Thoughts!

There are three things I need to put out there before I begin with my writing for the day!

1. I absolutely love Frost Riptide Rush Gatorade! I mean seriously there can't be a better flavor to quench your thirst after a Lebron-tastic workout in the 80 degree weather!

2. I learned that you should never run towards a hissing mother goose. They will attack and they have no shame in protecting their babies. If it comes down to you getting near them, Mama goose will take charge!!

3. Walking to Wal-Mart with your roommate around 10 PM is not such a good idea. Doesn't sound that bad but when you buy a case of drinks, bag of sugar and other necessities, that walk back is exhausting! I got an arm workout in and didn't even want it.

So those are my three things! Out there in the open for all to see...now onto the writing!

Have you ever had one of those conversations that left you feeling completely in awe of God. One that gave you the feeling that you could take on the world, spread the Gospel to all nations, walk up to that guy in Starbucks and tell him Jesus loves him or break out into song...and be perfectly on key I might add! They are so rejuvenating and so necessary!

I had one of those types of conversations last night and it has been floating around in my head all day. Thoughts of all the things God has planned for me. Thoughts of how God is going to strengthen me. Thoughts of the people God has blessed me with. Thoughts of hope. Thoughts of grace. Thoughts of Love. So many thoughts and all good ones :)

I love conversations like that and I hope to have plenty more!

Happy Birthday Buckhead Church!

Today makes 8 years for Buckhead Church...Wow you're getting on up there! I wonder if church years is the same as people years or if they have their own way of aging like dogs and cats do?! Maybe they age in 4's so that their always even, haha. That's my guess.

Here's a little history about how far Buckhead has come in eight short years...

In the Beginning, a group of people in the Buckhead area wanted a relevant church where they could safely bring their friends who did not go to church - a church similar to North Point Community Church in Alpharetta.

"I was willing to drive to Alpharetta to attend NPCC, but I knew my lost friends and neighbors that lived in Buckhead probably wouldn't," commented Keith Eigel, an original member of the Buckhead Church steering committee.

In the spring of 2001, Buckhead Fellowship began meeting every other Sunday night, much like the early days of North Point. Andy Stanley and the leadership team of NPCC encouraged and advised Buckhead Fellowship, and in August of 2001 asked them to become the first satellite campus of North Point Ministries.

Buckhead Fellowship became Buckhead Church (BC). They continued meeting every other Sunday night until they moved into their temporary home -- a renovated grocery store on Roswell Road -- on Easter Sunday of 2003. In the fall of 2004, BC launched the Dare You To Move campaign in order to raise funds to build a permanent facility at Tower Place and Lenox Road in the heart of Buckhead. They moved into their beautiful four-story building in May of 2007.

Currently, Buckhead Church has over 5,000 adults participating in two morning worship services and one evening service. A total of 800 children and students meet in small groups while their parents attend worship. During the week, over 2,600 adults meet around the city in community groups for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship.

Jeff Henderson, campus pastor of Buckhead Church, expresses the vision that he, his staff, and his congregation have for Buckhead Church. "God hasn't blessed Buckhead Church with success. What God has blessed us with is enormous potential to reach the 300,000 unchurched people in this community."

Leading those in the community into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what drives everything that is done at Buckhead Church.

Happy Birthday Buckhead. Thanks for providing a home where people can come, learn and worship Jesus freely. A place comfortable enough to bring all your friends and intriguing enough to make them want to come back again and again!

For pictures and awesome stories visit Buckhead's Blog!

Jesus lives in my tummy!

Kids have such an incredible imagination. You never know what's going on in those little minds but what I have learned by observing the kids I babysit is that kids know a lot more than we give them credit for.

Tonight was a fun night at the Randolph household. So much to play and not enough time to fit it all in...that's how I feel most of the time. We played outside on the homemade climbing rope which Selah showed me is the best tool for spinning in mid air. Who knew?

One of the cutest parts of the night was bath time. Issac and Kenyon showed me how to create a bubble beard. Funny thing is, I totally did the same thing when I was around the age of five. I guess bubble beards are a universal tradition in a young child's life.

My favorite part of night was reading to Kenyon and Issac before bed. Want to know what book they chose? The Bible!

You see about two weeks ago Kenyon got a Children's Bible as a gift. He loves this book and the best part is he can tell you all about it. He knows the story of the Crucifixion. He will do his best to explain why Mary was so taken back to see Jesus outside tomb. And requests the story of The Burning Bush(you have to say that in a deep creepy voice! Makes the story better, haha). My favorite, so far is when he explained to Issac that the tree of life is not like the tree that Adam and Eve ate from the front of the book. This tree was different and you could eat this fruit without dying, haha.

How amazing is that!

Kenyon is five and I am amazed at the knowledge he already has. He knows that Jesus lives in his heart and that he died on a cross to save him from the bad things he does sometimes... that's how he explained it to me right after Issac explained to me that Jesus lived in his tummy, haha:)

These kids are great. Absolutely precious!

Here is Kenyon and his favorite book!

Cause it's one, two, three strikes you're out...

...at the old ball game!



Sadly the 'OUT' part referred to the Braves tonight.

Braves 2, St Louis 3!

But hey I had an amazing time with some amazing friends dancing to Chipper Jones' up-to-bat song...I would link you to it but it has some explicit lyrics and I'm going to deem that not appropriate for this blog :)

We'll get em next Braves!

One Baptism...

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. ~Ephesians 4:1-6

"I am proud to baptized you in the name of Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"... those we're Jeff Henderson's words right before he baptized Chris tonight. Huge smiles and cheering filled the room when Chris came up from the water. My heart was filled with complete joy and excitement watching my friend publicly confess that Jesus was his Lord and Savior. Incredible!!!!

Chris I am so proud of you! God's got some Big plans as you venture into this new chapter of life!

Grab a paint brush...

...cause we're gonna paint the town!

Tonight I was sitting at a restaurant in downtown Atlanta, surrounded by about 30 amazing people, celebrating the day Moxie was born when I looked out the window at the buildings that make up this amazing city. The sun, which was setting, painted the buildings this bright shade of 60's pink and I as I looked at them I thought to myself what a gorgeous picture God has painted!

What an immaculate sight! But you know, it wasn't just the buildings that He had painted, it was the past 3 days. He didn't just add colors to a glass structure, He added vibrant shades of joy and hope to my life and my soul through friendships.

I am super blessed and sometimes I take that for granted. I am always looking for the next big thing or the next step to achieve when what I should be doing is looking to my left and then to my right and appreciating the things God has given me today. He has blessed me with amazing people like Hayley, Walker and Kate...best friends like Jen, Janis and Kristen...buddies like Nathan and Ryan...and that doesn't even cover the hundreds of others who bless me everyday.

With these people by my side and God leading me in every way, I will paint this city. But not in the shade of 60's pink...instead it be shades of happiness, shades of laughter and definitely shades of gratitude for everything I blessed with!

Global X Night of Worship

As the screens brought up images of countries in need the music began. A familiar song trickled into my soul when Casey Darnell begin strumming the guitar in the key of C (I think). The words begin..."You're the God of this City. You're the King of these people. You're the Lord of this nation. You are!"...and then tears filled my eyes. Why? Don't you here that song all the time? you ask.

Yes, I do...but never the way I heard it last night!



When the voices from Brazil came echoing through the church, my heart immediately yearned to be with them. To being serving them. To be learning from them. To be loving them.

At the end of "Salvation is Here" I wanted to be dancing alongside those children as they sang "We are dancing for the Living Lord, Hallelujah Jesus Christ!"

What was an incredibly overwhelming feeling but one that amplified my desire for missions! There is so much work to be done. So many people to be reached. So many lives to be saved. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that?

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world,
but to save the world through him.
John 3:17 (New Living Translation)

The night was an amazing display of worship and surrender. In Spirit and in truth with all voices coming together as ONE and worshiping ONE name and proclaiming ONE hope for the salvation of all!

These moments are glimpses of His Kingdom to me…when we expand our horizons of worship beyond the building we are in…to the world outside those walls! ~ Casey Darnell

Global Night of Worship music:

- “God of this City” by BlueTree

- “Salvation is Here” by Hillsong

- “Everlasting God” by Brenton Brown

- “Hosanna” by Hillsong

- “Breath on Me” by Northpoint, Todd Fields

- “To Know Your Name” by Hillsong

- “Mighty to Save” by Hillsong

- “The Stand” by Hillsong

- “Glory to God” by Steve Fee

- “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)” by Chris Tomlin

- “Jesus Paid it All” Hymn, various artists

- “Praise the Father, Praise the Son” by Chris Tomlin

- “Te Amo” by Kelen & Paulo from Brazil

- “Grace Will Be My Song” by Steve Fee

- “No Greater Love (Not Ashamed)” by Casey Darnell

- “All Because of Jesus” by Steve Fee

- “We Shine” by Steve Fee

What lovely surprises...

So I woke up on the tired side of the bed this morning...Not enough sleep will definitely leave you angry at the alarm clock, haha. But after the mini fight with the covers and a little pep talk with myself, I was up and out the door before I knew it.

It was a normal drive to work...a little worship music to get the mind going, a few thoughts and reflections and of course lots of sun in my eyes. Now there was a cop on the side of the road this morning which is a little out of the ordinary but necessary because he stopped my speed racer self from reaching 80 mph on 400 which is a huge NO NO! Thank goodness for the fear of cops!

So I arrived at work safe, thanks to Mr. Copper man, and walked in to a lovely surprise...


Did you know it was Administrative Assistant Day? Me either :)

What lovely surprises waiting for me on my desk thanks to the two greatest bosses ever. I felt so appreciated! It's always good to know that your hard work is making a difference and for me it's extra great to know that my work helps further the Kingdom!

Free Cone Day!

Tuesday, April 21st, which is today and guess what... it's Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s! No, I'm not joking with you. It's the truth. You can walk into a Ben & Jerry's near you, pick out your favorite flavor and they will hand the cone over to you free of charge!

Why are they doing this, you ask?

It's a way for them to say thank you to their customers for the support and to celebrate 31 years of scooping the chunkiest, funkiest ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops are happily giving it away! Around the world, Scoop Shops are opening their doors from noon to 8:00 pm, to serve up a free scoop of your favorite flavor.

Pretty nice of them huh?

I sent out an email to my co-workers today about 'free cone day.' I was trying to get a group together for some ice cream goodness. I wanted to share my friend Tim's response:

'If someone isn’t up for free Ice cream they should be slapped, then shaken profusely and then slapped again. I know it is extreme, but necessary.' ~ Tim Kwiat

It made me laugh so hard! But it's the truth. It's free ice cream people...GO get some right NOW! Put down that invoice, get off the phone and step away from the email. GO get some ice cream!


It will put a smile on your face!

Show me where

Let me hear of your unfailing love in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer.

~ Psalm 143:8, NLT

Emotional

Have you ever gone to church and been completely wrapped up in a thought that you can't remember anything that came out of the pastor's mouth? The pastor is trying to give you all sorts of amazing insight and all you can think about is that one thing that has been on your mind for days??? Huh? Have you?

If you have then you know exactly how my church experience went tonight.

My mind was and is consumed! It seems to be filled with a bunch of 'whys' followed by enough analyzing to write a book. Hmmmm, I wonder what I would call it...Oh I know! It would be titled "What always happens in the life of Shannon White." Pretty catchy huh?

But seriously, I've had something on my mind for weeks now and it seems like everyday I think about it more. Today it became emotional...first time I've cried in a while and I can't explain why the tears fell, but it was a moment when my thoughts and my heart came together but they didn't match. There I was, trying so hard to focus on Andy's sermon, wanting to absorb every sentence that he spoke but instead all I could think about was...well I'll keep that to myself for now!

I want it to stop but how do you tell your mind to let it go. That's a hard thing to do especially when your heart wants to hold for dear life. Somehow I just don't think that tears should be a part of everyday life. I mean sometimes they're good but sometimes it hurts to cry. It hurts to be sad and confused. I don't want to be any of that!

Bottom line...I have to let it go! I have to take this distraction, this thing that keeps messing with me and somehow figure out a way to explain to my heart that it will better off without it!

Do.Justice

If you walk down the halls they are filled with scripture, career fair announcements, the sounds of babies crying and a feeling of accomplishment. If you enter a room, there are two beds that express comfort, pictures on the walls of people that they love and that they are trying desperately to improve for and if you look closer you can see touches that God all around the room. It's a center for hope! A chance to start over and be renewed. That's what I saw today at My Sister's House during our Do.justice project.†

It was an early morning but a morning full of service. We showed up around 8 AM, light blue shirts in hand and a little card with our destination in our pockets. We were to work until our time was up but I never knew I would learn so much more than how to pull weeds and rake leaves.

I learned about some amazing women who have overcome some tough trials and situations in their life. Women who decided to take back their life and become clean...not only clean from their worldly failures but clean in their walk with Jesus. They told us stories of drugs, living under bridges, being abused and abusing themselves by the way they were living. Stories that brought sadness to my heart. But then they told us the stories that brought happiness to my heart. Tales of them finding Jesus and rededicating their lives to the Lord. Becoming a new creation. It was incredible! One of the best service projects and learning experiences I've ever had!

Here are some photos from the day:

That's me and Mihir! Look at those muscles, haha

We were so happy to have a rake at this point :)

Smiles were consistent throughout the day.

Praise God for Do.Justice!

He has shown all you people what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
~ Micah 6:8

Click to hear Micah 6:8 by Charlie Hall

Gentlemen, start your engines...

On your mark. Get Set. RACE! GO GO GO

Those were the words that swirling in my head tonight as the guys pulled out on to the track... well that and GO GO Speed Racer!

Today was Chris Lynch's birthday and he wanted to celebrate getting older by heading to the tracks, the Andretti tracks that is. Ahhh the smell of burning rubber and exhaust fumes mixed with sweat and concrete. The excitement of several guys all implying that their car will be the fastest and that all the other drivers will be eating their dust...well fumes :)

Can't you picture it? If not maybe these will help:




Yep they all had flame retardant suits and helmets just in case things got a little out of hand. These guys made a statement in their suits though, far more than it being a safety requirement! I believe the statement was "I look good in my suit, I will drive fast in my car and everyone will want to wear my race number after tonight!" haha.

It was a fun time and the guys looked like they really enjoyed themselves! I can't say for sure but I think Chris had a fantastic time for his birthday.

Happy Birthday buddy!

Lesson for the day...

...never judge a book by it's cover!

Susan Boyle: Unemployed 47-year-old becomes overnight music superstar

When 47-year-old small town spinster Susan Boyle stepped on to the stage of Britain's Got Talent and announced she was unemployed, had never been married and "never been kissed, actually," few in the audience would have wondered why. With unkempt hair and Leonid Breshnev eyebrows, and mention of her ten-year-old cat "Pebbles," the Blackburn, Scotland lass resembled basically every other reality TV talent show timewaster who talks big and delivers nothing but personal humiliation on a national stage.

But then Susan Boyle opened her mouth and sang I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables, and her world changed forever.

The audience rose within seconds to applaud her incredible voice as the celebrity judges sat open-mouthed, and remained standing to the end, delivering a standing ovation that had even the most hardened reality TV snob tearing up.

Journalist and TV host Piers Morgan said, "Without a doubt that was the biggest surprise I have had in three years on the show. When you stood there with that cheeky grin and said, 'I wanna be like Elaine Paige', everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was stunning, an incredible performance. Amazing. I'm reeling from shock."

Actress Amanda Holden followed, "I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical and I think that's the biggest wake up call ever. And I just want to say that it was a complete privilege listening to that."

Even American Idol cynic Simon Cowell couldn't help but get on the Susan Boyle bandwagon, laughingly saying, "From the moment you walked on the stage, I knew..."

The internet duly exploded with Susan Boyle-mania, with her YouTube video bringing 5.6 million viewings in just three days. Her performance has been seen on CNN and been plastered on newspaper pages from Australia to New York.

Britain's Got Talent: Susan Boyle

Increased demand from music downloaders has sent the original cast recording of the song she performed up the iTunes singles chart, and to top it all off, Boyle has said she has already had a meeting with Sony BMG with a view to releasing an album. "I can't say much about it. It's early days and I'm taking baby steps."

All of this fuss must be difficult to comprehend for the youngest of nine children who had given up a potential singing career to look after her sick mother, but it's just beginning. Boyle will be back for the second round of the series, which she's currently rated at odds of 5/2 of winning by UK bookmakers.

cparry@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

If it ain't broke...

BLOG by Jen

Today my coworkers and I were in the mood for some high-society dining, so we decided to hit up the food court at the mall for lunch. We walked into the mall and found that the escalator was broken. There was an "out of order" sign posted along the barricades in front of the escalator and a cute little sign that pointed us to the stairs on the other side of the mall that we could use in lieu of the broken escalator. Though I appreciate the mall administrators for providing an alternate route, my question is simply: Can an escalator ever really be broken? I mean, they're still stairs. Why did I have to use the stairs on the other side of the mall when I could have used the stairs so conveniently provided by the brokenness of the escalator? Take home point: We should be more like escalators. They always live up to their potential even when broken.

I have posted a link that illustrates the absurdness of this situation. Enjoy.
Escalator Temporarily Stairs

Whistles, Bows, Chocolate and Friends!

Words will not do this weekend justice so I am going to use pictures :)

Emily and Alister III! Three years and running. Let me just tell you, he tasted yummy!

Girls and their Easter bags. We were on a mission to find the most eggs

Yep, that is an amazing cupcake!

Can you guess who won?

J-than looked a little sad about his bag full of rocks.

Oh and did I mention that I learned how to shoot a bow N arrow? Well I did!

The Cross

The cross. Can you turn any direction without seeing one? Perched atop a chapel. Carved into a graveyard headstone. Engraved in a ring or suspended on a chain. The cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. An odd choice, don’t you think? Strange that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. The symbols of other faiths are more upbeat: the six-pointed star of David, the crescent moon of Islam, a lotus blossom for Buddhism. Yet a cross for Christianity? An instrument of execution?

Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck? Suspend a gold-plated hangman’s noose on the wall? Would you print a picture of a firing squad on a business card? Yet we do so with the cross. Many even make the sign of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sign of, say, a guillotine? Instead of the triangular touch on the forehead and shoulders, how about a karate chop on the palm? Doesn’t quite have the same feel, does it?

Why is the cross the symbol of our faith? To find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its design couldn’t be simpler. One beam horizontal—the other vertical. One reaches out—like God’s love. The other reaches up—as does God’s holiness. One represents the width of his love; the other reflects the height of his holiness. The cross is the intersection. The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.

How could he do this? In a sentence: God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.

“God put on him the wrong who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God” (2 Cor. 5:21 MSG).

And we're off!

Nashville here I come!

He has finally arrived!

Look out world...


...here comes Luke Russell Hinton!

Is he not the most precious thing you've ever seen. Today Luke made his way into the world greeting his parents Aaron and Downey Hinton. He was born this afternoon weighing in at 8 pounds even and 20 inches long. He couldn't be more perfect or more precious!

This little boy has the most amazing parents. They are two of my very best friends and two people that I have learned so much from. Downey and Aaron have both taught me so much about faith, love and waiting on the Lord. Their friendship means the world to me and I am so excited for them as they embark on a new chapter of their life...PARENTING :)

But I must I do not envy all those sleepless nights you guys are about to embark upon, haha! Love you both! Oh and the countdown has begun... I must meet this amazing little boy ASAP! You better believe I will be Oak Island bound real soon :)

National Champions...

...need I say more?

Oh wait there is more. Not only did we celebrate the NCAA Championship with a lot of jumping around and yelling go Tar Heels, we also had a party! Yay for parties centered around Carolina Blue t-shirts and cupcakes!




It was a memorable evening! Assorted UNC apparel, powder blue frosted cupcakes, good friends and one intense game...oh wait it wasn't intense, we were always up by like 15 :)

Oh and one more thing, where was Duke?



Oh that's right, they dipped out early!

The Righteous Room

So much to tell you but I just can't figure out where to begin. I had a jam packed weekend and it's crazy but the past two days felt like two weeks! How is it that I can fit so much into so few hours. I will give you the run down....

Friday: worked(that's important), dinner(that's extra important) and a movie(the most important). Why was the movie so important? Well because it was 'The Fast and the Furious.' Now I'm not saying it's the greatest movie ever...I know the acting is bad...but come on, the action in that movie is ridiculous! I was exhausted after the first 5 minutes of the movie...in a good way! I give it two thumbs and a pinky up :)

Saturday: Oil Change, Apartment paperwork(to make Cambi legal), errands like no other, hair appointment(that's a whole blog in itself), bread making discussion with Nikki, dinner at Chow Baby, BRIAN REGAN...pause... I absolutely adore that man. He makes me laugh at things that shouldn't even be funny. Favorite Regan joke... definitely snow cones! Check it out...and no he didn't draw the cartoons for it, haha - SNOW CONES, after Regan, you guessed it, Final Four UNC vs. Villanova game! Go Heels.

Sunday: Slept in! Let me repeat that...I SLEPT IN! and it was glorious. I went to lunch with Walker and his buddies Phil, Jamie and Fish at The Righteous Room(best wings in Atlanta), Enjoyed the weather, went to the mall, went to the evening service at Buckhead(which was powerful), dinner with Jen and Brian then began the cupcakes for the NCAA party!

Side note - For all of you who don't have a clue about basketball, UNC has made it to the Final Championship game and we're having a party to celebrate this moment! Hence the Carolina cupcakes. We're also having homemade dip, finger foods and great tasting drinks! We're gonna make history...well not us but the Tar Heels! I just want to ride their coat tails, haha!

OK back to Sunday...I finished my awesome day off with an awesome 2 hour phone conversation! I love it when you finish a day with great conversation, with a great person!

So there it is, my weekend in a nut shell.

So now it's your turn, tell me about your weekend!

Go Heels!

And we advance to the Championship game!

UNC 83 ... VILLANOVA 69

I can't wait for tomorrow night at 9:21 PM!

Watch out Michigan State!

Examine

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test.

~ 2 Corinthians 13:5, NLT

A test

Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me.
Test my motives and my heart.

Psalm 26:2 (New Living Translation)

This is how I'm feeling today! Test my motives God and see where my heart truly is!

The Big -N- Nasty

I can't believe my eyes!

Did that really just happen?

The greatest game in bowling history...I think it did!

David is up to bowl, last among the other 7 bowlers and looking to take control of the game. How you ask? Simple...By taking a bite of the Big -N- Nasty and then hitting straight strikes for the rest of his game. I mean he went from like a score of 80 to a whopping 500(that might be an exaggeration but let's go with it shall we!). We shall call it the greatest game in bowling history :)

Now, I know what your next question is, "What in the world is this Big -N- Nasty that you speak of?" Well it is a mound of tater tots and chips topped with cheese, chili, jalapenos and love! It's a feast for anyone with desires of a heart attack or an all night pass to visit the porcelain throne. >HahAHaha I just said porcelain throne! You have to admit that's funny right there<

The Big -N- Nasty totally turned the game around not just for David but for everyone! It was strike heaven all around. There were turkeys and peacocks all over the place(not the birds but the strike names). Peacock is new term for six straight strikes...no arguments from the peanut gallery...that's the name!

It was an amazing night! Great bowling, new friends, deliciously disgusting food and a little bit of cuteness!

Next time there will be dancing!

Honesty

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful
in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things,
you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.

Luke 16:10 (New Living Translation)