Are you Ready for the Great Debate?

Just thought I'd start with something happy today :)

Happy humid and rainy Sunday, everyone!! Sorry for not posting last week.  The joys of my last semester as a college student are, once again, getting in the way of more important things such as blogging on Sundays.  I don't think I'm alone in wishing that fall would just hurry up and get here!! Hello! Pumpkin Spice flavored items are available, which means the temperatures are supposed to drop and not be in the 90's! I'm just saying...it better be cooler before more Christmas commercials start airing...anyways..

As I was reading the paper this morning (yes, I am a 35 year old in a 22 year old body), I came across a picture that looked familiar.  It was my church and my pastor.  It turns out that people have a problem when the church actually talks about things that pertain to our every day lives.  At Seacoast, we have been in a series called "Trending" and we have discussed numerous topics that appear on Twitter, Facebook, newspapers, etc.  The tough stuff.  The disputed stuff.  The things that people need to be informed of so that they do not sound ignorant when arguing about them with other people.

We are all created differently. Thank goodness for that.  How boring would it be if we all thought the same?! We are meant to have different opinions because each of us has our own personal lens to see the world through.  So far, we had discussed "trends" such as: heaven, eternity, hell, politics, 9/11, economics and today we tackled good ole gay marriage.  Talk about a great debate in the south.

I am proud to go to a church that accepts ALL people.  Today's discussion was not about whether something was right or wrong or whether or not you will go to hell for acting a certain way.  We were told to "love one another desperately!"  None of us are any better than anyone else, so why do we care about thinking we are right all the time?!? It's not about being right, it's about being Christ-Like! 

Accept one another, then just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. -Romans 15:7

Think about the impact you are making in each interaction you make throughout your daily routine.  How many people do you come in contact with who are slightly or extremely different than you?  When it comes down to it, we are called to LOVE.  Let's let this be our daily challenge!  I believe that great things can happen in this world, if we just stopped judging and started loving.  Just a thought.

Speaking of great debates...if you haven't heard, on Thursday, September 29 at Physicians Auditorium at the College of Charleston, there will be "The Great Debate" on The Existence of God.  Trust me!  You do not want to miss out on this opportunity to see Herb Silverman and Jack Hoey Jr. debate this "trending" topic.  Hope to see you there!

For more information on "The Great Debate", check out their Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=223913970989529&ref=ts

Remembering....

‎"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed"

-Isaiah 54:10

Where were you on that "normal" Tuesday morning on September 11, 2001?  It's incredible to remember in such detail a day that happened a decade ago, when I can barely remember what I ate last night for dinner.  For me, I remember being in the 7th grade at Dawkins Middle School in Mrs. Brown's class...

As our normal routine was commencing, someone runs into our classroom and whispers frantically into Mrs. Brown's ear and the television is immediately turned on.  All she kept saying was that this was going to be in our future history books and we would be studying this event for the rest of our lives.  As you can imagine, we were all a bit confused at what she was talking about.  It just looked like a building was on fire.  The TV was really small so it took us a while to realize that an airplane had hit that building.  Like most people, we thought it was a tragic accident....until that 2nd plane hit.

For 7th graders, we were pretty intuitive that a 2nd plane hitting a building was not right and was fueled by anger.  Even at age 12, I was a news junkie.  I think I started watching the Today Show before I could walk, so I actually grasped what the news anchors were saying, and I was terrified.  I was scared that such anger could push someone to do such unthinkable evil to another human being, let alone thousands of innocent lives!  My heart shattered at realizing that the world was much darker than I had grown up thinking...

I could not be prouder to be an American.  But I am even more proud of the fact that our nation can come together and fight through the adversities of this world.  One Nation Under God!  I know with all my heart that God is bigger than any terrorist that tries to face us; bigger than any threat that tries to destroy our courage; bigger than anything that tries to inflict evil on His children.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who were personally affected by the tragic events on 9/11/01. My thanks go out to all of those who are fighting to protect our beloved country from further acts of evil and violence.  For the land of the FREE, and the home of the BRAVE! 

Remembering...

 

Politics in church?...

"We're not righteous because of what we do.  We are righteous because of WHOSE we are!" -Tim Scott

Happy almost Labor Day!  I rocked my white shoes for the last time this year today...see ya next Easter!  Anyways...today I experienced something different than I normally do on a Sunday.  A mix of church and state.  Representative, Tim Scott came and spoke at Seacoast this morning, and he did the most amazing job!  Can I just say, that he might be one of the funniest people ever, simply because he gave a message that allowed everyone to laugh at politics while growing in understanding it.  As for me, I used to be a political science major, but I truly hate this time of political season of elections...all the bashing and terrible commercials make me want to gag..so I promise, this is NOT a campaign blog post...

As I'm sure each and every one of you know, our country is in a bit of trouble financially.  But, not just that, our country seems to be going through all kinds of darkness and difficulty.  But today, Mr. Scott brought up a great point, that seemed so simple, that it gave me such hope for our beloved country.  Have you noticed that throughout history, the United States has faced A LOT (a few world wars, slavery, a depression, etc) and yet, we have overcome them all.  God has protected our country throughout history.  Who is to say that He will not continue to take care of us now?  A good way to see how God works is to look at the past.

We have gotten a little off track, haven't we?  We are letting pride and unimportant things take over.  We have forgotten how to humble ourselves and remember what it is like to work hard for something.  I agree with what Mr. Scott said this morning...it will not be government that saves us, it will be our individual efforts along with the church.  The government is not meant to be where we tithe; that's the church's job.  The church can do more with our money effectively than the government ever could.  Individually, if we took the time to serve instead of try to lead, we could make such an immense change in this world.  "In order to be a leader, you must first be a servant." 


My challenge for us all this week, is for us to take a step back and look at how we are spending our lives and spending our money.  Where are you called to serve?  The beautiful thing is that we are all blessed with gifts and talents for specific areas that serve for the greater good!  Let us humble ourselves so that the Good Lord can pick us up and use us to redeem our country and then bring light into this dark world!

On another happy note...

...Pumpkin Spice is coming to Starbucks! AKA fall is almost here...like I said, Happy :)

Irene who?...

Talk about fretting for nothing....way to go Hurricane Irene.  Now, to be fair, I was one of those people who was a bit nervous about that approaching storm.  For those of you who really know me, I have a super phobia of tornadoes.  I hate not knowing when it is coming, or where it's going to go.  I have absolutely no control over them, and that is probably why I am so petrified of them.  But, with a hurricane, I had time to prepare, make a plan, and I had safe places to go if I needed to.  I was actually looking forward to being able to "beat" scary weather...turns out the joke was on me (and all of Charleston).

Turns out all that planning, fretting and leaving work early was a WASTE!  Now, for those people north of us on the eastern coast, I am super glad that you all planned, fretted and left work early!! But, that is not the point to my rambling.  I feel like I am such a worry-wort. I get nervous when I do not have control over things (which happens a lot actually), and I forget the most important fact, that I don't have control over anything...I just think I do.

Little miss Irene got me thinking...no matter how much we think we have control over something, we don't.  God has control over everything.  And thank goodness that He does.  I mean, it's silly really....for us to think we should have control over everything!  When we have a God who is more powerful than any natural disaster, any disease, or any fear, why would we want to take on all those things on our own?

This is my challenge for all you fine folks (and myself) this week....Stop trying to have complete control over everything!! It will never happen, and we should be thankful for that!  If we had all the control, can you imagine the havoc that would commence?  Holy cow! Instead, let's remind ourselves Who we should always be putting our trust and confidence in.  No matter what we face, we can rely on a God who has I complete control over every breath that we take.

"I want you to know how safe and secure you are in My Presence.  That is a fact, totally independent of your feelings.  You are on your way to heaven; nothing can prevent you from reaching that destination." -Jesus Calling

Are you smiling now? See you next week!

Last First Day

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...

Okay, please do not make fun of me for this, but I am actually excited that tomorrow is the beginning of classes.  Not only does tomorrow represent my last first day of college classes, but it also means I am one step closer to graduating in December! (Hello best Christmas present EVER!)  I feel as if this summer just flew by, but I learned so much along the way that I will take with me during this last semester.

I feel as if I already got a taste of the real world this summer...since I technically only had one day of summer before starting work.  Through my job, I got to witness first hand how a real business works.  It was as if I was taking a course on "real life business" this summer.  If anything, I am more motivated than ever to do my best these last couple months just to prepare myself for what is to come once I am officially an adult.

Here are a few things that I have come away with this summer:

• The stress you learn to deal with in college prepares you for constantly being stressed in the real world. But, instead of papers/tests/projects to strike fear in your heart, things such as mortgages, gas money, and not disappointing your boss become the new things to stress about. 
• There is actually something to look forward to....no more homework.  You literally go home from work, and enjoy watching Wheel of Fortune and House Hunters...it's all about the little things that bring pleasure to life!
• You become very appreciative for being paid for working your hardest, instead of going broke paying for pulling all nighters and getting carpal tunnel from loads of school work and procrastination. 
• I will still have to take each day as it comes...so be ready.
• Unfortunately, you realize that you actually did learn things in college that will benefit you in the real world...just not math.

Now, I just want to take this opportunity to wish everyone (teachers, students and new "adults") a wonderful new school year!! I am currently living with two teachers while waiting to close on my first condo, so I feel like this is an exciting time for everyone.  You never know what each new year will bring, and I hope it brings awesome things to each of you!

Hopefully, my next post will be about something awesome that I learned from an incredible week (trying to stay optimistic before the hectic student life sets in again).  Until then...

Even though I go to CofC, I will always be a Blue Hose at heart!

Trusting

"Hold My hand, and walk with Me through this day. Together we will savor the pleasures and endure the difficulties it brings...I am your Guide, as well as your constant Companion.  I know every step of the journey ahead of you, all the way to heaven." -Jesus Calling

Have you ever been stopped in your tracks, and realized that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.  Despite any not-so-great circumstances you might be going through, you all of a sudden have this realization of clarity, that where you are is all a part of a greater plan that has been set out for you.  I just had one of those moments...

I was reading "Words of Hope" on Hannah's Hope Ministries website, and Hope's most recent passage truly made me stop and wonder How did she know I needed to hear that?  Lately, so many extraordinary things have been happening in my life, but it always seems as if something keeps getting in the way.  I was beginning to think that maybe God has another plan for me...and I was becoming really bummed about it.

But then I read that blog post, which was about staying where you are and not fleeing from your situation.  Keep fighting and keep trying because you never know what God has planned for you in the exact place that you are now.  That is going to be my goal...to not trust in my situation, but trust in the One who has complete control over every situation I will ever encounter.

When you begin to think with this new sense of clarity, you begin to see things through a new perspective.  There are little reminders set before you throughout your day that if you just take the time to look at, you will be reminded that there is more to this world than whatever you are facing.  I am so thankful for that reassurance.  I pray that each of you know that wonderful gift!

I'm sorry to have missed 2 weekends in a row of blog posts.  I was dealing with technical difficulties and am in the process of a huge move. I hope everyone has a great week!! As usual, I will leave you with a happy thought...

A New Beginning

"It's not having what you want. It's wanting what you've got." -Sheryl Crow

I think this past weekend was one of the hottest on record, and of course, it was moving weekend.  The streets of Charleston were flooded with Uhauls and other moving trucks.  Anyone who visited this beloved and historical city this weekend got a big ole' surprise.  There was no parking or room to walk around because of all the furniture and belongings being moved into cars and into new homes. But for me, it was the start of a new beginning...and adventure to my first place.

After one year of no cable, no car, no walking alone after dark and rodents wanting to be pets of the apartment complex, it was finally time to leave King Street.  To say that I am happy is an understatement!

What a wonderfully humbling past year it has been.  With lacking certain "necessities" that I had been used to having my whole life, I still had more than most people walking around Charleston have ever had in their life.  Right outside my apartment were people sleeping in Marion Square.  How could I complain about not watching HGTV on my own personal television or having to go to a restaurant to watch the Women's World Cup?

With my last semester of college ahead of me, and a great job that I am thankful for, I have a whole new appreciation for the little things that I once took for granted.  I will enjoy having a parking spot (that is FREE),  paying for my own cable, and having a place to call home that is safe.  I am full of thanks to the Big Guy Upstairs for teaching me some extremely important lessons over this past year.

Now, to give some much needed credit to that little apartment...I was blessed with a great roommate and was about 10 feet from campus.  That's about it! :)

My challenge for you all this week (especially if you moved as well) is to be thankful for what you have and enjoy it!  As for me, I am going to enjoy a nice long nap and ibprofin after the past two days of hauling furniture!  I hope you all have an incredible first week of August!! Until next week...

Remember: Love what you have! 

Surprise!

"When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate.  And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow." -Shanna Niequist

Hello wonderful blogging world! I hope you have had an awesome week.  I thought my week was much less than awesome...until Friday that is.  Let's just say that this past week was one of those weeks that you are thankful for because they make you appreciate the good weeks.  You know what I mean?

This past week was filled with all sorts of craziness.  Let me just give you a quick example of what was experienced this eventful week:  too many people getting sick at work (including myself), testy attitudes, annoying insurance people that continue to put me on hold for at least 45 minutes, walking to work in 110+ heat index while still trying to look clean/professional, and going through my groceries much quicker than I should have...

I know that all of these things are quite petty.  For some reason, when all of them bunched together in attack mode this week, I fell to them and had one of the greatest pity-parties of all time.  I was pretty lame.  Little did I realize, until recently that is, that this is NOTHING in comparison to what other people have to face every day.  My "hard" week would be a type of heaven for others.  Who am I to complain?!  I have more than I could ever be thankful enough for!!

A few months ago, my bike was stolen from inside my apartment complex.  As bummed as I was, I just figured I was officially initiated into Charleston.  It was sort of a right of passage as a Charlestonian.  It really made me wish I had enough money to afford parking so I could have my car back.  Little did I know that my bike was stolen so that God could teach me a valuable lesson this week.  On Thursday, I met a youth pastor at the chiropractic office I work at.  We had a pleasant conversation talking about Hannah's Hope Ministries. It's so encouraging when God places so many fantastic people in that office who want to talk about their faith.  Well, to make a long story short, on Friday, I get a phone call at work telling me to come outside because the youth pastor has something for me...

A bike.  Are you kidding me?? What in the world have I done to deserve a bike from a new acquaintance?  He said that the Good Lord put it on his heart to give me means of transportation besides walking.  Technically, he does not want any credit for what he did and asked me not to tell anyone. Too bad, buddy! I am very thankful for what you did and I want you to take some much-needed credit!    He did good, too.  Not one splash of pink on the bike.  It's medium sized with white and light blue paint.  Winning!

Why do we complain so much when instead we should be thankful for what we do have?  This is something that I am going to try and make a part of my daily tasks, but I know will be a daily challenge.  Take time this week to really open your eyes.  Open them wide and see all the good things in your life.  We all have a little bad.  But, without those not-so-great obstacles in our lives, we wouldn't be able to recognize all the good.

Smile! Life is good :)

Mischief Managed

What do I do with my life now?...

This week was filled with so many mixed emotions for me.  As I'm sure many of you know, the final Harry Potter film premiered this week (and it was pretty epic I must admit).  In 5th grade, Mr. Gray read our class a book that would become a part of my life for the next 12 years.  Who knew that this one man would introduce me to a story that would capture my attention for all future book reports, long trips and any spare time to myself.  As excited as I was to finally see if my imagination had been correct while reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I felt as if it was the end of something.  More than just the end of an era, but the end of my childhood.  Most people refer to me as a "35 year old" who gets more middle aged every year, but J.K. Rowling wrote books that kept me young at heart.

Even though I will always have the books and the DVDs, a part of me is pretty sad that there will be no more surprises from Harry, Hermione and my beloved Ron :) But, I have a feeling that Ms. Rowling will have something else up her creative sleeve for all of us Potter fans! Until then..."Mischief Managed".

Now, I promise that this blog post will not be a complete debbie-downer, because as you all know, this is a happy blog!  I just had to get that off my chest! 

Okay, now this part my seem sad, but I do have a happy thought to go along with it.  I am beyond bummed that the Women's US Soccer team lost the World Cup Final today.  I just knew we were going to win, and America would finally start believing in US Soccer...down the tube.  BUT, I must say, there is a much bigger lesson to be learned from today's game.  Not only did we give up way too many opportunities, but this match showed how quickly we all forget what really matters...

• Although we have dealt with some terrible natural disasters in our country, we have not had a tsunami rip our country apart.
• Even though we can find many things to complain about (the economy, politics, social issues, etc) at least we have the luxury of having our homes intact and our loved ones with us for the most part.
• Even though I WOULD HAVE LOVED for the US to finally have a soccer victory, Japan's victory meant so much more to their nation that it could have ever mattered to us.

You see, it's okay to be sad and disappointed that we lost after such a Cinderella-like story of a World Cup, but there was such a greater victory of positive news to cheer about in another country that was desperate for anything uplifting.  

I am proud to see some of the messages from Americans on Facebook displaying their love and support for Japan.  I know that each of these individuals is sad about the loss, but their response shows integrity and respect.  I am proud to be an American.  I am proud of our Women's US Soccer team!

"Look at people through lenses of love; see them from My perspective.  This is how you walk in the light and it pleases Me."  -Jesus Calling

I hope that each of you has such a wonderful week!  You never know what is planned for you this week, so get excited about the possibilities ahead of you!  Until then..

USA!!!!

Ah!! What an exciting game!!! Ben and I sat in Mellow Mushroom for 3 hours watching that crazy game!! I love watching American's come together, especially for a Women's World Cup game! Just a quick shout out to the Brazil team in thanks for their great acting skills.  If it weren't for their wasting of time pretending to be injured, we wouldn't have had 3 added minutes to score and tie up the game!  Way to not give up Team USA!!! :)

That was fun.  Now, onto this week's blog post!  Sorry for not getting one posted last week.  4th of July weekend made it very difficult to be at a computer!! These past couple of weeks have been difficult ones.  Even though I have more than I deserve to be thankful for, these past two weeks have been humbling ones for sure.  It's my fault though.  You see, I prayed for patience.  Now, for those of you who do not know, if you ask for patience, the Good Lord will give it to you.  I am definitely being tested in the patience department.

When it comes to buying your first place, patience is the WRONG thing to ask for.  Just when you think everything is going smoothly, WHAM!!! You get pushed back another month.  Now, this wouldn't be so bad if my lease didn't go out at the end of this month.  A new challenge of finding a temporary place to live for one month has become my new obstacle to tackle.  Thankfully, I do have options, but the wait was a hard pill to swallow.

Have you ever been there?  Maybe not with real estate, but in life?  You are on cloud 9, everything is going pretty great, and then all of a sudden, things change.  I am so thankful that I believe in a God that never experiences that.  NOTHING ever catches Him off guard.  Where as for us, without the crappy days, we would never appreciate the good.  So, I guess that is the silver lining.

One major lesson that I have learned through this entire process is that even though things happen and place situations out of our hands, they are never out of God's hands.  No matter what we face in life, there will always be a way out, another door will open or another opportunity will arise that we never saw coming.  We truly have nothing to fret about, yet we do it anyway. (I'm so guilty of being a fretter..)

Just like in the US v. Brazil game today, DON'T GIVE UP!  No matter our circumstances, there is always hope!  Make that your mantra for this week! No matter what each day brings, pray and know that God has a plan that cannot be faltered by anything that He doesn't already know about!  

"Who is in charge of your life?  If it is you, then you have reason to worry.  But, if it is I, then worry is both unnecessary and counterproductive."  -Jesus Calling 

Now, after such a fabulous game.  I am going to relax and enjoy the rest of this Sunday!! I hope each of you do the same! Looks like these two guys already got the memo! Until next weeek...