Watching the Nailed Feet

    So I'm home on winter break and can I just say it's about time. I missed my friends and family so much. There was no way to keep up with everyones' life from Mobile. There were small details that I never knew about and I never knew the extent of their success and struggles. But now I am back and I see how things have changed.
    At school, I thought about my friends and knew we were the ones who could change the world. We are all so diverse and so close to each other. We support each other like no ones business. We can reach different areas of this world and make a huge impact. I dream big; and I believe it with every fiber of my being. But I know we will struggle and we will only succeed if we focus on God.
    Now that I am home, I see the full impact. I have seen major success since being home and it has made my heart skip beats and keeps the smile on my face. I have also seen major struggles that cause my chest to tighten and my stomach to clinch. All I can say as I take this in is "God save us". He is the only one who can in this evil world.
    We are not safe because of our age. What we do now does matter. We have to account for it. We will remember it. We will pay the consequences for it. Whatever "it" maybe. We better be careful because there is no such thing as a free ride, no matter the circumstances.
    As I say "God save us", I know He already has. And that is what we are celebrating this time of year. The pastor of a church I visited stressed this- We are celebrating Jesus' birth this time of year, but we must also celebrate the cross this time of year because that is why He came. Thank God for the manager, thank God for the cross, tomb, and resurrection, and the time in between. Thank God for Jesus who being God decided to become like man to die the worst death; so we have hope to survive this evil world we created.
    This is why I can say "God save us". I know He will. It saddens me because I know the sick need a doctor, the poor need a provider, and the threatened need an army. The world we created makes every man sick, poor, and defenseless against the spiritual war going on.
     I look around to see who attends to the sick and see there are far more ill than healthy willing to help. I see more poor than wealth willing to provide. I try to find our armies and see them distracted from training for the war going on. Where did our leaders go to train these soldiers? Why are the people so spiritually weak? Where are the people who are suppose to be nurturing them in spiritual matters? Where are the people who know how to comfort from the love God gives us? Or where are the people who are suppose to open the eyes of everyone to the facade of this life? This world may look real, but the real part of this world is the part we can't see. The eternal world we don't see till we die from this temporary world.
    I believe God will still raise up people to reclaim His name. If we will not respond, creation will only become louder in proclaiming His name and righteousness.
    This is why I can say "God continue to save us". I can be afraid, worried, scared, and paralyzed from the unknown, or I can trust God to sustain me and work through me to make a change. I can only hope my friends (no matter their age) will realize their responsibility and do the same.
    I will leave you with this: We celebrate Jesus' birth, but we need to celebrate His death as well. Because He came to die so we can live. We are to live like Him. We should live to die, so others may learn to live. Dying everyday to show people life and telling them how to live and how to receive life.

Philippians 2:5-11

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made Himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We Don't Need Sleep to Survive

Let me highlight for you the past three weeks and then expound on it as I see fit.

Week 1:

• Move in to dorm
• Apply for job
• Win Kindle Fire
• Try new church
• Meet new friend
• Get in wreck with friend
• Get PO Box
• Start classes
• Get the job
• Go home to recuperate
• Go to Concert
• Go back to school

Week 2:

• Come home for hurricane Isaac
• Put down my first dog
• Have to come back to school the next morning
• First day of work
• Go back home for Labor Day Weekend

Week 3:

• Uneventful so far and enjoying it!

Week 1:

Moving In
    That was a lot of fun. I spent the day with my parents and I didn't have to carry any of my stuff up four flights of stairs. Yes, that is right! There was an army of guys who helped me and my parents bring my stuff up while I parked my car. This is almost like my first place. It has a weird feeling to it. I feel like I'm suppose to be an adult but I can't quite comprehend that.


Applying for a Job
    When we went out to eat, I applied for a job on our way out. I had no address to put down but the owner let me apply anyway. I must have made an impression for applying the day I moved in.
     At the Jag Fest that night, I saw him and he told me he talked to the manager. He said I had my foot in the door even without an address. What a miracle! After 8 months of tireless and disappointing job searching, I had my foot in the door the day I moved in.

New Church, New Friend,...New Car?

    Before I left for college, my youth pastor set me up with an old student of his who was my age going to South Alabama. I meet her face-to-face that first Sunday when I went to her church. Afterwards, we went out to Tropical Smoothie and since I didn't know my way around she gave me a lift. We had a great time getting to know each other and discover how much alike we are. On our way out however, we got in to a car accident! A first time for both of us, yet another thing in common and this time together. Everyone was fine just bruises and minor burns. I visited Urgent Care at the request of my mother, where the doctor welcomed me to the real world after learning my parents hadn't even left me 24 hours earlier. Speaking of my mom, I called her twice before I realized the speaker in my phone didn't work but she could hear me. Can you imagine her worry? That was a tough text to send once I remembered such a thing was possible. ;)

Next Day Starts Classes...
    What can I say? That day is stressful enough, but I was sore with a heavy backpack to carry around. Thankfully, God spared me a lot of soreness and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

PO Box and Job
That day I got my PO Box and finished my application. I got hired on the spot! Talk about the highs and lows of life. The interview was more of a this is what you need and this is how we do than any interview I had previously had.

....Friday I went home to recuperate, but I was too busy to do that.

Week 2:

Isaac
    I came back to school on Sunday and came back on Monday because of Hurricane Isaac. Yes, my family gives me a hard time about not staying away.

Levi
   I was home Tuesday and Wednesday for the hurricane and the last day I was home I woke up to a blood bath. My dog, Levi, had been sick for sometime, but no one thought it was that serious. We had taken him to many vets who misdiagnosed him numerous times. That day we had to say goodbye and it would not have been so hard if he had acted sick, but that dog was a protector and he never let on to how much pain he was in. Thankfully, God worked it so my whole family could be there.
    If you think of the dog Nanna from Disney's Peter Pan that is what I related Levi to. He was not a cuddle dog, but whenever I seriously need him to be one he was there. He spent many days playing with me outside running around. He spent many nights with me at the age of 13 crying away my puberty problems. He greeted me everyday I walked in the door. He was there for my emotional break down in college. When I told him to teach Gideon how to act, he took me seriously...really seriously. He was a great dog and I always wanted to see how he would treat my kids, but sadly that won't happen. I am thankful though that we were able to spare him a lot of unnecessary pain and that we can keep the good memories of him.
    I was suppose to come back that night, but I waited till the morning to spend more time with my family and avoid the bad weather.

First Work Day
    The very next day, I had to go to my first day of work and God got me through it. It was a lot of fun and I've enjoyed my job ever since.


Oh yeah, I went back home on Saturday Night. And life has been uneventful since.

Spiderman, Spiderman Does Whatever a Spider Can

    Think of the ultimate super power for you. Is it flight? Is it strength? Is it the blue skidoo? Could it be all the gadgets you created? Whatever it is, if you actually possessed this power would it change you? Wouldn't you act differently? Of course! I would be flying all over the place. I would quit school for a while a travel the world since it would be less expensive. (Yeah, my ultimate super power is flight.) You might be like the superheroes in the cartoon and help others.
    Interestingly enough, in my reading today I got told I wasn't a mere human being. However, I have the tendency to act like a human being.

1 Corinthians 3:3 

You are still wordily. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

    I get jealous (don't we all). I like to be right so of course I am going to defend myself. (Who wouldn't?) Do y'all see anything wrong with admiring someone's gifts be it physical or spiritual? Or defending myself when someone disagrees with me. I've got news for you. It doesn't matter what you think; it only matters what God thinks. 

    When He chose me to be a Christian, He gave me supernatural powers to be more than average. Just to name a few but not limited to (you need to read the entire Bible to learn how to use all of your supernatural powers) wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different languages (1 Corinthians 12). They may not be intimidating at first, but if you read the stories of effective use of these powers you will understand the threat level you bring towards the armies of Satan.

    But think about Spiderman. Had he never gone out and experimented and practiced his new ability, would he be able to fight off the villains when the time came? Would he be able to impress the girl? (okay that last one might not be as important.) Or would he be frightened by the lack of experience in his new power?

    We must be acquainted with our supernatural ability. We don't want to be the noob that tries to set off our jet pack and gets scuba gear instead. 

    Our work is going to be tested. If we do it fast, we better do it well. If we do it slow, we better do it well. Whatever we do, we need to be prepared for it to be tested by flames. If it can't stand the heat, it better get out of the kitchen. Your life is the kitchen.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

The Rocky Road

    I have been, for a few years now, asking God to make my faith in Him our relationship and not something that I adopted from my parents. He has made some small opportunities for this to happen and I have grown a lot in who I am; however, this year has changed me and it all started with deciding what college to attend.

     I wanted to go to a nice privet christian college where I would be challenged in my faith and question things I would only question when pushed. This is what would solidify my relationship with God. But this was not God's plan. I wanted to take the safe option, little did I know God was about to put me through spiritual bootcamp. What I had been asking for, my own relationship with Him, I was about to get.

    I have had plans about the day I turned 18- I would be responsible in finance, in character, and in morals. I would be independent- go off to college and support myself as best I could. I would be a leader- an example of how a christian girl should act. Just before I turned 18, God called me out of a band where I had spent a few years serving and building relationships. The day I turned 18 I lost my job (I have monthly bills). I was jobless without a position in the band I loved and I had to go to school twice a week with people who looked down on freeloaders and time wasters. Talk about a humbling experience. Everything I thought 18 could possess was gone. At 18, I was not looking forward to leaving my family in my dust as I chased wild dreams. I was not looking forward to late nights out and sleeping in on Sunday mornings. I wanted to show that 18 is a number and not a label.

    So for five months, I attended school with people I admired but thinking I was unequal to them because of my lack of financial independace. I had applied at a few businesses and harassed them to no end, but I said it was not the right time and God wanted me to focus on school and enjoy it. So I tried. I told myself that I had a hard load (which was actually a nice amount for an 18 year old to handle) and I just needed to focus on school and I would get a job in the summer. Meanwhile, I was dealing with hatred toward the people who let me go. It is a long story and the details are unnecessary, but know that this was a tough time and I had to try to put on a good act until I released those feelings to God. Still, somedays I caught myself in a depressed state because of what had happened. 

    I graduated and summer came. Money is running low. I job searched and I job searched. I just knew I was going to get a job. I saw friends on Facebook doing it, surely at the countless places I applied for someone would hire me for a summer. I finally applied to one place that said they would call me for an interview AND the job would transfer to where I was going to school. I was so elated I could not stop smiling; I almost broke out in to tears in the store. A week later I called because I had not heard about an interview....finally two weeks later I get a call to set-up an interview. A week after that an interview. About three weeks after that I called and they said they wanted someone with more experience. Money is running even lower. With a little over a month to go back to college there is no point in trying to find a job.

    During this time, I only spent money on gas and bills. No fast food and no entertainment. It about drove my brother nuts. We had planned on going on a trip to Orlando, FL just him and I this summer. It would be our last hoorah together. Once I went out with some friends to a fast food restaurant and sat while they ate. It was hard but this is where I will start telling you why God let all of this happen.

    1)God has been teaching me how important and simple it is to rely on God. Going to school was tough somedays with what I viewed as successful people around me. However, through my circumstance I was able to be more aware of the people around me. My life was not a fairytale so God showed me other people I could help out. I was also able to show that though I am a christian that does not mean I get a free pass to a perfect life, but I have the opportunity to smile and have joy in my pain and suffering. 

    2)All the jobs that God kept from me, I have not found the complete reason yet, but I know that since my money kept getting lower and lower all I had to rely on to supply my needs was God. The past few months I have looked at God and told Him I had no money to pay my bills and that I did not want to be in debt to my parents. I was listening to a speaker at my church one day he said "Those who don't work don't eat." That day I about cried. I told God I would do anything to stay above the water, but I wanted to work for the money. Let me tell you, I got babysitting jobs, dog sitting jobs, and mowing jobs. I have not missed a car payment and I have been able to supply gas for my car. 

    3)I have gotten so use to relying on God one month a friend of mine had been having a bad week, I got ten bucks that week and treated him to a smoothie. Most people would tell me I could not afford that and last year I would have told you that too. But I finally realized God gave me the money to bless others, and with the opportunities I am given I will use what I have to give to others. 

    4)The one of the last things I learned, which is especially good for me to learn the summer before I go off on my own, is at the restaurant. Everyone is eating around me while I sit and chat with them. This, though such a simple thing, is hard to practice. Just because everyone around me is doing something does not mean I have too. Sounds silly when you apply it to food, but when you apply it to partying or drinking or smoking or whatever bad thing you can think of. If I can not do something that I am so use to doing when it hurts my pride with my friends around, I can diss others by not doing the stupid things they do when I am around them. Incredibly simple, but hard to practice. 

    I have no idea what I am up against this next year and years to come. I do not know if I will get on campus and find a job. If I will flunk all my classes and work at Walmart for the rest of my life. I just hope that what I have learned this past year sticks with me, because trust me it is a hard lesson to learn. I have never learned to be so dependent on God and happy in the circumstances I have been put in. I hope that if life ever does get "good" again (and I've been told it will, but I'm starting to doubt it will ever be easy again) I remember this time and the difficulties I faced. I have watched my parents go through tough times like these and I have watched some friends at church go through this tough time too, but at a more escalated level and I have to say they showed great integrity. It is not as easy as they made it look.

Mother's Day 2012

(March 23, 2012)

This is a tribute to the mothers I know who have greatly influenced my life.

I have started this early so I can hopefully include and represent all these women well.

I can not wait to see how many variations and additions this post will go through, but I know it is worth it.

So here's to the amazing mothers-

    I will start with my amazing mother, Terrie Cash. She has been a huge role model in my life for as long as I can remember. She has literally been my best friend (I've had to share her with my dad. What's up with that? :p) She has taught me ever since I was born what it means to be a woman of God (patience, care, understanding, wisdom, etc.). She taught me how to treat people. She taught me how a woman can be a leader without always being in charge. She taught me patience (this wasn't just by example, sometimes she required it). My mom taught me what it is to not give up. What it looks like to overcome. She engrained in me that I should be who I am and not try to impress others. Without her I would not be who I am today. I am confident in myself, but if she had not shown me what that looks like I would be a wreck.

    But she has also brought many women in to my life that have influenced me greatly.

    I have to talk about my Grandmother, Frances Walding. My Mom's mom. She is strong. I have heard about some of the situations she has been through and how she carried her family through more than rough times. I have admired her for as long as I can remember. She has great strength and dignity. Many of the things she taught my Mom, my Mom has taught me. Much of who I am is devoted to her to. She greatly influenced me.

    My Grandma, Connie Cash, has shown me how important it is to laugh. Whenever I am around her I know I am in for a good laugh. Laughter can make a horrible day brighten up to more than just bearable. She also stressed the importance of family. She continues to teach me to appreciate my family, because they will not always be around. Enjoy the time now, because time is something we can't get back. But she also taught me to never grow up and to continue to dream. Almost 70 years old, she still would jump on the back of a motorcycle. She wants to pack up into an RV and travel. I hope I keep my youth like that when I get old.

    Where to go now, is hard. The order is not important and I know I will be adding to this so ignore the order. These women all have had a great impact on my life.

    I'll go to my Mom's best friend, Michelle Mackall. This woman is amazing. I have been able to see a great friendship between her and my mom. She has set a standard for what I look for in a best friend. It has not been achieved yet so that will let you know the caliber of this woman. She is a great mother to her four children. I enjoy being around her and her family. She does not do anything half-heartedly. She impacts her community. I feel that if anything unfortunate were to happen to my mom she would step in immediately. I feel that she cares for me almost like one of her own kids.

    Jodi Aiken has shown me what it is to follow one's dreams. She and I will be graduating together in five days from college (well, we already graduated now). She is a few years older than myself, but she still wanted to get a college degree so she went and got it and did a fantastic job.  She is a full-time mom, wife, business owner, and more I don’t know about. But she accomplished her goal and her dream. I have always said I want to continue learning even after I am finished with school; now, after knowing her, I have no excuse to not keep my word. I have shied away from doing something because I might look silly trying to learn at "such an old age". I have enjoyed so much since throwing away that silly notion! Mrs. Aiken has changed that for me.

    Dusti Ramos has shown me what it means to be a woman of God when times are tough. I have prayed for years that God would send me a woman who I could look up to. Not that there has not been many admirable women in my life (as you will see as I go on), but I prayed for some connection. God answered my prayer through Aunt Dusti. I wish she never had to go through this time, but I have no words to describe her patience, calmness, joy, and peace when most people would be losing their minds and beyond depressed. She has been an example for so many people and I beyond admire her for such faith. She continues to astonish me with the integrity she possesses and I hope one day to be of the same caliber of a woman of God.

    Brandy Painter, what to say. First, since I have not known her for a long time she will most likely be wondering what in the world I am going to write about her (and I am enjoying the anticipation). She has shown me what it is to be a young woman of God. She is so sweet and calm, extremely selfless.  She is not bound by what people make her out to be. I love her quiet confidence. When most young adults are walking away from church, she stayed. She is continuing to strengthen her relationship with God. I enjoy all the conversations I have with her. I know that she is going to be a great mother!

    Karen Thrower has energy and patience beyond belief! I know she has to rely on God for the energy to do so much. She ministers to middle school girls, youth on Wednesday nights, handles money for the church, mentors children during the week (see all these kids = lots of patience and she has three boys of her own), works, great mother and wife, and most likely more that I do not remember. With all of this, she stays focused and ready to help out anybody who needs it. I was honored to be a guest in her home for the weekend and I felt right at home. She is such an instrument of God and someone I can look to when I get tired. If she relies on God for energy and patience, so can I.

    Margi Willis is awesome. I have no idea how she ever kept her schedule straight. Involved in practically everything at church (at least it looked like that ;p). She let me be involved with her kids life each week and it was a blessing. She raised her kids to be dreamers and each week they retaught me how to dream. I miss making obstacle courses, building forts and attacking legos, nerf gun wars, cooking, messy games in the kitchen (it didn't taste good either), and going to the park and making up games. She was a mom I admired because she did not let the little things bother her. Messes were messes and happy kids were important. I hope that I can remember all the things I saw in her when I have kids.

    Pam Mroz (hehe)! The biggest thing I learned from her and I think it will be especially important once I leave home is- you do not need drinks, drugs, or sex to have a good time. Just get a couple of fun people together who are willing to make a fools of themselves. She has stressed that so much, but she has proven it over and over. I always have fun around her and her family. She also showed what is like to come out of one's comfort zone. Learning does not stop after college. You are never to old to continue expanding yourself. I have watched her take over organizing events and doing a wonderful job at it. When I first met her, I don't even know if she would even have laughed in your face had you told her all she would do. She has allowed God to use her outside her comfort zone and I admire her for that.

    All these women are great. I am WAY better off knowing them. But if it wasn't for my mom I would not know them. So even though I talked about them and things they taught me, I owe a lot of it to my mother. She knew how to protect me. She surrounded her self with women that I could look up to. That in itself is something worth learning.

    I want to wish them all a Happy Mother's Day. Especially my mom- Thank you for being an awesome mom. Surrounding yourself with these women not only impacted you; I benefitted as well. This whole post is dedicated to you because this is a part of you legacy.



   

"Her children will rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."  -Proverbs 31: 28-29

   

    

WINTER JAM!!

Ten brave souls ventured out on a cold (not so much), windy (just a tad) day to face ten bands. Dun-Dun-Duun.

Megan

Haley

Bryce

Josh

Tyler

Carley

Ralph

Vincent

Mikaela

Colton

As you can tell by faces, the weather got the best of some of us. We were losing our minds But we had an awesome time!

Haley and Mikaela excited that they survived my driving! :(

We piled all of our stuff on Vincent's guitar bag. It was kind of like the mom of the group.

Vincent played while Colton and Bryce drummed

We sat around and listened for a while...

Then we played with a hack sack, when the original version did not work we decided to throw it to each other. It was more fun than that sounded. We even had someone in the crowd join us. "The Mom" was watching our stuff.

I think Colton is getting his praise on a little early

The ball needed a break...weak

Most of the group

The weather starting to get to Mikaela (she's going mad)...

and Tyler is starting to see things in the sky...

and Ralph had no idea what is going on.

But back to something more interesting than all of us losing our mind. Please enjoy this video of V-City.

When the line started moving more excitement happened. But we won't talk about Colton howling like a dog while the people behind us sang, or the fact that we started the wave, or even that the crowd did not know how to show they had spirit, and we especially will not talk about Bryce having to run back to his car before the people would let him in (it was intense). But the concert was amazing. Out of the ten artist, I went to see Sanctus Real, and although they did not get a long time to play I enjoyed everything about their setup. Here are some pics of some of the bands.

For King & Country
Great band and I had never heard of them before that night

Our view. It was actually better than this looks.

Our row listening to Building 429

Newsong had this painted. It was pretty amazing.

Peter Fuller(?), former singer for Newsboys, is an amazing entertainer

His band is stuck in the 80's which makes it even better!

Setting up for Sanctus Real!

A casket full of water for the illusionist

Sanctus Real rocked the house! In my opinion.

They have been together for 14 years. That is unheard of.

If you have never listened to Sanctus Real, they sing about stuff that they have gone through. They are real.

Oh yeah, and Skillet. They are awesome.

It was an awesome night and I didn't lose my voice. God gave us a great opportunity to worship with over a thousand people and hang out with each other which is just awesome in itself.