If You Give a Mouse a Cookie...

If you give a mouse a cookie,

He's going to ask for a glass of milk.

When you give him a glass of milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw.

When he's finished, he'll ask for a napkin.

Then he will want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache.

When he looks in the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim.

So he will probably ask for a pair of scissors.

When he's finished giving himself a trim, he'll want a broom to sweep up.

He'll start sweeping.  He might get carried away and sweep every room in the house.

He may even end up washing the floors as well!

When he's done, he'll probably want to take a nap.  You will have to fix a little box for him

with a blanket and a pillow.

He'll crawl in, make himself comfortable and fluff the pillow a few times.

He'll probably ask you to read him a story.  So you'll read him one from one of your books,

and he'll ask to see the pictures.  When he looks at the pictures, he'll get so excited he'll 

want to draw one of his own.  He'll ask for paper and crayons.

He'll draw a picture. 

When the picture is finished, he'll want to sign his name with a pen.

Then he'll want to hang his picture on your refrigerator.

Which means he will need...scotch tape.

He'll hang up his drawing and stand back to look at it.  Looking at the refrigerator will remind

him that he's thirsty so...

he'll ask for a glass of milk.

And chances are, if he asks for a glass of milk, 

he's going to want a cookie to go with it. 

The first thing I thought about when I read this story was that sometimes, I am the mouse in this story.  This story made me stop and think about what I am asking the Lord for, and then am I satisfied with what the Lord has and is giving me?  OR am I constantly unsatisfied and always asking for something else?  Do I receive what the Lord is giving me and then quickly forget about that and want something else?  OR am I receiving what the Lord is giving me and standing in the beauty of that?  

When I went back to read it again, I the Lord showed me that sometimes HE is the mouse... wait.. stay with me, hear me out... 

When I became a follower of the Lord, that was the first thing I gave Him.  As I grow in Him, He is constantly asking me to give things up for Him.  Things that are not good for my life, maybe make a sacrifice for Him.  He asks for a cookie, or a glass of milk from me, when I choose to not give that up, He might ask for something else...He asks for me to hand Him scissors so He can cut the strings of bondage for me, I just have to allow Him to... He wants to sweep "every room" of my life, AND clean the floors. Some of those things, I might choose to give up to Him with no resistance, and some of those things I might struggle with more.  The Lord wants to write and read me my story, at His pace.  He wants to draw pictures for me, that coincide with my story, sign HIS name and then put it on the fridge for me to see.  Yet when I look at the picture, I am sometimes focused more on the picture rather than the artist; and sometimes I look past the picture and the Lord is asking for those things I've held onto for so long.  My milk and my cookie... He never forgot about those hurts, disappointments, failures, but because He loves me so much, He is asking for them again.  Because He wants to take those things from me.  I mean that is the whole reason He came to DIE for me, so that I wouldn't hold onto that stuff. 

He is constantly asking us to give ourselves to Him.  So that He can write our story for us and then read it to us when the time is right.  

So I have two questions for you... When you ask the Lord for something, are you satisfied with the answer He gives you, are you constantly asking for something else?  and 

Is He asking you to release something to Him?  

Ask the Lord to show you areas that you need to release to Him, and then don't be stubborn about it.  Know that there is freedom on the other side of releasing those things!  

 

Snow in Tennessee

Ok, it's been a while since I've posted.. I'm sorry.  There is a lot going on and I am working on writing it all down.  I'll post it soon... Meanwhile, it snowed in Tennessee!!  It doesn't usually snow out here, but yesterday it got cold enough, so here you have it.  This is my first snowfall that I have experienced, and I was so excited!  It was a little scary driving on the snow and ice, but I got where I needed to go safely.  One neat thing that came from the snow was an unplanned roommate night.  Jeannie was originally supposed to have rehearsal up in Cool Springs, but they cancelled that because of road conditions, so we both were home and worked on Christmas gifts. (we are both making a majority of our gifts this year).  I had a blast!!!  We looked like 2 old ladies sitting in our living room, painting, sewing and watching White Christmas.  :)

When I woke up this morning, I looked out my window and saw the beautiful blanket of white snow on the ground.  It was such a great image for me of the Lord's purity.  Enjoy the pictures!!

First FREEZE of the season

Ok, so for 21 years, the title of this entry have NEVER been in my vocabulary!  "First FREEZE of the season"-this is what my roommate told me this morning.  Here's the story.  I woke up (extremely cold mind you), in an attempt to warm my core body temp. I went and put my jeans in the dryer so they would be nice and hot when I put them on, then I put on my shirts, jacket, shoes and went to my car to start my day... I got in, started it and turned on the windshield wipers to get the "dew" off... but nothing happened!  That wasn't dew on my windshield, it was frost!!! It wasn't going anywhere!

So, I went back inside and said: "Jeannie, I have a CA question for you... how do you get ice or frost off your windshield?  I've never had to deal with this before!"  She looks at me and says something along the lines of "what you don't have an ice scraper?"  NO!!  I'M FROM CALIFORNIA, WE DON'T NEED THOSE!!!!  So she told me where hers was in her car, I went out and started scraping ice and frost off of my car!!  Looks like I am going to go buy an ice scraper today after work!

Being in a place where the temperature drops below 60 has really opened my eyes to how great we Californians have it.  I've really been trying not to compare CA to TN, but this is one thing that I must compare! 

I've been looking at the weatherchannel.com and the high for Costa Mesa, CA today is 81 degrees... the high for Spring Hill, TN is 58!  When I woke up this morning it was 32 degrees... 

I am NOT use to it being this cold, or freezing, but I'm choosing to enjoy it!  And everybody out here I'm sure is getting a good laugh out of my newness to this weather!  Being in this also is showing me how weak we Californians are when it comes to weather and our comfort....

Wait upon the Lord...

I was driving away from my mentoring this morning and a song started playing.  As I was listening to it and processing what my mentor and I had talked about, I started thinking.. what does it really mean for me to wait upon the Lord?  So many times in my life, I have set aside an hour a day (or so) as "God's time" in which I would pray, read my Bible and 'wait' on Him, but as soon as that time is done, then I'm done.. is that really waiting on the Lord?  no...  I think that setting aside time for the Lord daily is a huge part of it, but I can't be restricted to just that time.  Through my meeting this morning, I got new insight into what it means to wait upon the Lord. There are things I'm walking through right now that aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't for this season.  I have to wait upon the Lord and His timing.. and to be completely honest, I'm not happy about it.  It is hard and there is a part of me that doesn't want to. I want to pursue these things.  I want to keep walking this out to see what happens, but when I really stop and examine my heart, so much more of me wants to pursue the Lord and be in complete obedience to Him.  I want an intimacy with the Lord like never before and in order to reach that level of intimacy, I have to lay these things down.  And when it hurts, that is when I need to press into the Lord the most.. Wait on Him and trust that He has my best interest at heart. Why is obedience so hard?!?!?  For me right now, it is because it is dealing with matters of the heart, and I want to control that.  I'm holding the key to my heart and not releasing that to the Lord, even though He has always held that key and will continue to...  I also think it is because a lot of the time, with the Lord, it requires me to stop thinking about myself; take my eyes off me and what I think is best for me and focus them on the Lord.  And lets face it.. that's not easy either!  I'm in an interesting place right now because I so want it to be the season for some stuff, but at the same time I have such a peace about it not being...  

So back to the song and waiting upon the Lord... What are some things that could come from waiting upon Him?  Well, chains will be broken, Lives will be healed, Eyes will be opened, and above all, Christ will be revealed.  This has become my prayer and declaration for this time... Here are the lyrics to the song that sparked this very long post, most of you know it...  if you don't, you can listen to it here.

You'll Come by Brooke Fraser

I have decided

I have resolved

To wait upon You Lord

My rock and Redeemer

Shield and reward

I'll wait upon You Lord

As surely as the sun will rise

You'll come to us

As certain as the dawn appears

You'll come, let Your glory fall

As You respond to us

Spirit reign, flood into our thirsty hearts again

You'll come

You'll come

We are not shaken, we are not moved

We wait upon You Lord

Our Mighty deliverer, my triumph and truth

We wait upon You Lord

Chains be broken

Lives be healed

Eyes be opened

Christ is revealed

Birthday number 22

A tradition I started 5 years ago on my birthday was waking up to watch the sunrise! This time last year I was at Bolsa Chica State Beach watching the sunrise over the mountains. (see the view here). Today I watched the same sun rise over a field in Tennessee with rain pouring down onto my car. What a difference a year makes! This year was a year of lots of change. Moving apartments in CA, friends, graduating from college and moving across the county in faith. Some of the change wasn't good. Some of the change didn't feel good, but most of it was good (yes, even the change that didn't feel good). Looking back on this year though, even with all the change and unknown, there was one constant... the LORD! In every season that this past year brought the Lord was there and He was faithful and good! He still is! But now I look forward. I loko forward to the adventures I'm going to have. I look forward to the relationships that are going to be born, grow, stretch, and be refined. This past year I have been learning about faithfulness and the Lord has been faithful always. He has been there for every step of this journey I call my life... year after year.. birthday after birthday.

Our Lord is pretty much AWESOME!!!

This weekend was a blast for me.  I was able to spend time with friends, which is always fun!!  And what made it even funner (i know that is not a word, but stick with me).. was that we were able to do some fun things together.  Friday, we went to a corn maze, Saturday we went to a small market in the country, ate sandwiches on the porch and then threw rocks at signs... and then Sunday celebrate my birthday!  

On Friday after the corn maze, we got the chance to look through a telescope and see the planet Jupiter, some of its rings and 3 of its moons.  We then got to see another galaxy..Andromeda (pictured above).    It blows my mind that there are billion and billions of stars in our galaxy (the Milky Way) and then to be able to see a whole other galaxy and know that there are billions upon billions of stars in that galaxy AND that the Lord placed them there and knows each star by name.  I think that is amazing and that even with all those billions of stars, He still cares for me; for my concerns.  One thing I am really loving about TN is that I am not in the city.  I can lay out and see the stars without any lights, smog, etc.  I couldn't do that in Cali.  I never realized how much I loved looking at the stars.  It is so peaceful!  It is an amazing time to really contemplate and think on the Lord!  

Laughs at work... pt. 2... holes in ceilings

Ok, so I said I would write another post about funny things that have happened at work recently...  About a week ago, we were shooting another pick up shot for Prof Sock, and we blew a fuse with all the lights.  So, Brandon and I went into the attic b/c he was going to show me which fuse I needed to flip.  I couldn't exactly see where he was pointing, so I stepped on a beam and my foot slipped... yup, then my leg went through the ceiling!  But it wasn't any ceiling, it was the ceiling into our boss' office.  And as my luck would have it, Bill was in his office... and take it even further, he was in a meeting with Mark and a prospective INVESTOR!!!  So here I am, my leg dangling in the air in his office with them all in a meeting... It all happened so fast, that it took a minute for us all to register what had just happened.  When it did, Bill and Mark asked if I was ok, I said I was and then removed my leg from the hole... Meanwhile, Chuck heard something, and he came in and totally started laughing!  He made sure I was ok, but then had to leave because he was laughing too hard and didn't want Bill to hear.. But Chuck helped me make a temp. fix for Bill....

Laughs at work... pt. 1... green screen

At work, we made a small $8 green screen to do some pickup shots. 

It is 6 pieces of poster board held up with gaffers tape.  When we were putting the poster board together, we taped it with clear scotch tape... i mentioned that we should tape the back so that it doesn't show up on screen... my boss said that it would be fine on the front, so that is what we did... We shot some of what we needed, and we found that the tape was causing a little reflection and making it hard to key... so my boss told me that we should have done the back like i had originally said and asked if i would take it down and fix it...

. we had laughs about that!  

SO today, i was taking down the board and i started pulling off the gaffer's tape and my boss said that it wouldn't tear the poster board, immediately after he said that guess what happened?!?!?  THE POSTER BOARD TORE! hahaha!  Chuck was amazed!  He then said something along the lines of at least it won't rip the paint off the 

wall, and..  yup, you guessed it... IT DID!  we had such a hard laugh because (A) gaffer's tape isn't supposed to do that and (B) it was just so funny how the exact opposite of whatever Chuck said happened!  

Chuck quickly changed his facebook status to "Chuck Peters is disappointed with Gaffers tape..."

I'm so glad that I work in a place where we can laugh together.  It makes the workplace so much more enjoyable... 

like the title said, this is just part 1,  I need to get some pictures of another hilarious moment and then i will blog about that as well!

Strength will rise

Isaiah 40:29-31

"He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases their strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary.  And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;  They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

Franklin Classic 10K

For those who don't know, I am training with a group of people from my church for a half marathon (The Silver Comet).  Labor Day was a big day for me.  My first race!  We ran as a group and individually in the Franklin Classic 10K.  It was a great run and I finished at about an hour 20.  Although it was hot and humid (not the ideal running conditions), there was one thing that made it bearable...the breeze!  It wasn't a constant breeze, but it was there when I needed it the most.  So good!  Even though the breeze was welcomed as a way to cool me down, it was sometimes an opposition.  How?  Well, it is difficult running into the wind sometimes.  

Another opposition I was facing about half way into the run was injury/soreness.  My hip has been bothering me for about the past 2 weeks of training and that flared up again in this race.  But thanks to the comrades I had running with me, I was able to push through most 

of the pain, but walked when I needed. 

 Throughout the race I had a steady pace, but when I saw the finish line, I knew that I was almost done and almost to the point of accomplishing my goal for the day!  So I sprinted the last part of it...It was such a great feeling crossing the finish line, but while I was alone in my run,  I was welcomed across with my teammates cheering me on!  Such a wonderful feeling!

Anyways, back to the original reason for the post... While I was sitting in Utopia (a local coffee shop), I was praying about the day and thinking through some stuff and the wind from

 that morning came back to mind.  Even though it is wonderful, it can still be an opposition to a runner.  That is true of some things in life.  Although they are good, appear to be good, they can be an opposition to us (me) if it is not the right season for them.  Thinking about that reminded me that I must continually be in th

e Word and seeking discernment so that I don't chase after good things that aren't for me in the season I am in currently.  Constantly testing those things, words, opportunities against the Bible and taking them to the Lord to see if it is really for me now.

A vessel for the Lord to Use

I am continually being reminded of how what I have in the Lord is a gift and how I can and need to share that gift with other people.  I am also continually learning how to listen more to the Holy Spirit to talk to people.  Sometimes it may seem like the most inopportune time, or such an awkward place, but those are the moments that make the difference.  Taking conversation to the next level, beyond just saying "hi", but really meaning your words, engaging in conversation and asking questions about their life!  My friend Kaycee and I have been experiencing this a lot this past week.  Talk about random places..last night it was at Taco Bell!  We spoke with the girl who took our order at the counter, and then we went and sat down.  I didn't really think anything of it, but when we sat down and started eating, she came around and Kaycee and I both got that look in our eye of: "we're going to talk with her and find out her story"...so we did!  She is a hurting girl.  A girl crying out for someone to listen to her, she has a longing for something more, she just doesn't know what it is... So before we left, I told her that we would be praying for her and that we would come in next week to see how things were going.  

Who knows the impact Kaycee and I had on her last night?  But the Lord knows what she needed to hear and when she needed to hear it.  This is true of so many people.  We might not the impact that our words have on someone, but I am at a point in my life where I am continually offering my life and my body as a vessel for the Lord to use to touch people where they are.  Join me? 

Please Pray...

Please pray for my boss' family.  Chuck is up here in Tennessee and his family is still in Flordia.  They had to stay there until their house sells.  Now they are in the middle of Hurricane Fay.  Cris, Chuck's wife, is there with their two daugthers, Tally and Tristan.  Please pray that their house does not sustain ANY damage whatsoever and that they remain safe as well!  

thanks, I'll keep you updated!!

Birthday Celebration!

Lisa Hall is a friend of mine; yesterday was her 27th birthday and we had a grand celebration!  She didn't want to have a big celebration for herself, rather she wanted to gather her family and celebrate the Lord, how good He is and what He is doing in her life and all of our lives!  The mere fact that she is celebrating her 27th birthday is a miracle in itself because just 3 weeks ago, she was in a nasty car wreck.  Her car was rolled 3 times and totally crushed, EXCEPT for the drivers side.  The Lord had HIS hand on her during that wreck and she has only minor injuries compared to what could have happened.  We are celebrating the LORD and His goodness and protection in her life!  So last night was not only a celebration of her life, but an offering of praise to the LORD.  We spent a good portion of time in worship, like I said, just praising God for who He is, and receiving from the Lord.  And in the mist of a time when you would think we should be speaking over her, Lisa started speaking over us, challenging us, and just sharing her heart and the Lord's heart to us.  Once she finished that, we sang some more and Ten we spent time praying over Lisa; Declaring healing over her L1 vertebrae, speaking words of prophecy over her life and just covering her.  

It was not your "typical" birthday party, but it was so much better!  So perfect for where she is in life right now!  I mean, why not celebrate and praise the Lord  on the day you were born, it is because of Him that we each are still drawing breath on this earth!  

I walked away from that party different than when I walked in.  The Lord met me there and is rocking my face off (that is a Lisa-ism..haha!)

So Happy Birthday Lisa!  I love you and I believe everything that was spoken over you last night is from the LORD!

weekend

well, this weekend was a blast!  It started off on Friday night with Small Group.  We were over at a friends house and we had fun talking about different things, but then we dove straight into what was going on in our lives, and we took everything to the Lord in prayer.  I am constantly moved and amazed how prayer ties people together and bonds them!  I love my SG!!!

Then Saturday was a "long milage" day in our training.  We ran 5 miles.  It was tough, but i didn't feel like I was going to die during it.  After, I had some weird vision things going on, but quickly my running buddies prayed for me.  After a quick shower, I raced over to NewSong Cool Springs for the start of a wedding day.  I was asked on Friday if I would be willing to assist a photographer, Meishach Moore with a wedding on Saturday.  Of course I said yes!  It is something I have wanted to do for a while because I want to gain the experience that comes from assisting.  It was a great wedding, and a very long day, but at the end of the day, I was so happy to have been able to learn from Meishach, and to have been able to bless Robby and Ferris Owen on their day!  I must have done something right, because Meishach asked me if I would like to assist him again sometime?  again i said YES!  so i am assisting him again this coming saturday.  Hopefully the Warnock/Owen wedding was the first of many to come.  After the wedding, I went to Baja Fresh with some of my friends, and we ended up having a dance party in the parking lot.  so fun!  Sunday was church, naps and dinner... very relaxed, but spent with great people!

Beach.Beach.Beach!!!!

Living in California for 21 years has its advantages.  One of them being that the beach is super close!  Living in San 

Deigo, I was about 10 minutes from the beach and living in Orange County, I was about 5.  

Moving to Tennessee changed my perspective on the beach and how much I absolutely love it!  Being landlocked is a new experience for 

me... I don't know what to do with myself because I can no longer just go to the beach whenever.  The nearest beach to me is 13.5 hours..yes HOURS... away.  So NOT COOL!!!!  Even though it is so far away, I got to go to the beach this past weekend!  A friend and I went to North Carolina for the weekend and camped on the beach.  It was a very very long drive, with lots of laughter, but after driving all night, we finally arrived.  This was my first time ever on the East Coast!  I was really excited about that because I have officially been coast to coast!!!!  East coast beaches are a lot different from West Coast beaches, the waves aren't as big, and there were not as many people (which is fine with me)!  The place we camped is called Hammocks Beach State Park, and it is actually on an island.  We had to take a 15 minute ferry ride to the island and then hike 1/2 a mile to our site.  It was soo worth it though!  Walking up and down the beach, collecting sea shells was such sweet time with the Lord. 

 Although I was with a friend, we didn't feel the need to talk, so we just walked together.  Again, the Lord met me at the beach and spoke some amazing things to me.  

Anyways, after 13.5 hours, I got my beach fix and I might be good for another few months.  You can take the girl out of the beach, but you can't take the beach out of the girl!

Here are some more pictures from my trip out there!

Picture descriptions from left to right, top to bottom:

the coastline, me taking pictures, the waves, a fence on the coast, some seashells, us standing in the Atlantic, Megan (kiwi) and me in the ocean!

Talents

I realized today at just how many talented people I have in my life.  I am so blessed to know these people and to also have them pouring into my life.  The Lord knows what I need and who I need it from and He is bringing me together with those people at critical times.  He has given us all gifts and talents that are to be used to glorify His name.  

I am a photographer. No where as good as I could be, but I am always looking for ways to increase my knowledge and skill in this area.  Since I have started attending NewSong, I have been put in touch with many professional photographers and we are starting to build relationships.  A couple of them have said that I can assist them on some shoots and learn.  One of them is Amy Conner (check out her work here), and another one is Meishach Moore (check his stuff out here).  I am excited to see how the Lord uses them in my life, both personally and professionally.  I know that it is going to be good because the Lord is knitting me together with people that will help me grow.  

Other connections I have made are: Dave Pines, Stoney Noell, Chuck Peters.  The great thing about these connections is that I know I have people I can go to when I have questions, need support, or if I need something done!  The Lord has blessed me with talented people around me for me to grow.

Training

About a month ago, I decided that I was going to train for a half marathon (13.1 miles) with my roommate and some people from church. I've spent the past month in the gym, trying to get ready for the first day of training...which was Saturday...we met at a local park in Franklin...there are about 15 people training for this. We did a 3 mile run...and it suprisingly, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. about 3/4 of the way through it, i started cramping up, but I kept pushing through.
This experience is not only challenging physically, but spiritually too. As I was running, I realized how this was a representation of what happens in our spiritual lives. Every day is a battle between my spirit and my flesh. My flesh wants to do one thing, but my spirit wants to do what the Lord wants. Running these 3 miles, my body wanted to stop so many times, but I had to push through the flesh and keep focused on finishing. I've found that running provides great time to pray and have some time with the Lord.(even if I am just praying for the pain my legs are in! ha!)
The training is not an easy process, but it is a great thing. I am not running the race for time, I'm just running to finish. It is something I have wanted to do for a while now, and when the opportunity came with this group from church, I jumped on it!

So all that to say that training is under way and in 12 short weeks, I will be going to Atlanta to run in this half marathon! I will update weekly to share how the training is going!

Puzzled

I've been working on a puzzle for the past week...it has been frustrating, but I have learned something through it. When I do puzzles, I do them in waves; I have a method. First, I do the border, once that boundary is set, I know the area I have to work with. Then I start seperating colors, shades etc. and choose a certain portion to work on. As I'm working, I know there is a bigger picture, but I don't see it or know what it is from these pieces. (this puzzle didn't come with a picture on the box of what it is going to look like). Anyways, I work on this one section until I get frustrated with it or complete it, and then move onto another section of the puzzle. After doing this for a while, I realized that I have a ton of small section, but they aren't united. The task then becomes trying to fit it all into the border I created earlier. I've realized that this puzzle is kinda like my life. The Lord has the big picture in view, He knows what my life is going to look like and He is putting my life together piece by piece, section by section. Each piece of the puzzle (my life) is experiences, relationships, moments etc. At any given point in time, I only see one section, the pieces immediately around me. I might get frustrated because I may not thing it fits into "what I've been called to do", but then the LORD connects more pieces together and shows me that it really does connect to the big picture. I just don't have the big picture yet!





If I was to see the big picture, before it is completed, I would get frustrated with all the missing holes. I would try to fill in those holes the way I think it is best but the LORD is the one who fills those in, and He wants to! The LORD has every piece of my life in mind, He knows what each piece looks like and how it is going to fit into the big picture...HIS plan. And when the puzzle is complete, it is going to be beautiful!

Student of Life

I was able to see a familiar face from California today. Student. Professor. Friend. Ann-Caryn. She is a student of life, probably the most influential professor I had at Vanguard and now my friend. Not only did she teach me about film, theory and "academic" stuff, but she also taught me a lot about life. We got together to work on my documentary, but because of some missing files, that was not able to happen. Instead, we just sat together, talked some, but mostly enjoyed each other's company.
Even out of the classroom, I am picking up and learning things from her. One thing I've been learning is that you never stop learning. Just because I'm out of school and the "structured learning environment" doesn't by any means mean that I don't learn. I'm learning to become a student of life. Different situations teach me things, as does the Lord teach mean everyday who He is and who I am to be in Him. Ann-Caryn is probably the best person I know who is living this out. I told her about a program that is used at my work and she hadn't heard of it, so immediately she hopped online and found it, downloaded it and started learning it. She is always trying to learn new programs, or learn new things about programs she already knows. Not only does she strive to know more programs and tech stuff, but she is striving to learn how to become a better professor so that her students can learn.
All that to say that she is such an inspiration and encouragement to me. She challenges me to do better, and she challenges/encourages me to never stop learning. Watching her balance work, church, family, filmmaking and still how she finds time to sit down and learn is inspiring. Thank you Ann-Caryn for your inspiration, encouragement, challenges and support through the years. I can't wait to see the next things in life that the Lord teaches you you learn and I can't wait to see what the Lord teaches me and what I learn though life as well!

Prayer Request

I just got an email from a dear friend of mine and it was an update on his dad.  His dad has cancer and they were just told that the doctors don't expect him to live past tomorrow.  Tom has asked me and others to pray so I am extending that request to all of you.  The Lord is more powerful than any cancer and any sickness... any disease!!!!  Jeremiah 33:6 says: "Behold I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth."  That is a promise of our Lord Jesus and those are the promises I am going to stand on.  So I am asking that you will join me in prayer for Tom and his family as they are going through this painful time.  

Quiet down and listen...

One of the main differences I have found between California (Orange County) and Spring Hill (Tennessee) is the pace of life. Everything is slower out here. Do moms still have camps to get their kids to? YES. Do people have to work 9-5 everyday? YES. But the difference is that people don't drive like it is the end of the world. They drive peacefully and respectfully...and slow! (Have to admit, it is driving me a little crazy!) But that just shows how fast I have been living my life...the OC mindset is that if you are driving the speed limit you are driving too slow... So I have had to do a lot of learning and growing in patience when it comes to people on the road.
The other thing that being out here has taught me is to really take the time to just sit and listen to the Lord. To admire His creation even more than I did before. So many times in my quiet times, I sit there and talk and talk and talk to the Lord and then I wonder why I don't hear Him speak back...Well, I have never given Him enough time to! Lets just look at the phrase "quiet time"..operative word there is QUIET!!! that means that I need to SHUT UP and listen to what the Lord has to say! Life is so much sweeter when I take the time every morning to spend time with the Lord and truly hear what HE has to say! That is not how I want my life to be lived because it is just no good when I try to tell the Lord how it should be done...Sit down, shut up and LISTEN!!!!!!

Church...community

Even before I left The Rock, I was praying that the Lord would lead me to an amazing church where He was moving, a place where I would find a community. He has done that. I found a community at NewSong Christian Fellowship. NewSong is a FourSquare church with multiple campuses around the Nashville area. The main campus is in Cool Springs, and there is a campus in Spring Hill (which is by me). There is a young adult group called Frontline and every other week there is life groups. I shouldn't be, but I am blown away at the amazing community I have found within a week. My roommate introduced me to some people before she left for Camp Courtney, and immediately we hit it off. The last time I felt this way was when I started attending The Rock. It is a place of love and pure friendship. I have thanked the Lord everyday for bringing me to NewSong and I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do here!!! Please keep me in prayer as I grow in the Lord and I grow at this church.

first friend

tonight i walked with a friend. I LORD has blessed me with my first friend this week and tonight we had dinner, then we went for a walk. We ended up walking for quite a while, we got a little lost, but quickly found our way again. We got lost because we were so enthralled with our conversations about our stories, what the Lord is doing in our lives, staring at the amazing stars and fireflies and much more. The Lord has brought Kaycee Mantooth into my life for a specific reason and I am so glad to call her my friend.

i finally arrived!

So I arrived in Thompson's Station yesterday and I was welcomed with open arms. When I arrived at my new home, my roommate welcomed me with a giant hug and we hit it off so great! I started moving in all my stuff, and by the end of the day I had everything situated, and it is starting to feel like home. Dad and I went out to try and find a Walmart or Target, but ended up getting lost and I came to the realization, really quickly, that there is no "quick trip" to target. Almost everything here is about 20-25 minutes away, with the exception of a few places. That is OK though because it will give me time to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
I was able to talk with my roommate a little, and I was shown a little of her heart. Her passion. We were able to talk about different things that the Lord did in her life prior to my coming, and different things the Lord did in my life prior to me coming. There is no doubt in my mind that this whole job and move thing was and is of the LORD, and the LORD is going to continually pour out His abundance on me and my roommate because we both have obeyed Him.
Today dad and I drove around and visited my "office". I say it is and "office" because it is actually a house (Rivet House) that we work out of. I met a lot of the guys I will be working with and they seem really neat. We then drove over the the Orbit house and met a couple of people. We then drove down to the sales office to see that operation. Mainly today was just a day of driving around and figuring out where different things are around town. Tonight my dad and I are going to go to a lifegroup with Jeannie, and I am going to meet some people that I can hopefully have connections with.

sights

so today i saw a couple of things that reminded me of a couple people back home. Throughout the course of one day, I saw 5 yellow jeeps, and a number of places to just sit and talk (benches, chairs and tables). I also took a tram ride at NASA that reminded me of the number of times I rode the tram at D-Land and who I rode it with. I took a lot of time to think about the times I had with those certain people, and you know who you are.

I love you all and miss you all too!

travels

today was the day i left california. it was the end of a really emotional weekend, but the LORD was gracious. as i drove i was able to think back on the past few days, and i realized that even though goodbyes are hard, and i really didn't enjoy them, the LORD kept confirming my move. He is so good to me, and His word never returns void, every single day, in my Bible reading, There was something that spoke directly to me.
as i drove through different states, there is really nothing to see except flatlands and mountains, but I saw more. I saw a beautiful creation of the Lord.
this is not an easy road by any means, but it is a road that is paved by the Lord, and I know that the LORD will also guide me as i drive down this road i call my life.

Body World-Daily Delight

Today i went to an exhibit in Los Angeles and it was an amazing experience. This exhibit was a way to view the human body in a whole new way. They took human cadavers and dissected them and positioned them in unique ways so that us, the viewer, can best see the intricate veins, muscles and nerves within the human body. I have always been intrigued by the human body, but today i saw it in a whole new way. It is a weird way to become close with the Lord, but as i was standing there, i realized the magnitude of my Lord. He is so amazing and He obviously has everything planned out because there is no way that people could "just happen". Looking at the nerves and everything, that is proof that the Lord chose to create us and make us His Daily Delight.
The other thing i realized is that the faces of the cadavers were shown a lot. As i looked at their bodies and their faces, their eyes, i started to think about who that person was. Obvisously they had lives, but i was wondering what their story was. Overall, i went there for the purpose of learning more about the body and looking at the cadavers to do it, but at the end of the day i left there with a deeper appreciation for being created.

changes that are happening

5 days until graduation, and 15 days until I move to Nashville. Moving to Nashville is something that scares the living daylights out of me…in the flesh. There are so many things that are unknown to me out there. I don’t know anybody, I don’t know how to get anywhere, I don’t have a church, I don’t, I don’t, I don’t!!! there are so many I don’t knows in this whole experience, but there is something that I do know! I do know that my God is there with me, I do know that my God has opened this door for me, I Do know that my God is going to make it all alright. This move is for me like the ultimate step of faith in my life right now. Isn’t that what faith is? Stepping out into the unknown, or the scariness of life, but knowing that the Lord has it all in His hands? My Lord has called me to a life of faith. Part of having faith is knowing that the Lord is going to do what He promised. He has promised me only things to prosper my life, not to harm me, so I know that I won’t be harmed in this move as long as I stay in his hands. Another thing that I am having a hard time with is the fact that I am going to need to find a new church out in Nashville. I am a little nervous about this because I love The Rock and I have grown so much in the time I have attended there. The level of belief that the members and pastors of The Rock have is something that surpasses all churches I have seen to date. They are soo deep in their faith and walking in the truth of what God said He will do, He WILL DO. He said that He would heal us, so He will. It might not happen in our timing, but it will happen! That is so hard for some people to believe, but it is true! So when I think about moving to Nashville, my flesh may be scared, but my spirit is not! My spirit knows that what I am about to embark on is something that is so good, and something that the Lord will be a part of! He is going to protect me and He is going to guide me through this! He is my Rock and my Fortress, when I am scared, I can run to Him and know that I am safe!