Emily's Blog

School, Rekindle, Tiger Lily

2012-01-27T09:09:00.004-05:00

School is going well. Yesterday I passed a final with an A+, and last Friday I got good scores from all 3 of my student clinic clients. So, I'm pretty sure this career path is where God wants me to go. I really enjoy helping people feel better. :)

Right now, the biggest decision I have is deciding whether or not to go to Rekindle. If I go, I'll miss a quiz and 3 days of class, so I'll have make-up work and the quiz to do when I get back. Not to mention I'll miss my family. (lately all I've wanted to do is stay home, 'cause I've been gone a lot) But if I stay, I'll have to work and go to school, and miss out on the best retreat ever. I don't know which one would be better.

Tiger Lily is adjusting well to her new home. Right now she's sitting on the ledge of an open window, watching the birds. :) Here are a few pictures:

sleepy kitty ^_^

This is her favorite chair. She's watching the birds outside.

hiding in the cupboard

New Addition

2012-01-04T15:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday when I got home from school, there was a surprise waiting for me.

My family got a cat! =) Her name is Tiger Lily, she's 2 years old, very friendly and sweet. We got her from friends who can't have cats in their apartment. I'm so excited that we actually have a cat in our house! What a great way to start out the new year. ^_^

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:11:00.001-05:00

Some highlights from 2011:

Rekindle! I learned a lot from the messages, the worship was amazing, and my discussion group was helpful. I also had a blast serving meals with Josiah C., Will, and Justin P. :)

Getting dressed up and going to a fancy restaurant with friends just for fun.

Family vacation at the beach. So relaxing and fun!

School. I loved starting to learn again, it's been a great experience. Looking forward to the second semester.

M28. Really enjoyed riding to Big Meetings with Hannah and meeting new people on campus.

Babysitting Zach. He's so fun to play with. :)

Scrooge! From being in this musical I've learned so much. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

2011 was a great year. Looking forward to what God has for me in 2012.

Merry Christmas everyone!

2011-12-25T13:56:00.003-05:00

Christmas breakfast

my new cupcake hat!

Scrooge pictures

2011-12-10T19:49:00.005-05:00

Scrooge was amazing! Tons of people came, lots that I've never seen before. The gospel message was clearly presented through the words of the play. I'm so glad I got to be a part of it. And I had lots of fun acting. :)
Here are some pictures.

the nativity scene

testing the fog machine

Scrooge getting makeup on

we used so much makeup in our 3 performances!

makeup and costumes on, ready to go

my costume, minus the gloves

backstage during intermission

costumes

backstage again

Tiny Tim and the ghost of Christmas past

the grave diggers and Marley, the best song in the show! (in my opinion)

Opening Night

2011-12-08T10:47:00.002-05:00

Today is opening night for Scrooge! I'm so excited, and a little nervous. I hope everyone who sees this performance will be blessed by the message of salvation portrayed. May God be glorified through us!
(will post pictures after the last performance)

beginning of Christmas season

2011-11-27T19:45:00.008-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. I enjoyed watching the Macy's Parade in the morning. A married couple and Andrew came for dinner. The meal was delicious, as usual, especially the sweet potatoes.
Today my family went to a Christmas tree farm and picked out a tree. Then we decorated it when we got home. It was fun! :) Here are some pictures.

We saw a "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. :)

Ben and Wes

cute little donkeys

Back at home decorating our tree.

Mom's snowman collection

the newest addition

putting tinsel on the tree...

putting tinsel on each other

And our finished tree:

The Christmas season has officially begun in our house. I love this time of year. :)

school

2011-11-20T16:54:00.003-05:00

Scrooge is really coming together. We started practicing in the auditorium, so it feels more official now. Just 3 weeks left until opening performance! :)

School has gotten harder, 'cause I'm learning the names of muscles and the places they attatch to the bones. I haven't been studying as much as I should. I've been using my free time to relax and watch Lost. I need to get serious about school.

Pictures from school:

Oh, I start clinics next Friday (Dec. 2). Basically, anyone can come to the school and pay $25 to get a full-body Swedish massage from a student. I'm nervous and excited. Hopefully I'll do well.

beach pictures

2011-10-16T18:08:00.009-04:00

I finally have time to post my pictures from the beach. So, enjoy. :)

On the way there

the ferry from Cedar Island to Oakracoke Island

Oakracoke Island lighthouse

Waiting in line for the ferry from Oakracoke to Hatteras Island. The island was flooded because of hurricane Irene.

the next morning, in our beach house

We didn't spend much time in the water, 'cause the waves were rough.

We made some cool sculptures in the sand - Anna's feet had one big shoe, and Christianne became a mermaid.

giant footprints on the beach!

Monday morning we build a sandcastle.

There was lots of foam on the beach.

Further up the beach, we saw a cool sand sculpture.

sunset

Tuesday was Mom's birthday...

store-bought key lime pie

hanging out

Wednesday morning the weather was perfect!

in the afternoon we climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

view from the top

looking towards Avon, where our beach house is

Christianne and Wes after dinner

"sleeping", the new fad soon to replace "planking"

sunset again

I didn't take any pictures Thursday, but Friday morning I woke up to see the sunrise. So beautiful!

the sandcastle I made

I found lots of cool shells on the beach this year

I also found a whole sand dollar.

Saturday we went back to Oakracoke Island. It was still flooded.

Well, that's all folks.

2011-10-10T18:26:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't got around to posting beach pictures. I started school 2 days after we got back, so I've been really busy.
School is so fun! We're learning all the bones in the human body and learning Swedish massage techniques. We get to practice massaging our classmates every day, and get massaged in return. I'm looking forward to getting a massage table at home so I can practice on my family. =)
Well, hopefully soon I'll have time to post pictures from the beach.

At the beach

2011-09-22T09:25:00.004-04:00

I brought my laptop to the beach, and I'm glad I did. My cell phone doesn't have service here, so email and Facebook are the only ways to contact my friends.
Anyway, here are 2 pictures of the beach.

More pictures when I get back. Hope everyone's having a good week!

2011-09-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

So, on Monday I got to practice my lines with the other villagers in Scrooge. We decided that we're all going to have Cockney accents. It'll be fun speaking in a different accent! I'm gonna watch My Fair Lady a few times to get better at doing it. :)

I'm leaving for vacation with my family tomorrow morning! Yay! =D

School

2011-09-09T09:47:00.002-04:00

So it's official. I'm starting massage therapy school on the 26th. That's just a little more than 2 weeks away! :) My schedule will be completely different, 'cause my classes will be 9am-3pm Monday through Friday, I'll have to work at night instead of the morning, and I'll have a lot less free time. I'm excited to see how God will use this big change in my life to grow me closer to Him.

personal retreat

2011-09-01T10:07:00.002-04:00

I took a short personal retreat on Monday, to think through what's going on in my life right now. Here's what I wrote.

I feel more alone now than I used to. What truth from God can help? God has said He will never leave me or forsake me. And God does not lie. God will always, always be with me, even if I can’t feel His presence. I’ve been through this before, why is it so hard this time? Because God is teaching me so much more this time. Yes, God is good. He is teaching me more of His faithfulness and love and mercy and grace and kindness and compassion. See, the harder a situation is to accept with my human mind, the bigger the lesson God is trying to teach me about Himself. If I will just accept this and trust God, He will help me through. God is always there for me!

After I wrote this, I read Psalm 40. It was so helpful. :)

I waited patiently for the Lord; He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us; none can compare with You! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. … As for You, O Lord, you will not restrain Your mercy from me; Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness will ever preserve me! … May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
Psalm 40:1-5, 11, 16-17

My circumstances right now are still hard for me, but I believe that God will help me through. I just need to get my focus off of what's happening and back onto the Lord.

Guess what?

2011-08-27T17:11:00.003-04:00

Our family just bought 6 baby quail. They're so cute! :)

2011-08-24T21:17:00.002-04:00

The latest news is: I bought a laptop! :) It's a Toshiba Satellite, and I really like it so far. I remember saying once that I'd never buy a laptop. Don't know what I was thinking. Especially with me considering going to school, I kinda need one. I'm glad I bought it.

At rehearsal Monday, we learned some choreography for one of the songs. Tammie encouraged all of us who are villagers in the play to develop a character for ourselves. So I did some research on life in London back then. The poorhouses were terrible, and the greatest fear of the poor was ending up in one. Now when Scrooge sings the part about the poorhouse, I'll picture what I read about and I'll be able to act more realistically. I like research! :)

Tomorrow night is the first M28 Big Meeting of the year! I'm excited to see how many people come.

exciting possibility

2011-08-18T14:55:00.003-04:00

So, I've been interested in massage therapy for a while now. I recently started thinking about learning more so I can do it professionally. I went and got a massage, so I could see what it's like, and I think I would enjoy doing it.

I went to a massage therapy school yesterday for an interview. They gave me a tour of the school, and lots of information. I think it would be so cool to go there and learn to be a massage therapist! :) It would be a great way to show love to people - helping them feel better through massage. And the program is only 6 months.

But, I shouldn't jump right in. I don't have enough money right now and I'm not sure how much time I'll have this coming semester. I should pray about it first.

My sinful flesh doesn't want to pray about it. I'm thinking, "I really want to do this, so I should do it right now!" I'm very impatient when it comes to things I'm excited about. Please pray that I will be patient and really seek God in this decision.

2011-08-16T15:32:00.002-04:00

Here are some pictures of Zach that I took on Friday. :)

Zach loves playing outside.

Lining up acorns around the table. It was fun to watch Zach do it.

Zach and I

I love playing with Zach! And I'm glad I have the opportunity to serve Hilary in this way. :)

2011-08-16T10:15:00.002-04:00

Last night at Scrooge rehearsal, we got our scripts. My part is a London villager, and I actually have two lines! I'm surprised and excited, since only a few villagers get to say anything. Most of the villagers just sing as a group. I can't wait to start practicing! :)

update

2011-07-28T20:27:00.005-04:00

Sorry my title is so boring. I don't know what else to call it.

Life has been normal. Just working and occasionally hanging out with friends. I started being a 'mother's helper' to one of the young moms in our church. She's expecting her second child, and hasn't been feeling well. I go over every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month and watch her boy Zach while she does housework and grocery shopping. It's been fun getting to know her a little better, and to bless her with free babysitting. :)

I got together with a friend at Starbucks on Wednesday. I haven't done that in a long time, so it was good to have a 'girl to girl' talk. We prayed for each other when we finished talking. It was definitely time worth spent.

On Tuesday, I went with Mom and Dad to see the last Harry Potter movie. It was a really good movie!

Last Saturday I auditioned for a musical, and got in. I'm so excited to have a chance to act again! :) The play is Scrooge. Rehearsals will be every Monday night, until the last 2 weeks when they will be every night. The first one is this coming Monday. Don't know who I'll get cast as, but it'll be fun no matter what!

dinner and a farm

2011-07-13T18:21:00.006-04:00

Saturday evening a group of my friends and I got dressed up and went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. Just for fun. :)
A few of the girls got together to fix our hair before meeting the others to carpool. One of the girls curled my hair for me. It was the first time I've had my hair curled. I liked it!

We met in our church parking lot before driving to the restaurant downtown.

At the restaurant:

After dinner, we walked for a while. We got some funny comments, like "Are you guys going to prom?"
It was such a fun evening! I love my friends!

Then, Sunday evening we went to a cookout at a friend's farm. It was neat seeing the animals, and hanging out with people I haven't hung out with in a long time.

Angora rabbits!

amazing grace

2011-06-25T17:19:00.003-04:00

God is amazing. The more I read and study His Word, the more I desire Him and the more content I am in Him. I'm amazed by God's grace being poured out on my life right now.

There is a possibility that we might be moving in a year, due to changes in Dad's job. We're not certain yet if we'll stay or move. Even in the uncertainty, God has given me peace and contentment. I know this is where God has me right now, so I'm trying to be more purposeful in what I do here. I'm not being lazy and saying, "Oh, I'm not going to do much here because I could be somewhere else in a year." No, I want to give my all for what God is doing right now, where I am. This is only because of God's amazing grace at work in me.

Another mark of His grace is that I will be sad if we end up moving, but I know God will provide everything I need to serve Him wherever I go. He will give me strength to press on.

Thank You, Lord, for your amazing, unending grace!

Grace unending all my days
You give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You

I Stand in Awe

2011-06-22T19:25:00.003-04:00

I feel like posting a song, so here it is.

I Stand in Awe

You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard
Who can grasp such infinite wisdom?
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above

And I stand, I stand in awe of You
I stand, I stand in awe of You
Holy God to whom all praise is due
I stand in awe of You

You are beautiful beyond description
Yet God crushed You for my sin
In agony and deep affliction
Cut off that I might enter in
Who can grasp such tender compassion?
Who can fathom this mercy so free?
You are beautiful beyond description
Lamb of God who died for me

brief update

2011-06-12T20:16:00.007-04:00

Friday night I had the privilege of serving at our youth group end-of-year celebration. It was my third time helping, and I always enjoy it. I love being there to see awards being given to the young man and woman who most exemplify Christ. It's encouraging to hear how these young people devote themselves to God, because they represent the future of our church. The youth of our church love the Lord, so by His grace our future looks bright. =)
Serving with friends is fun as well. We helped set up tables with cupcakes and other desserts, and a water/coffee table. Then during the event we restocked the food and drinks, and manned the popcorn machine. Afterward we cleaned up, and even got to use the photo booth we rented for the teens. Fun!
Here are some pictures.

The decorations were really colorful this year! This is the entrance to the auditorium.

they made a huge canopy out of streamers

two of the lovely helpers, Kasey and Samantha

one of the dessert tables

the popcorn maker

Sorry if you can't see this one very well. It's most of the helpers, having fun with the photo booth. (if you click on the picture you can see it better)

______________________________________________________
Also last week I got a gift from a friend. It's a license plate frame for my car, and it matches my steering wheel cover. ^_^

humility

2011-05-29T20:43:00.003-04:00

I've been reading Humility by CJ Mahaney, and it's a challenging book. CJ says that pride is your greatest enemy because to be proud is to contend with God for supremacy. He says that humility is your best friend because it attracts God and His grace. The best way to kill pride and cultivate humility is to focus on the cross of Christ.

Think about it:
All of us were slaves to sin, chained to a cruel master. We were completely helpless; there was absolutely nothing we could do to break free. We didn't even want to. Sin blinded us so that we saw our lives as the best there was. We couldn't see that we were enslaved. We were the worst creatures on earth.

But God so loved His creation that He sent His son Jesus to live on earth and die on the cross, in order to set us free. God provided a way for us to be delivered from slavery to sin. Yet even with that wonderful provision, we cannot believe in Jesus without God revealing Him to us. /Everything/ regarding salvation is God's doing. We contribute not even the minutest part to our salvation. It is all a gift from God. Unmerited and undeserved.

When I think about that I am ashamed of how easily I fall into pride, thinking I should have things differently than what they are. How can I contend for authority with God, when He so freely gave me the gift of salvation to which I contributed absolutely nothing!

something new

2011-05-17T16:41:00.005-04:00

Sorry I haven't been posting very much! I'll try to do better.

The latest news of the family is: Wesley has a girlfriend! :)

(sorry for the bad quality of the picture) Her name's Anna Grace, and she's really sweet. I'm so excited for her and Wes!

one year ago

2011-04-11T19:06:00.003-04:00

One year ago today I was baptized. God has done some amazing things in my life in one year.

For one thing, He helped me memorize the book of Philippians. Yes, by His grace I've finished. I'm excited that I have this portion of God's Word in my mind. It did help that my M28 small group was studying Philippians as I was memorizing it. :)

Another thing is that He helped me grow in talking with other people. One year ago, I was almost afraid to start conversations with people. Now, I love asking customers at work questions to see how their day is, as well as college students at M28 meetings. God is so good!

Also, I think I've become more content and grown in trusting God. I do get sad sometimes when I see all the young couples at church and M28, and wish I had a boyfriend. But then God reminds me that His timing is perfect, and He will provide someone if it is His will for me. I need to grow in my passion for God and grow to be more like Jesus. If I focus on that, I won't have time to be discontent about being single; in fact, it will be a joy to serve God where I am right now!

Saturday evening there was a thunderstorm. At first when I looked out the window and saw the black clouds and the strong wind, I was afraid. (by the way, I've always had a fear of storms) But then God said, "This storm is not out of control. I am making this storm. Yes, the storm is powerful, /but/ it cannot do anything unless I make it do so. I am in /complete/ control." It was amazing how God helped me trust Him and brought me peace.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:6

photos from Rekindle!

2011-03-12T15:47:00.015-05:00

Sunday, March 6

On the bus on the ride down

view out the window

We got bored, so we played Mafia.

Monday, March 7

view from our balcony

the note rope

new this year: a coffee station :)

"brown shoe bingo" to pick the teams for the Rekindle Cup

playing dodgeball

volleyball

sign-ups for the Whoa show

digging a crater

the first sunset

sumo wrestling

Tuesday, March 8

the girls had to get marbles out using their toes
volleyball again
making macreme bracelets
playing extreme crinisiffle (crazy-tennis-wiffleball)

water gun fight!

playing four-square

doing a challenge from "minute-to-win-it"

Wednesday, March 9

in this game, they had to pull the opponents' thing off their head

Seth smoking his pipe

then the rain rolled in

dashing across from the meeting room to the dorms
this is what we do when it rains at Rekindle:

goofing off

Thurday, March 10

our amazing worship band!

relay race

birds
getting coins at the bottom of the pool
Wes and Eric showing their injuries
sunset on the last night

the Rekindle Cup winners
the Whoa Show

Wesley, doing an UnderOath song

Friday, March 11

packing up to leave

on the ride back

stopping for lunch

dinner at the mall of Georgia

Rekindle is coming!

2011-02-28T17:38:00.003-05:00

This time next week, I'll be at the beach watching the sun set on the first day of REKINDLE!! :)

On Sunday, M28 leaves for Rekindle, our spring break trip. I'm really excited to see what God's going to do this year. I'm hoping to meet and reach out to at least one new person while I'm there, and to continue reaching out to them once we get back. It will be a challenge, since I love my comfort zone. But I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

update

2011-01-21T19:00:00.003-05:00

Christianne and I redid our bedroom recently. I wish I would have taken pictures before we changed it, but I forgot. It was pastel colored - yellow, lavender, and green. Basically a little girls room. Here's what it looks like now:

Our room looks a lot nicer now. :)
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Mission28 started back up last Thursday. It's different this semester, 'cause we aren't allowed to use amplified sound for worship. But I like the change to acoustic music; it makes it easier to focus on the words.
We started a series called Rooted. It will cover some of the basic beliefs of Christianity, as found in the Bible. Yesterday Jon taught on what the Bible says about God. It was good to be reminded of who God is, and how He is in sovereign control of /everything/. It's definitely comforting to think that whatever happens on earth happens because God planned it that way.

Oh, in Philippians, I've memorized up to chapter 3 verse 11. At the beginning I was memorizing a verse every day, but now I've gotten lazy and only do one every few days. I need to get back on track!

for my friends :)

2011-01-03T17:06:00.001-05:00

Well, it's a new year. I want to encourage all of my friends. I've learned so much from all of you, and I've seen God work in your lives this past year.

Allyson: You're really sweet. I love your smile and your unwavering trust in the Lord. You truly believe that God is faithful no matter what.

Andrew: You taught me how to be adventurous. I didn't like trying new things until I met you. Thanks for introducing me to fun things like frisbee golf, canoeing, and four-wheeling. I always have fun when I hang out with you. :)

Becca: I love how you treat everyone as your friend. You have no trouble talking to anyone, and you make sure everyone feels included. You truly love people, which is a wonderful gift to have.

Chris: I'm just beginning to know you, but I can already tell that you love Christ. Your joy in the Lord is evident in your smile.

Eli: You are strong in the Lord, my friend. You firmly believe that God will never leave you, and that He works everything out for your good. You're an encouragement to me to trust in the Lord always.

Emily E.: I love sending emails to you. You are so encouraging! Thanks for asking me how I'm doing and being willing to pray for me. It means a lot. You're a great example to me of how we are to care for one another.

Hannah G.: You truly care about others. You always have others' interests in mind before your own. You're really sweet, and a great example of how to love others the way Christ loves us.

Jessica: You are one of the most joyful people I know. You always have a smile on your face. I love hanging out with you, because you make me smile. :)

Kasey: You're full of energy, which makes you fun to be with. You always have a positive view of things, which encourages me to do the same. Thanks for being friends with such a quiet person as me.

Lizzy: You're such a sweet friend. I love getting to know you better in girls discipleship. Your desire to grow in the Lord is a great example to me, as well as your excitement about what God will teach you through your circumstances. You're good at asking others questions, which shows you care about them. I want to be more caring like you.

Marissa: You have a gentle and quiet spirit, yet you aren't afraid to speak up for what you believe. I love having you in our caregroup; you always have something encouraging to share in the Bible study. And I admire how you want to be a light shining for Christ in school and work. You're a great example of what it means to fear God more than man.

Rachel P.: I admire how you fit in with all age groups. No matter who it is - teens, college students, married couples - you know how to be friends with them. That's a great gift to have! You're also good at reaching out to new people. You aren't afraid to introduce yourself, and you love asking questions to get to know them. You make everyone feel welcome with your smile. :) I hope to be more like you.

Recah: You're an excellent example to me of rejoicing in trials. You've been through so much in the past few years, yet you've never doubted God's goodness. You trust God no matter what your circumstances, and you always have a smile on your face. Thanks for encouraging me to keep my focus on God when I'm tempted to focus on my circumstances.

Samantha: I love how much you value time with your family. You're a great reminder to me that my family should be the most important thing to me. I admire how you joyfully say no to hanging out with friends so you can be with your family. Such a great example!

Seth: Your care for others is evident. I love the way you encourage all of us to focus more on caring for each other, imitating Christ's love for us.

Nick and Rebecca, Greg and Hillary: You lead our caregroup so well. You've helped me understand Scripture better, and put a desire in me to know more. Thanks for taking time to get to know and disciple me and my fellow college students. I'm so grateful for you all!

Dupre, Wilma, Sofia, Mike, Chris, Lillie, Rose, Nancy, Charlie, Judith, Anna Grace, Tami, Kathy, Alex, Jackie: Thanks for working with me, and still being my friends. You make work fun! :) And you helped me be more comfortable around people, which is a big improvement for this homeshcooler. Thanks for helping me change.

I am /so/ blessed to have all these friends (and many more) in my life. God is awesome! :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Christmas photos

2010-12-26T10:10:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas!

Christmas breakfast :)

Anna's homemade cinnamon rolls

Ben got a pipe in his stocking

ready to open presents

The boys both got tools from Dad.

Christianne got a movie

Dad got Mom a beautiful cookware set :)

Wesley got a few CDs.

Anna and I got Ben a bowie knife

Anna got an apron from Anthropologie

Christianne bought me this book. :)

Anna bought me a steering wheel cover for my car. She knows me well!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T21:54:00.003-05:00

Hallelujah, hope has come
Hallelujah, Christ has come!
We once were slaves in misery,
Til You appeared and set us free!
Hallelujah, hope has come!

God will forgive my sin and shame with this, His Son who chose today
To leave His throne our guilt to own, with blood to purchase our freedom.
Grace, grace amazing grace! How can it be that He chose me?
Saved, saved by grace through faith in the babe, the Son of Mary!

Fun updates

2010-12-07T19:11:00.006-05:00

Last Thursday, M28 had an ugly sweater Christmas party. We played card games, talked, and ate lots of Christmas treats. We also had a contest for the most ugly sweaters, and a white elephant gift exchange. It was a fun way to end the semester.

This sweater won the ugly sweater contest:

white elephant gift exchange:

Two weeks ago a group of us made and decorated gingerbread cookies. It was so much fun to do that with friends! :)

It's so cold outside! We had some sleet on Saturday. The Christmas season is definitely here. :)

2010-12-03T15:33:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we were freshly reminded of Romans 8:28 "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him."
God caused the greatest evil - the crucifixion of His innocent Son Jesus - to bring about the greatest good - our salvation. Since God did /that/, how much more will He use my trials to bring good to me? He is faithful!

I'm thankful for....

2010-11-26T17:06:00.002-05:00

Jesus Christ, who loved me enough to die on the cross for my sin, and who loves me unconditionally. No matter how many times I fail, He is faithful to me.
my family. I'm so blessed to have parents and siblings who all love the Lord. I love you all! :)
my friends. All of them are such a godly influence in my life, quick to point me to the cross. I love you all! :)
my church. God is so kind to place me in a church whose pastors love the Word and hold fast to the truth. And all my brothers and sisters in Christ are a wonderful example to me of how to be like Him. I love CrossWay!
trials. I know, that sounds weird. But God has taught me so many things through trials lately. Even though it is painful at times, trials help me grow and learn. I'm so grateful for how God has changed me through hard times. He is faithful!
my job. I've learned a lot from working at Chick-fil-A, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. :)
my car.
hoodies.
movies.
music.
sunsets, clouds, rainbows, the moon, and the sky in general. I love everything about the sky.
the Bible. The more I read it, the more I learn about God, and the more I want to keep on reading it. Sometimes I wish I could do nothing except read God's Word. It is such a gift!
ASL. It's such a beautiful language!

sunsets

2010-11-19T12:15:00.005-05:00

There have been lots of beautiful sunsets recently. :) I took pictures of some of them. Enjoy

"Behold, I am doing a new thing."

2010-10-24T18:21:00.003-04:00

Thus says the Lord, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" ~Isaiah 43:18-19

I've been dwelling on the past a lot lately, wishing things in my life were still as they used to be. But this passage clearly says I'm not supposed to think too deeply about the past. Instead, I should be thankful for the new things that God has for me now.

Actually, thinking back a year ago, I realize I was not as strong in the Lord then compared to now. So really I should not want to go back to how things were then. God has taught me so much, I should not want to lose those lessons just so things could be the way they were before. I should rejoice at how God has changed me, and face my current circumstances with faith. Even though I don't particularly like my circumstances, I must trust that God will use them to grow me even more to be like Jesus.
_______________________________________________________________

A few updates:

-I have the first chapter of Philippians memorized now. :) Hopefully I'll stay motivated to memorize the whole book.

-I still haven't found a girl in M28 to reach out to. Maybe God wants to use me in other ways to speak to others, like being a cheerful servant.

-Work is getting hard for me. I /always/ do headset for drive-thru, so I don't enjoy it much anymore. I don't really see a point in me being there, 'cause I always do the same thing every day, and I'm not making a difference in others' lives. Plus, I'm tired from opening at work and then going to M28 at night. I wish I could stay home more, too. I feel like I don't see my family as much as I should.

But:
"Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well with my soul!"

Revival is possible!

2010-10-16T19:00:00.003-04:00

Monday and Tuesday (the 11th and 12th), the M28 leadership team went on a retreat to Boone. The trees are already changing color there. I love the mountains! :)

After we unpacked Monday afternoon, we played volley ball and hung out until dinner. Then after dinner we had worship and a short teaching. Tuesday morning we made pancakes and sausage for breakfast, then had another time of worship and prayer. After that we headed out, stopping in downtown Boone for lunch and shopping. It was a very relaxing time away from work.

The message on Monday evening mainly focused on the importance of personal Bible reading and prayer. Joe challenged us to be committed to seek God every day through our devotions. Prayer has power, especially when we pray for the gospel to be spread. Revival is possible! Even today, with the world as it is, God can do amazing things through our prayers. Romans 8:26 says:

"We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us."

One song says: "The same God who conquered the grave lives in me."

Isn't that amazing? With the Holy Spirit living in us, helping us pray, the gospel /will/ go forth and people /will/ come to know Christ. And we don't have to be afraid, because "what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord." (2 Corinthians 4:5)

exciting new goal + update

2010-09-25T14:58:00.005-04:00

I've made it my goal to memorize the book of Philippians. No idea how long it will take. I'm trying to memorize one verse a day, but I skipped a few days so.... Right now I have the first 15 verses memorized. I'm excited! :)

In other news, I'm still exhausted pretty much every day. I get up early for work and stay up late for M28. And when I'm exhausted, it's really hard to do my devotions. So I've been inconsistent lately. It's a little discouraging, but I know God will give me grace even when I don't read His Word. I'm going to try to grow in this area.

Being in charge of the food team for Mission28 has been fun. :) It's been a learning experience, trying to communicate to the team members what needs to be done. But it's fun learning.

I took pictures at our church last Friday:

first 2 weeks

2010-09-04T15:09:00.002-04:00

These first 2 weeks of M28 have been really hard for me. I worked a lot at Chick-fil-A, I hardly saw Anna at all, I was pushed out of my comfort zone many times while trying new things, and I was exhausted pretty much every day.

But, in light of all that, I know God is good. He /will/ give me grace to adjust to every circumstance.

I listened to the message from Sunday, and it gave me hope. Here were the main points: God /called/ me. God called me because He /loves/ me. And the God who called me and loves me /will preserve me/ until the day of Christ Jesus.

Isn't that good to know? :)

SO EXCITED!!!!

2010-08-19T18:59:00.002-04:00

God is so good! I got my first car today! :)

It's a 2000 Toyota Corolla, and it's in great shape. I truly don't deserve such a nice car.

new opportunity

2010-08-11T14:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Anna told me that I'm going to be in charge of the food team for M28. I'm excited! :) And a little nervous. I tend to be more of a follower than a leader, and this will be my first time being in charge of a group. Basically all it will involve will be setting up and taking down the snacks at meetings, and recruiting people to help with that. Doesn't seem like that much, but I'm not sure how I'll be as a leader.
This reminds me of what I just read in the book When People are big and God is Small: "When a heart is being filled with the greatness of God, there is less room for the question, 'What are people going to think of me?' "
I need to keep my focus on God while I'm leading. That way I'll be less likely to worry about what people think of my leadership. And hopefully, if I'm looking to God, He will help me lead in a way that serves Him and others.
Wow, lately I've had so many opportunities to grow in dependence on God. He knows just what I need to stop relying on myself and look to Him.

brief update

2010-08-03T12:29:00.004-04:00

It's been almost a month since I posted. Let's see...
I went on my first day-trip to the beach 2 weeks ago with some friends. We stayed on the beach for about 7 hours, then went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. It was so much fun relaxing with friends for a whole day! :)

Anna's been gone from Chick-fil-A for a week now. It's a little hard for me adjusting to her not being there, but hopefully it will get easier.

Mission28 is starting back up in a month! :) I can't wait to see how God will move in people's hearts this year! I've made it my goal this year to reach out to at least one new person. Even though I'd rather stay in my comfort zone with my friends, by God's grace He will help me branch out. It'll be neat to see who God brings into my life.

I don't have a car yet. Hopefully I'll get one before the 16th, when Wesley starts at CPCC. God will provide, I just need to be patient.

2010-07-08T19:57:00.003-04:00

Things are changing in our family.....

My sister has a boyfriend! :)

2010-06-30T18:24:00.002-04:00

The last day of June. Wow, how did that happen? Only one more month of summer, then everything starts back up again. I love summer, 'cause my friends don't have school, which means they can hang out more often. :)

So, my cousin Ian is a dad now. His daughter's name is Natalia. That's so hard to believe, especially since that means my aunt is a grandma. Time certainly does go by fast!

I'm looking into buying a used car. I think I'll stick with a Honda, 'cause I know they are reliable. I just have to pick which year and type of car would be best. And I'd really love for the car to be blue. I love blue cars. :)

Discontentment is so foolish!

2010-06-17T19:12:00.004-04:00

So, here's what I've learned recently. Please take the time to read it. I want everyone to consider this.

"I deserve nothing except hell. Therefore, why should I be impatient if I do not get what I desire?" -The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

"God knows better than any of us do what furthers our salvation. Our true happiness is to be realized precisely through His refusals, which are always mercies.
When Paul's flesh was tormented by a sharp thorn, he naturally wanted it removed. He made this request known to God, but the answer was No. God didn't change Paul's physical condition, He changed his spiritual one. He gave him what he needed more than healing. He gave him the high ministry of heaven called grace. Paul not only accepted the answer, he learned even to be very thankful for weakness itself, for 'power comes to its full strength in weakness'. " -Keep a Quiet Heart
_________________________________________________________________

I deserve hell, and nothing more. Everything I have - family, friends, job, clothes, house, food, water, even life itself - is a completely free gift of God. If I don't deserve any of those gifts, how much less do I deserve a relationship with the very One who has so richly blessed me? And yet, that is exactly what He has given me. Instead of complaining about things I want but don't have, I should be completely blown away by the fact that God has not already condemned me to hell, the only place I deserve to be. Absolutely everything I receive should be seen as a blessing, even if I don't like it, because it is far better than what I deserve.

Also, if God says No to a desire, I should see it as a way of His telling me, "This thing you want will not help you grow closer to me. Here, take this instead. It is far better for you." God wants me to stay close to Him, so it is out of love that He refuses to grant my requests. He truly knows what will help me grow near to Him, so He gives me those things. Instead of arguing when God says no to me, I should think that what I am asking for is not good for me. My loving Father is trying to keep me close to Himself.

Isn't God so amazing? He loves us all so much that He gives us far more than we deserve, the greatest blessing being a relationship with Him. On top of that, He gives us those things that will grow us closer and closer to Himself, so that we will never, never want to leave Him.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!" Lamentations 3:22-23

things around here lately

2010-06-11T14:13:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since I updated. Well.....
We got a vegetable garden. It's growing nicely, and the veggies are delicious!

Two of my siblings graduated this past month. I'm so proud of them! :)

Anna graduated from CPCC with an associate in arts

Wesley graduated from Sweigart Academy, and is now a college student

Anna's going to be an intern for Mission28 this coming school year. I'm so excited for her! Can't wait to see how God will use her in the lives of others.

Chick-fil-A now has a spicy chicken sandwich. It's way too spicy for me, but if you like spicy stuff, you should definitely try it.

Tonight is the Quest222 end-of-year celebration. I'm helping serve cheesecake to all the youth and their parents. Looking forward to hearing about all God's been doing in our youth group. Should be exciting! :)

beach vacation

2010-05-31T18:58:00.013-04:00

So, this year going to the beach was a little different.
Anna and I drove out a day after the rest of the family, because we wanted to stay for a friend's wedding. It was fun riding in Anna's car, just the 2 of us. =)
I got my own room this year. I loved being able to go in my room and close the door to read, without worrying about someone else needing to get in. It was nice.
Ok, now for some pictures.

it poured on our way out

but it cleared up later

the first of many bridges we crossed

driving on Hatteras Island with the sunroof open :)

Hatteras Island

it rained our first morning there

so we stayed inside and played pool

by the afternoon it was nice, so i went on a walk with Mom

otters!

right before dinner, we went down to the beach. the water was right at the bottom of the walkway!

heading back to our beach house

sunset

the next day we went shopping. i thought this was funny:

we walked to the Sound after dinner

cool trees

Wednesday night we went to a restaurant for dinner

on our way back to the house, we stopped by the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

the next morning, the weather was gorgeous!

running into the ocean

Dad building a sandcastle

at the pool

our last day, we went to Ocracoke Island to walk around and see the cool shops

this is my favorite shop:

this kitty was so sweet!

on the ferry back to Hatteras Island

our last night there, we took a walk on the beach

vacation!

2010-05-22T11:27:00.000-04:00

We're leaving tomorrow for a week at the beach! So excited! :)
I'll post pictures when we get back.

(no title)

2010-05-19T17:49:00.003-04:00

Be content with what you have, for He has said, "I will /never/ leave you nor forsake you." ~Hebrews 13:5

If God, the awesome creator of the universe, is with us then what more could we want? Think about it.

All of You is /more/ than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You
Is more than enough

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are /more/ than enough for me

UNCC

2010-05-07T19:17:00.003-04:00

Well, the school semester is almost over. The last M28 meeting was last Thursday. I'm going to miss going to UNCC every week.

Yes, I will miss M28 a lot over the summer, but I'm excited to see what God's going to do next semester. =)

surprise!

2010-04-20T19:23:00.010-04:00

On Sunday Anna turned 19. I and a few friends planned a surprise party for her. She was definitely surprised! =)

Here's the story. (you can skip to the pictures if you want)

Lizzy, Recah, and I told Anna that we wanted to go to Latta Plantation for lunch and a hike. We wanted to have some "girl time". So, that's what Anna thought we were going to do for her birthday.
After church on Sunday, Recah and Anna left to go buy chips for our lunch. As soon as they were gone, everyone that was invited to the surprise party left and met at Lizzy's house. Lizzy's parents let us borrow their canoes, so we hooked them up. Then we all carpooled to Latta.
Meanwhile, Anna thought Lizzy and I had gone to Lizzy's house to get stuff to make sandwiches, and that we were going to meet at Latta.
When the "party people" got to Latta, we drove to the canoe place. Lizzy called Recah to tell her how to get there. What's funny was, Recah and Anna got to Latta before us, and were sitting at the visitor place. We drove right past them on our way to the canoe place, but Anna didn't see us. Recah kept her distracted.
Anyway, when Recah and Anna drove to the canoe place, we all hid around a turn in the road. We stood there and said "Surprise!" when they came around the turn. Anna was so surprised! =)

If you read the story, congrats! Now you can enjoy the pictures.

surprised Anna

Anna and Recah

Seth and Eli

Jessica and Andrew

canoes!

we canoed for a while, then stopped for birthday cake

it wasn't long before we went back out again

a really cool rock

we went back to Lizzy's house and made pancakes for dinner

yum!

Anna said it was the best birthday ever. I agree. =)

ok

2010-04-16T11:59:00.002-04:00

So, quite a few people still read my blog. This makes me happy. =)

On Sunday, I faced my fear of going underwater and got baptized. Here's my testimony that I shared:

When I was 8 years old, I prayed the sinners' prayer, just so I could say that I did it. But it was evident by my life that I was not saved. I was a slave to sin. I was living for myself. And I was miserable.
I didn't realize why this was, until God showed me that I needed Him. I was a senior in high school when God saved me from my sins and helped me choose to live for Him instead of myself.
Over the past 2 years, God has done some amazing things for me. It's hard to believe how much God has changed me. I am a totally different person than I was 2 years ago, all thanks to the awesome grace of God.
Jesus is truly my best friend, and I want to live for Him. I pray that this never changes.

Isn't our God so amazing? =)

I'm wondering

2010-04-14T17:56:00.002-04:00

Since pretty much everyone has Facebook, does anyone still read this blog? Please comment on this post if you do!

Reign in Us

2010-04-02T10:46:00.004-04:00

Spirit of the living God, fall fresh again
Come search our hearts and purify our lives
We need Your perfect love, we need Your discipline
We're lost unless You guide us with Your light

Lord Jesus, come lead us
We're /desperate/ for Your touch

Oh great and mighty One, with one desire we come
That You would reign, /that You would reign in us/
We're offering up our lives, a living sacrifice
That You would reign, that You would reign in us

/We cry out/ for Your live to refine us
Cry out for Your love to define us
Cry out for Your mercy to keep us blameless until You return

So reign, please reign in us
Come purify our hearts
//We need Your touch//
Come cleanse us like a flood and send us out
So the world may know You reign
You reign in us

____________________________________________________________________

Wow.
God is doing some amazing things in Mission28.
I think this song, "Reign in Us", really captures what is happening in M28. Through the last two messages, God is teaching all of us how to be desperate for Him and cry out to Him in prayer. He is showing us how much we truely need Him, and cannot do anything without Him.
And as we cry out to Him, God is sending His powerful presence to us at the meetings like never before.
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven." 2 Chronicles 7:14
Our God is so awesome! =)

Here are some more Spring pictures for you.

first signs of Spring!

2010-03-24T17:57:00.002-04:00

Rekindle part 2

2010-03-20T12:20:00.009-04:00

picture time! enjoy =)

Day 1 - Sunday

getting on the bus!

sisters ^_^

Day 2 - Monday

morning walk on the beach with friends =)

dodgeball!

our meeting room

beach volleyball

there were lots of pretty shells this year

random swing dancing during free time

Day 3 - Tuesday

i love the note rope!

foosball

making macreme bracelets

gorgeous sunset!

Day 4 - Wednesday

our rooms

some cool trees

blind-folded musical chairs

pink beach house

my best friends =)

pretty clouds

giant jelly fish, run!

Day 5 - Thursday

burying Kate

she's a mermaid with wings

verse on the wall of our meeting room

tearing down the last night

Day 6 - Friday

they stayed up all night, so they slept pretty much the whole bus ride back

don't they look tired?

Rekindle part 1

2010-03-20T12:02:00.002-04:00

This week has been hard. Getting back to reality after Rekindle wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been sick. Pretty much 90% of Mission28 was sick this week. Not fun. But God is still good! And today I feel almost completely better. =)

Ok. Here's my Rekindle update.

The theme of this Rekindle was There Is No One Like Our God. The messages that impacted me the most were the ones about God's power, and God being unchanging.
God has the power to do whatever He wants. If something doesn't happen the way I want it to, it is not because God can't make it happen. It is because it is His will for it to not go that way.
God never changes. He will always be there for me when I need Him. He will always love me. He will always call me child, because my relationship with Him is based on His glorious gospel which never changes.

God really strengthened my faith and trust in Him last week. He showed me it doesn't matter what my circumstances are, because He is all I need. He gave me more boldness to share my struggles with my friends and ask them how I can pray for them. I feel like I can tell my friends what's going on in my life more. And that's a good thing. =)

God is so good to all of us!

coming soon...

2010-03-13T12:07:00.000-05:00

post on Rekindle coming soon. i'm too tired to do it right now.

REKINDLE!!!!!!!

2010-03-06T13:08:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness, we leave for Rekindle tomorrow!!!!!!!! So excited!!!!!!! =)

2010-02-27T07:37:00.005-05:00

I was thinking yesterday, "My life is too hard. There's so much I need to change. I can't do this any more." And you know what, I was right.

Jesus said in John 15:5, "Apart from me, you can do nothing."
And in Matthew 19:26, "With man this is impossible."

I cannot change anything in my life on my own. It's just not possible.

But:

"With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26b
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10
"The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary... He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:28-29

God showed me how foolish I was to think I could change myself. I can do nothing apart from Him. He is the One who changes me. All I need to do is humble myself and acknowledge to Him that I need Him. If I do that, He promises to help me.

"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, then I will hear from heaven." 2 Chronicles 7:14

God is so amazing! =)

Only 8 days until Rekindle!

12 DAYS!

2010-02-23T16:43:00.003-05:00

Rekindle is only 12 days away! I'm so excited! =D

There's nothing really to update on. Life around here hasn't changed. In a way that's good, but in a way I wish there was something to do an update on. Oh well.

short update

2010-02-09T18:34:00.006-05:00

Wow, i need to post again. Let's see....

Last weekend we had snow! =) Work closed, so we all got to stay home on Saturday. And church got canceled, so it felt like 2 Saturdays in a row. It was lots of fun! Here are some snow pictures.

we got 3 inches!

I've been opening at work 5 days a week. I think I'm going to keep doing that for a long time. It's really not that bad getting up at 4:30 every morning, as long as I get to bed around 8:30pm. I like getting up early and going to bed early. =)

No news on school yet. I'm still trying to decide if I should go or not. Hopefully I'll know soon.

Oh my goodness, REKINDLE is only 26 days from now!!!!! Excitement!!!! =D

God is faithful

2010-01-11T20:34:00.005-05:00

ok. that last post was a bit depressing. sorry about that.

i think now i'll post about God's faithfulness to me in 2009.

For one, God broke my fear of man. one year ago i would never dream of talking to anyone except my closest friends, i would only talk to someone else if they talked to me first, and i would hardly ever ask anyone any questions. God showed me that i was treasuring man's opinion of me more than God's opinion of me. then he gave me grace to change.
Today i don't mind talking to complete strangers, and i love asking people questions. i don't care if others think i'm weird in what i say, as long as i'm pleasing God in my speech. true, i do prefer listening over talking, but i'm much more willing to contribute to a conversation than i was a year ago.

Another thing God showed me was how to be a better friend. God convicted me of being selfish in my friendships. i wanted people to pay attention to me and invite me to hang out and ask me questions. it was all about me, and i felt like i didn't have any friends.
God showed me i needed to reverse my thinking. i am supposed to benefit my friends, not the opposite. i'm supposed to reach out to my friends and ask them questions and invite them to hang out, make an effort to get to know them better. if i do that consistently, then i will be a true friend, and others will start to benefit me.
i still have a long way to go in being a better friend, but God will help me grow. at least my thinking is correct now.

The most wonderful thing God did for me in 2009 was open up His Word to me in a new way. i used to hardly ever get truths out of my devotions. but now i almost always learn something from reading my Bible. it's definitely the work of the Holy Spirit revealing truths of Scripture to me. And now i love, love, love reading my Bible and theology books. there's nothing i would rather do than study God's Word. i couldn't say that a year ago, but i'm so glad i can today! :)

Wow, God really did some amazing things in my life last year!

life's moving slow

2010-01-10T16:47:00.003-05:00

This song by FM Static kind of describes my life right now.

It we take our time
I bet we can all find
The things in life worth living for

One thing I know is that when life's moving slow
I'm not out here on my own
I've got You to get me through this

My life seems to be moving very slow. I'm not in school, and I'm not content with my job any more. I used to love my job, but now it feels a little burdensome. Maybe that's because all my leaders at work say I'm one of their best employees, so I feel like I have to live up to their expectations of me. I'm so tired of trying to do my best, I just want to give up.

I know that God's grace is sufficient for me, but that truth isn't really helping me right now.

Sorry you have to read all this complaining. =( I hope I didn't discourage you, and I'll try not to post this kind of stuff too much....

On a happier note, this Thursday the M28 Big meetings start again. =) And REKINDLE is just 2 months away! It's going to be so much fun this year!

2009-12-25T14:09:00.009-05:00

"I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

Anna making cinnamon raisin buns

yum!

Christianne got a Duke T-shirt

Wes and his new keyboard

Ben's new pocket knives

Mom got a new apron

my presents. my favorite is my ESV study Bible :)

tomorrow is Christmas! :)

2009-12-24T08:17:00.002-05:00

Just a short update. My voice is just now starting to sound a little better. Maybe it'll be back to normal for Christmas. I sure hope so!

(no title)

2009-12-22T09:13:00.002-05:00

I think I overdid it yesterday. I had a cold and my throat was extremely sore, yet I still went to work and talked for 9 hours on headset for drive-thru. By the end I could barely talk.
My voice isn't any better today, so all I can do is whisper. Oh well, at least I'm not working today. Later I'm planning to go shopping and pretend I'm Deaf (since I can't talk). That should be fun. :)

I decided I'm not going to school next semester. There's nothing I really want to study for, so I figured it would be better to not spend money on taking classes I don't need. The only problem is, I don't want to stay at Chick-fil-A forever. I want to do something different, but there's nothing else I want to do. Hmm.....

Oh, I recently bought all 6 Harry Potter movies on DVD. I'm happy we have them now, 'cause we can watch them whenever we want. I just love those movies!

I know I stole this from my sister's blog, but I thought it was great so I'm posting it. :)

You Know You're From Charlotte When...

1. You can't drive a mile in any direction without seeing yet another Harris Teeter

2. You know someone who has hit a deer while driving

3. You understand that Charlotte has four seasons: Humid, Very Humid, Insanely Humid, and Christmas

4. You thought Discovery Place was the best thing ever when you were a kid

5. People clean out the grocery stores whenever snow is forecast, and then it snows a quarter of an inch (or not at all)

6. You remember when Charlotte had a real basketball team

7. Everyone wears flip-flops in January...and can get away with it

8. No matter what you do or where you go, some crazy SUV driver will cut you off

9. You know that barbecue is a noun, not a verb

10. There is a Starbucks in every single shopping center

11. You know the Charlotte Knights are not even in North Carolina, let alone Charlotte

12. You know someone who works for BofA or Wachovia

13. You know to give directions that bypass that infamous intersection: Queens Road and Queens Road

14. You are scared to leave home for more than three months for fear that new development will cause you to get lost on the return trip

15. You know to never, EVER drive from Matthews to Waxhaw on Providence Road at 5:00. Under ANY circumstances

16. You've been to Kate's Skates with your youth group on a Monday night

17. You can drive through previously rural areas around the city, naming which neighborhoods, apartment complexes and schools used to be cow pastures and peach fields

18. You question the "photo enforced" speed limit signs along Pineville-Matthews Road; are they real? Let me drive a little faster and find out...

19. You sometimes wonder if the city motto is "We're better than Raleigh"

20. You know that the Arboretum isn't a place where they grow trees

21. You are already driving 10mph over the speed limit and a police car passes you because you are driving too slow

22. You drive straight on one road for 5 miles and it has already changed names 4 times

23. Every summer you got season tickets to Carowinds, and used them only twice

24. Cars' turn signal bulbs never burn out (from inactivity)

25. Red means "stop", green means "go", and yellow means "floor it!"

random

2009-12-04T17:01:00.003-05:00

I'm done with school for this semester! Yay! :)
I still have yet to decide if I want to go on to the next level of sign language next semester. See, the next level is a second short session, and I don't really want to do a short session. But I kinda want to learn more ASL. And I like the fact that I don't work the days that I have class. I'd better decide soon, 'cause the class is almost full. Hmm.....

So, I turned 20 on Sunday. Wow. God had been so good!

Oh, and I'm going to attempt to learn how to play guitar soon. I figured it's time I learn how to play an instrument. =P

=)

2009-11-26T08:22:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

fun weekend!

2009-11-16T18:46:00.001-05:00

I'm really sore right now. Considering what I did this weekend, I'm not surprised.

Saturday evening, I went to a swing dance. That was my first time dancing, and it was fun! :) We danced for nearly 4 hours. We did swing dance, waltz, and line dance. I didn't really enjoy the waltz, but the other two were great.

Then Sunday afternoon, I went 4-wheeling. I got so muddy, but I didn't care 'cause it was so much fun! I've never done anything like that before, but I'm glad I did. Wow, a year ago I would have been way too scared to do that. I'm definitely breaking out of my comfort zone a lot more than I used to, thanks to the grace of God in my life. I love new adventures! :)

Here are a few pictures from the swing dance.

the Virginia Reel

God is so good!

2009-11-02T17:04:00.003-05:00

October was a very good month. It certainly was hard, but it was a good kind of hard.

I thought I had my life straightened out. Then I realized I was miserable. I didn't feel God near me, and I had trouble rejoicing in my circumstances. I tried to figure out what was going on, but didn't get anywhere.

Then God spoke to me through a prophetic word at an M28 meeting. He showed me my sin that was keeping me from enjoying His presence. So I prayed over the next few days that God would help me change, and by His grace, I overcame the sin. I was full of joy for a while, then became downcast again. I was so confused. Why, when I just had a victory, did I suddenly lose my joy?

God again spoke to me through a message at M28. Surprise, surprise, there was another sin I needed to deal with. I was tempted to be discouraged, but God reminded me that He never changes. He was faithful to help me overcome one sin, and He will always be faithful to help me overcome any and every sin that I struggle with. And, praise be to God, He gave me the victory again.

Through those two battles with sin, I learned that I cannot get by without God. I need Him in my life. Prayer is more important to me now than it ever was before, and I love getting up in the morning to read God's Word. My relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in my life right now, and I dearly hope that never changes. I am so joyful! :)

"My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let Your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:9-11

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" Psalm 34:8

God is so good!

picture post :)

2009-10-27T15:51:00.004-04:00

birthday girl

2009-10-22T12:44:00.002-04:00

Happy 17th birthday, Hannah!

You're such an amazing friend. Love you! :)

God is near

2009-10-20T16:21:00.005-04:00

I must remind myself of the truths in this song every day. God is near, no matter what I feel.

When the trials come and sorrows fall on me
You are my strength, the ground beneath my feet
When temptation calls to worry about my life
I will place my hope in the cross of Jesus Christ
And joy will be my song
Yes joy will be my song

For You are near, near to me
You still my anxious thoughts
And You bring Your peace
You are near when I call
You drive out all my fears
And calm this troubled heart
You're near to me

You told me to rejoice in every circumstance
And trust in You alone and in Your sovereign plan
You beckon me to come and bring You my requests
You promised that Your peace would come and bring me rest
And joy will be my song
Yes joy will be my song

For You are near, near to me
You still my anxious thoughts
And You bring Your peace
You are near when I call
You drive out all my fears
And calm this troubled heart
You're near to me

When I don't hear You, You're still near
When I don't feel You, You're still near
When I think that You have abandoned me
You're still near, You are near
You'll never leave me
You're still near
You are near!

girls retreat!

2009-10-12T18:53:00.006-04:00

Friday and Saturday (the 9th and 10th) I went on the Mission28 girls retreat. I learned so much about God in those two days, particularly Saturday. The two messages were helpful, but the thing that impacted me the most was the hour and 30 minutes they gave us for personal devotions. During that time, God revealed a certain sin in my life that was keeping me from enjoying Him. Then He showed me what I needed to do to combat that sin and change. The rest of my devotions I cried out to God to give me grace to do what He told me. When I came away from my time with the Lord, I felt joyful for the first time in a long time, knowing that God had forgiven my sin and would help me change. It was so refreshing! :)

On to the more interesting part.
The retreat was at Cherokee Cove in the mountains of Tennessee. And oh my, what pretty views! Here are some pictures from the trip there Friday.

On the way there, we stopped at the Annex Mast General Store. They had lots of neat stuff. I really liked this one shirt they had.

Part of the store was all candy. I wish I would've gotten a picture inside, but all I got was the sign. Oh well, you'll just have to use your imagination. ;)

flowers outside the store

When we got to our cabin, we had some time to hang out before dinner. There was a cool two-seat swing in the back yard.

The back of our cabin.

the mountain view

sunset

inside the cabin

early morning mist

I thought this was cute.

At each bed, there was a Bible verse. This is the one at my bed. It was just what I needed to hear. :)

on our way down the mountain

God is so good!

birthday girl

2009-09-29T16:23:00.003-04:00

Happy 17th birthday, Becca! You're amazing! :)

Isaiah

2009-09-21T18:43:00.003-04:00

I've been reading Isaiah, and it is a book filled with thanksgiving and praise to God. One of the recent Sunday messages was about prayer, and one point in the message was to remember to thank God when you experience His blessing. I've been trying to grow in this way, and reading Isaiah has helped a lot. I really do have so much to be thankful for, how can I not praise God for it?

Here are the verses that impacted me the most.

"He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth." Isaiah 25:8

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." Isaiah 26:3

"The Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him." Isaiah 30:18

"In love You have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back." Isaiah 38:17

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable." Isaiah 40:28

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"[The Lord] gives power to the faint; and to him who has no might He increases strength." Isaiah 40:29

God is so amazingly good to us! :) We must not forget to praise Him for all He has done, and continues to do, for us.

a few pictures :)

2009-09-18T16:14:00.002-04:00

CrossWay, my second home

2009-09-13T15:22:00.004-04:00

The weather was perfect today for taking pictures, so after church I took a few of our church building.

I just love my church family! :)

.......

2009-09-08T19:03:00.003-04:00

A few posts ago, I said my back and shoulders were really hurting. Well, I took my aunt's advice and started stretching. Now the pain is almost completely gone. Praise the Lord, stretching works! :) Thanks Aunt Marie!

So yesterday at work we had a Labor Day Giveaway. All the Chick-fil-A's did it. If a customer came in wearing any sports team logo, they got a free chicken sandwich. Man, were we ever busy! There was pretty much a constant stream of people all day, and all the CFA workers were running trying to get everything done. It was crazy! But at least the time went by faster than usual.

Right now I feel like I'm being torn between Mission28 and Quest222. I have lots of new friends in M28 that I love hanging out with, and I want to get to know them better. But I don't want to stop hanging out with the friends I already have in Q222, or we might become distant friends. And it's hard deciding at church who to talk with, 'cause my M28 and Q222 friends are both there. I don't want either group of friends to feel I'm ignoring them. *sigh* Life can be so hard sometimes.

CPCC

2009-09-01T15:47:00.005-04:00

My CPCC class is so much fun! I love ASL, it's such a beautiful language. And my teacher is really funny. Today he showed us the videophone, very similar to Skype, which the Deaf use to communicate with each other. It's really cool. :)
I took some pictures on campus, in case you want to see what it looks like. The sky was so pretty today!

ice cream!

2009-08-27T15:06:00.004-04:00

Last night I went on a spontaneous trip to Northlake with Christianne, Hannah, and Christelle. We had a great time looking in stores and eating ice cream.

yumm.....

the girls tried on fake glasses in Claires

I hope we can do that again sometime, it was so much fun! :)

short post

2009-08-24T19:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was fun! I went with a bunch of other Mission28'ers to advertise for our survey booths on UNCC campus. It wasn't just any old advertising - we got to write and draw with chalk on the sidewalks. People walking by gave us strange looks, but we were having too much fun to care. :) I'm glad I joined the chalking team!

On another note, my back and shoulders have been hurting for a long time now. I think it's related to lifting heavy stuff at work. I can't stop lifting things at work, 'cause then nothing will get done. But I want to help my back get better. Oh dear, what should I do? Please pray.

a few notes from the M28 retreat

2009-08-20T16:00:00.003-04:00

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" ~Psalm 34:8

If you have tasted that the Lord is good, you will desire more of Him.
As you keep coming to Him, you will continue to be built up. (1 Peter 2:4-5)
If God does not show up, we are no different than other people; we must have the presence of God with us. God is not distant!
Purpose to proclaim His excellencies. When you meditate on His excellencies, you will want to proclaim them.

Pictures from the retreat!

2009-08-16T20:21:00.004-04:00

playing "king of the dock". hilarious!

paddle boat

the gorgeous lake

three amazing freshmen: Kasey, Melly, and Janelle

Anna played a prank on Tim Rhue. She put different laces on his shoe, put it in a pot with water, and put the pot in the freezer. This is them running hot water on it to get the shoe out. I can't believe my sister did something like this!

playing "Hands"

jumping off one of the waterfalls at Dupont State Park

some beautiful scenery

group photo!

I had so much fun! :)

!

2009-08-14T08:40:00.000-04:00

Mission28 freshman/sophomore retreat, here I come! :)

(will post pictures when I get back)

Guess what?

2009-08-12T18:34:00.002-04:00

Only 2 days left until the M28 freshman/sophomore retreat!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, I'm a little excited. :)

Also, last night Mom and I drove to CPCC Cato Campus, so I know where it is now. That will be really helpful, since class starts next week. I'm looking forward to learning more sign language this semester.

That's all for now.

lesson learned

2009-08-08T18:42:00.003-04:00

This weekend is tax free weekend. I wanted to get my book for CPCC at the bookstore, 'cause it's not tax free if you buy it online. So Anna and I drove downtown. Well, when we got there, we couldn't find my book, so we asked for help. The worker said they didn't have it, 'cause the class is at Cato Campus, not at Central. And the Cato bookstore doesn't open until next week. So our trip was unsuccessful, and now I have to buy my book online. Oh well, at least I learned that I should look more closely into things before I go do them.

________________________________________________________________
On a happy note, Mission28 will be starting back up pretty soon. This year is going to be great! :) We have meetings every Thursday on the UNCC campus, instead of two times a month at church. The reason for this change is so we can more effectively reach out to the college students on campus. They'll feel more a part of things this way too. And that's a good thing!

Next week is the Mission28 freshman/sophomore retreat! :)

Hope everyone had fun at the youth day at church!

sorry if this bores you, but.....

2009-08-03T18:56:00.003-04:00

....this is one of my favorite songs. :)

All I have is Christ

I once was lost in darkest night, yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own a rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first, I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race, indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross
And I beheld God's love displayed, You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me, now all I know is grace

Hallelujah, all I have is Christ!
Hallelujah, Jesus is my life!

Now Lord I would be Yours alone and live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me
Oh Father use this ransomed life in any way You choose
And let my song forever be "My only boast is You!"

clouds and other things

2009-07-27T15:39:00.008-04:00

It's been a week since I posted. Wow. Not that much has happened really.
Anna and I went to a friend's bridal shower on Saturday, which was fun. They had lots of food there, but my favorite was the fruit pizza.

yumm....

And yesterday we 4 oldest went to our boss' house for a party. That was lots of fun, especially when everyone danced. :)

I love my Chick-fil-A family.

I don't know why, but lately I've fallen in love with clouds. They're just so beautiful. Here are a few of my favorite pictures of clouds. (you get a better idea if you view them bigger)

drama camp performance

2009-07-20T15:57:00.004-04:00

Drama camp is over. :(
The performance Friday night went great! Here are a few pictures of it. (photo credit of Dad)

these guys did great at readers' theater!

the Tibetan Memory Trick

"You're Not Here"

I think this was the highlight of the whole show. :)

These last two weeks have been crazy, but so much fun. :) I hope I can help with drama camp again next year.

more pictures from drama camp

2009-07-16T07:57:00.005-04:00

Tongue Twister Relay

Abby and Katy - they are so great at acting!

I'm not sure who started it, but all the girls drew on themselves with Sharpies.

playing Spoons

Fish School!!!! :)

before class started.....

rehearsing the magic trick. I really hope it works for the performance tomorrow.

playing Hitchhiker

playing Haunted Museum

waiting for the guys to set up the stage.....

playing Dutch Blitz

Don't forget to come to the performance tomorrow night at 7. :)

Tonight our family is going to see the new Harry Potter movie. I can't wait!

July 4th (i know it's late)

2009-07-11T14:59:00.004-04:00

Well, it's been a week, but I want to post about the 4th. In the morning we went to the Coulwood Parade. That's always fun, 'cause we get to hang out with the Godleskis! :) Here are a few pictures.

friends!

i thought this was cool...

a monster truck

horses

Then Anna, Christianne, and I worked 2-6. It wasn't too busy. When we got home, we had Dad's birthday dinner and cake. I love birthdays.

We ended the day with our traditional "legal" fireworks. (the kind that don't actually shoot up in the sky) It was a fun day!
____________________________________________________________________

The first week of drama camp is over. We've still got a lot of work to do, but the performance should be great! There's a magic trick in it, so you don't want to miss out. It's Friday at 7pm at church. Be there! :)

drama camp has begun

2009-07-08T18:54:00.005-04:00

Monday and Tuesday I worked 6am-noon, then went straight to drama camp until 4:30. I was pretty tired when I got home, but I had so much fun it was worth it. :) Here are some pictures.

the idea of this was to show we could have an emotion by just positioning our body a certain way.

"walking the dog" to the music

playing Statue Gardens!

Magic Stick

Restaurant, aka Word Out

We didn't have drama camp today, 'cause Mrs. Cable is sick. I really hope she gets better by tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, I'm a student director, along with Wesley and Nathan. Fun! :)

I love drama camp!

2009-07-01T12:47:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was fun. Saturday Wes and I went to Steph's 16th birthday party. I didn't get any pictures. :( My favorite part was walking on a trail in the neighborhood to a little field to play frisbee. The walk was so nice, and it was fun to do something different at a party than just sit around.

Sunday evening Anna and I went with some college friends to Southpark for "Pops in the Park", a free concert by the Charlotte Symphony. The music was Italian themed, so we brought a picnic dinner of spaghetti and salad. It was so much fun hanging out and listening to the music. And the 8 of us squeezed into a 7-passenger van to get there and back, which was very fun. Here are a few pictures:

New Layout!

2009-06-26T17:45:00.001-04:00

Christianne helped me find a new layout for my blog. :)

Hmm.... what to post?

2009-06-22T19:00:00.006-04:00

Well, Friday night I played volleyball for the first time. I really enjoyed it, especially serving. :) At first I didn't want to get near the ball, but later on I didn't mind at all. Volleyball is fun!

Sunday our caregroup had a cookout. I love cookouts, especially with friends. Here are a few pictures.

the Stumbos brought 2 of their dogs, Toby and Liberty. they're fun dogs!

my wonderful parents:

me. photo credit: Becca :)

if only the power line weren't in the way, this would be a really good picture. oh well.

Summer has officially begun. I can't decide if I like summer or not. Sure, I don't have school, I have more time to hang out with my friends and family, and summer is really relaxing. But it's also really hot outside, sometimes I'm bored, and there are no Mission28 events going on. Not to mention we sell so many milkshakes and ice cream cones at work that our machine breaks. (that happened last summer) Hmm.... I guess I both like summer and dislike it at the same time.

Well anyway, have a great summer everyone! :)

2009-06-15T18:56:00.004-04:00

So, Friday night I helped serve cheesecake at the Q222 end of year event. It was so much fun! That was the first time I've helped at something like that, and I definitely want to do it again. :) Here are a few pictures I took.