Resting, Waiting, Abiding…

"Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him" - Psalm 37:7

I was reading this morning and came across Psalm 37. Verse 7 starts with rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. I began to think about what it means to “rest”…to be renewed, take comfort, relax without worry, being still in order to gain new energy and strength. Other definitions of rest I found were: freedom from activity; to be free from anxiety or disturbance; to remain confident. And, to me, to wait for the Lord, means not getting ahead of Him, but instead to wait on His timing, to let Him lead. To wait for someone means to be there, to stand ready in expectation for someone to do something, not to run off and do your own thing while they are getting ready, but to be by the door, ready for their arrival. Wait defined: to stay in place in expectation of, to remain stationary in readiness or expectation, to look forward expectantly, to be ready and available. Neither resting nor waiting mean running, busying, avoiding…but why is it so hard for me to rest and wait when that is what I need, what I must have for life.

The words in this verse reminded me of these verses in John 15 where Jesus explains that in order for us to truly live, we must abide in Him.

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

-John 15: 4-11

Jesus is the source of life. So often I try to find my source of life in other things…though I do not think this is something I do intentionally. I think rather most times I decide one morning in a big rush, not to take time to spend with the Lord…and one day turns into another until finally, I look up and realize I do not know where I am or how I got there, but I know one thing is for sure, I feel empty and alone and dissatisfied. I have not been abiding. Today, I was encouraged to spend more time resting, waiting, abiding…

Birthday Shout Out!

Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday Dear Hannah!
Happy Birthday To You!!!

I was just thinking about what to blog, and realized Han has a birthday today. So, Hannah, I know last year was great, but I hope this year is even better!

Community Group

Last night was scheduled to be the first night in our new study Growth: Training vs. Trying. I had gotten prepared, and was doing some last minute cleaning when the girls started to arrive. Monica and Jessica showed up at my house and as we were visiting, I got a call from Hannah saying she had stalled out on the exit ramp of Sam Cooper at Highland. This, being a fairly busy spot and also a slightly scetchy part of town, made us nervous for Han! We quickly jumped in the car and headed to "rescue" our friend from danger. As we got to her, I pulled my car up in front of hers, facing the wrong way on the exit ramp (needless to say, we got lots of friendly looks!). Several people had passed Hannah as she sat there alone waiting for us to get there, never offering to help. A cop even drove by without offering any assistance. Finally, someone did stop to see if we needed help...just so happened he worked on cars for a living. The car ended up having to be towed. So, not knowing how long it would be before the tow truck got there, we headed back to my house to wait it out in the warmth. Hannah apologized for keeping us from doing our study, but it didn't bother me...isn't that what life is all about!?! Whether you are studying the Bible, sharing joys or sorrows, or helping out in a time of need (helping a friend when their car stalls)...it's all part of that thing I have grown to love so much...community!

This caused me to reflect on how much God has blessed me with community, and how much I love the girls I do community with every week! I do not have a picture of Janene or Sarah Q yet, but here are some pics of my favorite ladies...and even some we used to do community with!
Jessica (red scarf), Han (pink scarf/fro) and injured MJ. Regan and Matt aren't in our cg, but are great friends!
2004 St. Jude marathon when Hannah did her first full. Monica and I did the half...fun running buddies!
St. Jude 2005. Bev and Melissa (left) started a new group. MJ and Bev are the ever faithful pyramid builders!
Shackett and Jane over Christmas "break." Doing a crossword puzzle while Matt makes dinner and Hannah creates fun treats!

Decisions, Decisions!

Ya know, there's a lot that goes into planning a wedding. Thankfully, my mom loves this stuff and has been a huge help, reserving places and peeps! I couldn't do it without her...in fact, without her, I would surely elope! No, really I would, just ask John! I'm quite certain he's going to get tired of me asking "are we there yet!?"

On Monday I played dress up in the wedding dress store and looked at all sorts of fancy breakables (i.e. china and crystal) at a fun little place in Jackson. I could not decide what I wanted to try on, so I told my mom to just surprise me with a few! At the china place, I reminded my mom that we are not looking for all dainty, but more so durable. Though in the long run, we may want some of the pretty breakables, we also need to consider some everyday eatery that is practical (holds a lot of cereal) and will hold up. That said, so far, my mom and I have had similar taste on just about everything, which surprises me somewhat seeing as how I'm a simple girl and my mom likes the fancy! I have been known to tell her that things are too cute for me...My way of politely saying "I don't like it." However, I think over the years she has adjusted to my tastes and I may have picked up on a few (I'm sure it's just a few) of hers.

Just now I am contemplating an e-poll to help with wedding decisions...wouldn't that be fun if I left all of the decisions of the wedding up to my closest family and friends!?! While I have not yet created my first e-poll, I was just wondering...what is your favorite thing about weddings?

Write This Down...

Some of you who know me, know I love to journal my prayers. As of late, I have gotten out of the habit of doing so, due mostly to laziness I guess. Earlier this week, I had a little extra time on my hands and picked up my journal to write. After writing out my prayer for the evening, I decided to peruse through a few of my previous entries to see what I had brought before the Lord...as I read through the pages, it was neat to remember back to those moments in my life and I was all of a sudden struck by how many prayers had been answered. Days of prayers back to back all lifting up different needs, and without fail they all were answered. Funny thing is, I had not stopped to recognize those answers when they came, and therefore did not see God's faithfulness nor did I sense the greatness of His majesty until I stopped to remember! I have been inspired to journal regularly again. And though I may not realize the answer right away, I am thankful that I can look back over my prayer life and praise Him for the great things He has done and for His constant presence and guidance in my life! Sometimes all we need to do is remember...

One more...

These were cracking me up!!! I obivously needed to do more research before my first post...




"Work got you down? Boss driving you crazy? It's ok to flip out at work...Relieve a bit of corporate stress by sending small supervisors skyward with the Boss Toss! Just load one of the 1-5/8" tall, plastic executives into the 5-3/4" long plastic shooting device and pull the trigger! Great for launching over cubicle walls at coworkers. Four different figures included."

Catapult Continued...

Evidently, the fun did not stop with the Cat-A-Pult. This is hilarious!!! Thanks Dana for sharing!

Thought you might all enjoy knowing this is out there...a Love Gun...

"Love is in the air...literally! The Love Gun is a 5-3/4" red and pink plastic cupid cannon. Just load one of the four tiny 1-1/4" plastic cupids into the compartment and shoot it at the girl or guy of your dreams. The Love Gun's Powers have not been fully tested. Love is not guaranteed!"

Did A Cat Just Fly Over My Cubicle?

Ok, I obviously made a mark for myself when I brought the pig catapult to work. Earlier this week, my boss found this article, "Fred, Did a Cat Just Fly Over My Cubicle?" in the New York Times...an article featuring none other than the pig catapult. So, having now been enlightened...I wanted to fill you in on a little of it's history and what we can expect from the catapult in the near future.

The catapult idea first came out in 1990 and at that time, it launched bugs. As sales declined for this product, the designers soon realized that all they had to do was change the name and the look of the "plastic projectiles" and the sales would increase. Following the pig catapult, they released the Cat-A-Pult, which as you can guess launched cats...they are currently working on the Cattle-Pult. For all of you who are waiting on the edge of your seats to find out what they come up with next, it won't be dogs. The article says "but don't look for any versions featuring dogs. Such a concept was debated in early 2004 -- and ultimately rejected by the company's designers. 'Flying dogs,' Mr. Wahl said, 'just aren't as funny as flying cats.'"

So there you have it! I know you will all rest easier knowing the catapult is here to stay!

I Love Surprises!!!

This weekend, I got the best surprise...

Friday night, John came and picked me up at my house. We went over to his house, and as we walked in, I saw the kids' heads popping up over the stairs. I laughed and told John that I saw them pop up over the stairs. He told me that they were wanting to see him do this...and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes and think I was pretty much speechless for a while after that. He totally surprised me!!!

This picture is from Saturday morning at my parents' house!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

Favorite Places To Visit...

• British Columbia (Malibu Club) Worked at a YL camp there one summer. It was the prettiest place I have ever been.
• Guatemala (Agua Viva) I love the spanish culture and the simplicity of life there.
• Utah/Colorado (Anywhere on the slopes) Skiing with friends and family is something that never grows old.
• Pickwick, TN (My parents' lakehouse) Fun memories and just plain relaxing!

Where are you favorite places?

Meet my fam...

From left to right Matthew, Mom, Stephen and Dad. This is the most recent picture I have of all of them. Don't they look nice? This is how they dress all the time!

I have the greatest parents in the whole world, they have always been super supportive, encouraging, loving and giving.

We give my mom a hard time about her shopping addiction (she really does have one!), but gift giving is one of her love languages, and for those of you who know me well (especially my roommates from college) you know through that expression alone, my mom does an awesome job of showing me her love. You also know that I do not really share my mom's love for shopping, in fact I can think of a million things I would rather do than shop. That said, I do share her love for gift giving! I love to give gifts of meaning, that are well thought out!

We rarely harass my dad, but from time to time, when he makes a random statement, we poke fun using a line from one of his finer moments (which he often fails to remember happening) "I've got binoculars." My dad always gives, and constantly lets us know how proud he is of us. I am the only girl in our family, so I'm a complete daddy's girl. My daddy is the person I get my super goofy sense of humor from. He is also the tender hearted, yet strong leader in our family. Almost every time I go home I like to curl up next to my dad on the couch...beside him I feel safe! I think the neatest thing about my dad is, I believe he is best example I could imagine of our Heavenly Father.

My bros! Stephen and Matthew are two of my favorite men in my life. They always tell me I am their favorite sister...aren't I special!?!

Stephen has been a huge encouragement and support to me. We have always been close, but after having lived together for 3 years after college, we became even better friends. Stephen has a desire to do God's will in his life. When he moved to augusta, he made it his mission to befriend other people who were new to the area. He loves God's people and acts on those gentle nudges we get from the Holy Spirit. I admire that about him. Stephen recently got married to the most wonderful girl and is living too far away!

Matthew is the giver in our family. He loves to do things for other people and go without credit. Spending time with Matthew, I always know, just by being around him that he loves me! He has a gentle spirit and a desire to give. This christmas, Stephen's wife, Cecilia, spent her first Christmas away from her family. Her birthday is on Christmas eve. When we had all gone to sleep for the night on the 23rd, Matthew went out and bought birthday decorations...he decorated the kitchen, the hallway and her door! He is so thoughtful! I am so proud of my little bro!!!

Namesakes and Legacies

This is my Granny D (DeVan), or as some know, I like to call her Granny D Be Bumpin! Many of you have met her or at least heard stories about her. I do not know anyone that does not fall in love with her the minute they meet her. She is 91 years old, and up until this week, she has lived on her own, gone to the grocery store by herself (look out drivers!), and taken care of herself. This week she is moving in with her daughter and son-in-law. She is excited about it, and I, for one, am excited for her. Before she married, she lived and worked in Washington, DC, and her stories from that time in her life never get old. She married my Granddaddy and settled down in Jackson, TN, where she still lives today! My Granny D raised 5 children and took care of her husband until he passed away on December 25, 1998 at 85 years of age. She has 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. But, the most amazing thing about Granny D is her love for her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! She will talk about Him forever if you let her, and I know more than anything in this world, she wants to see her children and her grandchildren and her great grandchildren grow up to know Him too. Thank you Granny D for passing on that legacy to my Daddy!

I do not have a recent picture (this one was taken in Hilton Head when I was in high school) of my Grandmother (Mary), but I sure wish I did! My mom's mom passed away when she was just 70 years old, also in 1998. She was like a second mom to me and we were all the family she had. She married my grandfather and had my mom. 18 months after my mom was born, my grandfather was killed in the Korean War. My grandmother went back to school and became a 3rd grade teacher. She raised my mom with the help of her mom, my great mama. I remember endless summer days spent fishing, going to the beach, looking for sharks teeth, shopping at the base, and riding around in her powder blue volkswagen bug. We spent time with her in Jacksonville, FL each summer and she spent a lot of time with us in Jackson, TN over the holidays and summers too. I remember sitting in my den when I was younger holding her picture and crying because I missed her. She was still alive then, but she seemed so far away in Florida. My Grandmother had not had the easiest life, but she loved the life she had, and I never once heard her complain. But again, the greatest thing about my Grandmother was that she loved the Lord and she raised my mom in a Christian home, and for that I am most thankful!

I hope to leave that kind of legacy!

Who Needs Starbucks...

When you can have the Ugly Mug!?!

Last night, John and I went to see the Grizzlies play the Sacramento Kings. We ate dinner overlooking the court at Opus...yummy! The people watching was great from up there! One fan in particular was hilarious. When the camera was on him, he went into this crazy dance mode, completely embarrassing the girl he was with. Between that guy and this little old lady in the handicap section, they were having a dance off. I must admit, that was way more entertaining than the game, and I really like basketball!

After dinner we took a stroll around the FedEx Forum to check it out. Narrowly escaping the extra friendly, talking deprived man behind the souvenir counter, we made our way to our seats, and much to my surprise, found a little Ugly Mug coffee shop on the way...yet another highlight of the night...what a delight!!!

California Knows How To Party

Check out the hottie I met in California! This pic was taken after an outing to the Sacramento rock climbing facility and a delicious meal at a Mexican Restaurant by the river.

Ok, on a total side note, some of you know that a while back my mom quoted Usher, from his Oprah interview. Well, more strange happenings have occurred. She called last night to tell me she had watched The Bachelor and that a girl I cheered with in High School was on it. I couldn't really get past the fact that she had watched The Bachelor! I don't even watch that show. All I have to say is, I’m thinking Matt May might be responsible for this sudden change of behavior, as he was the last person to live at my parents' house...

My Big Bro!

Backing up a little, I wanted to fill everyone in on pics from Stephen's wedding. It was a fun time spent with family and friends! If you weren't at the rehearsal dinner, I just want to say, it was the neatest one I have ever been a part of. As people got up to toast, it was really amazing how God revealed Himself and the way He has used Stephen and Cecilia in the lives of so many. It was full of encouragement and completely Christ focused!

Randy (my youth pastor), Susan, Cecilia, Stephen, Stephan and Chris (Stephan is one of my running buddies).

Matthew (little bro Hamm), Chris, Stephan, Me, John and Stephen.

Chris doing the dance from Napolean Dynamite at the reception...

Cecilia and Stephen

Smoke Break Anyone?

I am sitting here in "cube world" wondering is this really where I work?! If you are in a cube, you can probably relate to my desire to find new creative ways to keep myself sane as well as entertained. As many of you know, one of my favorite past times is that of throwing paper wads and airplanes into my boss' office, but since I took on this new more "prestigious" role, my new boss does not appreciate the art of crafting planes from paper...nor do I think she would laugh were one to hit her upside the head, let alone come sailing into her office. So, I have sought to find new work hobbies.
So...my latest hobby is sneaking up behind people with the pig catapult, curtesy of Hannah! This little gadget has proven to provide hours of entertainment for the "cube dwellers." You can launch up to 5 little pigs at a time, and they go in all directions! And the best part...it came from the dollar store...

I highly recommend for the cube dweller in you!