Mrs. Ryan Goode :) That's MY name!!

We're married!!
And moved to Illinois!!

This is the first time I've been able to get on my email, blog, and second time to check facebook... so there is much to post, and so little time to do it! (I have to do it in Ryan's office when he's not around... he's visiting Peoria with two guys from the church now!) We have pictures from our honeymoon, pictures from our trip to Alabama to visit Ryan's brother Brad & wife Rachel & little girl Caroline, who was a flower thrower in the wedding. :) We have a few house pictures as well... and then, our camera has broken so we'll have to replace that before I can post indoor house pictures. But... I need to get to some lunch, so I'll have to leave you hanging.

A new blog is coming soon... one where many pictures and stories of our lives together and in Canton will be stored. :) I love you, miss you, think of you often and can't WAIT to share our pictures with you! Be blessed & keep serving and loving our sweet Jesus!

More soon!
-Kara Joy Goode :)

Five More Days!! :)

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to marry this man! :)

some pictures from a few ago...

A few weeks ago Ryan & I went to an IU Football Game for Band Day... a guy from our church gave us some tickets, and we had a blast together!! :) And then afterwards we ate at our favorite Turkish restaurant in Bloomington. Here's some pics from the game that day...

The sunlight wasn't so kindly to Ryan's hair in this picture. He is NOT bald. :)

GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!! See that little white & red flag? Yeah. Go Ohio State.

IU played OSU the next week... wish we could have been there. 33-14 OSU!!!

Here's all the highschool bands out on the field with the IU band. Go Jennings County!

IU beat Western Michigan 23-19. Yeah Hoosiers!

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I were able to stay the night with his Grandparent's, and his family: Roger & Cortney, Gina & Andy, and Cortney's parents all got together with Grandma & Grandpa Kaufman and threw us a surprise shower! It was so much fun. And!! Aunt Gina made camel gingerbread cookies!! :) They were so cute!! And then she gave me the cookie cutter!! :)

Here's us with Roger & Cortney's kids, Ryan's cousins: Drew, Kate & Drake.
Drew's the one hiding behind the present. :)

We're so excited to see everyone again soon!!!

15 DAYS!! :)

So sorry these posts are so few and so much time passes between!
There's so much to write about... what God's doing in us, pictures and stories from wedding planning and showers and school... and a new car!!! And all I have time to do is pop in and say...

WE GET MARRIED IN FIFTEEN DAYS!!!!!!!!!


Yay!! Gotta get back to the plans...
:) LOVE YOU!

24 DAYS!!! :)

Updates are few and far between...
And I'm sure it's got something to do with the fact that we're getting married in 24 days!
But anyway... I saw this little cake stamp and it just reminded me of all of you that will be sharing a delicious cake with me in a few weeks and I thought I'd post a little to let you know I'm still alive and we're still getting married!! :)

Pray for us, if you would.
Life throws something new at us every day.
There are several big things you can pray for...

1: Neither of us have a car that works well. Mine is great, except that sometimes it simply won't start. (It always happens after I drive more than 20 miles at a time.) It's been in and out of the shop over the past two weeks and the guy told me yesterday, "I simply cannot figure it out. I'm sorry." Great to hear from a mechanic who focuses on starters, battery and alternators. Huh. Don't quite know what we'll do about that one.

2: The wedding is CLOSE!!! There is much to do these last 24 days. We're having fun putting everything together and figuring out all the little details... but it's hard to find time for everything and each other in the midst of working full time and planning full time and all the other stuff going on. We have had some amazing wedding showers together and bought our first purchase together for our house as a couple: a bed for Claxton, Ryan's dog! :) We've been told he needs to stop sleeping with Ryan BEFORE I move in... so this week has been rather rough on both of them... but really exciting at the same time. I think Claxy knows what's coming. And he seems to like his cute little brown and blue bed!

3: We're not really sure where we'll go or what we'll do after we get married. A new pastor will begin at North Vernon Church on October 25, 2009. Needless to say, that won't be us. We will be moving soon, Ryan is looking for a job, and we'll need to find a house. God's got all the details we know and trust... it's just gonna take some time and a lot more praying to figure it all out!

So that's what's up with us. Pray for and with us please!!
We are desperately seeking God's direction and will for our lives together!
I'll leave you with a picture of my men... :)

gamel gamel!

i just wanted to reiterate the fact that...
I LOVE GAMEL!!!!!!!!!!!!! (aka camels in english)

i'm going to marry ryan michael goode in TWO MONTHS!!!!!

i am so excited today that i'm giddy!!

can you believe we're getting married in only two months?!? there's so much to do... but it's so much fun!! plans are rolling!! and i'm really excited about moving as well!! let me update you a little on the lives of ryan and kara so you'll know where we're headed these next few weeks and months! :)

this sunday at church, ryan announced to the congregation that we have taken our names off the ballot for pastoral candidacy at the north vernon church of the nazarene. we will be filling in as the interim pastor until a new pastor is found, but we will be leaving the north vernon church. we are then moving to country squire lakes, a large community outside of town, and will be living there and doing compassionate ministries under the umbrella of shepherd community in indianpolis, indiana. :) we are so excited about this new opportunity to interact with people and share Christ's love! we will not be starting a church, but will be focusing on meeting our neighbors and meeting needs around us. the largest growing area of poverty in the united states today is located in rural communities. meth and other drugs are a huge problem in jennings county. our teen pregnancy rate is one of the highest in the state of indiana. and there is much poverty right here in our backyard. ryan and i have prayed and sought God much over the past few months and really feel like He is calling us here, to north vernon, to jennings county, and specifically to CSL in order to be the hands and feet of Jesus. we're looking for a place to either rent or buy or rent-to-own in the next few weeks, and hopefully i'll be moving out there before we get married, and then ryan will join me in october. ryan is looking for a job as he will not be employed by the church any longer. i'm working at the middle school, but always looking for a full-time social work position, hopefully where i will work with teenagers, mental health, and drug/alcohol addictions.

pray for us as we begin this adventure and mission and our lives together!

God is working!! and we are SO excited to be used by Him here in jennings county!