LOVE WITH A PURPOSE

Fasting with Students

2011-03-29T22:30:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we did our annual 30 Hour Famine event at youth group. I have done this event three times now and to be honest I went into it with a sour attitude. I had an upper respiratory infection and didn't feel like going 30 hours without food. My attitude going into the event was bad because I felt like an oversized balloon filled with hot air and mucus... but I decided to do the event anyways trusting that God would make it amazing like He normally does...

...and He did! To make a long story short we went through the 30 hours, the students raised over 3,000 dollars for Haiti, and we gathered a van full of canned goods to take to the local food pantry. All of this was a great accomplishment for our youth and I was extremely proud of them. But the most humbling moment didn't come until we broke our fast. After the 30 hours were up we broke our fast with communion. I wanted to do this to make sure that the students were focusing on Christ before we stuffed our faces.

We then proceeded to have the most profound, beautiful communion time I have ever had. We broke bread and drank juice on stomachs that hadn't eaten for 30 hours, and as I looked around the room at our students they were completely focused on the sacrament. These teens were extremely hungry, and here they were focused on communion. No one was complaining about how hungry they were or looking back for the food to arrive. Instead, 50 students were deep in prayer and focus on Jesus while their stomachs were completely empty. This was a humbling experience for me.

We are so blessed with so much. If I counted how many times during the average day that I go to the kitchen and get something to eat I guarantee it would be over fifteen times. I am always eating or snacking or going to the fridge to get some juice to drink while I watch TV. Conviction hurts sometimes...and at that moment I felt like someone smacked me across the face. There was something powerful watching hungry students focus not on food, but on what is really important. They were the hands and feet of Jesus last weekend, and I have never been more proud to be their youth pastor. I have also never felt more blessed to eat a meal every day.

Next time you don't feel like doing something...do it anyway. God has a way of working in spite of our crabby attitudes.

JG

Do you love your mommy? daddy? Jesus?

2010-11-13T02:10:00.000-05:00

Lately Zeke has been responding a lot to our voices and laughing and interacting with us when we talk to him. Karen does this thing with Zeke whenever he is calm that really gets him riled up. She asks "do you love your mommy? daddy? Jesus?" I know this sounds like three simple questions but actually they are questions that I hope Zeke takes to heart for the rest of his life. I hope that he grows up loving his mom and dad, but more than anything I hope that he grows up loving Jesus. Check out this clip...

2010-08-13T13:59:00.000-04:00

Last week Karen and I went on vacation to what is currently my favorite place in the world - Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia. It is the same place that we got engaged at just over a year ago. This vacation was special because it was our last vacation together as just the two of us. The next vacation we take will involve a little one. So we thought we would share some pics and vids of our vaca in the mountains. Enjoy...

Karen and I on top of the Twin Pinnacle overlook.

This is probably the coolest picture of me ever taken, mainly because of the walking stick.

Nothin beats a good ol kiss on the cheek!

We hiked to the top of an overlook on our last night to watch the sunset and got some neat pictures. I think this one is funny because Karen's belly is almost as big as the sun.

Together we picked 6 quarts of blueberries...which probably won't last us very long, especially since we eat them every day. Karen loves making blueberry pancakes and waffles and I love blueberries on my cereal.

We spent about an hour enjoying the view on our last night...most of it was spent kissing though. :)

We were also thinking of all our family and friends so we took some videos for you guys...i will try to get those on by later tonight, but no promises.

shalom

Welcome to our home

2010-07-08T16:29:00.002-04:00

Here is a video of our home with a newly furnished baby room. We hope you enjoy.

...there might also be a hint as to what the name of the baby is, see if you can pick up on it! but don't tell anyone

My Ordination

2010-07-01T16:24:00.000-04:00

You can now refer to me as Reverend Jordan Gardner. Last Sunday I was finally ordained. It took me 13 years of being a Christian, a college degree in Christian Ministries, one year with my local license, one year with my council license, and countless hours of writing, reading and studying...but I finally did it. I must say that this was one of the most special days of my life. Here are some reasons why:

1) The laying on of hands. In Acts 6 a group of four men were chosen for a specific task. They were brought to the apostles and "the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them" (6:6). Later in Acts 13 we see Saul (Paul) and Barnabas commissioned in the same way. The Holy Spirit said to set these men apart to do God's work. Verse 3 of chapter 13 says "after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off." Until my ordination service I had no idea how powerful and sacred of a moment this was. I will never forget the feeling that came over me as I knelt on the altar and received the blessing of the Holy Spirit through the praying and laying of hands on me.

2) My family supported me. I know that not all my family could make it, and some of the dearest people in the world to me were not there, but to walk across the stage and receive ordination and then turn to see my family's smiling faces was truly a blessing. My In-Laws even came in for the special day (which means a whole lot more to me than they could ever know).

3) Karen was ordained too. In my opinion I was not the only one ordained last Sunday. Karen was ordained with me. Nothing I have done, am doing, or will ever do can be done without my life partner. Karen, Myself, and our son (even though not out of the womb) were ordained as a family to do the work of God.

4) It is only the beginning. I think the most exciting thing about being ordained is the life of service that now lays before me. I can't imagine what God has in store for my family.

So please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we are set out into the exciting world and scary abyss of pastoral ministry.

The World Race

2010-06-05T16:10:00.005-04:00

If you are not aware of this organization called the World Race I want to make you aware of what is going on around the World (you should check it out)! My dear friend Bethany was searching last year for "something more". She knew God and knew she was a Christian but realized that God wanted to come alive more in her life and she was not exactly sure how. Being in a Christian College atmosphere (much like the real world in the sense that Christianity is easy) we learned that being a true follower with the heart of Christ is a constant struggle. It is easy to find ourselves living our lives as "comfortable Christians". Here in our world...calling yourself a Christian is easy. Hardly ever questioned what that may mean, or what it truly means to you, as long as you say it...most of the time people believe it.

Bethany wanted to experience exactly what she was telling others. Her heart was broken before God, we prayed so many nights for a call over her life to surrender to Him. Human-trafficking was a big topic on campus and went to a few different meetings about different organizations. This may be where Bethany's heart for people began to consume her life.

She got online and almost every day would show me a new post from the people on the World Race. I could see her heart through her eyes...the tears that fell because of the pictures of the broken people coming to Christ made her realize God was calling her to surrender everything...her family, her future career as a nurse, her financial situations, her friendships, everything... to experience and share God in such radical ways.

Her love for people and her obedience to God is not short of a daily encouragement. Some people may say that she is risking so much as she walks around with diseased people, talks to drunk men coming out of bars in search of prostitutes, and proclaims the Word in places that you and I may be scared to speak a single word. But I believe that she is risking nothing! The risk would be to have stayed and not obeyed. Not everyone's call is to go to other countries but we need to find what makes Him come Alive in our own lives! Don't be satisfied calling yourself a Christian. I believe it is when you are fighting to live for Him... you are truly seeking and living a life in Him. And it is beautiful.

KRG

If you want to read some of Bethany's Blog posts, click on the Link. You will surely be blessed and encouraged.

http://bethanybrueggen.theworldrace.org/

OH BABY!!!

2010-05-25T15:33:00.015-04:00

ITS A BOY :)

So for those of you who don't know, we found out that Baby G is a boy :) I am now 22 weeks along and my belly is getting bigger and bigger everyday it feels like! Although, Jordan feels like I need to flaunt it more. Yesterday we were walking through Meijer and he told me that I don't flaunt it like I should. He told me I need to try and stick my belly out more (which I don't think that is necessary) and that I should at all times be rubbing my belly with one hand and holding my back with the other. Oh and I didn't mention that I don't waddle like I should be. He showed me how to do all this and I would have to say... he looked exactly like a pregnant woman should look...I really need some work I guess ;)

I find myself in awe everyday knowing that Jordan and I have the privilege to bring a life into this world.I shared with my mother the other day that I am filled with so much joy as I pray for this precious son of mine. This mother's day it was funny to me because most people must not have thought that I was able to celebrate the day yet because I had not had the baby yet! Regardle

ss of any comment made, I celebrated it anyway :) I am already taking care, providing for, loving, and praying for my son...so please tell me how that does not count as being a mother!

Anyways, we have decided to decorate the baby's room in green and brown! Jordan's only request is that the theme be dinosaurs :) Although we are having a hard time finding cute baby dino's to decorate the walls with. All the one's we have found to decorate with are big, scary, and the wall hangings look like this...

...scary right? So if anyone has any suggestions or have seen any cute dinosaur decorations we would love your suggestions!

On a more serious note...We feel so blessed in every area of our lives right now. God has been so apparent in our relationship and in our home. As me and Jordan prepare to be the best parents we can be, we have both made a commitment to be the best we can be for our Lord. Keeping him #1 in our lives is truly the source of this joy and blessings we receive daily. This is the foundation that our lives are built on and that is what makes me know that we are so ready to be parents. But I do ask, would you please continue to pray for us as we journey through these last 4 and a half months of preparation!

The Youth Group

The youth at Circleville First Church are awesome! We recently participated in a event that is held all across the United States called 30 Hour Famine. The youth raised money for this event to sponsor children all around the world who need food, schooling, clothing, and whatever else is necessary to survive. I am so proud of our kids who teamed up with Crossroads Church to raise enough money to sponsor atleast 20 kids for a whole year!

Jordan and I will be taking a group of about 12 youth to an event called the ALIVE Festival. It is a 5 day concert! We will be camping out and having a great time in the end of June heat! (So much fun for a pregnant lady ;) It will be at a state park that will have many activities to get involved in. I am hoping that our youth group will be eager to go hiking, play sand volleyball, swim, and so much more!

We just had game night this past sunday and it was so much fun! What teen would pass up free pizza, video games on the projectors, and tons of games? We had a great turn out. There were over 30 that attended! Alot of them were new too!

I encourage all of you who go to a church and do not have involvement in your youth's lives to take just one teen to invest in. I have seen the way our youth have attached themselves to adults. You could be the role model in their lives...and if you aren't...you might not want to know who could be.

KRG

I've Got the Faith...Now Where are the Deeds?

2010-04-09T15:13:00.000-04:00

Martin Luther King Jr. said that life's most persistent and urgent question is:

"What are you doing for others?"

Have you ever read a Bible verse and felt the Holy Spirit kind of slap you on the wrist a little? As I sat in my office today I felt compelled to open up the Bible and just begin reading. I spent about thirty minutes just scanning through verses and books. Then my eyes gazed across James chapter 2 and I read these words...

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

After reading these words I became very convicted. I asked myself the question "How many people have I helped in the last week? month? year?" The truth is, not very many. Sure I help people at church do Bible studies and I help the youth group grow closer to Christ. But I think the deeds that James is talking about here is more than that. I think he is talking about helping the helpless.

James even goes on to say that demons have faith. The fact is that faith without deeds is useless. Now I know prayer is effective, and God answers prayer. But if our works stop at prayer then there is a problem. You see, how good is it to pray for the poor, homeless, and hungry but then to never actually do something about it? Just the other day I passed a man pushing a shopping cart carrying what seemed to be all of his possessions. My heart went out to that man, I felt bad for him. But folks God does not call us to feel bad for people...He calls us to help them.

So my question for you today is the same question that James and MLK knew was so important.

What are you doing for others?

Lord, give us faith that surpasses belief. A faith where we not only believe, but we respond.

2010-03-17T11:05:00.002-04:00

This is by far the coolest video I have ever seen

Ultrasound

2010-03-10T14:12:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Karen and I nervously visited the doctor expecting to get the first view of little baby Gardner. First, let me say that ultrasounds are amazing. It is absolutely crazy what is going on in my wife's stomach. God completely blew my mind when I saw my baby and heard its heart beat. So we thought we would share this moment of amazement with you.

So the upside down thing in that black bubble is baby Gardner. If you look closely you can see little arm and leg buds. The top picture is the baby's heartbeat, which was really fast at 182 beats per minute, but the doctor said it was OK. So in another month or so we can find out the sex of the baby...so be sure to stay tuned for more pics and info.

Also, if you think about us please pray for our new family. Pray for the baby and its development, pray for Karen because she gets sick a lot, and pray for Karen and I as we prepare to be parents. Thanks ya'all!

JG

Christ Alone...

2010-01-24T15:56:00.005-05:00

Something beautiful happened this morning in church, in my heart, and many others around me. The Holy Spirit was surely in the pews at First Church. As we began to sing our worship songs I was filled with so much joy :) (I thought maybe it was because I got to hold Maleah during the service) But I know that it was clearly the Holy Spirit putting the joy in my heart.

When we started singing In Christ Alone I knew the tears would start flowing soon! So I prepared myself and said a prayer for the congregation. I asked God to let the words of that song flood our hearts with praise and speak to us in a new way even after hearing it so many times. And so it did, with hands raised in surrender, with hearts open to Him, I could not imagine that one heart was not tugged by the Spirit. Shouts of Joy came from the back, as people began going forward to kneel at His feet at the altar. I would want to personally thank ever person in church this morning for letting their hearts be captured by our God.

It breaks my heart when I think about what Christ did for us on the cross. To know that every sin was laid on Him and to know that he took that pain for us puts tears in my eyes. But then to know that there is no guilt, no fear, no pain, because of the Power of Christ is the most comforting feeling. Let these words speak to you as they did to me this morning!

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

My heart is filled with praise for The King :)

Let me tell you it didn't stop after the sining. For those of you who don't know, my husband has a gift. His gift is preaching :) I am so glad to be a part of that as his wife. He truly lets the Lord speak to him as he prepares and through him as he delivers! He spoke on the book of Haggi (Tough book to preach on, but its what he felt led to speak). He talked about priorities in our lives, and how we should make God #1. Over our families, over our jobs, over our hobbies, and over all the good things we think we are doing and that we are involved in. I think that it is really easy to say that our #1 priority is God because that is what is expected from Christians. But I can tell you that it is a daily battle to keep this true. My relationship with Jordan is so amazing that sometimes I think it would be hard to say, "Lord, I put you #1 in my life over Jordan." (You have no clue how many times i just hit backspace!) Do I really mean it? YES. I do, but I want to live it. I want to put him before our work in the youth group, my worries about student loans, before my work which I love, before my family, before everything I do and love!

I challenge you all to look at your priorities in life and make God #1 for real :)

KRG

Back to the Beginning....

2010-01-12T16:11:00.010-05:00

For those of you who didn’t know, Jordan is taking masters classes through IWU's new Online Masters of Divinity program! So he will be working hard for the next 3 years while he is in Seminary!!! This created an opportunity to come back to Indiana Wesleyan for a week...back to the beginning of our lives together. As our friend Chris Mieksell puts it...where the magic happened. Jordan has classes from 8:30 am- 5:00pm! Talk about a rough schedule. My schedule is quite easy and quite relaxing though. :) I have gotten up with him, taken him to school, and then I go work out for 2 hours at the Rec. I have spent the rest of my days reading by the fire place at McConn Coffee Shop. This is where I spent countless hours studying and reading for my 4 years at IWU.

So nestled in my comfy fire side chair with a nice raspberry white mocha I found myself completing my first book of the week. The Five Love Languages written by Gary Chapmen. I was given this book as a gift from Jennifer Lee who was my prayer partner at The OAKS Camp! She is an incredible woman, mother, and wife!!! She gave me this book knowing the Lord would use it in my life as I am finding out how I can better love others and how I can be filled with love more!
So getting back to the beginning of things seems to be the theme for the last few days....the author talks about how there is this "falling in love experience" at the beginning of marriage and for most couples it dies out within 2 years. I am wondering if this is the reason Jordan and I have heard so many complaints about marriage. You probably know all the jokes if you have been married or are engaged...you might even say these kinds of things!
ex. "You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into."

"You have only ____ days of freedom left!" (If you’re engaged)

"The ball and chains joke" (I never really caught on to that one)

There are so many more jokes that we have heard that are so awful. Most people might take these lightly and brush them off and hope that they will never feel that way or that it is just normal for life to take that direction. The people who tell the jokes may often end with a...."I'm just playing with you" but to tell you the truth, I doubt they really are "just playing." But maybe these jokes are told because for so many married couples their love has seemed to "die down" and that crazy in-love obsession that they once had has turned into a constant struggle to get back to how they once felt about each other. I wonder if they even know how to try to mend things the right way...the unselfish way! "Love is not about you, its a choice to love. That choice may involve something you hate to do!"

Jordan and I have talked to one another about how we can never let our love for each other get to a point of disappointment and let that fire burn out. Here is the most important lesson I got out of this book...

"We can recognize the falling in-love experience for what it was--a temporary emotional high--and now pursue "real love" with our spouse. That kind of love is emotional in nature but not an obsession. It is a love that unites reason and emotion. It involves an act of the will and requires discipline, and it recognizes the need for personal growth."

To pursue this real love experience for the rest of my life, I have realized it will take effort! Thankfully I read this book now! I have not moved out of that "in-love" obsession yet and have in no way close to letting the fire burn out...but I am happy that I now understand why I see so many unhappy marriages and have gained tools for preventing destruction from happening. I truly believe that this book could revolutionize your marriage or prepare you for a marriage full of "real love". The 5 Love Languages is in my top 10 favorite books, I challange anyone who wants to know how to love better to read this book!!!!

KRG

Top 10 Junk Food Obsessions

2009-12-18T17:09:00.004-05:00

I will be the second to tell you (my wife will be the first) that I am a sucker for junk food. When it comes to junk food i am a simple man... I like it sweet and sugary. Christmas is one time of the year when I go absolutely nuts on an assortment of tasty treats, often leading to sleepless nights and tooth aches. So in light of this candy eating season I have created my top ten list of junk food greatness...

10. Skittles. A safe choice for adults and children everywhere. High in sugar and even higher in fruitiness, this timeless candy joins generations by helping everyone get a little taste of the rainbow.

9. Reese's. I have never eaten a Reese's and not had an overload of saliva in my mouth. This mouth watering snack is perfect for that chocolate or peanut butter crave. And seeing as how there is two in a pack, it is the perfect snack to share with a friend.

8. Twizzlers. The perfect name for the perfect snack. Twizzlers is the type of candy that makes you say "just one more" then realize later that you destroyed an entire bag in 5 minutes.

7. Almond Joy. This gift from God perfectly combines two of my favorite foods, coconuts and almonds. Add in the delicious chocolate outer shell and this snack is sure to send your taste buds into orbit.

6. Jolly Ranchers. Whether its in sucker form, a jelly bean, a chewable, or regular hard candy it never lets me down. A great snack to eat in class or church because of its ability to remain quiet makes this snack ideal for on the go circumstances. Just throw a pack in your book bag or stuff a few in your pocket and you have mouth watering goodness all day long.

5. Peanut butter cookies. Anything with peanut butter is good, but these cookies take that peanut butter taste to a new level. Perfect with a glass of milk and some conversation with family, this treat never disappoints.

4. German Chocolate Cake. I'm not a huge fan of chocolate cake but there is something about the icing that makes this cake great. Add a glass of cold milk sit back and feel your stomach begin to grow.

3. Twix. A cookie bar with both caramel and chocolate goodness. This junk food is smooth and creamy as well as rich and chewy at the same time.

2. Starbursts. I usually hate the color pink, but not when it comes to starbursts. With many different assortments of flavors to choose from there is a color for everyone. Warning: Extremely Chewy!

And finally, the best junk food snack of all time...

1. No Bake Cookies. If God was hungry this is what he would breathe into existence. With oats, peanut butter and cocoa this snack delivers every time. Sit down with a gigantic glass of milk and enjoy an entire batch...don't worry, they are good for you too (ok I might have lied about that, but who cares, the taste is worth every pound.)

You may not agree with my list, but you have to agree with one thing...Junk food is good.
What is your favorite junk food?

JG

Dearly Loved

2009-12-14T23:43:00.000-05:00

Last night I was reminded of God's love and joy that comes from being in ministry. Especially youth ministry! We had our practice of the Christmas service, made some fun videos, worked on skits, and all that good stuff. Just being filled with Christams spirit puts a huge smile on my face! But what touched me last night happened on the car ride home. Jordan and I pieck up Dalton, Andrew, and Alischa for every chruch and youth event! They love coming to church and have come so far in their faith. Dalton had told me he wanted to sing "Dearly Loved" by Jimmy Needham in church sometime. Honestly I just laughed...it was a great thought but I had no clue he was serious, even liked his music and could even sing at all. So I told him he had to sing to me in the car so I could hear his voice. Jordan and I pray over this kids life, that God will set a spark in his heart. So to hear this boy without hesitation sing a song so beautiful and with words so true made my heart sing with Joy! The words say..."Dont you know that you are, dearly loved."

As he sang, his brother and sister began to sing as well. All 3 of them have wonderful voices and as they were singing I could not hold back the tears. I looked back and saw something in each of their faces. I saw 3 kids who have just begun their journey walking with Christ who now know that they are "Dearly Loved." We ask God for a spark but last night I saw a flame! My heart is filled with Joy! I pray that you watch people...if you have kids or hear anyone talk about God, soften your heart and be alert because knowing that a child knows our maker can be one of the sweetest blessings we can receive and you don't want to miss out on that!

Listen to this song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3IdRkylxaI

"Please lay down your arrows
For they're sure to pierce the skin
And water from a broken well
Will make you thirst again
When all things you've acquired
Are tested by the flames
And you can see them melting
Then will you call his name

It's worth it brothers
It's worth it friends
To know your maker
To lose your sin
Did you know that you are dearly loved

To the slaughters you are being led
Being told that it's a party
That this God is in your head
And every single lie
Sounds just like the greatest truth
But the one truth you're not hearing
Is that he died for you

No greater joy
No greater peace
No greater love than this

It's worth it brothers
It's worth it friends
To know your maker
To lose your sin
Did you know that you are dearly loved "

KG

"Conversations with God"

2009-12-10T15:50:00.003-05:00

There is a book out that in recent weeks has been on the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It is there not because of its title which contains "God" in it, but probably because it is backed and pushed by Oprah. In this book there is a series of questions each followed by an answer that more often than not has nothing to do with Biblical truth. For example, one question asks about God's forgiveness of sin, to which the author replies that there is nothing to forgive because there is no such thing as absolute truth. Another question asks "Why am I a lesbian?" to which the author answers she was born that way (just as if she was born right handed or with brown eyes. The author also says she should go out and "celebrate" her differences. Another question is about a couple living together before marriage. The authors answer is that they have sinned against no one because they have done nothing wrong in living together before marriage.

Get the point yet? This book is a straight up attack from the devil. It teaches New Age spirituality and implies there is no sin and that recognizing God only comes from recognizing ourselves. It also teaches that the death of Christ has no meaning and that the Creator and creation come only from your wholeness, sanity, and limitless power. Did I mention it was a New York Times bestseller?

This book is even being sold in schools through the Scholastics Book Club. It is a book that on the outside may look good, but on the inside is filled with lies. This is an extremely dangerous book, both to our faith and to our world. It is the devil's way of getting sinners to justify their actions. Don't fall into this trap. There is only one way to truly obtain Life and that is through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." As Christians, we must be aware of these lies so we don't fall into the trap of the devil. It is sad to hear of books like this polluting the minds of our culture.

Let me know what you think...

The Wild Adventure

2009-12-04T17:49:00.016-05:00

Today has been the best day of our honeymoon by far. Since we are both avid outdoor lovers, we decided to take a nature hike in the wild of northern Michigan. So we parked our car and began on our way. As we were walking, no further than 100 feet from our car, this wild pheasant hopped across the trail right in front of us.

Karen being the quick thinker that she is picked up a small stone and flung it at the defenseless creature. It then flew away in a hurry into the clear blue sky.

Not knowing what we were in for during this hike, we nonchalantly continued on our way, until...Karen began screaming because she felt a long, warm, fuzzy thing going up her pants. "Stop it Jordan!" she exclaimed, before realizing it wasn't Jordan at all. She shook her leg and what came crawling out was simply amazing. It was this...

...a baby opossum, and it was scared so Jordan placed him in his coat and we set off to find his family. And we did, they were frantically searching for him only 100 yards away. They were so happy that we returned him to them, they jumped for joy, and Karen happened to have her camera ready...

...our good deed of the day was finished, so hand in hand we continued walking. Our walk was uninterfered for a while until Karen noticed some tracks. They were bigger than both our hands and we couldn't figure out what animal made them...

...but it didn't take long for us to stumble across the source of these tracks. It was a black bear, but not a normal black bear. This black bear was a friendly little bear. He even allowed us to take a picture with him...

We stopped for lunch on down the trail. I was eating a turkey and ham sandwich on wheat bread and Karen was enjoying a delicious tossed salad. Apparently someone else wanted some lunch too. One moment we were enjoying our food and the next we were staring straight into the jaws of death, and it looked like this...

...it was a mountain lion, and he was hungry! We were frozen in our tracks waiting for the beast to make a move. When luckily a distraction happened. Just in the distance there were two moose fighting in the thicket...

...The commotion scared away the mountain lion and we were once again safe. We decided it was getting a little dangerous out, so we turned around and returned to our car. This was definitely the best adventure we have been on yet. The end...

OK so its not true, we just took a tour in a museum with a bunch of fake wild animals. It was actually really entertaining. We learned a lot about animal calls and tracks. But the best part was spending the day as spouses. But that wasn't the only adventure of the day, check out these real pics we took at a place called Elk Park, which is a huge Elk viewing area in north Michigan. These ones are real, we promise...

JG and KG

yahtzee, deer, and bowling

2009-12-02T18:01:00.005-05:00

Today has been a day of challenges. It has also been the day of losing. But not for me, for Karen. All day long we have been competing at everything. This morning we played like 2 hours of yahtzee, and we still haven't finished. The final deciding round is waiting for us when we get home. But we got tired of staying cooped up inside so we figured we would get out of the house and compete at something else. Karen decided she wanted to go bowling, which on a normal occasion would have been smart because she usually beats me. On the way to the bowling alley we saw about 5 deer eating apples. We pulled the car up to within about 15 feet of them and they didn't seem to care.
We admired the deer for about 2 minutes then continued on to the bowling alley. Karen was talking smack the whole way with the assurance in her mind that she was going to win. I even let her come up with the rules we were going to play by. She decided to make it best out of three events: highest overall score, most games won, and most strikes bowled. Going into the battle she was so stoked that she would dominate me in at least two of the three categories. However, it did not go the way she planned. Here is our score card. Notice the circles under my name.

So needless to say I came out victorious. Now we are heading back to the house so I can put my finishing touches on our game of yahtzee (which at this point I am ahead by 500 points so I am not too worried.) I would say this day of competitions goes to me, which I have to boast about because it doesn't happen often. Don't tell Karen I said that, it would go straight to her head).

please God send snow. please

2009-12-01T16:48:00.006-05:00

Remember how I said the only disappointing part of the honeymoon was the lack of snow? Well last night it snowed so now there is nothing to complain about. The first thing we did when we saw the snow was take pictures in it.
Our cottage is sweet. It is about 20 feet from the lake which makes for an incredible view in the morning. One of those views cut out of a magazine, where the water is motionless and the sun is creeping over the trees. Amazing.

Today has been a great day. Right now we are back in the coffee shop because it is the only place we know that has free wifi. We came into town today and walked down the strip of shops and stores but found nothing worthy enough to buy. Tonight we are going out to dinner then catching a flick at the movie theater. Not sure what movie though.

Today is our third full day of marriage, and it is better than the first and second. I can't imagine how awesome marriage is gonna be after a lifetime if it keeps getting better every day. What a gift. Time to go. I hope it snows more.

honeymooning it up

2009-11-30T17:34:00.004-05:00

At this moment I am sitting in "Brothers Coffee Shop" in Gaylord, Michigan with the most beautiful woman in the world, my wife. Ya it's definitely weird to call Karen my wife, but i still find the word continually coming out of my mouth. I can't believe we are finally married. Just over a year ago I met Karen, a few weeks later she became my best friend, a few months after that I fell in love with her, half a year later I asked her to marry me, and now here we are on our honeymoon. Marriage is a surreal feeling, one that can't be described with any amount of words. It must be experienced. I have only been married for one full day and I can already feel a difference in my life.

Our wedding was simply amazing. It was the most stunningly beautiful wedding I have ever been to (of course I am biased). You can see these pictures of Karen on our wedding day but you had to be there to truly witness how gorgeous she was. It's an interesting feeling being in a room with over 300 people and only being able to focus on one of them. I could not take my eyes off of her. Over the past few months I have had many images of her on our wedding day, but they all fell short of how magnificent she looked. Below is the happiest moment of my life, and judging by the look on Karen's face it was hers too.

So now we are on our honeymoon in northern Michigan. It's beautiful up here. We are staying in a cottage on a lake and the view is amazing from the living room. The only disappointment so far is the lack of snow on the ground. I thought that December in north Michigan always meant snow but i guess not. It is nice to just have a whole week off of doing nothing. So far our days have consisted only of games, sleep, and you know what ;)

I feel so close to Karen already, connected in a way that only a few days ago didn't exist. There is a mystifying power in marriage, one that can be felt immediately after the sacred union. It is no longer just Jordan, it is forever Karen and Jordan.

Our honeymoon is amazing, but part of me can't wait to get back to start our real lives with each other. Continue to pray for us as we start our family, the Gardners. Now its time for me to go, Karen wants to go get some cough medicine. We are heading back to the cottage for a nice dinner, some popcorn and a movie, a relaxing fire...and I can't tell you where it will go from there!!

The Engagement Adventure

2009-10-18T16:19:00.034-04:00

Clearly all you of you know that me and Jordan are getting married :) But it is hard to keep in contact with all of you who maybe want to know the details of our lives. Because I am so proud to have a fiance who is blessed with the ability to be the most romantic man I know but still keep that tough man-cool guy appearance...I am going to let you in on our adventure to engagement.

I first of all want to inform you all that I was not totally surprised this event was going to take place, I knew that one day it would happen since the first day I ever met Jordan. I just didn't know when and how :) After spending 3 months apart for the summer we had the chance to spend a

week in the mountains together doing the thing

we both love so much, CAMPING! Grandma and Grandpa Hash, Josh, Jordan's mom, Casey, Corbin and Chad all had a blast camping out

in the Blueridge Mountains in Gracin Highlands Park in Virginia.

It was beautiful and such a relaxing time to sit by a campfire, cook

some pizza pudgy pies, and enjoy some of Grams campin' food. All of us took a bike trip down the famous Virginia Creeper Trail.

I believe it was almost 20 miles but it seemed effortless because of the gradual decline throughout the whole trip. Jordan is convinced that if you pedaled hard in the beginning, you could make it to Damascus (our ending location) without pedaling again. We also spent alot of our time hiking the trails and picking blueberries with Grandpa. Here are some pictures of our hikes to the Twin Pinnacles and up to some sweet waterfalls. However, the pictures do not give the beauty

we saw any justice. This place truly painted the picture of God's greatness.

At this point I was pretty sure that I was the happiest girl in the world. I mean getting

to enjoy the mountains, God's creation, and spending time getting to know the man that I love and family that I love. Whew, I thought this camping trip could not get any better. However on August 5th 2009...I truly became the happiest girl in the world. We set out on a hike which is

part of the Appalachian Trail (which we both want to hike the whole trail one day!) So we were pumped. We started out and on our first big adventure and within 5 minutes of walking over the hill we ran in to some wild cattle. Right on our path was a bull! It was neat but honestly, I was nervous. But we walked around them and headed into the woods. Other than the soggy ground from all the rain and the pesky spiders who spun their webs right in Jordan's face, it was perfect weather and such a beautiful day for a hike. After trudging trough the mud for a little bit Jordan was in the lead and stop suddenly...at first all he could see was a big black thing moving in the trees right on our path. Ha, we looked a little harder and it

was a wild pony! (Again I was a bit nervous) So Jordan politely asked him to get off our trail and he would not move. But when Jordan started yelling at him in a stern voice to get the heck off our trail he slowly moved off our trail...and that was that. We

ran into some more wild ponies and some bear tracks along the way. But we kept hiking on. I think back now and laugh knowing that through the 8 hours we were hiking Jordan had this ring in his back pack the whole time. He tells me that he was so anxious the whole time, every rock we came to, ever pretty place we were at he thought about pulling it out and getting on his knee. But I am glad that he was patient and waited. He once told me about his favorite place in the world. It is a big rock that is part of Massies Gap, along the trail that we were on. So we had about 30 minutes of hiking left and we finally stopped on this rock I had heard so much about to eat some lunch. It was perfect because the whole hike I was thanking God for my best friend and how much fun we have together. I prayed like I also do that we get to have many adventures just like that one and get to spend the rest of our lives together. Anyway, we are sitting there talking about how beautiful it was and how good our smashed, tin-foil wrapped pb&j sandwiches are as he goes

to "grab another one" out of his bag. I had my back turned but heard him say, "hey babe, check this out". I thought that maybe he saw a bug or some kind of animal because he said it so calmly like there was something really neat that I needed to look at. I turned around saw the ring! He stared at me and I was so excited that I almost fell back...off the cliff! I was in no REAL danger but it makes for a good story. I cant even explain the feeling in my heart at this point. My best friend, the man that I have fallen so deeply in love asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. Next to being loved by God, being loved by Jordan Gardner is the best feeling ever! We made a commitment to God that day that we were going to love each other and as a couple live for Him and use our engagement/marriage/relationship to touch lives and to build his kingdom.

I am now the luckiest girl in the world.

-KRS (soon to be KRG)

2009-10-06T22:34:00.000-04:00

We are getting married in 52 days, but we thought we would get a jump start on the ever so popular Couple Blogging. So this is our blog, check it out if you want to know what's up with our new family.