We're engaged!

Eric & I got engaged! On October 19, 2007, Eric asked for me to marry him and I said, "Yes, of course!" with jubilation and a little bit of tears.

He is very sneaky and I gave him a tall order when I specified that he had to:

1. Provide an element of surprise (Which he accomplished)
2. Ensure that it is special (It was that, too)

He arranged that it be done at my home church in Prairie Village, Kansas and he contacted my pastors to get them in on it! I got a call that afternoon about 2:00pm at work from one of the associate pastors. The pastor asked me if I could come to the church for a focus group meeting in the sanctuary and we would discuss adult communities. I drilled him with questions and then reluctantly said that I could come. In fact I said "I will try to make it."

Well I made it to the so-called meeting, a little late, but still within about 10 minutes or so. I was greeted at the entrance by the secretary, who I had never met, but she asked me if I was Holly. Not thinking much about it, I then was redirected to the chapel, where Eric was.

Oh the surprise and confusion that took over, because Eric had never been to my church and pastors his own in Denton, Kansas. Well he was sitting on the piano bench at the front of the chapel by this "playing" piano. I don't know what I said when I approached him in the front, but I was getting an idea where this was going. He reminded me that I was a gift from God and that we had been faithful to wait on God's timing as our relationship progressed. He got on one knee an asked me to marry him. Without hesitation, I said "Yes, of course."

Later we celebrated with some Guarana (pronounced Guatana) soda from Brazil. We also went to dinner at McCormick & Schmicks on the Plaza. We have had so much fun sharing with family and friends.

Vacation to Estes Park, CO (Part 2)

Here is the next installment of the commentary and pictures from the vacation to Colorado.

After doing the 5+ mile hike on the first day, which was pretty ambitious of us, we decided that we would go out on Lake Estes. Our hotel was on the lake by the marina and was very convenient. I had been wanting to try kayaking and lucky for us they had some two person kayaks. It seemed pretty easy and comfortable at first. There is a comfy seat to sit in and you are practically at water level, but the kayak is not easy to tip like the canoe. I was having flashbacks of one of the canoe trips to Oklahoma when Erin Howard and I tipped the canoe over within 15 minutes or so when we went on the float trip in High School.

Anyway, we started out fine, except for the mishap of me being directionally challenged, not remembering which is left and right. We hit the dock of the marina right out of the gate. It was pretty funny, but you probably would have have to have been there. We got coordinated finally and by the end of the journey we were racing by the paddle boat next to us. My first kayaking experience was very fun and I hope to do it again sometime. Here we are...

Eric paddled in back and I was in charge of steering. We really had to work together. Sometimes we were able to go in the right direction.

Later we headed out for a night on the town. We played putt putt golf at Fun City and Eric won, as usual. He is pretty competitive at any sport, but especially when it comes to Putt Putt golf. Then we paid a buck each to go down the slide here:

I beat him as you can see here. The funny thing was that the carpets that you rode down on caused an electric charge against the metal slide and I kept getting shocked. It really hurt and I yelled the whole way down. I guess that is what you get for a buck nowadays.

Vacation to Estes Park, CO (Part 1)

Eric and I went to Estes Park, Colorado for a little vacation and relaxation before a hectic last year of school for him and for me to get away from the busyness of work for a while. We enjoyed seeing the mountains and I especially enjoyed breathing in the Colorado air that smells so fresh and is full of the aspen trees that are brushed along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. We enjoyed some devotion time in the morning and gave back massages in the evenings. During the days we hiked, kayaked, rode horses, and fed cute little chipmunks. When I was little, I used to call them chickmunks, but I am not sure where that came from.

On the first day we hiked up a trail to Ouzel Falls about 5 1/2 miles round trip. Along the path was a rip roaring creek, the St. Vrain Creek, where we crossed several log bridges and passed by Copeland Falls and Calypso Falls. Each waterfall had different characteristics that made it a pleasure to see. I love hearing the sounds of the water as it rushes over rocks scattered throughout the creek and falls. There is nothing like it and it is so relaxing. Here are some pictures of the falls.

Holly at Copeland Falls

Eric at Calypso Falls

Eric at Ouzel Falls

Revival Follow-up

The revival was such a blessing to all that attended. Overall, three churches were represented in Hammond, Kansas, just North of Fort Scott. When you also consider that the Denton church was well represented with 7 members and then Rick and Jill from a BIble church in Topeka and myself from Hillcrest Covenant, there were six churches and 3 denominations represented. I think that God is all about bringing people together that have one thing in common: Him.

I think that in order for life altering revival to take place, there is a need for all Christians to gather and just praise His name. I believe that God is depending on a community of the saints to get past theological differences and gather as One Body: The Church. I have found that it is hard sometimes to get beyond my own views of the way that church is supposed to be and just let God move. I really felt the presence of God and I know that others did too. The worship time even moved some people to tears. It was healing and I know that our prayers were answered.

Thank you for your prayers!

Newest Addition to the Sizemore Family

From Heidi:

Friends, and Family,

We are excited to share with you the pictures of our new Boxer puppy Abby, she is precious. Enjoy, we sure are. (Besides the loss of sleep!) She will be a lot of fun!
Hope all is well!

Take Care

Love,
Michael, Heidi and Abby

Revival in the Midwest

Church members from Denton UMC will be heading to Fort Scott, Kansas to unite in prayer and worship on Sunday. They will be praying for the church and that God will revive their quenched hearts and provide healing for their souls. I am excited for this opportunity, because Eric will be facilitating the worship service and praying with many people for God to touch their heart. Would you join me in praying for a Word from God? Would you join me in praying expectantly for the Holy Spirit to move in an awesome and powerful way so that no one can deny God's power and grace?

I am going on Sunday expecting that God will show up and that he will bring a fresh Word. I know that he has already ordained this important meeting with other believers of Christ and we are praying that the lost and hungry people who need to hear about Jesus will show up as well. I am looking forward to the praise and worship that we will experience and can not wait for the healing that God will bring to my heart and many others. Thank you in advance for your prayers for this revival and I hope that God will bless you for your faith.

I love this verse and it speaks to me about God's faithfulness and promise to a chosen generation, no matter how rebellious we are:

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. "O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

Exodus 34:4-9 (New International Version)

Heidi's Wedding

It has been just about three months since Heidi's wedding and I wanted to share some thoughts and some behind-the-scenes moments.

Obviously, I never expected that Heidi would have gotten married before Katrina and I, but even though she is the youngest, she has it together. Her husband Michael is a very lucky guy and I hope that he knows it. I was so thankful that Heidi found the perfect person to compliment her in every way. Mike is full of life, just like my little sis, and has a great family, making him the package deal. Not only is Mike a perfect addition to the family, but his parents, Kenny and Patricia are as well.

The day before the rehearsal, all of us girls, including Patricia (Mike's mom), went to the beauty parlor to get manicures and pedicures so that we could be primped for the event. It was so fun to get to spend some quality time with mom, Heidi, Katrina, and Patricia. I hardly remembered what we talked about, but it was so good to be pampered. I wish that I had pictures to share!

On the day of the wedding there were many memories that I hope I don't ever forget. While we were taking pictures at the front of the church before the wedding, Heidi and Miranda, the flower girl had the cutest exchange. Heidi bent her knees to be on the same level as Miranda. It went something like this:

Heidi: Miranda, you look like a princess. (She really was so cute)

Miranda: Well if I'm a princess, you must be a queen.

I thought it was so precious that I had to share it. She is right that Heidi is a queen, she is Michael's queen. I am confident that he will treat her like the queen that she is. Here is a picture for a visual.


Another very touching moment for the bride and groom happened right before the wedding when Katrina and I, both Maids of Honor, delivered a card to Mike. Heidi penned some very private thoughts and feelings on it. It must have had a very touching message, because Mike's eyes started watering up. I imagine that he will keep that card and hopefully, they might share it with us and their children someday.

The wedding was beautiful at the First United Methodist Church in Wichita. It was so special also to have our friend, Anne, and our uncle, Brent, preside over the ceremony. They made a great pair. We also enjoyed two songs that were sang by Brent and Diane, our aunt, that just really moved everyone in the entire sanctuary. If I didn't have to stand up front, I would have been crying in the front pew right next to mom and dad.

After the ceremony, we busselled Heidi and her dress and let them drive off in a 1909 AMF Touring car with a driver dressed in authentic clothes from that Era. It was quite unique and unforgetable. It was also one of Heidi's surprises for Michael. He was blown away along with Heidi's hair as they drove around the dowtown area of Wichita before the reception.

They arrived at the reception ready to let loose and have some fun. A toast to the bride and groom was first and then greeting friends that we hadn't seen in a while. Heidi shared a dance with dad and here is a picture of her dancing with Michael.

We love you Heidi and Michael!

Celebrity Look-a-like

Okay, I had a whim to try this just to see who I would look like and here are the results. Pretty cool, eh? I think that Amanda Bynes is just the cutest. I was surprised by the results, because I would have never guessed that my face is most like Eva's. I adore Summer Sanders because she is an awesome swimmer. I used to love watching her at the Olympics. Try it yourself and let me know who you look like.

I've still got it

34.61 -

Well, I am very pleased to report that my 50 yard backstroke event for Kansas City's Corporate Challenge went well by my standards. My time was a stunning 34.61 seconds and I was just praying that I would break forty. Talk about nervous... I was on the edge of my seat up until jumping in the water. Since retiring from swimming in 1997, I have been in the pool probably a maximum of 50 times and haven't really worked out since enrolling in the event in April.

I had the best of intentions, however, I worked harder on my tan than I did the event that lasted no more than 35 seconds. It was lots of fun, because I still have a competitive nature, but I had no idea how well I would actually do.

Of the three heats in my age bracket 25 to 29, there were some really good swimmers and then there were average people like me that swam for recreation. I placed first in my division and 6th overall. Whoa, I had no idea I still had it in me.

Maybe next year, I will swim more events, but I need some practice for that.

10 Year Reunion at Exploration Place

After anticipating the 10 year reunion for months now, I am able to give the full report. The event was lovely and the evening was somewhat different than I had expected that it would be. I was excited to see some people that I hadn't seen in over 10 years and was able to catch up with their lives and the changes that they had been through. Some had families and some of my friends lived closer to me than I knew and some were very far away. One of my friends, Kerri (Morgan) Scheufler, was a mom to twin girls that were five months old. I am still in awe of how she does it. I missed the people that weren't there, like Brian Pumphrey, whose little sister, Jenaca, was my swimming buddy, and Jennifer Endicott, who was one of the fastest freestylers that I know. Unfortuneately, I didn't get to see the slideshow that was over 40 minutes long. I hope to watch it when I get it in the mail.

It was really nice to relive exciting times during the walking tour of the high school that had been through some renovations during the last 10 years. I was so thrilled to show Eric the swimming pool that I had practiced in and had several meets at during the four years that I was attending school. I was awed that my name was still on the record board for the 400 freestyle relay. I can't say that it was my best event, but I have really missed the comraderie that my team members shared with me. Those truly were some of the proudest moments that I have had.

I was reminded by how life sometimes turns out differently than you would expect it to. I have thought about how my life would be radically different, had it not been for Christ in my life and the choice that I made to follow Him instead of my friends. There were definitely times where I have wandered astray like a lost sheep. I just can't help praising God for all of those times that He kept me safe even when I was a willful and disobedient child. He has always welcomed me back into His gracious and loving arms. Praise God that He provided a Saviour when I wanted to do things "my" way.

The best part of the evening was that I was able to share it with Eric. He was a huge help this past weekend, between cleaning water out of a leaking basement and spending time with some of his high school buddies, we had a whirlwind of a weekend. Hopefully, things will calm down and we can have a vacation soon.

Mom & Dad's Anniversary

Last night I had the priviledge of celebrating my Mom & Dad's 38th Anniversary with them. Has is really been that long? They have provided a wonderful example of a couple that weathers life's surprises and challenges and make it together. It takes work to make a marriage last for 38 years and counting, but I am so thankful that they have stayed together in a time when it is so easy to give up and give in to what the world says is right or okay.

Thank you mom for following dad to a new appointment with lots of new adventures and challenges. Dad, thank you for taking care of all us women and teaching us what to look for in an honorable man.

I am learning that relationships take effort and compromise with each other to succeed. Thankfully, I have a great example of what it means to love each other through anything.

Wow, I saw this on another blog and was just blown away. I want to be this person that is not proud and arrogant about my status in the world, but rather to have God look down from heaven and see me as more precious than angels is more humbling than I can verbalize. I am working toward being meek, but have a long way to go. My human-ness gets in the way so often.

MEEK ~
"The meek man, is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather, he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is, in the sight of God, more important than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto. He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring. He rests perfectly content to allow God to place His own values. He will be patient to wait for the day when everything will get its own price tag and real worth will come into its own. Then the righteous shall shine forth in the kingdom of their Father. His is willing to wait for that day.

In the meantime, he will have attained a place of soul rest. As he walks on in meekness he will be happy to let God defend him. The old struggle to defend himself is over. He has found the peace which meekness brings.

Then also he will get deliverance from the burden of pretense. By this I mean not hypocrisy, but the common human desire to put the best foot forward and hide from the world our real inward poverty. For sin has played many evil tricks upon us, and one has been the infusing into us of a false sense of shame." AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God.

Today I read an article on MSNBC about the new iPhone coming out and that bloggers are calling it the "Jesus Phone". http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19297486/



I was appalled that they could associate a cell phone with Jesus Christ Himself. I am sorry, but they could have come up with something a little more creative that didn't have to compare to the risen Savior and King of Kings. I am pretty sure that this phone will never turn water into wine. I am fairly certain that it will never walk on water. And I know for a fact that it will never be hung on a cross and rise on the third day.

Okay, I will not be upgrading to an iPhone after I get off of my soapbox.

Anyway, it reminded me of how we put inanimate objects in the place of Christ which I am guilty of. I was reminded at a worship service tonight that I need to keep Christ in the center and that anything or anyone that takes His place is idolatry, pure and simple. In order to please God, I have to devote my full attention to Him and not get distracted by all of Satan's tools to keep me in sin and bondage. I am so thankful that Christ can and will change me, but I also have to let Him. Thank goodness that my salvation doesn't rest in the latest and greatest cell phone. Oh and by the way, Christ will still be around even when the iPhone is no more.

Ten Year Reunion

My ten year reunion is coming up in about 10 days. I can't believe that it has been that long ago that I was in high school. I can't believe I am old enough to go to a TEN year reunion! I am excited to see old friends and re-connect with people that I have not talked to in several years.

I have done so much since high school that it is hard to summarize. Here is what I sent to the reunion committee about myself that will be put together for all of us to share.

I attended college at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. At college, I developed many friendships and had opportunities that I would not trade for anything. I worked with high school and middle school youth for two summers, one summer as a youth intern at my local church and then as a camp counselor in Tennessee. I did mission work in Italy during a ten day trip and got to tour Rome, Pisa, and Florence. Then to finish my senior year, I worked as an intern at the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C. After graduating from college (in four years), I got a real job. After a couple years of trying to figure out what I wanted to do, I got into the business of appraising businesses. It has worked out so far and I am well on my way to obtaining a distinction as an Accredited Senior Appraiser from the American Society of Appraisers.

I will travel about 200 miles from Kansas City to attend the reunion.

I am not married, but have a great boyfriend, Eric, of about 2 years. We were good friends before we started dating and he is my best friend now.

What I would have done differently in HS: I would have cared less about what other friends thought of me and cared more about what God thought of me.

My favorite memory is when I ended my swimming career and had my personal best time at the State Championships as a senior. Even though I was about half a second from getting a scholarship to swim for the University of Nebraska in Omaha, I was so proud of my accomplishments and had my family there to cheer me on. That year, the girl’s team was the city champions.

I am most proud of the choices that I have made since high school to help mentor and lead bible studies for other high school girls. God has radically changed my life for the better and I relish the opportunity to have a positive impact on other girls’ lives by sharing the Gospel or helping them discover God’s truth about His adoration for them. Young people struggle with the exact same issues, but on a much larger scale now. I have been truly honored to help a sister in Christ to get through high school with their integrity in tact.

Since graduating from Heights High, I have come to appreciate my parents’ leadership and guidance. My sisters are my best friends and I have built relationships with many others that have made me who I am today. I would not change anything in a heartbeat, but the lessons that I learned in high school changed me. The biggest changes that I have made since then, other than my acne clearing up, (Thank goodness!) is that I came to know Christ and at the end of the day, that is the only thing that matters.

Welcome to my new blog. Hang in there for posts and updates. Thanks.

Here are some other blogs that you might be interested in:
http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com

Go ahead and check this out!