Free Books from T4G!

So if you need to know anything about a Boyce or Southern student, it is probably this: we love free books!! Together for the Gospel serves to a seminary student's benefit in that regard. This past week, Chris had the opportunity to go to T4G. In addition, he went to Band of Bloggers, an event before T4G where bloggers come together. He and some of his friends have a blog, so check it out (http://evangelicalmavericks.com/).

So I thought it would be fun to show all of the books that Chris received while at the two events. Here is a picture of all of the books.



On the left side are the books from Band of Bloggers. Here they are from top to bottom:

A Habitual Sight of Him: The Christ-Centered Piety of Thomas Goodwin - Joel R. Beeke and Mark Jones
A Call to Prayer - J. C. Ryle
Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims - Daniel R. Hyde
Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals - Trevin Wax
Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream - David Platt
Your Jesus is Too Safe: Outgrowing a Drive-Thru, Feel-Good Savior - Jared C. Wilson
Entrusted with the Gospel: Paul's Theology in the Pastoral Epistles - Andreas J. Kostenberger and Terry L. Wilder
Stray Recollections, Short Articles and Public Orations of James P. Boyce - Thomas J. Nettles
Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience - M. David Sills
The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism - Kevin DeYoung
When the Church was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community - Joseph H. Hellerman
Abide: Practicing Kingdom Rhythms in a Consumer Culture - Jared C. Wilson

On the right side of the picture are the books that Chris received from T4G. Here they are from top to bottom:

The Holiness of God - R. C. Sproul
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God - J. I. Packer
Jonathan Edwards on Beauty - Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney
What is the Gospel? - Greg Gilbert
The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence - Thabiti Anyabwile
The Plight of Man and the Power of God - Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective - Ligon Duncan with J. Nicholas Reid
The Priority of Preaching - Christopher Ash
Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why it Matters - Joshua Harris
Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel - J. Mack Stiles
The Jesus You Can't Ignore: What You Must Learn from the Bold Confrontations of Christ - John MacArthur
It Is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement - Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence
Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus - D. A. Carson
Finally Alive - John Piper
The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation - Michael Reeves
The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline - Jonathan Leeman
He is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World - R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift That Changes Everything - Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology - Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler Jr., C. J. Mahaney
The ESV Study Bible

So if you lost count, that's 32 books....32 FREE books!! While I may not be taking classes after this semester, I will always be learning, especially if I read some of these books. There is just one problem: where are we going to put them all?!?! :)

I'm a Blessed Girl :)

The title says it all. This morning I was thinking about Chris and about the wedding. We just passed the 4 month mark of marriage. While this may not sound important, it is really neat seeing all that has happened in the 4 months. And then I thought about how Chris and I met and our story. So I thought I would briefly share.

I had become friends quickly with a few people in Fall 08, my first semester at Boyce. My friends and I were hanging out in the patio room, a room at the bottom/classroom floor of Carver where students hang out. Chris walked in the door while I was hanging out with my friends. He already knew a couple of people at the table, so he began to hang out with us. We later played Cranium and I got to see his personality. I thought that he was a fun guy, but I did not think anything of him at the time. He had a beard at that time, tattoos, and was barely taller than me.

The next day, my friends, Chris, and I hung out again. We went to get some ice cream and then went back to campus to decide on what to do. We could not decide on anything, so some of my friends went back to the dorms. Right when this was happening, Chris and I started talking. As he likes to put it, I "chewed his ear off" that night. I didn't think that I was doing that, partially because I thought I was having a great conversation with him and got to know him better. Went I went back to my dorm that night, I really began thinking about him. I called my mom the next day and told her about him...and his tattoos. While she was not thrilled, she got over it :)

The next week was a crazy one. The remnants of Hurricane Ike came to Louisville and brought a terrible windstorm, knocking out the power of the seminary for a few days and shutting down classes for the week. During this week, Chris and I got to spend a lot of time together. Both of us had to stay in town for work, unlike some of our friends. Each night I would go to the patio room and he would walk me back. From that week on, I knew that I liked him. We started talking and hanging out a lot after that point, really getting to know what each other thought about different issues. The bond just grew even more.

Chris called my Dad on December 1, 2008 and asked him if he could date me. Dad said yes and the rest is history. We decided to go down to my parent's house in Florida for spring break. On March 31, 2009, Chris proposed to me and I said yes. The craziness of planning began, and we eventually got married on December 12, 2009.

If someone would have told me before I left for Boyce that I would be married less than 2 years after I started, I would have told them that they were crazy. After all, I was the girl that had never dated anyone.....EVER! But the Lord's plans are greater than ours, and I am SO glad of that truth. Each day I learn more about my total dependency on the Lord in trying to be the best helper for my husband. Grace upon grace is shown to me and the Lord is always faithful. I am so glad that I get to be Mrs. David Christopher Garner "until we are parted by death." :)

My First Post!

Right before I got married, I wanted to start a blog sharing with my friends and family what was going on in my life as a newly married college student. I also wanted this to be a way to connect to other friends of mine who also blog. It's been almost 4 months since the wedding, so better late than never!

Marriage is truly a wonderful blessing. I have learned so much in the short time that I have been a wife. One of the things that I have learned is that marriage is a huge part of my sanctification. There are some sins that I wasn't aware of before I got married; however, marriage brings them all out! It is quite an adjustment learning to live with someone and learning how to be the best partner in life for them. God is so good to have brought me to Chris. He and are are so different, and that is wonderful! Opposites really do attract :)

I am finishing up my last semester at Boyce College, receiving my Associate's Degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. I cannot wait to get this semester done!! I am looking forward to not having to do homework or write book reviews and research papers any more!! Next semester, I am going to be reading books that I want to read, and do so at my own, leisurely pace. I can now focus on how I can help Chris as he continues to pursue his Bachelor's Degree, and maybe even MDiv.

Chris and I are still at Ninth and O and we love being there! We are now members of Dr. Wellum's Young Couples class. For those of you who don't know, Dr. Wellum is a professor at both Boyce and Southern. We both had him for Theology 1, and being in that BFG is just like being in the classroom. We also love our small group that we are a part of, and are enjoying getting to know the other couples. In addition, we both are doing nursery and I am a member of the worship choir.

Though we are not parents yet, Chris and I are enjoying spending whatever time we can doting on our sweet nieces, Gabbi and Catie. They bring so much joy to our lives. They are so different. Gabbi is so vibrant and energetic, while Catie just enjoys hanging out and being loved. I can't wait to see them grow up together and what the Lord will do in their lives. We went to Powell this past weekend, and here is a picture of Uncle Bub, Aunt Lauren, and the girls.



I hope to keep up with this blog on a regular basis. I pray that this day you will see the grace of God in your life.