fill-in-the-blank friday

one. winter is...lovely.  I'm one of those weird people who loves cold weather.

two. summer is...also lovely.  I really love the beginning of every season.  by the end, I'm usually ready to welcome the next season with open arms, but they all have reasons for me to love them.

three. if it were summer instead of winter right now, I'd...want to be at the lake.

four. my favorite thing to do in winter is...snow ski!  but...since that doesn't happen all that much...I'll say my favorite thing to do is to cuddle up in front of a fire with coffee & a good book.

five. my favorite thing to do in summer is...spend all day out on a boat on the lake.  or all day reading a book at the beach, as long as I can go back & immediately shower.  I don't like being sticky & sandy for very long.

six. the ideal outfit for a sunny summer day is...a swimsuit.  but I guess that hasn't qualified as an outfit since I lived in such from ages three to eight sixteen.  seriously.  I would put on a swimsuit or leotard & keep it on until I took a bath.  & on lazy summer days...I doubt any bathing rules were enforced at my house.  I remember many a night when I slept in a swimsuit.

seven. the ideal outfit for a frigid winter day is...boots, leggings, dress with layers underneath, cozy hat & coat & scarf.  coffee in hand. 

{link up at the little things you do} 

Passion 2011 Recap

I had to sleep in today.  not enough...but at least a little.  I've been getting home late every night & then having to keep up with Passion online since each video is only available for 24 hours.  this means that last night I went to bed at 3:15 am because I was watching John Piper.  I never thought I could comprehend Piper in the wee hours of morning, but it actually worked.  I always thought I was tired when I was actually at Passion...but I think I may be more tired from trying to fit it into real life.

Here are a few of my favorites from Passion 2011 (so far...I still have one more short session to watch).  Quotes, tidbits from songs [CD needs to come out soon!], etc.

it's Your love that we adore

it's like a sea without a shore

"Circumstances do not have any power over us being free & fully alive in Christ."

-Louie Giglio

to You our hearts are open
nothing here is hidden
You are our one desire
You alone are holy
only You are holy
God, let Your fire fall down let our shout be Your anthem

Your renown fill the skies

we are here for You
let Your word move in power
let what's dead come to life
we are here for You

"For every single plan God has for you, the enemy has a plan to destroy it."

-Beth Moore

open the Heavens

come, Living Water

all my fountains

are Your love is running through

all my fountains

are in You

"He's loving us with a specific design that He be made much of in, through, & because of that act of love." -John Piper

come magnify the Son

Savior of the world

the hope for everyone

Spirit fall

Spirit fall

Holy Spirit fall

fall on me

to You our hearts are open
nothing else is hidden
You are our one desire
You alone are holy
only You are holy
God, let Your fire fall down

Anyone who went [or like me, pretended to go?] have other favorites?  

Anyone know when the album comes out? 

SSMT: verse 1

 

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will.  Then you will receive all that He has promised."

Hebrews 10:35-36 [NLT]

Beth Moore referenced this verse the other day in Session 2 at Passion.  I know I've read it before, but I don't remember hearing it.  however...it's exactly what I need right now.  I feel like sometimes God tells us something, or gives us unfathomable peace, or an incredible hope...yet we become so scared of His promises not happening that we forget to believe.  or we become burdened & discouraged by the world around us, or by well-meaning people who don't want us to set our hopes to high.  or we let Satan in & allow him to cloud our mind with insecurities.  but NO.  not this time.  any confidence I have...GOD gave me & I will not allow that to be shaken.

{learn more about SSMT}

photoshoot: McKinlie

a McKinlie date

McKinlie & I have been trying to plan a date before she goes back to school.  problem is, she was gone most of Christmas break, so we didn't have a chance until today, the last day of her holiday.  but it was so worth it.  we had such a fun day.  ran a few errands this morning, then had her post-braces photoshoot that we've been planning for months [post on that coming right up], decorated our index spirals for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team, shopped around a little, had milkshakes & coffee, & even went to the gym.  many of my favorite ingredients for a good day :)

oh, & this fun part: we watched a bit of Passion online.  I got to be there for her 1st ever Passion experience!  & I plan on being a volunteer at Passion the first year she's old enough to go for real.  it's going to be legendary.  crafts + Passion + friends = wonderfulness.

 

finished products:

 

& another highlight of the day: in one of the antique stores downtown, I found this little beauty.  it fits right in to my vision for a house/apartment one day & I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it.  I'm in love.

#84. friends who don't think I'm crazy.  okay, they do...but not for the reasons that most people would.

#85. unique shops.

#86. my talent for shopping.

#87. the gym.  didn't know how much I've missed it.

#88. new headphones that stay in my ears while running.

#89. friends who willingly participate in my photo frenzy.

miscellany monday

one. finally finished my new blog look & I love it.  new button, too.

<center><a title="aheartabandoned" href="http://a-heart-abandoned.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad354/lcarter631/button-1.jpg"/></a></center>

two. decided [a little late] to do Living Proof Ministry's Siesta Scripture Memory.  post coming soon about my first verse.  McKinlie & I are having a Siesta Scripture Memory notepad decorating party tomorrow.

three. I really wish I had an orange to eat right now.  just being honest about what's really on my mind.

four. anyone involved in girls' or women's ministry ever heard of Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild?  looking at it for my girls.  anyone have any feedback?

five. had problems getting my shutterfly cards to work...so I resorted to making some on my own.  this is what I came up with.  okay, actually, this is my favorite of what I came up with, but a little different than the one my mom actually approved of.

 six. I love what Beth had to say about Passion in this post. 

"...it is perhaps the most powerful thing God is doing among college-age men and women across the globe."

"[God] has as uncanny a way of showing Himself at these events and, in light of His innumerable mercies, we can guess why. There is no age demographic at greater risk than 18-25 year olds and He’s chasing them down like He’s got nothing to lose but a generation."

"I saw about 22,000 reasons for high hopes in the last forty-eight hours. You see, Passion isn’t for the faint of heart. The schedule is packed and the sessions are refreshingly unrushed. About two seconds into the conference you lose that warm, fuzzy feeling that any god goes. If you’ve got an aversion to Jesus, you’ve got an aversion to Passion. The Word of God is preached and taught, read aloud and read in unison. The worship is…well…impossible to describe."

 seven. I never wrote about New Year's Eve.  you need to know two things.  

New Year's Eve party: I like this picture except for how incredibly short I look am.  I like fireworks.  and I don't just mean these sparklers...I mean fireworks.  I haven't even uploaded my pictures from that night, or I'd have some to show you.  & I also love seeing little Chinese girls who have never seen fireworks before.

what I was doing when the clock struck midnight: had just gotten home, my brother was in my room waiting for me to watch a movie, I walked in to find him on my bed read Little Quack (a kids' book I'd brought home from the store) aloud to himself in what sounded like the voice of Joe from the Madea movies.  priceless.

 eight. now that Christmas is over, I'm fully devoting myself to Chris Tomlin's latest album.  I've had it for awhile, but when I got it was during the span of time when I was only listening to Christmas music.  so now, I'm prepared to love it & learn every word.

#80. Beth Moore.
#81. being excited about memorizing Scripture.
#82. free digital scrapbooking kits.
#83. hope.

catching up on life.

one.  biggest thing in my life lately: my mom's toy store where I've worked off & on for the past three & a half years closed this past week.  we've known it was a probability for several months now.  I don't want to go into much because...it's sort of been my home for a long time & I don't want to be sad about it.  of course it is, sad...but there are a lot of positives too.  I feel an unexplained peace about it & I know God has my timeline all under control.  other positives: I took home all the books I wanted, TONS of scrapbook paper, my favorite paper cutter, 2 great lamps, a coffee table I've loved since we opened, etc.

two.  all that being said, more pressure to find a job.  looking into photography & should have a meeting with one photographer soon.  it's been transparent for me to even say that.  I hate people asking me about jobs because I feel like a failure.  I know most are just asking out of concern, but if you've ever been in this situation, you know it gets old real fast.  back to photography...working on my portfolio.  printing tons of pictures over the next few days...look at my some of them here.  any I should remove or make changes to?  feedback would be seriously great.

three.  also, I know that Christmas is over.  working on a new blog design right now.  just can't quite make my mind up.

four.  sunshine: Passion 2011 is going on right now.  cloud: I'm not there.  sunshine: the main sessions are streaming live & are also being put up to replay a few hours later.  they're only up for 24 hours though, so keep up on your toes.  if you've had anything to do with Passion before, I don't need to say anything else.  if you haven't...this is something you want to be involved in.  trust me.  some of the most growing times in my life have come about because of what God has done in my heart at Passion.  it's not just a conference...it's a movement, an awakening, a revolution.  please, please, please...watch.  p.s. pro to watching online: sometimes when you pause, you catch Louie looking oh so thriller.

five.  I love this time of year.  I know I tend to say that with every changing season, but I don't care.  I like that about myself.  but this year, I really love it.  I love this new, fresh feeling.  I feel like God has something huge on the horizon & it's so exciting to be heading towards that.  I feel like God has spoken things to me that He never has before...& let me tell you, they're good things.

#76. game night with the Robinettes
#77. peace that surpasses all understanding
#78. technology + Passion
#79. the new year feeling + hope of things to come

2010: a year in review

2010 held a lot of ups & downs for me...a lot of firsts & even more lasts, as well as several milestones.  let's review, shall we?

***

 one. Passion 2010.  still one of the best few days of the year life.  that favorite sermon that I told you about way back when & said I just couldn't get it out of my head?  yep...still think about it all the time.  just ask my Bible study girls...pretty sure I reference it quite frequently.  [1 & 3] got to spend the few days of Passion with these lovelies.  [2] my favorite part of worship.  my calf muscles may have paid for days after dancing/singing to this song.

two. my last recruitment (as a collegian, that is).  [1] Marie Ford Palmer (who, in our minds, is basically famous) came to our recruitment!  what a surprise!  [2] my favorite family picture from that weekend...too bad Cait was pi chi-ing.  [3] for some reason, we take great pictures like this. [4] 1st family picture with new family members!  welcomed Rachel & Katie!

three. my 23rd birthday.  we won't talk about a certain unfortunate incident that took place on that day, or where the day was spent...we'll just say that I got to spend all day long with one of my favorite people on earth & wouldn't have had it any other way.  [pic] came home past midnight on my birthday after getting ready for the last night of recruitment.  & found this wonderful little surprise.  oh, how I love these girls & that it was important to them to make my birthday special, even during one of the busiest weekends of our year.  p.s. see how Brandi's knitting even during the picture?  she fell asleep that night, needles in hand.  I just took her picture & covered her up :)

four. snow!  probably the best snow we had during my college years.  enough that we got several days out of school & went sledding on the drill field...marked that off my bucket list.  that was such a fun day with some of my favorites.

five. my last initiation.  I love Alpha Gam's initiation.  it is such a sweet service that reminds me of so many reasons why I love Alpha Gam & why I know without a doubt that God placed me among those girls.  alpha gam was a huge part of my college experience, but gave me friends that are still a major part of my life.  sisters that I know I can count on for anything.  sisters that have challenged me & made me want to be better in every aspect of my life.  joining Alpha Gam on March 4, 2006 was one of the best decisions I ever made. [pic] my little branch of the family tree on Rachel's initiation day.  those girls have such a big piece of my heart.

six. some random last college days.  [1] AGD family. [2] Ruby Hollow friends.  [3] family at IRD.

seven. last Alpha Gam formal.  we had so much fun that day getting ready.  we set up big mirrors in front of the tv downstairs so we could watch Bones the whole time we were getting ready.  this is when Cait & I were catching up with the seasons on dvd.  then we went to formal, ate great food, & I'm pretty sure left around 9 & went to Sara & Melea's for a fun game night.

eight. my senior spotlight - the night I'd both looked forward to & dreaded since my freshman year.  this is when your family makes a slideshow of your college years, talks about you, tells stories, etc.  and if you're like me my whole family, that night involves some tears.  my big, Jessi came up to surprise me that night, but other than that, I didn't know any of those girls on stage when I first joined Alpha Gam.  or even during "take 1" of my time at North Georgia (long story).  I met all of them during take 2...& had no idea they would become such important parts of my life.

nine. graduation.  sigh.  the day I'd worked toward for five years finally came!  the actual ceremony was pretty awful.  pretty sure Charlie Brown's teacher could've given a better commencement speech.  but it was quick & we got out of there & had my entire family & quite a few friends crammed into my little apartment for coffee & desserts.  I loved having my whole family see where I'd spent the majority of my college years & get to know that little piece of my life.  and then began the never-ending job search...

ten. 2nd annual tsf beach trip!  in 2009, we were able to get away for a few days right before Em's wedding, & were so excited to do the same before Case's.  I love any time I get to spend with these girls, but especially a few days in a row, off by ourselves with no schedules to worry about.  these three women are a huge part of why I am who I am.

eleven. going to the chapel.  again.  June 12, 2010 we married off another one of "us."  so glad to see Case & Ryan finally become husband & wife...these two truly enjoy living life together & it's such a beautiful thing to see.  glad for "that Shostak boy" to officially be a part of our "family."  

twelve. ASP.  my first mission trip with my "new" church (new when you consider that I went to my other church for almost 23 years).  [pic] this is our little team with Veronica (in the Edward shirt) on the back porch that we built her.  we were able to make tons of changes that week to make Veronica's life a little easier & hopefully show her the love of Jesus.

thirteen. ASP is where McKinlie & I became friends.  and then were rarely seen apart of the rest of the summer.  this girl is my heart put into a 15-year-old's body.  you know that song that says "I see a generation rising up to take it's place"?  well...that's her.  what we have is such an unlikely friendship, but is exactly what I needed & am blessed to have every single day.

fourteen. toward the end of the summer, I started my Bible study with these girls.  they are why I look forward to Wednesdays.  they challenge me & make me search for answers & also make me laugh til I cry.

 fifteen. this picture was taken the day Cait stopped in Madison on her way through town.  we hadn't seen each other in awhile, so it was great to be able to catch up in person...but she was really there to tell me what I'd known since May: that she was going to marry Cosbie Hollenbeck.  I'm always happy when my friends find the ones they're going to spend their lives with...but Cait & I have some special connection.  I feel like she understands my heart better than probably anyone.  we've had a lot of the same struggles, but also the same triumphs.  so you can see why it's going to be such a joyful celebration on May 21, 2011 when she becomes Mrs. Caitlin Hollenbeck.

  sixteen. oh yeah &...this year, I decided (on a whim) to become a runner.  wouldn't call myself one, but I'm working on it...  [pic] Jessie, Michelle, Mama, & me after our my first 5k.  have run another (with much great success) since then & plan on running many more.

seventeen. my first Gold Rush as an alum!  this may not seem like a big deal, but Gold Rush is one of my absolute favorite times of year in Dahlonega & it was such a treat to be able to go up for it this year & see some of my favorite girls.  [1] pledge class '06!  [2] Ruby Hollow 214 residents :)

eighteen. an entire weekend with my favorite little in the world.  SO much fun & so needed.  I don't get to see this girl nearly enough.

nineteen. got to spend some time with these girls.  any time with them is precious.

twenty. one of my favorite halloweens.  all the kiddos "trick or treated" at my grandparents' so I got to see them all in their costumes!

 

  twenty-one. cold weather + some of my favorite pictures.

twenty-two. a great Christmas with my family.  and a white day-after-Christmas, which I'll gladly take.

Dear 2011,
I'm ready for you.  I know you hold some pretty amazing things.