As most of you know, although Roy and I are both Troy University alumni, we live in a house divided. Yes, the love of college football runs deep within our roots, but our football ties are to two different teams. I grew up in the Florida Panhandle as a Florida Gator fan. On several occasions we'd get football tickets from season pass holders, usually the Auburn / Florida game since my Papa played football at Auburn many years ago.
Roy, on the other hand, grew up 45 minutes from Tuscaloosa, AL in Livingston, or, "God's Country" as he often refers to it. Alabama football is a way of life in those parts and it beats anything I have ever seen. To make an incredibly long, one-sided blog entry SHORT, you need to see these videos to understand our ties to football and how "different" it is:)
I love my Gators and the Gator Nation!
Roll Tide, y'all!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Joy to the Hood!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
City Church: City Groups
One of the wonderful things about the church we go to (City Church) is the City Group we have been involved in. Our small group has been a source of Gospel community for us, a place where we can go and share our hearts and lives with and bask in grace and mercy. Our City Group has allowed us to feel more at home here in Orlando and we are truly grateful for the friendships we have with the members of our group. Here is a recent video made that gives great insight into how valuable these groups our to our church... Roy is definitely in it and you can see me a few times with the focus Diana and Ramiro who are in our group. Enjoy!
http://www.citychurchorlando.org/CityGroups.html
http://www.citychurchorlando.org/CityGroups.html
The Belin Disney Trip
Last year Disney offered the "Give A Day, Get A Day" program as an incentive to get people to volunteer. In return, Disney would give the first 1 million participants a free ticket to a Disney theme park. Living in the Orlando area, we jumped at the chance for free tickets, as did my parents. We planned a Belin Disney Trip for November and it was such a wonderful day. We had not been to Disney as a family in 14 years, if I did my math correctly. The park opened at 9AM and closed at 11PM and you better believe we stayed the entire time. It was such a treat to walk down memory lane, enjoying time together like we had many years before.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
What a month!
It has been an incredibly busy month for us. October came and went before we even realized it. In October we celebrated our 2nd Anniversary! It was wonderful to think back on the past two years of marriage, rejoicing in how God has been so incredibly faithful to us. We moved 3 weeks ago into a new apartment in Oviedo, less than 2 miles from RTS (where Roy is in seminary). It is about 3 miles from where I work so it has been a tremendous blessing. The move would never have happened without some amazing dear friends of ours who spent hours packing up all of our belongings and helping load and unload them. We are so thankful for such faithful friends! We are finally getting to the point where we feel like our apartment is becoming home. We have been blessed to get to know our neighbors and many of the kids who live in this apartment complex. It is opening up many doors to build friendships with, love on, and serve our neighbors.
This past weekend Roy attended the PCA Global Missions Conference in Chattanooga, TN. He worked at the booth for RTS, recruiting students to come to receive theological training. He had a wonderful time!
While he was in TN, I attending a ZUMBA Fitness Instructor Training Workshop that was held in Orlando. After 9 hours of learning popular ZUMBA moves and how to combine them to create a routine, I am a ZUMBA FITNESS INSTRUCTOR! I actually began teaching today at the school I work at and had 14 ladies attend. I am so excited about teaching!
This past weekend Roy attended the PCA Global Missions Conference in Chattanooga, TN. He worked at the booth for RTS, recruiting students to come to receive theological training. He had a wonderful time!
While he was in TN, I attending a ZUMBA Fitness Instructor Training Workshop that was held in Orlando. After 9 hours of learning popular ZUMBA moves and how to combine them to create a routine, I am a ZUMBA FITNESS INSTRUCTOR! I actually began teaching today at the school I work at and had 14 ladies attend. I am so excited about teaching!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Pawelkop Family Reunion 2010
Honestly, one of the highlights of my year is the annual Pawelkop Family Reunion. This year the reunion was held in Homosassa Springs, FL.
The weekend was fantastic, as usual. We rented pontoon boats and spent the day on the water. The weather was perfect! We spent the afternoon swimming in the springs, going off the rope swing, eating yummy food, and enjoying each others company. After a day on the water, we all went to the local state park, which was more like a zoo. It was wonderful! The night consisted of watching football, yummy Cuban food, s'mores, and games. How blessed we are for such a wonderful family!
I am already looking forward to next year's reunion!
The weekend was fantastic, as usual. We rented pontoon boats and spent the day on the water. The weather was perfect! We spent the afternoon swimming in the springs, going off the rope swing, eating yummy food, and enjoying each others company. After a day on the water, we all went to the local state park, which was more like a zoo. It was wonderful! The night consisted of watching football, yummy Cuban food, s'mores, and games. How blessed we are for such a wonderful family!
I am already looking forward to next year's reunion!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
ZUMBA FITNESS
In case you didn't already know, I am obsessed with ZUMBA!If you aren't familiar with ZUMBA it is a latin/cardio fitness class that is phenomenal. The music is awesome and the dance moves are simple enough for everyone (whether a good dancer or not) to catch on. It is so fun and is enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels. I have been taking classes for a year now at the local YMCA and am going to get certified to be a ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR. I honestly can't wait.
Check out the videos below to see a little taste of what ZUMBA is like!
Isn't it AWESOME??? It's ZUMBA!! Join the PARTY!!
Monday, September 6, 2010
"Baker Belin"
Roy has always called me "Baker Belin" because I have high aspirations of cooking. Over the past two years of marriage I have made some attempts to cook, some successful, while others being major flops. I am happy to say my cooking skills are definitely improving! I have spent the weekend in the kitchen trying out a few recipes from allrecipes.com and Real Simple Magazine.
A yummy strawberry marble cake from allrecipes.com
Homemade blueberry muffins from allrecipes.com
Homemade pita chips from Real Simple Magazine
A yummy strawberry marble cake from allrecipes.com
Homemade blueberry muffins from allrecipes.com
Homemade pita chips from Real Simple Magazine
Sunday, September 5, 2010
SE Asia Video
Here is a small glimpse of what our trip to SE Asia was like. Hopefully this helps paint a picture in your mind of what we were blessed to see and experience!
South East Asia from Jeffrey Hoy on Vimeo.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
First thoughts of SE Asia...
It has been a month since our time in SE Asia and in this moment I feel as if it never even happened. I know we have yet to blog about our time there, what we did, what we saw, how He spoke to us. It was an overwhelming trip to say the very least and with extreme culture shock and exhaustion I felt numb the entire trip. I can remember on several occasions voicing out loud that "I feel like I am in a dream." I saw things that will forever stay in my mind, things I honestly want to forget because it would be easier to say "I never knew" than to see it and feel held responsible. Poverty. We don't even know what severe poverty is here in the States. I felt so worldly and materialistic and downright selfish for all of the things I have, treasure, and want. Possessions are not a bad thing per se, but how much I value what I have and how badly I desire more reflects the selfish, worldly nature of my heart. I saw beggars with no hands. Seriously. A boy, probably around 18 or so, came up my window and was beating on the window with no hands. In that moment I froze. It shattered my heart into millions of pieces that I had nothing to offer this boy. What he needed and still needs at this instant is the saving grace that comes from Jesus alone.
I remember walking through the slums of the capital city. I was in flip flops and was more concerned with what I was possibly stepping in than what I was seeing. Poverty as far as the eye could see. Trash and filth lining the muddy streets, children half naked and barefoot. There were no material goods to be had. In the slums, it is a fight for survival. Where will my next meal come from? We were welcomed into the "home" of a Muslim family and all 12 of us (at least, if not more) crowded into the one room. Inside this room was a large bed, which took up the bulk of the room. The rest of the room was taken up by a few items of clothing and some pots and pans.... seriously, the most basic and necessary things needed to survive. As I sat on a bed that felt more like a slab of concrete I had a serious reality check. THIS PLACE IS NOT MY HOME! I was not made for earth, I was made for something much greater and therefore, I can't get comfortable here.
A little boy in the slums
My biggest fear of walking away from SE Asia is that I will forget what I saw... that I will remain number to these people and pretend it never happened. Oh, it happened all right. We have some pretty incredible pictures and intense stories, but even still I remain emotionless. We spent some time in some very dark places. You could feel it. You could feel the absence of Jesus' name being praise. Allah is the god of these people and their cries to him in prayer made my stomach churn. I can remember lying in bed one night, windows open, two mosques on both sides of our $5 a night hotel. Around midnight lying in the pitch dark we heard our very first call to prayer and immediately I reached for Roy's hand. I was terrified, disturbed, and although fully acknowledging that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords I felt as if He wasn't present. Even now as I am writing to help myself process this trip really more than anything, I still find myself speechless. How do you put this trip into words? I am still struggling and ask that you bear with me and I wrestle through my scattered thoughts.
Please pray that we will continue to process this trip. It was a privilege to go and see what life is like in SE Asia, but I long to be changed by it... forever changed. May my heart and yours as well break for those who do not know Jesus. Please continue to lift up the people of SE Asia and beg the Lord to satisfy every longing they have.
I remember walking through the slums of the capital city. I was in flip flops and was more concerned with what I was possibly stepping in than what I was seeing. Poverty as far as the eye could see. Trash and filth lining the muddy streets, children half naked and barefoot. There were no material goods to be had. In the slums, it is a fight for survival. Where will my next meal come from? We were welcomed into the "home" of a Muslim family and all 12 of us (at least, if not more) crowded into the one room. Inside this room was a large bed, which took up the bulk of the room. The rest of the room was taken up by a few items of clothing and some pots and pans.... seriously, the most basic and necessary things needed to survive. As I sat on a bed that felt more like a slab of concrete I had a serious reality check. THIS PLACE IS NOT MY HOME! I was not made for earth, I was made for something much greater and therefore, I can't get comfortable here.
A little boy in the slums
My biggest fear of walking away from SE Asia is that I will forget what I saw... that I will remain number to these people and pretend it never happened. Oh, it happened all right. We have some pretty incredible pictures and intense stories, but even still I remain emotionless. We spent some time in some very dark places. You could feel it. You could feel the absence of Jesus' name being praise. Allah is the god of these people and their cries to him in prayer made my stomach churn. I can remember lying in bed one night, windows open, two mosques on both sides of our $5 a night hotel. Around midnight lying in the pitch dark we heard our very first call to prayer and immediately I reached for Roy's hand. I was terrified, disturbed, and although fully acknowledging that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords I felt as if He wasn't present. Even now as I am writing to help myself process this trip really more than anything, I still find myself speechless. How do you put this trip into words? I am still struggling and ask that you bear with me and I wrestle through my scattered thoughts.
Please pray that we will continue to process this trip. It was a privilege to go and see what life is like in SE Asia, but I long to be changed by it... forever changed. May my heart and yours as well break for those who do not know Jesus. Please continue to lift up the people of SE Asia and beg the Lord to satisfy every longing they have.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The life of a seminary wife...
I am beyond blessed to be walking through this "seminary" season of life with some incredible women of God. I have formed an incredible bond with a phenomenal group of women whose husband's are in the same class as Roy. We started this journey together and what a wild ride it has been. Usually we have a "Family Night" as we like to call it a few times a month. We'll get together and share a meal, play games, and enjoy community. Roy and I always thank the Lord for the amazing friendships we have here in Orlando, both with RTS and City Church. I am convinced that community and deep friendships are far more valuable than any worldly riches. I am so thankful for the first year of seminary and having spent it with some awesome brothers and sisters in Christ! Thank you, sweet friends, for deeply enriching our lives! We are grateful for you all :)
Valley of Vision
A Puritan prayer:
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Please pray for Asia!
Having seen the work God is doing first hand, we are asking you all to please pray for the nations! Our God reigns and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. We are begging God to change hearts and touch lives with the Good News! Here is an incredible video that some wonderful friends of ours shared with us. Please pray and beg God for the people of Asia!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
SE ASIA 2010
We are back in Orlando safe and sound! The 10 day trip was overwhelming and phenomenal all in one. It will take us many months to process all that we experienced. We will update you all with more specifics soon :) For now, here are just a few pictures from our trip. You can view more on my Facebook page. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement!
Monday, August 2, 2010
A Miserable Day of Travel
As many of your know, yesterday we were scheduled to begin our trek to SE Asia for 2 weeks. Our first flight from Orlando to NYC was scheduled to leave at 2PM. We had boarded the plane and were ready to get this show on the road when the captain made the first of many announcements to the passengers. Apparently there was rain around the NYC area, mainly in New Jersey, that was keeping planes from flying. We were grounded for our first delay of 1 hour. Sitting on the plane was miserable. It was hot (the high outside was 98 degrees). After that hour had passed we were notified that the ground rule or whatnot had been lifted and we would begin taxiing down the runway within the hour.
This was how we felt after being on the plane for so long. It was so hot because they were trying to conserve fuel by using as little A/C as possible.
AGAIN, another announcement was made. This time the plane had some mechanical problems that needed to be addressed... and all the while a storm was about to pass through Orlando so due to lightning we would not be able to take off. By the time the storm had passed and the mechanical problem had been fixed we were running too low on fuel so we had to head back to the gate to refuel.
We are in the plane for 6 hours.
After 6 hours on the plane and 0 time in the air, we were all asked to get off the plane with out belongings. The airport was packed!!! There were people everywhere, with no planes coming or going. We were some of the few passengers that had a connecting flight in NYC. We had to make it from LGA to JFK in New York City for an 11PM flight to Dubai. We were going to miss this flight! My sister Bonnie, who was planning to go on the trip with us, was already in NYC waiting for us. We were calling back and forth filling her in. Sadly, the next available flight to Dubai wasn't going to be until Tuesday! What a mess!
We had a decision to make and had to make it by 10PM. The tickets for the next flight to Dubai were going to be about $1000 extra per person :( It was the craziest night imaginable. Bonnie ended up flying home to Mexico since she would be in NYC for at least 2 days before we arrived. It was just too much to handle!
We decided to book a flight for Monday (today) to NYC and take the Tuesday flight to Dubai and trust that the Lord would provide the money we need. We ended up coming home last night to think and pray about what to do. Believe me, it was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining day. We know that the Lord is supreme in all things and that His ways are perfect. We are trusting that everything that happens is the way He wants it, even if it is stressful and not the way we were expecting.
So here we are.... day 2 of our trip and we are home in Orlando. We are planning to head to the airport in a few hours and fly to NYC. We will stay in NYC tonight and fly to Dubai tomorrow morning. This is "our" plan at least. We know He may have something else and mind.
Please keep us in your prayers! We desire a safe and smooth journey. He is faithful and loving, and we are trusting that although His ways are higher than our own, He is in control and knows what is best.
We appreciate your prayers and encouragement during this time. We love you guys!!
This was how we felt after being on the plane for so long. It was so hot because they were trying to conserve fuel by using as little A/C as possible.
AGAIN, another announcement was made. This time the plane had some mechanical problems that needed to be addressed... and all the while a storm was about to pass through Orlando so due to lightning we would not be able to take off. By the time the storm had passed and the mechanical problem had been fixed we were running too low on fuel so we had to head back to the gate to refuel.
We are in the plane for 6 hours.
After 6 hours on the plane and 0 time in the air, we were all asked to get off the plane with out belongings. The airport was packed!!! There were people everywhere, with no planes coming or going. We were some of the few passengers that had a connecting flight in NYC. We had to make it from LGA to JFK in New York City for an 11PM flight to Dubai. We were going to miss this flight! My sister Bonnie, who was planning to go on the trip with us, was already in NYC waiting for us. We were calling back and forth filling her in. Sadly, the next available flight to Dubai wasn't going to be until Tuesday! What a mess!
We had a decision to make and had to make it by 10PM. The tickets for the next flight to Dubai were going to be about $1000 extra per person :( It was the craziest night imaginable. Bonnie ended up flying home to Mexico since she would be in NYC for at least 2 days before we arrived. It was just too much to handle!
We decided to book a flight for Monday (today) to NYC and take the Tuesday flight to Dubai and trust that the Lord would provide the money we need. We ended up coming home last night to think and pray about what to do. Believe me, it was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining day. We know that the Lord is supreme in all things and that His ways are perfect. We are trusting that everything that happens is the way He wants it, even if it is stressful and not the way we were expecting.
So here we are.... day 2 of our trip and we are home in Orlando. We are planning to head to the airport in a few hours and fly to NYC. We will stay in NYC tonight and fly to Dubai tomorrow morning. This is "our" plan at least. We know He may have something else and mind.
Please keep us in your prayers! We desire a safe and smooth journey. He is faithful and loving, and we are trusting that although His ways are higher than our own, He is in control and knows what is best.
We appreciate your prayers and encouragement during this time. We love you guys!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The Heidelberg Catechism
I am so encouraged by this and I pray you find encouragement in it as well.
What is thy only comfort in life and death?
That I with body and soul, both in life and death,am not my own,but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ;who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins,and delivered me from all the power of the devil;and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
What is thy only comfort in life and death?
That I with body and soul, both in life and death,am not my own,but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ;who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins,and delivered me from all the power of the devil;and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
City Church Student Ministry Retreat
In January, City Church Orlando launched it's Student Ministry. Roy and I have joined the team of volunteers and have been incredibly blessed by these middle school and high school students. It has been so wonderful to get to know them, love on and encourage them. This weekend we headed to Daytona Beach for a retreat and had a BLAST! We spent many hours on the beach soaking up rays, playing bocce ball, volleyball and football, having a sandcastle building contest, etc. We had tons of junk food and played lots of fun games... along with a "Worst Dance Moves" competition that got pretty intense :) It was a wonderful time for the 8 students and 5 leaders who were there. We had a few talks about Jacob and Leah and their desire for approval. It was wonderful for us all to search our hearts and begin to deal with our idol of approval. Oh how the Father loves us and gives us his complete approval. Why, then, do we continue to seek to earn not only His favor, but the favor of others? Please continue to pray for these students, that they would grow in the knowledge, wisdom, and love of the Father, and be among the next generation of Christian leaders.
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