thankfulness

i stole this from LT's blog....i LOVE lists and i also have so much to be thankful for, so i knew this would be fun to do!

my ABC's of THANKSGIVING

Abraham Lincoln. he was a very good man...wish we still had a President like him.

my Beach House. coming home to the beach is consistently the best part of my day.

Christmas. both for the festivities and for the reason we celebrate it.

The Davidsons- my Virginia Beach family (and best friends)

Erik. the most amazing boyfriend in the entire world. (even though he refuses to read my blog)

Food. any and all.

God. He's so good to me.

the Hollands. I have the coolest family.

my Immune System...it fought off MONO...and won.

Juris Doctor (J.D.)---> my official title/degree in only year and a half!

Kids. i love everything about them.

Lentz Bergethon, LLP....my law firm. they make work exciting.

Music. worshiping, running, driving, sleeping, studying...it is vital for every activity in my life.

New Beginnings.

Ozark. that place changed my life.

Panera. one of the only reasons i made it through my first year of law school (free wifi, unlimited coffee, french onion soup)

Queso. (see also, F and T)

Regent Law School. good professors, beautiful campus, encouraging classmates.
Seasons. i love the way everything changes every once in a while.

TEXAS. my future domicile.

U. if you are reading this, there is a good chance we're close friends....so thank U for being in my life.

Vegas...Starkvegas, that is.

Winter Clothes. i LOVE dressing warm in cold weather- boots, coats, sweats, scarves, etc.

X-rays. It found my appendicitis last year (just in time, so that i didn't die of a ruptured appendix!) it's a stretch i know...but i'm still thankful for it!

Younglife. my girls are SO AWESOME.

Zzzzzs...although rare with my schedule, i love it when i actually get more than like 5 hours of sleep at a time.

happy thanksgiving, everyone! gobble gobble.

i'm alive, in case anyone cares...

imagine the scene:

i wake up on a miserable thursday morning (as in, the weather outside was miserable), with one thing on my mind- i have to finish a massive research brief before this day is over, and i still haven't packed for NYC, and we are leaving at the crack of down the next day. as i grab my phone to turn the alarm off, i notice that i have 5 new emails- each informing me that school is cancelled---due to the huge storm is currently hitting Virginia Beach. my first thoughts: SWEET, no school, i can spend all day on my paper! my second thoughts: wait, what storm?? Fast forward 30 minutes...sitting on my bed, papers spread all over the place, laptop open...ready to knock this paper out. and BAM- our power goes out. Now what!? No big deal, I have a Mac- these things have an incredible battery life...I should be good for at least a couple more hours before i have to move to another location. Fast forward 15 more minutes...my roommates bust into my room and inform me that we have to EVACUATE my house/the beach within the next hour or else we wont be able to make it out at all the rest of the weekend (due to heavy wind/flooding...., i live ON the beach....the waves were enormous at that point). SERIOUSLY, is this really happening!? all i can think about is finishing this stupid paper, and i still have to pack for the entire weekend before i leave the house- within the hour! I get up, shove all of my books/papers into my bag, grab every suitcase i own and throw almost every jacket, sweater, scarf, boots, and pair of jeans in my closet into them. Pretty sure i set a world record both for "the most clothes fit into a suitcase for one weekend" and the time in which i did it. So i get all 7 bags (seriously) down my 4 flights of stairs, move my car to the garage, and James finally pulls up to get me (he has an SUV and didn't want me driving my car on the roads in the crazy weather) all before our "evacuation time" has elapsed...craziest hour of my life i think. we make it safely to the Lodge- which fortunately had power the entire day- and i can FINALLY sit still and and work my paper! As the day goes on, the backyard of the Lodge begins to flood (as in, the docks were floating around IN the yard) and the boys spend all day wading out into the yard...just to "check the water level" (as if they can't tell just by looking out the window?!) Around dinner time, we think we should brave the storm because we are hungry and there is no food in the house. We get in James's SUV, pass VERY slowly through the raging waters flooding into the road from the lake-which Ryan happily stripped down to his boxers to wade out into to check the actual depth-and we MAKE IT OUT!! we are so proud of ourselves.....we fought the Nor'easter....and we have conquered it.

our victory dinner was held at "Just George's," my new favorite restaurant in VB.

so i finished my paper late that night, re-packed my clothes for NYC before going to bed, and we were able to safely make it out of the city around 8:30 am the next morning (after the bridges opened up again). we arrived in the Big Apple about 10 hours later (due to traffic and a GPS malfunction), ready for a much needed vacation from Virginia Beach and the Nor'easter!!

The weekend was SO wonderful- tons of sight-seeing, eating, walking, laughing, and hang-time with some of my favorite people in the world. I'm already ready to go back- hopefully next time, the preparation for the trip wont be quite so stressful!

i heart november.

november has always been my favorite month of the year, mainly because of my birthday (the 22nd) and thanksgiving, but november this year has been/will continue to be exceptionally great. Every single weekend of this month holds something exciting for me. Beginning with this past weekend- the first full weekend of the month- all of the Younglife schools from Virginia Beach went on Fall Weekend in Rockbridge, VA. It was THE BEST weekend- there were beautiful mountains and trees all around the (really fine) camp, i got tons of hang-time with my high school girls, had some pretty amazing conversations, and ate way more than any human being should. I got about seven hours of sleep-TOTAL-the entire weekend and ZERO amount of school work done, but it was so worth it. Now for the only sucky part of the month- I have a huge research brief due on Friday that I still have SO much to get done on, but I know it will all work out- it always does.

Then onto the next fun weekend- I am going to New York City this weekend!! I have never been before, and I had been telling some of my friends that I really wanted to go one weekend for my birthday since it's only about a 6 and 1/2 hour drive from VB. Well, wouldn't ya know it, Erik just happened to already be going this weekend anyway to attend the Queens Film Festival- how convenient! He wrote a screenplay a while back and submitted it to the Film Festival, and he got chosen as a FINALIST- which means he gets 10 free V.I.P. passes to the Festival/after-parties in NYC. Not only did he give me and some of our friends the passes, but he got us two hotel rooms IN Times Square for the weekend! I cant even concentrate on life right now because I am so excited...He wont find out if he won or not until the awards ceremony on Sunday, but I have read over it some and I think he has a really good shot at winning something. Baller.

To continue my best-month-of-my-life streak, the very next weekend is my birthday! As most of you know, my birthday celebrations last at LEAST a week...my amazing friends have already started planning a huge party and Erik is coming too!! I have talked E into running in a 5K (to benefit adoption) at Regent that Saturday morning, which I am sure we will make into quite a show. I should probably start training for that. nah.

And of course, to finish off the best month ever, THANKSGIVING is the following week! Although I will be studying most of the weekend, I am going to be participating in any and all food-related events all over Va Beach and watching football whenever I can...especially the Egg Bowl. GTHOM.

so i say this with as much enthusiasm as possible.....HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!!!!

what's that smell?

yes, i was a skunk for halloween.

it was the best/worst idea for a costume ever. best because it is just so funny- i mean that's not a typical costume that runs through one's head in trying to decide what to be for halloween. and worst because for whatever reason, the weather decided to be all crazy and it was 80-ish degrees all day and night. i was BURNING UP in that thing. i took it half-way off after about 30 minutes of dancing (mostly because that dancing was to Miley Cirus-on repeat-and i was literally jumping up and down for a straight half hour) but managed to keep it somewhat on for most of the night just because i didnt want to not have a costume on at our party. We had the party at the Lodge, the now-annual Halloween party location for Regent students. There was a really good mix of all of the classes from our school there, and even some randoms that didnt go to Regent. An overall successful night. Ryan did manage to sprain his ankle at some point during our "Party in the USA" dance-off, and he has been milking his injury all week by hobbling around school on crutches, trying to find compassionate girls to feel sorry for him. I have zero compassion because he keeps telling people I caused the injury. Really, Ryan? whatever.

but back to my costume...the best part was the time-released airwick air freshener we attached to my back....we set it to "poof" every 10 minutes. I think I got light-headed smelling the vanilla scent that followed me around everywhere all night. i dropped it about 8 times throughout the night (mostly while dancing) and so we had to fix it alot, but I came in the house the next day to help clean up, and as soon as I saw it laying on floor in the corner, it poofed! good to know it's still keeping the Lodge smelling nice- it sure did need it!

fixing the "poofer," as it was affectionately called all night.

home sweet home

fall break= complete bliss.

apparently, it had been raining for like six weeks straight in mississippi before i came home. however, the day i flew in, it was a beautiful day (a little colder than i would have preferred, but still nice)...and the weather stayed that way the entire week. i must be a weather good luck charm, because the awesome weather followed me back to virginia this week. the leaves were changing colors all over the place in the South- it was beautiful!! i spent the week sleeping in, going for runs on campus, lunch, dinner, and cofee dates every day with some old friends, attending wedding showers, and maybe a half of a day of studying. if that. I have always loved Mississippi as my home, but i don't think i have ever REALLY realized how much I've missed it until this past week. Being on campus for several days made me miss State and being in college so much- seeing so many students walking across the drill field, sitting beside groups of students doing bible studies in the Union, driving by the Cotton District and seeing people hanging out at the Bin in the afternoon....ahhhh, i miss it so much! I love love love where I am in my life right now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, I just hope that kids in school still aren't taking all of that freedom and community for granted. I know I did for a few years of college, and I am so thankful that God allowed me to realize how much I was blessed in college before I left for good.

In more exciting news from the weekend, Erik made his big Mississippi debut over the weekend! It could not have gone any better. He met the family-even suffered through several sibling squabbles- and everyone really enjoyed being around him. We had a big brunch with the whole fam (everyone and their significant others) on Saturday morning then all laid around and watched football for a while....then I took him to Bops (he loved it of course) and we went to the co-op and bought him some carhart overalls. He looked so Southern in them- i was so proud. :) He put on his maroon bowtie and suspenders while we were getting ready for the game, and although he looked adorable, I wouldnt let him wear them to the game. Maybe next time. We did take some pictures before he took them off, mainly just because i was so proud of the fact that I tied his bowtie all by myself! (we had to watch a youtube video to figure it out- it was an event to say the least) We tailgaited literally ALL day-i think he met everyone i've ever known, and their dog, in that one afternoon. poor thing...but he was a trooper. We were worn out by the time the game started, so we decided to go back to the house and watch the game on TV and rest for a little while. good idea- i probably wouldnt have made it all the way through the game if we would have gone in- although it was an AMAZING game- go dawgs!! i know we didn't win, but the atmosphere the entire day on campus was unlike anything i have seen in Starkville in a VERY long time...SO much excitement and support! Dan truly is the MAN.

do i have the cutest boyfriend or what?! (oh yeah- we're official now.)

I drove back to Virginia with Natalie on Sunday...yes, drove. Natalie's car has been in MS since she moved to DC, and she wanted to bring it back with her when someone could ride with her. This ended up being the perfect weekend to do it. We dropped Erik off in Bham at the airport early Sunday morning and just kept on driving the whole day- made it to Va Beach about 11pm that night....it was actually a REALLY fun drive- we sang, we talked, we danced, we looked at the pretty trees, we danced some more...it was a great bonding time since we dont ever get to see each other anymore. Of course I did not want to start back to school on Monday, but this week has flown by! Maybe it's because Halloween is this weekend so everyone has been so excited about that all week. My costume is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I cant wait to tell you about it. But for now it is a surprise, so you will just have to wait in suspense until after the weekend!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and eats lots of candy!! I made peanut butter cookies with candy corn pumpkins in the middle the other day, and they both tasted AND looked delicious! I highly recommend making them for any fall event you have coming up. (just dont eat too many of the pumpkins at once- i made that mistake the other night. not good) anyway, Happy Halloween!

meet erik.

and the update i know you have all been on the edge of your seat waiting for.....

my main squeeze.

he loves God. he loves people. he is ridiculously funny.

he has great hair. he is super smart. he is a Texan. and he really likes me.

need i say more?

we will be in Mississippi for the State/Florida game. i can't wait to introduce him to the awesomeness of the junction and starkville. he wants to wear a bowtie to the game. like, he bought a maroon one the other day just for that weekend. not sure my thoughts on that just yet, but he doesn't seem to care what i think about it. i cant wait. i have TONS of stuff due next week before i fly home for fall break, but i will see you all in a few weeks!

hello, fall!

it's finally october! this is probably my favorite month of the year. the weather is finally cooling off a little bit on the beach, so i am starting to pull out all of my sweaters again and finally putting the summer dresses away. the good thing about living on the beach, though, is that if the weather warms up randomly one day, the flip flops are still sitting by the door ready to go! but for now, i am breaking out all of the boots again since it's been about 68 degrees (on average) every day this week. glorious. i hate cold weather, but fall weather is JUST PERFECT. hopefully, it will stay around a while. It's just so COZY-my favorite feeling in the world!

i also love october because it is FALL BREAK month! i am going home for an entire week towards the end of the month- i will be in town for the MSU/Florida game, and I cannot wait to see everyone! I have been missing my family a lot lately, so I am anxious to get home and spend some time with them. And then of course, there's Halloween at the end of the month- and although i dont get nearly as excited as HK and Carley do about the holiday, i DO love a good costume party! I haven't thought of anything yet, but me and Sarah want to be a duo of something....any ideas?

And lastly, I love October because the leaves start to change colors, the air feels crisp, the grocery store has CANDY CORN (my favorite candy!), and i get to start burning my "fall" candles in my room. Talk about sensory overload. I love it. (oh, and it's only one month

until my birthday- which of course i wait for ALL year).

so happy fall, y'all! i hope you enjoy yours as much as i plan to!

get ready.

i have an update to make. most of you don't know anything about this news...but hopefully you will soon.

unfortunately, i have too much to do this week to go into all the details right now, but check back after the weekend and hopefully i will have had time to post.

(i just made that really dramatic. it's really not THAT big of a deal at all. but i'm still excited to post about it.)

a change of pace...and hook 'em.

it's around 10 pm on friday night. i just got home from a day full of classes, meetings, the gym, and errands. a very typical day for me.

immediately after putting away groceries and books, i poured a glass of wine, put my old polo t-shirt on and layed down on my big comfy bed. I am now sitting here smelling my pumpkin candle burning, listening john mayer playing on my itunes, and all of the windows in my room are open so i can hear the waves....my kind of night. LONG gone are the days of impatiently waiting for the weekend so that i could put on a cute new outfit, go out to dinner and pre-game with friends and then hit the bar to dance and party the night away. (and take as many pictures as possible so that i could post them immediately on facebook the next day) How the heck did i have the energy for that EVERY weekend!? I used to think people who wanted to stay in on the weekend and just watch movies, etc. were so lame. Oh, how the tables have turned. Now I live for the weekend so that I can actually get in the bed at a decent hour, sleep later than 7 am in the morning, and spend some time catching up with friends- both on the phone and in person. (Oh yeah, and for a extended period of time to study. yay.) I guess there is no going back to that old weekend-mentality I used to have in undergrad. Thank goodness...I dont think I could do that now even if someone paid me. Well, i guess i could for the right price. But you get the point. Life has changed, and I am totally okay with it.

In other news, I have been missing Texas a lot lately. I think it's because I have had issues lately with people at school questioning my "Texan-ness," and I recently had to come to grips with the fact that I am not actually from Texas. The thing is, I should totally be okay with that, because i really do LOVE that I am from Mississippi- the true South. Maybe it's because my friends in school from Texas are sooo proud of their Texan residency, and it rubs off on me a little. (okay maybe a lot.) I try to justify it by stating that I did live there for a whole summer, but I just can't compete with the passion my Texas friends have about their state. Nonetheless, I still think about my summer in the Lone Star State a lot, especially as I pray about where to take the bar in a couple of years. So I've decided to make a list of some things I love/miss about Texas:

* The Mexican Food. i have yet to find any mexican restaurant that can compete with Maudie's, Trudy's or Chuy's. yuuuuum. Esp. their queso. Apparently, Virginia doesnt know what queso is. (nor does MS, but at least we have the yummy white cheese dip there)

*The people: my Austin friends (wes, bonnie, summer roommates, my community group at Stone, and so many other great people I met this summer), and of course Caitlin and Erica- my Texas Soulmates. And all my other camp friends, most of whom I missed seeing this summer b/c of camp, but are all now back for the year (now that I am gone!)

* The music. I love country music in general, but the stations here don't play the Texas Country that I love. In Texas, Pat Green, Cory Morrow, Willie Nelson, etc. are pretty much the only artists playing on the radio. (K-Bet, what what.)

* H-E-B. I love those grocery stores...I even used my HEB recyclable UT grocery bag at the grocery store tonight in honor of my allegiance. And Bo loves the HEB even more than I do, so it must be a Texas thing.

*Frozen Yogurt. Apparently, there is like one store in VB, but i have yet to find/try it. Besides, I discovered fro-yo bars in Texas, and i would just feel weird eating it anywhere else.

*The Austin Stone. don't get me wrong, i LOVE my church here. But i loved the Stone and the people there so much, and i just miss it/them.

*The Peach Pit. what a great house. and so conveniently located in Austin. The company wasn't too bad either.

* The water activities. I think me and Wes hit up every body of water in the Austin area this summer...each place was uniquely awesome. (I realize I live ON a body of water here, but there is something about a still body of water on a very hot day that I just love.)

Anyway, tomorrow is the UT/Tech game, and I am wearing burnt orange and my cowboy boots to Jam's house to watch the game. I wish I could actually be in Austin for the game, but such is life. Who really knows if I will ever actually live in Texas, but regardless, I will always love that state. Until further notice....Hook 'em, Horns.

and good night!

big news.

several BIG updates:

** I started Young Life last week-with First Colonial High School, one of the many high schools in Virginia Beach. I went to Campaigners last week, this morning (at 6 am...these kids are dedicated!), and then again tonight for club at the Beach. Normally, club will be at FC, but tonight was a kind of a kick-off for the year, so we just met down at the Oceanfront and played volleyball, soccer, and other games...it felt like Camp Ozark Opening Day Games, only the weather was ALOT cooler and the kids already knew how to play all the games. I am so excited about getting to know the girls, most of which are freshman and sophomores in high school. I get so nervous every time i go to hang out, but they are all really sweet and God has been helping me be "cool" around them- i love it when He does that! I definitely feel like this is the group/school God has been calling me to get involved with, and I can't wait to see what all is in store for this semester with the girls.

** I GOT AN INTERNSHIP for this semester! I have been praying about it for forever....it's with an awesome law firm in Virginia Beach...I will be working for one of the Partners in the firm- who happens to be my (young adult) pastor's Dad AND my Wills, Trusts, and Estates professor! small world, huh. We will definitely have alot to talk about, and he is one of the friendliest and most Godly men I have ever been around. I cant wait to learn from him. I will be doing mostly Family Estate Planning work for him, which I think is what I want to practice after law school, so this will be invaluable experience for me. God is so unbelievable to have set this opportunity in front of me.

** On top of all that, I have all of the symptoms of....yep, MONO. Like I said in my last post, I sleep all the time, and when I am not sleeping, I am wishing I was. Not good at all for my crazy schedule, but I was told the more rest I get now, the quicker I will be over it. I still haven't been running because of it, which is really killing me...but I am going to start slowly getting back into it once I start feeling a little better- hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.

** Other than all that, I am still loving my house, my roommates, and learning how to COOK! Five of the roommates rotate one night a week cooking a big meal for everyone, and the other nights we just get to enjoy each other's cooking! It has been fun- my night is actually tomorrow night and I haven't even thought about what to cook yet...I should probably get on that before I doze off again....

i'm on a boat...

and not just any boat. the VERY sail boat used in Wedding Crashers. but more on that in a minute.

i spent the weekend in DC visiting Natalie...she's been living there since March and this was the first free weekend since then that I've had to go up and see her. It was a great weekend to go since it was the first MSU football game (which we WON whoop whoop!) and no one else in Virginia seems to get excited about State or SEC sports like I do. Besides watching the game at a sports bar in DC with a few other State alumni Saturday afternoon, the rest of the weekend was pretty lazy- which was great. Me, Nat, and her roommates all drove up to Annapolis on Sunday morning to check out the town- which was awesome- and went on a sail boat ride in the afternoon. It was such a fun day- we were total tourists (which i normally cannot stand), but it seemed like the entire town was made up of tourists so we kinda just blended in. The sail boat ride was legit- we sailed around the harbour and out into the bay for a few hours, and I even got to drive it for a little while! The boat had more sails than I was used to, but it was fun to learn about the different masts and types of sails, and to learn to steer a boat that big. Like I said earlier, it was the same boat that Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams sailed on in Wedding Crashers...Im pretty sure I didnt look as cool as they did on it, but I sure felt as cool.

It was a great weekend overall. I wore my seersucker and linen outfits all weekend and then packed them all away tonight. I was tempted to just forget the stupid fashion rules, but then I remembered I am a Southern girl living in a Southern state (even if Va Beach doesn't embrace it like they should) and it is my Southern duty to abide by those rules. So away the linen goes. I am already looking forward to Easter so I can get them all out again.

In other news, I started YoungLife tonight! I LOVE the group I am going to be leading with, and the kids all seem super cool. But more on all that when I start actually leading; tonight was just the bible study meeting where I met everyone. Oh, and I am pretty sure I am sick with something. I sleep ALL the time and when I am not sleeping, I am thinking about sleeping and trying to find places to nap until I can get back in my bed. I have been really short of breath lately too- I haven't even been able to run, which has actually bummed me out alot and further decreased my energy level. I'm going to the doctor in the next couple of days to get it checked out- say a little prayer for me in the meantime if you don't mind! And now I'm off to bed. My favorite part of the day.

procrastinating....

i have an internship application due tomorrow.

i have a moot court brief due next wednesday, and i haven't even looked at the problem for it yet.

i have reading for wills, trusts, and estates and appellate advocacy to do before class in the morning.

i have an interview tomorrow that I need to prepare for.

i have a book that I need to finish.

.......and of course, I am blogging instead.

This semester has been nothing short of crazy so far. And the busyness hasn't really even started yet. I am bracing myself for the months to come, and taking one last trip to DC to see Natalie (who has lived there for quite some time now and i am JUST now getting to go see her) for Labor Day this weekend. I am already feeling worn out everyday, and I have no energy to work out...not good considering the meals my roommates have been making every night!

To end on a brighter note, I am truly LOVING my house, my new roommates, and my professors at school. Those three things (in addition to ALOT of talks with God) are getting me through these couple of weeks of chaos (ps my loans still havent come through.....argghhh). The 2L girls are starting up our bible study tomorrow night (we are doing a study on Romans by Tommy Nelson...we love him!) and my Family Law professor invited me to be in a discipleship group that she does every year with a few girls in law school. SCORE. I cannot wait for those two activities, and I am certain that they will help balance the craziness of this semester!

ok, back to my list of things to do. ugh.

BEACH HOUSE!

okay here they are....pictures of my new house! For those that don't know, me and FIVE other girls in law school got a sweet deal on a beach house for this school year (and probably the next as well if we like living here). Since Virginia Beach is such a tourist city, there are TONS of fine beach houses on the Oceanfront that the owners obviously rent out during the summer. However, during the off-season, all of these houses are not really being rented but the owners still want to make money off of them--and that is where we come in. As law students, we are not really around during the summer since everyone is somewhere else doing their internships, so we only need housing for 10 months out of the year...none of those months being the peak tourist season months. Pretty perfect, huh? So we are renting a million dollar home RIGHT ON THE BEACH for way less than the regular rental rate. It is technically four stories, but one floor doesn't have rooms on it, it's just a landing area....so I guess it's really just three stories, but it's still huge. My room is on the very top floor- I even have my own balcony right off of my room, a king size bed, and a flat screen TV already included. Needless to say, God has blessed us with this house.

the house from the outside. there is a balcony above the front door.

One side of my room. I have like 20 ft. ceilings...i love it!

my king size bed. all furniture/wall decor was already there.

my huge ceilings. again.

kitchen area.

living room. it is much bigger/brighter than in this picture, but you get the point.

my balcony (looking into my room)

i will post more pictures when i can take some more...my phone died as i was taking them but i wanted to go ahead and put up the ones i had.

blaahhhh

first day of school as a 2L: the PITS! i could not have had a more stressful first day back....not because of the classes, i am obsessed with each one of my professors so far and my classes are going to be SO much more interesting than the ones last year (which were required for all 1Ls....we got to pick for this year!) but because of everything else that happened outside of class! Not only did I get lost on my way to school (I took a new route from my new house- stupid idea) and THEN, my student loans, which i not only have for school but for rent, groceries, and just living in general, did not come in on time because apparently my bank doesn't do student loans anymore but failed to inform me OR my school about it! So i spent the entire day stressing about where I was going to get the money to pay tuition, buy books, etc. and what bank would lend me that much money on such short notice. I couldn't stop crying all day, so of course my face looked like I had an allergic reaction because we all know that when i cry....i CRY. if it weren't for my amazing friends here who were so sympathetic and comforting the whole day, I would not have made it-in one piece-out of that school today. And of course my wonderful parents came through- as they always seem to have to do for me- and helped me out financially, for this week. I know, I sound so dramatic about this, but it really is a big deal because tuition was due today in order to stay in classes...and on top of that, a few other really bummer things happened today that I wont go into now, but the point was things just were NOT going my way. at all. not even a little bit.

and then....as i was laying on my bed (in my awesome new room in my awesome new house--which did make my day a little better and I will show you pics of soon) I got an email from a Max Lucado mailing list thing...and it was seriously just what i needed to hear. [God does things like this to me a lot I've realized] I copied and pasted it below, just in case anyone else out there had the same kind of day or has had one recently. I trust that God is good and is my provider and wants the best for me---so no matter what I am facing around me, I really want to make an effort to praise him and rejoice in spite of it.

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

“This is the day” includes every day. Divorce days, final-exam days, surgery days, tax days. Sending-your-firstborn-off-to-college days.

God made this day, ordained this hard hour, designed the details of this wrenching moment. He isn’t on holiday. He still holds the conductor’s baton, sits in the cockpit, and occupies the universe’s only throne. Each day emerges from God’s drawing room. Including this one.

by: Max Lucado

hello.

in an effort to keep up my posts, here is a quick update on life.

1. I am technically homeless right now. very fortunately, i have awesome friends who have given me my own room in their house-complete with closet space AND a super comfy bed- which i have made good use of this month (well, and a lot of other nights this past year) while waiting to get into my new house.

2. Speaking of my new house, we move in on Saturday! I will be sure to post plenty of pics so you can all be jealous, don't worry.

3. ASP ended last friday- I met a lot of cool new students and had a great experience being a TA, but I have thoroughly enjoyed having this week off to sleep in, hit up the beach everyday, and hang out with all my friends. (everyone is FINALLY all back!)

4. I started working out again hard-core this week. I am currently doing "body by ryan", which really is just Ryan's excuse to yell at me about stuff in public. that, and for him to have a workout buddy at the gym. I didn't even wake up to go this morning, so I wouldn't say Im off to a great start there.

5. Bo is coming tomorrow night to stay for the weekend- he gets to help me move in on Saturday (along with 6 other of my friends who have offered to help--should go fast) and then I am planning on taking him out on the town and giving him the full Va Beach experience for the weekend.

6. Last but not least, classes start Monday. I haven't bought books yet, haven't looked at my assignments yet, and I'm not even sure what time my first class is (or even what it is) on Monday. Yep, sounds like me.

the abundant life

i try to get a run in everyday. i hate running, actually. but i do love how it makes me feel after i finish...and more importantly, i love that God likes to talk to me about all kinds of stuff when i run. yesterday was no exception, and i wanted to share a part of our conversation with you. (I'm sure He won't mind). 

first, i should note that i have been more content/happy, since being back in Virginia Beach than i have in a very long time. it is also important to know that in all my plans and hopes of going to law school, i never dreamed i would end up in Virginia- esp. Virginia Beach- for three years to pursue that degree. i have been trying to figure out just what it is that has given me so much joy these past two weeks that was somewhat missing before...not that i was depressed in Texas by any means (i had a GREAT and fun summer!) but something has been different (more peaceful) in my spirit lately, and I desperately wanted to know why. So I asked God while we were running, and sure enough- He let me know. 

I feel like God revealed to me that Virginia Beach (and specifically Regent) was COMPLETELY His idea/plan...i couldn't have dreamed up a school and place like this even if i would have tried (and we all know the size of my imagination)...my idea of a "good law school" looked a lot different than what Regent seemed to be upon first glance. But I trusted in where I heard God calling me, and I came to Va Beach, knowing no one and almost nothing about the school, city, etc. (i can still say it was the scariest thing i've ever done!) One year later, here I am...happier than i have ever been, with deeper spiritual friendships than i've ever experienced, and more in love with God than I ever thought could be possible. I can honestly say those blessings are ALL because I  was obedient to God's will for me to be here...and I am quickly realizing that His plan is always the most fulfilling! God has already been doing so much in and through me since I have been back, and I know He will continue to do so in the next two years (and who knows, maybe even longer!?)

Since that revelation, my desires/plans have quickly changed. I have been saying for a long time now that I would only move to Texas or back to the South after law school and I would only practice certain types of law, and I would only date/marry a certain type of guy. Now, I want my next move, career path, and relationship to be completely God's plan for me and in no way my own. No restrictions. I know that God puts desires in our hearts to pursue, but I want to be able to discern which desires are truly HIS and which desires are my own selfish desires. I do know this- I now fully know how it feels to be living out God's plan, and I know how it feels to be living out my own desires...and although God can work through and bless either path, I want to maximize the peace and contentment in my life whenever possible. amen!

finish the sentence...

i saw this on LT's blog. the point of it is to fill in the blank of each question to finish a sentence. i can never decide if i want to post these kinds of things on here, on facebook, or neither...sometimes i feel like i am opening up myself to be majorly stalked by some creeper out there. but for now, i will post it. if it gets deleted soon, just know that i re-gained some sense of wanting privacy. but never less, enjoy while it's here. 

 

1.Maybe I should......go for a run instead of wasting time blogging. nah. 

2. My ex is......forgiven.

3.I love......wakeboarding, law school, my family and friends, and my mac.

4.People would say that I am......passionate. about every aspect of my life.

5. I don't understand......how to have self control with food.

6.When I wake up in the morning......hit the snooze button at LEAST five times.

7.I have lost....too many items to try to list.

8.Life is full of.....heart-to-hearts.

9.My past taught me....how to really love people, even when they don't know how to love me back. 

10. I get annoyed......easily.

11.Parties are....wonderful, as long as I'm not in charge or responsible for messes/accidents.

12.I wish.....I knew what kind of law God wants me to practice. 

13.Dogs .....are fine with me, as long as they don't bite me or make me sneeze. i want one....someday.

14.Cats....make me sneeze; therefore i hate them.

15.Tomorrow is....Sunday- my absolute favorite day of the week.

16.I have a low tolerance for......parents that think their screaming baby doesn't need to leave the service at church.

17.If I had a million dollars....I would sponsor (or adopt) as many kids in Africa as possible.

18.I am terrified....of losing anyone close to me.

19.I've come to realize that my last kiss....makes my stomach hurt to think about.

20.I am listening to....Hillsong United.

21.I talk....too much, probably. 

22.My friend(s).....mean everything to me.

23.My first real kiss.....makes me laugh to think about. it was definitely awkward. 

24.Love is.....a choice.

25.Marriage is...something i am trying not to focus on too much right now.

26.Somewhere, someone is thinking.... "Jesus really did that for me?! that's awesome!"

27.I'll always....keep in touch with my best friends.

28.The last time I really cried......was during a heart-to-heart with Sarah about our futures. 

29.My cell phone is....quite handy for twitter and facebook...notsomuch for getting calls and texts.

30.Before I go to bed........ I need to remember to make sure my alarm is set. 

31.Right now I am thinking about.....what I should eat for a snack.

32.Babies....are precious. I just don't want/need one anytime soon.

33.Today I.....want to cross everything off my to-do list. 

34.I really want to.....be a judge one day.

tattoo

i am 90.2% set on getting a tattoo. i have been thinking/praying about it so much lately.....this is what i want. on my foot (left foot- right below my last three toes) and pretty small.

X:XV

It stands for Romans 10:15. "how beautiful the feet of those who bring the good news."

I have a heart for GOING and doing God's work somewhere- and at this point, i don't even care where as long as God is in it and wants me there. I want this to remind me of why I am here...on Earth, in Virginia, at Regent Law, in this classroom.  Thoughts?

a new distraction

my attention span is officially in major trouble. from reading some friends' blogs, i have discovered a new website that is SO MUCH FUN. granted, i am not a fashionista like mk, ktac, and mo...but i do what i can with the little fashion sense that i have. this website is like paperdolls on steroids...and in virtual form of course. i've only made a few outfits so far...most of which aren't that great, but i am pretty certain the more i do, the better i will get. 

this is one that i did called the "first day of school"...i actually have this outfit (minus the shoes and handbag) and i very well may wear it one of the first days when school does start back...although i dont know that i will pull it off as well as it looks on "virtual" paper...and the second one (below it) is just a summer outfit i put together. that's what i wish i could wear to class everyday!

first day of school by annholland featuring Forever21

summer swing by annholland featuring Juicy Couture accessories

a lot in a little.

so much to update...so little time or desire to post. i blame it on the busyness that has taken my life by storm the past week or so...but in attempt to keep my promise to myself to blog more this year, here we are. 

family vacation was a BLAST. we stayed in a great condo with an oceanfront balcony/view (i put all the pictures on facebook- i don't have the energy to re-post them here at the moment, sorry) and wow, i had forgotten how beautiful Florida beaches are compared to, well, anywhere else in the States.  we rented a golf cart to get to and from Baytowne (where all the cute shops/restaurants are in Sandestin) and boy, was that an experience in itself. One night after dinner- all SIX of us piled onto the golf cart- as we were driving back to the condo, the cart began to lose "juice" since it hadnt been charged in a while. All of the boys jumped off to lighten it up- not sure if that really helped THAT much- but it definitely didnt hurt. However, that left mom, me, and emily to get it back (at that point, it was still running faster than the boys could walk to keep up with it) and our little all-girl-excursion took us through spewing fire hydrants-which completely drenched us, having to be pushed by a random guy across the street to avoid being slammed by on-coming traffic, and eventually pushing the cart the rest of the way....in heels and dresses. it was definitely one of those nights we will always remember- those are my favorite kind of nights anyway. the rest of the week was not quite so eventful....just ALOT of eating, laying out, and riding skis. 

a week later, me and mom packed up my life-again- to move me back to Virginia Beach. We spent the weekend roaming around Va Beach- mostly eating and shopping....our specialty. Although I could have done without the 16-hr car ride, I was so glad to be back! I feel more at home in Virginia Beach right now than I ever have before...it has been SO good to catch up with friends here that I haven't seen all summer, and I already feel very "settled"....which is something i have come to realize is VERY important to me. 

ASP started Monday- so far, so good! I like all the new students, and I am trying to make them feel as comfortable and encouraged as possible....I remember so well how scared I was when I first started law school last year, and I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way if I can help it! Friends, please be praying for me that I can be a good "advisor" and friend to these incoming students through this program! 

like I said, many updates....and I am officially tired of blogging for the night. I love you, friends, and I miss you..I know I have missed a lot of calls and messages lately (please forgive me) but I will call you back soon I promise! 

vacation: round two

as if my summer in austin wasn't "vacation" enough, i am leaving bright and early tomorrow morning (6 am. really Bo? is this necessary?!) for the white sandy beaches of Sandestin, Florida, for a week with the whole family. pretty excited about it, although i don't know how much time i will spend oiling up to bask in the sun- the way i have every year in the past. call me crazy, but i am starting to realize the effects too much sun can have on your skin in the long-run. that, and i LIVE on the beach (granted, it may not be as pretty as Florida...but there is still plenty of sunlight in Virginia) so i know this wont be the last chance i have to catch some cosmos this summer. i will, however, fully partake in any and all events that involve food and beverages. that's what vacation is all about, right!? 

it's a hard drive...but someone's gotta do it...

home sweet home

this is one of my favorite sights in the entire world. and after two months of seeing and experiencing nothing but Texas scenery, it was a refreshing feeling being back in the true South...to know that this is, and will always be, my HOME. 

My last weekend in Texas was eventful, to say the least. As soon as Jack flew in, we went for drinks with some friends on a rooftop bar downtown; Friday was fun-filled with a shopping "experience" at Whole Foods, all day at Barton Springs, happy hour at Hula Hut on the lake, dinner at Trudy's with the boys, and out on 6th street...whew! As if that night wasn't eventful enough, Saturday was spent floating the Komal River and finishing off the day with dinner at the Salt Lick. *Let me just interject right here--if you are ever planning on taking a trip to Austin, you MUST put the Salt Lick on your agenda. In the middle of no-where Texas, it is an outdoor restaurant with A-mazing BBQ....brisket, ribs, sausage, turkey...all cooked over a huge open fire-pit right inside. It's b.y.o.b and there is always LIVE MUSIC.* 

So today's drive home- which we did in only 10.5 hours actually- was a long one, needless to say. But to see that Starkville City Limit sign made me forget about the cramping feeling my legs were experiencing by that point, and all I could think about was pulling into my driveway, giving my mom and dad a big hug, and sitting in my kitchen...drinking multiple diet cokes and hanging out with the fam. Which is exactly what I have done. There really is no place like HOME. 

capitol city

what do you do when you can't sleep? blog of course. 

as i was laying in my bed, trying desperately to fall asleep after eating about 18 cookies and drinking mountain dew (not recommended right before bedtime), all i could think about was this summer and what a different kind of summer it has been than any i've ever had before. it's my last night to sleep in this bed in my "summer house" and maybe that is what has spurred the sudden moment of reflection; or maybe it was the constant activity of the week in trying to see as many friends as possible before i head back...whatever the case, i cant help but pause and be thankful for the amazing summer i've experienced in austin, texas, and reflect on the things i will miss most. but first, let me start with the things i will NOT miss about the ATX.

things i will NOT miss:

1. the 100+ degree temperatures EVERY SINGLE DAY this summer. try running in that...fyi: it sucks. 

2. the approximately 7 lbs. i've managed to pack on. i blame it solely on the chips and queso (or "cheese dip" as we like to refer to it in the South)...it literally comes with every meal in Texas...and it's oh so good. 

3. working 9-4. although it's not as bad as an 8-5, it's more than i care to clock-in for no pay. 

4. not being near my girl friends. i never realized how much i thrive off of girl-time until i was surrounded by almost ALL guy friends. 

and now, onto happier memories....although there are WAY too many things to list, i chose the top 10 things I will miss most about Austin. (in no certain order)

1. My summer house. I lived in Hyde Park (for all you Austin locals out there that know where this is) and it was a GREAT location...I also had an awesome roommate, the house is adorable, and my bed was super comfortable. what more could you ask for in a summer home?!

                                  my living room...sweet longhorns, huh. 

2. Mozart's. A coffee shop on Lake Austin...many nights were spent reading, emailing, and conversing with friends at that place. love it. i miss it and the hibiscus-mint tea already. 

3. THE FOOD. There are way too many amazing restaurants in Austin to even begin to describe- all of which are local places, and most have outdoor patios (which usually doesn't become enjoyable until around 9:30pm because of the heat)...but the FOOD....wow. 

4. The Austin Stone. (my church). Chris Tomlin started this church when he lived in Austin, and it is everything I have ever wanted in a church- feels like a true community and not a "corporate service" (if that makes sense), really good worship, small groups that are very easy to get involved in, and awesome teaching in the services. I left every week refreshed and wanting more. what a great thing to be able to say about church.

5. The Water. There are so many lakes, natural springs/pools, rivers, etc. in and around the city. As obsessed as I am with water and water activities...this place is like heaven for me.

            Barton Springs- a natural spring in the middle of the downtown

6. Town Lake. a great place to run- miles and miles of trails that are all right along the lake in the middle of the City. Austin is super healthy and apparently everyone in this city loves to be active- I'm just sad they all didn't rub off on me more...I guess the heat got to me first.

7. My Job. As much as I didn't like working all day everyday for free, I did love the people I worked with and the things I got to do/experience. I learned so much this summer and I couldn't imagine a nicer environment to work in than the Texas Court of Appeals. loved it. 

8. My Community Group. I got involved with a co-ed singles bible study group through The Stone early this summer (in a desperate search for girl friends!) and I made some really great friends and learned a lot through conversations and some Louie Giglio videos we all watched together throughout the summer. 

9. Free Events. Example: I went to "Blues on the Green" tonight, a free outdoor concert in one of the parks in downtown Austin. Last week I went to an outdoor symphony at another park. The week before that, I went to a restaurant for dinner two different nights and there was a live band playing at both places both nights- both bands were awesome. I mean, you can't experience this stuff just anywhere. 

10. The PEOPLE. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have made some amazing friends here, and deepened friendships with those I already knew. I am going to be the saddest to leave those friendships behind, but the good part is that I now have numerous places to stay when i come back to visit! 

When i first got to Austin for the summer, I was pursuing a friendship (for lack of a better term) with someone back home and I wasn't super-hyped on being in Austin for the entire summer...for numerous reasons. But shortly after that friendship came to an end in early June,  I heard a Matt Wertz song on my Pandora station that really hit home for me in dealing with trying to really be ALL here and not second-guessing my decision to come to Texas for the summer, etc.  I felt like God was speaking to me through this song about being in Austin. Looking back, I can see that this truly was right where I needed to be. 

I'll miss you, Austin. But don't worry....I'll be back soon.

"And as you go your own way, remember do not be afraid. 

Because you're right where you should be...in Capitol City." -MW

dreams

"Remember...God dreams bigger than you do...."

[i saw this on Margaret's twitter this morning (her awesome little sister, Grace, originally said it to her i think) and i have been thinking about it all day. so much that i thought it deserved a blog post, even though i have already blogged once today! go me.]

this quote was a HUGE revelation for me. you know, like when that you could have seen or heard something similar a million times before, but for some reason the Holy Spirit chooses to pump some meaning to it that 1,000,001 time and rock your world with relevance and clarity. that is where i have found myself today. 

To think that God could have something even greater in mind for me to do with my law degree than just practicing law?! To think that he could have someone greater than the "man of my dreams" i have envisioned in my mind, with a passion for God even greater than my own?!? To think that he could have a place for me to move after law school with even more activities and opportunities to advance His kingdom and purposes than Virginia Beach or Austin, Tx?! 

could it be true??? yes, my friends, I believe it could!

 I do know this- I was born a dreamer...from hours upon hours of playing dress-up and barbies as a little girl to daydreaming most of my college classes away, it is safe to assume I have one of the largest imaginations around. So to think that God takes my large-scale imagination and magnifies it with HIS dreams that He has just for me...well, I just can't top that. What a beautiful feeling.  Dream on, God. I'm ready for it. :)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21

home stretch

one week from today, i will be back in mississippi. well, on the way there...we plan on making the trip in one day (from austin to starkville) but that will require waking up early, very few bathroom breaks, and eating drive-through for every meal. none of which i prefer, but as long as i am not the one driving i think i can make some sacrifices to make it home by that night. Jack is flying to Austin on Thursday night to hang out for the weekend and drive with me home. what a great little brother. I have an itinerary of fun planned for us, including, but not limited to...lots of mexican food (you haven't experienced true mexican food until you have eaten it in texas- i will forever be a mexi-food snob after this summer), a trip to Barton Springs to see the Austin locals, a float trip on the Komal with my texas friends, and some good clean fun on 6th Street. Although i know i cant give him the full Austin experience in just one weekend, i am going to attempt to hit the highlights of my own experiences and hopefully leave him wanting more. because everyone should leave wanting more of this city. I know I will. 

I only have ONE MORE DAY of work left...I am going in tomorrow because my Judge wanted to take me to lunch before I left Texas and tomorrow was the only day she could go...and I need to finish up some work on my second opinion I am working on for the Judge before I peace out. I was hoping I could have the second one done before I finished my internship, but it turned out to be a more complicated issue than I originally thought it would be. oh well. After tomorrow, I will have the rest of the week to pack up and hang out and say my good-byes. I am always sad to leave places/people behind, but I have been moving around so much the past few years that it really is getting easier every time. 

going to church in a little while. For the second time today. I went this morning, but my friend Wes wanted to go tonight so I told him I would go back with him. It's my last week to get to go to the Stone, so I figured I might as well go out with a bang. Besides, it's Communion Day at church. My favorite. 

friends and float trips

it is a fact that i rarely meet a stranger. at least, strangers that appear to be having as much fun or more than i am at the moment. i cant help passing up a good opportunity to make a new friend and join in on the fun...which is exactly the condition upon which this story begins. 

earlier this summer, me and some friends decided one weekend to float the river for the day (a very popular summer activity in Austin) so we loaded up in two cars and headed for San Marcos for some fun. now, floating the river with SEVEN boys (and no girls) may seem like Heaven to some girls...but not this girl. I was down in the dumps this particular day because of the apparent lack of good girl friends I had in Austin this summer, and although my guy friends are truly amazing, they just aren't the same...you know what i mean, girls?! 

SO, as I am moping around on the river and half-listening to the guys talk about golf, girls, and whatever else a group of guys talk about when together on the river, I get an idea....why not MAKE some new girl friends while I have this 6+ hours out on the river?? so i set off on my new mission....and it didnt take very long. Before long, I was floating next to huge groups of people, getting free drinks and chatting it up with everyone in sight. loving life. Then....bam...i bump into a group of like EIGHT or so girls floating all together and being super fun. I immediately knew I had to stay with their group....they looked classy (rare for the San Marcos river) and were super friendly to me right away. I spent the rest of the day attached to their tubes, talking about life, laughing at the not-so-classy people on the river, and introducing them to "my boys" so our groups could merge together. At the end of the day, we all managed to memorize each other's phone numbers long enough to make it back to our respective cars and put them in our phones. We all called each other shortly thereafter, and our friendships were officially confirmed! 

We have spent the rest of the summer texting/facebook chatting at work, going to church together, eating downtown on our lunch breaks, going out...and we are going to the lake tomorrow! we're planning on wrapping the summer up with one last float trip next weekend...it only seems appropriate to end right where we started. So it's true...you can make friends ANYWHERE as long as you're willing to make a little effort! 

me and the girls (natalie, jehan and bonnie) at dinner downtown

usa day

i love birthdays, and the celebration of America's birthday (freedom....birth, same thing) is no exception. From hanging out with kids, to wearing American flag apparel, singing patriotic songs, watching fireworks, and eating BBQ...I had a very eventful weekend.

I have floated the river a few times, but my river experience this weekend was quite different than any I've had before. I went with my friend Erica and her parents and a big group of their family's friends early Saturday morning to the Guadalupe River. We rented big rafts (4-person rafts... we had 7 rafts total) and set off down the river armed with huge water guns in each raft. The chaos began immediately. The only rules regarding the water guns were that there WERE NO rules. Every man for himself. We spent about 5 hours floating/paddling down the river, stealing other boat's paddles, guns, and anything else we could grab...I'm sure the innocent floating bystanders LOVED being caught in our cross-fire. I'm pretty sure I used a 7-year old in my raft to shield myself at one point...it was everything a Fourth of July activity should have been.

To polish off a successful 4th, I spent the remainder of the day/night with my roommate* and his nine friends from Nashville who were our house-guests for the weekend. After catching part of the fireworks downtown, we headed to E. 6th street (a slightly cleaner version of Bourbon St.) where we hung out and danced all night. The best part of the night HAD to be when some random frat guys walked onto the dance floor in the bar where we were at closing time (3 am) and started belting out, at the top of their lungs...."and I'm proud to be an American...." and no lie, the entire bar (if not the entire 6th Street) joined in. I was amazed at how many people knew every word to that song...the display of patriotism was impressive. It was a day and night to remember, that's for sure. God bless America.

they really got into it for "across the plains of Texas"...if you can imagine.

*i don't actually live with said roommate all the time, i am just living in his house while I am in Austin...therefore we call each other "roommate".

one month

one month from today i will be in Virginia again. reunited with my law school besties, who i miss dearly. i cant wait to be back and hit up the beach every day and eat every meal at panera and/or jason's deli. i cant wait for sleepovers and bible studies and long runs with sarah at lake james. i cant wait to go back to my CHURCH. i cant wait to start YoungLife and get involved in that ministry. i cant believe i'm saying this...but i can't wait to see the halls of Regent again!

my besties. they really miss me too.

but for NOW...i only have 19 days left in Texas. And as much as i love and miss Virginia...i REALLY love Texas (as everyone knows). I have THREE float trips planned in the next three weekends, I will be making trips back to Krause Springs and Hamilton Pool (both are natural springs outside of Austin...with waterfalls and everything), and I have to cram in as much hang-time with all my new friends as possible. It's going to be a glorious 19 days, to say the least. Let the games begin.

feed my people

when i was little, my mom said when i used to pray at dinner, i would pray for all the people who didn't have beds to sleep in at night. the fact that there were people in the world who couldn't crawl into a warm bed in a dry place like i could really bothered me at about age 5, and that feeling has never really gone away.

i recently found out about a homeless ministry in Austin called "Feed my People" that feeds hundreds of homeless people in the city breakfast every morning, and the same voice telling my little 5-year old heart to pray for the bedless people began speaking to me again about getting involved in this ministry for the summer. Of course, my 23-year old body doesnt appreciate being woken up at 4:45am in order to get there in time to serve breakfast, so i have gone through several tues/thurs of pressing the snooze button on my alarm clock before i finally made up my mind to get my lazy bum out of bed this morning and just GO. and what a blessing it was for me. we fed almost 600 people this morning at FUMC in downtown Austin...one of the biggest crowds they've had yet this summer. i served juice all morning- we even ran out because of the huge crowd. To see the smiles and voices of gratitude coming from all those people was overwhelming....talk about a much needed slap in the face from reality. I dont know the stories behind those faces, I wish I had the time and opportunity to find out...but I can see the immediate need they are dealing with- shelter from the 100+ degree Texas heat, meals just to sustain them through the day, soap and showers for their hygiene, and the need for people to care about them and let them know that they are valued as a person...home or no home.


As i was driving to work later this morning...in the pouring down rain...the Holy Spirit once again led me to pray for all those people i met this morning-- and others i may never lay eyes on--that don't have the opportunities i have been given and for their needs today that far outweigh my version of "needs" for the day. If you have the opportunity to get involved in anything like this in your own city, i HIGLY recommend it. I know the next time my alarm clock goes off at 4:45am, I will not hit the snooze button so quickly.

"I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me."
-Matthew 25:35

monday, monday

for the first time in my life, i think i truly understand why people loathe Mondays. I have been a full-time student for a long time now, so the weekends have always been a nice break from the classroom...but the homework doesn't go away over the weekend; in fact, the weekends are typically when the most homework needs to be done. i have found a new love for the weekend since i started my "job" this summer....this work doesn't follow me home every night/weekend like school-work does! this means i have the entire weekend to PLAY...from 5:00 on Friday afternoon until i go to bed on Sunday night, i can go/do absolutely whatever my little heart desires. The freedom i have discovered in that has been somewhat overwhelming...in a great way. However, the flipside to that freedom is the Monday morning that inevitably follows. Now, as I have said before, I truly love my job and what i am doing this summer...but that doesn't change the fact that I have to get up at 7 am in the morning, get dressed, drive to work, park in a garage (on the TOP level), and walk 3 blocks to work with heavy eyes after a long weekend full of activity. The only thing that actually gets me to my desk is the thought of the daily cup of coffee I will get to drink at 9:30 in the break room. And then the lunch i will get to eat at noon. and then what good new restaurant I will get to go to with one or some of my many new friends in Austin that night. hmmm, i see a pattern.

At least this week is a 4-day work week because of the Holiday. Maybe if i just think of today as a Tuesday instead of Monday, my perspective on the day will brighten. Yes, I think I will do that.

change of plans..as usual

i should have known this wouldn't be a relaxed summer like i imagined it would be...then again, my summers seem to follow a pattern of craziness lately! i just found out that i will be going back to Virginia way earlier than i originally planned to...I will be heading back to the East Coast on August 1st instead of the 21st now...which means i will only have about 4 days in Mississippi to hang out instead of the month i thought i would be spending there. (It seems the more plans i make to get back to Mississippi, the more they head in a completely different direction...every time!) I was asked to be an advisor for Regent's Academic Success Program, a position that i am THRILLED to have been nominated for, but it requires that I be in Va Beach (at school) by August 3rd. The only problem is that I cant move into my new house (our 3-story, million dollar beach house ON the beach, what what!) until August 30th. That should be an interesting month to say the least. Thank goodness for awesome friends that have offered to put up with me as a house guest for extended periods of time. As much as I am sad to not be in Mississippi for longer, I will get to be with the whole fam for a week or so before I have to move back...our annual beach trip is planned for the DAY AFTER me and Jack drive home from Texas. (I am becoming an expert last minute packer/re-packer!) Then back home for a couple of days before I make the drive to VA....whew! As crazy as my life seems sometimes, I would not trade it or slow it down for anything in the world. I am really learning to enjoy EACH DAY for what God has in it for me...good conversations, meeting new (and awesome) people, taking advantage of fun activities around me, and *trying* not to think too far ahead--it takes away the joy of the moment too often!

There is a verse I read recently in Amos...so random...but so applicable to my life right now that I thought I would share...it's so simple, yet so awesome to me.

" So Seek God and LIVE!" -Amos 5:6 (message)

I love this because it is a command to do two things. 1) Seek God...His will, His character, His desires, His love....and 2) LIVE...don't just sit around waiting for crystal clear answers or confirmations to your prayers before you can do anything purposeful in life...God will work through us when we just get out there and start living (and loving on people in the process!)