deer in the headlights

What an eventful thanksgiving weekend!!!  I had so much fun spending time with my very large family.  It is fun having so many cousins in your age range and it has been fun growing up with all of them.

On Wednesday, we packed up the car and headed to Florida to my aunts house.  We got there about 9:30 and relaxed for a while.

Thursday was turkey day.  It was busy and chaotic.  We had to cook the food for about 30 of us, fry the turkeys, set the 3 tables, clean up randomly so the dishes didn’t pile on and finally relax with all of the family.  We ate a huge supper and topped it off with cappuccinos and pie, perfect combination.  After dinner, we watched lots of football, ran around the yard like 5 year olds, and made random movies.  Then everyone went to bed and back to their homes.

Friday, my cousins and I did our normal 1:00pm departure for the mall on black friday and got our front row parking spot. We shopped for a few hours and met everyone back at the house for dinner.  Then we watched Star Trek and called it a night.

Finally Saturday, it was my cousin Anna’s wedding.  We drove out to a plantation somewhere in Gainesville on a desolate 2 lane road.  It was beautiful and the wedding was beautiful.  It was so much fun.  It was all outside, the wedding and the reception, and it was probably the coldest night of the year.  Everyone was in dress clothes and casual BIG jackets.  We danced, drank sweet tea out of mason jars, and had a blast.  My parents and i left a little early to get a head start to Jacksonville to our hotel.

We turned out on to the DARK 2 lane highway.  NOBODY was on it.  I mean NOBODY.  No houses, no cars, no signs of life, nothing.  We got about 2 miles down the road and we were just talking, planning our day tomorrow, and all of a sudden, I heard a BAM and I swung forward.  My parents started flipping out.  We had just hit a HUGE deer that randomly ran full speed out of the woods just as we were driving by.  It scared the nonsense out of me.  We pulled over, made sure everyone was okay, and my dad got out to assess the damage.  Apparently, the deer jumped out just right, because we hit hit head on but he somehow went on top of the hood of the car, slid off and smashed into the drivers side door.  We didn’t swerve, my dad never panicked, and the car was still running and drivable granted the left turn signal fell completely off, the side mirror was hanging by a thread, and the drivers side door wouldn’t open from the outside.

I was so thankful that the car still worked because we were literally in the middle of no where.  My parents cell phones were dead, my cell phone had no service, and there was NOBODY on this country road.  We drove back to the reception and talked to some of my family.  Taped up the car a little bit with some electrical tape and decided it was okay to drive.  It really is a miracle that nobody was seriously injured especially my dad because that deer was very big, and we hit it at 60mph and it went over the hood without doing any damage to the windshield.  We are hoping the damage is not an expensive fix.

We got back on the road and saw AT LEAST 20 more deer along the sides of the road just chillin.  I was sooooo scared another one was going to jump out and get us.  But we made it safely to the hotel, woke up early the next morning, went shopping at some outlets and headed home.  I had a great time despite the scary accident, but it definitely just restated how thankful I was for God being there to protect us then and always.

 

booo

SOOO, I am here to tell everyone about my eventful weekend.

The best part was that my big brother came to visit.  He is MUCH older than me, but I am so glad God has blessed me with him.  He is truly an awesome individual.  He is exactly what I look up to for a husband one day, and I am so thankful I have him as a role model to me.

See, I had sister too.  But God called her home when she was 12 and my mom was pregnant with me.  I never met her, and I am so excited for the day I will meet her.  It has always been in the back of my mind, little questions.  Like how my life would be so much different if she was still here.  Or if she can actually see me from way up in the sky.  How weird is that?  I mean, I know people pass away and we can’t wait to see them again.  But I have a sister, and she is in heaven, and I still get to meet her and she might already know me, and she might can see me.  And one day we can talk.  I can tell her my stories, she will listen.  I can hug her.  I can laugh with her.  I have a sister.

That was a side note.  Back on track, my brother came to town on Thursday and hung out with us for the weekend.  He worked on thursday and friday.  On friday night, he took me to dinner at California Dreaming and then we got milkshakes at Chick-fil-a!!  And then on Saturday, Hunter, my dad, my brother and I headed up to the Florida Carolina football game.  My brother graduated from there so he is a huge fan, practically most of my family went/goes there now so I have no reason but to also devote my fan-ship to the Florida Gators.  We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and then went to the game.  When we got home, we ordered pizza and watched yet more football.  It was so much fun and I am so glad he came to see us.

truth…logic…combustion

I think as humans, it is only fair to assume each of us at some point question given circumstances, regardless of religious beliefs or not.  If we did not question, we would not find answers.  If I did not study for an exam, I would not know the correct choice, I can only guess.  But what good is that to me if I want to make a good grade?  So, with God, if we did not have questions, we would not have reason to search and answer for ourselves.  I have questioned.  And I have found answers.  And one of the big answers is also a song lyric, “in your name, there is truth where logic fails”.  If we knew all of the answers to life, what would be the point?  What would be the purpose?

I have asked myself constantly the same question over the past few months, and I am confident now in my reasoning.  One thing I have never been able to fully comprehend is the fact that we all have been given different circumstances.  Some were born into wealthy families, some into poor families.  Some were born with 2 loving parents who provided a good example, others grew up in broken homes.  Some were born into families where the word of God was the way of life, others grew up not having any understanding of God or who He was.  And I have always thought this to be somewhat unfair.  And I have battled with this.  Why did I grow up with 2 loving Christian parents while some of my friends grow up in broken abusive homes?  Why?

But what I have failed to comprehend is that God is the one who arranges the different circumstances for a greater purpose.  We each serve a purpose, and though we don’t necessarily choose the circumstances we are born into, we can choose to drastically change the course of life.  We are given the ability of choice.  And if we were all born into the same circumstance, what purpose would we each serve?  To live out the same destiny, each and every one of us?  We are all called to accomplish different things.  It is funny, when you really think about it, how different each of our goals are, and how each of our goals is to accomplish a different task in life.  I like computers and technology. I like fixing things.  My best friend likes teaching.  My boyfriend loves fitness and helping others achieve fitness goals.  My Dad likes finance.  My brother likes business.  My friend likes speaking.  My other friend likes building.  We all grow to love different things.  And with those passions, we use it to get something done in the world.  And for those of us who have heard the word of God, we are used now in those different atmospheres to profess the love of Jesus Christ to others, those who may have grown up not knowing or those who have turned away.  God says everyone will have the chance to hear His name.  I am called to live a life of example to others in the tech world, others in the classrooms, and some of us in our businesses.

We all serve a special purpose.  And I have come to understand and accept that God definitely knows what He is doing, and every single person no matter what they have done or their circumstance in life serves a purpose and has a reason for living.  We each have a different testimony, different backgrounds, and have had different life experiences that have made us the people we are now.  We now use what we have learned and have lived through to minister to others who may be lost or floating in the same faith lacking boat we might once have been in.

But time is short… so we need to use it wisely….

We find our faith, and God speaks to us His will if we seek Him.  And in Him we find all of our answers… and in Him we find comfort, rest, peace and grace that nothing in this world will EVER be able to give us…

hello world?

I found out I still have fans of my blog, so I figured since I am spending a Saturday watching endless amounts of football and doing absolutely nothing, I would update my blog.  Hunter has been building a deck on his house with his friend Danny. I will be so excited when it is done, for a few reasons.  The first — he will stop worrying about getting his deck done and the second, because I want to cook out in the back yard and roast marshmallows in the fire-pit.  It is the perfect time of year for roasting marshmallows!!!

It has been a good month.  I am back in school full force, busy with schoolwork everyday, and enjoying spending time with people I love.  I have so many fun events planned too!!  Next weekend, I am going to my high school homecoming football game and then on Saturday, I am going with my best friends Melissa and Chad and Hunter to see Lady Antebellum at the fair!!   On the 14th of November, my brother is coming to town and we are going to the UF USC game in Columbia!!  HOW EXCITED AM I ABOUT THAT??

School however, has been kicking me in the rear.  But I only have 7 more classes after this semester but they are going to be spread out over the next year and a half!!  I am ready to be DUNZO!!!

Anywho, I am going to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch UFC tonight with some friends!  I will try to update this more than once a month .

silence

I tried being silent for awhile.  And instead of speaking so much, letting God speak to me.  I tried sitting still, peaceful, and focused.  Not on schoolwork, not on tomorrow, but on Him.  And it felt good.

I have always said I like to sleep.  When you sleep, you can’t really think about anything.  For a couple of hours, the world goes away.  And it is quiet… You can dream, and sometimes they are fun, and other times you wake up scared.  But for the most part, sleep is peaceful.  I can’t do school stuff when I sleep.  I can’t worry about schedules when I sleep.  I just close my eyes and let time go by.

I found this to be true when I sat still and just listened.  It is nice to know that God understands everything when we just can’t seem to figure it out.  The fact is, He already has it all figured out.  He had it figured out from the moment we were created.  He knows about yesterday, tomorrow, and 50 years from now.  He already knows the things we have accomplished and the things still to come.  So what is the point in sitting around dwelling on it or worrying.  ”Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”

Be Still.  Listen.  Don’t talk so much.  It is much more effective….

ruby falls?

Imagination.  Where has mine gone?  I learned in psychology that at a certain age, that completely goes away for the most part, and the days when you pretended to play house, cops and robbers, or star wars, are gone.

I love my job.  I get to watch 1st-4th graders all day, and although they drive me crazy sometimes, I can’t help but fall in love with the innocence they each still possess.  They are easily fascinated, not hard to sway, and very VERY imaginative.  I watch the boys chase each other around the waterpark, for hours and hours, playing star wars.  The girls sit in their little groups and socialize, and play house.  It is fun to watch them grow.

I have been in Atlanta, GA for the past few days.  Hunter, his mom, and I came down to visit his aunt and uncle and do a little sightseeing around town.  I am glad I get along with his family so well.  Hopefully, they like me as much as I adore them.  Thursday, we went to Chattanooga, TN.  It was a little bit of a drive but being a tourist there was awesome.  We walked along a huge bridge, ate a hot dog place called Good Dog, and explored the artsy city.  We decided we needed a little adventure so we went to a place called Ruby Falls.  Basically, the take you in an elevator 150+ feet under ground, and you walk through a mile of caves and arrive at this AMAZING waterfall, underground.  It was amazing.  Only Hunter and I ventured down there, his mom doesn’t like to feel chlostraphobic and his aunt kept her company.  It was so much fun.  After that, we headed up a mountain to check out the top.

Then we headed back home for a well deserved dinner and piece of cake.  I am having a nice break, and a good time.  School starts back on Tuesday so i’ve got to get my head in the game.

peace…

a parable… or lots

I am studying Matthew currently and decided to read through the parables and make it a point to understand and comprehend what the moral and value of each one is.

Today, I read the Parable of the Sower.  It was simple, but elaborate all at the same time.  We have a choice, to plant our seed in the soil of the world or the soil of Christ that He has prepared for us.  It sounds easy, of course, we choose to plant our seed in the soil of Christ.  BUT without realizing it, we are putting more trust in the world then into the only one who can save us.  We plant our seed in a promising successful future, driven by only what WE think WE can accomplish, on our own.  We plant our seed in only the things we can see or physically grasp on to.  But this isn’t faith, and this isn’t the pure soil that will produce fruitfulness.

We need to have a strong root, so that when we face uncertainty or face the challenges that EVERY human being will face, we can be strong and overcome evil, instead of falling into the trap of the world, even when we thought we had a “strong” root.

I am excited about my new journey into the parables.  I have always heard them, learned lessons from them, but I have failed to really grasp the meaning God had within them.  And now I want to understand more than ever before.

oh baby its a new day

What a great feeling.  Today was my last day of my Maymester class.  I took Public Speaking and for those of you that know me very well, I dread anything that has to do with speaking out loud in front of people.  But there was only 14 people in my class, and my teacher was awesome, and it made for a pretty comfortable environment.  I’m glad it is over.  Now I am praying I get at least an A- so I can keep my scholarship.  I am always having to stress out about something or other.  Life just can’t be a little simple.  But that is okay.  You gotta roll with the punches.

I am in one of those routine phases again where everything seems so routine.  I need to get away for a little while.  I kind of want to go and not tell anyone exactly where it is that I’m going.  And hide away, with my thoughts, and gather them.  So much has changed.  And I have so many emotions about everything that has changed.  Some positive, some negative.  I wish I could press a fast forward button and see where I am in 5 years.  Just so I know what I can look forward to, or not.  I feel like everyone around me has embraced new experiences and parts of life, but I am still stuck here.  Which is fine.  This is where God wants me right now.  But it is hard to be stuck being a dreamer.  Knowing that I have dreams and ambitions that seem so far out of reach.  Maybe one day I will embrace them. And run with them, far.

One day….

show me how to love like you

Love.

I have learned a lot about this word in the past 11 months.  What it truly means to love and what it truly means to be loved.

To love is unconditional.  There are no rules to  it, there isn’t a book that tells you when you should love someone and when you shouldn’t.  It is constant.  Whether you feel like you want to or not.  I once had someone tell me that love is a decision.  I laughed.  I said whatever and continued on.  Well, I was an idiot. Love is definitely a decision.  But it is one you want to make.  When I feel hurt, or I feel like I don’t recieve the amount of “love” I am supposed to be shown in a given situation, it becomes hard for me to still show the same amount of respect I feel I should have gotten.  Reality check, that isn’t me “doing unto you as you have done to me” … that is me being point blank selfish.

My parents love me.  They always have loved me.  Even when I yelled at the top of my lungs sitting on the top step or when I slammed the door to my room when I didn’t  get my way.  They still loved me.

They have shown me true unconditional love, and I am willing to say that by their example, that Christ is the same.

He loves me when I succeed, and He loves me when I fail.

“show me how to love like you have loved me…”

plantations

So for mothers day, Hunter wanted to surprise his mom and visit her in Walterboro.  His original plan was to have a picnic on a plantation his uncle does all of the maintaining for.  But it was about 100 degrees and so we opted out of that and just picked up some chicken salads from a greek restaurant and ate them before heading out to the plantation.  It was so much fun and it was so beautiful.  His mom was surprised, and his dad chauffeured us around all day.  It is so nice to go to Walterboro sometimes because you get away from the busyness of Charleston.  There is nothing there but a lot of trees and beautiful houses and country roads.  Then for my mom on Mothers Day, we went to Olive Garden with my family.  It was very, very crowded and it was already almost 3.  People like that place I guess…  Anyways, just thought I’d update.   My maymester public speaking class starts tomorrow and I have a sinus infection.  Good way to kick off the class.