hello fall, i think i love you

my friend jess and i had our first taste of fall 2009 a couple of weeks ago with our first loaf of pumpkin bread. i could probably talk all day about fall and how and why i love this season so much. i will save you the time and just write some of my "oh so favorite things about fall" (in no particular order)...

1. Saturday afternoons in the quiet town of Maryville
2. Flannel
3. Yankee Candles flickering that bring the smells of cider, harvest, pumpkin...
4. Pumpkins
5. Pumpkin bread
6. Pumpkin pie in the oven and in my belly
7. Watching movies snuggled in blankets with a warm drink...Starbucks sounds too perfect!
8. Cozy, fall socks...the first time it is cold enough to wear Smartwool
9. Friends around a bonfire
10. Petros at my sister's birthday party
11. The sound of wind blowing through leaves
12. Warm laughter and hot chocolate on a cold night
13. Caramel apples
14. Foothills Fall Festival
15. Wearing oranges, greens, yellows, browns
16. Driving down Broady Lane
17. The smell when you walk into 447 Broadmoor Lane
18. Bundling up for a friday night football game
19. Sweatshirts and jeans
20. My family

Now that I see Your face, I will never be the same

This is my last year with a group of girls that I have spent three years getting to know. I feel a sense of urgency with these girls in telling them what my heart is screaming at me to tell them. This is numero uno! Tomorrow night Central Young Life will hear about a man that has been blinded since birth. One day Jesus walks into his path, rubs mud on his eyes, and sight is restored! From here on out, this man's life is forever changed because of his encounter with Jesus. My prayer is that they come face to face with Jesus, and much like the blind man in John 9, Jesus covers their eyes with mud in order that when the mud is wiped away and the dirt and filth of their lives goes with it, they will see the face of Jesus and will NEVER be the same. I pray that one day they will sing with a thankful heart that now they can see, see Jesus, and see what life is like with Him.

one short day in the emerald city

i have gone long enough without telling you about one very special weekend. my sister, my mom, my friend(jess) and i hit the road to nashville. jess came along to keep us company on the ride and to get the chance to spend the weekend at home with her family in brentwood. because of her we also got to spend a night in the cleckner household...i love this family almost as much as my own! saturday we spent the day shopping and spent the evening in attendance of the most magnificent musicals on this planet...Wicked. that night we got to spend a little time in Oz...the emerald city! i generally like every musical. i am not a hard critic, but nothing even compares to my love for the story, characters and music. mom, when can we go again?!?!

SO MUCH HAPPENED BEFORE DOROTHY DROPPED IN.
Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for “the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time” (USA Today).

let me be the first to welcome you

BACK TO YOUNG LIFE!!!!!!!!!
last night we gathered up dodgeballs, sixty hamburgers donated by bel air grill, and car full after car full of kids. central high had its first young life club and it couldn't have been more incredible. my prayer for my team this week was that we would feel a sense of urgency about our ministry. we would run hard and fast with an urgent message to our high school friends. i told carson to get about 70 hamburgers and we wished we had because we had about 66 kids come to club. god's hand has been at work at central high school. four years ago i would never have dreamed of have a club where there would be more than about 10 mouths to feed. here are some pictures from our club. rejoice and pray over these kids as they might find what they want this semester as they see, learn and maybe even encounter jesus!!

we do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.
2 chronicles 20:12

So much to blog...so little time

My life has changed...plain and simple!  I am now half adult and half college student.  It is busy, busy, busy to live two lives.  here are some updates...

this past weekend my friends took me out to celebrate my 22nd birthday.  now i am officially 22 years old. they took me to dinner, ice cream and a concert, and they all wore yellow (my favorite color).  they know my favorites things and love me well.  

for the past week and this week i am in a middle school and absolutely loving every minute of it.  the school is something else, but the students are the most precious humans to me!  i have fallen in love with their awkwardness and insanity.  could i maybe want to be a 7th grade math teacher now?!?!

my bike is sick.  last friday jess and i heard adventure calling our names.  we headed out to farragut for a ride.  we didn't really know where we were going, but we were going to make it...and we barely made it.  lost doesn't even describe our state at some points in the ride.  we quickly learned how to put my chain back on my bike after it fell off during one point.  long story short the ride ended with two flat tires, 12 mosquito bites, and waiting on the side of the road for jess as she found her way back to the car miraculously.  i love riding with jess.  tomorrow might be the first ride i take without her....already having separation anxiety....

looking forward to the weekend already.  going home to spend some time with my family and puppy!