Refreshing my soul

There is something about crossing the North Carolina line that just brings a peaceful feeling to my soul. My heart gets all warm and fuzzy because I always know that when I cross that line, I'm about to see people that bring pure joy to my life.

This weekend that feeling trickled in as I made my way to Gardner Webb University to see some of my favorite people. What a feeling!! As I stepped out of my car into the chilly, fresh air I felt so peaceful and happy. When Kristen opened her house door, I smiled so BIG and I can honestly say I had that smile on my face the entire weekend! You know how some people find comfort in food, well I find comfort in my friends...my true friends! I miss them everyday and I embrace every moment that I get to spend with them.

Things that made the weekend great:

Getting to hug Downey
Seeing Brett smile
Watching scary movies while Kristen played with my hair
Sitting by the bonfire with Rannon, Joey, David and Stephen discussing life
Watching Deborah marry the love of her life
Singing Dave Barnes with Jenni, Craig, Stephen and Chad in front of the Mexican place
Sunday lunch fellowship
Taking pictures with Heather
Discussing a love for jeans with Tiff
Just relaxing and enjoying life

Two more weeks guys and we'll be back together again! Counting down the days:)

Here's a few pictures from the weekend...

Self-Disipline

God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid but a spirit of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

God wants you to develop a self-discipline that pushes you to do things, even as others are giving up. So how can we go about doing that?

Well here are a few key expressions of self-discipline presented to me by Rick Warren:

People with self-discipline master their moods. They live by their commitments, not their emotions. People who do the right thing even when they don’t feel like it accomplish most of what gets done in the world! “A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls” (Proverbs 25:28).

People with self-discipline watch their words. They put their minds in gear before opening their mouths. “He who guards his lips guards his life” (Proverbs 13:3).

People with self-discipline restrain their reactions. How much can you take before you lose your cool? “If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it” (Proverbs 19:11).

People with self-discipline stick to their schedule. If you don’t determine how you will spend your time you can be sure that others will decide for you! “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility … Make the best use of your time” (Ephesians 5:15–16).

People with self-discipline manage their money. They learn to live on less than what they make and they invest the difference. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went! “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets” (Proverbs 21:20).

People with self-discipline maintain their health. That way they can accomplish more and enjoy their achievements. “Every one of you should learn to control his body, keeping it pure and treating it with respect” (1 Thessalonians 4:4).

The disciplines you establish today will determine your success tomorrow. But it takes more than just willpower for lasting self-discipline. It takes a power greater than yourself: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

So the more I accept God’s control over my life, the more self-control he gives me! That's awesome!

A little twinkle

My DOVE chocolate wrapper said...

"Make Your Eyes Twinkle"

...how cute is that:)

Trustee vs. Truster

Trust is both important and dangerous! Let me tell you why...

It is important because it allows us to form relationships with others and to depend on others—for love, for advice, for help when our car breaks down, or what have you—especially when we know that no outside force (ex. the law) compels them to give us such things. Trust always involves the risk that the trusted person (we'll call them the “trustee”) will not pull through for the trusting person (we'll call them the “truster”). If the truster could guarantee that the trustee would pull through, then the truster would have no need to trust that person. The truster therefore cannot assume, while trusting, that the trustee will do what s/he is trusted to do because the trustee has no legitimate choice in the matter. Since people often can choose whether to pull through for us, we often need to trust them...WOW that was a mouthful and a half...Ok let's keep going!

But since trust necessarily involves risk, it can also be dangerous. What we risk while trusting is the loss of the things that we entrust to others, including our self-respect, perhaps, which can be shattered by the betrayal of our trust. Because trust is risky and can be dangerous, the following question is of particular importance: “Under what conditions is trust justified?”

Now to save myself from having to go into a completely boring philosophical answer, I am going to just put my own little spin on things...

I am that girl that will open up to anyone! I would tell the wall all my secrets if I knew he was listening. I feel as if meeting new people is a chance to learn a new story and to see how our stories are similar or different. I tend to be very trusting and I can usually sense when a friendship is about to blossom, well I used to be a good judge of that, until recently. So justifying trust is going to be hard to think about but here is my solution...

Love all, trust a few.
~William Shakespeare

What do you think? Under what conditions is trust justified?

Bon Qui Qui

I was introduced to this video about two months ago and it still makes me laugh and smile every time I watch it...



MADTV is hilarious!

Materialistic

I try not to be too materialistic because I know that life isn't about what you have, but right now I am super excited about a purchase I made...which is gonna make me sound very materialistic!

Last week I purchased a pair of absolutely amazing boots, spent a ridiculous amount of money and didn't think twice about it! Well today they arrived...


And they are still just as amazing as last week when I purchased them. Now I must find the perfect outfit to go with them!

Kristen, aren't they perfect...I told you that you would love them:)

Roommate Date night

Whenever I'm having a really hard time or I'm a little down in the dumps, hanging out with someone who is a true friend always makes it better. Tonight was one of those times!

Mallori and I decided to have a roommate night because we rarely see each other. We have such similar lives/pasts and most of the time when I'm going through something, she's been through it already and has some pretty great advice about how to handle it. Tonight was just that...good advice along with a new episode of the Hills and of course 99 cent banana splits from Sonic...


Who could ask for anything more!

He Is Your Life

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It's because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn't long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it's all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

~Colossians 3:1-17 (The Message)

Can I get a Break?

Could I just get a break?

You know just every once and a while?

I mean for real...does everything have to go sour all at the same time? For once I wish that all the struggles, let down, heartache and worries would cease to exist. I wish that when people said something, they meant it and when things were supposed to happen, they would.

That's not too much ask is it?

I'm so numb and tired. Tired of being excited about something that never seems to come through. Tired of getting my hopes up over something that could have been avoided in the first place. Tired, Tired Tired!

I just need a break!

And while I break, I will listen to this song over and over...

Incompatible, it don't matter though
'cause someone's bound to hear my cry
Speak out if you do
You're not easy to find

Is it possible, Mr. Loveable
Is already in my life?
Right in front of me
Or maybe you're in disguise

[Chorus]
Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Here we are again, circles never end
How do I find the perfect fit
There's enough for everyone
But I'm still waiting in line

[Chorus]
Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

If there's a soulmate for everyone

[Bridge]
Most relationships seem so transitory
They're all good but not the permanent one

[Chorus]
Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone

Who doesn't long for someone to hold
Who knows how to love you without being told
Somebody tell me why I'm on my own
If there's a soulmate for everyone
If there's a soulmate for everyone
~Nastasha Bedingfield

Rocking the black at Catalyst 08

After missing the Drive Conference and Passion this year, I finally got to attend a much anticipated event! My gracious two bosses let me leave early from work to catch the last half of day one of Catalyst '08. What I love the most about these events is the diversity. I saw youth pastor wear, gothic attire, preppy sweater vests, holey jeans, chained wallets, blue and purple hair and eye brow rings. Imagine that, people who look different but love Jesus:) I can't get enough of it!!!

I was definitely taken back by how many people were in the Gwinnett Center...

It definitely made me miss the events I used to be involved with.

It was an awesome experience! I met up with some great people, listened to an amazing speech, heard my friends Chrystina and Eddie rock out, attended a blogger dinner, witnessed some magic and did it all while rocking the black finger nail polish. Guess I proved that the color on your nails doesn't effect your communication or networking skills.

WOW...who knew!

The Dancing Outlaw

I've seen a lot of crazy films in my day but I believe the one I watched last night tops them all. Jen and I went to visit my friends Ben and Evan last night over in the metropolis of Woodstock. It's always great to see those two because they always have some sort of fun up their sleeves!

Anywho Ben had this video that he wanted us to watch...a documentary per say. It was on this man by the name of Jesico White and it was unforgettable. I'll give you a little sneak peak but you have to go watch all four parts to fully understand the life of this tap dancing fool:)



This video ranks right up there with Hand on a Hard Body!

Encouraging words

"No matter how pressing the difficulty or how desperate the situation, God is at work. He uses events to shape our character and fulfill His ... Read Moreplan. Through all things, our confidence is in Him who leads us by His grace. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)"
Thanks Kristen!!

Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down.
(Romans 12:15 ~ The Message)

"What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. (1 Peter 3:3-4 ~ The Message)"

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
(Psalm 4:8 ~ New Living Translation)


What verse, quote or friend has helped you out this week??

8 weeks

Today I started my 8 week workout program...

I realized I am completely out of shape!

For this purpose...

I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.
~John 1:31 ESV

Today's verse is what John the Baptist said when he first saw Jesus. After years of preaching, living in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, and baptizing multitudes, he said of his ministry and life, "the whole purpose of all of it was that he- Jesus- might be revealed to Israel." This, then, was the sum total of what John's life was about- revealing Jesus.

The apostle Paul had the same passion. In his letter to the Philippians, writing to them from prison, he said, "It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not at all be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Paul's eager expectation and hope, the thrust of his ministry and the goal of his life, was that "Christ would be honored" in his body. Whether it meant life or death was irrelevant; all he cared about was that Christ would be put on display as supremely glorious and supremely valuable.

This passion is not supposed to be restricted to the superspiritual few, the apostles and prophets. It is a calling given to every child of God, to live his or her life in such a way that Jesus would be revealed and honored. You might not be baptizing multitudes, and you may not be in prison for your faith. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, our eager desire should be to say with Paul and John, "For this purpose I go to work every day, that Jesus might be revealed to my coworkers." "For this purpose I go to class every day, that Jesus might be revealed to my classmates and teachers." "For this purpose I devote myself to love and serve the needy, that Jesus might be revealed to my community." Is Jesus revealed in your life?

Holy Spirit, Give me the passion that Paul had, the passion that John had, the passion that You have, to magnify Jesus Christ to all the nations. Fill me with the desire and ability to reveal Him in my workplace, in my home, among my friends, at church, in my community, and around the world. Jesus, be glorified, and reveal Yourself through me.

Save Gas, Get a Golf Cart

Have you ever been to Peachtree City, GA?

Neither had I until last night. I found out that is totally a Golf Cart community. Everyone there rides around in golf carts instead of cars.

No I am not exaggerating! I'm being completely serious.

Nathan and I met Ruben and Hayley there to go see Decemberadio perform(one of the greatest bands in Christian music today). It was so crazy to drive up to Ruben's house in a truck, park and then hop in a golf cart to head towards the church.

This city has golf cart paths that wind around the city like mini freeways. The carts have headlights and mirrors and we totally saw some carts with rims on them. Oh and there was one with orange and red flames done the side...They went crazy with there's!

It felt like I was in an alternate universe...a really cool alternate universe.

How cool would in be if Atlanta went to an all golf cart city? Less pollution, Less lanes on the interstate, Less gas in take and maybe less traffic! But I guess it would take us forever to get to our destinations.

Oh well it would still be awesome!

A pleasent surprise

Last night I got a surprise visit from a great friend. We worked together this summer at SuperWOW and I hadn't seen him since we parted ways at the GBC's storage unit:) He was such a blessing to me this summer and helped me in times of struggle while at Jekyll!

Jeremy Kirby...it is always a pleasure to see you!!

Patheticism...haha

Pathetic story...

Yesterday after work I stopped at the mall.
Found NOTHING.
Drove home.
Hit TRAFFIC.
Arrived home.
NO mail.
Changed clothes.
Washed my face.
Went to bed.
At 7:15...WHAT?!

I slept through dinner and The Office! Two of my favorite things...

Seriously how pathetic is that?!

Love-Hate relationship

It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (The Message)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (New International Version)

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (New Living Translation)

I write each of those translations because I need to say that verse over and over and over...Maybe if I keep writing it, it'll sink in!

Think about this, if the chief purpose of our lives is to please God, Hebrews 11:6 suggests the primary means to such a valuable end is faith.

Let's think about that word 'faith' for a moment. Merriam-Webster define faith as an allegiance to duty or a person: loyalty. That is so true! Faith is loyalty to God!

Now, I struggle daily with faith and trust. I will worry myself sick over things that I can't control and situations that are beyond me. I hold on so tightly to my wants and agendas that I forget to loosen my grip so that God can slide His hand in and lead me towards what is truly necessary in my life. For the past few weeks, I've been challenged on just about every situation...

God's been asking the questions: "Shannon are you going to believe me or not? What does my Word say? Will you trust me enough to have this situation?" For the few moments after...I do, I do trust Him with the situations and I do believe Him. But then somewhere in my small little brain(since women have small brains according to Morgan) the worry and fear that things will not go my way creep back in. It's like having a love for roller coasters but also having a fear of heights...sometimes the ride seems great but occasionally you look down and your fear takes over your good time. Not sure if that made any sense but I like that analogy!

It's frustrating that I allow myself to be overwhelmed with doubt, fear and worry! God teaches us not to worry! He shows us in Matthew 6:34 by saying "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." and also in Luke 12:22-34, which tells all about Jesus' conversation with the disciples about worry. Yet I still have daily battles with myself. WHY?

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Perfecting the speech...

I wanted you all to see this post from Carlos Whittaker's blog highlighting an amazing baptism from last weekend!
I definitely giggled, teared up and thanked God for the amazing testimony heard.

Check it out...

So at Buckhead Church we pride ourselves in giving Jesus our best. In every beat of our heart.
Yet sometimes our best comes in the most unrehearsed of moments. Take this past Sunday for example. Simon was to be baptized.
We have all baptiseees give their testimony on video before they are baptized.
That way they can get across the message of hope Christ has placed in them clearly.
Simon took 2 DAYS to film his 2 minute video.
He was mortified. Nervous is an understatement.
Time came to show the video.
Nothing…
Then it played…
No audio…
Then it played again…
Audio this time, but no video…
The crowd was beginning to mumble…
Then video but no audio…
You get the drift.
Luckily our pastor Jeff Henderson was baptizing him and he was money.
Jeff waded through the uncomfertableneds of 3000 pairs of eyes staring at them and moved on with…
“Well Simon, I know your story…”
So in the middle of all the chaos somebody yells from the crowd at about 1:02 in the video…
“TELL US YOUR STORY!!!”
And the rest was history…
Watch below how God shows up when our lame equipment does not…


God is good!!

Let's play catch up!

I always seem to neglect the thoughts in my head on the weekends. They never seem to make it to the blog and then on Monday I have to play catch up. I apologize for that!

My weekend was loaded with laughter and great moments. I'll list some key points for you and if there are questions, I'll elaborate.

Six Feet Under
Mac's hatred for sitting alone
Opera
Courtney's fun crimped hair
Old Towne
Waitress comments
Shoe shopping with Coker and Walker(hilarious)
Sidelines
Georgia vs. Alabama game
Top of the Westin
Chris' Birthday
Brent's scary elevator ride
Waiting in line for gas...why is one of the biggest cities in the US out of gas???
Across the Universe
Andy's message
Pappasito's
Ben Snider's laugh
Funny quotes on the to-go boxes

Wow...when you write it all out it looks like a week's worth of activities. I can't believe all that happened between Friday night and Sunday night.

Sheesh now wonder I'm tired!

Scooting around

Sometimes working at NAMB can be stressful!

I mean answering phone calls, responding to emails, filling out invoices, setting up meetings and of course walking back and forth to the printer can take a lot of out a person! Your legs get very tired and it can cause poor production with everyday tasks.

That is why my co-worker Shawn is brilliant. He has come up with a way for our team to not only improve in our work performance but he has implemented a way to get to the copy machine faster and in style.

Yep, that's a scooter and only the Communication team on the third floor has one. It's such an awesome sight to see Jill, my lovely co-worker whizzing past my desk on her way to a meeting or the printer.

Now I know all of you are jealous, especially those of you who work at NAMB but don't worry...Shawn is renting the scooter out by the hour, so you can enjoy the exhilarating feeling of scooting on your floor too!

Please call for reservations:)

I love my Mom!

Yesterday when I got home from work I found a little surprise on my doorstep.

This lovely decorated box is from my mom and yes she decorated herself...even though she wanted me to think my 6 year old niece did it, haha!

My Mom is the greatest! Let me just tell you, she would do anything in the world for her children...actually she would do anything in the world for anyone! She has the most generous spirit and loves to see people smile.

My whole life my mom has tried her hardest to be at every event, to cook for every occasion, to please every single person and to love harder than any woman I've ever met. She somehow always knows when to send a letter or the perfect time to make a phone call! She is one of the strongest women I know and she puts everything above herself just to see the joy on people's faces.

I hope I grow up to be just like her!

Needles and Buckets

Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness...

I had blood drawn today!

And not just a little bit of blood, a lot of blood. Like a bucket...OK that's an exaggeration but it was a lot!

I hate needles and whenever the nurse mentions that little sharp piece of horror, I cringe in fear. Today was no different.

"We're going to draw a little bit of blood to run some tests" -nurse says to me in a sweet upbeat tone. Why do nurses always sound so happy to take blood? Don't they know that most people hate them for it? OK not hate...that's a strong word...but dislike them for it. I know I do! I instantly think to myself "me and this person will never be friends because she is going to pierce my skin with that dreadful object."

Cruel, yes I know but it's totally how I think!

So after my heart dropped a little and I looked towards the wall to keep the needle out of my view, she pricked me! And it hurt...it really HURT!!! Three tubes later and what felt like an hour in my mind, she removed the needle which HURT too! Then she held some gauze on my arm and placed a band-aid over it. It wasn't even a pretty band-aid...what happen to all the Barbie and G.I. Joe band-aids? Can't a girl get something fun for that traumatic experience??? Nope just a flesh tone band-aid...

Then I stood up which was a mistake. Yep, I was lightheaded and almost passed out. But no worries, I laid down, had some water and finally was able to regain my composure!

Dang needles...I hope they find what they're looking for with all my blood cause I refuse to give any more any time soon!

Well at least until next week when I have to go back:(

Young and Domestic

I have realized that I am way too domestic! I am 26 and I absolutely love cooking and cleaning and baking and...well anything that deals with the house. I would probably garden if I have yard to grow one in. I catch myself doing 'grown up' things whenever I have a night where I stay at home.

Take tonight for example... I decided at 8:00 PM to cook dinner, which involved breaking out the pots and pans and of course the tea pitcher because a good meal requires some good sweet tea. While I was cooking, I got the bright idea to bake some cupcakes(yes I had cupcake mix in the cupboard, WHAT!?) So I baked them along with a cake to match...

...a heart shaped cake! Oh my goodness I am turning into my mom (not a bad thing at all).

But it was nice. I had a little something sweet to follow my yummy dinner...which I get to have more of at work tomorrow. I love leftovers:)

Then I washed the dishes...


So there you have it. I cooked then cleaned!

So maybe this domestic thing isn't so bad...but don't tell anyone I said that.

Pulling it from the shelves

Gospel Today Magazine pulled from LifeWay Bookstores... Read Below!


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Gospel Today

By CHRISTOPHER QUINN

Smiling women on the cover of a slick magazine. Sold from under the counter. Must request it from store clerk.

That’s not something a buyer would typically find in a Christian bookstore. Not unless it’s one of the more than 100 Lifeway Christian Bookstores across the United States, including about six in metro Atlanta.

Gospel Today, the Fayetteville-published magazine, was pulled off the racks by the bookstores’ owner, the Southern Baptist Convention. The problem? The five smiling women on the cover are women of the cloth — church pastors.

Southern Baptist polity says that’s a role reserved for men.

Teresa Hairston, owner of Gospel Today, whose glossy pages feature upbeat articles about health, living, music and ministry, said she discovered by e-mail that the September/October issue of the magazine had been demoted to the realm of the risque.

“It’s really kind of sad when you have people like [Gov.] Sarah Palin and [Sen.] Hillary Clinton providing encouragement and being role models for women around the world that we have such a divergent opinion about women who are able to be leaders in the church,” Hairston said. “I was pretty shocked.”

Chris Turner, a spokesman for Lifeway Resources, which runs the stores for the Southern Baptist Convention, said, “It is contrary to what we believe.”

It bases those beliefs on their interpretation of New Testament Scriptures.

Southern Baptist representatives at national meetings have adopted statements saying women should not be pastors, but each church is independent. A few churches have selected women, such as Decatur First Baptist, where the Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell preaches each Sunday from the pulpit.

Pastor Tamara Bennett of California is one of the featured pastors on the magazine cover and talks in the article about the challenges of breaking through the stained-glass ceiling.

“God’s assignment is that no souls are lost and all are saved,” Bennett said. “Gender is not how God sees it. We are about winning souls, period.”

Southern Baptists are not the only ones to frown on women preachers. Catholics, the largest Christian denomination in the nation, do not allow women priests. And some conservative evangelical groups, such as the Presbyterian Church in America, do not ordain women.

“We weren’t trying to pick a fight,” Hairston said. “We just did a story on an emerging trend in a lot of churches.”


I have several things I would like to say but I will hold my tongue.

Thoughts? Comments?

But it sure is Fancy how you love me...

I couldn't sum up the whole weekend in one blog so here are some more fun times from Josh's wedding...

V-neck shirts are cool!

Puzzles are a must at rehearsals.

Dave Barnes should always be sung in red heels.
Ketchup can be used for art, haha

Duck Tape fixes everything!

Such a good weekend... Can't wait for another:)

There's Nothing Fancy about the way I love you!

Have I mentioned that all my friends are getting married?

No seriously...ALL of them!

Today my friend Josh married an amazing girl named Brandi. They had there wedding up in Glade Springs, Va. and it was so adorable. Seeing Josh's face as Brandi made her entrance was just how I always imagined it would be... Sweet and absolutely adorable.

You see about six years ago, this amazing friendship began between this group of young crazy kids. We all worked at Caswell ( the camp I refer to often) and every since 2002, we have been there for each other through it all! It's been six years of laughter, tears, break ups, make ups, engagements, weddings and now even babies. Our little group has expanded from the original six to more than I can count.

Josh is the third from the group to get married and we are so excited about welcoming Brandi into the family!

Here are some moments from today...






I love you Josh and wish nothing but the best for you and your lovely bride forever and ever:)

How do you chase paper stars?

I've had a few people ask me 'What does the title of your blog mean?' and with all this curiosity I thought it would be nice of me to explain...I can be sweet sometimes, haha! So here we go...

Some of you know that last year on my birthday I got a tattoo on my foot of three unique stars. All are different but each one perfect in my eyes. I got the tattoo to represent a thought I had when I was little. You see as a young girl, my favorite thing to do was to lay under the stars at night. In my little tiny town there were no street lights so stars in the sky were endless. It felt like you could see for miles and miles... miles of just miraculous beauty created by God. I used to think about how God created each star making it perfect but no two the same. All are unique, special and gorgeous just like us. I used to make wishes on those stars.

Star light, Star bright, First star I see tonight...A wish I may, A wish I might, May I have one wish tonight?

I would wish for happiness and opportunities. I would sit still for what seemed like a hour just to catch a glimpse of a shooting star so I could chase it with me eyes and wish with my heart. I used to chase stars all the time. I still do it! There have been countless times that I have laid under the stars. There were Caswell moments on the top of Vespers and under the lighthouse. There were instances on the beaches down Florida and the even on the coast of California. Moments laying on the trampoline and moments just laying the grass. I just love laying under the under the big black sky and seeing the glittery accents shining all over. Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face:)

Anywho, about a year ago I started a list...a list of things I wanted to do. Things I want to accomplish in life, things that I hope will happen in life and things that are a great passion in my life. Each dream, wish and hope are unique just like me tattooed stars. Beside the list I doodled some shooting stars. I guess I associate my dreams and hopes with wishing on stars because I've done it for some long. But my list is made of paper and so my dreams and hopes were listed beside paper stars. I am chasing my dreams and running towards a bigger picture everyday and every time I look at the list I think about chasing my paper stars.

So there you have it.... my obsession with one of God's most magnificent creations, so much that I took what I see above and made it visible on paper:)

Saying goodbye to Tie Tuesday

Yesterday we had a Going Away party for the infamous Brent Moxey.

We had cake...


and coloring...


And even some posing...

For all of you who don't know Brent he is known for his socks...

Anywho, Brent is leaving NAMB to become the Children's Pastor at West Ridge Church in Dallas, GA. He has been a blessing to so many at NAMB and he will be missed tremendously. He was the creator of all things good on the 3rd floor for the Communications team. We will miss his argyle socks, his sarcastic remarks, his eating habits, great stories about brisk runs in the mornings and of course Tie Tuesday!

Good Luck Brent and never forget the little people, the big people and the medium people!

Skipping ahead...

So I was driving to work this morning going about my normal rountine...

You know, music turned up too loud, driving way too fast because I was running late and trying to fight the urge to stop at McDonald's because my tummy was talking to me, all while keeping a very Christian attitude about the slow volvo that was driving slow in the fast lane!

...anyway as I was driving I heard something out of the ordinary come on the radio. It was so bizarre that I starred down at my Mitsubishi issued radio and thought to myself "did I just wake up in December." The station 94.1 was playing Christmas music!? WHAT?! And not just any Christmas music, NSYNC Christmas music! I was SO confused.

After the song ended, Mikey, from the radio show, said the statement "only 99 more shopping days till Christmas." >this is where I began to get a little irritated<

It's September and we haven't even celebrated Halloween, Thanksgiving, My half Birthday and we're already moving on the Christmas. Something about that doesn't seem quite right.

Now don't get me wrong I LOVE Christmas. I love time with my family, decorating the house, the smell of Spruce and Christmas cookies, wrapping gifts, seeing my home church all done up in green and red and of course hearing one of the greatest stories ever told about my Lord and Savior. I love all those things plus many more but, I also love Halloween. I love seeing little kids all dressed up and eating candy corn till my tummy hurts. I love Thanksgiving. Getting together with family and friends, sitting around the table indulging in some turkey, dressing and cranberry sauce...basically I love food, ha...but I do love both of those holidays. I love my half birthday too but we can talk about that later :)

Basically what I'm trying to get to here is give Halloween and Thanksgiving a chance. A chance to be the holidays I know they can be. Give them the opportunity to have a month dedicated to them, to their history and to the joy they bring...and the yummy treats they bring as well. We can celebrate the birth of Jesus all year long and think about it in all months but, in order to fully appreciate the holidays in October and in November, let's save the Christmas music for December!!! Kapish?

first few minutes, first few dollars

Challenge for the next 30 days...

Give God my first few minutes and my first few dollars!

Sounds pretty simple huh? But how many of us can actually say that we give God enough time during the day or enough of our funds during the week. How many of us can say that we completely trust Him...enough that if we only have 50 dollars in our account, that we would give it all knowing he would provide.

God gives us all! He gives us our funds and He gives time...so why not give the first few minutes of every day and the first dollars that we make?

Bringing church to them!

I totally forgot to tell you all about one of the coolest new projects in the Atlanta area (I know I've mentioned it but here's more). It's called the Buckhead Music Project and it's taking place in a local bar near you. Some of you are seriously confused right now because I just used the words Buckhead and bar in the same sentence but it's true.

Buckhead church is reaching out to the community in a new, innovative way. It's our way of reaching to those who would never step foot in a church. We're bringing the church to them in a rocking new way!

Here are pictures of night one...

My girl Chrystina killing it...she was amazing!

Moxie rocked the place!

Me, Nikki and Jen excited about the night

Hope to see you all at the next one in November!!!

Joy in Loneliness

Where do you find joy in loneliness? Paul sitting in a lonely prison shows us how he did and in turn how we can.

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers[a] and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. ~ Philippians 1:1-11

Where do you find Joy in Loneiness?

1. Look to grace:

Grace is the best word to express what we feel about God.We sin, spirit convicts, we repent and he gives us unmerritted love, giving us grace in every way. our love knit to grace, received humbly and then to share it gladly. God gives grace to those who receive Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and He gives us another chance.


2. Grace leads to peace:

We are not by nature at peace. we are objects of God’s wrath… When our sin is taken away there is no condemnation. Grace enables us to have peace. peace changes everything in our relationships. If you don’t have peace in your relationships you need to work on the grace thing in your own life. Because of Christ we can forgive eachother, reconcile and move on.


3. Grace & peace leads to memories:

When not centered in Christ you’ll have bad bitter memories. But if it is a gospel based partnership there is frienndship, there is peace, love, new memories, reconciliation, healing… I’ve seen God do amazing reedeeming things and those memories constantly remind me of the peace and grace I find in Christ.

Lazy Saturdays

Lazy Saturdays are the best!

Curling up on the couch, watching a movie and just relaxing from all the craziness of the week. Having all this time to sit and reflect makes you think about several things that are going on around you.

I've had time to think about all the great people in my life, how much I miss my dog, all the mindless things on TV, how much I love grilled cheese sandwiches and of course how amazing it feels to take a little nap.

I think Saturdays should be in the middle of the week so that our little breaks were spread out instead back to back, haha.

A case of Hives

I think something is wrong with me...now I'm not trying to be sarcastic so all of you that just thought in your head " I've known that for years" please refrain!

But seriously, I really think something is wrong with me! I woke up this morning with a case of hives. I had some serious whelps on stomach, down my back and on my hands and I was having a little bit of trouble breathing. I was itchy and it was very unattractive. Not a great thing to wake up to.

I took some Benadryl when I arrived at work so that I wouldn't pass out on stage this morning during the second verse of 'You are God Alone'(I had to sing in Chapel this morning at NAMB in case you were wondering why I was on stage). But now I am sitting here trying to figure out why this happened. My diagnosis...stress and stupid Sheetrock dust in my room from traumatic ceiling collapse.

Cure: Hmmmm well that is undetermined! I mean, I could rest to cure the stress but that would require laying in my bed which has the Sheetrock dust nestled in my comforter. So there lies yet another problem. Why is life so complicated?

Any suggestions for a remedy?

Internet Down

My Internet is not responding at my house and Comcast seems to be taking their sweet time to fix it so I am sorry that I haven't had a free moment to write some good, encouraging, deep blogs. haha

I promise I will be back with some wisdom and sarcasm soon:)

VMAs

Paramore rocked...
Pink Rocked...
Chris Brown looked amazing...

Other than that, I was extremely dissappointed with the VMAs!!! MTV needs to get it together for next year...

What did you think?

Dear God...

Dear God,

Father, Protector, Giver. You are so holy and so magnificent! You are the Glorious One, the King of all kings. The maker and creator of everything. You are big enough to hold the entire world in the palm of your hand yet small enough to see into every little crevice of my life. You give me grace when I am undeserving and you love me when I am unlovable. You call me your daughter, your beautiful child and I am blown away by the forgiveness you give and your unfailing love.

You are my strength, my eternal guiding light. You sit with me in the sunshine and calm me through the stormy nights. You stand with me on the mountain tops and walk with me upon the beaches, always there to pick me up when I fall on bended knees.
You are each and every breath I take. In every path within my sight. You greet me with the morning, as each new day awakes and paint me a beautiful canvas in the sky as the sun sets. What a beautiful sight.

You renew the strength with in my heart. My faith shall never falter. For, when I sing praises, my soul becomes even stronger. WOW! How amazing is your love. Your grace.

Thank you for being so mighty and for taking me as you found me.

I love you!

The hurricane life

So for the past two weeks I've been a bit stressed with work and life...oh and the chaos of my house. It just seems like from the time my eyes open in the morning to the time they close, I have a billion things to due but not enough time to do them. I try to make schedules and lists but somehow in the tornado of the day, my whole plan is blown out the window.

Stress has always been something that I've struggled with. It's not so much the fact that I lead an extremely stressful life, it's the fact that I will analyze every little aspect and worry if it is not completed or carried out correctly. I try very hard to be detailed and to be very reliable when it comes to co-workers, friends and family...but what do you do when you just can't seem to keep up?

Last week, as most of you saw, my bedroom ceiling collapsed causing chaos in my house and craziness in my life. I had to organize places to sleep, impose on my roommates space, drive out of the way most mornings and just rearrange my normal routine. I didn't sleep much...about 4 hours a night just because everything around me was out of wack, and the room was just the beginning...

Over the past two weeks, my room became UN-functional, our A/C decided to break making it miserable to sleep at night, our Internet decided to call it quits making my RYC duties impossible from home, I got bit by a spider on my stomach while sleepin gone night and Mal and I developed sick feelings from the insulation and mold from the ceiling. Not a good few days.

I don't say all this to complain or to make anyone feel sorry for me...I say this because I wanted to know what you guys do when your life seems to spin out of control? How do you get everything done, please everyone around you, keep up with the detailed routine and still smile like you've had a good nights sleep?

What is your remedy to the unexpected hurricane of life?

Helping Little Hands and Little Feet

Hello fellow readers! I need your help...

Here is your opportunity to make a difference for some amazing children. My friend Mark along with the band members of Audio Adrenaline started an orphanage in Haiti a few years ago. The Hands and Feet Project , a 501c3 non-profit organization, is a children's village in Jacmel, Haiti that has been helping orphans in Haiti since 2004 when it was established. The mission is to care for orphans and to use pop culture to introduce the 1st world to the orphans of the world.

Due to the high winds and heavy rains of Hurricane Gustav, the orphanage has been damaged and parts have been destroyed. Here are the details from the website...

Please pray for Haiti. Hurricane Gustav pounded the southern coast of Haiti Monday and Tuesday, and heavy rains continue today. Thank God all of our children and staff are safe. However we have had major damage to our property, even worse than when Noel hit last November. Two of our children's houses on the lower floor have 3-4 feet of water in them. Many of our perimeter walls have been destroyed. Larry, one of our new US staff, cannot get his truck out because it is covered in boulders. We are so thankful that Larry and Michelle are there caring for our kids. Please pray for them as they try to figure out how to begin the overwhelming cleanup process. Please also pray for our neighbors as most of them have lost quite a bit. One of our neighbors' tin roof flew off forcing the family to stay with a neighbor.

We know God is in control but we definitely need your prayers and support during this crazy time. The Internet is down in Haiti right now, so we will send more updates to as soon as we have them.

Please pray for this devastated island nation... and pray about possibly being a part of their recovery (whatever that may mean for you)! We ask that you prayerfully [2 Cor. 9:7] consider a donation to the Hurricane Gustav Relief Fund. If each person donated only $1, imagine the difference we could make!!



To donate online, please CHIP IN here: http://www.chipin.com/contribute/id/d6f9c48d492e24f6
To mail-in a contribution, please SEND here:
Gustav Relief
c/o Hands & Feet Project
PO Box 682105
Franklin, TN 37067

If you want to help please please please visit the link above or go to http://www.handsandfeetproject.org/

Together we can help rebuild and renew!

Free treats

FREE DONUTS!

Let me say that again...FREE donuts! Assorted and original glaze delivered to my desk in that little white and green box. You see I have a passionate relationship with Krispy Kreme Donuts. I know they are terrible for me and I only eat them occasionally when the opportunity arises. Problem is, at NAMB we get free Krispy Kreme donuts at least once a week so the opportunity arises quite often.

There is this sweet vendor man that brings us goodies to win our affection and business...well, actually it has a lot to do with his genuine, giving spirit but bribing us makes it all sound more professional, haha. Anywho, this sweet fellow has already won my affection especially since there is always a lemon filled piece of Heaven in every box he brings...just for me!

Yes, that is something that you guys may not know about me. I love, loathe lemon filled donuts. They make me weak in the knees and I indulge in every single bite...and yes I lick my fingers when I'm done just so no glaze is wasted. It all started a few years ago when the lady at the drive thru window at KK (Krispy Kreme in case you missed that)gave me the wrong donut. I was severely upset that I haven't received my regular Chocolate, cream filled donut in the little paper to-go bag. I didn't have enough time to venture back to KK due to class schedule so, disappointed with what had occured, I tried the lonely dessert that I had been sold to me. It was the best mistake ever...and that is where my love affair began:)

Now please know that I regulate my donut intake because I am trying to keep my girlish(stick)figure, but when they are Free and delivered to my desk, they're hard to pass up.

Judy and Jill have a hard time passing them up as well...


...yes we are sinful, haha!

You're wishing you had Free Donut day at your work right now, aren't you??

Missing them today!

Today I am missing several things...

I miss Cambi. Her little cheeto feet and the snooty way she looks at me when I try to lay beside her on the couch.

I miss waking up in 223 5th Avenue South, looking over and seeing Emily there to greet me in the morning.

I miss Jonathan. The stars on the back of his arms and way he makes fun of me for not liking coffee.

I miss my porch swing on 101 Rotary. All those crazy people that used to walk down 1st street and the way you could swing for hours without a care in the world.

I miss Little Pier and all the memories that come with that little boat basin.

I miss my bed, seriously! But I should have that back in two days if I'm lucky.


What do you miss today?

Labor Day Weekend

So at this very moment I am sitting in the Charlotte airport delayed once again! I ran off my flight from Myrtle Beach trying to catch my connecting flight and arrived at the gate just in time to watch the plane roll away! >insert loud furious scream here<

I've learned three things over the past few days!

1. I HATE flying. Every single flight that I was supposed to be on this weekend was delayed or late or missing. I know that airplanes get you to your destination faster but after this weekend, this little girl will be driving to all upcoming events and engagements!

2. I LOVE Labor Day sales! Yes I took full advantage of the discounts. Here's what happened...I walked into BCBG, the entire store was 50% off, I spent way too much money. But let me just say, I bought some cutie cute things!

3. Hanging out with my family is always an adventure. I had so much fun with my family this weekend. I ate some yummy food, laid in the relaxing sun and basically caught up on all the rest I DON'T get in Atlanta. Incredible!

So to recap...I love my family, I love Labor Day sales and I absolutely HATE flying!

There, venting session over! I will now sit here till 10:25 PM and wait to board yet another late flight:(

Introducing...

Some of you have never met my family so I thought I would give you a proper introduction...

This is my Dad...but better known as my Diddy!

This is my Mama. She hates pictures but I managed to sneak this one in over the weekend:)

And this everyone is my brother...yes we look nothing alike! We get that all the time!

So there you have it...My wonderful family!

Silly Girl, Pretty Girl

Yes the title is a David Ryan Harris song and he did sing that to me at the concert despite what others think... the ring on his finger means nothing, haha!

My week had been a little stressful dealing with the hole in my ceiling, the chaotic state my room is in, packing for the beach and trying to fit all the last minute details in to my life. That is why Thursday night was the perfect little get away from all my stress. Everything was fabulous(I know I used that word a lot in my last blog about the night but it really was). I got to spend time with great friends listening to great music! I know I promised you all pictures so here are a few from the evening.




Do you ever feel like you're right were you're supposed to be! Well right now, I know Atlanta is where I'm supposed to be!

Monday's Menu on Wednesday

Well, here it is ladies! It's what we've all been waiting for since May...The return of Monday's Menu! Oh Yes, there will be restaurant discussion along with photos and awesome moments from the night. Basically I have to make up for lost time, ha!

Wednesday evening we, meaning Allie, Katie, Megan and myself along with two newbies, headed down to midtown to eat at this little popular place called 'Straits.' Yes it could be considered an oxymoron but still it was classy and sophisticated! I'd give it a 8 for overall, ha!

It was so great to get the group back together after a chaotic summer of travels and events. There was so much to discuss over Kung Pow Lolliopops and lemongrass mint soda. We laughed over untold moments from summer and just recent events that sparked giggling.

Here are just a few of the many photos from the evening:




It was an awesome night and we are looking to have many more:)

I love ATL

This is going to be short and sweet because I need to be sleeping, like NOW...

Tonight was awesome!

I'll recap for you:

Saw David Ryan Harris and he sang 'Pretty Girl' to me.

John Mayer showed up and decided to play a little(awesome).

Had a fabulous dinner with fabulous conversation with a fabulous guy:)

Danced it up with April and Jen at The Loft.

Got to see Nathan and Noah which is always a favorite.

Went to Maxim Prime which overlooks the city. It's absolutely gorgeous!

Ran in to Chystina and Jayce(love them).

Stayed up entirely too late but it was one of the best nights I've had in ATL!

I'll post some pictures tomorrow to show you all the fun.