I know most of you are having to pick yourself up off the floor from the disbelief that I’m posting twice in one week. Twice! Craziness I tell ya. I didn't feel right about jumping right into this somewhat of a true update post without first sharing with y’all the raw emotions of my heart, and what’s been going on over the past few months that caused my absence on this blog. 

So, that being said, let’s get to the fun stuff!

So many cool people have come into my life, and wow, I am ever so grateful. I've really involved myself with the Baptist Student Union, as well as FBC of Starkville. I don’t want to overload you, but want to share with you a few pictures from some football games (hail state!), introduce you to some new friends, and other fun events that have been going on.

Y’all have a great weekend! 

my grandparents stopped by starkville, kidnapped me, and took me to philadelphis, ms
it was a blast!
if you're ever in that area, it's an absolute that you visit Williams Brothers.
seriously, it's adorable

anna-one of my dearest friends in starkville
we froze through this game, but hey! we beat kentucky!

love these sweet girls!

was beyond thrilled to spend time with these two beauties at the fall festival

my best friend.
gosh how i miss her!

candace & i dressed as our friend, nathan, for the costume party.
i promise my jeans aren't usually flooding.
in the middle is my good friend, martin!

this is an aerial view of the corn maze we went to in eupora,
if you're in the area....go!
it's 10 acres!!!!!

brittany & i at the corn maze.
favorite part: the cotton wagon.

ashley & nathan.
so, so thankful for them.
never a dull moment.

the white family carved pumpkins.
bet you can't guess which one my dad did ;)

my sweet sister & i last weekend.
i cannot believe she is almost 15.
tear. tear. 

It's okay to ask why.

Last week brought with it a roller coaster of emotions. As a nation, we experienced the great loss of many innocent children and heroic teachers. As a church family, we experienced and are still experiencing the possible nearing of a homecoming of one of our oldest, most precious members.

Through those things, as well as the inconveniences of life that are on a much smaller scale, I am reminded of how sweet it is to be loved by Him. To not make sense of any of it, but to have Him to cry to, brings peace within.

An emotinoal week it was...probably partly due to the lack of sleep and jet lag, but nonetheless it was emotional. Sunday morning we took time to pray for the families affected in Newtown, as well as reflect in God's Word with hopes of finding a small ounce of peace. There were some sad tears shed. Sunday afternoon, my family spent the evening with my grandfather as we celebrated his 90 years of life. He opened his gifts, enjoyed his cake, and handed out sweet hugs. I made it pretty good until he began telling each of us how loved we were by him, and how we had made this the happiest day of his life. Then, the tears came. Tears of joy because of the precious time God has given me with him, yet tears of sadness with the reality of how short our remaining time together could be.  Last night we enjoyed our Christmas dinner at church. After eating way too much potluck, some friends and I sat around and laughed until our full tummies hurt. There might have been some tears shed, but only due to the excessive laughing that went on in that little Sunday school room. It was the perfect way to end the day. Well, that and the Bachelorette wedding :) ahhhh....

happy birthday, pa!

 I found myself on many occasions last week just sitting and pondering the thought of why.

why must there be such heartbreak in our world.

why must there be death.

why must there be such unexplainable tragedies.

While working in the Philippines last week I often had the same thought running through my heard as I do each time I visit...why would someone throw away such beauty. such gifts.

3 of the 11 children at Rosemary's
(l-r: Raphie, Clyde, Vicson)

This weekend i wondered why someone would point a gun at such innocence.

Throughout life there will be countless things we do not understand. Unfortunately, we may never have an understanding,  but i think it is okay to question it. to ask God why.

Often times people say it is sinful to ask the almighty, but i think it brings healing and peace to the wondering, confused, and hurt heart. Should we question God with fists raised and an angry tone? absolutely not. But to seek His wisdom, His will....He understands. One of the most comforting things to me is the sweet reminder that while Jesus is the son of God, He was also man just like us. Therefore, He experienced much of the same hurt that we do.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30
                                                   
Obviously, I will never know all of the answers. The questions that often confuse this heart, will remain unanswered until I meet with the giver of life himself. and then, when I stand before my makers face, the questions that have brought confusion to me on earth, will matter no more. That's what we have to hold on to. This life, this earth..it's not our home. Sometimes it takes pain to be reminded of the joy that we will someday have when we dance with Jesus, and all hurt is gone.

Today, let's slow down our hectic lives and enjoy the many gifts God has given us. We have so much. Let us not wallow in the sadness so long that we forget to be joyful for the many blessings of life.

For He is good.

All the time.

my favorite view.

it's friday, december 14. i haven't had good sleep since sunday, december 2.
i'm pretty tired to say the least.
we arrived home from the islands of the Philippines this past tuesday night.

the trip was more than i ever could have imagined.
i have never seen such gratitude from so many people over so little.
often times in America, people grumble over how little they receieve at Christmas time.
but in the Philippines, they can't believe they are getting anything at all.
you wouldn't believe the gratitude.

this 90 year old man walked over a mile to be with us.
i had the opportunity of talking to him on several occasions during my trip.
on this particular day, i asked him for a picture. in return he asked me for a kiss.
he smiled so big when i told him i would call him my Filipino Lolo. i felt so blessed.
*Lolo=grandfather.

i witnessed something very special on this trip.
the palm trees, the ocean, and the mountains are very beautiful, but it isn't their beauty that astonishes me on my visits to the islands.

on sunday, the 9th, we had family day.
we took the children to a nearby swimming pool and to eat at Jollibee's (Filipino McDonald's).
I opted out of the nice, soft seated van, and went for the bumpy, very chilly, flatbed truck.
that's where the kids were riding, and i wanted to spend every second with them possible before our departure early monday morning.

from my seat in the very back of our neighbor's flatbed truck, i saw true beauty.
i saw laughter, hugging, and so much smiling.
i saw hopelessness replaced with hope.

it's very blurry because of bumpy roads and poor light, but you can kind of get the picture.

i felt so overcome by God's grace as i sat there and took in what was in front of me.
just over a year ago, these children were homeless, fatherless, and made their beds on the street or beach.
their mother's chose prostitution over them.
they were given alcohol and drugs.
they were abused.

such joyful times.

....but now, because of faith, because of God's mercy and love, they have a home.
they are loved.
they will always be someone's number one priority.
they are given healthy meals to eat.
and most importantly, they are being taught about the love of Jesus Christ.

just before they all floated off to sleep, they smiled those big smiles, and sang the most beautiful version of "Jesus Loves Me," that i have ever heard.

i feel so unworthy to get to experience such God moments. i'm always so humbled in situations like these that God chose me to be a part of something so wonderful.
that He entrusted me with His beautiful children.

the shoebox ministry was absolutely amazing. without a doubt, it was my favorite mission this far while serving in the Philippines.
i will share more about my thoughts on that ministry sometime soon when i have had much more sleep, and my brain is working more efficiently. :)

 

on this trip....
i saw a joy that was new.

i saw love that was overflowing.

i saw grateful hearts.

i saw family.

smokies winter magic

last week, my family and i took a nine day vacation to the great smoky mountains.

the past few months have been a stressful time for the four of us.

my mom is still adjusting to her new job.

dad is always being pulled in different directions with work.

grace quit basketball.

and i have experienced heartbreak.

needless to say, this trip was a nice retreat to get away from all of the chaos of home, and spend some quality time together. i realize trips like these will not always be possible, and i thank God for them.

 

the smokies is absolutely one of my favorite places in the world. it's so nice to be up in the mountains with no cell service (yep..i just said that), and just enjoy God's creation. i am learning more and more everyday how glorious He is. how perfect.

here's a few pictures...

dollywood with my sis

dad--just can't manage to get him to take a serious picture

beautiful sis

we fell in love with this little coffee shop by the old mill.
if you're every up there, go check it out!

what do you think? ;)



we went to candlelight christmas at the biltmore.
it. was. magical.





they enjoyed ice cream at the biltmore.
i went for the coffee
come on people...it's 30 degrees outside, who needs ice cream?


 



in the gardens at the biltmore.
we want to go back when the flowers are in full bloom.
it was kind of dreary in november

we enjoyed a fun day of racing with our good friends.
had a little friendly competition.
for a day, we were all ten years old again. ha!



late night snack after another long day in dollywood.
my hair is the result of one too many roller coasters.



soo...we were attempting to do a jumping shot..probably couldn't tell, huh?
it looks like a rockstar move gone wrong. haha.
we did actually get a very good jumping shot, if you're wondering.
sadly, it's on the other camera :(

the girls--cades cove

the girls & dad

friday night @ mellow mushroom.
please keep in mind we shopped ALL night Thursday night, and ALL day Friday.

last night in Gatlinburg.
enjoying walking the strip.

i would love to share with you my dad's birthday pictures, but he would probably kill me. we all went to bubba gumps to celebrate his big 50th.
they made him shake his booty.
if you know my dad, you probably can't believe he did it!

this song come on this morning on my way to work. it usually doesn't have such a powerful affect on me, but this morning...it hit me hard.

this line...it was as if God himself whispered into my ear.

"what if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy?"

i have known disappointment and trials in my life. but it hasn't been until recently that i have known disappointment with every fiber in my body.
sometimes, we just need to be reminded...no one or no thing could ever satisfy us the way the Messiah does.

just a thought....

HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!



thanksgiving.

(this was scheduled to post last thursday. use your imagination and pretend it's thanksgiving ;)

happy thanksgiving!

as you are reading this i am wondering around somewhere in the mountains. my guess, probably either stuffing my face with some cracker barrell thanksgiving, or strolling around taking in the the christmas lights. either way, i'm in total and complete happiness simply because i am surrounded by God's serene creation in the great outdoors of the smokies.

and today...that's what i'm most of all thankful for. a week away from the chaos of life, surrounded by all of those who i love and cherish most in the world. i couldn't ask for more.

leading up to the glorious day, i took some time to reflect on my life, and all that God has given me. i decided against the one a day thanksgivnig facebook post leading up to thanksgiving, and decided to combined it all on this post.

so here ya go. the things i am most of all thankful for.

my salvation

thankful for God's selfless sacrifice of giving His one and only Son for my eternal life.

thankful God called me to be His child eleven years ago.

i cannot imagine going through life without a Savior to call on.

my family

the term family means more to me than those who are blood related.

God most definitely blessed me with the most loving family out there. we have been together through thick and then, and although the road has not always been easy, we still have love and faith in an even brighter tomorrow.

i could never thank God enough for giving me the most loving parents and sister in the world. my world would not be the same without them, and i pray every day to never take them for granted.

...and my furbabies. they truly are a gal's best friend. i've never met anyone or any furbabies any more loyal than our Daisy and Hank. one thing is always guaranteed....they will be waiting, and waggin g at the door when i get home just waiting on their treat.

now if that ain't love, i don't kno what is ;)

happy fourteenth, sis :)

thankful for brice.
he celebrated gracie's birthday with us.
he's the brother we've always wanted!

friends who are family

i seriously do not know how you could possibly have any better friends than i have.

i can truly say that my friends are more than just friends. they are family.

i'm thankful to have most of my friends within a 20 minute drive; however, i do have a few close friends than live a good day's drive away. we hold onto the fact that we will definitely be neighbors in heaven :)



lacey and me at lacy & justin's wedding
thankful for her friendship & wisdom.
such a beautiful woman of God.



yep. i caught the bouquet.
for the third time.
doesn't work, gals.
the beautiful bride, lacy
so very thankful for her and her friendship...& our shared love of days of our lives.
don't judge.



my bestie.
so thankful God brought her & her family into my life.



tab's sweet brady boy
auntie em loves him much

so thankful for this lady & her family.
she's definitely just like a sister.

family across the world

i am beyond words thankful for Filipino family. one of the biggest blessings in my life is God sending me to the Philippines. each visit over has changed my life in some way.

i'm thankful for the new brothers and sisters at each school i have ever shared the gospel at.

i'm thankful for my 42 brothers and sisters at uncle dicks home.

my six weeks there was the best time of my life. i learned more about myself, about life, and mostly about God's selfless love there in six weeks, than i had learned in my whole lifetime.

if i could do it all again, i would in a heartbeat. snakes, mosquittos, hand washing, and all.

i'm thankful for my eleven brothers and sisters at rosemary's home of hope.

i never imagined the summer of 2011 would change all of our lives in such an incredible way.

when the idea of rosemary's come about, i imagined it being such a far away thought. however, here we are just 16 months later, and we already have a home built, with eleven beautiful orphans running aruond, surrounded by a village who has also come to know the Lord through our efforts and God's faithfulness.  

me & suzanne last year at a hospital in the philippines
thankful also for suzanne and our shared love for the Filipino people.
we actually got the opportunity to name the baby she is holding.
sweet moments.
so thankful for each one.

church

when God moved myself and my family to east marietta baptist church a few years back, it was one of the biggest blessings. we immediately fell right into place, and those who were once strangers become like family. our church has such a huge heart for missions in the community and abroad, and i'm so thankful to be a part of that.

so thankful for baby Dylan
my good friend tracy and her husband sonny tried for ten years to have a child
a few weeks ago, a little miracle was born.
he's perfect.

random things that don't really deserve their own paragraph...

over the past couple of weeks, i have been exceptionally aware of the different things around me that i never really stop to thank God for, but that i don't really want take away from me.

"what if you woke up today with only what you thanked god for yesterday."

after living at uncle dick's home for a short time, i realized there are so, so many things that we as americans take for granted that so many others don't have teh priveledge of having.

those are the things i'm going to wrap up this post with.

the things we take for granted, but don't want to consider life without.

*Reese's (specifically the ones shaped like pumpkins and christmas trees..yummy)--when i lived in the philippines, there was no such thing as american candy bars. Until one day we found the limited supply of american foods when we went "into town." they were $6 each! talk about a shocker! read about that shopping experience here

yep. they're amazing.

*good television (more specifically: Law & Order: SVU, Bachelor(ette)(Pad), Duck Dynasty, The Voice)

*scarves, sweaters, boots...it's freezing, people!



thank God for her every. single. day.


*facebook, twitter, insta...I couldn't keep up with what's going on with my friends living all over the place otherwise

* my glasses & contacts. whew...i would be blind without

i need new ones.
any suggestions for cute, affordable?

*washing machine-- i never would have realized how thankful i am for a washing machine had i not have gone to Uncle Dick's Home. it was quite the experience. see more details about that here

*my job

*laughs with sophie claire

sadly, i did not get to see this in person
candi said they were decorating for christmas when soph picked up this ornament and asked if it were a bow
needless to say, the child has worn some pretty big ones before



she told her mom she was going to meme's house
made my day.
so thankful for these two, and for the opportunity to have gotten to be such a big part of their lives



*my planner

**as i was going through some of my old Uncle Dick's Home posts, i came across my post "Be Thankful." It reminded me once again of how i felt there being surrounded by those who have known nothing, but still have everything they could ever need--a new family & most of all, Jesus Christ.

*SAMS...mostly just because they are the only place in Mississippi that i have found has PeaceTea



i got so excited i found these i HAD to take a picture and send it to my friend in florida

 let's not only thank God for the blessings he has given us only on this day.

every day is a gift.

remember to thank Him.

365 days. not just one. 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today is my Daddy's birthday!

I am so thankful to get to spend the entire day with him in the Smokies!

He is everything and more I could ever ask in a Dad.  I love his goofy sense of humor. I love the way he is sometimes very shy, but other times he is far, far in the opposite direction.  I love that he protects his girls.  I love how he flirts with my mom.  I love my memories of him helping me build a tent out of sheets. I love our heart to hearts.  I love when he picks up the phone and calls me just to chat and see what's going on in my life.  I love that he provides for his family.  I love how he used to wrestle me in the floor. I love that he loves and serves God whole heartedly.  I love that he is one of my biggest Philippine supporters.  I love that he loves me.

I could seriously go on forever, but I'll stop there.

Daddy, I hope this birthday is the best yet.  I thank God everyday that He give me you as my Daddy. May you laugh until your tummy hurts, do all of the things you want, and most importantly stuff your face at Bubba Gumps :) I love you to the skies and back :)

Me, Gracie, and Dad in Dollywood a couple of years ago

His goofy face..definitely one of those not so shy moments.

our family...minus the random guy on the right :/

A sweet carriage ride for their Anniversary.

Beautiful :)