givin some THANKS.

["Be THANKFUL and tell Him so!" -Psalm 100:4]


1. I am thankful for the sweet FALL WEATHER.
and the hikes and talks with Jesus that just seem to happen because of it!

2. I am thankful for SURPRISES.
My birthday was at the beginning of November and my roommates crashed my room at midnight the night before with blocks of cheese, party hats, and candy. (good things!) The next day, after soccer practice, my roommates were acting very strange and INSISTED that we sit at a particular table far from where we normally eat dinner. It took me FOREVER to catch on, but once I looked up...there was david, dressed up, with flowers in his hand. (I had just seen him the weekend before, so I did NOT expect him to drive back up to my school again slash I thought he was golfing and hanging out with friends from ruf.) I.was.so.surprised. He took me out to dinner and ice cream and gave me such a sweet evening. I smiled the whole night and it was one of my most favorite memories with him so far.

3. I am thankful for my HAMMOCK
talkin with friends is so much more fun when you are swinging between two tress!

4. I am thankful for LETTERS.
I love days when I check my mailbox and find a letter from Annie. These letters are filled with so much and I find them so.special.to.me. Some days Annie tells me what God's been teaching her (always encouraging to hear), some days she tells me how she is struggling, (strugs), and some days her letters are just packed with silly stories. It doesn't matter what they say, they never get old. I keep every single one of them and always look forward to the next bit of encouragement that I find written in her handwriting.

5. I am thankful for CAMPING TRIPS.
Several weeks after my birthday, David, Nicki, Josiah, Taylor, and I packed up and camped at Cloudland Canyon for two nights. We hiked through the beautiful canyon, (I won't mention that the 5 mile hike turned into 8 miles...sometimes its good to get lost) climbed around a waterfall, and spent the evenings cooking, and talking around the campfire. It was such a time of rest and relaxation and I was so thankful for the conversations, laughter, and encouragement that I find in these sweet friends of mine.

6. I am thankful for CHRISTMAS MUSIC
and crafternoons with my roomates.


7. I am thankful for GOD'S LOVE that never gives up on me.
even when i sin. even when i keep messing up. even when i don't love others more than myself.
the love he poured out on the cross
covers me every minute, every second, everyday.

8. I am thankful for my SOCCER TEAM.
We didn't make it to Nationals this year, which was a sad way to end this season.
However, I can't help but Thank the Lord for the time that I have been able to spend with the girls on my team. They are so very wonderful.

9. I am thankful for time at HOME.
There are few things I love more than walks around my neighborhood, sleeping in my own bed, setting up the Christmas tree with my family, laughing with my friends, and eating my momma's cooking.


[For all of this, and so much more, my heart REJOICES in the Lord.]

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Lately, I find that the Lord keeps taking me back to Psalm 103. I happened to stumble across it the other day and for whatever reason, these words of David seem to be the most beautiful words to my heart. The passage starts off "praise the Lord, O my soul." As I struggle to be satisfied where Gods actually placed me, these simple words of praise are so refreshing. A large chunk of the passage dives right it, talking about God's great love and mercy for his people.

"who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases."
"who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion."
"the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."
"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities."
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him."
"As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him."

And then it gets to my favorite part: vs 14"for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Oh, how I LOVE that the Lord understands me perfectly. In him, I am known. And not only that, He knows my weakness, he recognizes the finiteness of his people, causing him to have great patience and compassion. In a world where we are constantly told to "have it together," I found complete joy when I was reminded that I can't "have it all together." I will NEVER "have it all together." I don't know why I try to convince myself that I must be perfect, that I must hide my imperfections from others, and walk around acting as if I've got this whole "walking with God" thing figured out. The Lord knows me more deeply then even I know myself; for he was there when I was formed and he remembers my weakness and frailty. I love this about Him! And I love that in this, I can recognize that I need love and compassion each day, because I am messy and broken; and I will, forever be making mistakes.

I can't tell you how many times I try to convince myself that I can earn God's love. Of course, that is completely against every bit of theology that I find to be true in His word, but often I still find myself trying to gain my own righteousness. The Lord has been reminding me lately that His grace is not dependent on my obedience. Of course I am called to obey and pursue holiness out of a love for the Lord, but I can't tell you how many times I have dropped at his feet to say "father, I've messed up again." I always expect him to be so dissapointed in me...again. And while, often times he does discipline me out of his love, He always seems to look at me and smile and remind me that I am just dust and I need his saving each day.


The Psalm continues on for several verses, talking about God's everlasting love in a world that will soon fade. And it ends just the way that it began: "Praise the Lord, O my soul."

How could I not praise Him?

ready. set. catchup.

August 25: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.

August 26: 3C Dress and Go
September 1: David asked me to be his girlfriend. (hehehe i'm being such a GIRL.)
September 4: Nicki and Alyssa came up the mountain!
September 18: surprised the ecpc middle school girls at youth group. (hugs and screaming=fun.)
October 1: My family came up for a visit!

October 5: I scored a GOOOOAAAAL.
October 7: Put on that sassy dress and did my hurrr...went to jazz on the overlook with the roomies.

October 8: Stayed up until 4 a.m. just TALKING with Annie. (and recieved a giant disney picture storybook...never too far.)

October 9: Carved a pumpkin with david. (he let me get out all the goo...i'm thankful for a boy who let's me be messy!)

October 16: BEST cry ever. just got it all out.
October 17: The leaves are REALLY starting to change...beautiful!

the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want.

Well. summer's officially over, I've said my goodbyes to my sweet friends in Marietta, and embraced and reunited with long lost covenant friends. I'm back up on this beautiful mountain, survived soccer pre-season, and classes began last week. I'm back on 3C in room 358 with my three wonderful roomates: Aften, Grace, and Rachael. We've managed to make our dorm a home and I'm really enjoying living with these three ladies. I'm loving intro to teaching and youth ministry, and really looking forward to getting reconnected with my junior high girls at Lookout Mountain Pres.

As much as I love it here, I want so badly to be in other places. I've never been one to enjoy school much and my anxious heart tends to find the school year a difficult time to trust Jesus. Here I am, coming back from such a challenging but wonderful summer--one in which I saw the Lord work in beautiful ways, beyond what I could ask or imagine. A month later, and I still find myself spending many days wishing I was in Marietta with the little girls (and annie, duh.) or missing my sweet friends and family in Florida. Looking back over this summer, I struggle to see what the Lord could possibly have for me here. (but then again, He does have a tendency to surprise me!) Being the ungrateful sinner that I am, so often, I find that I am simply unsatisfied in the places that the Lord puts me. I catch myself everyday wishing I was somewhere else, missing someone new, and making up my mind that my plans are better than His.

This constant wishing to be places I am not, is without a doubt, a sure sign of my longing for heaven. And for the time that I am on earth, it is evidence of my unwillingness to be satisfied by my creator. Again and again, the Lord has been taking me back to Psalm 23 "The lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." OH BUT THIS GIRL WANTS. I want to be somewhere else. I feel like school is pointless, I long for my friendships back at home, I struggle to understand my purpose here, its difficult to love. but the most beautiful thing, is that I don't have to want. Jesus tells me that I don't need to want. I wasn't created to want. why? Because of that simple truth: HE is my shepherd; because he promise that he will satisfy my deepest longings, he will feed my hunger, he will give me rest and he will put me in places that he knows are good.

i am trusting.

sister. lady. neighbor. friend.

I drove home from Marietta on Monday and BROUGHT sweet Annie with me.
We had such a fun time in Florida-being silly, dancing in the kitchen, watching movies, splashing around at the beach, baking, talking, and wrapping up all our sweet summer memories together.
I have loved living with Annie this summer-from hikes to the waterfall, late bake nights, or serious talks, she's become one 0f my closest friends.
I've never met anyone who understands me so well, shares so many of my interests, and sees the world the same way that I do.
I love every single second that I spend with her.
Annie will never know what a big encouragement she has been to me this summer--from pushing me to love the little girls, reminding me to take a rest, leaving Bible verses on the mirror, and spending my days off with me.
I see so much of Jesus in Annie: she's so intentional with others, constantly looking for ways to put them above herself. I've watched Annie loose two grandparents this summer and faithfully trust her Father through it all. She is so full of life, with a joy from knowing Jesus. She is hard working, always smiling, and constantly dancing around, making others laugh.
I've grown to love so many things about her: her obsession with country music and baking, her love for people, and her giant smile.
Annie is two years younger than me, but I look up to her in so many ways.
I want to be just like her when I grow up.
Yesterday we prayed for each other before she left and I was reminded that THIS is how God intended us to love, encourage, and bare with one another.
I'm excited about heaven with this lady.

goodbye logan circle.

I love marrietta. I love everything about it. I love that Target is 3 minutes away from me. i love that I live in a house with red shutters. I love that annie lives one room away from me. i love that i can walk right in the Norman's front door. i love that if you know Roswell road and Johnson ferry you are golden. i love that i can sit in my brother's office and talk with him. i love that if you drive til Roswell road ends you hit a waterfall. and i love the people.

This has been such a hard goodbye. It's so diffiucult to walk with these girls, love on them, and be loved in return-and then just leave. I've been so blessed by their sweet smiles and friendship this summer...call me crazy, but i think junior high girls are the greatest. oh but they are! They are so full of life and potential. So many people, today, think so little of students as if they aren't real people until they are 25 and married with a "real" job. but have they spend any time with them? Listen to their voices, grow with them, walk with them--and I think you'll find you can learn a lot from a seventh grader. I love that about them. Not only do they constantly keep me entertained, but I am constantly learning WITH them. I am so thankful for that. They are such a beautiful picture of God's great love for His people, each with their own quirks, giggles, talents, and personalities.

I can't believe that August 1 has arrived. (a day that I pretended would never come.) I don't really know what it looks like from here. How do I love them and then leave? How do I build relationships and then just let them end? How do I get a peek into their lives-their likes and dislikes, their joys and pains, their strengths and weaknesses and then just jump out? It is for this reason that I am so grateful that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore." Hebrews 13:8. This summer is just a small picture of God's great plans for these girls and while I step out of their lives, I'm thankful that their faithful Father will remain the same. It is for this reason that I am thankful that I'm not the one who changes hearts and watches over these girls; the Lord is their keeper and I can rest assured that he will be their shepherd.

This summer couldn't have gone any better. The Lord constantly showed me His faithfulness through His people. I remember arriving in May, fearful of my relationships with the other interns, the family I would live with, and the students. I thought that this would be such a lonely summer. God has a tendency to surprise me. I learned so much this summer and I'm so thankful for the Lord's great power through my many weaknesses and inadequacies. During the last Junior high life an old song by Steven Curtis Chapman (ahh such road trip memories with my family growing up.) came on and the words seemed to fit perfectly as I stand in awe, speechless of God's great power this summer. i am so thankful.

We are speechless so amazed
We stand in awe of your grace
We stand in awe of your mercy
We stand in awe of your love
We are speechless

We are speechless in your presence now
We stand in awe of your cross
We're astounded as we consider how
We stand in awe of your power
You have shown us
A love that leaves us speechless
We are speechless

a little imagination.

Everyday, i meet more and more people who don't seem to have an imagination anymore. terrifying, i know. Throughout this summer, the interns, several highschool students, several junior high girls and myself have not only imagined, but also created a family. It has continued to grow week after week, as we added more poeple and decided where they fit into the picture. Yesterday we decided to meet at East Cobb Park to take pictures of our "imaginary family," before the interns separated, the high schoool girls went off to college, and the little girls started school again. We arrived at five, dressed in jeans on the bottom and white on top. What are the odds that all of us would be able to make it to the park at the same time? i don't know, but we had such a fun time being together, pretending to be a family, playing in the park, and making fun of America's obsession with family photos.
once again, annie and i found ourselves far too easily satisfied. but then again, a little imagination never hurt anybody!