This Old House

My family and I used to live in Kyle, Texas.  We moved from there in August of 1986, so really - I have no memory of it other than all the stories I hear.

Dad was mayor, he owned a printing business and a little cafe.

He decided one day that he didn't want Jennifer & I to go to public school in Kyle so he and his best friend Mike picked up and headed out to find us a new place to live... and that's where they still are now.

Anytime we're in Kyle, we make it a point to drive by the old house and see what it looks like.  It's a house with so much character.  Mom & Dad bought it for next to nothing and then completely updated the entire thing, adding onto the house and adding a swimming pool.  From everything I hear - this house was amazing.  Mom says she wanted to move the house when we moved - clearly that didn't happen, though - growing up in a log cabin was a lot of fun, and I don't think I'd trade that for anything.

Here are a few pictures of the old house where only the paint color has changed since we moved.

A Grace-Dependent Life

These past two years or so have made me extremely aware of God's grace and how he lavishes it on us constantly. 

I found this article on the Relevant Magazine site and wanted to share this excerpt:

"It’s easy to go on, speaking eloquent words about grace, especially when we don’t have to go before God asking for it. It’s easy to believe in grace, to believe in the gospel, when there have been relatively few blemishes along the way. It’s easy to repent of something like a lack of discipline, because after you ask for forgiveness you can conjure up a five-step plan of success. We can whip ourselves into being disciplined, with the help of God and our own strength. What isn’t easy is totally blowing it—putting on display our inability to be perfect. When you find yourself, dirty and messy and never whom you thought you’d be, that’s when you understand grace. And when you understand grace, that’s when you turn from the things that break you.

The most difficult part in all of this is that we have to go to God completely empty-handed and receive what can never be earned. It’s stunning to finally get to the place where we believe that no matter how often we pray, fast, meditate, study, and so forth, we will never ever be perfect.

It’s hard to live out a grace dependent life; we want to get to heaven by the work of our own two hands. It’s a hard pill to swallow- being really helpless and needy before the sight of God. He is not for feeling good or for comfort, but rather for life itself.

“Never forget where you came from and never forget what you’re capable of.”

May we refuse to forget where we came from and what we are capable of. May our words and actions be drenched in humility as we acknowledge our profound tendency to fall and sleep in the muck. Lastly, may we not believe the horrible lie that we will one day earn enough merit to get to Heaven. Let us lay our trophies down.

taken from Relevant Magazine {www.relevantmagazine.com}

HOW incredible is that?! I know it's something I need to hear daily.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.  -Galatians 6:1-5

Moving err Moved to Dallas!

Last weekend took me on my 3rd move for the summer...but I have a feeling that I'll be here for a while!

While I've only spent two nights in Dallas so far, I'm absolutely thrilled for what the Lord will bring during this season of life.  There are so many reasons I'm so thankful to be living in Dallas and I hope to one day be able to share a few of them here with you.

I'm so excited about living with Leana and our apartment is going to be/already is adorable!! I know the Lord has great things in store for this season and I cannot wait!

I'll post pictures soon of our apartment!

Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Robert Kordzik!

The first weekend in October brought Matt & Lauren's wedding, and what a fun time that was!

I headed out on Friday morning to pick Kim & Carrie up from the airport, and what a blessing it was to spend the day with them and catch up on everything that's been going on these past 6 months.  

The wedding & reception were both held at Texas Old Town in Kyle which was a wonderful setting for a wedding.  The ceremony was outdoors and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Ben and Eric also made the trip down from DC for the wedding and it was so great to get to see them as well. 

Saturday was filled with a bridal luncheon, hair appointments, pictures and of course - the ceremony and reception.  Everything was so wonderful.  I'm so thankful that the Lord brought our lives together in DC and most importantly, Matt & Lauren's.  What a gift to be able to share in their wedding day with them. 

Here are some pictures from the weekend!!

Meet Leana: My new roommate!!! 

Carrie, Lauren, Ashley & Kim

Carrie, Ashley & Kim

And a few wedding pictures:

Kim, Eric, Carrie, Matt, Lauren, Ashley, Ben

Carrie, Eric, Ashley, Ben, Kim

First Dance

Lauren looked amazing!

love her!

Aggie War Hymn!

Susan & I

I headed back Sunday morning to begin packing for the move to Dallas the next weekend!!

September 20th, 2010! Meet Jake Fletcher Bryla!

I left for Fredericksburg about 7:45 in the morning on 9/20 and arrived in plenty of time to beat Baby Jake.  The day was pretty uneventful and up until about 5pm we were convinced Jennifer was going to have to have a c-section because Jake was sunny side up and he weight over 9lbs and she hadn't dilated past a 5 since 11 that morning.  About 5:30, the nurse checked Jennifer and she had made it to an 8 AND Jake had turned!  Dr. Jennifer came in about 7p.m. and Jennifer had made it to a 10 and the doctor said to get this room ready, we were starting to push at 7:20! And sure enough,  about 40 minutes later, at 8:02 p.m. little Jake made his debut in the world at 9lbs 8oz and 21 1/4 inches long.

I was able to be in the room through the entire delivery and that in and of itself was incredible.  Before the time came, I was certain I didn't want to be in the room...and then it all worked out and I'm pretty sure it's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.  I'm not quite sure how anyone could experience that and not believe that there is a God who orchestrates everything in this world.  When I saw Jake right after he came out, umbilical cord still attached, all I could do was cry with tears of joy at the miracle I just witnessed.

Unfortunately, during the night that night, Jake had some issues breathing - which can be normal for larger babies.  They did a chest x-ray and noticed a little bit of cloudiness.  Dr. Rick put him on meds for pneumonia, wanting to get ahead of the game.  He was later diagnosed with newborn pneumonia which required him being in an oxygen hood and hooked up to IVs.  There is no medical reason for how newborns get pneumonia but that they specifically see about 4-6 cases in a 6 month period.  This made it hard to hold him, and there were two days when we couldn't hold him.  It was so sad to watch him lay there, so helpless.   One day, Will said, "Maybe Baby Jake could come home with all the cords?!"  Thankfully, the L&D Unit in Fredericksburg wasn't a popular place to be that week and we were able to be in the nursery as much as we wanted with Jake as there were no other babies there.  Jennifer was discharged on Thursday and went home.  She would go up to nurse him, spend some time with him and come back home.  Jake was able to come home on Sunday, September 26th, two days earlier than expected and has been doing wonderful ever since!

What a blessing to get to be a part of something so wonderful!

September

I really don't think I have experienced a month that has gone by soo fast in a long time.

My family kicked off September in our typical fashion with our annual Labor Day gathering at my parents house.  We've been getting together there for 23 years now and it's such a blessing to get to all be together under one roof. To laugh, to play games and of course - to eat! One of the best parts of this Labor Day weekend was the Rob, Sharla & Charlie flew down from NOVA to spend the weekend at my parents and it was SOO wonderful to see them.  I picked up Sharla & Charlie at the airport on Friday morning...and quite honestly, wasn't sure if Charlie would remember me.  When he first saw me he was kind of in shock and then as soon as we got in the car he just started screaming my name for 30 minutes.  I would look back at him and he would just start smiling and laughing.  Seeing them for that weekend made me realize how thankful I was for them, for the opportunity to get to share the first 18 months of Charlie's life with them, to get to know them as family and for all the Lord changed and did in my heart during those 18 months.  I can't imagine my life without them in it and I realized after that weekend that I do miss life with them.

(Sharla took all the pictures that weekend, so I've got to get them from her... here is a group shot though and a few more):

two of my favorite people and kiddos!

Will, Jennifer, Hayley & Kaylynn 

Clearly, Kaylynn was not okay with taking a picture!

Jenno & Hayley

Group Shot from Labor Day!

The following weekend was spent in Fredericksburg for wedding showers for Lauren & Matt.

September also brought my third staph infection and this time I was put on Zyvox, which is IV strength medicine in pill form. Needless to say, it cleared it up quickly and I'm hoping I don't get it EVER again!  

And the next weekend was Lauren's Bachelorette party in Austin! We went to Flat Creek Winery in Marble Falls and then headed down to 6th Street on Saturday night for some fun at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar which was incredible amounts of fun!

Lauren & I

All of the girls at the winery

Ready to go out! 

AND THEN...

On Monday morning, September 20, 2010 - I headed to Fredericksburg to (hopefully) beat Baby Jake there!....And I did, but I'll give him a separate post.

August

First, let me apologize, once again - for not posting.  I've gotten bad, but I hope to do a better job in remembering this journey.

So in order to do this in a quick fashion, I'm going to give a summary of the months leading up to now.

August:
August brought my second staph infection (MRSA).  Upon this, my parents suggested it might be a good idea to trying moving for a short period of time to see if they went away.  I only seemed to get MRSA in College Station.  While living in DC, I never got them and the climate is pretty much the same - it's still hot and it's still humid and there are still people everywhere.  I began to pray about this, and decided it was the right decision. The only real issue was the fact that I owned a house and really needed to have it rented in order to leave.
Well, faithfully - just as He always is, the Lord provided 2 awesome girls which turned into 4 awesome girls to rent my house - an absolute blessing.  Only, this meant - my move wouldn't be temporary, it would be permanent.  Trusting that He was leading all of this, I decided I would go.  To where?

DALLAS! Ha, shocker of all.  I never thought I'd live there, but quite honestly, the adventure of a big city again was really intriguing.  Just again, in His normal fashion - God had already laid the foundation for what was soon to come.  One of Lauren's best friends from her childhood (who I had the opportunity to meet in DC, who was also a bridesmaid in Lauren & Matt's wedding) was looking for a roommate in Dallas - coincidence? nah.  Leana and I began talking about the possibility of living together and after a lot of prayer and conversation on August 27th we put in an application for an apartment... my first one EVER!

So as you might be able to tell, August was mostly consumed with me trying to figure out if Dallas was the place I was going to be moving to next.  Thankfully, my job allows me live wherever I want so I wasn't having to focus on anything about finding a new job.

Reflecting on life in D.C.

Wow - It's been so long since I've posted, I couldn't even remember my password - yikes! Which leads me to believe my readers are few and far between at this point!

So much has happened since I've moved back to Texas that it would be impossible to capture every single moment, and still capture an audience. So instead, I'm going to go with a reflection on my time in D.C. and maybe throw in a few new things about Texas.

I wish I could say, err. write, to you that being back in Texas has been easy and wonderful and perfect bliss... but I think I'd be lying, no - I would be lying. Quite honestly, being back in Texas has been hard and there have been moments or days when I struggle with being back here and missing the life I had in D.C. I want to be content where I am now, and the Lord calls me to be so - but it's been a challenge.  Thankfully, His grace is enough and each day He shows me reasons why He brought me back here.

I joined New Life pretty much right after I moved back and the body of believers are just such a blessing to serve with and to be a part of.  He has ever so graciously given me a great group of friends, rather quickly - and what a blessing they have been and continue to be.  Praise the Lord it wasn't another four month long waiting period for friends like it was in D.C.!

I tell myself that the reason I don't update my blog anymore is because "life isn't as exciting" or as "adventurous" as it was in D.C. and while that might be true to some extent - I can't continue to live in the past.  It's getting better all of the time, and each day I find myself being more content here - and more thankful that He brought me back.  Amazingly enough, my job will allow me to go back and forth to DC regularly and in turn, I'll be able to see the friends and families I built relationships with...and what a wonderful gift that is.

Moving to Texas brought a lot with it. A lot of good, some challenging, and some that I'm not even sure what category it falls into.  It brought a month of sickness, which looking back on it, I can see the Lord provided me a lot of rest in that sickness.  Being sick required me to slow down and to breath and to not try to do it all at once, what a lesson that was to learn.  It brought back studying...and I certainly hadn't missed studying. And it brought a schedule, which is good, but just so different than what I was used to.

When I left D.C., I knew and trusted that the Lord was bringing me home with purpose, and that it was time; but I tried to bury the emotion of leaving and convince myself that I wouldn't miss D.C.; I was so wrong.
Various people have come over to our house and commented on all of the D.C. "things, mainly pictures" I have.  And it's so funny, because to me - I don't see it or think of it as a place of politics but I see it and think of it as a place where the Lord completely healed me and changed my life in ways that I didn't even know needed to change.

As I read back through this post..It looks as if I'm not even thankful to be back in Texas - and I don't want that to be the gist of this post.  I'm super thankful to be here, thankful to be closer to family, to old friends and to be making new ones. I'm thankful for the time He gave me in D.C. and how I will treasure those 18 months for the rest of my life, and for the rest of my life I'll remember and tell of how much of a good thing He did in me - proclaiming His greatness and His soverignty through it all.

Here are some pictures I've never shared:

Charlie & I

Sharla, Charlie, Rob & I

Sharla & I

Charlie

It's not Goodbye...

It's see you later.

Last Saturday evening, Rob & Sharla threw me a going away party!

I'm so thankful for the people that the Lord has put in my path since I've been here.

Here are some pictures from the party!

Leigh & I

Jackson

Eric

Charlie & Jackson

Kim, Carrie & I

Jackson & I

Erik, Julie, Jackson & I

I just realized that Erik wasn't smiling above, so y'all get two photos here!

Alyson & I

Of course, Rob, Sharla, Charlie & I didn't get any pictures at the party together, but we're planning on taking some this Sunday!

These people and a few others have made my world up here!

a friendship for life...and eternity.

Not only does April 21st always hold a special place in my heart - every year...

But...April 21, 2009 will forever be a day of thankfulness.

On that day, I ventured out on my own, to Muster in DC, basically scared to death.

As soon as I walked into the room, I met Lauren, who would completely change my experience in DC as well as the rest of my life, all unknown to me at the time.

6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, a year... It feels as if we've been friends our entire lives.  We were each others counterparts, we were like Batman & Robin (if you will)...we didn't do much apart.

"soul sisters"

Having plenty of common friends at TAMU...it took being brought to DC, completely out of our comfort zones to meet.

I'm incredibly thankful that the Lord brought here into my life and I can't wait for what the future holds...including getting to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

What a blessing your friendship has been and continues to be.

Personalize your own free picture slideshow

Wherever you are...it's your friends that make your world. 

National Capital DC Aggie Muster 2010

I've had the privilege of being a part of the DC Aggie Muster Committee this year.

Tomorrow (well, today) is Muster.  My favorite Aggie tradition, by far.  It's a day that makes me overwhelmingly thankful that I'm an Aggie and that I get to be a part of something so big.

History (for you non-Aggies)
Aggies gathered together on June 26, 1883 to live over again their college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon the drill field and classroom. Eventually the annual gathering evolved into a celebration of Texas Independence on San Jacinto Day – April 21st. Over time the tradition has changed, but its very essence has remained “If there is an A&M man in one hundred miles of you, you are expected to get together, eat a little, and live over the days you spent at the A&M College of Texas.” Muster is celebrated in more than four hundred places worldwide, with the largest ceremony on the Texas A&M campus in College Station. 
Muster is a time to look to the past, present, and future…not only to grieve but to reflect and to celebrate the lives that connect us to one another. A gesture so simple in nature yet so lasting in spirit, Muster is the lasting impression every Aggie leaves with us; it reminds us of the greatness that lies within these walls, of the loyalty we possess, of the connection that binds us, and of the idea that every Aggie has a place of importance – whether they are present in flesh or spirit.







Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”

19 days

This past weekend was full of fun, excitement and joy.

The Lord truly blessed me in the friendships He has given me here.  I really can't imagine life without these people, at all.  People who I haven't even known for a year - so thankful.

Friday, Kim & I went to the Sara Groves concert here in Falls Church.  Let me just say, Sara Groves is amazing...I love her music, her story, her love for His kingdom and His people.  If you haven't listened to her, check her music out - it's good and it's true.

Saturday, Kim, Chris, Carrie & I went on a White House Garden Tour (thanks to Eric who got us great tickets!!).  It was so neat to be that close to the White House and to see the history that has taken place inside those gates.
Kim & I (again) went to another concert, Jars of Clay.  Also a great concert.. completely opposite from the Sara Groves concert...but still great.  Let's just say, it was a "rock concert" - and, I haven't kept up with J of C so...needless to say I didn't know much of their new songs.  They did play the classics though "Love Song for a Savior," "Flood," and "Dead Man."  They also played a song called "All My Tears" - which is a song I will have requested to play at my funeral... It's a great song...and I don't think it's morbid to already have songs you want played at your funeral.   You should look up the lyrics.

Sunday we had our regular brunch, this time in Old Town - then Kim, Chris & I headed to D.C. to see Fiddler on the Roof.  Such a great musical!

Needless to say, this weekend was super busy - but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I'm trying to make the most of every day I've got left here - so far so good...while the packing is falling to the wayside...the fellowship is only increasing.

I'll forever be thankful for the friendships that the Lord has given me during my time here.

Kim & I with Sara Groves

Jefferson, from the White House.  I'm certain they have the best view.

group shot!

brunch

brunch

brunch

brunch!