Spring Break '09, It's about time!!

I spent this past week at Disney World with my mom.  There is so much to tell you!  Bottom line is that it was a magical week where dreams came true.  Even though everyone and their mom, dad, sister, brother, and grandmother were there,  it was a wonderful week.  Mom and I ate ice cream galore.  We stayed at Magic Kingdom until 2:30 in the morning where we rode Splash Mountain 4 times.  We looked like we had just gotten out of the shower.  The Tower of Terror was our favorite.  We never really had to stand in line, and the one time we did, a nice man randomly handed us two passes to jump to the front of the line with no wait...what a dream come true.  It was a week of late nights and late mornings.  Sleeping in never felt so great! We would head to the park and even though there were millions of people buzzing about us, we would leisurely stroll down the street and did what we pleased.  One of my favorite things was to watch all the little kids as they saw their dreams come true.  One little girl sat  next to us at the firework show Fantasmic.  During the show Mickey has to pull the sword from the stone to save himself from the evil dragon.  As Mickey was trying to pull the sword the little girl yelled out in despair, "PULL HARDER MICKEY, YOU GOTTA PULL HARDER!"  It was priceless!  As mom and I sat on the "Disney Magical Express" on our way to the airport, another little girl boarded as she told us that "this was a flying bus!"  I loved it and how awesome their little imaginations.  It was the perfect Disney Vacation!!  Please watch the video above to get a glimpse into our Magical Spring Break!

Mind your manners

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.  If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use."

-Emily Post

Learning all about etiquette and manners is one thing I love learning.  The love began when I started working at Dandy Lions Gifts almost two years ago.  Working at this gift and stationery boutique is where my dear friend and dare I call her my "boss" began to share her love of Emily Post and her knowledge of proper etiquette with me.  She has taught me tons about wedding etiquette, bridal/baby shower etiquette, invitation etiquette, and basically everyday etiquette! As my friends are beginning to get married and do "real world" stuff (stuff...not very proper), I find it a compliment that people expect me to know what they should say, how they should dress, and what is o.k. or not o.k. to do.  So, I am going to start a new section of my blog where I will share an etiquette tip that Joy or Emily Post have taught me or that I have found in my research.  I will leave you with the first tip!  This comes from my favorite book in my small, little library in my room,  How to be a Lady.  You might find this interesting next time you visit a cinema, play, or church.

"When a lady makes her way down a row in a crowded theater she faces the people who are already in their seats.  A lady never forces others to stare at her backside."

This is one of my favorites because it caught my attention.  I would have never in a million years thought of this, but now, I cannot forget it every time I walk down a row to my seat.

You Tube Must Sees

I have run across two you tube videos that I most certainly cannot live without not sharing them with you.  They are hilarious.  Please watch and enjoy!!

If You Really Knew Me You Would Know Update...

One of my favorite games to play with friends that I am getting to know is "If you really knew me, you would know...(fill in the blank with some random fact about yourself)"  I absolutely love it.  You find out some great things, funny things, and "wow" things about your friends that don't come up in normal conversation.  So, here are a couple of things that I are new about me that I can add to my list of random facts about myself...

If you really knew me, you would know

1. I have a new obsession with drinking coffee.  I never thought I would love it so much, but I do.  It has brought me warmth and energy during these winter months.

2. I actually have never made one pot of coffee for myself, and honestly, I have no clue how         to make a pot.  My roommate has spoiled me by making it for me almost everyday now.   I am one lucky chick.

3. I tore my meniscus last year and had surgery to repair it.  I am back to normal now, but I cannot exercise the way I used to.  This has lead me to rekindle the love I have for swimming.  I swim with a girl that I did Young Life with ( she is a machine in the pool and laps me a lot).  

4.  I am swimming to FLORIDA for Spring Break.  Here is the deal, I have to swim 600 miles in the pool (down and back=1 mile) before I leave for spring break.  I am halfway so far!

5.  In 15 days I will be on my way to Disney World with my mom!! I absolutely cannot wait.   Some people think I am silly for taking a trip to Disney world as a senior in college for spring break, but I could not think of a better place to go and who better to go with...thanks MOM! :o)

6.  I do not watch television except for the Bachelor.  It is funny to me that that is the only show that I can get hooked on!  I cannot wait to devote my life next Monday and Tuesday for the most dramatic ending in Bachelor history!  If you watch it, I would love to hear what you think is going to happen...feel free to leave a comment or two.  I honestly think that he picks Melissa, breaks up with her on "after the rose ceremony", and then picks Molly.  Who knows?!?! I probably think about this too much, but it is fun.  

So, there you go! 6 new fun facts about me.

A Sweet Treat: My Children and Brooke Fraser

I have to share this song with you.  My friend Natalie met me after class on Tuesday to give me a treat.  Usually my after school treats consist of a chocolate chip cookie or some kind of sweet treat, but not on Tuesday.  She gave me a Lent devotional book, "My Children", that a man from our church wrote for his three children.  I am starting it tonight!!  Along with this sweet devotional, she gave me Brooke Fraser's CD.  You may have heard her song "Shadowfeet" on a Christian radio station lately.  I love that song, but I also love the other songs that are on her album.  My favorite song is called "Faithful." Here are the lyrics...

 

There's distance in the air and I cannot make it leave

I wave my arms' round about me and blow with all my might

I cannot sense you close, though I know you're always here

But the comfort of you near is what I long for

When I can't feel you, I have learned to reach out just the same

When I can't hear you, I know you still hear every word I pray

And I want you more than I want to live another day

And as I wait for you maybe I'm made more faithful

All the folly of the past, though I know it is undone

I still feel guilty one, still trying to make it right

So I whisper soft your name, let it roll around my tongue,

Knowing you're the only one who knows me

You know me

When I can't feel you, I have learned to reach out just the same

When I can't hear you, I know you still hear every word I pray

And I want you more than I want to live another day

And as I wait for you maybe I'm made more faithful

Show me how I should live this

Show me where I should walk

I count this world as loss to me

You are all I want

You are all I want

This song meets me and hopefully you no matter where you are in life.  It's a song that is real and full of truth about how sometimes we are in a place where we can't feel or hear the Lord and that is ok as long as we are faithful to pray continually and reach out for His hand to guide us, and He will on His divine timeline.  It encourages me in my faith to sincerely say and genuinely believe that "you are all I want."  One thing that has been hard for me in this season of growing up and finding my way is surrendering my plans to Jesus.  So, I also pray for Him to "show me how I should live and show me where I should walk."  My favorite promise is that through all of this "stuff" our faith will be strengthened, and we will be all the more closer to our Heavenly Father.  That is a gift.  All these thoughts are a little jumbled, but I hope you can listen to this song and be encouraged as much as I am!  Enjoy!

Over the Hill

Goodness gracious! I am overjoyed and overwhelmed by the news I am about to share with you.  Last night, Thursday night, we had Young Life club as usual, but....WE HAD 50 KIDS SHOW UP!  Yup, that's right, 50, and we all seemed to somehow fit into a tiny living room.  Not only were there 50 kids, but I would say at least 1/2 would be considered urban kids.  God is incredible. I have no other explanation of how we reach and connect with some of these kids other than Jesus.  This fills me up with joy, but overwhelms me with thoughts like:  Central club is growing, and we have no where to go!  I ask for you, my blog followers, to pray for a place to have club.  For the past couple of weeks, we have been blessed to be able to meet at the homes of our kids, but we need more room.  I couldn't think of a better pickle to be in!!  Now, I want you to meet Victoria...

She is beautiful! I have been meeting with and getting to know this sweet girl for three years.  Our friendship has definitely grown a whole, whole, whole lot.  Vic is precious to me because honestly, I see a lot of who I was in high school in her.  She is blessed with an unbroken home, unlike many of my girls.  Her parents love her dearly, but yet she still seems to be searching for more love...the love that only Jesus can give her.  It has taken a long time for us to really get to know each other.  I am just now getting little glimpses of what is going on in her heart.  I want Vic to know that she is precious and beautiful.  I want her to be confident in who she is because she was "fearfully and wonderfully" made.

*By the way, I wrote this on Friday, but for some reason did not publish it! Technology....*

Windy Gap...Doctor Style

Jess and I with our girls this fall at Windy Gap

About 11:30 p.m. last Thursday night I received a phone call from my dear friend Jessica.  Jessica is on my Young Life team and my best friend.  She couldn't be more opposite than me, so when people realize how close we are they laugh a lot.  We are a perfect balance!  Anyway, she called me Thursday night screaming and so excited that she couldn't say anything.  After a couple of screams, she hung up.  We had talked earlier about going up to Windy Gap, a Young Life camp in North Carolina for the Tennessee Region Leadership Weekend, but we didn't think there was going to be enough room for me.  She was going up with our friend Mckenzie  because Mckenzie was going to be the "doctor" for the weekend and Jess her "family."  After that short conversation, I knew I was going.  She did call me back later, after she had calmed down a bit.  We went to the Central basketball game with our Young Life team and then headed up to the Gap on Friday night!  The weekend was so fun.  I got to see faces of friends I do not usually see because they are in another area other than Knoxville.  It also felt very funny to be at a camp not running around with high school girls, but I loved it!  We had talks of God's love that hit home and were incredible reminders and pictures of just how much I am loved and adored by my Heavenly Father.  We also made history on Saturday night at Windy Gap.  It was the first time ever that a live band came up and played in the dining hall.  We danced the night away.  It was also pretty incredible to look out over the club room and realize how different each and every one of us looked and acted, but we were all there for the same purpose:  to love because He first loved us!  It was a perfect Valentine's Weekend with many special valentines in my life.