Update:

Things are going great here in Louisville. Every day I just cannot get over how God has blessed Stephen and me. I think we are definitely starting to really feel at home here, which is nice. I sorta feel like I haven't had a permanent home since high school, what with moving in and out of dorms and apartments during college, living in TN for 9 months last year, and staying with my parents every summer. Now I am in my home with my husband (who is seriously sooo much fun to live with!), for an indefinite period of time. Hopefully in the future when we start to have kids we'll move into a house, and I suppose that will be our first official home for our family. So weird, the whole shifting of the family dynamic thing.

Anyways . . . I have been reading through Romans lately (which may be my favorite book of the Bible, however Corinthians is tough competition) so here are a few awesome verses I've been trying to meditate on:

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life." - Romans 5:10

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin." - Romans 6:5,6 (I like this because it reminds me to keep in mind that my troubles are only temporary, but also a means to become more like Christ through suffering.)

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." - Rom. 8:18,19 (This verse is kind of a slap in my face, like, Jennifer, quit complaining. Also, I read this verse and I think, do I wait with "eager longing" for God? Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in this life here on earth, and I forget that my citizenship is in Heaven. Well, that throws a new perspective into my whole "permanent home" musing at the beginning of this post, huh?)

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Rom. 12:2

"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good...rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer...bless those who persecute you...rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep...Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." - Rom. 12:9-21 (These short phrases are just so good to meditate on during the day, especially as every day is spent in a world that lives in direct opposition to this, the Word of God. Evil is a very real thing, and I think we, myself included, don't spend enough of our energy fighting against it with the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. Just dwelling on the holy word of God is holding fast to what is good, and if we dwell consistently then we will truly abhor what is evil rather than just hating it or disliking it or tolerating it, or even embracing it.)