I'm SO excited! It worked out for me to go with Allison this coming week on her "road trip," so we'll be going to Atlanta, GA and then to Birmingham, AL. I know we're going to have a blast! It took a little work on my part to get my schedule worked out, but it will totally be worth it. So posting here will be scarce or nonexistant for most of the week. We're leaving here Tuesday morning and getting back the following Monday (Labor Day) and then I'm moving on Tuesday, so who knows when I'll get back to posting regularly. Hopefully pretty soon after moving, because we should have newly-installed high speed internet in the dorms! Yay! But knowing how everything works at school, there will probably be some kinks to work out or something. If all else fails and I'm desperate to write, I'll post from the computer lab. Anyway, if you don't hear from me for a while, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth or anything! I shall return.

There's a new song on the radio that I like the message of. It's called "If We are the Body" and I'm not sure who sings it (maybe Mercy Me?). The chorus says something like "If we are the Body, why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? If we are the Body, why aren't His feet going? Why is His love not showing?" I thought the message of it was great: if we are the Body of Christ, we should be fulfilling the things Christ would do if He were still in the flesh. That's our purpose. A little convicting, isn't it? Later.

"I guess you can't expect people without vision, faith or dreams to understand a person who is all about that."

--Allison

"A dreamer among the realists... it's a travesty."

--Laci

My thought for the day: don't base all decisions in life on what seems most practical, most logical, or most profitable. This is good for many decisions, but some must be left up to dreams, hopes, aspirations, desires, and plain ol' gut instinct (a.k.a. God's still small voice inside you). "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8). This was not a practical, logical, or seemingly profitable move for Abraham. Rather, it seemed to be a very foolish, illogical, irrational, childish move. Things are not always what they seem. This was the best choice Abraham probably ever made: the choice to set human logic aside and follow after his calling. Not only did others not understand Abraham's move, even he couldn't understand why it was that he needed to go. He just knew he had to, and that was that. A faith that can move mountains should be able to move us, as well.

THE PIECES FIT by Considering Lily...

I was like a jigsaw with pieces missing / a square peg in a round hole / like trying to climb the ladder but always slipping / high jump, short pole / I was stained 'til He came to cleanse me / I was torn 'til He came to mend me / it was a match made in heaven / from the moment we connected

His grace for my shame / His death for my blame / His stripes for my pain and the pieces fit /
His joy for my grief / His hurt my relief / my doubt His belief and the pieces fit / And the pieces fit

I was like a story without an ending / mistery with no clue / a maze where each direction is deceiving / with no one to lead you / I was confused 'til His answers reached me / unaware 'til he came to teach me / it was a match made in heaven / from the moment we connected

(chorus) / it's no wonder I've been made whole / since I surrendered my heart and my soul / (chorus)

FOOD!

You know what's great about cooking, besides the fact that it is followed by eating? If you cook something with a big fancy name, people are impressed, even if it wasn't hard to cook. So I guess that ruined the chance of you being impressed that I made "seasoned shrimp, fettuccine, and cheese tortellini alfredo" tonight! Yeah, it was way good. Last night I made my specialty: Chicken-Broccoli Casserole. That was really good, too. I've decided that people who cook the stuff that the cooking shows tell you how to cook have way too much time on their hands. The stuff I cook is good, but it doesn't take all day. On those cooking shows, they'll be like, "...and while your meat is slow-roasting for 4 hours, you should start your side dish, because it takes about 2-and-a-half hours to prepare." Yeah right. Like real people have that much time. And Emeril said something today about his roast maranating for 48 hours! Like I can think about Thursday's dinner on Tuesday! Anyway, I don't know why all this talk about cooking. I guess because I've done it for two consecutive days, which is odd.

This was my day today: wake up really late; eat a little; lay out in the sun for about 45 minutes; jump in the neighbor's pool to cool off; take a shower; watch a couple episodes of "A Wedding Story"... my favorite; eat a pear; dry my hair (I didn't mean for that to rhyme); 30 minutes of Pilates; throw some laundry in the washer; eat some grapes; eat more grapes; do more laundry; eat a PB&J sandwich; more laundry; cook dinner; a bunch of other miscelleanous things to fill the evening. I'm sure I ate a few more times in there! I'm all about the philosophy that it's better to eat little bits several times a day rather than big amounts 2 or three times a day. Today's all about food. I have these kinds of days, then I'll have a day where I couldn't care less about eating. I'm weird.

I'm just writing out of sheer boredom today. I wish I had something "valuable" to write. Nope. Nothing of any value today. Hopefully I'll have something some time this week. Who really knows. Later.

Crushed hopes...

I have this friend who just makes me so sad sometimes. Here's the story. She got saved several years ago (about two, I think), which I was incredibly excited about, but she still doesn't "get" God. I don't know that I've ever seen an ounce of passion in her about the things of God, nor have I seen her experience true spirit-filled worship. Okay, I know you could say this about lots of people, but it's quite severe in her case. It's like she really just doesn't care. She comes to church most of the time, but I would say it's mostly for the social aspect of it. While there, it's as if everything we do has absolutely no value to her. Singing is just something we do; preaching is just something to listen to, if she even bothers to stay for that part; and while the Bible study is expected to be "good," I doubt seriously if she could tell me what it was about as soon as it's over. I just want to scream at her: "God is so much bigger than you can see. It's not about doing the church thing; it's about having a passionate relationship with God." It makes me so sad to see her like she is. I had such great hopes for her. God has such great hopes for her. I just want her to get a glimpse of who God is. I'm convinced it would permanently alter her perspective.

Other than this, I had a pretty good day. Point of particular interest is that the pastor's message coincided with my quiet time today. He even quoted one of the verses I read this morning. That's always incouraging, because it reassures me that I'm reading what I'm reading for a purpose. I don't believe in "coincidences"; I believe God plans for things to fit perfectly together.

Upcoming events: hmmmm.... not much. Really, really not much. The next two weeks look kinda bleak. I'm only working like two days this week, due to my hours being cut, which I mentioned yesterday. Don't yet know what my last week of work will be like. The last weekend of the month, however, we will be keeping "the kids" at my house. That's my youngest neice and nephew. Brandy is two months away from being 4 years old, and Cody is nearly 5-and-a-half (and started school this year, so I'm sure I'll hear all about it). It's a horribly inconveinient (sp?) time for them to come, though, because I'll be doing a bunch of laundry and packing to move on the following Tuesday. I have this brilliant idea, however, which isn't any more conveinient but a bunch of fun: Allie is going on a road trip of sorts the last week of the month, and if I could somehow manage not to work at all that week rather than the one or two days that they will probably schedule me, I could try to convince her to let me go with her! (And since I haven't mentioned this to her yet, Allie will learn of my "brilliant" idea as she reads it here on Monday while at work!) I'm pretty sure this plan of mine will not work at all, but it would be fun if it did. Hey, it's nice to dream! Anyway, back to the upcoming events. The singles' group from church is going on a Labor day retreat to St. Augustine, which I am not going on, due to moving the next day and the cost of the trip. I may go down and hang out with them on Labor day though. (They will be there for 4 days, Monday being the last.) Kind of a weird plan for me, since I will then return home, pack my car, and return to St. Augustine the next day. I haven't decided yet. I may, or I may not. Then... TUESDAY is moving day! Hip-Hip-Hooray! I've told friends that I believe God implanted this little switch thingy in people's brains so when they turn 18 it suddenly becomes more and more unbearable to live at your parents' house. The summer hasn't been horrible or anything; it's just that I'm like a fully-functioning adult 8 months out of the year, but for the 4 that I'm here, I'm suddenly treated just like a high schooler again. I'm ready to be away again!

Well, that's about it. If I write any more it will just be jibberish. I'm sure if you've read this far you're bored to tears already. I apologize! Happy Monday to all, and to all a good night.

Later!

I went to the Ginny Owens concert last night. It was great. She's such a terrific person with a serious voice! And I got to meet her, too! It's always nice when you know the daughter of the guy who's company sponsored the concert! I was rather inspired by a man and his daughter who sat on our row during part of the concert. The girl was mentally and slightly physically handicapped and doesn't speak at all. The dad was just the sweetest thing in the world. As they were sitting down, he introduced himself and his daughter, and explained that she didn't talk and had the mental level of a 4 year old (I think she was probably about 16). Aside from just being a nice guy, the man seemed to have incredible patience, love, and perserverance for his daughter. He didn't get irritated that she continually wanted to stand; he didn't have a short temper; he showed no signs of "I'm really tired of this and just need a break"; his patience amazed me. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have a handicapped child who you had to do nearly everything for, never getting a break to enjoy what the rest of us see as a "normal" life. It would be like having a new born baby for a lifetime, except with even more challanges. Babies are only helpless for a short time, and then you get to go on with life. A child like this, however, never quits needing that help. I truely believe it takes a special person to raise a handicapped child well. I'm not sure if you're a "better person" first, and that's why God allows you to have a child like that--because you can handle it--, or if you become a "better person" for having had a child like that--because it teaches you so much. [did that make sense?] Either way, I highly admire those who spend their lives caring for another. Truely amazing.

Another person who was at the concert was Michael J. Fox. Not really; just a guy who looked sooooo much like him. He was sitting right in front of us, and every time he turned his head and I could see his profile, I thought, "look, it's Michael J. Fox!" Afterwards, Allison told me she thought he looked like him, too, before I even mentioned it. It was quite funny.

Countdown: 16 days till moving! Yay! I'm so ready to be back at school. (You couldn't have paid me to say that during high school!) I'll be glad to see everybody, and I'll be glad to be back on a regular schedule. My summer schedule has been so completely random. I'm ready for a little order to return to my life, although along with the order of the schedule comes the chaos of school work! Speaking of random schedules, now that the school shopping rush is over my hours have been cut drastically at work. It really stinks. I mean, it's not that I sit around and say, "boy I wish I was at work" but I need the hours for the sake of the money! Talk about scrimping and saving-- that's going to be this school year's motto for me! I was very lucky that my mom offered to pay for my school clothes the other day, so I can save a little more of the little I have made this summer.

Other news... Lesson from yesterday's devotions: the truely "better person" will never say, "I'm better than you are." That's the condensed version, but it covers the main point.

Not much else to write about. Oh, BTW Quinn... there's a comment you might be interested in reading from a few posts ago, not to drop any hints or anything!

Later.