Recommended Reading

Here's a book to read during all this extra time over Christmas break! I finally finished it, and I assure you, it will not be a waste of time. Even if you are not a reader, GO GET THIS BOOK! It is full of Scripture and so challenging and practical. 


A little taste: "The question, therefore, is not “can we find God’s will?” The question is “Will we obey God’s will?” Will we refuse to sit back and wait for some tingly feeling to go down our spines before we rise up and do what we have already been commanded to do? Will we risk everything - our comfort, our possessions, our very lives - to make the gospel known among unreached peoples? Such rising up and such risk taking are the unavoidable, urgent results of a life that is radically abandoned to Jesus."

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21
This is Caroline and I's hallway before we loaded our cars to go home for Christmas. And let me say, the picture doesn't even do justice the amount of stuff we have! Ah! So we joked that we are just going to give everything away so we don't have to ever carry it again. It might not actually be such a bad idea.

FINALS

It's 2:45 AM and I have been in the library since 4:00 So I figured this was appropriate

Worthy Blog Stalking

If you have some time over this Thanksgiving and Christmas break, I have some worthy blog-stalking. Common Ground is an inner-city ministry in Montgomery. I was blessed to be there for a week this summer, and the Lord really blew me away with all that He is doing there! Before I try to explain their ministry without doing it justice, just watch the video they made that explains it all. 
Watch this first!
Now, here is the website! These blogs are awesome! 
Common Ground Montgomery

Here are some pictures from our trip this summer. 

mass chaos time with kids in the gym

Katelyn and I pulling 8 million nails out of studs. They are redoing several houses in the neighborhood.

Michael and I reppin our hometowns (Brookhaven and Montgomery) on the Civil Rights Memorial. I'm not sure what Yankee Nate is doing b/c I know his hometown ain't on there! :)

I am OBSESSED with this child. His name is Lil' Zo and he is some kind of precious.

The Year 1521

So I know it’s a couple weeks late for a Reformation-themed blog. But, the other day in World Lit I was skimming through my book and I came across the entirety of Martin Luther’s speech at the Diet of Worms. I had never read the whole thing, and it really gave me a renewed appreciation for this great man of God. For those of you who slept through world history and church every last weekend of October, I’ll set the scene. Martin Luther was a German monk who began to see serious issues with the Catholic church of the day. He read the Bible for himself (which was unheard of at the time) and the Lord revealed to him that we are given the righteousness of Christ completely by the grace of God and not based on any works of our own. The church was making money off of the works-righteousness attitude, and grace would go against everything they were teaching. So naturally they had a problem with this bold monk who began to spread what he was learning. 

Here is the end of Luther’s speech to the Holy Roman Emperor, who wanted him to recant all that he had said and taught regarding free grace:

“Since then your serene majesty and your lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.”

The thing that jumps out at me the most is Luther’s love and respect for the Word of God. They are his ultimate authority. How many times to we tend to ignore passages that don’t sound like much fun, or that call us to leave behind our comfortable lives and obey Christ with radical abandonment of all that is not of Him? God has given us a great gift in his perfect Word! Let’s stand for it unashamed, as he did.

“I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.” Psalm 119: 48

“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 

He was a cutie. What can I say? Haha!

All I do is WIN WIN WIN no matter what!

This post is devoted to one of my favorite things in the whole world: Auburn Football. 

The last home game is tomorrow, and after that my first season in the student section will be over. If you had told me six months ago that we would be one of the top teams in the nation, I don’t know if I would’ve believed you. BUT IT’S TRUE! And I don’t love Auburn because we rock this year. I love Auburn regardless of the numbers on the scoreboard. Here you will find tradition and a family atmosphere that is absolutely phenomenal. There is just something indescribable about the way my whole body gets chills when the eagle flies. The band’s entrance builds excitement. By the time the team comes out the entire stadium is electric. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I said it’s great to be an Auburn tiger! 

Here are a couple pictures my talented grand-big Leigh Hendry took at the homecoming game. She is awesome! 

On a more random note, here are a couple things I've learned throughout the season. 

1) Jesus doesn't count cussing when it's in cheers

2) My little brother looks like he's trying to sneak alcohol into the stadium

3) Coke tastes better in Jordan-Hare

4) There is never a wrong time to tell Alabama to go.... somewhere

5) The moment of silence during "All I do is Win" is my FAVORITE!

6) Sometimes it's dangerous to get too excited. You might fall off the bleachers.

War Eagle!

What I Found in My Bathtub Last Night

This is what happens when you live with a horticulture major! Love you Molly!

So right now, I have a hurtin to get outside the states. And I figured I'd post a picture from each time I've left. Good memories. :) Someday I'll write more about each time.

I don't even remember what year this was. July 2007 I think? This is in Lima, Peru.

Brother and I in Guadalajara, Mexico in April of Sophomore year.

GDL take two in July of 2009. In the La Floresta church plant.

Reading the Bible Lesson to La Floresta kids last April. 

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the Lord. Jeremiah 22:16

It's Official!

Ok, I realize the title of this makes it sound like I'm in a relationship. That is not the case. But, I am an official AOII!!!! That's right, initiation was last Sunday. So now I know all the secrets! (Except I just have to remember them first. Haha) The ceremony was a little cultish, as expected. But my sweet cousin Molly got to initiate me, along with my wonderful big!

This is me in my jersey! I am a little obsessed with it. Which is probably good because I have had to wear it every day this week for Greek Week. I got pinned with Holly's pin until mine comes in the mail! And most exciting of all, I got my AOII ring. All of us have them. I love it! Notice I did not include my face in this picture. Let's just say I value sleep over beauty. And that was an 8am class day. 'Nough said.

Here is a picture of my wonderful extended family at our Initiation banquet. The banquet was so much fun! To my left is Holly, my big and above her is Leigh, my grand big. Then right above me is Kate, my great grand big. Melissa (on Kate's right) is Kate's other little. Her family is Kayla on the far right, and Sarah next to me! Probably that whole thing made no sense. But the bottom line is, my AOII family is wonderful!

Glorious

Right now I am sitting outside under a tree, on a blanket outside my dorm. This has been a habit of 98% of Auburn students for the past week. The weather is ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. I would try to describe it, but there's no way I can do it justice. I feel like every time fall comes the Lord just knocks me off my feet with his faithfulness and goodness. It blows my mind that He is this creative and beautiful. And I know that  fall will come every single year, which reminded me of my Savior's consistency! I think if I could sum up my time at Auburn so far in one word, it would be joyful. The Lord has blessed me with an overwhelming satisfaction in Him! My schedule has gotten crazy, and there have been some tough things, but I have confidence in the One who is with me through every second of every day! He has blessed me with so many awesome friends to hold me accountable and show the love of Christ to me. He has given me so many places to learn about Him and grow in Him. He continues to humble me and awe me with the amazing truth of his grace. I see my sin, and it reminds me of his sacrifice and the fact that when He looks at me, he sees the righteousness of Christ! Oh what a glorious God I serve! Who am I that He would love me this much?

Tough News and a Faithful God

I haven’t written in a while, because I knew what I had to write about and I have been waiting for words. Two weeks ago was the Clemson game. Right as we were about to go to bed, my roommate got a phone call. Her family friend, Virginia, had been killed in a car wreck. I’ve never met Virginia, but as the day went on I realized how many people I’m close to did know and love her. Death is such a hard thing to grasp, each and every time it hits. There is something especially hard about understanding why God would take a beautiful seventeen year old girl so full of life. Yet I can already tell that he knows what he is doing. So many people have been touched by her life, and the way she lived it sold out for the Lord. Many people have found the courage to share the Gospel for the first time. Everyone speaks of Virginia’s love for others and her joy in the Lord. It makes me think. When I die, how will people characterize me? Will Jesus be the first thing that comes to mind? Oh how I pray that He is. I think one thing that hits me every time someone dies is that this world is not our home. There are so many things that we stress over that will not make a bit of a difference for all of eternity. 1 Peter calls us “strangers in the world.” Yet so often I try so hard to look like a local. I think most of us live like we are invincible. We don’t think it will be us next. Yet Virginia’s death has refocused my eyes on eternity! I can honestly say that if the Lord chooses to call me home, I am ready. I know these feelings might not last long, because the world will tangle me up time and time again. But glorifying the King of Creation for all eternity is what I need to keep my eyes on instead. Oh how good our God is. When tragedy strikes, our God is good. And he can give us joy regardless of circumstances.

“For my thoughts are not your thought, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

A Picnic

At this moment I am sitting on a blanket. It's kind of like a picnic! But not exactly. Because it's 12:20 AM and the blanket happens to be in the hall in Owen. I still have my hair curled and x's on my hands from our social that I went to about 30 min of. I'm eating a delicious bowl of Special K Vanilla Almond and studying psychology. (Well, I was studying, until I got distracted.) And for some reason, I am in an incredibly good mood. So basically the point of this whole blog is, I love college!

A Blog

So it's official! I made a blog. My roommate blog stalks constantly. Mostly young married women. And I won't lie, I've read a few myself. So I caved! I know that no one will read it, and it won't be near as entertaining as many other blogs, but I decided to give it a try anyways. I want this to be a little glimpse into my life, so that I can look back and remember both the random things and the big ones! I have a feeling it will turn into lots of comments on verses, quotes, and hymns. Because honestly, I want those things to be the things that define me. I don't want to be about events and pictures, I want to be about my great God and all the things he is graciously teaching me on a daily basis!

Ok, so here's a cliff notes version of my life right now. I grew up in Daphne, AL. However, my family just moved three hours up the road. I am a freshman at Auburn University. I love this place! It sounds cheesy, but I really do love it a little more each day. Something about it just gets in your blood and stays there! I feel like finally being a student has made that much more a reality! At this point my average day looks about like this: wake up about fifteen minutes before class starts, sprint to Einstein's bagel for a chocolate chip with light butter, class, quiet time, more class, attempting (or often just thinking about) exercising, some studying, dinner with friends, sorority flag football or meeting or swap or whatever it happens to be, campus ministry and then coming back to the wonderful freshman girl dorm where and every night feel a little like a sleep over! And there is always a decent supply of chocolate. Especially right now, because big sisters keep leaving goodies, and no one wants to keep the temptation in their room! So i eat it. Awesome. Freshman 15 here I come! 

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised." Psalm 145:3