Gianna-Part2

Gianna Jessen-Abortion Survivor

this is a little long and has a second part to it (16mins total), but it is totally worth hearing what this young woman has to say!!! oh my goodness!!! Being this open to share Jesus and to have this kind of faith....wow. THIS is what its all about. I encourage you, please, take 16minutes and watch these 2videos and hear what she has to say. Amazing, powerful stuff!!!!!!

one.more.day.

so much about this picture represents happiness to me... :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONA!!!

wishing our unofficially adopted sister, Mona, a very
happy, blessed, wonderful BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!
And thinking we should totally make a trip to Germany soon ;)
Miss you girl!!! Hope your day is amazing!!! ♥

mmm...

just looked the weather up for
Saturday (and maybe Sunday)
for my lil trip this wknd and
this makes me sooo happy! haha
I'd still go even in the rain (it
wouldnt be the first time lol)

but this just means more walking
trails, chasing deer, picnics, taking
pictures and chillin on a quilt in
the middle of  a wide open field!!!
ahhh!! Is it Friday yet???

FBverse.

God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father
the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
– Acts 2:32-33

Peter proclaimed this message at Pentecost: The cross was God’s wrath poured upon Jesus for our sakes. The resurrection was God’s power that has broken the hold of sin and death once and for all. Now the Holy Spirit is released upon all of God’s people so that Jesus can be exalted in us and the Father can be revealed to us. God is actively involved with His creation. Are we looking to the Holy Spirit today? What do you see and hear?

We overestimate tomorrow...

"We exaggerate yesterday. We overestimate tomorrow. But we vastly underestimate today! When your mind is focused on yesterday, your heart will be filled with regret from the past. When your mind is focused on tomorrow, your heart will be filled with anxiety about the future. When your mind is focused on today, your heart will be filled with hope. If you change what you do today, your life will change!"

-John Maxwell

*this was continued in my reading today in Love at Last Sight.
I highly recommend this book!

Urgent...

I read this this morning in my book "Love at Last Sight" by Kerry and Chris Shook and after the events of yesterday and thinking about lots of things, I HAVE to share this...its made ME really think about things, hope it can do the same for some of you...

"A couple of years ago my friend Jimmy shared with me some bad news he had just received from his doctor. The cancer had returned, and the doctors had told Jimmy he had only six weeks to live. I was shocked and saddened, and giving him a big hug, I said, "Jimmy, I'm so sorry, but you know that everyone in the whole church will be praying for you."

I'll never forget Jimmy's response. I was blindsided with a powerful truth when he wistfully replied, "I appreciate your prayers so much, but really I need to pray for you and everyone in the church."

Jimmy went on to say, "I've been given a great gift. Now that the doctor has told me the news, I'm no longer distracted by life! My relationship with my wife is sweeter than ever, and I know exactly what God wants me to do with whatever time I have left on this earth. Everything is in complete focus for me now, but I'll pray for you--that you don't get distracted by life."

God gave Jimmy several months of undistracted and sacred life, and he left his family and friends with a blessed gift--and a prayer that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. I'll pray that you don't get distracted by life.

As I'm trying to practice the art of being all there, it's easy for me to get distracted by the details of daily living. I put off things that are most important and am drawn into the things that seem most urgent. I naturally drift inot complacency in my relationships, as if my time on earth were unlimited and my opportunities to show love in this lifetime will never end.

Although I don't often think about it, I have a limited number of years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds on this earth...and the clock is ticking. When I admit the fact that my time on earth is limited, I have to acknowledge that my opportunities to love on earth are limited as well.

---------and its continued. This book is amazing. Its helping me see my relationships soo differently. A friend of Lucky and Chad passed away unexpectedly yesterday. While I did not know him, its def made everyone  start thinking about just how short our time on earth really is. And also, just how quick someone can be gone...when you look at things this way, you realize that our relationships (w/God and w/people) are the most important things in this life!! Its all made me stop to think about how I can show my love to and for everyone in my life, everyday, every moment...bc you don't know when will be your (or their) last.

Also, due to a conversation w/a friend I wanted to add this..a friend recently told me that he was waiting to 'get right w/God' until later in life....while many won't come out and say those words, I think too many of us think/view it that way. You never know when God is going to call you up, out of this life. What if you don't get that 'later' chance?? His reasons were along these lines, "I dont want to have to ask forgiveness for stuff that Im sure I wont be able to change...I dont want to be a hypocrite and say I believe this, but do that"....and all I have to say is, GOD DOESNT EXPECT US TO BE PERFECT, IN FACT, HE KNOWS WE'RE NOT!!! He also doesn't wait until we're 'perfect/fixed' to love us! He wants you NOW! Just how you are!! Ive been a Christian for seven years and I am faaarr from what I want to be. I still make mistakes, daily. I still sin. I still slip up, and loose my way on some days. BUT thats what God is for!! He starts a work in us when we come to Him and the Bible says 'it wont be perfected until Christ comes again!' So...I guess Im just urging you, please...don't wait for these eternal decisions, if thats you. God loves you NOW. The time is now.

BookQuote2

"Love between the very young is touching.

Love between the very old is glory."

-Pam Brown

(LoveAtLastSight)

Book Quote.

Sometimes the shortest distance between two
points is a winding path walked arm in arm.

-Robert Brault
(LoveAtLastSight)

JonathanAcuffQuote.

We dream of a God who could like us,

when the Bible promises we have

a God who LONGS for us.

-Jonathan Acuff

a certain sign of grace is this...

"I am full of earth

You are heaven’s worth

I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity

You are everything that is bright and clean

The antonym of me

You are divinity

But a certain sign of grace is this

From the broken earth flowers come up

Pushing through the dirt "
-DCB

TonyNolan!

To share with us His amazing grace,
Christ let sinners spit in his face!
"Then they spat in His face and beat Him;" matt.26:67
-Tony Nolan

Quote.

"It's good to experience the bittersweet,
to taste defeat, and then brush my teeth."

- Matthew Thiessen

Lily, The Turtle.

Hayneslie and I rescued this lil guy today
from the middle of the road.

Hayneslie was obsessed with it haha

 Gracie was a lil afraid, but loved it
after seeing it run around and after
holding it w/out it biting her lol

Saying good-bye.
Grace being over dramatic
(as always)
as the turtle crawls off :)



rockstars.

 Grace, rockin' out!

 Grace tearin' it up! haha

Hayneslie rockin' out!

Hayneslie terain it up!! hahaha



God won't give you anything you cant handle.....

ya know..life's events lately have made me start thinking..people say (Ive even said it) "God wont give you anything you cant handle." And well..I dont believe that any more. I think we use that statement way too much. I believe that God DOES sometimes give us stuff we CANT handle, so we'll have to trust Him to handle it for us....I do believe there is nothing we cant face/handle WITH God. But to simply say He wont give us things we cant handle...I believe differently now.

finally fall??

im SO not normal.
i dislike the fall-ness.
and the cold weather.
and the sweaters.
and the jackets...
i want flip flops, tank tops & bathing suits!
all.year.long. :) anyone else with me in this??
seems like EVERYONE is excited its finally fall haha

my favorite place♥

could it be that i might possibly get to visit one of my most

favorite places on the earth again reeeaally soon???

ahhhh!! I can just feel it now...being there. It makes
me all happy inside. :) The earthy smells, the fresh air, the
quite, the amazement from seeing God's wonderful work...
I could completely live in this park!! ♥ 

Today's Tony Nolan Quote!

Worry is when we anchor our boat
in the harbor of control because
we don't trust God to float us
across the ocean of His will.

-Tony Nolan

love love love!!!!

CALEB-Wait.

my new favorite song.
mainly bc his voice is amazing&this band rocks!
its been stuck in my head since thursday.

i cant wait to borrow these cds and make

myself a copy haha.. have a feeling this one

will be on repeat for a looong while :)

more of dads bday dinner..

 i love these two girls.
(im a little sad we didnt get a megan, april, melanie, lucky pose..i could cry!)

sweet teeeaaaa!!!!!
(we have a love/hate relationship)

 BBQ anyone??? bahahahaha!

 familia. look at all those cups! haha
our server was pretty awesome :)

family shot waiting on angie and larry...
cracks me up!!!

familia♥

i cant begin to explain how happy
this day, trip, picture made me!!! :)

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE SOO MUCH!!!!

the giraffe encounter...

So..one day I pet a giraffe!!! haha!
His disgusting slobber went ALL over
my hand and leg!! LOL! I was totally

freaking out!! haha Those things are

HUGE!!!!! And such beautiful creatures!!!

Mondays..

I dislike Mondays...Hay Hay has lunch bunch and well, Gracie is in kindergarten. haha So that leaves me alone all day until almost 2pm. Completely not use to this yet and not really sure what to do with myself haha except watch Greys online (check), read some of my book (check), and look up new music (check)....now anxiously awaiting time to go pick up Miss Hayneslie!!! Then its off to get Gracie Lou!! haha I know Hay would totally not agree, but glad she only has lunch bunch ONE day a week ;)

ChipsAhoy!

My latest addiction...
and I dont even usually like
that much 'sweets'...but whoa!

These things are fabulous ;)

Phil Wickham-"In My Love"

took me two days but i finally found

out who sings this amazing song!

i only knew one other song by

him, but from the looks of his

NRT profile, im gonna love him :)

Phil Wickham - "True Love"

Just heard it for the first time,
but Im in love with this song!!

A Glorious Mess.

[I read this the other day in my book 'Love at Last Sight' and HAD to share!!]

You see, rich relationships are messy. They don't line up in neat bullet points. They refuse to be boxed into a rigid schedule. They can't be filed for handy retrieval or condensed and expanded at will.

If you decide to invest in a heart-to-heart relationship, there will be times your eyes will sting with tears and your heart will feel like a vacuum-packed coffee bag. There will be times you feel the excitement of a kid in a candy store, times when you ache with regret or really burst with pride. But through it all, you will feel fully alive and fully loved. Author T.D. Jakes expresses it beautifully:

If you are looking for someone to be your everything, don't look around, look up! God is the only One who can be everything. By expecting perfection from the flesh, you ask more out of someone else than what you can provide yourself. To be married is to have a partner: someone who is not always there or always on target or always anything! On the other hand, should you evver get in trouble and you don't know who to look to for help, you can count on your partner! It is to have someone to curl up against when the world seems cold and life uncertain. It is having someone who is as concerned as you are when your children are ill. It is having a hand that keeps checking your forehead when you aren't well. To be married is to have somone's shoulder to cry on as they lower your parent's body into the ground. It is wrapping wrinkled knees in warm blankets and giggling without teeth! To the person you marry you are saying, "When my time comes to leave this world and the chill of eternity blows away my birthdays and my future stands still in the night; it's your face I want to kiss good-bye. It is your hand I want to squeeze as I slip from time into eternity. As the curtain closes on all I have attempted to do and be; I want to look into your eyes and see that I mattered. Not what I looked like. Not what I did or how much money I made. Not even how talented I was. I want to look into the teary eyes of someone who loved me and see; I mattered!"

How amazingly beautiful is that?!?! Wow. LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!!!!!

Joey..

http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x1535828961/-My-job-didn-t-take-my-legs

i can not begin to explain my gratitude toward this man (and all of our military men & women) reading this has brought tears to my eyes...he is such an amazing young man and has such an awesome outlook on everything! i am soooo very thankful for all he has done for us!!!! joey, still praying for you and your family every day!!!!

09.26.10

09.26.10
I had such a wonderful Sunday!!!! Spent some time w/my family at dinner for my dad's birthday!! It was PERFECTION, us being all together again!! Got to spend some time w/my brother, sisters, brother in law, sister in law, and nieces and nephews! AND got to see my sweet AMAZING niece who I havent seen in far far FAR too long! Yesterday was absolutely perfect! I pray for more days like that! I have missed that girl SO much! Words cant even describe! And I just love having my famiy together, they are always so much fun!! Then we went off to shop (love me some Academy!) then riding around..then MTN time!! Thats where this pic was taken, not so great bc a)i have rainy day/wind blown hair haha and b)its on my stinkin cell phone. But its one of my all time favorite spots and these pictures cant describe just how beautiful and peaceful it is up there. God's beauty is all around, and it leaves me feeling sooo grateful for all that He is and has done for us!!!!!!

panoramic♥

One of my absolute favorite places.

and yesterday was probably the

prettiest Ive ever seen it...

and all I had was my stinkin

cell phone for pics haha this

doesnt at all do it justice!

FBverse.

"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before
the angels of God. But he who disowns me before
men will be disowned before the angels of God."
– Luke 12:8-9

The claims of Christ are so encompassing that anyone who understands them will realize that to engage with Christ is to be marked for life. This marking puts us in situations that we are uncomfortable with, yet Jesus gives us neither apologies nor loopholes. He wants to cement our heart with Him by admitting our allegiance to Christ with others. To shrink back in that moment is not accepted. There is no middle ground for the person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior for all of mankind.

TonyNolanQuote♥

"There are some people out there
that if you slapped them
I think God would shout
"Amen!" anybody feel me?"

-Tony Nolan

Tony, I just love your posts :)

ok one more friends..

probably my second favorite :)

i♥friends.

FRIENDS is my absolute favorite show, ever!!
And I have to say, this is probably my favorite
scene from all the episodes ever made!! haha!!
I remember watching this scene for the first
time...then again w/Lucky..and all the times
we've brought it up!! haha You have to know
the characters (looove me some Ross&Rachel!)
to really grasp the hilarious-ness of this!! haha
But I still find it just as funny as I did the first time! :)

"Give You Glory"- Jeremy Camp

I was totally there for the filming of this video :)
I♥WinterJam!

im ready!

Im ready to get in the woods!!!
Im totally getting my license this year
and gonna ATTEMPT to get me a buck!!
haha I know now that I can watch one
get taken down (after a moment of shock lol)
but now to see if I can actually calm my
nerves to do it myself!!!! In just under a
month...we shall see! :)

Easton [Acoustic]

i love me some easton!

and love how the lady at luke's concert
recognized lucky and i from his show at
lake winnie when we got up on stage
w/him! hahaha favorite!

ChapmanConcertPics.

Two of my favorite pictures from the show the other night.
Wonderful family, amazing night of speaking, singing and worshiping our Savior!!!

nightw/thechapmans.videoEIGHT.

ok, another stinkin favorite!
Steven, thank you for being such
an amazing artist AND for also
singing some other of my all time
favorite songs! haha

btw: this is my "NYC song". totally played on the way home from NYC on the air plane and I remembered bawling my eyes out, THIS TIME for knowing everything was going to be ok!! haha I cant hear this song w/out thinking back to that plane ride.... :)

nightw/thechapmans.videoSEVEN.

one of my ALL time favorite songs, EVER!
and it was the second to last one Steven sang...

completely love these lyrics!!!!
'you give and take away,
my heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be Your name!!'

nightw/thechapmans.videoSIX.

probably my favorite song off the new album...

it also has been a favorite of mine through all that

Ive had to face over the past couple of months..

I would blast this song and cling to the promise

that beauty WILL rise!!!!! :)

nightw/thechapmans.videoFIVE.

one of my favorite SCC songs!!
Ive loved it since the first time I heard it
and especially after hearing the story behind
it!! Then love it even more after he changed
the last verse in it!!! Its good stuff!!! :)

nightw/thechapmans.videoFOUR.

a favorite SCC song! :)

nightw/thechapmans.videoTHREE

I love this song. Awesomeness!!! Jeff appeared at Riverbend last year too! So, we've gotten to see this twice now!! :) And to hear Jeff talk about adoption...wow. And the story of his sweet baby girl who was found under a bridge at one day old!!!! Oh my!!! Def brought on the tears!!! To think, a tiny baby with no hope for life or love now has a loving wonderful Christian family and gets to hear about a God who loves us unconditional!!! THAT is amazing stuff!!!! :)

nightw/thechapmans.videoTWO.

hahaha!!! I loove Steven!!! He warned us not to EVER mention this happened..LOL! He cracks me up!! He wrote this FOREVER ago on a dare when he was younger and everyone requested it, so he gave in haha

nightw/thechapmans.videoONE.

thebandCALEB!

they were amazing!!!

How Sweet It Is!!

I love Jimmy's voice!!! And just came across this...love love love!!!! ♥

Your Love is a Song. LIVE.

i loooove this version!!!! ahhh! favorite!

09.24.10

Today couldnt have gone any better...I can feel (and SEE) God working and moving!!!! It amazes me!!!!!!! Things I was literally praying about a week ago have already happened..and things I prayed about just two short days ago, Im seeing God working there too already!!! God is just so AMAZING!! I hate that I use that word all the time, but for lack of an even more awesome word than that lol thats what Im sticking with. And I mean its not that Im praying for these things that 'I want' so much as Im praying for God's will and for Him to move and show me. And He does! He is!! These things have been around for a while but I finally gave them to God and stopped worrying so much and getting down and trying to control situations and all that! Im no good at playing God, it only ends up hurting me WORSE and prolongs the blessings that God has in store for when we truly give it up and trust Him!!! He is there, just waiting to help us!! Just waiting for us to give it all to Him, call on Him, and trust Him completely!! And I stand in complete awe at how He works when we let Him step up to bat for us!!!!!!!!

And I must say, I have the best best friends in the world! And Amber Farmer Bagley, we must not go that long w/out seeing each other again, k? k. :) I had so much fun tonight, even though we ARE old ladies hahaha! And will forever remember our dear friend Eric (not from Hixon) "Whats with that mess?" LOL!! OH! And next time I come to church w/you, there better be a sandwich for me in that bag too!! bahahahahha!!!

Please Say. Song Lyrics.

Please Say Song Lyrics Matt Brouwer Lyrics Christian Music Song Lyrics NewReleaseTuesday.com

ok so im thinking that im gonna have to get some of his music!! haha he's stinkin awesome! and im lovin' these lyrics!!

Matt Brouwer ''A Love That Saves Me''

i looove finding new music!!! ♥♥

if we were face to face...

Brandon Heath "Your Love"

new favorite!! heard this today on j103!
& i was just talking about how i love brandon heath :)

thebandCALEB.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Caleb/162040492982?ref=search&v=wall

New favorite!! Check them out..awesomeness!! :)
AND loooove "Learning How To Love" ♥

these guys are amazing!!

Its finally time!!! :)

I cant begin to tell you how pumped I am about tonight and what God is going to do!!!!! *Squeals* haha This family has inspired me and moved me sooo much over the past couple of years!! I got the chance to see Steven Curtis (always been a favorite of mine) back in 2006! Ive always been inspired by their story. Their FAITH. And the way they are so passionate about adoption. Then I felt like I got to know the family after the passing of their sweet little Maria (pictured above). Their amazing faith has inspired me SO much!! They have the right outlook on life..God's outlook! I stand in awe at how God has worked & is working in the life of this beautiful family! My best friend got me some AMAZING seats at Riverbend to see SCC in 2009! And the way he uses his God given talent to serve & glorify our God, even after ALL they've been through, is just sooo awesome!!!! I bought Mary Beth's book as soon as it came out and have NEVER cried so much hearing anyone elses story before! That book had me laughing out loud AND completely sobbing at points! I have been going through some hurts & trials of my own lately (while NOTHING like what they've experienced) it still helped me see pain and suffering and trials in a COMPLETELY different light!! God's light!! The way HE sees it!!! Tonight Steven, Mary Beth and their sons are all going to be there talking, sharing and singing (and I just heard on the radio there is going to be a special guest too! woo!! hehe) and I am sooo excited to see what God's going to do with this night!!!!! ♥♥♥



Rescue by Jared Anderson

an old favorite..SUCH a powerful song! but just found jared's version of it and im lovin' it! gotta find my old newsong cd now :)

Be Glorified♥

I've come to worship. I've come to lift up Your name. For You deserve this. Life laid down like the one that You gave. I have but one voice. One heart and one sacrifice. So won't you take this life laid down and be glorified..Be glorified! ♥

PICTIONARY!!

Pictionary is now a CARD GAME!!

Woo Hoo!!! haha
Mona! I need my playing partner back!!!! :)

hearing the orphans cry...

http://blog.showhope.org/2010/08/17/hearing-the-orphans-cry/

Become a Show Hope Sponsor

added a new banner..

im glad to add my new banner to my page!

spreading the word about SHOW HOPE!!

check it out ♥

Wow! Thank you viewers!! :)

My blogger shows I only have 4 followers,

but last month alone I had 1,489 views. hahaha!

WOW!! LOOOVE IT!!!

So, THANK YOU to all you people who
apparently love hearing what I have to say ;)

Means a TON!!!

♥

i love tim mcgraw...

and oldies...
and memories... :)

btw, Tim Mcgraw was my first love! haha I remember my mom suprising me with tickets to see him when I was verrry young!! He was in concert in Chattanooga on MY BIRTHDAY!! And I had no idea, they kept even that from me! But I remember 'having to go somewhere' and missing my softball game and I cried THE WHOLE WAY THERE bc (I was apparently a bratt) and didnt want to miss my GAME!! hahaha Needless to say, when they finally told me I squealed and cried tears of joy!!! lol We were soo close...I was one very happy little girl :)
*gosh, I feel so old...I just realized, that was before the Faith Hill days..hahaha! wow!

taking things for granted...

I was sitting here thinking...about how so often

we take so many things for granted...

But Ive found lately in my life that when God is in need of our
attention and we're not giving it to him..He'll get ahold of you
and your life, and whatever else around you that He needs to..

and wow. [And He always has a way of getting our attention doesnt He??]

And He'll do it with or without your cooperation... but if you go

along with a willing heart, the change He desires to see will come about

and you'll be glad you cooperated, and you'll start to see things differently.
I know this has started to happen for me. I recognized a change that needed

to be made, but never did anything about it. So, God did. I resisted it at first,

well, tried to..you ultimately cant resist His ways if He is insistent on getting

you to go. But when I finally 'went with His flow' so to speak, amazing things

started to happen. I had a peace (one that I could never begin to explain) in

the midst of the worse, most painful confusing time of my life. I also had a

joy that was in the most inner, deepest part of me that shined through even

on my darkest days. It was truly unexplainable. ONLY could come from God.

Anyhow, Ive had plenty of time to think about how things were before, how

my thinking was soo wrong, and also at all the things that I completely took

advantage of. I stand amazed at all the things that I use to take for granted..

I feel awful. (And Im sure there are lots of things I still take for granted..Im human.)
But Ive noted TONS of amazing, wonderful things that I completely

took for granted for so long....and now...Im finding how much I love

and appreciate even the smallest of things!! God has been sooo good to me!!
And Im so unbelievably grateful for the wonderful, special, amazing, loving,

great, marvelous blessings that He has given to me!!!! Even the teeny small ones,

like phone calls and text messages...or the simple presence of a close friend...
I pray I never again forget this feeling. This pure bliss I feel and absolute
thankfulness that is in my heart!!! I am soooo grateful God took it upon
Himself to open my eyes!!!!!!!!!!! And make that change..

even when I was so blind and insistent on staying put!!!!!!!! ♥♥♥

No words could say, or song convey....

THE GREATNESS OF OUR GOD!!!!
[def a new favorite Natalie song!!! ♥]

Dear Chapman Family...

I cant wait to see you!!!!! haha!!

I officially have tickets to this!!!! Woo hoooooo!!!! I can NOT wait to see Steven and Mary Beth and their wonderful family that I have grown to love over the pats couple of years!!! I feel like I know them from all their blogs, books, and lyrics!!!! haha They have truly inspired me sooo much!!! I cant wait to go and be a part of this event!! I know God is going to do great things in and through it!!! ♥

NewYork2006♥

My very first plane ride.. to NYC '06

The girls and I went up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building!!

Amber, Me, Shana & Amber in Times Square!!!!!!


This trip was SOO awesome!!! It def was a 'growing up' experience for me! I had NEVER in my life done anything so random and completely crazy lol We decided last minute that we wanted to go to New York City and somehow our parents ALL agreed to it..what on earth were they thinking??? lol I STILL tell my mom she was crazy for agreeing to that! haha. I am terrified of heights and it helped me to realize 'I CAN WITH CHRIST' bc I almost didnt go (especially after watching that Ellen episode..bahaha!!) And almost threw up when I sat in that seat for the first time LOL! BUT with my amazing friends and LOTS of prayers (and the good Lords help!) I calmed down and actually ENJOYED the entire flight..Ive longed to fly again since then but havent been able to yet! You get up in the air and you see that amazing view...ahhhh!! LOVE it!!! God's creations leave me in awe! Then when we got to NY the craziness began. Wow. There really are no words to describe our trip...haha!! From the second we got off that plane until oh um..2days after we were back (when we FINALLY got our luggage!! lol) I learned soooooo soooo much on that trip!!!!
*One huge thing is how VERY thankful I am to be from the south. Just sayin'. haha While you might think we are in a 'fast paced' world and that 'kindness is rare'......just go up north. I mean, I dont judge them or dislike them for that, dont take me the wrong way..its just shows how different things are, depending on where you are in the world. (new example: Mona wont drive 6hrs to Berlin bc 'its too far' LOL!! I wouldnt ever have seen the beach if I wasnt willing to drive at least 6hrs! lol) Its just so awesome though how much you appreciate YOUR HOME when you go somewhere completely different.
*'Free refills' is apparently only something WE do in the south..?? lol
*NY cops are cute :) haha
*You arent allowed to talk to people. Not random people on the streets/buses/subway anyway. They may try to rob/kill you. (Especially in the subways. hahaha!)
*Also I learned of the immense amount of homeless people in the city of NY...BROKE MY HEART! I just wanted to help all of them..it was awful. Very very sad.
*I also learned how to get good deals in china town..right Amber??
(chicken, you come back?..thank youuu chicken!!) bahahahaha!!!!
*Dont order 'roots and soup' at the one restaurant that wasnt really that great....haha!
*Despite what everyone else there thinks, it IS ok to order a hamburger at a french restaurant. Especially when you've had the kind of day that I had had and youre as picky as I use to be.. :)
*Serendipity (the exact ONE from the movie) is AMAZING!!! --Order the cheesecake! Oh, and get there three hours earlier than when you plan to eat! (Seriously!)
*Sometimes your friend and your friend's friend dont get along...and may yell/scream at each other in public places..like airports or Grand Central Station. ((hahahaha I loove all you girls sooo much!!! I think all our 'nerves' were aggitated from the get go....Im so ready to do it again!! LOL)
*Dont walk too close to the streets. The 'poo' on the side WILL get splashed up on your face by big trucks, thats not just in the movies.
*Tipping with change is not ok. (hahaha!)

*The toystores in NY rock!!!
*Some people will love you, just because you're a 'Georgia Peach' ♥

*They put REAL food out as displays....and you CANT eat it.
(probably my favorite memory of the trip!!! bahahaha!!!!)

*NY cold and Ga cold are two COMPLETELY different things.
In other words, pack the right clothes!
*Oh, and you can totally walk into an exclusive 'Tiffany's' event and no one will say anything to you.....even if you're the only one in jeans and big puffy jackets. :)

*When you get a 'layover flight' your luggage...will most def go to the final destination point. Not to where you want to get off at. Wow.
*Following that last one...the people in NY and ATL airports are suupppper nice. Just cry and they will love on you, let you off the plane FIRST, and try their very best to help you out ;)
*Also in addition to that..and probably the biggest thing I learned from the trip (and still learn from life in general)...things that you think are HORRIBLE, in time (in a different light) can (probably will be) funny/good things to you and your friends later!!! ;)

**One thing I DIDNT learn however in my short wknd was HOW TO FIGURE OUT THE STINKIN SUBWAY!!!! lol If it werent for the others, I'd just have been in a ball in the gross/nasty corner somewhere hahaha!


GIRLS!!!!! Lets go back!!!!!! ♥

Dear Dave Barnes...

Thank you for this ammmmaaazzzing song!!!!! :)
Ive loved it since I first heard it back in..ohh..April??
And now...mmmm..favorite! And thanks for this
wonderful acoustic version!! Now could you just
please use my picture for your video??
Thanks a ton,
AW :)

OutliveYourLife.

I loooove this book!!!
It is so saying to me 'GET UP AND GO!!!'
I love how Max writes! He is sooo very talented. And inspiring!

"God doesn't call the qualified.
He qualifies the called"


"Let God unshell you. And when he does, "make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that" (Gal.6:4MSG). Don't miss the opportunity to discover your language..........With whom do you feel most fluent? Teenagers? Drug addicts? The elderly? You may be tongue-tied around children but eloquent with executives. This is how God designed you. "God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well" (Rom.12:6NLT)........For whom do you feel most compassion? God doesn't burden us equally. "The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men...He fashions their hearts individually" (Ps.33:13,15). When does your heart break and pulse race? When you spot the homeless? When you travel to the inner city? Or when you see the victims of sex trade in Cambodia?......."

amazing. God places those desires in us.
Its up to us if we choose to go into our 'shells' and ignore them,
or step out DO something!!!

80's part dos.

Just one more...

LOOOOOVE!!!!!!!! :)
Not much has changed, I STILL
love playing in the rain♥
And I completely miss this girl!!!

i♥the80's

I was going through my old photo albums on facebook and came across my 80's album!! Looooveee these girls!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhh!! Please look just how 80's this photo is!! LOL!! Im lovin the rockin' wallpaper! hahaha Then you have our awesome socks. Not exactly sure why we are covered in stickers, but I LOVE it! THENNNN....my favorite of all, RAINBOW BRITE!!!!! ♥♥♥ This photo just screams FUN MEMORIES :)

You Are More Than a Conqueror.

"Yet amid all these things we are more than

conquerors and gain a surpassing victory
through Him Who loved us"

-Romans 8:37

Some people believe the only way to victory is to somehow avoid having problems. But I have learned that real victory is not in being problem free. True victory for the child of God comes when there is still peace in the soul right in the midst of the raging storm-when tragedy strikes and one can still say, "It is well with my soul." This can only happen when you are looking at Jesus instead of your circumstances.

The key to having victory is understanding it only comes "through Him who loved us." If you are facing problems that seem insurmountable, remember you are a conqueror through Him. Allow God to strengthen your inner man. When you are strong inside you can defeat anything that comes against you.


tonights devotion from:
Ending Your Day Right

By: Joyce Meyer

goodbyes..

goodbyes stink!!!!!!!

I def did not want Mona to leave today....

Didnt realize Id be THAT upset...it was awful!!! haha

She's our unofficially adopted sister and I cant wait
til she comes back!!! :) Praying seriously now about
going out to see her soon! We cant wait a whole
year before we see her again. ;)

Mona!! We miss you already!!!
Love you tons!!!!!

entrusted.hearts.

it feels soooo good to have my
best friend

completely back in my life again.

it amazes me how God works. Entrusting you with the hearts and lives of so many people over the course of your life. I say entrusting you, bc I dont believe they are actually given to us. They ultimately belong to Him. And He is free to take them (however He choses) whenever He choses. Ive discovered this truth recently. I guess I use to look at it in terms of owning a relationship with my friends and family. Like it was actually mine and I had control over it. But I know now that GOD is in complete control and they all belong to Him. Some come for just a short while, and others are there to stay. And I can say in all honesty that Im completely thankful for every person God has placed in my life. There are many that arent here now due to many different reasons...but I wouldnt take back the time I had w/them for anything. Then there are some who haven't been around NEAR as much as I'd love for them to be lately...and Im desperately hoping to fix that. There are also some who came in and have never left and will remain by my side until the end of time. And then there are some, who came in and although they seemed to fade out for a season, came back only to form a stronger bond. In my opinion (and past experience) while the degree of the relationship may change, those are the ones that you know arent going anywhere. They never really LEFT they just faded out, only to realize that your relationship means so much more than they/you imagined. Those are the ones that are there for life. Its amazing to know God actually loves us enough and trusts us enough to form these bonds and have these relationships with these wonderful, amazing people....

makeover.

my blog officially got a makeover today. haha

and....Mona just got her tickets printed off...

to leave us tomorrow!!!!!! nooooo!!!! :( *tears*

haha I can NOT blieve its already time for her to go!!

Im thinking I liked the SIX WKS STAY, like last time, better!!!

Im sooooo hoping we get to get over there this summer! :)

If not, then we're officially adopting her and MAKING

her stay forever next time lol.

[Our new sister, Christmas ;) bahaha!]

Mona, I cant wait to see some wonderful pictures of

yours and Cliffords flight home!! And trip to Paris!!! LOL!!

Miss you already! Tomorrow is not going to be a fun day :(

Your love is a song..

"Your love is a symphony

All around me, running through me

Your love is a melody

Underneath me, running to me
Your love is a song...

Your love is my remedy"

-Switchfoot

baby.bowen.

"He allows us to know great pain, so that we can know
the greater pleasure of trading it in for purpose."

-Matt Hammit

I love this.
And I stand in awe at how God works.

Also at this family's faith!!!
Here's a link to their story...

http://bowensheart.com/

God is good, ALWAYS!!!!

09.16.10

Today was awesomeness. It even started out perfect :) Then another day w/the Green boys at the Holt house and I loooved it! Im thinking I can totally handle my wanting to have 15 children someday. hahaha! We just cant do the easy bake oven...lol WHAT an experience haha But had a blast today, then off to church..amazing message!!! [Im so excited about this series!!] Then a good looong talk w/Maranda...with a little venting. :) Now home and ready for bed. Im exhausted! Cant wait for the weekend!

OH!! And Miss Hayneslie Holt told me today that I was 'the most prettiest girl in all the life' hahahaha!!!! LOOOVE that kid!!! I told her that was soo very sweet of her and that i loved it and she responded with 'aw, good. i love being sweet to people. and i love you!'..I mean really? PERFECTION. I could eat her up! :)

look at it this way...and everything changes

09.15.10

One of my favorite spots!
Looove that view!!!!
The God that created THIS, loves US!!!!

He is there for us, always!!!
And HE is in control of our days!!!!

A-MAZ-ING!!!!!!!!!!! ♥

mona tradition!

tradition..
up the mountain w/Mona.
Except this time went a LOT smoother.
No boulders.
And no walking down in the dark..
bahahaha!

09.15.10

Fun day with the Holt girls and the Green boys!!!! :)
Cant wait to do it again tomorrow!!

God gets the glory!! :)

I cant help but be thankful for all the CRAP that Ive had to hear about, go through, and deal with lately....bc I can clearly see how God is using it already. Everything that was sooo unbelievably hard on me, Im seeing in a completely different light now. When God works, there arent any limitations to His working area OR are there any boundaries as to exactly how far He will go to make things right. Praise the Lord God Almighty!!!!!!!!!!

stronger♥

When you go through trials and suffering in life and make it through to the other side, you're going to come out stronger. When you go through all of that WITH someone, your relationship is only going to be stronger. ♥

Jesus Calling.

here goes♥

"Here goes nothing,

Here goes everything.

Gotta reach for something,

Or you'll fall for anything.

Take a breath,

Take a step,

What comes next

God only knows..

But here goes"

ALWAYS by your side..

ok...WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!! no stinkin lie. i just heard that song on pandora radio..so i reposted it. then clicked on my j103 link and its coming on there now!!! wow. its safe to say, this song alone has spoken to me probably more than any other song, ever. i encourage you to give it a listen if you havent!

By Your Side

this song!!!!! it never fails to come to me! to find me!! i just love it so much! and i am soo glad i got a chance to tell mike just how much HIS SONG has done for me!!!! gosh, i love how God works!! im posting this song again tonight bc i just feel if there is someone else it can reach..can touch..even if half of how its touched me...then its def worth reposting.

islands/europe.

i have never wanted to go to europe so bad in my life. since my 'our own island' idea isnt looking promising haha im desperate to make it to europe SOON!!!! ooooh, my heart gets all jittery just thinking about it!!! maybe i could buy mona some new luggage....bigger luggage...i hear its only like $50 extra....hmmm......could i suffer 9+hrs in a bag??? i think so! hahaha!