Happy Memorial Day!

Okay, so now that you are a big pile of love after watching that video, let this week's post begin! :)

I hope everyone had a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend!  I just want to take the time to say a special THANK YOU to all of the men and women who have given their lives for this country!  We should never take freedom for granted!

I got to spend this weekend with some of the most amazing girls in the world!  One of my best friends and old roommate, Lauren Bagnal's bachelorette weekend commenced and Charleston will never be the same because of it! It was such a wonderful reunion and I was so sad to see some of my favorite people leave Chucktown!  During the 60 epic hours we spent together I compiled a list of things I learned from a Bachelorette weekend (Don't fret, I'm keeping it PG)

• Bike Taxis are expensive! ($25 bucks are you serious?)
• High heels are the worst idea ever in downtown Charleston....so even when you think you have found a loophole with wedges, your feet still feel broken the next morning!
•  Groucho's makes the absolute greatest sandwich and salad tray.  Those massive platters were fabulous re-fuelers at 2 a.m. (Don't forget the pickles!)
• Boys are idiots...Even though this is self explanatory, boys listen up. When a girl says she is not interested...she means it. The end! (And do not anger "Samantha" after a night out!) haha!!
• Lastly, and MOST important!  Time is not a factor when it comes to best friends!  I transferred almost 2 years ago, and the friendships I made at PC have only blossomed! I am so thankful to have such great friends in my life!

I cannot wait until Lauren's wedding next weekend, and you all can bet that there will be a killer blog post about it, so get excited!! I hope you all have an awesome week!! Until we meet again, here is some more happy:

 

I guess the world didn't end...

Sorry I didn't get to post on my usual day, but this weekend has been full of fun and celebrations!  Not only is today Ben, my dad and Ben's grandpa's birthday, but this weekend has been full of other birthday celebrations as well!! I have officially devoured way too many cakes in a 48 hour period!  (Not that I am complaining at all!)  I would just like to take this time to say a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all you wonderful people who are celebrating being born! You beat the "rapture"! hahaha


Speaking of which, for those of you who heard that ridiculous news that the world was supposed to end on Saturday, I guess we can officially laugh at those who started such garbage!  I'm sorry, but no wonder people think Christians are crazy!  As a Christ Follower, I hope that people will soon realize that in the Bible it clearly states that we will not know when the end of the world will come, (Matthew 24:42-44 to be exact) so stop fretting people!!! Gosh, I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest...


Okay, now onto the goods.  Have you ever wondered why you are chosen to deal with certain trials in your life?  I think about it all the time, which sometimes turns into a serious pity-party.  But, then, all of a sudden, something happens and that big light bulb finally turns on over your head.  You finally begin to realize that what you are going through is just a part of God's will that is preparing you for something far greater.  Like, helping another person who is dealing with a similar issue or realizing that your trial has led you into people's lives that never would have happened without your difficulty.  The latter has been something that has been brought to my attention lately.


As you all may remember from one of my posts a couple of months ago, I have a running injury/condition called piriformis syndrome that makes my hips come out of alignment easily.  It just so happens that a stranger in a yoga class tells me to visit this chiropractor and all will be fixed!  Well, for someone like myself who does whatever it takes to avoid doctors, it was very difficult for me to trust someone who cracks people.  Little did I know, this was a key part of the plan that God had for me because here I am over a year later working for that very chiropractor and meeting the most wonderful people ever!! Not only that, but God has given me one less thing to worry about because every time I get hurt, I have an on-call fixer! Thanks God!  


Everyone that comes into that office has a story.  As a genetic chatter-box (thanks to Chris Lawrence) I have learned some great lessons and met some great people that I never could have come in contact with if it weren't for my stubborn hips!  I remember being so angry at God for putting this struggle in my life, and now I could not be more thankful!  The older I get, the more I realize that I would rather not know everything about everything!  It totally spoils the fun when I actually begin to understand what God is doing in my life.  It just gives me another reason to put my entire trust in His will for me!  


This is my challenge for you fine readers this week.  When you are analyzing your life (don't deny it, you do it) take a step back for a second and breathe.  You never know if what you are going through is all a part of a greater plan that has been given only for you to accomplish.  God would never give you anything that He didn't know you couldn't handle, and He loves you too much to do that to you either!


"Instead of trying to fight your fears, concentrate on trusting Me.  When you relate to Me in confident trust, there is no limit to how much I can strengthen you." -Jesus Calling


As a way for each of you to celebrate the world not ending, here is something to start off your week and maybe make you forget about your struggle just for a little bit!  Have a wonderful week!! :)

Please pray for those were were devastated by the tornado that hit Missouri.  Every day is a blessing!

An Epiphany

"Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; No, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction." -Max Lucado


Hello and happy Sunday!!  It is a stunning day here in Chucktown and I could  not be happier to be alive!  I had a lot on my mind today, so I decided I should definitely share it with my blogging community!! As you all probably know by now, I am a little bitter about the fact that I have to wait until December to graduate.  I think this feeling has been heightened ever since I saw all of my friends looking fly in their cap and gowns.  I couldn't seem to wrap my head around why God wanted to make me endure another semester of servitude to college.  I think I finally got my answer this morning.  At Seacoast Church, we are beginning a series on David and God definitely spoke to me, even though David's story has nothing to do with graduating from college.  


You see, we are studying about how God chooses people to fulfill his works here on earth.  A question was asked to the congregation..."Would God choose me?"  I had to really think about it and let it sink in that I am not so sure that I am a capable vessel for God to use for His glory.  That was a hard pill to swallow.  


Let me begin with a few things that stood out to me this morning:

• "Don't be in a hurry when God isn't"-Easier said than done my friends.  This was definitely a quote that made the light bulb over my head FINALLY turn on.  Maybe God just does not want me to graduate right now because He has specific plans for me to accomplish before I do walk across that stage.  He has been doing the most incredible things in my life since I have come to Charleston and I know that none of those cool things could have been concocted by me! God is doing incredible things, and not just in my life...but yours too!  Transferring was never part of my "want to do" agenda, but I am sure now that transferring schools in the middle of my college career was all a part of God shaping me into the woman that He wants me to be.  
• "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones.  If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities" LUKE 16:10-Now, for those of you who know me fairly well you know that every time someone asks me what I want to do with my life, I answer with something like..."I want to help people" or "I just want to make a difference".  Even though that sounds all well and good, it isn't going to happen if I follow my own path and not God's.  Maybe He simply wants to teach me little lessons now to prepare me for what is to come.   Nothing is too small of a task to make a difference.  I do not have to do something HUGE right now, especially if I am not meant to.  
• Everybody is called to serve-"The goal is more important than the role" (Greg Surratt) It is essential to have a humble heart!  Nothing that we do here on this earth should be for our own personal glory!  I am so encouraged when I think that each and every one of us is uniquely designed to do something incredible!  Whether big or small, each of us was wired a certain way for a specific purpose!  

I don't know about y'all, but I think that is pretty awesome!  I am so motivated to really practice listening to the Big Guy and spending daily time with Him so that I cam prepare myself for what He has planned for me.  I desire to be used in a way that will help this world and bring glory to the One who deserves it, not me.  


I hope that each of you are encouraged to use the wonderful gifts that you have been given to make a difference!  It's the little things that make a BIG difference!  I have become accustomed to leaving on a happy note, so I found yet another happy video to keep you smiling throughout your week!  

Summer is finally here!

Happy Mother's Day!

What an absolutely beautiful day in Charleston to celebrate Mother's Day!  Too bad my wonderful mom (Janey Fresh) lives in Spartanburg.  If she were here, today would have been perfect!  I just want to take a moment to thank all those awesome mommas out there!  I am so thankful for my mom and I hope she knows how much she is loved! I don't know what I'd do or who I'd be today without you! :)

So, it has been about a week since my last exam and I could not be more thrilled!  Congratulations to all the graduates out there! I cannot wait to join you all in December!! Even though I've technically only had one day of summer, I will take working over school ANY DAY! Also, there are so many awesome things happening this summer, so my excitement level is intensely high!

• One of my best friends is getting married in less than a month!! WOOT!  Bags, I cannot wait to celebrate you and Zac's big day with all of our friends!! This is going to be the celebration of the year...move over Royal Wedding!  Sorry Lauren, I just had to put one of our Freshman pictures in this one! Hanging out with the most wonderful bridal party ever is going to be a highlight of my year! 

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2:  Where do I even begin?  For more than a decade, I have been been that nerd who goes to every midnight premiere (book and movie) usually in my Ron Weasley shirt.  It is going to be very bitter-sweet sitting through my last premiere...I do not know what I am going to look forward to movie-wise after this. (I guess the Twilight franchise will do for now..).  
• Simply enjoying NO classes and living the dream in Chucktown:  For those of y'all not living in Charleston, you really do not get to enjoy it during the school year.  I am looking forward to spending zero time in Addlestone Library and enjoying the beautiful culture that Charleston has to offer!  I finally went to the beach for the first time this season today.  This is not right for someone who lives here.  I can honestly say that school has humbled me to appreciate the little things in life!  

This morning at Seacoast Church my sister and I heard a sermon about the importance of being a friend to everyone.  There are always those who are harder to love than others, but you never know when you might need that person in a difficult time.  "Let nice be your default" was one of the quotes Greg Surratt said this morning and I thought it was definitely quote-worthy!  This week, challenge yourself to love everyone, even those who take a little bit more effort to love.  

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.  It has no survival value. Rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." -C.S. Lewis 

Done....well, sort of.

Holy exam week(s)!  Sorry I have not had the chance to post anything new...you can blame school for that! What a crazy past two weeks this has been!! Thank the good Lord that exams are now behind me, and only one more semester left of my collegiate career!  In only two weeks, I have learned so many lessons that I just had to talk about here in the good ole blog!

First, umm...hello ridiculous amount of news!! First, tornadoes, a royal wedding, and then the death of Osama bin Ladin. Even though I do not have cable (which is awful, no one should ever do that), every social networking site exploded at the announcement of each of these events.  I'm thankful I at least have the Internet to keep me connected to the world!  

• To the families of victims in those deadly tornadoes, my thoughts and prayers are with each of you!! It is times like these that remind us that we have very little control over this world, even though we like to think we do.  I hope that disasters such as this will only unite us all together in hope so that we can work through this sad time together in order to bring a brighter tomorrow to those who are hurting. 
• On a happier note, the Royal Wedding was a burst of needed "happy" news, which is lacking in our media.  Even though I did not get up at 4am to watch it (I had already pulled too many all-nighters that week for exams), watching the highlights of it warmed my soul!  What a beautiful sight to see!  Even though I heard many females crying over the loss of a single Prince William, I think we can all agree that Kate looked gorgeous and stole the show! 

Don't we look great? 

• Now to the news that seemed to stop time.  In the middle of studying for an exam, all of a sudden, my Facebook news feed blows up along with my Twitter feed with chants of USA! USA! USA! and Team America, etc.  The death of Osama bin Ladin had taken over the Internet, and my studying.  I had so many mixed emotions.  I can remember exactly where I was in the 7th grade when my teacher turned on the news to show planes plowing into the Twin Towers.  My blood began to boil and I was actually glad that he was dead.  After waking up the next morning, I found myself convicted for celebrating the death of someone.  Even though he deserved what he got, that does not mean we should celebrate that specifically.  So I am going to take the time now to celebrate the fact that we are blessed to have such amazing troops giving their lives for our country and to defend us from terrorism. Thank you to all the men and women who keep us safe!  

Now, Ben and I went to another wedding this weekend that was just as beautiful as any royal affair!  Congratulations to James and Natalie Neal!! I hope you all enjoyed your absolutely perfect day!! It was wonderful to be able to see some PC faces again!! That 12 hour trip in 24 hours was totally worth it!! 

For those of you still suffering through exams, here is a happy thought for you!  And for those of you who are  living the dream of summer, this is also for you!  And for those of you who are graduated and realize that you no longer have summer vacations, guess what....this is for you! Hope it brings a smile to your face! :) 

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." -Mother Teresa