Formal at the Zoo

This year we had our Spring Formal at the Atlanta Zoo! It was so much fun! 

I was a little late getting ready. Probably due to my inability to fix my own hair or do my own eye makeup. But David was a good sport. Here's a picture of where I should've been. 

BIG Event picture. With our honorary Project Coordinator. 

My awesome hair. Thanks Rosie!

Sweet friends!

This was probably the most politically incorrect thing we did all night. Not sure what we were thinking! And apparently we weren't at the time either by the looks on everyone's face.

Thankful for this boy!

Roomies! (minus Shaye and Rachel). Can't wait to live in The Castle with y'all!

Eventually, we did leave for ATL.

Kate, Kath, and I in front of the flamingos.

My sweet little!

BIG Event 2011 and 2012! This is where the actual formal was. It is called the Panda Veranda. How fitting!

We even got to catch a glimpse of this cute little guy. It was such a fun night!

Grace Upon Grace

from Sandra McCracken's CD


In every station, new trials and new troubles
Call for more grace than I can afford
Where can I go but to my dear Savior
For mercy that pours from boundless stores.

CHORUS:
Grace upon grace, every sin repaired
Every void restored, you will find Him there
In every turning He will prepare you
With grace upon grace.

He made a way for the fallen to rise
Perfect in glory and sacrifice
In sweet communion my need He supplies
He saves and keeps and guards my life

To Thee I run now with great expectation
To honor You with trust like a child
My hopes and desires seek a new destination
and all that You ask Your grace will provide.


"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24-25a

Something BIG Came

Perhaps the real reason I haven't blogged for an entire semester is because of this thing called the BIG Event. The BIG Event is a student run community service day sponsored that exists as Auburn University's way of saying thank you to the community for being such an incredible place to live and learn. This year over 3200 students spread out all over Auburn, Opelika, and surrounding communities to participate in a variety of activities such as yard work, painting, and cleaning. Ok, I can spit out those few sentences in my sleep. What I really want to write about is how much I've learned through working on it. I was blessed to serve as Assistant Director this past year with an incredible team.

These three kept me sane, and have become almost like siblings! That's Patrick, me, Kyla, and Robert (L to R).  All the late nights, interviews, and meetings would have been way less hilarious without them. We were selected in March 2011, and have been working for an entire year to make the event happen! I can honestly say that I have learned more from the BIG Event than I have in any of my classes. I learned practical things, like how to run a meeting and write a press release. I also learned more than I even know about how to relate to people. I worked with countless different personalities. In October we chose about 80 project coordinators and staff. I loved getting to meet and work with all these people! I had so many good conversations about everything under the sun! I was in charge of all the publicity, which meant that I coordinated volunteer recruitment. During that week the Lord reminded me that every single word and attitude and action is a chance to either glorify him, or ruin my witness. Whether I like it or not, as a Christian, I represent him in every interaction. This seems simple, but I guess it took having people watch my every move to remember it!  

Now to the actual event. This picture above is from Kick-off, when we got to talk to all 3200 volunteers! At this point, Kyla and I had a combined 8 hours of sleep over 3 days. I never, ever want to do that again. Somehow though, after lots of people bringing food, a few tears, and a nap on the student center couches (ew!) we made it to March 24th! The day of the BIG Event was SO much fun. It was incredible to see all our hard work paying off. I love the picture above because Robert is talking to Patrick while Kyla is talking. Typical. 

Since I didn't get to do any hands on work, here's a picture to prove that it got done! A group of my friends was at Loachapoka Elementary School. I guess they are proud of their pile of trash. So many people worked so hard, and people all over the community are incredibly thankful! 

Above is a picture of Kyla and I with Mrs. Sullen, the principal at Notasulga High School. That was another one of our major sites. Patrick planned the landscaping. The school looks so different! It has been fun to hear stories from other volunteers. More than anything, I am thankful for the countless relationships formed and developed. I am thankful for all the Lord taught me about selflessness, hard work, and leadership. I am not going to know what to do with myself next year. Free time. I think I like the sound of that!

Time Flies

Hello blogging world! I'm back! It's been a long time. This semester has gone by CRAZY fast. I can't believe that I'm almost done with my second year of college. I'll post pictures soon from all the things that have been going on over the past few months. For now, here is a little snippet of what the Lord has been teaching me. Spring makes me incredibly happy. I'm pretty sure that flowers are directly correlated to joy. Dogwoods and azaleas are my favorites. Each year, all the new life always makes me think about change. This stage of my life is full of that, as I feel like each semester looks completely different. It feels like I have big decisions to make weekly, and sometimes that has gotten a little overwhelming. Over Easter, the Lord graciously reminded me that he is not as concerned about my circumstances as he is about my character. Where I live, when I graduate, how I make my money - he cares about those things! But above all, he wants me to delight in him and to know him. God can be equally glorified in any situation and circumstance. What a comfort and a reminder to be free from anxiety! I can trust him with this season and the next. What matters is that I am constantly becoming more like Christ, through his strength alone!

And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are this things I do, and I do not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

The Pursuit of Holiness

4 Qualities that characterize Puritan piety:

The first is HUMILITY, the cultivated lowliness of a sinful creature who is always in the presence of a great and holy God, and can only live before him through being constantly pardoned. The second is RECEPTIVITY... openness to be taught, corrected, and directed by one's discoveries in Scripture... disciplined by the darkness of disappointment...encouraged by happy provinces... readiness to believe that the good hand of a faithful and gracious God, who is ripening his children for future glory, shapes it all... the third is DOXOLOGY, the passion to turn everything into worship and so to glorify God by all one's words and deeds. The fourth is ENERGY, the spiritual energy of the true Protestant work ethic whereby laziness and passivity are damned as irreligious, just because so much remains to be done before God's name is hallowed in his wold as it should be. That all four qualities are formed by the Puritan view of God...is obvious... they constitute a mind and heart-set which, once formed, nothing can daunt or destroy...

J.I. Packer, The Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of a Christian Life

Back on the Plains

I got this CD for Christmas and it is some kind of wonderful. This is my favorite song. 

Today I went to the woods with three of my boys. Brother had to work, sadly. 

I don't know what it is about being outside, but tromping through leaves breathes life into me.

Ready or not, a new semester is here! And at the moment, I'm perfectly ok with that.

"And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, 

in paths that they have not known I will guide them.

I will turn the darkness before them into light,

the rough places into level ground. 

These are the things I do,

and I do not forsake them."

Isaiah 42:16

What a beautiful promise from the one who has ordained each of my days before one of them even came to be!

Lots of Free Time

Brother just bought himself an iPhone. I played with it and took a few very poorly edited pictures. So here's how I've been spending my life this Christmas break in pictures!

I made these letters in the first two days. This is my dresser in my room at home that now exists!

I bought WAY too many books. I think I got a little carried away. Oops!

This t-shirt quilt has taken hours and hours, but it's well underway!

Every time I quilt I get to know these people a little bit better... Criminal Minds is my new favorite show. One time the serial killer was targeting brunette college students studying child development who babysit.  Let's just say I didn't sleep so well that night.

I've been slowly (VERY slowly) breaking in my new birthday present.

I've looked for Jesus in the Old Testament. And found Him! Imagine that! :)

I was a counselor on the BYG trip to Gatlinburg. I went three times in high school, so the Riverside Motor Lodge was a familiar place, but I learned so much by going in a different context!

After that, I stopped off in another part of Tennessee for the last few days of a wonderful conference with wonderful friends. I got to hear John Piper live (twice!) and was really given a lot to think and pray about as I start a new year and new semester!