quiet as a mouse.

When we are concerned about our life and the future, there is no more vulnerable place to be than alone with our God. Oh, so simple. I found that when I flipped through a Lifeway deal we got in the mail at work. I like hearing God in the small stuff. Isn’t it weird how one-line sentences can hit us harder than a ton of bricks (or an hour-long sermon)?  

I pray God keeps teaching me about my passions, the gifts He alone has given me the ability to use, and my little family’s future. I pray that I will stop “finding” those answers through my own personal thoughts but by being alone, silently listening, with my God.

Jesus paid it all.

all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.

Oh praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead.

Jesus is magnificent. I love that He changes our plans to help us realize the goodness found in the changes. Last night, our church family watched as 43 of God’s children were baptized. They weren’t dunked in a pretty baptismal under the Cross at an ornate church building or by a pastor in a white robe. They were baptized in an above-ground shrunken swimming pool and they were baptized by the people that made the differences in their lives to cause them to start the process of knowing and believing in Christ (and a lot of those people had on bathing suit shorts and tshirts). And, did I mention… that baptismal and those people were definitely in the middle of a parking garage.

It rained. Very hard. So, the guys packed up and moved everything from the River Walk in West Columbia to the parking garage at the Museum, where we have the Gathering.

I LOVED it. I was secretly so excited that it rained because I love to see when everything is stripped away. When all the glitz and glamour of church is stripped, we still have the meat of it all: we have people leaving their selfish lives and proclaiming Christ as King; we still have daddy’s giving their lives to Jesus to lead their families as their sweet children stare in excitement; we have big brothers crying as they baptize their sisters; we have homeless men being baptized by people who continually pour into their lives; we’ve got best friends baptizing their best friends; husbands baptizing wives; we have the lost being found and the captives being set free; we have worship and praise; we have love and grace from the Father. It’s all still there!

Don’t get me wrong. I was baptized by a pastor in a white robe under a huge cross, centered, behind the choir. It doesn’t matter which extreme or which middle ground it happens in. But, everything that mattered, after everything else was stripped away, was still there. I was found, set free, I worshipped and praised; I held grace and love from my Father.

May God continually teach us that Christ brings about change. We can not add to His Gospel any more than we can take away from it.

 

bobbin

I am super excited that in a week from today it will be May 1. The 15th is my birthday. Brandon will let you know really quick–I don’t have a birthDAY… I have a birthMONTH. Seriously, even though I’m getting older, I totally love my birthday and get pretty excited about it. It was parties and birthday cookies when I was five, joint-swimming parties with Megan when I was 13, and now it’s all about having a reason to buy myself something(s) when I’m 23. I already bought myself an awesome note-taker’s Bible off Amazon and got free shipping (they probably knew it was for my birthday) and I’ll be using the excuse “but it’s my birthday” for thirty one days.

Recently, I’ve been trying to read blogs and learn about people, Jesus, community, life, etc. I’ve always and forever wanted to learn how to sew. I want to be one of those people that make my own clothes, quilts, bags, and one day… my children’s clothes. So I was reading a blog by Lorien (who is supermom) & noticed she had made Amelia (the sweetest little baby girl in the world) a diaper bag that was absolutely adorable, beautiful, all those good words. So then I started looking at the crafty sites that she has listed on her blog. I was absolutely won over by the world of sewing, quilting, crafting, etc. I remembered my painting & scrapbooking days and how much those things make me happy. So, thanks to my friend Lorien inspiring me (without even knowing she’s inspiring me), I am getting a sewing machine from my mom and dad for my 23rd. Next Friday is the day that I will receive this awesome thing and by then, I hope to have a corner in Brandon’s office that is dedicated to sewing and crafting.

If anyone has any other sites that are about sewing and projects to do, etc. please let me know! I’d love to hear about what you’ve found.

pace face and me. that’s it.

 

So, Brandon left the state today. I’m pretty sad about it already. We’ve only done the “night away from each other” once or twice since we said our “I do’s” in October. And those times were like one day deals. So, Brandon is off for our first full week apart. And I’m stuck with just Pacey dog. (If you know me, you know that I love my puppy and without her, I’d be living with BK this whole week.)

Fortunately, my new friend from work, Sandie, is coming to eat dinner with me and we are having a “husband-less spend the night party” because her hubby has been gone for two weeks, going on three. So, the grass is greener on my side…bless her heart.

So, if you think about it–pray for B and all the Midtown men. Pray they will grow closer together and learn more about how God is calling them to lead our church. Please pray for safety and renewal for my sweet Brandon.

Until Friday night, B…we’ll miss you.

 

rad.dude.awesome.80s.

So, I think I was meant to be a teenager in the 80s. My bangs are made for the big swoop curl much more than today’s straight style. Last night we had VAN (Volunteer Appreciation Night) for Midtown’s Volunteers. It was awesome. (That picture is Beth and me rockin’ the colorful stockings and side ponytails.) Some of my best friends in the world all in one room, dancing, laughing, eating Lizard’s Thicket (who knew they catered??), and dressed like Michael Jackson. What could be any better?

I realized yesterday how much we need people in our lives. I guess having a huge group of people that you love and care about in one big room really showed me that. It’s just crazy to look around and know that everyone there is making a difference in the church family that you want to make a difference with and through, too. I love Midtown. I love the hearts of Midtown. I love the mission and vision of Midtown. And I love Jesus for giving it to us all and being what it’s all about.

 

go flying fleet! and the yellow team!

Yesterday was a really great day. I got to leave work @ 2 (which… who doesn’t like that?) and then head to watch my brother, Alex, play ball in Columbia. He plays for Erskine and is a brand-new freshmen who got to START for the first time yesterday! (I’m a proud big sister!) And Brandon, Dad, and me got to see it all go down. He was great. Like 9 strike-outs, only 4 hits on him, and they won by big-time. It was really fun and I like having those proud moments of being like, “Yeah, that’s my brother… the pitcher.” I’ve always enjoyed watching him and Andrew play. I get to watch Andrew kick tail in a basketball tourney the first weekend in May in Myrtle Beach….excited!

And, just as fun, I got to go watch Brandon and Traylor play a great game of old man softball last night. Pace and I went… freezing and rainy and all… and I had a good time. I realized last night as I was sitting there that I love being married. Man, I can’t wait to be thirty five with some kids and the dog at the same kind of softball field, cheering on my hubby and hearing the kids cheering on their daddy. But, I love this stage. I love sitting there, just watching. Last night, B was playing shortstop and everytime he caught the ball, I held back yelling and cheering because 1. He wouldn’t have heard me at all because when I yell my voice turns into this annoying high-pitch squealy deal that only dogs can hear. and 2. I was one of the four people in the crowd. One was a lady quiet as a mouse and one was a kid that I constantly wanted to move away from because he kept smacking Pacey in the face with a big stick (yeah, I’m psycho when it comes to my puppy.) But, being there, supporting my sweet husband in the small stuff of old man softball, is such a treasure. Thank you, Jesus, for Brandon and the greatness of marriage.

On another note, a little less sappy. I decided a few things I’m going to change about myself today.

1. I’m going to start running. For real. Not this, “I’m going to run three miles everyday…until like Friday because then that’ll be over.” I’m going to start off slow, build up, and get my tail in shape. And no fried foods. Only one time a week am I allowed.

2. I’m going to start looking up schools for Counseling. I miss learning and Brandon and I can do weekend classes @ a school in Charlotte for two for the price of one (the joys of marriage!) I can’t wait to learn again and get that seminary degree everybody’s talking about.

3. I’m going to read blogs and articles more. I realized I learn a lot from those. I guess that whole “personal” approach is appreciated by my mind.

4. I’m going to start cooking more. I hardly ever do it. True, Brandon isn’t even going to be home for dinner at all this week, so I have good reason. But I miss being a mini-Martha Stewart like in first days of marriage (yeah six months ago.)

5. I’m spring cleaning this week and the next. This makes me want to clean, organize, and throw away! Bless Brandon’s heart for me getting rid of like everything he owns. Even his favorite blanket… oops.

the end. (for now.)

 

it’s mid-april. good grief.

So, I realized today that it’s April 14th. That’s just crazy.

Last week, I got to take Thursday and Friday off because of working the weekend before. So, Brandon and I had planned on going down to Charleston to do absolutely nothing and get away. Then, there was some crazy tennis deal going on and all of the hotels were maxing out their prices… not cool. So Brandon did a wonderful thing and got us tickets to WICKED in Charlotte and we went down there Friday til Saturday afternoon. First of all, Wicked is amazing. If you don’t like musicals, this will change your mind. If you don’t like spending a lot of money on tickets, you won’t care after you get there. And if you don’t like the Wizard of Oz, you will all of the sudden just die over the tin man and love the Wicked Witch of the West like your sister.

It really is that good.

Now, go on you tube, watch some video clips of Wicked and have a great rest of the day.

 

PS- my sweet brother is STARTING pitching today with his college baseball team and he is playing in Columbia!!