At this point (around 15 weeks) it pretty much looks like my belly is simply swollen. I think in the next month it’s going to pop out a bit more, though I did have someone ask me for the first time yesterday if I was pregnant:
“Oh, are you expect…” (Hand slaps over mouth) “Oh my gosh, are you pregnant??” (Lady slumps into herself fearful that I might just have a beer belly)
Lucky for her it’s all baby, no beer. 
10 weeks (trying to stick my tummy out)
12 1/2 weeks…almost to 2nd trimester!
It may not look like my belly is growing all that much, but my backside sure is!
Hello World.
The Wallers have missed you.
It is almost the end of October now, and the leaves are almost gone from the trees ( a stark contrast to our last home in sunny California). Last Friday I took a bike ride downtown and enjoyed the changing colors along the way. Neighborhoods were transformed as what were once plain streets had become Van Goghs – vibrant hues of amber, burnt orange and maroon everywhere – in the trees, on the ground. Leaves crunched underneath my bicycle tires; it sounded like someone eating cereal in the morning – and this is all new to me after living in Texas and California. I don’t even remember the leaves like this in Paris.
Bryce joined me for a bike ride yesterday afternoon. Monday is his day off and it has been a blast embarking on Monday adventures like hiking or biking, taking long walks, exploring new restaurants, or simply curling up in our pjs with a good book (sometimes this is our only option if it’s snowing outside). I was shocked yesterday to discover on our Monday bike ride that the beautiful hues I rode through on Friday had almost disappeared, and trees that were orange and red only a few days ago were now naked and bare. Lawns were dusted in yellow that had graced the branches only a short while ago. We enjoyed our ride, nonetheless, and stood in awe afterwards at how quickly the seasons change.
Seasons have changed in our lives as well. After a summer of adjusting to Montana, Bryce has finished preaching his sermon series on Acts and has been teaching a Christianity 101 class every Sunday before worship. As much as I love his preaching, I marvel at his teaching and find myself soaking up the material in class as much as anyone else. This has been a treat. He is learning to counsel and deal with real life problems and situations (something they don’t teach you in seminary), which has been so rich. On Tuesday nights our community group meets at our place. We dive into Scripture, discuss the sermon, and share our struggles with each other. This has been an incredible blessing as we have built new relationships as well.
And perhaps the biggest blessing of this season is the news of our first baby due May 7th. I have had an easy and healthy pregnancy so far with only minor fatigue. I begin my 2nd trimester this week, and we are both so grateful to the Lord for this time in our lives. Though we still have six months to go, we are ecstatic to meet this little boy or girl (we will find out which in December).
The beginning of November brings yet a new season in Montana: WINTER. We have experienced our first big snow and are anxious to see what the winter weather brings. In the meantime, we will be visiting Texas in a week to get our fair share of warm weather, family and friends before we go into serious Montana hibernation!
Recently I”ve been reading “A Better Way: Rediscovering the Drama of Christ-Centered Worship” by Michael Horton. Every word is so rich. I find myself lingering on every sentence, every thought. But today, in particular, I was reminded of why Bryce and I are in Montana at all, and why he is learning to preach God’s Word effectively; that is, learning to communicate the gospel of grace, that Christ came down for little us…
Horton addresses the question “Why is Preaching Effective?” and states: “It is effective because God has chosen to dispense his saving grace then and there by his Spirit, and it grows organically out of the logic of the message itself because it is an announcement of something that has been accomplished by God, rather than an incentive to get sinners to save themselves by sheer force or will or effort.”
He goes on to say: “It is not the minister and his methods but God and his ordained means that make preaching different from anything else that we might think more creative, relevant and exciting. ‘For the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intent of the heart.’ (Hebrews 4:12).”
Lest we think the Lord’s work rests upon our shoulders, may we continue to place our confidence in His Word, and His Word alone.
Sum, Sum, Summa-time…
With summer in full swing, it is difficult to eat hot meals all the time. Hence, I am sharing a salad that B and I enjoyed this evening. It was a summer evening delight!
I tossed all of it together in a large salad bowl and added Bryce’s famous homemade dressing. Okay, I confess, it is actually a William Sonoma recipe, but Bryce makes it so well that he deserves to be called the creator.
Bryce’s Balsamic Dressing:
Shake all of the above together for some tasty, tasty dressing. We use it almost seven days a week. If we are not making a salad for or to go with our dinner, we slice up cucumbers and drizzle the balsamic dressing on them for an appetizer. This prevents us from snacking on chips before dinner! We also normally double the recipe.
Bon profit!
We’re done! (With school, that is!)
June came and went, along with graduation, a road trip up the West coast, moving to Billings, a Madrid 30th Anniversary celebration in Barcelona, and a Waller vacation in Provence. After that whirlwind, we are now unpacked and officially moved into our Billings, Montana home. So far, so good. Montana is beautiful, and Billings is a very (and I mean VERY) small town. However, we are enjoying the people here at Rocky Mountain Church and the relationships that have already taken form. PRAISE GOD! Bryce preached his first sermon last Sunday and will be preaching for the rest of the summer. We’re in for a crazy ride…
So much has happened during June and July that it will take awhile for me to post, but in the meantime, here is a short trip down graduation and road trip memory lane…
Graduation 2008
Bryce is now an official Westminster graduate and can add “Master of Divinity” to his resume. Most of our families were there to celebrate the occasion. I think we had the most family in town with a grand total of 16 people in CA to join in the festivities.
It was a blast, and we are so proud of Bryce for all that he has accomplished during his time at seminary. We already miss friends dearly, but know this next season brings new friends, fellowship, and opportunities for ministry and growth.
For more graduation pics click here: Graduation
Road Trip 2008
On June 3, after packing up our apartment the day before (thank you to our friends who helped!) we headed north on the 101 to begin our West Coast adventure. What a trip! From San Luis Opispo, beautiful Mendocino, Big Sur, and the Redwood Forest, to Eugene and Portland, and finally Seattle and time spent with good friends, we could not have asked for a better road trip. Along the way we read Scripture, Hemingway’s short stories, discussed counseling cases, journaled, and enjoyed the amazing scenery along the West Coast. It as a great time for us to process graduation and moving before arriving at our next destination and home: Billings, Montana. Check out the rainbow in the last picture below. It was the first thing that greeted us when we rolled into Billings for the first time.
For more fabulous road trip pics, click here: Roadtrip 2008
Not only was this song one of our graduation songs when we graduated high school in 1998, but it was the theme of this year’s senior prom at Santa Fe Christian. Bryce and I, along with several of my other colleagues, watched several juniors and seniors say goodbye to teach other last night after a memorable high school experience. What a trip!
PROM 2008!
Pretty soon, however, Bryce and I will be doing the same-saying goodbye, that is. Two weeks to go. It seems unreal. This morning we are packing and sorting, getting ready for the big move and new adventure that awaits us in Montanta.
Below are a few pics of the vineyard here in Escondido we like to frequent on the weekends to take in the scenery and picnic with friends-only one of the things we will remember about our time in California…
“Weep not for the memories…”
Sunday night Waller dinner menu:
Surf & Turf- goat cheese burgers with garlic shrimp (by far one of my most favorite meals!)
How we made the burgers:
Grill patties
Buns like Dad’s-toast then grill in burger grease
Add goat cheese to grilled patties, place on buns
Top with caramelized onions(from W.Sonoma-thanks mom!)
Add sliced tomatoes and spinach
Voila!
Shrimp:
Grill in olive oil and minced garlic
Other Waller favorites this week:
Curried chicken salad:
Bake 2-3 chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Shred in food processor
Add chopped walnuts, celery and green onions
Add salt, pepper, and curry powder (to taste…Waller’s love the curry!)
Stir & serve over lettuce or in a sammy!
Penne & tuna salad:
1 cup cooked whole wheat penne pasta
1 can albacore tuna
1/4 cup pitted & quartered kalamata olives
1/4 cup halved heirloom tomatoes
2 teaspoons drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 cup thinly-sliced red onions
Mix 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons olive oil & add minced garlic clove-
toss with above ingredients
Salt & pepper to taste
This makes a great lunch/side dish!
Well after months and months of studying, Bryce is finally a licensed preacher. It has been a long process, but by God’s grace he is finished! I am very proud of him.
A word on licensure: It is the first step towards ordination in the PCA (Presbyterian Church of America). It gives churches in the PCA confidence that one’s theology is orthodox, and comfort that one is equipped and able to preach. In order to be licensed, one must first complete a *lengthy written examination, pass an oral examination before a small committee, and finally an oral examination before the presbytery. The final oral examination includes preaching of a sermon as well.
Bryce preached his sermon on Hebrews 10: 11-18, and in the words of our pastor, “knocked them dead!”
We are so grateful to the Lord for equipping him to preach and…pass! This is an exciting stage in our lives as it is another step towards finally being able to “get our hands dirty” for the Lord.
*Bryce’s examination is attached here: Bryce’s Exam
Other interesting notes on licensure:
Licensed to Ill, the debut album by the Beastie Boys was released in 1986 (we were 7 years old!)
It was the first rap LP to top Billboard’s Pop Albums chart. It also peaked at #2 on the Top Hip Hop/R&B Albums chart. It was Columbia Records’ fastest selling debut record to date and sold over five million copies.
Licensed to Drive, starring the heart-throbs Corey Feldman and Corey Haim, was released 2 years later in 1988: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095519/
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, *forgiving one another, as God in Christ *forgave you.”
-Ephesians 4:32
It still amazes me how verb tenses yield so much more understanding of Scripture. For instance, as I read through Ephesians this morning, not only was I reminded of the new life I have been given in Christ, but that we are called to a lifetime of forgiveness in Christ. Here’s why:
*forgiving= progressive tense, indicating not a completed action, but an ongoing action
How do we do this? Because God, in Christ,
*forgave us= past tense, indicating a completed action. That is, when Christ called out “it is finished” on the cross, He wasn’t kidding.
