don't sweat the small stuff

So I titled my blog this because...

in this past week one of the many things I've learned has been

is this really that big of a deal?

should I really be worrying about this?

out of all the things that could be happening this really isn't that bad.

it could be a lot worse.

This past week has been rough for me.

But thanks to amazing friends and our amazing God I have made it through.

One main reason I think this week has been so rough is because I have not focused on my relationship with Christ which automatically sets me up for failure. I always have bad days and weeks when I don't set aside the right amount of time with the Lord.

However Saturday night I did find out that I made staff at Camp which I am SO very excited about.

Expect many blog posts between now and summer about how excited I am.

Big thanks to Lindsay, Marie, Veronica, and Mrs. Irene for being there for me and giving me inspiration.

I also got to see LB on Friday afternoon which was amazing... so that was great.

And I had my first club of the semester which was awesome!

Don't let me fool you the whole week wasn't terrible. Just parts of it.

Yet again, I have learned that I need to fully rely on God because without him...

who am I?

Another thing I have learned this week is...

I am so so so very blessed for the friendships I have made and continue to make.

Please excuse the cheesy-ness of this section.

I am so thankful for the friend I have made in Marie and to live with her next year we will continue our amazing friendship and just crazy journey.

I am so thankful for the friendship I have with Lindsay because although we don't see each other ever we always continue to have a constant and reliable friendship and she always knows what to say.

I am thankful for Veronica because she is my other half... literally we are so much alike although we are always apart. I loved getting to spend the day with her on Saturday. And cannot wait to be with her again this summer at camp!

I am thankful for Mrs. Irene because she is  a role model and always knows what to say and is always a set of ears to listen and hear me out, and I know she doesn't judge me for my lack in faith or anything else.

Last I am thankful for the friend I have made in my very best friend Hunter. It is so crazy to me that we have been going to school together for so long and never spoke until this past summer... and now we are best friends. I am thankful for our honesty and truthfulness in our friendship.

The Lord has blessed me in so many ways and continues to bless me.

So thank you to everyone.

And if you aren't mentioned that is not to say I care about you any less or you are not important in my life because you definitely are.

I love every single one of my friends dearly and would not be the person I am without them.

My favorite song as of late is Come Thou Fount and this version is amazing.

So if you have time go listen!

This is what the Lord says:

"Stand at the crossroads and look;

ask for the ancient paths,

ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

and you will find rest for your souls."

-Jeremiah 6:16

So... here's to a week of trying to fully rely on God and get back on the right track.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

peace. and. blessings.

friends in low places

So this summer I will be spending my second summer as a Comanche at Camp Winnataska. I could not be more thrilled and more blessed. I have made some of the best friends at Camp and it has helped shape me forever into the Christian that I am today. If you are reading this and you have children please send them to Camp! I promise you they will be in good hands :) The Lord continues to bless me and I am just awe struck by the staff and cannot wait to see what great things come out of this summer. This summer is definitely going to be a lot different for me than last summer, but it's going to be 10 times better and I cannot wait! :)

Proverbs 18:24

i do what i can. through Christ.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

irony is a weird thing

I want...

This blog post is very selfish. It is all about me and the things I want. I have my whole life planned out. This is a bad thing, because I know God is writing my life story. He is in charge of who I get married too, if I get married. He is in charge of how many children I have, if I am meant to have children. He has already called me to working with Special Needs children and will hopefully further call me into ministry. So this is just my way of putting things out in writing to help achieve my dreams along with share with you my dreams. So here are my secrets as if most of you don't already know them.

One of my greatest wishes is to serve Christ. I want to go on a mission trip very bad. I wish I could drop out of school and go right now, serve in Africa, Haiti, India, China, South America, anywhere. However, I must finish school... so maybe after I graduate.

1. I want to get married.

2. I want to have a very elegant, southern, simple wedding.

3. I want to love my husband unconditionally and have already started preparing my heart to do so.

4. I want a honeymoon that is intimate, but I also want part of my honeymoon to be devoted to mission work.

5. I want my marriage to be successful and I want to be in love every day of the marriage, although I know marriages have hard times.

6. I want to have at least 3 children.

7. I want to adopt. I have a huge desire and calling to do so. 

8. I want to either be a very suburban mom or a mom that lives easy and free on a farm.

9. I want my family to eat healthy and be very environmentally aware.

10. I want to love my children like Jesus has loved me, however I know this is not possible, so I want to love my children as much as my little heart can love.

11. I want my children to know Christ and I want my family to be fully reliant on Christ and His unconditional love for us.

12. I want to make a difference in as many special need children's and their families lives as possible.

13. I want to eventually go to seminary. Whether that is before or after I'm married, before or after I have children, I don't know, that's up to God, and I am fully relying on Him for that. 

14. I want to love everyone I come in contact with. Show Christ's love through my love for life, children, and everything else that I truly love.

so for now I will continue dreaming and stop planning my future and live in the present... 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11

something beautiful

1. "living a busy life does not mean a life of purpose": this past week has been great. finally getting into a schedule-ish. my life has no schedule right now really. those past two sentences totally contradicted each other. excuse me and my scattered brain please. I only have class on Tuesday's and Thursday's and a lab on Friday... but lab starts this week. so Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's it's just kind of a pot luck of what to do. so what I am trying to say... what am I trying to say? I am trying to put a schedule into my life and devote the days off to school and the Lord. It's hard to do though when I keep depriving myself of sleep and so I have to remind myself that time management is key. The series that my wonderful preacher Rusty Hutson at Cornerstone is preaching is all about time. He said the quote of the title of this section and I just think it is so true. It does not matter if I am busy or not busy. It is about devoting my life to serving the Lord. Being busy does not mean that I am serving that purpose. Sometimes it is good to have that quiet time alone with Jesus. Quiet time alone with friends. Quiet time with family, or by yourself. It is so easy to get caught up in always going and doing... but sometimes we just need to rest. 

"Be careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." -Ephesians 5:15-16

2. music: I'm addicted to several songs right now. my life would not be the same without music. I seriously would die without it. one. Beautiful Things by Gungor. two. Sleeping to Dream by Jason Mraz. three. A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans. four. Cowboy Take Me Away by Dixie Chicks. five. Keep it Loose, Keep it Tight by Amos Lee. six. Feels So Right by Matt Wertz. 

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord all the earth." -Psalms 96:1

3. "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold": lately I've learned that people change. clearly, this whole past year for me has been like taking the right path instead of the left. friendship is something that should stay constant in this change but doesn't always happen. friendship is something that is really important to me. I love all of my best friends. the Lord has blessed me with a LOT of friends. I am so thankful for all of them! although people move away and have different lives friendship can stay constant and will stay constant despite other friendships made. 

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17

4. setting yourself up for disappointment is the biggest disappointment of all: this is one of those quotes I regularly remind myself of... it's very similar to everything happens for a reason. I easily set myself up for disappointment a lot because I expect more out of people or something differently out of people or just myself. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5

5. looking back: so I was looking back to my journal in September. I was just reading some of the verses that I have written from my devotions, reading my prayer requests, reading what I've done. wow. God has answered so many prayers. He is truly amazing.

"Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me." -Psalms 66:20

 6. camp: my favorite place. I miss it so much. I got to hang out with camp people today and it was sooo great to see everyone. my interview for Comanche is on Saturday, so please pray for that if you have time in your day! I am also very ready for camp weather... everything about summer I just love. Chaco's, rolled up jeans, riding around with the windows rolled down, crickets, star gazing, and having devotions outside instead of inside looking at these boring walls.

"The day is yours, and also the night; you established the sun and moon. It was you who set all the boundaries of earth; you made both summer and winter." -Psalms 74:16-17

I feel like I have more to say but I am just not sure what it is. until next time... peace and blessings!

you make beautiful things out of us

I am so being called to blog right now. I just read my devotion for yesterday and today. Slacker I know...

But I just have to share what I read... I read Matthew 26:17-75 and Matthew 27:1-56. Which includes some of the most powerful material in the New Testament... The Lord's Supper, Jesus' Arrest, The Crucifixion, and The Death of Jesus. Wow. Powerful. I'm in awe of our God... nothing new there. I cannot even put into expression my love for Christ. That He loves me more than I could ever know and understand is amazing and passionate and forgiving and just wonderful. I want to share His love and help other people know his love more than anything else in my life. 

The past couple of days I've been struggling in my faith just a little bit and these passages have renewed my faith and reminded me of the love Christ has for me and for us. 

So I went to dinner tonight with Alex and Caroline and then went and hung out for a bit. Alex shared this wonderful song with me and so I think you should really go listen. It's wonderful. And a great reminder. Beautiful Things by Gungor

Also in my devotion tonight I came across the quote which I really love.

"No one becomes a disciple without saying yes to Jesus taking us, blessing us, breaking us open, and passing us around." 

While I'm on here might as well blog a little bit more... so this weekend was fantastic... after I got over my little "you have a virus like the flu but isn't the flu" episode. I spent it with my lovely fantastic best friends. Saturday I went to Angels Antiques with Alex and Marie. It was awesome and I got a lot of ideas for next year... when Marie and I will hopefully live in a house! Then we went to some of the bookstores and then dinner with Alex and Davis. Sunday I woke up and went to church with Marie, Davis, and Alex. Then Marie went to Pannie George's... typical. Which was delish as always. I came home and napped. Then I went and met Mrs. Irene in downtown Opelika which was just wonderful. I absolutely love that woman to pieces what a role model and inspiration she is for me. Her advice is always great and I have learned so much from her strength and courage. Then I went over to Mo and Jen's for the Golden Globes party. Thomas and Matt watched with us... it was quite fun! Then Hunter came over and we had a slumber party. Monday we slept real late and laid around all day and watched It's Complicated.... which was hilarious. Then I came home to get a shower and we all reunited for dinner at Olive Garden. I love my friends.

I'm going to end with this prayer... which is my prayer for the week. I LOVE it.

"By your cross O Lord, you show the extravagance of your love for us. Love that knows no limits... no boundaries. Love that pours down upon us from every wound of your beloved Son. More love than we could ever ask for or imagine. When we are tempted to doubt the depths of your heart for us, let our eyes immediately look to Jesus crucified - and may all doubt be taken away. In His name. Amen."

Much Needed Post 1.3 (back to Auburn)

January 8.

Woke up and went to Costco with mom. Then packed my bags to get ready to come back to Auburn. Left that afternoon right after my mom and John left for Arizona. When I got back to Auburn, Alex and I went to the Basketball game with Grace and TJ. we got the text saying classes Monday were cancelled. Then we went to dinner with Robin. When we got back to my dorm I unpacked and rearranged my crosses and paintings in my room along with made my bed with my new t-shirt quilt :)

January 9.

I woke up and went to Wal-Mart and Earth Fare with Alex to get groceries. We were scared that the ice storm was going to hit... or snow. or whatever else the weather men said. NOTHING HAPPENED. anyway I got only healthy food. yay. and I grilled chicken and turkey burgers for the week :) 

January 10.

woke up and went to lunch with Hunter and Thomas at Panda! we got the text that classes Tuesday were cancelled. then I went over to Hunter's for a little bit and then we came to my dorm. we watched the National Championship at my dorm with Marie, Whitney, and Thomas. Margaret came by for a little bit. The game made me so nervous but in the end we won :) THANK GOD! As soon as the game was over we went to Toomer's which was crazy!!!! I have never been around so many people in my life. But it was so much fun and I LOVE my Auburn Family! Whitney, Marie, Hunter and I were holding onto each other the whole time... somehow we managed to lose Thomas but ended up getting reunited with him. We also ran into Alex, Grace, Robin, and TJ. 

January 11.

Went to Tiger Rags, J & M, and Anders to find National Championship t-shirts. We also took pictures at Toomers. Then we went to welcome back the football team who was supposed to be back at 6:30. So we went out there at 6:00... and stood there in the 20 degree weather for over 2 hours until the team got back at 8:20. Marie, Whitney, Alex, Hunter, and I were DYING. Then we came back and drank some hot chocolate and went to bed.

January 12.

First day of classes for everyone else. I don't have classes on Wednesday's so I didn't do much of anything other than start feeling sick. I went to my YoungLife team meeting. So glad to see my amazing team! Then my best friends FINALLY got home so I went and saw Mo and Jen. Mo and I had the most epic hug ever. Straight out of the movies. Love her and so glad to see them.

January 13.

I woke up no feeling well at all. My first day of class went really well. I think this semester is going to go really well. Thursday's are going to be long days... but it shouldn't be bad. After I got out of my RSED class Hunter came and got me and we went over to Mo and Jen's. Mo cooked spaghetti and cheesy garlic bread which was NOM! Thomas came over and we tried to watch Grey's... well it wasn't successful. Me being sick went down hill. I cuddled with Mo and Hunter while we watched Teen Mom and whatever else. It was awesome. I'm so glad to be back with my best friends in Auburn :)

January 14.

Woke up and made a doctor appointment for the afternoon. Slept until I went. Found out I had "a virus like the flu but it isn't the flu"... whatever the hell that is supposed to mean. Went to CVS and got my meds then came back and laid in bed. Watched Grey's (which was ridiculously intense) and did a whole lot of nothing. Then we went to Chappy's for dinner. Came home and hung out with my roomies.

January 15.

My medicine has worked wonders. No really... it has. Went to Angels Antiques with Alex and Marie. I got a lot of ideas for furniture for my house or apartment or wherever I end up living next year. Then I we ran some more errands with Davis and I got my books. Ate dinner with Davis and Alex and Mike and Ed's and watched the Miss America pageant. 

Now I'm loosing my patience and typing skills... so until next time... which next post will probably be an inspirational post. Peace and Blessings.

Much Needed Post 1.1 (end of break)

New Years Day.

Catherine had spent the night with me so we spent all day together. We did a whole lot of nothing... great way to start the new year. We watched the Alabama game via my bed. Fell asleep during half time. Woke up when it was almost over. Mom and John fixed turnips and all the traditional New Years food. Then Catherine went home after dinner. I went and hung out with Frances and Hunter and Pettey. We made a trip to camp and played Settlers of Catan with Mark and Sharon. Hunter won... of course. I spent the night with Frances.

January 2.

Spent the day with Fran. We slept late. Got up and hung out. Went to lunch. Decided we wanted to tie dye our little hearts out. So we went to Wal-Mart to get supplies. I tie dyed 6 shirts, 1 apron, and a set of sheets. The shirts were for: Mo, Jen, Hunter, Jordan, L.B., and me. The apron and set of sheets were for me.

January 3.

I got up and went and ate lunch with my mom and Trish at mom's work. Cannot remember what I did after that until I met Hunter in Leeds for dinner. Then we came back Birmingham to go to Best Buy and to get his bag to spend the night at camp. Our whole reason for going to camp was to watch the meteor shower. It was no doubt cloudy. Oh well... maybe next time. We did hang out with Angie for along time. We also hung out with Mark and Sharon for a long time.

So Hunter scrapbooked all his boy scout stuff. 

This is his eagle scout certificate.

He should thank me for not putting his super cute picture up...

January 4.

I woke up and went to Children's Hospital with Sharon, Emily, and Charlie for Emily's sweat test. Poor thing did not like it one bit but she was a good sport... better than I probably would have been. Precious Charlie was an amazing big brother and sang to Emily while she was being tested and told her to stop crying. Oh it was adorable. He's going to be such a protective brother when they get older! Then we came home and Sharon went and cleaned Reimel so I watched the kids. Macy came by :) I loved seeing her and Matt as well! I went home and ate dinner with my dad, Ann, Carter, and Caroline. My dad made veggie lasagna which was delish! Then I went to my mom's house to get ready and go to Up the Creek to watch Blake bartend. I got to see Veronica, Tricia, Frances, Aubrey, Caroline, Carter, Wilson, Trent, Gaines, Scott Cramer, and Lewis! It was great! Then Veronica, Frances, and I spent the night at Fran's! 

January 5.

I woke up and went to the high school to see Mrs. King's Life Skills Class :) I just love being with these kids. I have so many emotions when I leave there. I feel so blessed and loved and just want to share my love with these kids. It makes me want to have my own class so that I can do things so differently but it also allows me to learn so many things that I can do when I teach. Special Needs children truly hold a dear place in my heart and I LOVE working with these kids more than anything in the world. I cannot wait to have my own class! After that I went home to my moms and then to my dads. I spent this break on the road living out of a bag. Wouldn't have traded it for anything, because I got to see so many people and do so many things! 

January 6.

I got my hair cut and then went home and ate lunch at my dads house. I went over to Taylor Gamble's house for several hours and played with Jack Henry and Harrison. Those boys are so sweet. I hope that I can have babies that good... and twins at that :) Then I went to dinner with Lindsay at the Tavern. I then went to my dads and just hung out with my dad, Ann, and Carter. Carter and I made hay stacks later that night. I have a really cool supportive brother... by the way.

January 7. 

I finally came home to my moms. I watched some tv and then I just hung out with my mom that night... our last night together before I came back to Auburn and she left for Arizona. I have some precious pets... Buddy Boy and Gracie Lee.

Much Needed Post 1.0 (end of 2010)

Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve early afternoon I went over to Aunt Amy's to give Edward his Christmas present. He's so precious. Oh how innocent children are. Afterwards I went home and my mom, Grandma Sue, John, Stacey, and Bud went to Mountain Top for Christmas Eve church service. After church we went over to John's sister Ellen's for Christmas Eve dinner. Grandy, Anna, Bill, Ellen, Mom, John, Jonathan, and I were all there! I love family :)  Oh yeah... and I got a Twitter. #addicting

Christmas Day.

Woke up and there was a little bit of snow! yay :) We went down to the triplets for brunch and the kids showed me everything they got for Christmas. THEY GOT SO MANY TOYS! HOLY COW! Then I went to my dad's house for gift exchanging with Carter, Grandma Brennan, Uncle Johnny, Dad, and Ann. We ate dinner - my dad's traditional beef tenderloin - which was delish as always :) I got two of my favorite gifts that I could ever get this Christmas. Ann made me a t-shirt quilt with all of my t-shirts from high school. I am absolutely obsessed. When I say obsessed I mean I have not slept one night without it since I've had it. And I've never been the type to not sleep with a sheet and sleep with just a quilt or comforter... well now I am I absolutely love it. Carter also got me a new Bible... which I've been desperately needing. I still use my old Bible... just because it has SO much stuff in it. but my new Bible will be so much easier for me to take everywhere with me. Then Carter and I just did some quality sibling bonding!

December 26.

Hung out with some of my most favorite people. Hunter, Brian, Frances, and I went to dinner at P.F. Chang's and then we went over to Brian's house afterwards. We played nerf wars and then watched Toy Story 3. Toy Story 3 was so good but everyone kept telling me I was going to cry... I definitely didn't. Call me heartless... but it wasn't sad to me. 

December 27.

Julia came in town!!! I miss this girl so much, cannot even put into words. I met her and Frances at Starbucks then we went by my house to figure out what we were going to do. We went to the Galleria and made Build-a-Bears. Julia's is Winnie, mine is Songy, and Fran made Brian one named Daniell. They're pretty darn cute if I must say so myself. Not to mention, I now have a cuddle buddy! Then Julia, Fran, Pettey, Janie, Mary, Tricia, and I all went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's! Afterwards we went by Tricia's apartment and hung out and listened to Pettey play guitar. Then Fran, Julia, Pettey, and I went to see Black Swan. I do not even know how to describe that movie. So disturbing, scarring, yet brilliant. 

December 28-30.

Lake with the family. I caught up on some devotion time on the pier, which was so peaceful. On the 29th I met Hunter and Angie at camp and rode with them to Candles and Carols. Which was so much fun! I got some much needed baby love from Jim and Carrie's newest son Hudson and from Taylor Gamble's precious twins Harrison and Jack Henry. After Candles and Carols Hunter came to the lake with me and Carter came up to the lake. We had a lot of fun just hanging out and doing nothing and then I came back to Birmingham on the 30th.

This reminds me of high school lake trips so I had to put it up.

It just makes me laugh every time I read it...

Please read it I think you'll enjoy :)

December 31.

Catherine came over to my house and hung out. Then we went to the triplets to babysit. We had a "party" with them which was so much fun! And then after we gave them a bath and put them to bed we watched the Dick Clark New Years show. I also had my last soda since I gave them up for 2011. I also gave up potato chips and french fries. Catherine spent the night with me! :)

Jensen broke the remote... we put it back together.

 giving Aiden a kiss. sweet boy.

 our party masks :)

 last soda for a year.