Incorruptible.

I wonder what hobbies I'll take up as I'm growing older (ohkay, I am only twenty, but still). My dad watches birds, excuse me--Chickadees-- outside the window of our computer room. And I quote, "Holy smokes! Gotta pull out one of my books to identify this bird ", bird map in hand. I think I get my love of nature from him. I'm not an avid bird watcher quite yet, but.. time will tell. Either way, I love that he appreciates the creation.

Mom is in her room chatting up a storm. I'm waiting on her so we can finish buying a few last minute Christmas gifts. This year I attempted to be crafty and create gifts for a few people, and I must say, it's way more rewarding, and relaxing. Unless you try to crochet and fail miserably (whoops). Teaching me some serious patience and perseverance--yes, I'm still referring to crocheting, haha. Gosh. For some reason I thought it'd be a really genius idea to take up multiple new hobbies at once. All of which I had no previous gifts or special talents to make me think I'd somehow succeed. 1) Guitar -- it's coming along. slowly, but surely, 2) Crocheting-- think I already addressed this... :(, and 3) Piano -- I took lessons in 3rd grade, does that count as previous experience? Honestly, I think it's just that I suddenly have free time, so I feel like I should make the most of it. My family thinks I'm going crazy. Either that, or turning into a Grandma. Hm.

I cannot believe it's almost Christmas again. This year feels different, though. Less focused on the stress of it all, and more focused on... (yes I'm saying it) The reason for the Season. It's been sweet to see my family grow in just one years time. So much to give thanks for, but still so many aspects to be persistent in praying about. It's simple to just not pray for things that are going well in life, but those things are so much more apt to be corrupted; should be praying all the more for them, huh?

" Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible." Ephesians 6:24

Incorrupt love.

I'd never heard it mentioned like that..

in⋅cor⋅rupt⋅i⋅ble

  [in-kuh-ruhp-tuh-buhl]

that cannot be perverted or bribed

that will not dissolve, disintegrate, decay, etc. Synonyms: 1. upright, righteous, unbribable. .....Just something to chew on :) Not many things on this earth are incorruptible, huh? That time again, Pieces of Joy ! - Relaxation - Time with my sister - A trip to Washington, DC with Jacob and Em to visit his family - Going to the mall and managing to find peace among the...uh,...crazy shoppers - Pretzels at the mall, mm! - Baking christmas cookies and watching Kirk ruin every cookie he attempted to decorate - Having time to read - ...and write :) - Arts and crafts - trying to play guitar and sing at the same time--much harder than it looks - Taking pictures - Sitting in jamies allllllll daaaay looonnggggg - Watching movies:) oh dang, mom's ready to go.. I'll finish pieces of joy soon :D his love!

one year!

It's official. I've had this blog now for over one year! Grant-it I have been slacking major on updating, I'm pumped to have one year of my life recorded for all the social media butterflies to see. That's actually kind of strange and creepy..maybe I should rethink this whole blogger deal.. nah:)

Gosh, the week has been absolutely nuts! Went from a (sort of) relaxing Thanksgiving break to this extreme of studying and being super busy. It's so funny to look back on previous years of Finals week throughout my college experience. I thought I was busy then, hahah.. It's been somewhat enjoyable getting to work on Public Relations-related projects, though. I really like my major:) Nerd alert, huh?

Times like these that remind you, or..not even remind--they straight up show you-- that I simply cannot even possibly manage to do all of this on my own, or even dwell in the stress of it all. You learn he provides rest, and him alone. All you can do is pray, and laugh a little at the ridiculousness of college.

Been skimming through Jeremiah this week; talks a lot about God's wrath. Those people were

in a constant state of restlessness without God on their side. I remember feeling a lot like them

before knowing Him. It's exhausting. It's like Finals week every day of your life, and you feel like no one understands you or even wants to be a part of your mess.

God does.

How sweet is that?

"Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret

places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord"

Jeremiah 23:23-24

hm.

man I'm almost nervous about this pieces of joy posting. It's been too long. Too much thankfulness to be listed ...seriously.

Here goes nothing...

Joys:)

-thanksgiving with friends/family....and by family, I mean the Gridleys

-Running the half in 2:03 without training (last year 2:11 with) and almost dying/passing out..hahah..

-Deciding it was a good idea to run 13.1 miles with turf toe

-Going to Anna Maria the beginning of the break and sitting on the beach

-Falling out of a tree...are you suprised?

-Writing on my blog when I should tooooootally be studying

-Having moved OUT of the Green House and into the sweet new APT

-Having HEAT, AC, WASHER/DRYER, DISHWASHER!!!!!!! THIS PLACE IS THE RITZ!

-Learning to just love with no strings attached (hey, nsync)

-Sitting in the libe study rooms with Jules, Katie Mac, and Ashtyn as they worked for over 17 hours STRAIGHT on some Exercise science project

-Being surprisingly productive, and realizing I've been spelling 'surprised' without the 'r' for quite some time now..

-Jacob encouraging (okay, forcing) me not to stop running during the half, AND staying with me the entire time when he could have ran it way faster. He's way nice:)

-The picture taken of me during the half that my brother so graciously posted on my wall..It's hideous. Or did I mean to say hilarious?

-Having christmas lights hanging from my ceiling! I LOVE THIS ROOM SO MUCH.

-Christmas parties!

-...I would say cold weather is a joy, but let's be honest.. I really, really dislike coldness.

-Oh, Twilight..the movie. Mm.

-Short hair!...ish

-Talking to my mom for a really long time today. And realizing how hard it must be to be...well, a mom. Parents need our prayers too ;)

-John Mayer's new CD, Battle Studies.

-My sister is a joy.

- Picking out a new bicycle so I can start biking! For real. And give my mom back her comfort bike. I will miss you, comfy seat.

-Driving to Atlanta to see a Drive-in Movie, haha, like Grease. Except we brought lots of gummy worms and chex mix:)

-Finished a journal and got to start a new one:) I do love notebooks.

-Thinking it's about time to retire the Hello Kitty blanket. Sad, sad day.

-Looking forward to seeing old friends over the break!

-Learning to just not make a back-up plan, but to just pray and trust the He has my best in mind, and will do things as he sees best fit. My ways are way ...more dumb.

-Wondering how I am such a Grandma and I'm still only twenty... Gosh, I'm only twenty.

- Oh yeah, Jenna, her dad, and my dad all ran the half as well! hahah.. so funny. Thanksgiving

dinner was a little slow to say the least

shew. I cannot write anymore. There's no way. It's 11:24 PM...way past my bedtime, haha, but seriously..

ps. IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS! yessss!

his love! (way sweeter than my own)

For when I am weak..

Just got in from a relaxing evening with the girls.

We made bracelets. So girly, and so..well, refreshing.

I do love being in a crafty mood; seems to be happening more often lately, but I can't figure out what's the meaning behind the sudden urge to be artsy. Maybe sitting in Blackbird coffee shop did it to me. Then again, maybe it's the past week's unusual gift of free time. Regardless, I don't hate it. But I do wonder what it'd be like to be one of those really unique, creative people. You know who I mean. The person who's every thought keeps you unusually interested. It's 11:32 pm, which might explain this rambling. Maybe there's a point, though.

Ah, yes. Here it is, haha: I was reminded a lot this week of how the lord created my heart uniquely and creatively. Only he knows the remedy to bring my heart and soul to rest. Makes you really realize you're his child when he calms or creates a situation to show his strength through your weakness. hm. Way to be awesome, lord.

and then he showed me this:)

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

aaand

"For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

(1 Corinthians 1:25)

...gosh I have so, so much room to grow.

pieces of joy time, yes!

-baking bread and not following the recipe, hah...

-the oven warming up my house, thank goodness

-waking up in the middle of the night with a frozen face

-playing 'lucky' by jason mraz on the guitar and slowly learning to sing along

-lying in the grass and watching leaves fall

-sunshine:)

-sitting on my roof!

- girl time

- linner with alicia, and our current obsession with Einstein Bagels

-sleeping in until 8!

-having a newfound love for photography

-plugging in a night light...I'm twenty.

-tomorrow and sunday:)

-rest

-downloading matt wertz' cd FOR FREE online!

-talking to jboi on the phone, finally

-seeing the power of prayer

-i already said this, but i love it that much. AUTUMN and LEAVES. mm.

-needing to purchase a pair of closed-toe shoes... TOMS perhaps?

-debating whether or not to turn on my heating blanket..hm

-dropping my straightener on my foot, did I mention that in the last blog? but it's healing:)

-learning how my ways are really and truly so much lesser than his

-thoughts of bringing out the slanket. It's about that time.

- Jacob and I going to walmart to buy a slingshot to shoot at squirrels from my roof. Probably not safe

-Walmart being sold out of sling shots?...and York peppermint patties.

-wanting to go to NYC asap. or the mountains. or even the beach for that matter.

I'll try to be updating this more often. So much goodness going on

his love!

Take and Seal it

"Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above."

I love when lyrics seem to sum up your exact feelings.

Gosh, I'm so prone to wander. The thought of leaving the God I love.. hm, hurts my heart.

Sitting in the libe, as usual. Been sweet to see how priorities have fallen right into place when I leave it to the Lord and manage to seek him first. I willfully try to plan each day, hour by hour, and where do I end up? Frustrated and hating spontaneity more than I thought possible, haha, gosh.

When I just realize I have nothing, I've lost it all, things just ...well, work. It's the strangest thing. The lord is so deserving:) and sufficient.

Found this verse this morning, Psalm 51:12 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me."

He sustains our lives, so he IS sufficient; further proving our being a whole lotta' nothing. But then I'm reminded of my dad's love for us and his building us and growing us up in him, so we lack nothing when seeking him and his glory in all we do.

I love how faith all connects. Each aspect leads to another and clarifies many other aspects.

Wow, most random blog entry ever, huh? haha :)

ode to joy (revamped pieces of joy, haha:)

music

lyrics

mom sending texts where she writes in ALL CAPS

learning to love cold weather..(tough)

slumber parties with D group girls

laurie making breakfast for brittany and I :)

dropping my straightener and it clamping on my foot, typical

eating HOT soup every day (and tea)

making a linner with Alicia and discovering 4:30 to be much too late a time for linner

running in cold weather ( numb body= no pain)

the lord teaching me about priorities

focusing on strengths and weaknesses being perfected through them

restful weekends

going to an Army Ranger school graduation(awesome)

plans to go home this weekend to be with bay! and hopefully trick or treat, haha

sowing my moccasins after breaking (by sowing I mean hot glue..)

having a pet squirrel that hangs out on our AC window units all day and night

meeting 13 members of jake's family..all at once, ha. they're really great.

having aspirations to actually start cooking something besides my "dish" (rice,chicken, veggies, and sauce...it tastes much better than it sounds. I think.)

not wanting to go back to my freezing cold house.. and thinking of ways to campout in the libe

sitting on the roof:)

being asked "If I were a power ranger, which one would I be?" and "Why"?

....responding to the previous question, "the pink ranger, Kimberly"

discovering i like Grace Potter a lot...and discovering this after I had already NOT gone to the deep roots festival that night, haha, whoops

the temptation to buy TOMS..

that's all for now:) his love!

perspective.

Listening to Francis Chan and eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch on this Friday afternoon:)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7815550195732165394&ei=LJDYSoGfMJC2rgKixbW0Dg&q=francis+chan+sermon&hl=en#

I love how the Lord provides exactly what I need (not necessarily want) to hear. The week had been interesting to say the least, got super caught up in school work, and almost even got mad at God for it. Wow.

So, in light of Francis' sermon 'Intimacy with God," What if I had just had an eternal perspective?

I acted like a...well, fool.. questioning my own father. And he still stands there, holding my hand; guiding my way. mm, mm.

Psa 73:23 Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand.
	Psa 73:24	You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
	Psa 73:25	Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth.
Fall break was a really sweet time. Got to spend some quality time with Bay. It's so neat watching her grow. I think that's something I love most. Watching people grow into the characteristics of Jesus. Really a beautiful thing. She's such an encouragement; the most chill fourteen- year old you will ever meet. But seriously, interesting to see how someone that young can teach me so much. ello, joy:) seeing family grow. seeing family, period. watching bay kick butt in soccer, and trip a girl.. having had this cough forrr.. 1 month and 1 week (record). SAVANNAH with elle, mary alice, and molls this saturday! Jenna winning homecoming last weekend. my Father and his crazy(awesome)plan. rain jackets. the sky looking like it should give us some snow:) learning patience with technology.. laughing with tae. photographs. watching the leaves change. whippin' out the sweats and hot tea to prepare for the freezing winter ahead. hugging friends. sleeping in until 7:15! boyfriend jeans. thinking my sis was having a sweet birthday bash last weekend, but finding out it wasn't until..well, today :( understanding. learning about a life devoted to prayer plenty plenty more joy, but my brain is quite honestly fried. haha, dang school. his love!		My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.