Spring Fever

Every year around the middle of March college students everywhere get this funny feeling. It's that combination of stress and excitement that comes from knowing you have a million midterms between you and spring break. I always feel so lame when friends are talking about the island they'll be visiting over break and I say "oh yeah, just going home".  Usually, however, home is exactly what I need.  This year was no different.  On Friday afternoon I headed home and boarded a van to go with my church youth group to Ridgecrest, North Carolina. It is one of my absolute favorite places.  It was the high school spring retreat and I got to hang out the girls I love.  

The weekend was perfect.  I am always amazed at how God uses the most random people and situations to calm my heart.  My favorite part of every trip to Ridgecrest is the hike up Rattlesnake Mountain.  Standing on top of that mountain, my mind was blown away by the beauty.  I was literally overcome with peace and the reassurance that the God who created all I was seeing also created me and restores me.  As you may have guessed, I took about 5 million pictures.  I've tried to condense to my favorites.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:20

You'll Be Fine, It's just a K.

1 Kilometer. 

0.621 miles.

1000 meters.

3281 feet.

Whichever way you slice it, it's not that far.  My wonderful amigos, the Oak House Boys, decided to organize this wonderful event to raise money for Haiti.  If you haven't heard, the country was rocked by an earthquake in January and is still struggling to recover. Also if you haven't heard, climb out of the hole you've been living in, k? :) The day was perfect, the sun was shining and around 200 people showed up to lend their support.  Some walked, some ran, some carried canoes, some wore costumes, some did not. Either way, it was an epic day and I am so proud of my friends who organized it!!

1 K=$2100 for people who need it desperately=so much fun. Enjoy.

An Evening With the Stars?

This weekend I went to a party hosted by the wonderful Oak House Boys. If you don't know them, you should. They're great...and known for throwing a few awesome parties.  On Saturday the stars came out...the Youtube stars that is.  Any self respecting college student has done it...spending hours on Youtube instead of writing that paper.  And it never fails that anytime you show a video, someone has a video to top it.  This has made some everyday people VERY famous.  I've compiled two lists for you...and selfishly for myself. The first is my top 5 favorite Youtube videos and the second is my top 5 favorite costumes of the night.  I've even made the titles into links for your convenience (dan smith)! enjoy!


Top 5 Videos:
5. Bon Qui Qui (my costume for the evening)
4. Kittens, Inspired by Kittens
3. Ouch Charlie!
2. I like Turtles!
1. David After Dentist


Top 5 Costumes:
5. Wish I had a picture...but Josh Carswell did an awesome imitation of Vintage 21 Jesus
4. Sneezing Panda...miss Courtney Jackson! (see pic below)
3. Leprechaun Gangster- John McGreevy (also seen below) 

2. Zombie Kid Likes Turtles (link above)-Colin Campbell

1. Richard Blount...the Australian Party Kid

Here are a few other great pics from the night.

   

"One of the most obvious facts about grownups to a child is that they have forgotten what it is like to be a child" -Randall Jarrell

ENTHRALLED

I love this word. According to the dictionary it means spellbound, enchanted, enraptured. One of my favorite verses says "The king is enthralled by your beauty..." (psalm 45:11).  Isn't that crazy? the GOD of the universe is ENTHRALLED by me. wow. so this got me thinking that if He finds reasons to be enthralled by me, how much more reason do I have to be enthralled by God and everything he does for me and all He has created.  this weekend I have been overwhelmed by this. in a good way of course! here is what I have found


God has the most perfect timing. It is amazing how he gives me exactly what my soul needs exactly when it needs it most. Encouragement for dental school, time with my best friend on her birthday, rest, sunshine and warmth, SO much fun with my amazing friends, getting to know a wonderful new friend. LOVE it. 

Also..in my time of rest I was looking over some old pictures. I realized 1-this world is SO beautiful, 2-I miss summer, 3-I miss the beach. So...here are a few summer pics that I love. What are you enthralled by on this beauteous day?

laugh out loud...

From the time I was little I have always been a giggle box.  I have a knack for laughing at everything, especially at the times when it is most inappropriate to laugh.  It's my favorite activity.  Today, after laughing entirely inappropriately during church, I began to think about how much I enjoy laughing and the things that make me laugh.  I love laughing when I'm sad, while dancing ridiculously in my room with Sarah, when somebody accidentally says something totally inappropriate at church, when things get awkward and I can't think of anything better to do, when I make an absolute fool of myself, when people behave totally inappropriately in various situations, and a million more reasons.  I really think that laughter is the best medicine.  It has been the bonding point of pretty much all of my real friendships. SO great. I know it sounds really cheesy, in fact the cheesiness is making me giggle as I sit writing this.  I've decided to construct a collage of pictures and other instances that made me laugh when they happened and continue to make me laugh when I think of them today.




-the "woahhhhhh"s from the lady beside me in church today...and her advice on travelling to china
-fake laughing pictures that turn into real laughing pictures when the camera malfunctions
-Dan Smith thinking I was wearing sweatpants in church today... (I was not)
-dance parties in the room with Sarah
-when the preacher at a wedding I went to said "breast" instead of "best" (yes...I was the only one who laughed)
-Decorating friend's cars to look extra girly for Valentine's Day
-falling on a TINY patch of ice on the sidewalk when the ice was surrounded by totally dry brick
-nerdy professors
-equipment malfunctions in lab
-the Kardashians
-watching desperate women on "The Bachelor" with 10 other girls who find it to be just as cheesy as I do
-finding irony in even the smallest things that happen in life
-dressing in RIDICULOUS 80's outfits for the 80's party, then going to places where there is no theme and people just think you have a problem
-adventuring around Burlington to find the ridiculous 80's outfits
enjoy :) I sure have!

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

-Helen Keller

the heart of life...

John Mayer once sang that "no it won't all go the way it should, but I know the heart of life is good".  I think that I learned this lesson myself in the past two weeks.  There have been tons of things to do including starting a new semester, new classes, Dental school and job applications, adjusting to having two of my best friends out of the country, and having a huge room to myself.  I'm sure it sounds very minor, and maybe it all is, but at the time I was so overwhelmed.


This weekend I went home for BJ and Sarah's wedding.  BJ is the youth minister at my church who has become someone that I consider a great friend.  Sarah is his beautiful, fun new bride who has also become a wonderful friend!  The wedding was just what I needed!!  Friends, family, dancing, delicious FOOD, and tons of other things I love.  At the end of the weekend I was still feeling a bit overwhelmed when I received some wonderful news that I had been waiting for.  It came at the perfect time.  I love how Jesus works that way! I was reminded of a quote by Francis Chan in the book "Crazy Love". Chan writes, "Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives."


What a true statement! I have decided that, instead of worrying, I will enjoy the many blessings that I do have.  What has brought you the most joy lately? We always have something to be thankful for :)  Taking pictures is such a fun hobby for me (in case you couldn't tell from other posts) so I thought I would share pictures of a few things I am most thankful for!

playing in the snow with family 

HUNDREDS of pics in the snow

mom and dad

the best kind of days...

Remember how excited you used to get as a child when you heard the weather say that there might be snow...like an inch?  I am 20 years old...and I still get that excited.  Some of my favorite days, even since I went to college, have been snow days.  My friends from the north laugh at my excitement because they are so used to seeing snow every winter.  I even have to laugh at the way my fellow North Carolinians freak out about the snow.  I've decided to make a list of the most important things to know about the snow and North Carolina.

1. If you can't see the grass you won't go to school (or work).

2. Bread, milk, and eggs are MUST HAVES in case of a severe winter storm (and by severe I mean you can't see the grass)...apparently the only way to survive a winter storm is by making French toast!

3. When driving in snow, DO NOT expect to go above 20 miles per hour (even if it's more like rain).

4. There is always enough snow to build a snow man.

5. Golf courses have the best sledding hills, at least in Mooresville.

6. Sledding on golf courses is trespassing.

7. When the weather man calls for snow, don't expect to hear about anything else on the news.  They talk to the department of transportation, the firemen, the school superintendents, the pastor...all to see just how they will react to the snow (it's usually no different than how they reacted the last time it snowed and they were interviewed)

8. People think that owning a 4-wheel drive truck automatically makes you a good driver in the snow and ice. If you've never driven in ice, you probably don't know what you're doing.

9. When everyone else's power is out...the lights are on in Walmart.

10. When 6 inches of snow happen to make it to the ground people will be talking about it for the next 10 years when it happens again.


Here are a few favorite memories from past snows! I'll post a few pictures of the latest snow later after I go adventuring :) enjoy!