wake up call

wow, this has been a day for wake up calls. i've had a few, so let's just go in chronological order:

1.) this morning pastor emmert rocked my world with a point he made. his sermon was on a heart of sacrifice and he said this: how dare we consider anything we "give up for God" a sacrifice? i mean, it's all His anyways, so why would we even think that anything we give to God a huge deal on our parts??? and then later in his sermon, pastor said that when you truly love someone, giving something up for them is not a sacrifice at all. Christ dying on the cross wasn't necessarily a sacrifice. He did it willingly and gladly because He loved me, this whole world, that much. oh that i would be able to love my God back like that.

2.) later tonight at cross-trainers one of my high school girls just rocked the house. she told the group about how she was walking down the hall of her school, talking to God and just decided that she was over the whole trying to be a 'cool' Christian thing. about worrying about her reputation if she actually talked to one of her classmates about Jesus. she resolved in her heart that she was going to witness to her friends, no matter who said what about her. totally cool coming from a high school sophomore.

3.) right before bed tonight, i was on the phone with my best friend and had yet another reality check. she reminded me, in not so many words, that i tend to emotionally give my heart away to too many people, specifically those of the male persuasion. just reminded me that i needed to guard my heart so fiercely that whoever wants it is gonna have to fight for it and prove himself worthy. i AM a princess after all :) to sum up this last point, i'm going to borrow some words from carrie underwood: "the more boys i meet, the more i love my dog!" (haha, great song, and i know, kinda random, but i LOVE IT!)

wow, that's a lot to chew on, but i think it helped writing it out. so, there ya go, world!

i thought it was funny

found this on youtube...it's pretty funny...reminded me of the campus wide assassin game we played last year...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNuRQmvykwk


if you need a smile today, go check it out!

holy moly

a run down on my day yesterday:

9 AM chiropractor

10 AM morning workouts

11-3 work at PT office

4 PM soccer game (tied 2-2, but i scored!!!)

(in the 20 minute break i had, i kept score for the softball game and helped set up the sound system for band practice via cell phone.)

5:30 PM frisbee game

7 PM frisbee game goes into overtime

7:30 PM final score, 16-14...we came back from a 10-5 deficit to win!

8 PM fix dinner

9 PM start homework

12 PM finish homework and hit the hay. what an amazing, yet tiring day...

records: Victorious Secret (girls' soccer team) 2-1
Airborne (co-ed frisbee team) 1-0

you are the music in me...

:D i really like that song, and so what if it's from HSM 2??? it's one of those that i like to really belt it out when i'm riding alone in my car... but anyways, i had an inspirational moment the other night and i decided to try to capture all those thoughts into coherent words, so here goes...

i have realized of late that music has become quite a substantial part of my life. i mean, duh, i'm a product of my generation, so of course, i'm going to be slightly obsessed with music, but no seriously, it's a big part of my life. over the past few years i've become a GIANT fan of country music...i mean, 3 out of my 6 presets in my car are country stations; i watch CMT and GAC religiously; am a member on CMT.com; and spend ridiculous amounts of money to see my favorite stars in person (in the past 6 months i've been to see keith urban, george strait, brad paisley, and about to go see kenny chesney...). i seriously love it and think it is a passion of mine. and i think it's kinda funny because the extent of my musical ability is to play the kazoo and keep up when we're playing rock band... go figure.

but i was sitting the other night listening to my friends "jam" on their various instruments and i was just totally amazed at the gift God has given the world in music. my mind went back all the way to the first guy who thought "hey, if i stretch this string really tight and hit it, it makes a cool noise...and what if i put it together with this hollow box that i beat on...that makes a fun noise too..." and seeing how they all come together to make such beautiful sounds just utterly amazes me sometimes. because i try to imagine a world where music isn't there and it's impossible for my mind. music is a huge part of our world. it can influence our moods, our thoughts, inspire actions, whether their happy or sad. i mean, i've been in a situation before when i've had a totally crummy day and heard my favorite song and i cannot help but smile and feel my spirits lift.
music is also a huge part of how i talk to my God. there have been so many times when i've been praying and talking to God and my heart just picks up in the middle of a praise song. i'm so thankful for those who can put into words better than i can how i feel sometimes.

and to see people who have such a passion to play these instruments just totally blows me away. take one of my best friends for example. i was talking to his dad as he was playing the other night and he was telling me that when he was only 5 years old, his parents gave him a play drum set and he sat down that christmas morning and started beating out rhythms...which blows this little white girl's mind [i really have to work to have rhythm ;)]. and when he plays his guitar, you can just tell that he is in his element. its like that guitar is just an extension of his arms and hands, it's the most natural part of him. and he is doing what God has created him and blessed him to do, using his talents to glorify his Creator. and that's how i know he's gonna make it as a songwriter or recording artist, because i see how he is when he sings or performs, or the look on his face when he gets an idea for a song. his passion is real and he's got the determination to see his dream through.

i think if i could develop that kind of passion for the work that God has called me to do-- if i could look forward to going to the physical therapy office the same way i see my friends love their music, then my life will be one amazing ride. so challenge time: find your passion and follow it 100%. do the things you love and do them well. use your gifts that God has given you. if it's singing, then by gosh, sing. if it's dancing, then you better dance like there's no tomorrow dang it. or if its writing, preaching, racing nascar, knitting, flying airplanes, running, loving on kids, loving on old people, cooking, cleaning, talking, making movies, working on computers, training animals, or balancing spoons on your nose, then DO IT! find that one thing that when you do it, you feel like you're being your most...you. that one thing that if you had to describe yourself with ONE THING, that would be it. and then do everything you can to be the BEST at your passion. develop your talents and dreams.

wow, listen to me preach. guess i better get off here before i get too far gone. later days!

i'm just sittin' out here watching airplanes...

okay, so i'm not really sittin' on the hood of my car, lookin' up at a caramel colored sunset sky, but that song is still in my top 5 (gary allan, go check it out) and it fits my mood right now, so just indulge me a little...

today was just one of those days where everything kept making me smile. woke up and had some quality time with miley dog. went and worked out, FINISHED MY PROSPECTUS!!!
**just for the record, that was hanging huge over my head, but it's done, it was great, it's turned in, and i don't have to worry about it for a looooong while**

to continue my good day:
* got out of genetics lab early
* the weather was warm enough for a t-shirt and chacos
* spent some time at the smith farm with the animals YAY!
if you know me at all...me + the farm + the animals = me being my best me
* had the first "all intern, without brian, led wednesday night SOUL'D OUT and it went amazingly well!!! daniel did an amazing job communicating what was on his heart to our students. and they really got what he was saying. we had an awesome prayer time at the end. i love hearing my students pray. it blesses my socks off every time. they are developing such hearts for their lost friends and i can't wait to see what God has in store for them.
* surprise visit from joe! i really love that guy. he's always so encouraging and makes me laugh a lot! made me realize i need to go spend time with my second family before i leave for the summer
* got to talk to alan tonight about spending summer 09 in south africa... this seriously could happen and it would be an absolute DREAM COME TRUE! i'm stll praying about it, but God keeps opening doors and i'm still walking through them til He says stop!
* had late dinner with joe, pastor emmert, whit-dog, and daniel at SMOKEYS...mmm... we talked and laughed and closed the place down catching up.
* went to go check on the animals again with daniel. got to talk country music stuff and encourage one of my best friends.
*got a phone call from maddie and now have a "date" for spring formal...with all my girls!


it's days like these that make up for the not so great ones. i wish i could just bottle it up and bring it out when i need a little sunshine in my life. i know the next 2 months are going to be crazy busy, but i just try to savor days like today.

cowgirls...

just an update:

1. i worked for 8 hours yesterday at the PT clinic. LOVED IT. i really am excited that this is what i get to do with the rest of my life. i love talking to all the old people and hearing their stories. i had a conversation with a lady who was down in her back about sweet tea...made my day.

2. helped out at the Luke 14 banquet last night. every year our church puts on a night just for the mentally and physically handicapped people in our community. it was an amazing turn out. this year was county fair themed, which means i got to wear my boots and hat, which always makes me smile. my job was to get people dancing and having a good time. i loved dancing with some of the most precious men and boys that God has blessed in a unique way. they still look at the world through the eyes of a child and i love their carefree attitudes. if they felt like jumping up and spinning around in circles...or spinning me around in circles, they did. totally blessed my night.

3. may is getting close...which means camp is getting close. mixture of nervousness and excitement. still don't know where i'm going to be placed.

4. 27 DAYS TIL THE KENNY CHESNEY CONCERT! best birthday present ever. daniel and i will be on the 18th ROW to see brooks & dunn, leann rymes, gary allen, and KENNY CHESNEY. plus i get to spend the weekend in south carolina and hang out with daniel's family. totally stoked.

leaving to go adventuring with beka. later yall.

isn't it funny

so, the story goes: i was just about to fall asleep tonight when i got a call from one of my best friends. tonight he was fired up from being home for two days and having some restoration time with Jesus. he's started reading "wild at heart" (which, if you are a boy, man, guy, whatever, and you haven't read this book, DO IT!!!) anyways, he's been reading "wild at heart" which basically talks about how guys, in their innermost being, were created to be MEN. and on a grander scale, to be MEN, DANGEROUS MEN of God. and i think as a people, God has called us all to be like that, ladies too. our 45 minute conversation could best be summed up like this:

What if, as Christians, we were known for the way we LOVE people. not for what we stand against. instead of making what's supposed to be a personal relationship with a pretty amazing God into a list of do's and don'ts, what if we just passionately fell in love with Jesus and let the rest fall into place. i think the writer of Hebrews said it better than i could, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and let us RUN THE RACE that has been marked out before us" and, not just that this is a verse about racing, which i love, but i think he makes a good point here. if you've ever been part of the racing scene...real, road, on your feet, one foot in front of another racing, you know that it's not just this passive event that you go out and do on a sunday afternoon. it is a real battle that goes on between your muscles and your body and your mind. you're pushing yourself to a whole new limit and beyond even that to a point where you literally feel like you're going to die. but you wouldn't dare give up because, as painful as it is, at the same time, it's the best feeling in the entire world and you would rather die than stop...
what if our relationship with Christ were like that??? what if i were so passionately in love with Jesus, that i would love my daily walk the same way i love to run. and even on the days where i just don't "feel like it," i do it anyways because i would rather die than go a day without spending time with my Savior. i think that if i devote myself whole-heartedly to falling in love with God, then everything else will fall into place...things such as not having a quiet time or not witnessing to my friends will become a moot point because if i am 100% devoted to my cause, i would automatically be doing these things. i think this is what Jesus was really trying to say in Matthew when he said "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength...All the law and the prophets rest on these commandments."

the other thing i think the writer is trying to say is, although we are being watched, which we constantly are, the race we are running is a personal battle. we can't let others dictate to us how we feel or how our relationship with God should look like. all that we are called to do is run after God as best we can and trust Him to take care of the rest. if my God has called me to be a physical therapist, then dang it, i'm going to be the best darn PT that this world has ever seen, no matter what anyone else says. even if everyone else on the planet thinks i should be a missionary, teacher, or whatever. i would not "stoop to be a king" in the words of a good friend.

this life that my God has called me to is not some mamsy-pansy, flowers and rainbows type of lifestyle. it is a dangerous adventure, better than any plot that indiana jones would even dream about being a part of. and i can't wait to see where it takes me.

to top it all of, after i got off the phone, one of the better episodes from last year's 24 came on, so i'm going to go indulge myself in some way overdue quality time with jack bauer. i think that's enough to chew on tonight. night ya'll!