the Funky bunch

Michelle, Sara, Lauren, Cait, Amy, me

Last night I got to go to my old Bible study leader's house for dinner & see some of my girls.  This is the #1 thing I miss about college.  Best/favorite Bible study I've ever been in.  I love that, even though I'm not there on Wednesday nights anymore, these girls still know my heart.  They still pray for me & I for them.  I still know what's going on in their lives & hearts.  So thankful for them.

#51. Michelle Pope Funk.  And her cool name.

#52. Christmas music galore from Cait [more on that later].

#53. Mexican food.

#54. Christmas lights.

joy (joy, joy, joy) down in my heart

Have I mentioned that my Bible Study girls are my joy? 
Because they are. 
I have so much fun with them.

So, tonight after Bible Study, we had a mini photo shoot.

I was really just going for some of this:

But instead got this:

McKinlie gladly took charge & told everyone how to "pose" (if you can call it that)...

..."be models!"...it took awhile for the rest to catch on.

I don't even remember what this was...something about Bones.  Jana clearly looks thrilled.  And Meredith looks...creeeepy.

Next she declared that they should be founding fathers...Patrick Henry, to be more specific.  These girls are clearly in school too much.

Kinlie: "give meeeee LIBERTY or give meee DEATH!"

MerE: "but I don't have a long wig!"

  

If you ask me, these girls are way more beautiful than the founding fathers in their long white wigs & wooden teeth.

 

Can you tell how much Meredith loves feet?

Notice she's been relocated now...

Favorite quote of the night:

"People say it's weird that my middle toe is longer than my big toe, but I heard it's the

toe of a leader."

-Jana

They make my Wednesday nights full of laughter...

not a slave to sin

This week in my Bible Study with my high school girls we started studying women in the Bible...tonight we began with Eve.  I don't plan on going through every woman in order...it just kind of happened that way for now. 

Eve made a wrong choice.  She let Satan in her head.  She allowed him to create a separation between herself & God; she allowed him to place doubt in her mind about the sovereignty of God.

Sin would have come into the world whether through Adam & Eve (because I believe Adam was just as much, if not more, to blame than Eve...he was there & was not being a spiritual leader for his wife) or someone else.  We view sin as this big, ugly word...something like murder, adultery, etc.  And it is just that...big & ugly.  But what about the little things?  What about doing something halfway because we just really don't feel like doing our best?  Isn't God good enough for our best?  Or what about a "little" sin like the one Eve committed...allowing Satan to create doubt that our God is not who He says He is.  Don't our seemingly little sins hurt him just as much as the "big" ones?  Didn't God allow Roman soldiers to drive nails into Jesus because of my "little" sins just as much as He did for those who have committed "big" sins like murder?

Through Jesus' death He didn't make it to where we could never sin, but He made it to where we have the option not to sin.  We say we're sinners.  We know deep down.  But how often do we really think about sin?  How often do we acknowledge our sin?  Jesus died once.  He rose again once.  But He saves us continually.  Do we acknowledge that continually?

In other news, one of the main reasons why I chose to study women in the Bible was to talk about how real these women were.  It's so easy to see the "characters" of the Bible as just that; we often forget that they were living, breathing people just like us.  I love seeing these girls "get" that.  I love when they can relate to these women from ages ago & see that God has made their stories last because He has something to tell us through their lives.  Just love it.

my friends are creepy.

Had a beautiful day with 3 of my favorites today.  It was supposed to be breakfast...& that turned into all day.  A few hours just isn't enough...

Conclusion: We really do have other friends...but I'm not quite sure why.

These are the kind of friends that everyone needs some of.  They begin as strangers who very quickly become sisters...the kinds who really see you, who tell you the truth & ask the hard questions, who see the best & the worst of you, who love you no matter what, who deal some of us me who are not good communicators when we live hours away from each other, who make you laugh more than anyone else can, who can take a "nothing day & suddenly make it all seem worthwhile"...

My cup runneth over.

So Incredibly Blessed

I realize this is a little late, but I can celebrate Thanksgiving every day, so I don't care. I also realize that I said I wasn't blogging until after finals & have written...oh, about 3 posts since then. But I don't feel like I can think about Spanish, Rhetorical Theory, Brit Lit, or Romanticism anymore at this moment.

So, here goes...what I'm thankful for this year:

1. The things God's teaching me everyday. I don't even know how to expound on this without writing a book. But I'm learning so much right now & I love it.
   
2. My family: This is the time of year when I just want to be home. Not just because I'm tired of school, but I just want to be home with my family & my bed there. I often take for granted the home that I grew up in. To have parents who are married & love each other & me & my brother unconditionally. Parents who gently lead me in the right direction as a child, just as they do now. I think of people who didn't grow up knowing about Jesus & knowing the Truth...it's scary. I'm so thankful for who they are. My dad is one of the most giving people I know. He is so talented & is always using those talents to help other people. I rarely see him sit for more than 20 minutes...he's the most hardworking people I know. My mom is my best friend. I am so blessed to have so many good friends, but she is the one who very rarely gets on my nerves, makes me mad, or makes me feel like I'm anything but just what God created me to be. She is my encourager, my laughter, my joy, my teacher, & my constant entertainment. Ben...is crazy. He keeps me entertained. Although he's never satisfied with my disinterest in all of the sports statistics that he wants me to care about, he never fails to continue telling me. I love that he is so passionate about the things he loves. I love seeing him grow & become someone who I am really proud of.
   
3. My friends: I have so many people that hold me accountable, encourage me daily, make me laugh until my sides hurt, don't laugh at me when I cry in cheesy movies, are okay with my tv addiction, don't mind that I quote Friends or refer to Gilmore Girls every 5 minutes. Even my friends that I might see once a year...they're the kind that I can talk to every few weeks & we pick up right where we left off. They are all the embodiment of 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - "encourage each other & build each other up."
4. My job: Just the fact that I have a job right now is such a blessing. It probably won't last forever, or as long as I'd like for it to...but right now, I have a job, & so many people don't.
5. A light at the end of the tunnel. I know that sounds kind of negative but...I hate school. I love every part of it except the academic part. I just don't enjoy it, classes don't excite me, I don't learn things that make me want to jump into a career right now, & I don't get to do anything that I'm passionate about. Don't get me wrong - I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to go to school & learn so much, whether in class or not. This is so much more than so many people have. But...I'll be glad when it's over in May!
6. A car that works. Its paint may be peeling like a day-old Krispy Kreme donut...but it works.
   
7. Photography. Before you think it's dumb that I have that on my list, just listen. I love taking pictures because it's a challenge. With each flash, it's an attempt to capture just a fraction of the beauty that God surrounds me with daily. I'm not going to know what to do when I'm not enveloped by these mountains & waterfalls & creeks & Dahlonega sunrises & sunsets.
   
8. The fact that when I graduate, I can do ANYthing. Be anything. Yes, that's scary & intimidating & often I wish my opportunities were a little more restricted. I can go anywhere in the WORLD. I have absolutely nothing holding me back right now. I may have to remind myself daily to be thankful for this, but I am.

Because I can't quite find the way to conclude,
peace & blessins.

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Where do I begin? Today has just been fabulous. I only have one class on Fridays, so as soon as I got home, I got back in bed. :) It was raining outside so I went back to sleep to the sound of the rain & Hope Floats. Doesn't get much better than that.

I did get up eventually & some sisters came over to paint signs to hang up around campus. I just love spending time with them, but especially when I get the chance to be around those that I don’t know that well & am blessed to see parts of their hearts.

After that we went out to eat & got some movies. Caitlin, Sara, & I came back & before we watched movies we went out on the roof & had a little guitar date with Jesus. It was a little chilly & the sun was going down. Absolutely perfect. Well…other than our dear neighbors on top of the hill. Apparently Lucy & Charlie weren’t listening again…these are the dogs whose owners frequently get them drunk. Apparently. Many more stories there. Sidenote: could they also have dogs named Linus, Sally, Pigpen, Schroeder, & Peppermint Patty?


I just feel so blessed to have such strong women in my life. Here in my favorite little mountain town…but also in Madison, Athens, Carrollton, Newnan, Dublin...Houston, Texas...Virginia Beach, Virginia...Cleveland, Tennessee.
Feeling God's love pouring out over me. More & more every single day. Annnnnd, I LOVE it.

Chosen

I'm SO incredibly blessed to have a wonderful Bible Study group during school & I am SO missing that right now! I've been thinking about it a lot lately & cannot wait to get back to it! My prayer is that we will fill whatever place we meet with girls who are desiring to know Him & grow their relationships with Him. I long for that consistent community with the girls who usually come...but also just pray that He will bring more & more.

I think we're reading 1 Thessalonians when we start back. I could've totally made that up (or maybe God just really wants me to read it for some reason), but I decided to get a head start tonight.

One of my favorite verses comes from 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 4. I really like the Message version...It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. In NIV, it says God has chosen us. So encouraging, especially on the days when you kind of just feel like you're floating along aimlessly (you can tell I'm starting my last year of college & still don't really know where I'm going or what I'm going to "be").

Be encouraged today. Out of everyone in the world, God picked you specifically & has a great work for you to accomplish for Him & His glory! What could be better than that?

"My laughing muscle's kind of tired."

Can I just tell you how hard we have laughed today? Em is up for a few days visiting the "crazy aunts" (aka me & Case).

Our itinerary for today looked a little like this: sleep in but not too late, go for a picnic on the drill field, leave from there to go to the outlets, come back & pick up something to have a picnic at Yahoola (we like picnics, ok?).

What actually happened looked a little more like this: I woke up a little before 9 because I kept having bad dreams. I had just realized before I went to sleep last night that I had somehow forgotten to watch my friends the army wives. So...I came downstairs to watch them online. Then Case (my little ass-skipper, yes that's right.) & Em sauntered downstairs soon after & watched it with me (my plan is working...I'm turning them into fans). So you would think that since we got up early we would have been ready to go shop til we dropped at the outlets. And we were ready & we did leave...around 2. Ok, so I may have changed clothes 9 times & Case may have had 12 drafts of a letter to Ryan's staff...but at least Em had it all together. So, yes, we hooked up with Nita-Wa, went to the outlets & shopped & just giggled til our hearts were content. Seriously I was afraid we were going to get kicked out of several dressing rooms. And by several, I mean like every one that we graced with our presence.

When we left the outlets (the first time), the real fun began. We met T-squared at Chick-Fil-A & as soon as we walked in the door, we saw the horrifying site of "Toofpick" the Clown. He looked like a pedophile. Then his friend the cow came out. And, let me tell you, if one more person had awkwardly offered me a balloon, I would have popped every last one of them. That was a little too much customer appreciation for me. And Em...well, she can't handle situations like this. She gets to laughing so hard that you just about have to vacate the building. Somehow we got through dinner & then traded vehicles with T-squared. Case decided last week that Gertie couldn't ford the river to get to sliding rock, so we borrowed trusty Ole' Blue for the outing.

As soon as the three of us climbed into Ole' Blue, something crazy came over us. We (& by "we" I mean I) started taking pictures. They all looked something like this:

So we ventured back to the outlets since we hadn't hit up every store yet. When we got there, we had a few more opportunities that would be absolutely crazy to pass up. Like this (note to Liberty, thank you for all of the joy and laughter over the past 3 years):

By the time we left, we looked pretty cute in Ole' Blue with our Ann Taylor Loft, White House Black Market, & Gap bags stuffed behind the seat.

Blasting Dixie Chicks with the windows down on the way home, I just about teared up just thinking of how wonderful the day had been...but then I decided to laugh some more instead. Earlier today, Em had informed us that she felt the need to be "scandalicious." So on the way home, I dared her to strip down to only her jeans & a bra; I didn't have to pull out the "triple dog," but I was willing to if it came to that. She agreed to take it off at the red light at the end of 400. So she did, and commenced to shimmying. That's all I have to say about that.

I guess all of this sounds really weird to anyone other than us...but it goes at least in my top 10 of favorite days ever.

Mine

This has been on my mind for a week or two & I've been writing it in my head since then. I don't really even know what made me start thinking about it, but here goes. Mine. One of the first words that so many children learn. And we gently discourage its use, teaching them about sharing and being kind to one another. Mine, at that age, is about possession. As we grow up, it still is about possession to a certain extent, but I think it's more about pride in that person or thing we are calling our own. My family, my best friend, my school, my sister, my whatever...the list could go on.

"I have called you by name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1) We are God's. We belong to Him because He created us, but also by choice. We strive to make Him proud. Again, not so much about possession, but more so about pride.

I don't really have any concluding remarks about this. I don't know why it seemed significant. But, for whatever reason, it did. To those of you reading this, you are mine. I am proud of you & I love you. You have impacted my life in ways you will never know, & I am thankful for you every single day.

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine!

So...this is part of my notes today from my Sociology of Religions class. I felt like a dork because when we were watching this video on world religions, I was frantically taking notes while everyone else was sleeping or texting, or perhaps wracking their brains in attempt to remember why they chose to be sitting in a classroom on such a beautiful May day. But...it was so interesting.

We talked about the major religions of the world. These are all intriguing to me because they just further convince me that Jesus is the only way.

Talking about all of these other religions though, makes me so incredibly thankful that I was born into a family that wholeheartedly believes that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, & the Life. Imagine being born into a family of another religion. You grow up hearing these "truths," so of course, they seem real. I've thought about that before & have come to the conclusion that, as real as any religion may seem, there is proof that Christianity is the real deal. I guess this is one of those obvious "duh" kind of things that I just had an epiphany about one day. Every other religious figure is dead. Pick any religion in the world that has been around long enough for its "founder" to have died...they're dead. Those new, made up religions...just give them time. They'll die too. Yeah, Jesus died. But He was resurrected. And then went to Heaven...He didn't die again; He is alive. He is the only one who is victorious over death. A.k.a., proof.

The thing that really grabbed my attention was when we were talking about Buddhism. Siddhārtha Gautama, a.k.a., Buddha, before he was "Buddha," felt that his life was empty. This is why he began his quest for enlightenment &...lots of yoga & meditations later, he reached his "enlightened" state & traveled to preach about it. But what about this emptiness that he felt? That was the exact word used: empty. He lived in a world where Hindu was the man religion (Buddhism is a "spin-off" of Hinduism). There probably weren't a whole lot of evangelists around telling him about Jesus. Was the emptiness God calling him? Possibly. It makes sense to me. We've heard the stories about people in the most remote villages of the world who have never seen a Bible, never heard of Jesus...& yet they believe. I think it's very possible that this emptiness that this young man felt was God calling him. Obviously if that was it, he didn't get it...instead he started his own religion.

So this leaves me here: so thankful that I grew up knowing that Jesus lives, but also thankful that even if I hadn't, my God is bigger than that & would have reached me anyway.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long; This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.

Elena

Yay for adopted sisters! Chloe's family got Elena's picture this week & will be going to China to get her in November so she can finally join their family! Such a precious gift!

From the sister side...

Go through recruitment from the sister side.

Be a big.

Two things that I've checked off of my bucket list recently. Ever since I made the decision to come back to North Georgia, I've known that it was right. I've had a peace about it & never doubted it. Each week in chapter I am even more sure that it's right. And then came recruitment...singing "with pep & vitality..." & here I am not singing just to try to hold back tears because I felt like this was a moment I'd waited a long time for. The past two Januarys I had looked at pictures on Facebook & gotten excited calls finding out the my Alpha Gam family had grown. More than anything, I'd wanted to be there, but I just couldn't come to North Georgia for that when I wasn't happy in Athens. Not yet. It was my way of protecting my heart.

So holding back the tears, I KNEW that I was back & happy & content & incredibly grateful to be looking around the room at my sisters.

And then during Pref Night, I got to recite a poem with Beth, Kat, & Amy Kelley. MY pledge class (or what was left of it). I was back.

Laugh & I'll laugh with you

Cry & I'll cry too

For whatever comes to assail you

Is there to assail me too.

Work & I'll work with you

Fight & I'll fight too

For whatever barriers need breaking

Can be broken by me and you.

Think and I'll think with you

Dream & I'll dream too

For few ever shared such visions

As are shared by me and you.

Worship & I'll worship with you
Love & I'll love too

For these are the things worth doing

And can be done by me & you.

Recruitment. Sister side. Check.

And then came the call on the night of Bid Day...I had a Little! I didn't know her, which made me kind of nervous, but from the moment she turned around & I put her badge on her, I loved her. She fit in perfectly with our family (including our two other new additions). Usually I'm one who is scared of change, but these days, I seem to be embracing it.

Be a big. Check.

And one more thing...one of my favorite parts of Pref Night.

There will be days when the sun won't shine

When every step is in the wrong direction

And no word comes out right

These are the days to lean on me.

There will come a time when confusion takes over

When the world has overwhelmed you

And you feel alone

These are the times to come to me.

There will also be times of great joy

When laughter fills our world

And everything falls into place

These are the moments you share with me.

We will not lose each other in passing time

We stand together over thousands of miles

Bonded by an unspoken connection.

There will come a time when we are left without words

Left without sign or badge

And yet, I will know you as you will me.

This is the moment when all the tears & laughter

And the love & fears combine

To create a single moment that all sisters

Know lights their way home.

-Lee Watts, Theta Delta Alum

Blessed

I know now this sounds naive. Everyone makes friends at different stages of life and then leaves them behind as they grow up. But this is it. These are the ones. They are my sisters. Even when we don't see each other or talk every day, they are there & are the ones that I can depend on. Sometimes I get irritated with them, sometimes they hurt my feelings, but I love them. I have been blessed. This is not to say that more "sisters" won't come into my life & bless me equally, just that for these, I am forever thankful.