Easter Fun!

We hope everyone had a wonderful, celebratory Easter!!

This year, Tony and I decided to be kids again and have some fun! :) So we painted Easter Eggs! It was so much fun and so sweet to have some precious time together on a night to have fun, chat and paint eggs.

Tony surprised me with the idea a few weeks ago when he picked up this fun egg coloring kit. (Best $1 we've spent in a while) It had 12 different colors!

Here was the set up... Notice my cute little Easter decoration? ;)

Me and Tony with a couple of our favorites

And here are our favorites!!!

Tony's favorite creations:

(The STL egg has TX Rangers on the opposite side... And yes, that is homestarrunner on the left)

Diamend's favorite creations:

(I have three animals: Duck... yes, that is supposed to be a duck, Pig, & Bunny)

And some of each of the traditionally decorated eggs:

Easter Sunday after church we went to our friends (from church), the Tabor's, for Easter dinner! It was great food and fun! You can't go wrong with my deviled eggs, and Tabor's rootbeer glazed ham! And like every holiday gathering, we played Scene it on the Xbox... so fun!


Tony is busy busy with his last week of classes and finals for the semester! He'll update you soon with how the year/spring has gone... but after this semester, we only have ONE MORE YEAR til graduation!! :)


Blessings,
Diamend

Momma visits

Last week my sweet momma came to visit! You cannot even imagine my excitement for my mom to get to come stay with us for almost a week! It was such a special time and no visit is ever long enough! :(

I picked her up last Thursday from the airport and we immediately to the Hawaiin Nail Bar in Dallas for pedicures. This was special, not just because my momma was with me, but because this is my LAST pedicure until the 3Day Walk! (I have to roughin up my feet for 60 miles!)

We ate lots of great food all week! Railhead BBQ, Kincaids Burgers, Tin Cup specialty sandwich shop.... While Tony was in class Friday, we got our shop on! It has become a tradition to go to Ross whenever my mom is in town. Saturday we lathered up on our SPF and went to the Fort Worth Zoo. The weather was perfect! B-E-A-UTIFUL - probably why it was soo packed!

We even got to catch two new movies! Hop was very cute and funny! You should definitely check it out by Easter time! And Soul Surfer was an awesome movie! It is based on a true story of a girl surfer who loses her arm in a shark attack. Great story of God's providence in our lives. (Plus Carrie Underwood is in it! ;)

I also attempted to teach my mom how to crochet! ;) And we got material for me to crochet homeade scratch pads for washing dishes! (So easy and resourceful!)

After one last lunch together on Tuesday, it was time to take her back to the airport. :( Our visits are too too short, but so special! Every time we say goodbye I tear up a little - I'm such a momma's girl! Can't wait for our next visit!

3 Day Walk for the Cure

I have taken on an incredible challenge! I am doing the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure!! In November, I'll be walking 60 miles over the course of three days, camping out at night with thousands of other women and men taking this journey with me. Actually, my BFF, Cathy, is coming from Illinois and together we are walking 60 miles in 3 days!! We are soo excited! Apart from the fact that we are going to be together walking from sun up to sun down for 3 straight days, this is a HUGE deal! Net proceeds from the Komen 3-Day for the Cure are invested in breast cancer research and community programs. We walk because everyone deserves a lifetime. Every mother, every sister, every daughter deserves to know a life free from breast cancer.

Starting now, we are training and fundraising! Training! Walking 20 miles in one day is crazy and amazing - and doing it 3 days in a row... INSANE!! We have to start training and walking and preparing our bodies (our poor feet) for this amazing journey. Fundraising! We walk such a distant to ask an even bigger amount. It takes a lot of money for reserach and eventually, a cure! We each have to raise $2,300 for this journey. But I know that we are not the only ones that want ot find a cure for breast cancer, and you can help! I am asking as a friend, a woman, a woman scared fo ever getting breast cancer herself, a woman who doesn't want to see another woman fight the batter ever again and a woman ready to walk 60 miles to help find a cure! Would you please consider making a donation? A donation of at least $60 is $1 for every mile I will walk. If you can't give this amount, anything will help - Every little bit counts! You can even spread your donation out over a few months, using the payment plan option, if you donate online. You can even ask your employer if they would double your donation with a matching gift.

You can click on this image on the sidebar that will take you directly to donating for my 3 Day Walk for the Cure.

Or you can go to www.the3day.org/goto/Diamend.Bianco to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a donation. If you don't want to donate online, you can call 800-996-3Day to donate over the phone. One person is diagnosed with breast cancer every three minutes in the United States. That's why we're walking so far! To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share in this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts and praying with me as I train and as I walk.

Me & Cathy

Facts:

• Since its inception in 2003,the Komen 3-Day for the Cure has raised nearly $600 million.


• 3-Day for the Cure net proceeds help pay for vital global breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment.


• Susan G. Komen for the Cure paid for more than 600,000 breast screenings in 2009 - part of more than $1.5 billion commitment to research, advocacy and community programs since Komen was founded in 1982.


• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of death among women worldwide.


• Approximately 1.4 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globablly each year.


• Somewhere in the world a woman dies from breast cancer every 90 seconds.

Please donate for the cause and help me reach my goal! :)

Choose Joy... Laugh More.

My devotional this past week touched my heart. I reminded me to laugh....

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” ~John 10:10

Jesus lived and died so that we can experience abundant life. Jesus did not come so that we can merely survive life. Pagans can survive life. God’s plan is for us to experience joy and peace – no matter what life holds. John 10:10 clearly states the promise of God, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” In this verse, “abundant” literally means “going beyond; full or exuberant.” In other words, an abundant life is a life filled with joy.

Even in the midst of a joy-less world, we can live a joy-filled life for one simple reason – God is in control. And because He is in control, we are promised, “the cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15). Life should be an ongoing celebration!

Now, be honest for a moment. Is your life a continual feast, a daily celebration? Would those who know you best describe you as a person of joy? Laughter and joy are treasures from God, valuable to us for many reasons.

1. Joy heals. Proverbs 17:22 “A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength.” We lived in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area when hospitals and doctors first developed “laughter programs.” Doctors actually prescribed laughter for their patients. Why? Because they discovered what Scripture has said for thousands of years - laughter heals.
   
   Studies show that laughter:
   Exercises lungs
   Increases circulation
   Controls pain
   Reduces tension
   Strengthens immune systems
   
   In other words, God created us to illustrate the truth, that if we laugh more days, we will have more days to laugh. Joy heals.
   
   
2. Joy makes us strong. Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy – humor – laughter – all cultivate inner strength that operates beyond our own human abilities. The joy of the Lord in us will produce His strength through us. A life without joy is like a car without shock absorbers. It will be jolted by every bump in the road. Laughter and joy are the shock-absorbers of life and can radically change our perspective of life and the tough times it holds.
   
   Several years ago, one of my friends had a mastectomy. Sally was out of work for months, undergoing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Sally seemed fragile and frail in the way she handled tough circumstances and her battle with cancer was by far the greatest challenge of her life. Anticipating her return to work, Sally’s co-workers were a little tense, wondering just how this experience would affect her personally as well as her ability to handle the stress of her job. They got their answer on her first day back at work. Sally walked in, smiling, wearing a large poster-board sign around her neck. On the sign was a huge black arrow pointing down. The sign read, “It was this one!” Yes, joy and laughter make us strong.
   
   
3. Joy makes the ordinary special. Someone said, “If you have to move ten inches from where you are now to be happy, then you will never be truly happy.” As we learn to celebrate the ordinary things in life, we build a life of joy because it is against the backdrop of the ordinary that God’s work becomes extraordinary.
   
   We don’t have trouble celebrating the big events in life. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries – are celebrations we anticipate and execute with great planning and forethought. We tend to place unrealistic expectations on these celebrations because there is no daily celebration of life.
   
   So celebrate, my friends! Celebrate Tuesdays, half birthdays, haircuts, new jeans and report cards. Celebrate the day braces go on – and especially the day they come off. Celebrate if Dad comes home early. Hey, just celebrate if Dad comes home. My husband is an absolute master at finding joy and laughter in the ordinary and often mundane things of life. Joy and laughter make the ordinary special.
   

I want it all. I want everything God has for me! I want to celebrate life, but I often get so wrapped up in the urgent things that I lose sight of the important things. A celebratory attitude is slowly siphoned from our souls by the countless “joy robbers” the enemy sends our way. Guard your heart and mind. Refuse to surrender your God-given joy to anyone or anything. Join me this week as we celebrate Jesus!

Let’s Pray
Father, I celebrate You! Thank You for bringing joy and peace into my dark world. Thank You for a love that never fails and a peace that meets every need. Help me to remember that because You are in control, I can have joy every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Reading that just makes me smile! Amidst all that has happened... God is still good and He is still in control and He still gives us cause to celebrate and have joy! Evaluate the joy-level in your heart. Identify any “joy-robbers” in your life and make a plan to eliminate them!

Would my friends/family describe me as a woman of joy? I am not so sure... but oh I pray so. I know it doesn’t please God when we live as if He is not in control. I know that joy and laughter can heal a broken heart and restore a wounded soul... So why aren't I laughing!? If you are broken or your soul hurts, find joy today. It could be in the smallest of things... but seek it out. Today, let’s turn to God and choose the joy He offers.

Thank you for praying.... Continually praying for you friends,
Diamend

NorthPointe Baptist

I haven't posted in a while... I have been debating whether or not to post this update on our blog. But after some thought and prayer- Tony and I started this blog when we moved to Texas to stay in touch with our family/friends back home, share our lives, our struggles, our joys, our prayer requests and where God is working in our lives...

We've shared with you our involvment in our home church here in Texas, NorthPointe Baptist; our heart for this church and its people. On Thursday, March 3rd our church was broken into and our secretary, Judy Elliot, and pastor, Clint Dobson, were brutally attacked. Clint did not survive.

We are all in shock trying to understand this tragedy. Clint was young and had such a zeal for life and truth and God. I'm clinging to Christ who is sovereign over all of this. God is the God of grace and mercy and truth and He is good, Clint's death doesn't change that. And Clint's seeds of ministry will continue to grow - that is proof in how we've seen God work in these last few days. Clint prayed weekly, "Lord, whatever it takes, fill Your house." And Sunday it was filled! There were so many people, we didn't have enough seats... Praise God!

Judy is in the hospital, struggling to recover, making small improvements. We are so thankful to God for her!

I find myself mourning the most for Laura, Clint's wife. She is just too young to be a widow. As I watched my friend on Sunday morning worshipping our God and hugging all our church members and others, I was in awe of her strength. I know that God has Laura in the palm of His hands and will comfort her and give her all her strength in this time.

Right now, we are re-learning what normal is at NorthPointe; but we know that ultimately God is in control. Please pray for Laura as she deals with losing her husband. Pray for Clint's parents and his family. Pray for Judy as she recovers, Pray for Judy's husband, John, for his strength as he stays beside her. Pray for NorthPointe - our members and our leadership - as we continue processing are feelings and we move forward with God's help.

And Praise God that Judy is alive! Praise God that the Arlington Police Dept has been working so hard on this case and for their support for Clint.

Undone

I haven't posted in a while... not because of busy-ness or not having time, but just not having anything to say. As you know, Tony has gone full-time at Apple as he is still a full-time student - and I have gone part-time so that I can begin substitute teaching. However, many snow days and scheduling issues, just haven't allowed me to get into the schools yet... Which leaves me at home often doing a whole lot of nothing and most often I'm alone.

Through the almost the two years of reading this blog (if you've been reading as long as I've been writing) you know that I don't do well with alone. So I will not even go into the utter lonely feelings I have been feeling these past three weeks.... Instead what they are teaching me and why I'm writing this in the first place... hopefully to encourage you in what I'm learning through it.

To understand where I'm going or coming from, my devotional from this week speaks volumes:

"Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Isaiah 6:5

Have you ever been 'undone' before the LORD? Have you shaken your head in awe at the mere thought of being accepted as holy in His sight? The prophet Isaiah experienced God in His splendor, through a vision that left him flat-out speechless.

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty" (Isaiah 6:1-5).
I shudder to think how often I approach this awesome, powerful, holy LORD without the reverence that is due Him. I confess that every fiber of my being should fall before Him and shout, "I am undone!" so much more than I actually do. Isaiah's response takes us to the place we should be ...face down before our holy, royal, heavenly King.

As a worship leader, I often find myself torn between feeling called and feeling unworthy of the call. The fact of the matter is - I am unworthy of the call. I screw up on a regular basis. I battle enemies like selfishness, anger, indifference, and pride. I struggle to honor my husband at times and wrestle with shame and guilt more than I'd care to admit. BUT GOD, through His only Son Jesus Christ, made a way for me to be holy and acceptable in His sight.

My dear friend, I can't help but join the heavenly creatures as I shout to you across the globe: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory." As you read this devotion in Maine, Florida, Texas, Idaho, California, Indiana, Brazil, Guatemala, Germany, India, Uganda, Croatia, Australia, China or Norway. In whatever city, whatever state, whatever country you reside, would you join heaven's song and lift the name of the LORD high today as a united body of sisters? Let us be 'undone' together and bow before our King with a renewed awe of His greatness. He is worthy!

Let's Pray
Most Holy Father, Adonai, I pray that You would forgive me for all the times that I have come into Your presence lacking reverence. You are worthy of all praise! May You become greater in my life and may I become less. Empower me to live a life that points to your glorious splendor.
In the matchless name of my risen Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

I know that I have to endure this chapter of loneliness in my life - but in reality it is such a small chapter to the so many ahead of us in our life, our marriage, our ministry and our calling!! But in this chapter I have to dig deap into the Word and learn and pray whatever it is the God is trying to teach me in this.

What I've learned in my self-loathing/depression of the past three weeks, is that I am undone! I have felt unworthy, and it has been (Satan has been) making me doubt or scared of why I'm here and my calling. I feel so alone here in Texas, at seminary and feel unworthy to be Tony's wife in his calling to be a pastor. And I've been letting those feelings, those doubts, those fears envelope me these past few weeks of being alone in my apartment and dwelling in them. BUT GOD, through His Son Jesus Christ, made a way for ME to be holy and worhty and acceptable in His sight. That is what I need to be dwelling in! That alone should cause me joy! Nothing else matters, because My Daddy, My Heavenly Father, called me right where I am and right where He plans for me to be!

If you are "undone" right now, or doubting or suffering - I hope/pray that this devo helped or encouraged you in any way. PLEASE comment or email me any prayer requests you may have, I would love to pray for/with you!

In Him,

Diamend

It All Started 9 Years Ago...

There are many times in the life of Diamend and myself's relationship where people have asked, "How long have you guys been together?" or "How did you start dating?" Well tonight I will answer both of these questions. Diamend and I went to the same Middle School since Diamend moved to town in 7th Grade. I had been in the school district and since 2nd grade so by default I was much more popular than she (at least I think so). When we first met she claims I hated her but I think I just did not notice...sorry love. She claims my hate came from her because I did not like the Highlighter Written Valentine Card she gave me out of"pity" as she has put it.

The years went on and, well, lets say I started to notice her. ;-) It was our sophomore year and I asked her out. Since neither of us were old enough to drive my mom drove me to the mall to meet her after she got off work at Bergner's. We went to the latest movie showing at the Mall, "Josie and the Pussycats" believe me, I went only for her. After the movie my mom picked us up and drive her home. Needless to say I thought the date went well, she turned me down. She said she didn't want to date me...I was crushed but she claims there was more to it than her not liking me. (But since this is my version we'll leave it out) However, I am a persistent guy so the story, obviously does not end here.

As a more confident Junior I decided that I was going to pursue her again, but indirectly this time. So as any high school guy knows, if you want to date a girl you have to make her jealous of someone else who went on a date with you. So I did what any guy would do, I asked her best friend out on a date. It was a double date with a friend of mine and hers as well, so low key and very innocent. I knew that it would not work out but it did get her attention. Shortly after we were able to strike up a conversation on foreign, out-dated form of communication called IM-ing. This is short for "Instant Messaging" for you younger generations.

This was used on a computer with AOL 4.0 instead of "Text Messaging". I flirted several nights, hinting that there was "someone I liked and she knew her really well." Then on a night chilly and dark, very similar to tonight, over the IM-ing on February 7th 2002 I asked Diamend to be my girlfriend. Believe it or not she said yes! Although she didn't know it, but the very next day would tell her everything about me she would ever have to know.

The very next day was a weird day at school that gave us the opportunity to do activities after lunch like sports, drama, game show, and other stuff. Diamend was a drama queen and I was a jock. Surprisingly to her I signed up for the drama thing to be with her. Knowing I was a jock she was shocked to see that I had a hidden "Ham" inside of me when it comes to the stage. I don't quite remember the day but I remember a skit with a Kern twin that had to do with a banana. Still to this day Diamend is shocked when I embarrass her in public, although if she were to remember back to this day she would have know that I will always embarrass her even if we had just started dating. I embarrassed her with one line, "Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" And the first time in human history it really was a banana in his pocket.

We were a happy couple...take a look at the young Tony and Diamend...yea those are highlights in my hair. Don't judge you had them too or wanted them!

Through the years we have had some amazing times. God has really blessed us and our marriage! Each day I thank God for the gift He has given me in my amazing wife Diamend. She has encouraged me, grown me spiritually, and loved me more than I deserve. After God, she is my strength and my support. We have been happily married for just over 3 1/2 years now and we often look back at this story on how providential our relationship was in God's plan for our lives. She is the second best thing to happen to me, outside of my relationship with Christ and I am thankful that each morning I get to wake up and see her next to me!

Now, we have changed a bit...my hair is getting further back and I've lost the highlights, Diamend's is shorter...we've "grown up" a bit (although I still actively embarrass Diamend)...and much more.

But the number one thing that neither of us could foresee was the call into ministry by God. And since we have gotten that call our relationship and life has been more blessed than we could ever imagine. We would have it no other way!

I love you Diamend more than you know and I love the way our story has started and I'm excited to see how it continues!

Tony Bianco