."

-Romans 11:36-

*New Tradition for us.... Building a ginger bread house!

*Stephanie intently building her castle! It blew mine away, surprised anyone? haha!

Christmas Eve Dinner!

*Blessed with a White Christmas in Fayetteville!

*Photo shoot in Clarendon...

*Great pic of Dad and Arabella! He was so excited to see her!

Christmas Time is Here!

Hello all! Hope that everyone is doing very well during this time, even though the weather outside has become especially chilly. This past week was our first "official" week of work! It has been such a transition time for us, but has been really good. It makes the time that we get to spend at night SO much more "quality", which is awesome! J. B. Hunt is a corporate office setting, and I am praying that I can start adjusting to that a little more... Just never been in that situation. However, knowing that it is only going to be a season that I am there I just fine with that. Stephanie has been excited about the women involved at Loving Choices and she is beginning to understand some of the roles she will have there! We are blessed by the Lord and want be ministers of Reconciliation wherever we are at... (See II Corinthians Chapter 5)

We love this time of year honestly... A time to enjoy family, remembering what God has done for us in his provision, and above all else to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. More than just little baby Jesus's in mangers all over the place, but remembering that Jesus was a Man (God-man at that.) and that He truly saves, heals, redeems, and reconciles this broken world! Let's please not lose our minds during this season can we? And by that, I mean completely go nuts with all this season brings - culturally, spending craziness, worldly stuff, etc...

*Our authentic tree!*

*After our date this Friday night!*

Last night was a fun night for us! We don't go out to eat that often, especially recently, so we wanted to sit down somewhere for a nice mean. We tried some new sushi rolls at Kobe's and loved it! Stopped in at Arsaga's coffee shop and grabbed a drink and chatted... After all that we went home to do an exciting photo shoot, haha! Managing to take at least 25 pictures, a couple turned out not bad at all! One of our good friends Erin Bezet came in late last night and she will be hanging out with us all weekend, whoo-hoo!

One thing that has really been heavy on our hearts is the situation with Matt Chandler - Lead pastor of The Village Church in the Dallas area. He collapsed the day of Thanksgiving last week with a seizure. After some tests at the hospital, the doctors found that he had a "small mass on his frontal lobe" of his brain...

Gosh, crazy news to the Chandler family, the Village community, and people all over the world. His teaching of the Scriptures has been so challenging to many believers around the world! Personally, Matt has encouraged me in so many ways and has taught me so much about the gospel of Christ.

Update on Matt: he had surgery yesterday (Friday the 4th) and is recovering. The doctors are saying that he is good condition and responding very well! Praise God

Here is a passage from Isaiah that really spoke to me today...

"You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in You [God].

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."

Isaiah 26: 3-4

That is all currently happening with the Peters. Loving where we are at and thanking God for his love! By the way, Stephanie chopped off her hair. Looks really hot, just saying...

Love you all!