today was a fairytale...

it's the middle of april! please tell me when this happened?!well well well...it's about two more weeks of school and i will have only one more year, two semesters, left of grad school...then it's time for a j-o-b! hopefully at a-t-u!
this semester has been super crazy busy. i coached seven 5th and 6th grade girls for upward basketball, they were super cute and so fun! i miss them on the weekly. that was pretty much until march.
then spring break hit. which meant, epixxx road trip! here's the recap for it...
7 days, 6 states, 5 nights in hotels, 4 sean specials, 3 friends, 2 wonders of the world, 1 epic spring break trip to go down in the books! so so so fun, trip of a lifetime!
now i am finishing up the semester and heading into wedding season, aka at least one wedding a month until august! (as of right now) i am really starting to like this whole wedding thing though...

two more weeks until this...

...all summer long!!!

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We should not put so much focus on Christianity;
but rather being a Christian.

the snow's coming down...

Well here we are, another Christmas has snuck up on us. It is hard to believe that this year is pretty much over. Wow 2009, we had some good times...I hate to see you go so fast. Anyway...let us focus on the present...now...I have plenty of time to reflect about the year later, are we seeing foreshadowing? Yes! Okay let's leave English class...sorry.

I love this time of year. I love the Christmas season! I love Christmas music. I love Christmas Ex-trava-gan-zas! I love S to the Now! :)

Okay, okay...I think you've got it...I love this season.

But let us not forget about the reason for the season...immaculate conception...yes I said that. Jesus, YES YES! O come, O come all ye faithful...Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel...O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord. Nothing better than getting to say thank you to our gracious God and celebrating the birth of Jesus.

However, I feel not as though I should go into great detail...so I will leave you with this as I am snuggled up on the couch and the lights are turned way down low, as it snows while sipping on my hot chocolate....

Merry Christmas to all,
and all a good night!


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I want this to be my driveway...
Oh wait! It is...my dream of a white Christmas came true! :)

oh by gosh by golly...

...It's time for mistletoe and holly.

It IS the most wonderful time of the year. I love the cold weather coming in...it means cozy in doors with a nice cup of hot chocolate and friends gathered together.

Let's see, a lot has happened since my last post...

I turned another year older.
One class away from being completely done with my first semester of grad school.
Pulled a 'few' pranks on some of our neighbs.
New friendships were made.
Fell in love...with Jacob Black. Just kidding...but seriously.
Played with my niece, who actually looks like my own kid.
Probably broke a common law or two...or three. Nahhh.
Still have not finished a book for 'fun reading'.
Dyed my hair, twice times.
Made delicious Jolie frosting...yes my family has our own frosting. :) It's kind of a big deal...
Looked up jobs for future referencing.
Summer missions...where will I go?
Thought about where I would like to work after my Master's Degree is completed.
Thought about what God has planned for my life.

Enough about that...more about one of my all time favorite things...

Truly connecting with God during worship. The type of connection that while you are worshiping and completely opening up your heart to God and focusing on Him and picturing his grace, mercy, and love for all. The type that when you have your hands crossed or to your side that for those moments in worship you feel something, not those butterfly feelings, but you truly feel something...the feeling that something is around you and holding your hand. I love that, I feel as though my maker is holding my hand and all I can do is cling on for life and smile. In those moments that you find like that...perfection lies. No weeping, no suffering, no pain...no darkness, no sick, no lame just you and God. Those are moments that my heart beats for.

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He is jealous for me.
Loves like a hurricane.
I am a tree.
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.

rain falls.

it is fall. do i love it? of course. it is one of my favs.

do i love chicago? yes. do i miss chicago? double yes.

i have been considering lately to possibly go back there this summer and work with the church plant with one of the churches that we worked with a little bit. i would absolutely love it. building ministry in a city that needs it and reaching out to people and loving them. :)

i think one of the main reasons why i enjoyed it so much because it was not in the 'bible belt' and the culture is so much different. the city is definitely 'colder' than towns in arkansas. but for some reason i really enjoyed it. i felt like i was able to make a difference and God was using me there.

that is one of the ideas for the summer...with possibilities of maybe something overseas. i do not know right now...but i do know that i want to put my YES on the table. i wonder what would happen if more people started to do that. amazing things would happen for the kingdom, that is for sure.

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break my heart for what breaks yours.

people. 3m:15s

people all around us are searching for truth.
some of them just can't seem to find it.

seeing them in a dark smoky place.
they're all locked outside.
but they've got paper lanterns.
to show them the way.
just show them the way.

people pass by all around them.
as they look for someone to turn to.
but nobody's by their side.
now they're lost and abandoned.
and slowly getting out of site.

makes you wonder about this world we live in.
people getting left behind.
maybe if we didn't just look through them.
and just tried to be on their side.
then we could all just be one nation.
and no one would ever cry.

love is really a movement.
maybe we should try it once in awhile.
we just have to show them the way.

just show them the way.

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love is the movement.

my mama raised me in the dirty south.

Well well well...

Here we are again. I am home...where it is warmer (aka hot), humid, and quite.

I can officially say that I now understand why people in the city like coming to Arkansas or somewhere where it is quite.

Everything is so much slower here, and cheaper (13.25% tax...not so fun). You can see the stars and hear nature.

God's creation is amazing...I can not believe it sometimes. Coming back and seeing all the trees, mountains, and lakes makes me stand in awe.

If I had one word to describe my experience in Chicago doing aXis it might be:

indescribable.

I learned so many new things about myself and things that I want to partake in, as well as God's grace and mercy. My prayer and hope is that we all take the things we learned in Chicago and put them to practice on our campuses.

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Subject change...

Leaving for California in three days. I am more than excited, but I wish I had a little bit more time at home between now and then. Someone wise once told me...

The older you get the faster time goes by...just like a roll of toilet paper.
-The Bearded Wonder

That is all.

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Everything will change.
Things will never be the same.