Code Orange Christmas

Readers-

It's no secret. I LOVE my church! I mean I think about moving and I realize "Megan, if you move, you won't have Elevation" and then I realize how much my life has changed and how truly blessed I am to be surrounded by such awesome people and I come back to my world. :)

Now, anyone that attends Elevation will most likely tell you they love it, they are proud of it and they are involved but it's not for everyone. And that is definitely ok!!!! However, I wanted to share the link below. I wish it was the entire Worship Experience from beginning to end so that you could fully grasp the energy and excitement and message, but it's a few snippets and Pastor Steven's sermon and it really is just powerful. Even sitting at the computer I am PUMPED!

Code Orange Christmas @ Elevation Church

www.elevationexperience.com

I can't watch without crying. I can't think of the service I attended without getting teary eyed. It was powerful. It was awesome. It was just amazing!

I mean the Global Choir! That was AWESOME!

Code Orange Christmas:

6 locations

30 services

2182 people stood to their feet to profess Jesus as their savior!

Merry Christmas!

God is. God was. God will be with you!

Christen & Jimmy's Wedding!

On Sunday, May 29, 2011 at 6:00pm I had the honor of attending Christen & Jimmy's gorgeous, amazingly HOT outdoor wedding! :) Despite the heat, it was a BEAUTIFUL wedding! I am SO HAPPY for these two amazing people to begin their life together as one!

I really liked the lanterns that were hanging in the huge "shade" tree!

The cutest flower girl enjoying some jelly beans after placing the flowers down the aisle!

It was a beautiful, very hot, ceremony that lead to a cocktail party in the backyard and then the reception in the tent....with a candy bar!

I LOVED the decorations! It was so simple yet fun and elegant and just awesome! This was the first outdoor wedding I've attended and it was stunning!

I kind of want a big tree branch in my apartment to hang pictures off of now!

The cakes! The cake was soooo yummy!!!!!!!!

The bridesmaids serenaded Christen with "It's raining men" it was cute! Oh and the father daughter dance was the best father daughter dance I've seen in person!!!!! This was such a fun wedding!

Congratulations you two! I am SO excited to watch you start your life together! You are such a blessing!!!!

I'm back!

Hello no longer devote readers of "...grace like rain..."! :)

It's been a long time...almost 2 months since we last exchanged stories regarding this thing called life. My Mom must be really bored because she keeps mentioning that I haven't updated the old blog...or if I tell her a story about something I did/something that happened she tends to say it would make a great post. So, where have I been you may or may not ask?! Grab a sweet tea and get comfy because it's quite the story!

My last post was April 17, 2011. You can find it here if you haven't already read it Sunday Snapshot

April 17 was an intense day. I went to church that morning to help with an Orientation event, went to work as I was scheduled, had a little break in between and was headed back to church to greet for the evening service. As I was headed to church, I received an e-mail that I no longer had a job. Yep, via e-mail. It was rather devastating and out of the blue and the first thing I did (as I was walking up the sidewalk to the church doors) was start to sob silently. I was so hurt and blindsided. So, you can only imagine how powerful that Sunday sermon was for me. But if your entire world is going to turn upside down, the best place to be is in church, right?!

However, I woke up Monday morning with a sense of freedom and new life! I knew it was going to be an adjustment but I knew that God had a much better plan and that everything would be ok. Though unemployment is never fun, I got to really focus on areas of my life that I neglected because I worked anywhere from 45-75 hours a week and only had 1 day off a week, that day being Sunday. I used Monday as a day to not wake up to an alarm, a bajillion emails/texts/phone calls or run around for others like a chicken with my head cut off. Though I still woke up at 6:00am, it was nice to lay in bed for 5 minutes, eat breakfast and get back in bed just because for the first time ever, I could. While Monday was the first day that I really had nothing to do, it was the start of something great. It was the first day of the rest of my life!

Rather than put you to sleep with all of the details, from April 17-May 17 I did the following:
interview with an awesome company
pray
clean and organize my apartment
pray
be a part of a words will not do it justice 3D Easter Experience @ Elevation (my favorite being the 6:00 Sunday service, but the entire day/weekend was just amazing!)
pray
go out with friends!-this includes lunch, dinner, nightlife, movies...everything I hadn't done!
pray
spend 5 full days with my Mom
pray
volunteer at the church office
pray
listen to podcasts from Pastors Steven Furtick & Andy Stanley
pray
get my life in order
pray
really get to know those in my eGroup and benefit from what a family an eGroup really is
participate in the Race for the Cure again
just enjoy life

It was a long month but it was a great break. I've started a job that I love and I know it's only going to get better! I am blessed to have a fantastic church family, Godly friends and overall blessed to have a supportive family. I concentrated on new and existing relationships with friends and really got to know people because I had the time and my mind wasn't in 1,000 different directions. It was so great to form this friendships and bonds that I know I'll have for quite some time. Most of all, I know how blessed I am to have only been unemployed for an entire month and to have started a new career journey with promise and opportunity!

I thank you for reading this far! Now that I've got somewhat of a hang of things at my new job, I strive to blog more! I did post all of the Sunday Snapshots that I missed during my random blogging hiatus, so be sure to read those!

Happy Monday!

Thanks for reading!

Sunday Snapshot

Week 4 of Mr. & Mrs. Betterhalf - "Wrong Well"

John 4:1-26

Jesus moves from religious rhetoric towards the needs of hurting people

1. When you're small people ignore you
2. When you're growing people criticize you
3. When you're big people resent you

The people you want to avoid are the people you need to touch. Jesus did and would.

3 Wrong Wells
1. Well, I'm not worthy
2. Well, it's too hard
3. Well, not now

Use pain to platform good

Holiness is not what God wants from us, it's what he wants for us!

Sunday Snapshots

This weekend started a new sermon series titled

"Mr. and Mrs. Betterhalf"

it's all about relationships and I am SO excited to hear what Pastor Steven has to preach these next 5 weeks! I'm also excited because this was the first Elevation Experience for my Mom as she came to visit and didn't leave until early this morning so she was able to attend last nights service!

Just for the purpose of documentation, Prince William & Kate displayed a lovely Royal Wedding on Friday, April 29, 2011 and this new sermon series began Saturday, April 30.

Keeping with the times, the sermon was aptly titled The Royal Marriage.

Based on 1 Samuel 25:1b-42 and a lovely quote of "you are surely and mean in your dealings" as well as a bit of a preview into Proverbs 18:21, I could already tell that this sermon series is going to be epic! Pastor Steven did a great job of informing everyone that we are not going to have a royal wedding, but we can have a royal marriage.

Eat the salmon!

basically, this boils down to the fact that so many people in a relationship think that engagement/marriage is the next step. everyone wants the wedding (the planning & preparation, the dress, the reception, the cake) but not many really think about the marriage itself. it's like a great salmon dish at a restaurant, you love all of the side items and garnish but if you don't like salmon, you're not going to be ordering the dish.

Where life is spoken, humility must be present

The tongue has the power of life of death, speak life.

i think this is true for many occasions. words can be hurtful, so always speak life into your significant other, into your career, into your family.

Don't wait for the prince, crown the king!

this was a great one too! don't wait for the dashing prince charming and his white horse to find you, crown the king that's inside your significant other. speak life into them and they will be king!

What you fail to celebrate will eventually leave your life.

Sunday Snapshot

Our God is so good.

Everything happens for a reason and this weekend was the perfect example of that! Let me give you a little bit of my weekend before I dive into my notes for the final sermon in the

Grapes & Giants series.

Saturday night, I did not attend service, I filled in for a greeter that was out of town and distributed Easter tickets, so I did not get the full sermon experience.

This morning, I assisted with First Experience and had to go to work after that so I missed both the 9:30 & 11:15 services.

Tonight, I was supposed to lead a greeter team, but some things happened and I ended up experiencing one of the worst days of my life, received devastating news and walked through the doors a crying, sobbing, snotty mess. I was quite the site for eyes to see :) After explaining everything to one of the Associate Campus Pastors, I decided I would help where I could and then go into service. BEST DECISION EVER!

Y'all, I LOVE my church but man oh man. Everything happens for a reason! I missed Saturday night and this morning because God knew i needed to her Pastor Steven's sermon at 6:00 Sunday night. He knew i needed to watch those baptisms and cry my eyes out while watching/singing and cry through that sermon. I've said it before that "this sermon is my favorite" or "that sermon hit the nail on the head" but nothing compares to tonight's experience!

So, Grapes & Giants, week 4 of 4!

Deuteronomy 7:12-24 and Ephesians 6:10-20 were the verses the sermon was based off of and they are AWESOME!

The Promise of God's Protection

Get Dressed! Put on the full armor of God!

God made provisions for your protection

You can't defeat your enemy if you don't discern your enemy.

Thieves don't break into empty houses

The enemy wants me because there's something awesome there that he wants. (hello!)

STAND YOUR GROUND. When all else fails, just STAND! (side note, I LOVE the Superchic(k) song about stand your ground)

Guardian angel-can't protect you if you're not entering the fire. Live your life so your guardian angel slaps you and says "Do you have any idea what you put me through?" :)

God can only give you strength for your struggle, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood.

He gives strength for those willing to struggle

I'm not STRUGGLING, I'm getting STRONGER!

The enemy hates me but God will protect me, I'm his investment.

Never underestimate what a father will do to get back to His child.

in the midst of the darkness...

Last night. Oh last night we had a crazy storm....rain, thunder, lightening and hail. I was at work until 10pm. I live close to where I work and everything was fine. My apartment complex however, did not survive the storm and was pitch black and powerless. I didn't really want to pretend to be Amish and I left my window open and I'm petrified of the pitch black darkness and my flashlight was in my room and ......you get the point. It wasn't a good combo. So, I went to Target to buy a flashlight. Well, buying a flashlight when half of the town is out of power is like buying milk or bread when they're forecasting snow. I had the option of a heavy duty (literally) flashlight or Toy Story. I went with the heavy duty can last forever and hit someone over the head if they try to attack you in the darkness flashlight. I know, you probably think I'm crazy by now but I really did watch too much Rescue 911 when I was little and followed that with CSI until high school when it just got too freaky and I had to stop watching. Yes, I do love NCIS and that doesn't bother me. Anyway, I hung out in Target testing the lawn furniture until 10:45ish since they closed at 11. I went home with my flashlight and could not figure it out. I know that sound crazy but the flashlight didn't come with instructions and I tried every battery combo and nothing worked. So, I called my AWESOME friends Adrienne and Jeff. They had power so we decided I should just spent the night at their house (because they are awesome like that) and Jeff fixed my flashlight. Apparently it does matter what way you put the spring in. Who knew! They came over with their flashlights and walked through my apartment so I could grab some pjs and off we went. This whole thing made me realize how blessed we really are to rely on something so simple as a light switch. These poor people in our own cities that are homeless or in other countries make it work and I freaked. I hate the darkness. But I do love the song that we sing in church...

"in the midst of the darkness You're the light that guides me through..."

Show Us Your Church/Churches

I think in order for one to fully understand how much I LOVE my current church, you have to know where I've been.

I grew up Catholic.

We sat in the front pew every Saturday night for an hour. It was up, down, up, down as Catholic churches go with all of the kneeling and singing. I went through the sacraments of communion, confession, confirmation and whatever else the Catholic church had you do. I attended Sunday School classes each year (on Sunday nights) and was even an Altar Server. But, I never really got it. It could be because the church had 1 person play the guitar and sing and she happened to be my elementary school PE teacher so I envisioned a lot of "head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes and eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head, shoulders, knees and toes" songs while she stood up there. Or maybe I didn't get it because it was so complicated and so much to remember and even though I sat through the entire hour long mass each week, it just didn't click. It was way over my head and very Biblical. It wasn't a warm church. As soon as you walked in the cat got your tongue and you didn't talk unless spoken to by a higher up. So, you walked in, blessed yourself and knelt, walked to your pew, listened, interacted when it was communion time and walked out. You had to reach the sidewalk to the car before you talked again. That's rough! But, I do miss the flower displays at each holiday. That church knew how to decorate with flowers!

Then I was Presbyterian.

We made a little transition and attended the Presbyterian Church. We never joined as a family but I attended the BEST Sunday School class ever and oversaw the nursery. I think for the time I was in charge of the nursery, I watched maybe 2 babies...it was an "older" church so the only way I'd have something to do would be if people had family in town! I did end up one weekend watching my Sunday School teachers 1st grandson....who, 9 years later, I babysat for when I moved to NC! I adored my Sunday School teachers and it was just a joy to be in their class and learn from them. The Presbyterian Church was much more welcoming. I remember one Christmas Eve after the service everyone just hung out outside on the church stairs singing Christmas Carols....that would NEVER happen at the Catholic church. Our Sunday School class was heavily involved in Operation Christmas Child and we collected items and filled shoe boxes and then travelled as a class to the distribution center that was about 2 hours away and helped all day Sunday. Our teachers were in their 60s and were awesome. They invited us to their home and made us a great breakfast and we all watched Left Behind. We didn't stay at that church very long as during my senior year of high school our teachers left to return to NC and the church was kind of "old" so the members were declining.

So, we became Methodist.

The church had just gotten a new Youth Pastor and it was all the buzz in town. We checked it out and eventually we joined the Methodist church as a family. I don't really remember when we first started attending the church but it was a great fit for us. It was very contemporary and met in the Fellowship Hall of the church building. We eventually outgrew Fellowship Hall and overtook "big church" and worshipped there....drums, guitars and all. The lyrics were displayed on a screen and it was pretty awesome. Everyone was happy and welcoming and it was like one big family. After I graduated from college and moved home for a bit, I became a Youth Leader for the High School Youth Group. We had a lot of fun with the kids and the other leaders were my YoungLife leaders so we had a great time bringing back the old lessons and games and craziness! That church has undergone some staff changes and it's in a bit of a "dark" place as I call it at the moment. The Youth Pastor left, the Associate Pastor (who was the counseling Pastor) has left so the main Pastor is alone with some new people, and well, the new people aren't adapting well. However, when I go home, this is the church my mom still attends.

College Church

I attended the campus Chapel Services each Wednesday night and it was nice. The sermons were different and rotated between the Dean of the Chapel and the Bishop in Residence. Occasionally there would be a guest speaker from an area church. It was a short and sweet service. The chapel choirs sang and they always had a nice fellowship spread afterwards. Some of my favorite Chapel Services ended with a group of us going to Tex and Shirley's for $2.00 all you could eat pancake dinners! I attended a "big" church on the weekends that my college apartment neighbors Dad oversaw. It was fun to go there because it was a (what I thought) huge church and they had an awesome contemporary service.

Now Church!

And now I attend what I think is the best church I've ever walked into! I am proud to say that I attend one of the four campuses of Elevation Church. Not only do I attend, but I joined an awesome small group that has since ended but I met some amazing people and I became a greeter! It truly is a phenomenal church where for once, I GET IT! It all makes sense! I actually understand the sermons and know how to apply them. Going to church is seriously the highlight of my week! I know Elevation isn't for everyone, but it's right for me. You can check it out at www.elevationchurch.org

I hope you attend a church that's right for you! It's hard to find one sometimes, but once you do, it's the greatest thing ever!!!

Red Carpet!

I'm feeling very behind with life and the blog world these days! What can I say....we have 24 hours in a day but sometimes I think we need more. Or maybe we just need shorter work days, or we don't need phones and computers for awhile and life would be a little easier? Laid back? Relaxed? A lot of people say we have the same amount of hours in a day as Einstein but really, he didn't have e-mail or voicemail or other social media outlets that require updating.

I didn't do a Sunday Snapshot this week because not only did I have time, but it was a special week....there wasn't a sermon, but there was the viewing of the documentary featuring the first/past 5 years of the church, from the beginning, behind the scenes, raw footage, present day and a glimpse into the future.

Instead of a Sunday Snapshot, I want to recount the Red Carpet Movie Premiere Weekend because it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity (which is funny because I was on a local news channel Fri night but that's another story!)

Last Friday, the church had a Red Carpet Movie Premiere and it was AWESOME! I felt like such a celebrity! I'm talking red carpet, photo backdrop, those "danger" poles with red ropes, Hollywood Stars on the floor and an Ice Sculpture.

The 5 year This Is How We Change The World documentary was equally amazing and made me so proud to have found an incredible church and it made me realize how blessed I am.

The man with the BEST Vision!

Stop...collaborate and listen! Ice is back.... :)

Hollywood Stars!

My Small Group friend Nichole

Overall, it was a pretty cool weekend! Hope everyone had a great week!

Sunday Snapshot 3

Today's sermon was the third in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Go to God
-as long as you know where to go when in trouble, you're not far from help
2.Face your situation
-before God can give you a miracle, you must follow his instruction
3.Check your perspective
-all God needs is all you have. Even if you're poor, your Father is extremely rich!
4. Demonstrate your faith
-get some jars. God's not short on oil
5. Make your plan
-build a special room for God t move in your life

Phrases to enjoy:
I am an empty jar.

Get some jars!

Song to listen to:

sorry, I couldn't find a clip for my favorite song

So there it is. My third Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.
***Also, I posted last week but I dated it for 1/16***

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 2

Today's sermon was the second in the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:
1. Sometimes you live in the midst of it and don't see it
-too often we have exactly what we are praying for, but we're too busy with our routine that we miss out on the new things
2. We can't all play the same part
-embrace your place! the arm is nothing without the hand which is nothing without fingers. We are all different but we can all work together for the greater good
3. The grass is greener where you water it
-don't run away from something, embrace it and change or adapt

Phrases to enjoy:
You have to go where you don't want to be to be where God wants you to be.

When you leave the place, your don't give God the change to work in you, for you.

Song to listen to:
http://www.elevation-worship.com/album/the-lord-is-my-rock/
So there it is. My second Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Sunday Snapshot 1

I've fallen off of the blog train but I'm trying to get a ticket to get back on!

In an effort to keep myself accountable, I've decided to at least have 1 post each Sunday for the three of you that probably still read my blog. :)

I've titled this blog series, "Sunday Snapshot". Creative right?! HA!

Well, "Sunday Snapshot" is going to be similar each week. I want to be able to recount what I've learned in church, record it on here and share it with you. It is my goal to do this for a year, or really the next 50 weeks...I realize I missed out last week, so instead of me offering 52 weeks worth of Sunday Snapshots, I'm offering 51. 1 shy of a year. Bummer.

I attend a large and rapidly growing church that I LOVE. I've never felt so great in a church before so I think that says something.

Today's sermon was the first for the "GET BACK" series.

Thoughts to Ponder:

1. Don't play God when you've got it

-what good is it to make great time if you're headed in the wrong direction?

2. Don't blame God when it's gone

-sometimes we forget God in our success but blame Him in our failure

3. Find the music

-use natural means to kick start supernatural momentum

4. Dig some ditches

-get ready for the blessing your believing in as if it's yours

Phrases to enjoy:

You can make it. Don't give up. God is with you. No matter what.

You can't make God send you the right person but you can be the right person.

Song to listen to:

http://www.elevation-worship.com/songs/give-me-faith-the-song/

So there it is. My first Sunday Snapshot. Completely random, but informative.

Hope everyone has had a GREAT weekend!

Monks

Adrienne's Dad spent the week at the Gethsemani Trappist Monastery in Kentucky.

He brought back this fudge that the monks make (and wow can you taste the Bourbon) and the prayer below the picture has become my new favorite.

In fact, I'm going to type it in a fancy font and frame it and hang it somewhere.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-Thomas Merton

-Thoughts in Solitude

Sunshine on a cloudy day...

I've been having a rough few days/weeks.

So "rough" to the point that I cry.

Me.

The one without tear ducts (I have them, I just don't use them).

The one that never cries.

Yep.

I've been really sad.

So imagine my surprise when I came to work today and saw these on the counter for ME!

My amazing Mom knows that I've been down in the dumps so decided she would brighten my day with these GORGEOUS flowers!

The ironic thing is they made me cry. :)

I know things will get better.

I know God has a plan.

I know everyone says "If He brings you to it, He'll help you through it."

and everyone also says

"God gives you want you can handle"

Frankly, I'm handling a lot more than I'd like too. :)

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

that's what I love about Sunday....

Today was my first day off in exactly 2 weeks.

Crazy. I know.

I had big plans for today!

I woke up this morning and went to a brand new-to-me church.

Can I just say that it was AMAZING!

As you know, I'm a self described "church hopper" so I've gone to a few churches in the area and wow, after today I think I found a new home.

Despite today's sermon being the last in the series, I really enjoyed it. The intro to the sermon was pretty neat as a few members of the staff recited Romans 8 from memory and it was just powerful. So powerful that we got a glimpse into football season and ended up high fiving the people sitting around us...which was super weird since I went to church by myself and was seated next to a random family. Oh well!

The sermon was based off of Romans 8:37

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

As you probably guessed, it was about conquering and the difference between being a "Conqueror" and being a "Super Conqueror" and really, all I could think of for a moment (among church things of course) was Superman and having super powers. I then had to chuckle because I now had the image of a picture that I used to have (that sadly I don't have on my laptop to show you since it was taken with gasp.... film) of D when he was 5 years old, standing on the front steps leading into the house with a "suit" on, his hands along the buttons of his shirt, clip on tie flapping in the breeze and his Superman pajama shirt underneath as little E was in her car seat fresh from the hospital, wrapped in a pink blanket....Big Bro a step above her to protect her! (D&E I babysat for when I was in High School) Too cute!

Anyway, I'm super excited for the next sermon series and glad that I can listen to the sermon online as well. It's so funny how far church has come. I grew up sitting in the very front pew, not allowed to talk or turnaround, singing the hymns and only clapping when we went to church Saturday night and the "fun" worship leader (back then was just a lady with a guitar and a microphone) was leading everyone....moving on to a church that was a bit more relaxed but still piano/organ and hymns....moving on to a church that was expanding and having a Contemporary Worship Service in the Fellowship Hall with folding chairs, drums, guitar and microphone to slowly adding a projector and a movie screen to today where it was just intense. God is good!

I left church feeling happy and like I may have found a church "home" and I was excited! I was so pumped that I headed here:

to look for one of these to take home with me:

and I was now so overwhelmed and confused with the massive selection, that I came back to my apartment without a fan.

I just want a plain ol fan that someone will install so I don't burn the place down. I would like to be able to just flip a switch and it'll turn on. I don't need or want anything fancy. But really, does the length of the blade matter? Yes, the color does, but the speed and the light and the size. It was too much to deal with right then and there because I had an important lunch date!

The Newlyweds, Claire and Dave, were in town for a wedding last night so naturally we had to meet for lunch! It was great that I got to see them for a bit as a married couple!!!! And really, who doesn't want to enjoy some Chili's Chips and Salsa with friends on a Sunday?!?!?!

After lunch I came back to my apt and headed to "Sundaes on Sunday" which was supposed to be a way to meet your neighbors but it was raining. The ice cream was mighty tasty though!

I sat on my front porch and watched it rain as I ate my ice cream. It was so weird. I was so excited to have a pool day since I haven't been to the pool in at least a month and gosh darn it, it was sunny and it rained, rinse and repeat. So I sat outside, eating ice cream and watching it rain.

I did some laundry and met Adrienne and Jeff for dinner! I tried sushi for the first time but ended up ordering my staple, Chicken Teriyaki with Fried Rice as they ate sushi...what can I say, I may be a creature of habit :)

And now, Remember the Titans is on. Really, what more could I want!!!

I am so ready for some FOOTBALL!

"Alice, are you blind? Don't you see the family resemblance? That's my brother." -Gary Bertier

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, those who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

Claire and Dave!

I was (and still am) friends with Dave.

I was (and still am) friends with Claire.

*this picture makes me laugh because the entire time we were in Charlotte for the Sweet 16 games EVERYONE kept asking us if we were going to be in the Holiday Inn commercial! If UT had won their game, Carolina would've played Tennessee instead of UNC playing Louisville and since it was March Madness, the Holiday Inn rival commercial had been playing.

Claire and I went to see Bride Wars together the afternoon it opened. After the movie, we attempted to mock Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway but we couldn't seem to get the stance correct and have their movie poster in the background due to lighting issues...but you get the idea!

Looking back, my favorite part of this picture is that I am wearing black and Carolina Blue, which happens to be their wedding colors!

But one night in December, Claire and I went to the Elon vs College of Charleston Men's Basketball game at Elon University. It was quite the adventure to say the least! :) Actually, this story would not be complete without mentioning that Claire was very intrigued by the Cruz Thru and the dapper gentleman that was working very "politely" asked her "could you hurry up cuz it's cold outside" She bought an expensive bag of chips that she didn't even like due to being rushed!

Due to some construction and it being dark, I "knew" where we were going but the construction threw me off and we ended up getting a little lost (ironically 2 weeks after this I received a GPS for Christmas which helped immensely when we went to the Davidson vs Elon game in January!) We finally made our way to campus and found a parking lot but was told it was full and we weren't allowed to park there. Well, we turned in to the parking lot to turn around and happened to find a few empty spaces in the back corner. Being the gals that we are, I decided to leave a note so that Claire's car wouldn't get towed in case we really weren't supposed to park in the spot we found! I mean we had a game to get to! Priorities people! Little did we both know that even though we missed tip off, I'm really good at picking people out of a crowd and noticed Dave and his brother sitting behind the Elon bench all the way across the gym! During half time, I decided we should go say hi since I hadn't seen them in over a year.
Little did we all know that on this December 2008 night, they would both meet their soul mates! Claire and Dave got engaged December 2009 and get married THIS WEEKEND!!!!!

I am SO excited for them and so blessed to be a part of their special day! I'm also really excited that we are wearing black dresses and Carolina Blue shoes! Woo hoo! This picture makes me chuckle because it's so random but I can't wait to take part in the wedding festivities!

And this is a random sign that I happened to take a picture of that same week that I introduced Dave and Claire! God is great!
So there you have it. Claire and Dave are getting married this weekend and I couldn't be happier for them! Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The Home of the Free and the Brave

I lived a blessed life.

I love America.

July 4th has always been my favorite holiday.

However this year was a bit different. And I was sad.

I started the day kind of bummed because I'm wasn't home with my friends and family. I wasn't headed to the beach with the crew for fireworks. I didn't eat a cheeseburger with the crew or my family. I was in the living room of my apartment, by myself, washing my carpets...glamorous I know!

For the first time ever, I had no plans to celebrate Americas birthday with those I love.

ABC and her hubby are in Charleston, Steph and Marcus went to the lake, and my friend Theresa had to work until 9.

While I could've gone to the baseball game for the fireworks, I didn't want to go alone. But I didn't want to miss fireworks.

Being a child of so much technology, I set my DVR to record the Boston Pops.
That made me sad.

So I went out to grab a copy of the paper and started to realize that now I was angry.

The "major chains" were all open. I could go almost anywhere I wanted to and that made me mad!

Its July 4.

Americas birthday.

And for that reason alone every shopping establishment should be closed! Yes gas stations and emergency service places and probably hotels should be open but that's it. In my opinion.

I think it's a day when we, as American citizens, should spend time reflecting on our freedom and thanking those brave soldiers that fought for our freedoms and continue to fight for our freedoms. It's not a day we should take for granted. I think too many people these days are too "comfortable". They look to this as a 3 or 4 day weekend forgetting why they receive an extra holiday. (maybe I'm bitter since my place of employment only views thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter as holidays) But as I was sulking in my "aloneness" I realized that I needed to grow up and continue to love July 4th like I always have. Because even though they weren't around at the time, I have the freedom to visit my friends whenever I want. And I can call home whenever I want. And I can drive the many hours home when work will allow. I don't have to wait for the government to tell my troop/platoon/team/base/ship/any other military when I am allowed to come HOME.

I'm blessed.

I'm not off fighting on enemy grounds. I'm not separated from my family by a large body of water for 6 months to a year or more. And for those reasons and many others, I thank our soldiers past, present and future.

sidenote: I did hear lots of fireworks from my apartment and did walk around the complex for over an hour enjoying all of the neighborhood "shows". It was GREAT!

"America needs God more than God needs America. If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."

-Ronald Reagan

real simple

"If you wait to do everything

until you're sure it's right,

you'll probably never do much of

anything."

-Win Borden

sometimes it just takes an e-mail generated quote service to make ya think!

have a great HOT weekend!

Komen Race for the Cure

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is quite the experience.

for me, it was

moving. fun. awesome. somber. amazing.

but most importantly, it was definitely something I can't wait to do again!

I'll post all the details from Saturday soon, but realized I haven't posted anything in quite some time and wanted to. Anyway, I want to give the race the time and energy it deserves and it's too late for that at the moment. Sorry!

The Potter's Hands

I received this as an e-mail but wanted to share!

There was a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked, "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me, pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Don't do that. I don't like it! Leave me alone," but he only smiled and gently said, "Not yet!" Then WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!," I screamed. But the master only nodded and said quietly. 'Not yet.' He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'. When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Oh, please, stop it,stop," I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'. Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?" An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!!!" Quietly he spoke: 'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.' The moral of this story is this: God knows what He's doing for each of us. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mold us and make us and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this:

Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.