(Almost) Scary Times in D.C.

Hey friends! Hope y'all have had a great weekend and were able to enjoy the beautiful fall weather. I have been on fall break since Wednesday at 4:30 (to be exact!) and am so thankful for the time I got to spend with family and friends. Classes start back tomorrow but after this post, it's back to reality as I have the privilege of reading a book and studying for a test. Yay!

My friends Daniela, Mallory, Morgan, and I went to D.C. for two nights over the break.  While we did some exciting shopping, eating, and sightseeing, and I definitely want to write about that later, I am dying to tell y'all of a couple instances when we could sense God's hand of protection during our trip.

Friday night, Morgan and I officially became women when we rode the metro all by ourselves! While I have been on the Metro and Subway several times, this was the first time I have rode without an adult. My daddy, specifically. Mallory's sister, Copeland helped us buy our tickets and down two floors we went to wait for the Orange Line labeled "Vienna."  Because our travels didn't require us to switch trains, we were relieved we could stay on the orange line until we reached our final destination, that was about a 30 minute ride away. Even though I was so excited for this little escapade with Morgie, it was nice to see a few familiar faces as we approached the platform to wait for our train. Rewind about 30 minutes. We had gotten dessert at a cupcake and a frozen yogurt place (yes, two desserts, but they were right next door to one another!)

and ran into two couples who were also eating cupcakes AND yogurt. (Side note: we started talking to them after I started singing the song "Summertime" by Rascal Flatts when I saw the "Summertime" flavored cupcake. One of them thought I was singing another song about summer so he started singing until we realized we were sing two completely different songs!) Anyway...It was nice to know someone else who would be getting on our train. Especially once one of they guys informed us they had seen a guy who looked really angry and had been yelling really loud that would also be getting on our train. Even though this angry guy was in the back and we were in the front of the car, it was easy to sense his rage and our new friend we met at the cupcake/yogurt shop seemed uneasy about him. He made sure to stand between us (Morgan and I) and the guy, in case something were to happen, and asked if we knew where to get off and if there would be someone to pick us up once we got off the Metro. Even though the angry guy got off at the next stop and there was no harm, Morgan and I were so thankful to have our new friends to watch out for us.  What are the odds we would meet these people, leave at different times from the cupcake/yogurt places, walk separate ways to the Metro, and then be getting on the same line at the same time and have them there to keep us calm about the possibly dangerous guy. We were reminded that God works out every detail of our lives and He was faithful to protect us and send these new friends our way!

Fast forward about 24 hours when the girls and I were headed home last night. We needed to stop and get gas so we stopped at a station that was not even sketchy...there was even another gas station next door.  It wasn't  even like we were in the middle of nowhere! Daniela, who was our wonderful driver, got out to pump gas. Morgan was sitting up front while Mallory and I were in the back talking to one another. Thankfully Morgan was looking around and being attentive because as soon as Daniela got back in the car she said "lock the windows" , "drive off!" Before I could even realize what was happening, two guys probably a little bit older than us, were walking towards our car and one of them was making a scary face at me as he put his hand on my car door. I don't know what his intentions were, but as soon as he realized Daniela had her foot on the gas he backed off and him and his friend walked off in the direction of the gas station next door. It all happened so quickly that I  feel like we didn't even have time to be scared until after it had happened. It was so weird because a girl had drove up and dropped them off right beside our car. It was too creepy and we were just so thankful that nothing bad happened. We thanked God for His protection once more and asked for His continued protection for the rest of the trip.

Wow...it was time to head back to North Carolina. Thank you Lord for Your protection and a great time in D.C.! More posts to come about shopping, eating, and sightseeing!

10 Day You Challenge: 9 Loves

9. Sundays. 

I love Sundays because I get to go to  Summit Church and worship the Lord with some amazing friends. Afterwards we usually go somewhere for a delicious lunch. Even though the afternoon calls for lots of homework, it's a great day overall. I also loves Sundays because this is the day I do my grocery shopping!

8. Hot Pink.

While pink is an all around great color, Hot Pink is my favorite shade of any color. How do I know Hot Pink is my favorite color? Simple. If something is Hot Pink, I get ten times more excited about it than if it was any other color!

7. Sleeping with my Window Open.

...Especially when it's raining and it smells like fall outside. I get so excited on nights when it's cool enough to sleep with my window up so when I wake up it smells like fall inside my room! If it's raining that night, my excitement just triples.

6. Hello Kitty

I always loved Hello Kitty as a little girl. My MeMe used to always take me to the Sanrio store at Crabtree Valley Mall and my eyes would just light up at all the Hello Kitty goodness. I still use my Hello Kitty hairdryer from the 5th grade that is partially broken and my most recent Hello Kitty purchase has been a toaster!

5. Panera Mac N' Cheese

Simply put, if you've never had Panera Mac N' Cheese , you need to rush to your neighborhood Panera before you even read number four. It's amazing! While you're at it, make sure you get a MyPanera card if you don't already have one. Who doesn't love free pastries and smoothies?!

4. Watching Regis & Kelly

I love my schedule this semester because most mornings I get to watch Regis and Kelly.I am pretty bummed though because Regis is leaving in November and I know it will never be the same. My grandparents got me hooked on the show when I was a little girl because they would record it every morning and watch it together at night. They still do... precious!

3. Spending time with my friends and family without the stress of school.

Spending time with the ones I love is a blessing any day but...spending time with them when I don't have schoolwork  to do is the most exciting feeling. Because it's hard to fully enjoy myself when I have a paper or test in the back of my mind, I love getting my work done before hanging out!

2. Cleaning

This will shock my Mama. Before coming to college, I never enjoyed vacuuming, cleaning windows, dusting, or doing laundry. Now that I am "living on my own," I love keeping things neat and clean! I thank my Mama for always being this way because little did I know, she was instilling this love in me. :) Now I need her to teach me how to cook!

1. Gerbera Daisies

...and not just any Gerbera Daises, PINK Gerbera Daises. I love grocery shopping at Harris Teeter because they usually have small bouquets for only $4!

10 Day You Challenge: 10 Secrets

I've had a hard time being a consistent blogger lately so I've decided to try a "10 Day You Challenge" I found on this blog I follow. I hope she won't mind me copying! Today I am supposed to tell you 10 secrets! I don't feel very secretive but I'll give it a shot....

10. Sometimes I wish I was in kindergarten again so I could appreciate nap time more than I did back then. This reminds me...When I was in kindergarten, my teacher, Mrs. Mangum had a leopard Beanie Baby she would give to the student who "took the best nap." This was a problem for me because I could never fall asleep and I really wanted the Beanie Baby to sit on my desk for a whole day. What did I do? Well, I kept my eyes closed for the entire nap time one day to pretend I was asleep and guess who got the Beanie Baby?!

9. I like eating snacks way too much, which usually includes Wheat Thins or Pretzel M&Ms. (Jocelyn got me hooked on these :) In fact...Within the past couple days, I have eaten a whole bag (not the snack size!) of Pretzel M & Ms and nearly a whole box of Wheat Thins. I'm glad they're not called "Wheat Larges" because then I  would feel guilty for eating them. Actually... probably not.


8. I've been more homesick for my family this year than I was my freshman year. I guess I just love them more than ever! Confession: I saw my sister Kateleigh at the Brad Paisley concert this weekend and it made me want to hop in the car and go home with her afterwards. Even though I wish I didn't get homesick, I am so thankful we have become so close recently!


7. I'm having a hard time coming up with these secrets! I'm realizing most of these aren't necessarily "secrets" because I feel like there's at least one person who knew each of these "secrets" already.


6. I wish I had enjoyed high school more. I love college so much but there are time times when I wish I had of gone to more football games and enjoyed my days at HCHS more than I did. Looking back, everything seemed so "simple" compared to the stress of college, but I know I will look back one day saying how simple life was in college. It's the circle of life, right? :)


5. I struggle with prayer. A lot. I am so embarrassed that I do not go to God in prayer as often as I should to share with Him my every need and lift others up in prayer. Even though He already knows these things, it shows I have forgotten He is the source of my every need when I fail to pray.


4. I went inside the library this morning and came right back out because I much rather study in my room. I told myself all morning that today would be the day for a successful library trip, but I just couldn't bare that quiet and boring dungeon!


3. I still sleep with a Teddy Bear...Unashamedly. This is not just any Teddy Bear... his name is "Daddy Bear" (because my daddy gave him to me for Valentine's Day) and he has a story. I was so excited because when I arrived at the packaging center they handed me a huge box! As soon as I got outside, I sat down at a picnic table to open the package. Out came the largest teddy bear I had ever seen. I was so excited but figured I shouldn't walk all the way back to my dorm with a giant teddy bear in my hands so I put him back in his house until I got back to my room!


2.  I am a procrastinator at heart. Okay...that's probably not a secret at all but I have been realizing lately how much better I need to become at managing my time. It's something I am really trying to work on!


1. I've been trying to finish this post for two days. Yes, I am not very good at thinking of secrets!

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and your week is off to a wonderful start. :) I was so blessed to spend time with my  family and friends this weekend and wanted to share it with you. God is good!

Vlogging...

So I was reading one of the blogs I follow today and came across a  vlog she had posted. There is a trend going around in the blogging world where bloggers create a video in which they repeat a list of words and answers a set of questions that are considered to sound different when pronounced by different people with different accents. 

Well...since most people I know at Carolina seem to think I have a southern accent, I thought it would be fun to do my own little vloggy!

Here are the words and questions: 

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?

So do you think I have an accent too? Let me know what you think and go do your own vlog...you'll have loads of fun!

Psalm 34

I found this passage to be so encouraging this morning and I wanted to share it with y'all. It was a great reminder to me that God is the only thing I need to experience true fulfillment. Hope everyone has a blessed Thursday! "Taste and see that the Lord is good." :)

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Psalm 34

New International Version (NIV)

    Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left. ¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;
   his praise will always be on my lips.
² I will glory in the LORD;
   let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the LORD with me;
   let us exalt his name together.
 ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
   he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
   and he delivers them.
 ⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
⁹ Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
   for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Whoever of you loves life
   and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from telling lies.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.
 ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
   and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to blot out their name from the earth.
 ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
   he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
 ¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
   not one of them will be broken.
 ²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
   the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD will rescue his servants;
   no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

It's been too long my friends...

Well, I have to admit I didn't even realize it had been over a month since my last post! I'd have to say the past month and some change has been wonderful. I got to spend time with my family at the lake and the beach, got to Ikea for the first time, play corn hole for the first time, go to Lilly's Pizza with Jocelyn and Olivia, move into school a week early, reunite with some great friends, attend a Matt Papa concert, all while experiencing God's goodness in news ways every day.

As I sit here trying to put things into words, I keep rewriting, backspacing, and scratching my head because I so badly want to put into words what God has done in my heart even just over the course of the past month. All I know to say is that my relationship with Him is turning more into a love story than a set of rules to follow. This summer, He really showed me that there has often been times in my life when I did things because I knew they were the right thing to do not because I was compelled by His love and that growing in Him doesn't start with behavioral changes but heart changes. Even though I cannot comprehend the full measure of His love, the more I realize how sinful I am, the more I realize how much I need him to sustain me every day and how selfless He is to love, want, and die for me. There is so much freedom in knowing there is nothing I could do that would make Him love me more or  less and that I serve Him to say "thank you" instead of trying to win His approval. While this is something I have known and believed ever since I accepted His gift of Salvation, He has certainly stamped this truth on my heart over the past months and I just want to fall in love with Him more.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." 2 Corinthians 5:14

so what's all this about? well...This changes everything.

On August 2nd, Matt Papa will release his new album, "This Changes Everything." While you may be wondering what "this" is, you are sure to find out by the first track.

Because Matt and his band desire to reach others for Christ above anything else, the CD revolves around nothing less than the selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love of Jesus Christ. The unbelievable reality that Jesus Christ, who had never sinned, would die out of love for my sins and your sins can be found throughout the entirety of the album. Whether you have been a Christian for fifty years or don't know anything about Jesus Christ, this is a message of hope, joy, and purpose...don't miss it. Furthermore, this reality should change everything about our lives. Not just who our friends are, how we spend our time, or what we do with our lives but everything.

The opening tract, "Our Sovereign God"reflects upon God's power and rule above all things.  My personal favorite, "One Thing," is a reminder that Jesus is the only "one thing worth everything" and that a life sought after Him is more fulfilling than anything. Released as a single a few months ago, "It is Finished" is a beautiful portrait of the love and mercy that flows from Jesus' blood on the cross. "What Are We Waiting For" was a much needed reminder for myself that while I may worry about God's will for my life, His ultimate will is that I go and tell others about him. "O Fount Of Love" is a beautiful hymn that exposes the adoption process a believer goes through when he or she is transformed from a slave of sin into a son or daughter of God. While these are just a few of the tracks found on the album, all of the songs remind me of how un-fulfilling the ways of the world are and how sufficient and fulfilling Jesus is! I pray this changes everything about me.

Even if you aren't usually into "Christian music," I encourage you to check out  "This Changes Everything." Whether you buy one song or the entire album, you may experience a sense of hope, joy, and purpose you have never experienced before.

So...log onto itunes on August 2nd to purchase your copy of "This Changes Everything" or check out mattpapa.com right now to pre order and receive some exclusive and exciting offers! I am making you one of the only promises I can't make in life...you won't be disappointed because This (Jesus Christ) changes everything.

If you still have questions, listen to Matt talk about the heart behind "This Changes Everything." Cool hair, huh?

I (sort of) made a cake...

So long story short, I made a cake! Well, actually me and the girls I have been babysitting made a cake together and I either helped with or watched each step so I feel like I may be able to make it on my own if I had to. (In addition to the delicious Oreo pie we made this week that I almost ruined the pudding while making.)This was a big deal for two reasons

1) I am notorious for being less than domesticated (they even told me so.)

2) This was the best cake ever...Why do you ask? It was rainbow!

My sister had made her own rainbow cake yesterday and when she sent a picture to us we decided we  wanted to make a cake too and thought why not make our own rainbow cake?

So we searched for "rainbow cake recipes" and this was the first one that popped up!
Click Here

We used traditional food coloring instead of the gel and we actually didn't have icing at the time so their mom got them some on the way home so I didn't actually get to help with the finishing touches. Although it did crack after we took it out of the oven and the blue and green kind of mixed into one color, I wanted to share some pictures because it is such a fun, simple, and yummy recipe.

"Can't touch this" 

My Mom didn't believe I had any part in baking  a cake. Here's the poof Mama. :)

 Bless their hearts, they were hungry!

"Finished" product.













Happy cake baking!

music...one way God speaks to me.

Music is one of the many ways in which God speaks to us! This is something I have become more aware of as many of the songs I have recently listened to give me such peace and joy as well as a better understanding of who Jesus is and who I'm not! I just wanted to share a couple of my favorite songs right now. I pray they would encourage and speak to you as they have done to me!

"Christ is Risen" Matt Maher

"Oh Glorious Day" (Living He loved me) Casting Crowns

 

 "Glory to God Forever" Fee

 

 

 "Your Love Never Fails" Jesus Culture

"It is Finished" Matt Papa

"All I need is You" Hillsong United 

"I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live." -Psalm 104:33

"a peace that passes all understanding..."

 I have felt God's peace and presence in my life recently more than I ever have before. I never knew that my convictions could be so freeing. Over the past couple of months, He has shown me two specific things. 1) I give too much of my attention to material things...I must find my fulfillment in Christ alone and not those pair of shoes I am "dying" to have. 2)I shouldn't "serve God" to make myself look like a "better Christian" (I don't believe there is such a thing) but rather I should feel so compelled by His death for a wretch like me that I want to display "thank you" to Him in every aspect of my life.

While these are things I have heard preached time and time again, God has shaped them into the desires of my heart. As he convicts me of areas in my life that need transforming, yes, there is regret for my sin, but there is excitement knowing that God in his grace can change me from the inside out. With that being said, this requires me too put one hundred and ten percent of my faith in him and not in my own strength like I try to do all the time. Even the smallest glimpse of Who He is and who I am not can compel me to trust His ways and not my own. While my faith may be small, (maybe even smaller than a mustard seed at this point), it has to be in Him...noONE or noTHING else. There have been several instances lately in which I have seen how even if we try to plan things on our own, even down to the finest details,  God is the most beautiful and ONLY perfect planner there is! Nonetheless, there are things in my life I still worry about and therefore am ridiculous enough to try and control on my own.

I am sorry if this post is all over the place but as the Holy Spirit constantly reminds me of my constant need for the Lord, I have to write about how HE he is changing me! I know that I have been consumed with my own selfish desires for far too long and it is my desire that He becomes my number one desire.

"So as to live the rest of the time in flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God."
1 Peter 4:2


Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'"
Matthew 22:37