Brent Moxey moment of the day:

This morning Brent and Adam went for a brisk jog before work. Brent decided to make it into a Navy Seal experience by using sayings like...

Seals don’t leave seals behind.

Bark like a seal.

You’ll live like a seal. Fight like a seal. Die like a seal.

These were all saying of encouragement for Adam! Clever, huh:)

So, as the two "Seals" were jogging/barking/grasping for air down North Point Parkway, an unidentified Montero Sport honked the horn letting the two enthusiastic runners know they were doing a great job. Brent felt the need to acknowledge the vehicle and turned to gesture with a good 'ole wave. Little did he know what was about to occur.

Suddenly out of no where two huge men came and wrestled him to the ground with bats and Joker weapons. When Adam saw the unexpected act of violence he suited up like Batman, swooped in and rescued Brent from the mad men...

OK, I'm totally kidding about the huge men and Adam being Batman...just thought I'd mixed it up a bit:)

What really happened was while Brent was waving to the passing SUV, he accidentally stepped in a hole therefore twisting his ankle a bit and causing him to go down. But instead of face planting into the lush green grass on the side of a major highway, he did a semi tuck and roll which ended up popping him back up in runner position losing no momentum. It was so convincing that Adam actually thought he did it on purpose!

Quite the little Navy Seal huh, ha!

Trivia Night @ 5 Points

Who knew trivia could be so fun yet so frustrating at the same time!?

Tonight Jen, Chris, Brent and I loaded ourselves in the car and headed down to Five Points to play some trivia (oh and eat of course). The guys had discovered this little restaurant pub a few weeks ago and have been attending the trivia night since. Apparently, every time you play and rank in one of the top 4 spots, your points carry over to the next week. Sadly, Chris and Brent had never made it to a top spot:(

Anywho, our goal tonight was to beat the odds and push our team to the top 4. By round three, we were holding strong with a great score. We had answered questions about the Pop group Abba, questions referring to Roman emperors and even questions about Kawasaki jet skis. It's amazing how much useless knowledge we have up in our little noggins.

Sadly, our confidence and momentum was squashed in the four round when these questions were presented:

What is the correct term for hot yoga (yoga that is performed in a room where the temperature is set to about 100 degrees)?

According to legend, what candy bar was originally named after a boy who frequented the Williamson company, flirting with the girls who made the candy?

What car company used the name Datsun before changing in 1933?

In the game of Monopoly, which is the only color that is represented by having all US States?

We did not win but we did redeem some points on the bonus question...

According to a recent poll from 2007, what are the ten top selling soft drinks in the US?

Do you know the answers? Let's test your knowledge...write your answers and let's see if we need to recruit you for next week's game!

I'll give you the answers tomorrow:)

curiousity

Things that sparked my interest today and left me wondering...

The word scuttlebutt! I mean really what does that mean??

Did the Cheesecake Factory really open at 11:11 and if so does that mean that eating their delicious desserts will bring you luck?

Why is it necessary for ex's to send photo texts of themselves to your phone? I mean my thought is you had that person and you let them go so back up off 'em! If a picture is worth a 1000 words, I have quite a few too say!

How many times can you use the word "that" in a sentence before it becomes too much?

Who really created Nekot cookies? I love those things and I would like to hug whoever created them.

Lint! lint just intrigues me...like what is really in it, haha?

Did you know that sheriffs really can pull people? Found that out the hard way last night while driving home at 2 am:(

Oh and belly buttons...how the heck do you keep your belly button clean?

Soap Suds Zipping By!

Well I woke up this morning a little sore...but let me tell you, it was all worth it!

Yesterday we had a Party With A Purpose, which if you haven't heard about them by now you need to check out the Blog. Anyway we raised money for a lady named Tiffany who is taking a mission trip to Canada(America's hat). Let me tell you a little about her...She is a full time mother and instead of working at a paying job, she works for a ministry the doesn't provide her with a salary. She said that she just feels like the Lord wants her there and with following that call, she is sacrificing a lot. Her family lives very simply. They buy only the things they need and they give with everything they do. She didn't really have the funds to pay off the trip so we decided to pay it off for her and to give her extra to buy books to pass out to the people she comes in contact with. It's amazing what you can do for someone when you come together as a community with one purpose...reaching out!

Now this was no ordinary party! At Brock's house, it's never just an ordinary party! We went all out...Water slide, Zip line, cakes and the best food ever. Here is some video from our fiesta...

Have you ever been on a zip line after sliding down soapy slide? Let's just say it makes for a "sudsy" ride:)




We had a blast being goofy, hanging out and raising money for someone in need! You should come to the next Party...It'll be the best decision ever!

Vandalization at it's best...

So, I know you have all been dying to know what our little prank was! Well your wait is over... Take a look!




Yep... we vandalized Matt's car.



You see, our friend Matt from Eleventyseven went to Washington for a few days and forgot to lock his car doors... which is not a smart idea especially when you have friends like us! So we decided to play a little game called "FIND YOUR SEATS!" I have never laughed so hard in my life and I can't wait to get that phone call from him when he realizes somethings missing:)

Where are his seats you ask... well lets just say we got some good use out of them!



We love you Matt! Hope you don't get too mad, haha!

Braiding, chocolate and a little prank

Today has been an absolutely amazing day... Franklin, Tennessee style!

I got to sleep in for the first time since May and it was so refreshing. It's not everyday that I wake up to the smell of fresh poppy seed muffins after a great night of sleep. That's definitely one of the joys of staying at Brock and Auny's! It's also not everyday that I eat a Hamburger, prepared to perfection... and I mean perfection! Let's just say that Brock and Auny are amazing cooks and today was a full day of yummy treats.

Today was also a day full of hilarious events. You see, Brock has added a new addition to his backyard, a zip line! Yes... I said a zip line. There were a few minor kinks in the fun little ride so we spent the early part of the afternoon braiding bungee cords. We actually had such a fun time doing it. We named our braiding experience Gypsy Braiding. You should all try it!

After we finished working on the bungees, we ventured off the downtown Franklin for Thai Food and Chocolate...Two of my favorite things ever. The only sad part was the chocolate wasn't from the Cocoa Tree... I hate that it closed back in February:( I'm still pretty bitter...



...but we made the most of our new chocolate experience at Xoconochco!

Yummy!

The highlight of the night was our little gift for Matt! Have you ever pulled a prank on a friend? Like a really good prank that you were so proud of? Well we definitely did that tonight... Check back tomorrow for the video of our prank!

I love being back here... More stories to come tomorrow

Tennessee here I come!

In approximately 15 minutes I will be leaving for the great state of Tennessee to spend the weekend with Therron, Brock and Auny! I am super excited since I haven't been up to Nashville since Easter...that is entirely too long to go without seeing some of my favorite people!

I'm sure there will be a lot of hanging out, yummy food, unexpected adventures and tons of laughs...and with all that said off I go!

An Alaskan Reminder...

I got a phone call tonight from a good friend who is doing mission work in Alaska! It was such a joy to talk with him about his experiences and all the things God is doing in his life. His talked about all the people he is meeting and all the needs that are all around him that God is showing him. It's amazing to hear all the stories about the impact he is making and all the lives he is touching just by following God's lead.

Sometimes, hearing what others are learning and seeing can have an impact on what you feel you are missing! When I say missing, I mean all the things that you overlook in your everyday life. God's beauty and grace is all around us and for the past week I've been unable to see it because of the blindfold I've been wearing. I've been so consumed with all the frustrations that I overlooked the joy!

The joy of...
my friends,
my family,
my co-workers,
giving,
the amazing gifts God has given me,
music,
smiling,
conversations,
Krispy Kreme doughnuts,
laughter,
giving hugs,
phone calls,
etc..etc..etc...

That's a lot to overlook!

It always seems that this thing we call "life" gets in the way of the important things. We allow all the things that we can't control to actually control our thoughts, days, hopes, etc. Our minds become consumed with how to get OUR way or how to fix situations to better OUR plan. Wouldn't it be a lot easier to step back, live life for the joy and let God take care of all those "un-controllable" things?

We could stop looking at how to cater to our problems and focus more on the things that need crucial attention like leading people to Christ, rebuilding homes, feeding starving children, giving warm blankets and fresh water to those who need in desperately, or just smiling at people who need a friendly face!

We could take out the frustrations and add to joy back in. There's no greater joy than showing someone the love of Jesus! That sounds like a better plan to me.

Thanks Paul for your little reminders, encouraging words and your heart for reaching people with love and joy!

Why is the page blank?

So I need to write this really important email today and I can't seem to find the right words! It shouldn't be that hard to type out what I'm feeling and what I believe is the right option but, for some reason every time I go to write it my mind goes blank.

Hummm...I wonder where the words go? I think they are hiding in a little tiny compartment in the back of my head because they are scared that the result of the email will not be the answer wanted. Or maybe they have decided to take a little vaca to get back at me for not taking a break this summer. Who knows...all i know is I need them to step up and help me out a little!

You see, I've written several emails in the past expecting some big things to happen but in the end I was left feeling disappointed. I don't want that to happen again. I want the words to be perfect and the person opening the email to connect to what I'm saying. I want them to read it and get so excited that they respond immediately by email, or phone, or twitter(OK maybe not twitter)...but respond quickly because they agree with my proposal and they can't wait to hear more!

Wouldn't that be awesome!

So with all that rambling out, I'm going back to my blank email page. Pray that I find the words and that this situation will turn out for the best...

thanks friends:)

PCB episodes

Now I promised you stories from Panama City Beach along with pictures of the fun moments and I am not going to let my uneasy mood ruin that blog so here we go...

For Nikki, Patrick and myself this past weekend was a Big Stuf reunion! They got to spend time with the interns they worked with last summer and I got to spend time with the musicians I worked with last summer. It always fun to go and see your friends in their element. Being able to watch Chrystina, Jayce, Ben, Evan and James perform is always a good time. They are so talented at what they do and the best part is they use their gifts to worship the Lord.

For Jen this weekend was about finally getting to see the Panhandle. She had never seen the turquoise water and sugar white sand so we tired to spend all the time we could walking on the gorgeous beach. Another thing that made Jen's weekend special was the fun task of blowing up the air mattress. Now as most of you know they have come out with these little motorized pumps now that literally blow up the mattress in seconds...not for Jen though! She prefers the old fashioned style! Take a look...

Dorks!!

Other fun moments from the trip included getting separated from each other on the beach at midnight with no cell phone service, late night room checks(thanks Jen), lifting our hands and spinning around, Schooners for lunch with Ben, crank texts from co-workers(Patty you are in for it), Seaweed balls, cherry snow cones and hysterical conversations about people on bikes, turned over strollers, marriage at a late age, being looped, bottle sizes, twisty cones, etc. It was such a good weekend that we are already planning for next year!






So if you want to take a chance on heading to PCB with some crazy peeps let me know. We'd love to have you along for the journey:)

Dispirited Wake Up Call...

You know you're going to have a hard day when you wake up and immediately feel sick to your stomach. Everything that is swirling around in your head causing a headache and you think that being around people isn't exactly the best remedy for what you're feeling. Something occurred which caused your heart to hurt and your mind to become consumed with overwhelming thoughts. Even though you have a smile on your face, you have tears on the inside that you are praying no one can see. Definitely not a good way to start the day and that's exactly how I woke up this morning.

You see, situations often cause my little mind to dream up all these fun fantasies of how things could be or how I think they should be...but when reality sets in and all the glitz and glamour fade away, instead of being left with my dreams come true, all I'm left with is a headache and a heart full of "what ifs!"

What if I had said that different?
What if I had acted differently?
What if I didn't do that?
What if, What if, What if...
Would it have changed anything or would it still be the same as it's always been?

Frustrated, Complicated, Exhausted, Reluctant, Regretful, Deplorable, Dispirited yet still in the back of my mind Hopeful.

Grrrr...I'm tired of days like today!

Be Jealous!

In Panama City Beach and I probably won't be writing for the next two days so I am leaving you with a picture of where I am so that you can be jealous till Monday...

Yep... it's gorgeous here! Back on Monday with fun pictures and stories:)

Multiple choice

If you flew into New York and had two hours to kill in LaGuardia airport would you

A. Get a Taxi, go take your picture in Times Square to remember the moment, have famous NY pizza at Gino's and pray you make it back in time for your flight

B. sit in the airport, take your picture with a post card of Times Square, eat Domino's pizza and wish you had left the tourist filled hallway

C. Reschedule your flight and spend ample time hanging out in the beautiful Big Apple, oh and eat yummy Gino's pizza(I mean it's all about the pizza)

Answer honestly...This is a poll for a friend of mine who needs thoughts on how to handle his situation:)

Only Two Days Till Darkness

Who's ready to see one of the biggest movies of the year???

...I know you can't see me right now but my hand is raised really high in the air!

I am super excited and kind of anxious for the new Batman movie to come to theaters. I can't wait to have my popcorn in lap, drink in cup holder and nails in the nail biting position. Two days is way too long to wait!

So who's going to see it at midnight Thursday night??? I expect feedback on what you thought...

Why the back row?

I was thinking about a concept this morning. It is one that I taught about this summer at SuperWOW. The concept is "Students really do impact today!" Now you may be saying to yourself, DUH but read on. You see, as I was sitting in chapel this morning this concept jumped out at me because of some things I have been noticing over the past week.

When we say that teenagers are the future and that they are the ones that are going to change the world, how many of you actually believe it? Well I whole heartedly do and I think that's why I pour my time and my heart into them... well that and I'm a kid at heart.

Anyway, I had a flash back to a worship service from this summer of the students running, literally running, to get to the first row of seats so they could be the closest. I watched them as they were engaged in not only in the music and magic, but in the teachings. They had their Bibles out, journals open and pen in hand. And it wasn't for looks, they really were taking notes, reading along and intently listening to God's word.

I had students each week that came to seminars early just so they could be on the front row. They answered and had opinions on all the questions we asked and even brought questions of their own. They were hungry for Jesus! I've received countless emails from those students telling me all about the things they are getting involved in and the ways they are impacting their community! In their emails they write about starting Bible studies, organizing prayer meetings, witnessing to friends and even to their parents! Can we say WOW... Kids these days are stepping out and are trying to walk on water to get to Jesus.

Now here's why I tell you all this! It's because of what I've been noticing for the past week. Adults, and I'll include myself, do not run to the front row for worship or church. We don't even really walk to the front row. In church, the back row seems to be the popular place to sit for us "older folks." Even in chapel this morning the front four tables were open and people got there early to sit at the back tables. For some adults, we have to be talked into praying in a group or we look around the table until someone finally agrees to say the blessing at lunch or dinner. Why is that?

I met a five-year old this summer during one of our church group dinners. Her name was Jesse and I will always carry the memory of her raising her arm and jumping up and down to be the one who got chosen to pray for the meal. She was so excited when she was picked and her words were so precious as she asked the Lord to bless the food and the friends. She even threw up a few prayer requests! It was so powerful to see this little girl at such a young age begging to be the one that got to talk to Jesus. Where did that longing go in us?

Now I don't expect adults to run, literally, into events and church settings or grab the microphone when it's time to pray but here's my dilemma... We as adults believe we are wise and that these students should be learning from us yet we set the example that it's OK to not be overly excited about praising Jesus. Some of us don't trust our youth to get involved in leading Bible studies, Vacation Bible Schools, camp positions, various events, etc. but we expect them to carry on this witness when we are gone! How is that going to work? We should be pouring into our teens teaching them all about what we have experienced and sharpening them for the future so that they will pour into teenagers when they are older.

Now here's something for those of you who think your students are to young to make a difference:

In 1 Samuel 16:1-12...
David who was probably around the age of 12 was chosen by God for a special service. There were bigger, better options amongst Jesse’s other sons, but God chose David because of his incredible heart for God. David had a private life of worship as a shepherd of sheep. God used his time with lowly sheep to prepare him to be the greatest conquering king in the history of Israel.

God saw the potential in David, the youngest of Jesse's sons I might add. Shouldn't we look for the potential in our younger ones? We could actually learn a few things from them!!

Here's some fun facts:

• See You at the Pole Prayer Rallies was started by a group of students.
  
• True Love Waits is a student movement toward abstinence.
  
• Loose Change to Loosen Chains was started by a 14 year old, Zack Hunter, who wants to stop slavery and human trafficking.
  
• The most effective mission sending agencies in the world are sending students all over the world and are seeing cultures changed by American teenagers.

Sounds like we should be taking notes from them!

So pour into your students, teach them all that God has taught you, learn from their enthusiasm and excited spirits and allow them to test the waters... Besides they'll never know if they can walk on water if you never let them out of the boat!

5 MERGEful reasons

Five reasons why you should be at MERGE...

1. Mission opportunities...check out all the fun supplies!

2. Intimate worship and teachings that allow you to dig deep in the word of God

3. Getting to hang out with Daniel McMillan

4. Having Stephany as your team leader. She's incredible!

5. Getting to serve in some big ways, sharing God in many ways and making a big difference in Toccoa in life changing ways.

MERGE is a new adventure offered to students where they are given a chance to live out their faith before believers and non-believers in a setting that is more than just a camp...It is an experience.

Make sure you're here next year or we'll be sad..

Merge...1st ever!

I'm in Toccoa, GA!

And you are saying to yourself...Why? Well I'm here to help out with a new camp called MERGE, created by the Georgia Baptist Convention. MERGE is a camp that focuses on missions and fleshes it out through worship, missions, discipleship and fellowship that is customized to fit the needs of students. Youth will have the opportunity to get involved locally helping at the Boys and Girls Club, VBS and several construction projects. Not only will they get to make a difference in the community of Toccoa but they will have a chance to worship and build relationships with fellow churches from around Georgia. It's going to be awesome!

It's day one and God is already doing some amazing things in the hearts of the students, the staff and the community... We are already the talk of the town. Stephany, Chris and I went out to Home Depot and Wal-Mart today to get supplies and all the workers were intrigued by the things we were buying. I mean we did buy 45 paintbrushes, 70 pairs of gloves, 20 wire brushes, 70 pairs of googles, 200 trash bags, paint, traps, and much much more... so I can understand why people were curious. Big things are gonna happen this week!!! Go check out the site and if you weren't involved this year, definitely get involved next year!

MERGE

Just for your entertainment, here is what we did at our first morning meeting:

Can we say "Kids at Heart!" I sure do wish I could stay all week:(

Mooing for free chicken!

I'm all about a little adventure and if it involves embarrassing yourself on the adventure, I'm definitely in. Today was my lucky day!

Today, if you didn't know, was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. What a great idea...I mean who wouldn't want to celebrate cows, right?! Well the celebrating was just the beginning. Apparently if you dressed up like a cow today and headed over to your favorite Chick-Fil-A location you received a free combo meal (drink included).Who wouldn't want to take part in that? Exactly...

So a whole herd of us(literally) put on the spots and headed over to the the Northpoint Mall for a little free food fiasco. It was the most amazing lunch ever. We giggled our little cow tails off!

Oh and if we could have found a 7-11, we would have had a free slurpee for dessert:) What a fabulous way to spend a lunch hour!

Did anyone else participate today??

Beauty is taking off the hats!

“The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord.” Psalm 45:11

Have you ever looked in the mirror at crazy hair? Frustrated. Aggravated. Tense. You swear you’re not going to resign to the bad hair day; instead, you put on a hat.

Or, as you looked out the window you glare into gloomy, cold weather and realize you need some kind of protection for your head and decide—it’s a hat day.

In the past, the “hat” was used by women as an indicator of social status. In biblical times, the hat was worn in the synagogues by the Scribes and the Pharisees and other religious personnel in accordance to their laws. Often the word “hat” is used as a metaphor referring to the different roles we have as women, like the “hat” of motherhood or the “hat” of being a wife. In this devotional, I want you to view the hat as a covering used to hide what you do not want others to see.

Many times, we as women feel the need to cover up our imperfections and flaws in order to be accepted by others and succeed in life. God says the exact opposite in His Word! Just listen to His unconditional love, “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7). God simply wants us to come to Him, just as we are… broken, sinful, and imperfect. So celebrate ladies, and take those HATS OFF!

Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you and thank you for creating me. Thank you for loving me just the way I am. I am sorry when I feel inferior and flawed because I know that this hurts your heart. Help me to see myself through your loving eyes today and always. Amen.

Sea-foam Beach Blue

Hey friends! I just wanted to share with everyone this amazing new site where you can get some awesome apparel! My friend Yam has worked really hard on this new website store and I hope that each of you will find something that you have to have! 

Caswell PX store

I mean...everyone needs a sea-foam beach blue Caswell Sweatshirt:) 

Start a Fire

What I have learned by God taking me out of my comfort zone this summer(so far)...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

When things seem to get rough, press on and don't look down

Your words may seem mumbled but those words can effect more people than you know

Reaching out is something that should be done everyday

Prayer is powerful and without it I would fail

Jesus really is the only way

Never be intimidated by a classroom with 300 students

Being tired is part of the journey

Sometimes it's really hard to say good-bye

Duck Duck Goose is the greatest game ever

Accountability is necessary to staying strong

Your Bible holds the key to everything

Loving people even when it's hard to is what should be done

I want to be used and I want to start a fire. I want to set the world on fire...

What great life lessons so far! What have you learned so far this summer?

Start a fire in me,
Let the flames run free,
Burn away the dross,
Holy fire of God. (repeat)

Let it begin, let it be new,
Let me be used for Your sake,
Bringing glory to Your Name.
I can live knowing that You
Reside in my heart.
Oh Lord, You are the fire,
You're the fire of God.

~Among Thorns

Deep Whispers

It's amazing how the Lord will speak to you! For some people they hear God through a voice, for others it's a feeling or through a song, etc. God speaks through everything around us, we just have to be willing to stop and listen. To look for the awesomeness that is around us (as Daniel would say)!

I've had a hard time lately knowing when something is of the Lord. I battle between thinking if it's me that wants things to happen or if it's God. I catch myself analyzing every little detail and reviewing it over and over in my mind. Things that seem so perfect in my head aren't always the "perfect" plan of God. It's a hard line but one thing that I am learning is that God will never steer you in the wrong direction. He may take you into uncomfortable situations but He has a purpose for every moment of your life and He will make His voice heard even if it's a whisper. So listen closely, follow intently and bask in the grace of our Father!

Dear God,

Help me to listen for your voice and your direction in my life! Teach me and show the path that will glorify you and only you. I thirst for your living water and my prayer is that my life will reflect your love.

I love you.

Amen