Words from my friend Daniel!

My friend Daniel wrote a great blog that I wanted to share with you all...

where's the water moses?

so i wonder, how many times have you stepped out on faith only to feel like you are sinking? how many times have you stepped into an unfamiliar place and find yourself everyday straining to see any signs of God's blessings in your obedience? i cannot even begin to imagine how moses felt carrying around all these people thru the desert, but in some ways i feel like i can relate to some of his grievances thru this season in my life.

i can't begin to imagine the ultra high and ultra low within such a short amount of time when moses first took his people across the red sea. they get to the other side and i can see them high-fiving, hugging, screaming, congratulating each other, and some cheesy act like putting moses on their shoulders throwing him around. the bible tells what the women did. they followed miriam around with tambourines and they all danced and sang praises to God. sounds like a party to me. but the very next 3 days were one of the biggest lows ever. they realize there is no drinkable water. how fast things can turn around. "so the people grumbled against moses, saying, 'what are we to drink?" poor moses.

can you relate? i know i can. i just recently felt like i took a huge step of faith with direction from God. i move to a new place with new people, new opportunities, new struggles. at first it was great. i felt like i had just crossed the red sea into being independent, travelling to my own "promised land". what a great feeling. how quickly we can go to the lowest of lows! the money disappears, the commitments people made to give you work are suddenly "not coming thru", and you are all alone. bills to pay, work to find, and it feels like everyone around you is asking why you can't find water. the ones that supported you so much in the dreams of the promise land, in the planning, the talk, but then when push comes to shove and there is no water to be found, the blame falls. where is this grand plan? why would you put me here to die God?

but thank goodness the story doesn't end with the israelites all withering away within a few weeks. moses doesn't lose faith. he doesn't lose the vision. he understands God's will is supreme and despite what seems impossible to him and the people all around him God will not relent. so he cries out to God. "then moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet."

i don't know about you, but i've never thought about putting a piece of wood into water to make it drinkable. i doubt moses truly had either. so maybe when you step out on faith, you try to envision what this promised land is going to look like. it helps me to calm fears and doubts when i picture the end product. so i start to rely on the people around me ... on their promises, their commitments, their words. and i realize that is not what God wanted for me. i looked for water for 3 days all around this desert to no avail. and why? because God wanted me to put a stick into the water first. He wanted to show me that His ways are not my own. His ways are not by relying on the promises of people around me, but rather throwing things in my direction beyond my imagination, beyond my vision, beyond my dreams. the bitter water is turned sweet. the visions of my mind are far outshined by the plans of His spirit in my heart.

i pray that God will allow you to search for water in your desert for a while. you will appreciate much more the stick in the water that makes it sweet.

do you think that "sweet water" could have been southern sweet tea?

He made me beautiful!

Sometimes I feel like I get down way more than I seem happy. I go through days where I wake up crying and I go to bed on top of the world. Some days I lay in bed feeling like I have no reason to get out. Other days I am so excited to walk outside and feel the sun hit my face. What causes the drastic change in emotions?

I get on the phone with friends and I bring up questions like "why was I put here? Why does he think like that? When am I going to fit in and find purpose? Will I ever find someone to be with?" I ask these plus about 100 more! I receive all this encouragement from my friends and family and for a few moments I feel like I'm OK, then I go down hill once again. Basically I have a self pity party and I'm the VIP guest.

Did you know that a self pity is all about you? All the attention is on you! All focus on you! And all words spoken have to do with you! So if it's all about you, where is God in all this? Good questions huh? This is something I asked myself tonight.

You see, what's happening is Satan has been allowed in and he is speaking all these lies in to my head. Telling me, you're not good enough! You can't do that? Those thoughts are dumb and it will never happen to you! I can't believe I've been allowing the devil to trick me into believing all these lies.

The truth is, I am good enough because God made me perfect in his eyes. He mastered me into this amazing person and He paved a way for me in this world. He hand crafted me just the way he wanted and made me beautiful not only on the inside but on the outside.

So here's what I, and maybe you need to do; we need to speak out loud whenever the devil whispers nonsense in our ears. Speak it, out loud! Now don't go shout it down the aisles of Wal-Mart and cause this awkward moment, unless you really just prefer to do that, but speak it! Whenever you speak the name of the Lord, the demons will go running. Let's stop the pity parties and start believing what God has been saying to us all long!

So here let's practice saying some things out loud. And don't cheat, REALLY say these out loud!

I am beautiful...
I am talented...
I can do whatever I set my mind to...
Because God made me perfect in His eyes! And those are really the only eyes that matter!!!

New Baptist Convenant

Today I joined my friends Jenni, Craig and Deborah at the World Congress Center for the New Baptist Covenant Convention. This convention has caused a bit of controversy on the news, in the papers and even on the net. I don't really understand why there is much talk about this event but I guess if I had attended the whole week I would understand more.

Anyway, I attended a seminar today where I heard two amazing pastors speak. One spoke on Jesus healing and the other, who touched my heart, spoke on helping the children of this world. It's funny because I can't remember her name but I can remember every word she said. God definitely spoke through her.

Here is a paraphrase of something that made tear up...

We pray for the children
who have no blanket to drag to sleep.
who look at photographers through barbed fencing.
who have no shoes and the ones who don't get dessert.

We pray for the children
who cry when they don't get that toy in the store.
who give you peanut butter and jelly smooches.
who's cry makes us laugh and their smile can make us cry.

We pray for the children
who have never heard a bed time story.
who are born in to poverty.
who watch their parents cry as they watch them die.

We pray for the children
who bring home an A on their favorite coloring at school.
who can't go to sleep without that favorite teddy bear.
who looks adorable when they fall asleep in your arms.

We pray for the children
who walk barefoot on the streets because the have no shoes.
who have never had a warm bath.
who give you sticky kisses and hugs that never let go.

We pray for the children...all of them!

It's hard to imagine the lives that children across the world experience. It's hard to think kids who have nothing and still have smiles on their faces! We should pray for the amazing kids for the world. The ones who cry because they are in pain from sickness. The children who cry because they have no Daddy to turn to. Just the children, plain and simple!

Tater Tot Run...

I had this conversation last with my friend Daniel about tater tots after an adventure I had! You see I think that tater tots are one of the greatest creations made and I believe they are one of the most versatile foods you can eat. I mean think about it, you could tater tots for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Dessert....need I go on?

OK so Mallori and I set out on this journey last night to find the closest Sonic. You see, around 8:30 PM we got this craving for Sonic Drive In...Tater Tots and Dr Pepper Floats (unhealthy, yes I know). We looked up directions on Google because there isn't a Sonic near Buckhead. So with directions in hand, we set out to find our tasty destination. An hour later we ended up on the Southwest side of Atlanta. For those of you who are not familiar with Atlanta, Buckhead is on the North side of the city and we ended up all the way on the Southwest side...not good!

So to sum up the trip, we never found Sonic! We never got our tasty treats! And we were both left feeling sad and empty(literally). This has caused me to realize how much I love America's favorite drive and also leads me to wonder why Atlanta only has one or two?!!

Maybe I should invest in opening one in the Buckhead area!
Hummmm good idea...then there will be free tater tots for everyone=)

Pray with Simplicity

"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.
~Matthew 6:5-18(The Message)

Matthew 5:38-48 (The Message)

Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

"You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

In Waiting

Waiting for...

a chance.

inspiration.

ambition.

answers.

challenges.

understanding.

pure joy.

opportunities.

secrets from Him.

love.

patience.

What are you waiting for?

"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise."
Romans 5:1 (The Message)

Chapters...

OK so I wrote this a while ago to describe someone in my life! It was supposed to eventually be a song but I never got around to finishing it... I thought it would fit well with my other topic of the weekend...

Cause you help write the Chapters of my book
You're a part of my life time
One that I will not forget until the end of time.

You're the star that I wish on
You're the hero in my dreams
You're the answer to the prayer I say before I drift off to sleep.

Now I never did get further than writing this semi chorus because I have a tendency to get writer's block. These few sentences have been on my mind lately though and I feel as if I need to finish what I started.

So I need some help from you guys! Tell me what you think...

A Blank Start

I had lunch today with a very good friend of mine. We talked and basically just caught up on all the things that have been going on in each other's lives. I shared with him a few of my struggles and through our conversation I began to think about something I never thought about before.

People often say that when you move somewhere or start a new career that you are beginning a new chapter in your book of life. I thought about this statement because our book of life is often referred to as something we are continually reading, somewhat. You know, you turn the page to begin a new chapter. Well, the new chapter in my life has been a hard one so far and it's not like I'm reading it...it's like I'm writing it. It's like I open the book of my life and when I turn the page to this new chapter, the page is blank.

As I was sharing this thought with my friend, he said that he would love for the page to be blank because it's like a new beginning and you get to start it off however you want. Now, trying to write a chapter in a book is hard especially if it's the book of your life. So I have decided to take that blank page, the page that for the past three weeks I have been desperately trying to write the first word on...I'm going take that page and begin the chapter! I'm going to put down the worries, fears and struggles and look for the opportunities, the blessings and the joy.

So here we go. Now keep in mind you will only get to see these first few sentences but just know that in a few months, down the road, I expect each of you to to ask me how my chapter is going!

"Today is the first day of my new journey. It was a beautiful chilly day and God opened my eyes to a wonderful new beginning. The opportunities to serve are endless and there are so many doors to open and see the wonderful surprises behind them..."

Sad faces

So today while I was chatting with my co-workers online, I began to feel pretty sad that I wasn't in Nashville with them. I can't see their faces or laugh at their jokes(which aren't always funny). I can't throw things at them or ignore them with my back turned. It made me sad...



Well to my surprise, they were feeling the same way. Of course they all had different reasons for being sad.

Jacob was sad because he had no one to pick on...


Wes was sad cause there was no one there to throw things at and no one to make lunch extra long...


Scott was sad because there was no one to ask lots of questions and annoy him while he tried to work...


And Brandon was sad because their was no one to draw him pictures and play jokes on Jacob with...


I miss them and they miss me...isn't that special!

This blogs for you Brandon, haha

Cheap Imitations

I'm re-reading one of my favorite books right now (A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado) and I came across one of the most influential chapters. It's called "Inflamed" and it deals with the verse "Love does not envy"~ I Corinthians 13:4.

This chapter goes through and describes what life would be like if our lives were full of jealousy and resentment. What if we were bitter because we were single? What if we were jealous because of what other people had that we didn't? What if we continually harped on the things in our life that we wished were different instead of looking at the things we were blessed to know and have?

Max sums up quite a bit when he states, " God withholds what we desire in order to give us what we need. You desire a spouse; He gives you himself. You seek a larger church; He prefers a stronger church. You want to be healed so you can serve. He wants you confined so you can pray."

Sometimes we miss it. God actually gives us everything we need and most of what we want, but we are too consumed with not getting everything in our exact time that we lose sight of the gifts.

Have you ever just sat down and thought about all the things you have prayed for over the years. Think back, you could even go back to your high school days. What was it that you consistently prayed for? Now think about where you are today and what you have accomplished and what you have received. Did He answer those prayers? The better question is did He give you what you asked for or did He give you something far better than you could have imagined?

Some of you are thinking back really hard right now and maybe you cant think of one thing but I'm almost positive that God has blessed your life with something so great and something that was absolutely worth waiting for.

God offers authentic love. His devotion is the real deal. But He won't give you the genuine until you surrender the imitations.

Let go of the fake pearls. Put down the cheap imitations and let God bless you with the most geniune pearls you've ever seen. I promise it'll be worth it.

Shocked, just shocked

I was shocked when I heard this news today...

Heath Ledger was found dead at his Manhattan residence, a police spokesman confirms to the Associated Press. He was 28.

Police say the death may be drug-related. The NYPD spokesman tells AP that Ledger had a massage appointment at his Soho apartment. When the housekeeper went to alert Ledger the masseuse was there, she found him at around 3:26 p.m.

He did not respond when they shook him, and the housekeeper called 911, The New York Times reports. He was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m.

Authorities later said they did not suspect foul play but that pills were found near the body.

I kind of feel like one of my close friends died, even though I never met him. Wow, this was not news that I had hoped to hear today!

He will be missed on the Screen!

A happy ending

So in the past five days, I've been to the movie theater four times. I've seen some of great new releases out and at the end of the day I am still left wishing that my life would resemble some of the things I saw on the Big Screen.

I have decided if my life could be a movie it would have the beginning of "P.S. I Love You." The plot would be a cross between "The Notebook" and "A Walk To Remember." And the ending would be similar to "27 Dresses. As you can tell, all the movies are considered chick flicks and that is because they all have one thing in common...Happy Endings!

Oh, to have a happy ending! To have someone spot you from across the room. Someone to approach you as if you were the only girl he would ever want to look at. To have someone risk everything to be you or someone to make you feel like a princess. At the end of the day, those are the things I hope for!

One day my friends...One day!!

A new grilled cheese

Have you ever had a grilled cheese sandwich made with mayonnaise instead of butter? Yep, me either, well until tonight!

My friend Jonathan came to visit this weekend to help Mallori move in and just to keep us company! Today after some shopping, watching a serious girlie movie and just exploring Buckhead, we headed back to the house for grilled cheeses and chips. I was raised to make my grilled cheese with butter but Jonathan was taught differently. He had a alternate plan.

Here we go:

What you do is spread mayo on one side of two pieces bread.

Place the cheese in the middle of the two pieces of bread.

Drop it into the frying pan and cooked till brown.

Mallori described it as a tangy cheese sandwich. She really liked it. I might have to disagree, yuck! haha

What do you think?

Snow in Atlanta

Here are some pictures from Mallori and my house in Atlanta. This was our first snow...and it was also move in day for Mal! What a nice surprise:)

And yes we are having a snowball fight in the front yard! Kyle, Jonathan, Josh, Mal and I had so much fun!

Hoping for more snow soon:)

First week down

So I have been in Atlanta for a little over a week and I've made it, ha!
I have had some challenges and some amazing times already. Let me tell you the highlights of my first week as a Georgian:)

Move in day: We had so much fun moving in! I adore my friends Kyle and Jonathan. They worked so hard and made such a scary move into a joyous new adventure. I know that I already wrote a blog about them but I can't thank them enough for their help and their friendship.

Clay Days: I have had the opportunity to hang out with my friend Clay twice in one week. That's not normal, haha! He is such an amazing person and he knows exactly what to say in order to make my fears and my disappointments seem like a distance memory.

Buckhead Church: I have heard about the infamous NorthPoint ministry and last Sunday I got to finally sit and listen to Andy Stanley give an amazing sermon. Buckhead is definitely a lot different from my church in Franklin but with a few more visits i can see myself getting acquainted and taking on new tasks and involvement.

46' High Definition TV: I went to visit my friend Mac on Saturday and watch the Patriots game on this absolutely huge TV that James David purchased. I felt like I was sitting on the sidelines, haha! It was fun to sit and catch up with those two, and of course watch a great game and even a good movie which followed!

A night out: I finally got to hang out with my friend Ben last night. He is so much fun and we have a lot in common which makes conversation great. We went to see "The Bucket List" after dinner and now I think he has me talked in to skydiving, ha! We'll see.

I have a few more fun times and I hope that these fun moments continue. My prayer is that God will open doors in my new city for friends, community and job opportunities!

Please help me pray! Thanks and I love you all...

More to come:)

Grey Skies

Caught in the Grey skies...

Tired of always playing the part
caught in the dark wasting away
Those stupid people calling our names
Fueling the spark and starting a flame under Grey Skies

Yes you're strange and your beautiful
When you hold you head up high in the middle of a fight
Rearrange and disable
The fear you hold inside in the middle of the night

Climbing to the top of the chain
who is to blame look where we are.
Respect is still the highest regard
This may be true, but now we are caught in the Grey skies.

Yes you're strange and your beautiful
When you hold you head up high in the middle of a fight
Rearrange and disable
The fear you hold inside in the middle of the night.

Show the world who you really are....

What If?

I often have the same thoughts on my mind. It's one of those things that I can't seem to shake mainly because I don't want to. I have dreams about them and I catch my mind wondering throughout the day back to the same thoughts, one in particular.

For a while, I've had this great idea of how something could be in my mind. It's like my heart and mind take over and start to plan out the way this certain situation should go. It's actually kind of great till I come back to the real world and realize somethings may never happen.

What do you do when you have a deep desire for something. You think about all the time and you know that you could make the biggest difference if only giving a chance. It's hard to just step back and let things play out knowing that you could lose that one thing that you're holding on to so tightly.

I know that people say "when you love something, let it go" but my response is usually "if you treasure something, invest in it!" Now my response may not agree with all the statistics and logics but, what if I could change that. What if for once, I didn't let go and I invested my time, my strength and my heart into this one thing?

Sure, the outcome could be pain. Sure, the outcome could be lose. But what if, just what if, the outcome was love!

Ask and Believe

"If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer."
~Matthew 21:24

Don't reduce this grand statement to the category of new cars and paychecks. Don't limit the promise of this passage to the selfish pool of perks and favors. The fruit God assures is far greater than earthly wealth. His dreams are much greater than promotions and proposals.

God wants you to fly. He wants you to fly free of yesterday's guilt. He wants you to fly free of tomorrow's grave. Sin, fear, and death. These are the mountains he has moved. These are the prayers He will answer. This is the fruit He will grant. This is what He longs for you.

"And the angels were silent."

Encouraging words from Manwell!

In a world fixated on so many superficial ideologies, I find myself in a crossroad of my life. I think of the many people who've gone in the opposite direction of their dream for the sake of security, money or even fear. For certain people, they felt like there was no other choice. There are mouths to feed, bills to pay, other responsibilities that force you to live the life you never intended on living. Then there are those of you who have a dream deep in you just dying to be birthed. Both persons are capable of reaching their dream! One might have a harder road in front of them with more obstacles, but both have it in them to reach their destiny. Think about your dream....I'm talking about those thoughts that you don't wanna tell anyone cause you're afraid that they'll laugh at you and say you can't do it. That dream that scares you to death, but at the same time gives you the best feeling you've ever had in your life. I encourage everyone of you who reads this to dream wildly, uncontrolled, passionately! There's nothing like walking on the waters of your dreams. God can make it happen... just trust.

Thoughtful Poem #2

You always wonder who you'll love and who you'll see
Most of all I wonder what we will be.

You're my Savior, My guiding light
And I definitely went down without a fight.

With you I feel so alive
I feel as if I have new life.

I stare at your car as you drive away
You know the words I want to say.

Scared to be with you, scared to be without
Don't give up on me don't count me out.

I'm walking around watching a dream
Things can't be as good as they seem.

I keep pushing to try and make you feel
That this feeling I'm feeling is so real.

Do you think you've found the one that fits you
I hope you see me and it hits you.

I want to call you on the phone
Just to tell you that you're not alone.

I know you're falling,I can see it in your eyes
Just let go, and I'm sure you'll be surprised.

Nobody can tell you what to be
And nobody can tell me what to say
The only thing I can do is stay...

And hope you fall in love with me!

Thoughtful poems

Over the next few days, my blog will dedicated to someone who used to write me the most thoughtful poems! I hope you read and enjoy...

In August, you came to my Rock Show
Truth be told, you had me at hello.
We kissed that night, and you made my world spin around
Now I'm on a high and I can't seem to come down.

In September, you made my birthday feel so right
And believe me, I'll never forget the special night.
We looked at the stars and I held you so
I made a wish that I never had to let you go.

In October, it was the State Fair
One hand in yours and the other through your hair.
Our love together was so brand new
Yet for some reason you knew exactly what to do.

In November, I decide to move out
And we kept on loving each other without a doubt.
You would come over and I would sing you to sleep
I would watch you without making a peep.

In December, it was Christmas time
I bought you diamonds, but not that kind.
For no, I didn't buy you a ring
But you looked so beautiful wearing those earrings.

In January, there was stormy weather
But nothing we couldn't get through.
We knew we loved each other too much
I would have surely went crazy without your touch.

February was the month for love
You're surely an angel sent from above.
I hope the rest are surely the same
with us together, and you speaking my name.

Simply Comforts

I saw a sign today that had the words "Simply Comfort" on it and it got me to thinking about what are the simply comforts in my life. This is one thing I don't often think about because I seem to be constantly concerned with the simply disappointments in my life. Well, today I'm going to take a little journey through the simply joys that remind me of great times, places and people!

I watched an episode of Dawson's Creek the other night(actually the whole third season) and they were sitting by the fire discussing memories that were triggered by a particular smell. Smells that brought back great thoughts and reminded then of the best times. These are simply comforts and here are just a few of the thousands in my life...

The smell of gas - Now I know this sounds strange but that smell reminds me of cold winter mornings on the way to middle school with my Mom and brother.

The smell of sausage - Reminds me of Christmas mornings where Daddy would make sausage and cheese balls while Brock and I watched the parade on Channel 10.

The smell of Kreme Kleanser - None of you have a clue what that is but if you worked a summer at Caswell this smell would remind you of Saturday mornings, making beds and sweeping porches.

The smell of Aberocrombie cologne - This smell reminds me of love.

The smell of fresh cut grass - Reminds me of Summer days and riding the lawn mower with my Daddy when I was like 5.

The smell of rain - Reminds me of running to class when it was pouring in college(countless times). Also, it reminds me of Summer thunderstorms and sitting under the lighthouse

You know, I could go on and on. These are simply comforts in my life...What are some in yours?

Kristen's Blog

I think all of you should go read my friend Kristen's blog!

Kristen's Blog

She is so great and I love her strong words and deep faith! I learn so much from her and I'm sure that each of you will too!

Moving Pictures

I told you I would have some pictures for you! Here are a few from our fun day of moving!


That couch is so heavy!

I have a lot of pillows, haha


Mal and I were watching Jonathan and Kyle lift stuff up the stairs


Not really sure what Kyle's doing!


Lunch at Fuddrucker's, yummy


You all should have been there:)

Move In Day

I must say I have moved a lot but I think this weekend Kyle and Jonathan won the contest for the fastest move in time! They moved all my furniture in to the house in like 25 minutes flat. It was remarkable. I'll have pictures for you soon!

We had a great time getting settled on Saturday. Mama and Diddy took all of us out for lunch and then they cooked us spaghetti for dinner! First home cooked meal on the first day in the house. Now that's how it should be:) We made a Target trip and Kyle was persist on getting all the necessities, haha! It was a day full of laughs, jokes and just an all around good time!

It was such a fun day and I'm glad I'm finally here. Let the decorating begin!!!

**Thanks Mama and Diddy for everything! Thanks Kyle and Jonathan for your manly lifting skills! Thanks Kim and Mal for everything!

not happy

All I have to say is I guess I'm not a Major issue! I know that doesn't make sense, but let's just say my feelings and pride were hurt today.

New Year's Eve 2007

New Year's Eve has always been labeled as the night you spend with that special someone ringing in the new year. There's something about being able to kiss or hug or just be with that one person you really care for! Well, that's all fun and romantic but what about for people who don't have that special someone in their life? How do we ring in the new year?

Last night I watched the ball fall from the comfort of my own bed. There was no one but me! When the clocked striked 12, there was no one there say Happy New Year or to kiss on the forehead or any of that great, magical stuff that comes with New year's Eve! Now, without sounded too bitter I must say I have had some great New Year's Eves in my life so I really have nothing to be bitter about!

I can think back to several New Year's Eves that were special... Here is my top 5 recaps to awesome year ends.

5. 1999-The New Year's Eve party in Jackson with Trina, Gray, Brad, Brian and about a hundred high school friends. We rang in the new year with lots of music, a few bottles of champagne and lots of laughes about the dumb things we did!

4. 2006-Spending New Year's at Amy and Butch's House. Janis, Joe, Me, Amy, Butch and several others made a feast and listened to 80s music until the clocked said 12.

3. 2002-The New Year's Eve bash at the old Attic in Greenville, NC. That was one of the best nights ever. We had fun New Year's crowns and cute martini glasses. There was an awesome band and we all danced till we couldn't dance anymore(basically till the club closed).

2. 2005- Spending my New Year's at the Edge conference. PJ, Aaron, Ryan, Josh, me and tons of Caswell friends gathered to hear some great bands, watch some extordinary magic and listen to the wise words of Craig Tackett. I'll also never forget that walk to the lighthouse!!

1. 2003- I will never forget the New Year's I spent skiing with my family and Brooks. It was by far the best New Year's ever. There are too many words to type out in order to fully express how great it was...just know that between Brooks, snowboarding and my niece, not much will top that New Year's Eve!

I wish that this year's New Year's would have made the list but it wasn't that special. But even though last night wasn't the magical, romantic night of the year, I must say 2007 was a fabulous year and I'm excited about 2008!

Happy New Year's:)

Look at my Boo Boo

So I had a rude awakening the other night while I was in Illinois. One of the BMX ramps fell on my leg while we were doing load in and I must say it HURT! Those ramps weigh like 200 pounds a piece. Definitely brought tears to my eyes.

Take a look at my battle wounds...

Yep the whole thigh is purple

It covers all the way around! Gross

Hopefully it will heal quickly!

Heels killed the competition

I'm proud of my boys! GO HEELS....No. 1

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Danny Green has made coming off the bench something of a show for top-ranked North Carolina this season.

First comes his gyrating dance moves from the Smith Center sideline just before tipoff. Then comes a solid all-around game that has made the Tar Heels deep and dangerous.

The junior matched his career-high with 20 points and sparked the decisive second-half spurt Sunday night to help North Carolina beat Valparaiso 90-58, keeping the Tar Heels rolling as they head into the final games of their nonconference schedule.

Tyler Hansbrough had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Tar Heels (13-0), who are off to their best start since winning 17 in a row to start the 1997-98 season.

With just one game left before opening Atlantic Coast Conference play at Clemson (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 21 AP), North Carolina has been repeatedly rolling up big-margin victories and cracking the 100-point mark in crowd-pleasing fashion. The Tar Heels eventually made this one look the same way despite blowing an early 17-point lead, putting the game away with a big second-half run sparked by their steady -- yet often overlooked -- producer off the bench.

Green, a 6-foot-6 junior, came in averaging 12.6 points despite starting just one game. But he finished 8-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-5 from 3-point range against the Crusaders (10-3), including four rebounds, five assists, three steals and four blocks in 20 minutes.

"As long as we keep winning and as long as we play well, I'm fine with it," Green said. "I don't need to start."

North Carolina's fans would probably prefer Green stays on the bench, if for no other reason than his pregame sideline antics.

With the rap song "Jump Around" playing over arena speakers just before every opening tip, Green has made a ritual of showing off his dancing to the cheers of the home crowd. His carefree moves had Ty Lawson and the rest of the starters watching and laughing from midcourt Sunday, while Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams and his assistants couldn't help but chuckle.

But when Green enters the game, he's been about as reliable as any other Tar Heel, scoring in double figures in all but three games this season.

"He's a big part of this team," Hansbrough said. "I'm not sure everybody overlooks him. We know how important he is for us."

Jarryd Loyd scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half to lead Valparaiso, which fell behind 13-0 and 19-2 early before fighting back to tie the game at 37 early in the second half. But the Tar Heels responded with a 27-2 run over 8 1/2 minutes, a stretch that Williams called "probably our best basketball of the year."

Green was at the center of the run, scoring 11 points and knocking down three 3s.

The Tar Heels also got key contributions from Deon Thompson (11 points, eight rebounds, career-high five blocks) and redshirt freshman Will Graves, who ended the spurt with a 3-pointer followed by a jumper from the left corner to make it 64-39 with 8:57 to play.

Graves finished with a season-high 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including 4-for-5 from behind the arc. Those performances offset an off day from starter Wayne Ellington (five points on 2-for-10 shooting) while Lawson had just six points.

"They needed to step up because we were trying to key a little more on Ellington and Lawson," said Valparaiso coach Homer Drew of Green and Graves. "They really shot the ball well and broke the game wide open."

North Carolina shot 51 percent and took a 47-31 rebounding advantage while holding the Crusaders to 11-for-32 shooting after the break.

It was North Carolina's first game without key reserve Bobby Frasor, who is out for the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee against Nevada. The injury robbed the Tar Heels of a versatile junior who can play either guard position, and North Carolina's depth at the point was further depleted because senior Quentin Thomas sat out with a sprained left ankle suffered in Friday's practice.

The injuries forced junior swingman Marcus Ginyard, the team's top individual defender, to spend time at the point behind Lawson.

Youth Encounter, FX Style

For the past two days, I have been in Springfield, Illinois for their annual YEC! This year they wanted something a little different so they brought in the Freedom Experience team. Well we definitely brought something different! The FX team was there and I must say we were on our A game.

We did three sessions, each lasting around three hours. It was incredible! Usually when we do these events we see about 80% un-churched, but his event was a little different. Because it was a youth conference, it was about 95% churched. But that didn't stop the Lord from doing what he does best. We still witnessed hundreds of kids get saved and re-dedicated their lives to the Lord. It's amazing how God uses this team of people to do his work.

The performance team for this event was Eleventyseven, Group 1 Crew, Outcast BMX, Pocket Full of Rocks, Tim Byrne and of course Brock Gill! We also brought an amazing work crew as well. That group consisted of Brad, Kyle, Greg, Brandon, Jacob, Gresham and I guess I would be included in this:) Without this team, nothing would go as planned!

We had an amazing time and witnessed some amazing things! Hopefully we can do it all over again next year!

Frustration sets in!

So what do you do when everything around you seems to be more than you can handle? You can never seem to catch up or catch a break! Times are trying and you feel like if one more person asks you for something, you will explode and yell when you don't mean to!

I'm at that point! You see, I'm that type of person that will give till I can't give anymore. I don't really expect much in return expect maybe a "thank you" or an "I appreciate that."But when you feel less than you're really worth, it just gets to you!

I saw a movie this past weekend that stated "you can change the world by just doing one act of kindness at a time." Now that's definitely a true statement but a some point it wears on you. It's hard to keep giving when there seems like there's no appreciation.

It's hard to imagine how Jesus felt when he gave everything and didn't expect anything in return. He gave and gave...most of the time to people who didn't believe in Him or love Him! But he did it with no whining or excuses! He did it.

How can I get to that point? How can we get to that point?

Christmas Moments!

Here are a few moments from Christmas!

Me and Heather under a huge tree

Murphy under the Christmas tree

Mama and Summer opening up some fun gifts!

These were just a few of the hundreds of pictures I took! For all of you that know me, you know that I take way too many pictures. Where there are moments...I'll be there with my camera:)

It's Christmas to Me!

The tree is all decorated and there are gifts underneath...
There's an angel on top and a beautiful wreath hanging on the door! The manger scence is set in place and smell of Christmas trees is in the air. I woke up to the smell of turkey this morning and to my dad working outside in the yard(trying to figure out how to get Mama's gift here without her knowing).

Oh, I love this time of the year because there is just something about being home for Christmas! I love visiting my aunt's house and getting to see all my cousins, who now have like three kids a piece, ha! I love watching my grandma open all her gifts and then telling everyone how she doesn't need any of them. I love seeing my niece all dressed up in some adorable Christmas outfit and watching her around dessert time, that's my uncle's favorite part too!

Christmas means a lot to me because it's the one time of the year where I can see some of my friends I graduated high school with. We all live in different states now and it's hard to get together. It's a time when I don't have to work and I can just sit back and relax. No phone calls, no waiting tables, no aggravating anything, just peace(except for the occasional fight with the sibling)!

I get to watch movies to my heart's constent, eat yummy food till I can't stand up and sleep till I absolutely have to get up! I can visit my old church and see how much the kids I used to babysit grew. I thank God for this season. I love this time of year!

What is your favorite part of Christmas?

Go Pirates

Check this out! Today was a good day to be a pirate!

ECU edges No. 24 Boise St. for first postseason win since 2000
HONOLULU (AP) -- Ben Hartman kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give East Carolina a 41-38 win over No. 24 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl on Sunday night.
Chris Johnson set an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards for the Pirates (8-5), who won their first postseason game since the 2000 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl.
Johnson rushed for 223 yards, caught three passes for 32 yards and returned six kickoffs for 153 yards. But he committed a costly fumble late that almost sent it to overtime.
With East Carolina trying to run out the clock near midfield, Marty Tadman scooped up Johnson's fumble and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown to tie it at 38 with 1:25 left.
The Pirates took possession at their 39 with 1:16 left and drove to the Broncos 17 to set up Hartman's kick.
The Pirates stormed the field in celebration and chased after Hartman, who dashed toward the locker room.

The ECU Pirates played an awesome game tonight to beat the Broncos in Hawaii! I had so much fun watching the bowl game with Janis, Joey, Don, Gray and few others! We sure did make a spectacle in CPW's! But who cares...GO PIRATES!!



How many of you watched the game?

Letting go

It's amazing how we continually say that we're going to let go of something and let God take control but then we continue to grasp so tightly to it that God can't even get a finger on it. Why are we so scared to let go of things that in the long run, won't matter?Do we hold on in hopes that something will change or someone's mind will take a different look? Do we hold on because we're scared to let go? What is the reason?

They say "when you love something, let it go, if it comes back to you it's yours." I haven't met one person that believes that or even practices that logic! When I love something I hold on tightly. I'm constantly worried that if it's out of sight then it will not be in my mind and I'll forget. I don't want to forget. I'm so worried about losing something or missing out on something, that I fight for it and often get hurt in the process.

I wonder if there's a way to let go of things and not hurt in the process. Like when you let go of dreams, jobs and relationships(whether it's a friend or a crush). There's always this pain. One that just aches and leaves you feeling incomplete. Is there a way to avoid all that? I wish I knew...

All I know, is letting go is hard to do!

11 hours later

Yesterday I made the drive from Nashville to Winton! It is a rather long drive and it seems to take a lot of gas to do it, ha! I was on the road for about 11 hours and I learned that I don't have enough songs on my Ipod!

Driving home, I began to think about everything that's going on in my life right now and I realized that there is a lot stuff I have to figure out. I was thinking about moving arrangements, job requirements, money and just the whole change in general. It's quite overwhelming. I also had a chane to talk to God a bit about my fears and the blessings that he has given me lately. I told him how scared I was about leaving my community of friends and my office of joy. Let's just say we had a lot of time to talk and I had a lot of time to listen.

One more thing, I was sad about missing out on some Cocoa Tree action last night. Those chocolate marshmellows and all the laughes will be missed more than anyone knows! Hope you all ate a marshmellow for me:)

my quote for the day

The only things that stays the same is everything changes!

my weekend

Today I am exhausted! I went home this weekend for my brother's graduation and I had a great time. Brock is now a college graduate and he is expecting to go back to school in the May to get his MBA. I am so proud of him and all that he has achieved so far! He is going to do some great things.

I also went to my Aunt's house this weekend for my Mom's side of Christmas. Every year we all get together to eat yummy food, exchange gifts and just catch up with one another. It was awesome. My grandma gave a special gift this year to all her grandchildren...it made my aunt and brother tear up! She had my granddaddy's wedding ring melted down and turned into six gold nuggets. It was such a surprise and it was very sentimental. I am the only grandchild that got to meet this wonderful man! This gift made such a huge impact and made us all stop and give thanks!

It was a great weekend and I'm so glad I was able to make it home for all the festivities.

I am exhausted though and I'm not sure if I'm going to make it through the rest of the day=(

Driving School

So I had to attend driving school tonight so that I could get my ticket dropped without effecting my insurance! What an experience that was, haha! There was quite a variety of people in that classroom and I honestly had a pretty good time (never thought I would say that).

So, the class was 4 hours long with 1 break that only lasted 15 minutes. They didn't let you bring in food or drink in so you can imagine that all of us were extremely hungry, or at least me! My stomach pretty much grumbled the whole time!

We talked about railroad crossings, emergency vehicles and basic driving stuff. I felt like I was 15 again taking driver's ed over. At one point we had to tell everyone why we were in the class. I explained how I was speeding to pass a truck and got pulled, nothing too great! This one girl had the most fascinating story though. She apparently rear ended Kanye West in Nashville and put a large dent in his Escalade. Now that's a good reason to be in driving school...way better than my story, haha!

Stage Presence

So a couple of weeks ago Wes(my co-worker) and I went to an event down in Atlanta called Youth Specialties! I'm sure that I wrote a blog about it already, so if you already knew I went this comes as no surprise!

Anyway while we were there, we saw some amazing concerts and hung out with some amazing people. One thing we were both fascinated with was the stage set up. It was incredible...so I wanted to share it with you!

I know that it may seem dumb to be fascinated with this but I guess my job has taught me to look at things like this, haha!

What A Party

Last night Brock and Auny threw the best Christmas party. Brock cooked his famous turkey and Auny cooked some yummy food that included her famous banana pudding which is the best in the world. They are quite the lovely hosts and everyone always loves going out the their house for fun and food.

Everyone arrived between 6:30 and 7:00 with sides, desserts and one gift for the gift exchange game! It was so great to sit around and have dinner with all my friends in one room. Our table had conversations about wedding cakes, dual shower heads and olives. Strange I know, but delightful! We laughed and just carried on because some of us hadn't seen each other in forever.

After dinner we played what some call White Elephant which is a gift exchange game. There are all sorts of rules like you can only trade three times and number one gets to chose anything at the end. I got some yummy chap stick and my roomies brought home sponge things, a Christmas decoration and some coffee I think! We followed up the night with some magic by no other than the amazing Brock Gill! You should have been there!

It was fun times and we created some funny stories to tell over and over:)

Atlanta visit

I just got home from such a great weekend. Have you ever had one of those relaxing weekends that just left you refreshed and feeling like yourself again? Well that's what I just experienced!

After an amazing week with my parents I set out on Friday for A-town(Atlanta). Kim and I packed the car and headed to visit some friends for two days. It was great just to hang out with absolutely no plans and nothing to do. We played in downtown with Kyle on Saturday. I laughed so much that my stomach hurt by the end of our adventure. After our fun filled day in the city we headed back to the house for naps, dinner and late night chats. I absolutely love talking to Lindsay! There is just something so peaceful about the way she explains things and I thankful to have her in my life.

Waking up to little kids screaming and dancing to Family Force 5 while jumping over their father's legs like a hurdle, now that's a sight, ha ha! Brad is so great with his boys. He loves those two so much. Have you seem those two adorable children? I"ll try to post some pictures of them soon!

I love Atlanta visits and I hope to visit them again soon:)

Choices

Life is about choices and with the choices that we make comes consequences that aren't always the the greatest on the heart. You could decide something that makes total sense one second but seems so hard the next! Why is it that in life we are always scared of making the wrong decisions that every decision we make seems to cause regret!

Choices should be easy like "I like chocolate ice cream therefore I will get some!" Or "this makes me happy therefore I will do it!" Yes those seem easy but somewhere along our path we have learned that we should analyze every detail of every choice we make just so we can explain it to others! Explaining it to others helps us to rationalize things and often change our minds. Why is that!

If I say "I like you despite where you are" then that's how I feel and I shouldn't allow others to change that choice. We all need to learn to make choices based on God and what we need for us not for what makes sense to everyone else!

The Rockettes at Orpy

Last night my parents and I went to see the Radio City Rockettes at the Grand Ole Opry! It was absolutely amazing. The Opry was decorated so beautifully with Christmas lights and wreaths. Now, I did feel like the youngest person there but it was still a great experience!

I still can't get over how those girls dance for that long without a break. I was exhausted just watching them but that's probably because I'm not in the best shape, ha! The stage set-up was incredible. They did everything from The Nutcracker to Rock 'n Roll Santa. The recreation of the Nativity that was the best I have ever seen! It was such a powerful portrayal of Jesus' birth.

If you haven't seen this show you need to go!

God Sees All

Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
~Psalm 147:5

Some years ago a friend of mine was standing on top of a mountain in North Carolina. The roads in those days filled with curves, and it was very difficult to see very far ahead. This man saw two cars heading toward each other. He realized they couldn't see each other. A third car pulled up and began to pass one of the cars, although there wasn't enough space to see the other car approaching around the bend. My friend shouted out a warning, but the drivers couldn't hear, and there was a fatal crash.
This is how God looks upon us in His omniscience. He sees what has happened, what is happening and what will happen. He also sees us when we foolishly think we can get by with breaking His moral laws, or we act out of sinful pride or lust or anger. Like the man on that mountain, He shouts His warnings at us-but we are too busy or too stubborn to listen.
God sees the whole picture. He knows what is best for us and He knows what will destroy us. Don't think your way is better than His, but listen to His Word-and obey.
~Billy Graham

God knows how our lives will turn out. Every person's life is like a book! If you skip to ending you would miss out on the greatest story ever. God knows the ending but we may only be in Chapter 4. If we listen to Him, our story will end according to His plan!

Today's adventure

Today I went on a fun little journey to The Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville! It was for the NAMB conference which is an annual thing where all the big whigs from the 50 states come together to learn more about reaching their state. I had a fantastic time hanging out with some familiar faces like Merrie Johnson, Doug Couch, Scott Kindig and Tim Binns.
I guess I never realized how much people remember me from past events. It was great to walk into a room and be greeted with genuine faces and sweet smiles. One aspect of my job is to get to know people. For the past year I have gotten to know some pretty great people from all over the United States. It makes me feel good that God is using me to make an impact all over...What a great feeling!

Tourist attractions

So I've been MIA for the past few days because my family is in Nashville and we have been taking in all the attractions! My sweet Heather came to visit as well and I was so thrilled! I have lived here for a year and I have never experienced what being a tourist is all about, ha. People actually come to this city as a vacation and there is really more stuff to do than dinner and movies.

I walked down Broadway in the evening and saw all the live music as well as the people playing on the side of the street. We went to the Ryman to see the Grand Ole Opry show. It was so great! Vince Gill and Diamond Rio performed along with many others. We also went to one of the restaurants downtown which actually had really good food!

I kind of enjoyed being a tourist for a few days, ha!

Our love was good

Our love was good
and our love was right
and i don't regret it
no, not a single night
because i knew you
now i know of.
and i know that, i want more of..

the thing that poets right about
the thing that singers sing about
the thing that flowers bloom for
the thing that stars shine for
the thing that babies laugh for
the thing that jesus died for
the thing that winners wait for
the thing that trees reach for
the thing that addicts stop for
the thing that widows die for
the thing that proud are humbled for
the thing that lonely are looking for
the thing that made me come alive
the thing that made me realize
that love is the most beautiful thing
that anyone can happen to

and i know that
because i knew you
and for that
i say thank you
and i'm bitter
and i'm not mad
i'm just thankful
for the times we had
so this is farewell
this is good bye
i know you're a girl
but you don't have to cry

because our love was good
and our love was right
and i don't regret it
no not a single night
so good bye
my love.
good bye
my love
..goodbye

~Bradley Hathaway

Data Entry

So for the past three days I have been entering in contact information from an event we did last weekend called Youth Specialties. I have learned that data entry is definitely not a field I want to go in to!

All I have done for the past three nights is sit and stare at my computer screen. The numbers start to run together and all the names start to look the same! My right leg keeps falling asleep and I swear I've developed this annoying nail taping thing inbetween typing.

I have started to think about each one of these people individually and I feel as if I have 900 new friends in the world because I have been staring at their information over and over, haha!

Basically I want to say thank you to the people who do this for a living so that I don't have to!

I want a hug

There's something about a hug that makes you feel so much better. It must be the embrace when someone wraps their arms around you that just makes you feel perfect. You can almost feel how much they care and every part of you seems to get the tingles.

I can remember hugs that took my breath away because of the feeling that took place inside my soul when I was enveloped by another. It's a warm feeling that takes over your thoughts sends chills that raise the hair on your arms.

Now I know you're thinking to yourself, A hug? Can a hug really do all that? You must be describing a kiss. But I'm not!

A hug brings joy to my heart, especially when the person scoops you up in a big bear hug and doesn't let go until you're ready!

You see there was this moment...I can remember standing there with my face nestled into his chest, he was so warm and for that moment I felt protected and loved. It was the best feeling and I miss it!

What I wouldn't give for a hug like that again.

Celebrating, Tennessee style

I ate way too much food!

The past two days have been so amazing between the food and the fellowship! On Thursday our whole group prepared a feast which included everything from turkey to cranberry sauce. We went all out and let me say, "It was absolutely delicious!"

We had quite the gathering as well. So far I've seen Manwell, Pablo, Blanca, Jonathan, Kelly, Amber, Clay, Kara, Steffy, Kyle, Lucas, Brock, Auny + all my roomies. The fun doesn't stop there! Today Kristen and Matt are coming into town for another fun filled day.It's always so great when all your friends come to town to celebrate the holidays!!

I have so many funny stories like dancing to Group 1 Crew around the bonfire to breaking and cutting down limbs for the fire... I'll just show you some of the moments!

This was the amazing spread we had. Look at all that food!



Jonathan and Brock trying to break that limb. We had to get the saw out on that one.



Don't we look cute by the fire and all in our vests, ha!





I'll have more tomorrow! How was your Thanksgiving???

Thanksgiving away from home!

There are just somethings that take time to get used to and then some things that will never bring you peace. This year is the first year that I won't spend Thanksgiving with my Mom and Dad. I'm sad that tomorrow I won't wake up to Mama cooking way too much food and Daddy working on some project in the garage with Brock. This is something I don't think I can get used to. Time away from your family makes you understand how great the times are that you did get to send with them. Oh how I'll miss the lemon pie and baby hugs from Summer...the decorating of the Christmas tree and just hanging out in the den till late in the evening. Basically, I'm gonna miss home tomorrow!!!

I will be spending Thanksgiving with a family. My Nashville family! We are going over to Brock's house for some amazing turkey and fellowship. Although it will never compare to Thanksgiving at home, I think that I'm in for a good time!

Do you have Thanksgiving plans??

Psalm 17

Psalm 17

A David Prayer

Listen while I build my case, God, the most honest prayer you'll ever hear.
Show the world I'm innocent—
in your heart you know I am.

Go ahead, examine me from inside out,
surprise me in the middle of the night—
You'll find I'm just what I say I am.
My words don't run loose.

I'm not trying to get my way
in the world's way.
I'm trying to get your way,
your Word's way.
I'm staying on your trail;
I'm putting one foot
In front of the other.
I'm not giving up.

I call to you, God, because I'm sure of an answer.
So—answer! bend your ear! listen sharp!
Paint grace-graffiti on the fences;
take in your frightened children who
Are running from the neighborhood bullies
straight to you.

Keep your eye on me;
hide me under your cool wing feathers
From the wicked who are out to get me,
from mortal enemies closing in.

Their hearts are hard as nails,
their mouths blast hot air.
They are after me, nipping my heels,
determined to bring me down,
Lions ready to rip me apart,
young lions poised to pounce.
Up, God: beard them! break them!
By your sword, free me from their clutches;
Barehanded, God, break these mortals,
these flat-earth people who can't think beyond today.

I'd like to see their bellies
swollen with famine food,
The weeds they've sown
harvested and baked into famine bread,
With second helpings for their children
and crusts for their babies to chew on.

And me? I plan on looking
you full in the face. When I get up,
I'll see your full stature
and live heaven on earth.

Girl's Day Out

Today was such a wonderful day! I had the day off because I worked all weekend in Atlanta. For the first time since I moved here, my three roommates and I went out to lunch and just enjoyed hanging out. We went to this great little place called Dumplins in downtown Franklin. It was so great to just sit and spend time with each other. We laughed and talked about lots of different situations in our lives. After a fabulous lunch Kim and I took pictures in the leaves. Our yard is completely covered with orange and yellow speckles. It's so pretty, we couldn't resist taking pictures...

Days off are like little blessings from above. I love being able to sleep in and enjoy the day instead of worrying about traffic, emails and headaches. I need more days like today!

My silly puppies

I miss my sweet puppies....

This is Cambi and she is my sweet girl. I've had her for going on six years now and she was the best addition to my family ever. She has the greatest personality and makes me smile whenever I am sad. I wish she lived in Tennessee with me everyday.





This is Arley and she is my baby girl. She is the baby of the family and has brought so much fun since I got her. She loves to play and has such an energetic spirit. She makes my heart happy and I wish she was here to make me laugh.

Aren't they precious?!

YS Day 3

Today was another full day of work at Youth Specialties. I feel as if I have talked to thousands of people about Vertical Ministries and our passion for reaching the lost. I think I finally understand why some speakers lose their voice after speaking at several events. Wes and I both woke up with scratchy throats today.

The Superwow booth decided to display the Georgia/Kentucky game today during our break. It was so much fun to just sit and watch football with friends, especially considering we were in the middle of a HUGE congress center, ha! It was great. Family Force 5 played at the late night session tonight and we rocked out with them to top off our wonderful day.

I've had so much fun this weekend and I'm a little sad that tomorrow is the last day!

Here is a picture of our booth...

Pretty nice, huh?

Youth Specialties

So my voice is kind of slipping away because I have been talking for two days straight at the Youth Specialties event in Atlanta. Wes and I arrived yesterday and immediately began or session. We are here to promote Vertical and all of our ministers.

So far we have had a blast, besides being exhausted. We were up at 6:00 AM today in order to make through Atlanta traffic. I only about 4 hours of sleep so I was dragging a bit around lunch time.

I've run into quite a few friends while being here...Chris Norris, David Gantt, Jennifer Lynch and a few Superwow staff members. It's been great to see everyone and to catch up with the few I haven't seen in years.

Tomorrow we should be better rested because we don't have to start until 12:30 PM! Yay for sleeping in:)

Family Force 5

I went to the Family Force 5 concert tonight at Rocketown and it was amazing as always! I never get tired of seeing those guys. They have so much energy and personality on stage that you just get sucked in to dancing the whole show!

We had a pretty big crew with us tonight and every single person danced until the last song was over. All I got to say is "Ugly people put your hands down..." haha!

I wish all of you could have been there to experience what we did.

Silly moments

For some reason I get a British accent whenever I'm in a hammock! Not sure why but this video of Emily and me makes me laugh every time I watch it.



We act so silly sometimes!

Colors

While riding back from the Atlanta area today, I stared out the window at the beautiful colors scattered across the wooded areas. There were reds, yellows, oranges, greens and browns. It looked like God picked up a paint brush and carefully painted this picture of beauty and wonder.

I was thinking about each color and what I felt when I looked at them. Yellow brought me a since of joy because it makes me think of golden rays of sunshine. I love how the warm sun feels on my face in the middle of the summer and those yellow leaves took me back.

Orange makes me think of the music in my head. I think of vibrant lyrics and beautiful voices singing. I can remember when I was young, singing softly while sitting under my favorite tree in the fall. It was a pine tree and I always sat there when I needed time to think and reflect.

The red leaves made me think of caution and warning. Sometimes I have all these great ideas in my mind and all these changes that I would like to make but I know I should stop and think. Ask for direction instead of taking the path I want for myself.

Brown leaves make me think back to all the people I have known and have passed along my journey. Makes me miss my Grandma and remember the amazing things she shared and taught me along the way.

The green leaves make me think of life. Possibly a new life. After being in Corpus Christi and seeing thousands of people being born again, green makes me remember them.

Fall is the most beautiful season in my opinion. I love the chilly weather and the magnificent colors. What do the colors mean to you?

My roomie Emily

I don't know if all of you know this but, I have a fantastic roommate named Emily. She makes me laugh and she has always been there when I needed someone to talk to! Emily is an amazing woman of God and teaches me more and more each day. She has a heart for service and just loves on people.

We share a room here in Nashville and we have had many late night talks about Jesus. She makes my heart happy and I am glad she is in my life!





All smiles!




We were in a cocoon... we emerged beautiful butterflies:)




I love this girl!

Night Three

I can't really explain how amazing this week has been! No words could ever be enough to tell all of you how God showed up. We saw over 11000 people this week and over 1300 people made decisions for Christ! How amazing is that....

God showed up and to Him be all the Glory!

Night Two

I'll sum up night two in a few bullet points for you...

*Over 4000 in attendance

*One incredible outreach

*Over 400 decisions for Christ

*One amazing God

Tonight was not about words, songs or tricks. Tonight was about God!

Thanks God

Night One

God showed up! In a huge way...

Tonight was the first night of FX and we saw a crowd of over 1500 people! That's big for a first night. I recognized some faces from the schools we visited today. It was so great to watch these kids enjoy themselves.

But the most amazing thing was the number of decisions that were made tonight. Over 350 people dedicated their lives tonight. What an amazing sight to see kids and adults flood the aisles just to learn more about Jesus.

It was truly an amazing experience!

A Broken City

We have arrived!

Today after some extensive travel, we arrived in Corpus Christi, TX! Our team came in from all over the United States and we are geared up and ready for what God is going to do this week. Satan has already started his attack but we are going to keep pushing through because we have a mission. A mission to share this great love! A love that is so pure and so strong that it can mend broken hearts and heal broken spirits.

I met a man in the airport today named Marty. He is from Corpus Christi and he was telling me all about this broken city. He said that only 10% of the population here is churched. The pregnancy rate and high school drop out rate is extremely high. Middle school girls are having not one, but two babies between the ages of 13-16.

God has brought us to this city for a purpose and I am so excited about watching Him move. Please pray for us as we go into battle against a city that desperately needs the love of Jesus Christ!

On the road again...

"On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again"...

We leave for Corpus Christi, TX tomorrow and I am super excited! The chaos begins and God is going to move like never before! This Freedom Experience is going to be the biggest one this year...

We are hoping to see over 10,000 people this week. We're bringing in all the big guns this week with Group 1 Crew, Eleventyseven, Outcast BMX, Boarders For Christ, Team Faith Motorcross and of course, Brock Gill!

I can't wait to get on that plane tomorrow:)

Look for pictures and God stories in the next few days!!

Office Fun

This is what we do when we get bored in the office, haha!



I love that puppet:)

Happy Halloween

A night dedicated to fun costumes, sweet candy and being silly! I used to love getting all dressed up and heading downtown Greenville for a crazy night with all my friends. It was the biggest event of the year.

This year, I decided I would dress up as a soccer player but for some reason I never actually put the costume on! Haha...sucks getting old!

So what did you dress up as for Halloween??

Relentless

I witnessed this absurd act today at a local restaurant that took me back to my waitressing days. One thing I know is that sometimes people have a way of making days worse than they already are.

Kim and I went to Backyard Burger today for some yummy food. While we were there, these two ladies and one fellow came in with attitudes from the start. I felt really bad for waiter who was obviously having a really hard day. The three people placed their order and somehow the order got all mixed up. I believe one of the burgers had a tomato on it when it was ordered without it. The lady threw a fit and started yelling. She stated several times that she wasn't going to pay for her food and that it was ridiculous that they got her order wrong!

Honestly, how hard is it to take off a piece of tomato. It blows my mind how rude and relentless people are especially when all they want is something for free!I think that everyone should take a class in college on how hard it is to work in the restaurant business! It would definitely change some people's minds and hearts when they realize what waiters and waitresses have to put up with!

OK venting session over:)

Homecoming, ECU Style

I went home this weekend and I had the greatest time ever! I wish I could type out all the details but it would be the longest blog ever! Here are the highlights...

Seeing my parents and getting to hug them
Staying with Janis and Joe
Starlight Cafe and strawberries
ECU killing UAB
Yummy CPW's( which I miss all the time)
TKE sober drivers
Running into all of my sorority sisters in 519
Catching up with an amazing guy
Losing my license in 4th Street
Janis wanting to fight the girl in 4th Street, haha
Hugging my favorite Kristen
Haivng a heart to heart with Jarrod
Couch swap with Mike
Seeing the Johnson's
Boston winning the World Series
Making Pookie look at all 2200 picture on my computer
Eating Parker's BBQ
Just being home

I could go on and on... but instead, I'll show pictures!

You all should have been there!

Photo Shoot

So my friends Natasha, Kim and I decided to do a photo shoot this past weekend. And what better placed to make memories, than downtown Nashville!

Here are a few:

It was so much fun to be silly and capture moments:)

Going home

I'm leaving on a jet plane, I don't know when I'll be back again....

I'm going home tomorrow and I'm super excited! I get to see my parents and friends for three days and I'm not really sure what could top it! You never really know how much you miss something till it's not around anymore! I miss home!

Can't wait to land in Raleigh, NC:)

My doctor's visit

So I've had some pretty traumatic experiences lately but yesterday just took it all! I laugh now but yesterday, not so much!

I went to another doctor yesterday because I had been on meds since Friday and my ear infections were not getting any better. They were actually getting worse, so I needed a second opinion. Well, I went to this amazing lady in Cool Springs who took one look into my ears and told me they were beyond infected(not good). So she told me she was going to give me a shot of antibiotics and she was going to give me a new prescription which would clear everything up quickly! I love quick recoveries!

Well, they gave me this shot in my hip, which I hate shots! From the second she injected me which this medicine, I became light headed and I had to lay down. It only got worse from there. After 15 minutes of laying in the patient room, the doctor told me I was fine to go. As I walked to the front desk, I became very nauseous and I dropped to my knees because my head was so light.

So, to speed the story up, I threw up in a trash can while all the nurses watched then I laid on the cold bathroom floor in agony for 30 minutes from stomach pains. My 20 minute doctor visit turned into a two hour drama!

Lesson learned, DON"T get shots!

Cleansing

This amazing lady in my life said something to me the other day that has been stuck in my mind...

She was telling me a story about a tough time in her life when she was so low she found herself screaming out to God, "God why are you letting me drowned like this?" She knew that I had been struggling lately. In was in that moment when she cried out to God, at her lowest point when He spoke to her and said, " I am not letting you drowned, I am cleansing you!"

WOW!

Sometimes when God is teaching and cleansing us, it's when we are hitting rock bottom with no one but him to turn to. He cleanses the filth and sin from our lives so that He can rebuild us...from the bottom up!

REFRESHING, huh?

We're going to the World Series!

Tonight the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians to advance them to the World Series! I am super excited and I'm not even going to lie, I jumped up and down with my Sox hat on when the final catch was made. This was just what I needed to bring a smile back to my face!

Now if only there was a way to get tickets to the game at Fenway, haha!

GO SOX:)

My ears hurt...

Not in much of a writing mood tonight!

I've had a rough couple of days between tragedy and ear infections!

Have you ever had an ear infection? I think it's the worst pain ever. I have inner ear infections in both ears and enough medicine to cure cancer. All I want is to wake up tomorrow and feel 100 times better than today! I want my ears to be healed and my heart to not be broken.

Let's pray for that!

a lost treasure

When tragedy enters my life, I find it easy to write words to comfort me. I wrote this tonight for a friend that I will miss.

His face was so genuine and his eyes were so sincere.
He seemed to have this gentle spirit that remain pure and dear.

His love for youth was compelling and his heart for God beamed true
His love for sports was overwhelming and you could see it with every clue.

Laughter can ease the hurt and pain and he was great at creating true fun
I wish that time would take me back to that place that seemed so undone.

How can I create the words to describe this amazing yet quiet man
I never got the chance to know him or listen to his future plans.

His path has abruptly ended and the reason seems so unclear
I question things more and more with every single tear.

I pray that he is safe and that he is resting without the pain
I pray that God is with him, possibly watching a Colorado football game.

You will be missed and treasured! You have pierced our hearts with love
You taught us about true joy and you will continue to do so from Heaven above!

I know I don't reveal a name or any type of detail, but if you could pray for peace and healing, it would mean the world to some heartbroken people tonight!

Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
~Timothy 2:3

Purpose

Your touch can cause the skin to tingle as it trickles to the soul.
Your chocolate eyes can melt the heart but still I sense the cold.

My mind was simply captured and you seemed locked in from the moment that we met,
But now your heart seems to change faster than the colors of the sunset.

Can you see me? The person that you were intrigued to see?
Are you craving moments and dreams or has that addiction turned to sympathy?

I don't want your pity, I've seen it too many times before!
I don't want your comforting words, I'd rather you just close the swinging door.

Your excuses are redundant and you never seem to compromise.
Wait, I take that back! You showed a bit of mercy because of my tear filled eyes.

They say that words a cheap and that time will heal the pain
But advice is so damn costly when you don't understand the game.

One day you will have struggles. One day you will have hardships.
You'll see a cookie cutter world where all is made of plastic.

A regret may come and linger or it may not ever surface
But maybe you will think of me and understand my purpose!

Needtobreathe video

You have to check out this video! If you like Needtobreathe, you'll love it. For everyone who hasn't heard of them, for whatever reason that is, I just want to inform you that this video was created by Daniel Rankin from East Carolina University!



ECU grads are amazing:)

Galatians 6:7

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

~Galatians 6:7( The Message)

Crying makes it better!

Have you ever felt better after a good cry?

I must say that today, my world was completely different after I let tears flow from my eyes. You see, I have had a bunch of things piling up on me for a few months now and I've tired really hard to be strong by fighting back the tears and emotions. Today I couldn't fight it anymore! As those little tear drops were running down my cheeks, I began to feel a sense of relief, a sense of vulnerablility and a sense of just letting go!

What I let go of I'm not too sure yet, but even if I only let go of bottled up emotion, I'm glad I did!

Humm, who knew crying would make things better...

Wonder

Why is it that wonder always seems to capture the soul. It seems that there is always something to wonder about.
I wonder where I'll eat lunch today? I wonder if my family is happy today? I wonder if today will be a pretty good day or an awesome day. We all do it! We all have this sense of wonder built in to our every being.

The dictionary describes the word wonder in three different ways...

The first being a verb stating that wonder is the quality of exciting amazed admiration.

The second is a noun. It describes wonder as a cause of astonishment or admiration, giving the example... miracle!

The third is an adjective and it describes wonder in two ways. "A rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience" and then gives an opposite stating " a feeling of doubt or uncertainty."

Now when I think about the word wonder, I think about all the times throughout my days that I think about things. The things I want to happen. The things I don't want to happen. I wonder if I'll succeed? i would if God is pulling me in this direction? I wonder if I'm obeying? I wonder if I'll meet "THE ONE" tomorrow or if I've already met him and he'll realize it tomorrow? These are consisitant. Consistant feelings, concerns, fears, hopes, dreams, admirations...They're just constant! A constant wonder.

I did it!

I have been wanting a different look for a few weeks now because my hair was pretty uneven. I just haven't been happy with it so today i fixed that problem! i chopped it all off...and I mean all!

Take a look...





So is it me or not???

Sleepy!

I am soooooo tired!

I think I will go to sleep:)

night night

What's so great about North Carolina...

I know I tend to talk about home way to much, but seriously, it's an amzing place!!!

Things that I miss about the amazing place I call HOME...

Cotton fields that you can run and play in
The smell of cut grass and the blades sticking to bare feet
Going fishing on the weekends
Playing softball in the summertime
Getting dirty for no apparent reason
Bojangles

Being only a few miles from the beach
Being only a few hours from Caswell
The smell of salt in the air and the beach breeze
Eating Burger King on the tailgate in the parking lot
Laying under the stars for hours
Hanging out at yam's house
Sunsets on the beach




Chasing lightening bugs in the cool fall weather
Watching the huge oak tree at ECU turn from red to orange to yellow
Eating a CPW's with Janis and Joe every week
Downtown Greenville on Halloween
101 Rotary
My puppy Cambi




Being able to drive home for day trips
Watching Summer play in the hot tub
Christmas shopping with Mama every weekend in November and December
Going to eat dinner with Daddy in the big town of Ahoskie
Yard Sales with Grandma
Mama's food (that's a big one)

I guess there are lots of things I miss! I wish...well I'll just leave it as I wish...

Yield

Think about the word "Yield!"
I know that's not a word that comes up in everyday conversation, unless you are slowing down at a yield sign or you are frustrated because people are yielding instead of merging on the interstate. But just think about that word and what comes to mind when you hear it. I think about slowing down just long enough to see past the small tree blocking my view on the road I'm about to enter on to. To some people this word may bring another picture to mind.

The word "yield," according to Billy Graham has two meanings. On one hand it means "to relinguish or abandon," on the other hand it means "to give." It goes in line with Jesus' words from Matthew 10:39, "He who loses( or abandons) his life...will find it."
Those who submit to the will of God do not fight back at life. They learn the secret of yielding-relinguishing or abandoning- their own lives and wills to Christ. Then He gives back a life that is far richer than anything every imagined.

That's what I need to do...slow down, pause, abandon and just yield to God!

Dorks...

We are such dorks!

Mal and I always find something fun in Atlanta:)

Nature Helps

I had a such a wonderful day today! I was able to sleep in, which always makes a good start.

I met Mal and Carmen for lunch and then we went on a little nature walk! It was so great to just escape everything and see the beauty that God created. We saw several deer walking among the trees and one gorgeous cardinal hopping from branch to branch. Sometimes walking around and just talking helps you remember how great life can be.

It's the simple things that help to ease stress and calm your nerves. It's the laughter that makes your heart forget the pain. It's the friends that make everything come together, create the funny moments and cause you to have fun!

Today was just what I needed!

I want to dance

Oh to dance on the pier one more time...

...that would be so great.

I wish Summer was here again!!!

Something so special...

Tonight I opened up one of my old Bibles and found something that truly brightened my day!
Last summer one of my best friends gave me a sweet note that said...

"I just wanted to tell you that I have so much faith in you Scoot! You can do it. Believe it in your heart. I know I do."
Love you Scoot, Ryan

"Close your eyes and just believe"

He drew a picture of me playing guitar in front of a whole room of stick figures, haha!!!
It's notes like this that make my heart smile! I'm glad I found that sweet memory.

Psalm 143

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

O LORD, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.

Do not bring your servant into judgment,
for no one living is righteous before you.

The enemy pursues me,
he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.

So my spirit grows faint within me;
my heart within me is dismayed.

I remember the days of long ago;
I meditate on all your works
and consider what your hands have done.

I spread out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Selah

Answer me quickly, O LORD;
my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me
or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD,
for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life;
in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

God please help me to get through this rut in my life!
Show me what is out there waiting for me and open up a door to happiness.