New Beginnings

Friday, January 09, 2009

This is crazy how long it has been since I last wrote on this blog! Wow, I am not even sure anyone ever reads this but I am going to try to bring this blog back to life! So many things have happened since I last wrote but I don't think I can go into detail about everything or else this post will be never ending.

We have just gotten back from a wonderful trip to Texas for Christmas and New Year. We had such a wonderful time with friends and family and were sad to leave. But we are back in England now and getting back into normal life and it is good to be here and be with wonderful family and friends here. We are so thankful to have such wonderful people in our lives.

The most wonderful news of all that is happening in our lives is that Jon and I are expecting a little babe on the 10th July 2009! We are thrilled and just praising God for this new life and what will be a new beginning for our little family. As of today I am 14 weeks pregnant, feeling really good (praise the Lord) and we are both just so excited we cannot wait until July!

So with this being said this blog will now be updated with lots of talk of baby in order for friends and family back in the States to keep up with what all is happening. I will post of pic of the scan we had at 13 weeks and 5 days of our little babe. I will also post some pics soon of my belly but if I start looking like a whale towards the end I might have to stop with those!

We love all of our family and friends back in America and pray for another return soon (after baby). Keep in touch and I hope to do better at updating and filling you in on our lives.

Love to all,

Jancie, Jon and Baby

Bless this Blog!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

This poor blog hasn't been updated in forever! I am so sorry to all of you faithful readers out there (only joking as I think my mom is the only one who really ever reads this). As you can tell life has been busy busy for the Hills Family. We have had our summer trip to Texas (which was too short), New Wine, and now we are about to move house on Friday!!! So crazy! Just to say that I will write another post once we get moved in and fill you in on all that is going on in our lives. We love and miss our family in America and can't belive we have already booked our tickets for Christmas... we cannot wait!

Lots of love, Jon and Jancie

P.S. I promise I will post soon once we move... it will be a LONG one and it will include lots and lots of pictures!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMA!

Saturday, July 05, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!  

This post is a little late but Jon and I have decided when we come to Texas we will be celebrating Mother's Day, Father's Day, Jilly's b-day, Mom's b-day and Dad's b-day!  We have missed so many special occasions but we cannot wait to be there to celebrate them all! We are counting down the days... not long now!

1 Chronicles 16:7-36

Thursday, June 26, 2008

David’s Song of Praise

7 On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the Lord:

8 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
9 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
10 Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
11 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
continually seek him.
12 Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
13 you children of his servant Israel,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the Lord our God.
His justice is seen throughout the land.
15 Remember his covenant forever—
the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
16 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
18 “I will give you the land of Canaan
as your special possession.”

19 He said this when you were few in number,
a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
20 They wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
He warned kings on their behalf:
22 “Do not touch my chosen people,
and do not hurt my prophets.”

23 Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
25 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
He is to be feared above all gods.
26 The gods of other nations are mere idols,
but the Lord made the heavens!
27 Honor and majesty surround him;
strength and joy fill his dwelling.

28 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
29 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
30 Let all the earth tremble before him.
The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
33 Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise,
for the Lord is coming to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.”

36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Wednesday, 11th June 2008

Friday, June 13, 2008

God is GOOD! He is good ALL the time! I truly believe that with all of my heart. I love Him so much and I want to thank Him every day for all that He has done in my life and continues to do. I don't want to make this post a sermon but I do want to share a bit of what has happened in my life recently.

As many of you might know I came over to England to visit my family (Jill, Heath, Harrison and baby Isabelle was on the way at that time). I never knew that God would change my life like He did. I have grown up in a Christian family and my parents love me probably a lot more than I deserve. They are so good to me and I am so thankful for them.

I was baptized by my father and my pastor at the time, Jeff Collins in the river in Mason. It was such a special memory. It was something that I wanted to do and no one was going to change my mind about it! I was five a the time. My mom has photos of mine and my brother baptism up at home and they are sweet pictures, and sweet memories. I was there in my bright red bathing suit with my white blond hair and my belly sticking out! It is funny when you are little and you just don't have a care in the world... sometimes I wish I still had that instinct about me! That time in my life was very special and I made a commitment to the Lord. I was His child, and I have never doubted that.

But three years ago on 11th June 2005 I went on an alpha weekend away and my life changed forever and has never been the same since. Only a few days after coming to England I was invited on this weekend away and when I went I met and fell in love with the Lord like never before. I know that three years ago I made a decision to turn from my old ways, ways that I am not proud of but I now know that His grace is sufficient for me, even when I spent years of not walking with the Lord.

That day, 11th June 2005, was so significant. It has been marked out in my mind and I will never forget it. My whole life changed. Not only did I fall in love with the Lord, but I also met and fell in love with my husband (hence now why we are in England!). I know that when I came back home after having this experience that it was so hard for me to explain what happened in my life because I was a different person; I am a different person. I love the Lord with all of my heart and I want to follow Him all the days of my life. It isn't easy though. I had to leave behind family and friends and a life that I was very comfortable in. But I can honestly say that I would never go back to my old life. I would never trade my life now for anything any the world.

A few weeks ago I was laying in bed talking Jon's ear off as usual while he was just trying to go to bed and I asked him, "Babe, do you think I need to be baptized again?" His answer was "No." Because I had been before as I child he didn't think I needed to worry about doing it again. I understand where he was coming from theologically but I just knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to mark out what happened to me three years ago. So I didn't think of it much more until Sunday night when we had a baptism service at our church after the recent alpha weekend away. It is an amazing celebration! Many gave their life to the Lord and it is such a joy to see... a champagne moment that is for sure! As Mark was about to start baptizing everyone he just said "I feel there is someone here who has shorts and flip flops on that would like to be baptized... come on up if that is you!" No one came up so he just carried on.

Tuesday evening we had a night of celebration and worship at church again and this guy in our church stood up in front of everyone and apologized for not getting up there to be baptized because he was the one that Mark was talking about with shorts and flip flops on ready to go. But doubt came in and he just didn't do it. He asked for forgiveness and then Mark said well lets just baptize you tonight. He opened the hole (not sure what it is called) where you dunk people but there was no water so he said we will have to fill it up and do it tomorrow night because we were having the same kind of meeting. Then he just simply said, is there anyone else who would like to be baptized or would like to celebrate the child baptism (almost like renew their baptismal vows). And something in me stood up and I kept jumping up and down! So there I had done it... committed myself to being baptized the next day.

When I went home that evening I was trying to explain to Jon why I wanted to be baptized (again late at night while he was trying to sleep) and I just couldn't put it into words why I wanted to be. So Jon just said lets go to bed and hopefully the Lord will help you explain why in the morning. When I woke I just looked at Jon and said, I know why... I know that I want to mark out the change that took place in my life three years ago. I don't doubt that I am God's child but I want to publicly declare what He has done in my life and celebrate my baptism!

So Wednesday, 11th June 2008 I was baptized. The most special part was that Jon was able to help Mark baptize me! What a joyous celebration it was! Here are photos of before and after the dunk...

To top if off, my mom called me at work the next morning and she told me how she had been reading my bible that she gave me when I came to visit England and then I ended up leaving it when I moved here. But off to the side of one of the passages in Matthew that I had been reading I highlighted the verse and wrote the date out to the side along with Alpha Weekend Away. The date was 11th June 2005... exactly 3 years ago from when I was baptized 11th June 2008! So cool!

I know this post is going on for an eternity but I just want to say thank you to those who pray for me and for Jon. Thank you for your love and encouragement and thank you to my parents and brother for loving me so much. I also want to highlight the fact that yes, my life did change, but I will always be a work in progress... I am not perfect by any stretch of means... in fact, I am far from perfect! The Lord is continuing to do a work in my life and I pray that it never stops. I have to trust Him daily - I have to daily lay down my own selfish desires and plans and keep hold of the promises that He has given me for today and for the future.

I will leave you with a few passages that the Lord has marked out for me... love to everyone who reads this... I pray that the Lord will speak to you through what He has done in my life. I pray that you will know His goodness and His plan for your life.

Love, Jancie x

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28: 18 - 20

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3: 5 & 6