The touch of God's hand

I have a devotional I would like to share with each of you... I ready this Thursday night after the Alabama game.. and just felt it was so appropriate and so relevant to our daily lives...
(***Small side note, all Bible passages are from 'The Message', I encourage you to look them up and study them in multiple versions.***)

1 Timothy 5:12-13 - By breaking thier word, they're liable to go from bad to worse, frittering away thier days on empty talk, gossip and trivialites.
Luke 16:10-12 - If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?
Reflect: Small things matter. Little things add up, like the money I spend at Starbucks and the time I invest my PlayStation. Usually I think only some big sin can trip me up, that a big, bad 'Thou shalt not' is what gets in my way of being completely faithful to God. But it's the little things that show where my affections lie. If I spend more time preparing for a fantasy baseball draft than seeking God's direction for my life, then something deep down inside of me isn't right. When the trivial takes priority over the important, my life needs to change.
Fast: Today, fast from the trivial. For the rest of the day, do without things that don't really matter. Instead of watching a mindless movie or playing solitaire on your computer, use that time to read the Bible and pray. Give the money you would spend on a latte to missions or to someone who wouldn't have a meal otherwise. Find a way to use the money, time, and energy you would normally spend on the trivial to do something important, something that matters, something that will last longer than getting to the second level on Halo 2.
This was taken from my devotional book '7 Minutes with God'






It is so true, how often do we, especially as college students forget the important in life and become bogged down with school, work, band, video games, and just life in general. Do we really take time to thank and acknowledge the one who has given us all that we have? Our one and only Savior is just hoping and praying for our attention... I as well as anyone know that sometimes I pack my life so full that sometimes it is hard to take a time out to just praise and adore my God. I feel that this is something each of us need to evaluate and rework in our lives.

I pray that each and every one of you have a blessed and marvelous day, that the Lord my astound you with His blessings, and that you take the time to visit with Him a while. God loves you so much, and look at all He has given us. I am truly blessed to call each of you my friends and I pray that He continues to lead and guide us through this crazy world.

Thankful

A few of my friends have been trying to write something that they are thankful for every day in November... So... I have a little bit to catch up on, but I thought it was my time to try it.

1. I am thankful for my family... Lord knows they mean the world to me, and some people never truly value their family.
2. I am thankful for Internet... wow, yeah, I know... but I have been able to keep up with so many friends since moving away because of it. Lord knows I couldn't do without mine and Mary-Anne's daily talks.
3. I am thankful for Mary-Anne... when you graduate college you never really know how life will be or what will happen. I am so thankful to be able to keep in touch with such a great girl, and she lives the farthest away of any of my friends!
4. I am thankful for friends... I know I couldn't name every one of you here, but you know who you are.. I couldn't make it through life without friends.
5. I am thankful for Sean.. He is so good to me, (I know you are thinking WHAT?!) But honestly, I am so lucky to have dated such a wonderful Christian guy. So many girls go through terrible relationships and horrible breakups because they are with some selfish guy... I am thankful to know that my life is blessed and better because of Sean.
6. I am thankful for the University of Alabama... It has been a lifelong dream to come here and go to school here. Just being on campus is mesmerizing... what a magical place.
7. I am thankful for my job.... I am so blessed to have such a great job with great benefits and coworkers that I love!!!
8. I am thankful for Christian coworkers... I am reminded of God's faithfulness every day.
9. I am thankful for food to eat... you know... so many people are so needy... we must realize how blessed we are.
10. I am thankful for school... Even when I am tired of studying... I am thankful to have this opportunity
11. I am thankful for math... I am so happy to be able to teach children something I truly love and couldn't be happier doing.
12. I am thankful for joy... No matter what God has a plan for me that will make me truly happy
13. I am thankful for my church... Tuscaloosa is truly God's country.. I am so thankful to have a church up here that I can call my own that is so on fire for God.
14. I am thankful for my apartment... I am blessed to have a wonderful and safe place to live!
15. I am thankful for my roommates... wow... that could have been a disaster! But I am so blessed with great roomies!
16. I am thankful for Troy... I am so blessed to have a wonderful Alma Mater and great family and friends still there.
17. I am thankful for the Sound of the South... I am a proud Alumni and I couldn't have had a better undergraduate experience because of it! The SOTS truly made my undergraduate career!
18. I am thankful for SAI... without my experiences and leadership roles in this organization I couldn't be the woman, or girl, that I am today... I honestly learned so much from the organization and my sisters. I wouldn't trade a second!
19. I am thankful for God and His guidance in my life... even though I don't always listen... I am trying and knowing that no matter what He is always there.. I know that everything will work out for His glory!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Tuscaloosa Tidbits

I have had a wonderful weekend of rest and relaxation! Today I am cleaning and getting a few things accomplished. So finally I am posting some great pictures that chronicle some things that have been happening lately.

I love receiving mail! It makes me so happy... I had ordered some books from half.com and got a bunch of other stuff. This was all in my mailbox one day! It made me so happy... of course, you can tell because I liked it enough to take a picture!

This is from Mary Allison and Brandon's engagement party. Her cousin Anna threw a beautiful party with great food and a very sentimental atmosphere! It was wonderful. I had a great time hanging out with friend that I hadn't seen since graduation and celebrating the wonderful engagement of two great friends!
These labels were on bottles of water and on bags of Mary Allison's mom's signature cookies. SO GOOD!!

Retail therapy is something Mary-Anne Gillis taught me and and taught me well. HAHAH! Well, for a year or two now I have been wanting some fall boots. Since I now have a job I was actually able to go out and get a pair. These are SOOOO comfortable!! I love them so much and they help me stay warm! I really missed Mary-Anne during my adventure, but I did bring along my Tuscaloosa Mary-Anne, Anne Kimball (my study buddy). Thankfully for the joys of technology I was able to picture message Mary-Anne through the entire adventure. :)

This weekend the college group at church got together and made shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I was so excited to make shoeboxes and had a great time fellowshipping with them! I am truly blessed with my Ridgecrest family. 

Moving to Tuscaloosa has been a TRUE blessing. I know that it was definitely God's will for me to be here, and even though it was hard getting here God truly blesses beyond compare. I am in love with Tuscaloosa, and may even make this town my permanent home. God is giving me peace through all that has happened the past two years, and no matter what He is in control and I am leaning to trust him more and more. 

A new person!

I totally feel like a NEW person! Last week I was able to attend the class that my Associtate Manager teaches on Thursday nights. He is teaching a management/leadership course here at the Capstone and I was curious to see what his teaching style was like. It was very interesting and fun.. I know, going to class on my free night isn't what you would call fun... but I had fun. HAHA! He also invited me to come to his house on Monday nights, he and his wife host the college students from their church and they have dinner and fellowship every Monday. I was so excited to receive an invitation and I hope that I am actually able to attend!

This week I have been able to go grocery shopping, run a few errands, fill prescriptions and just have an overall had a calmer, better, week. I had a test this week so I only had to study and do one set of homework for next week. Thankfully I was determined to be productive and to have a great week, especially after such a great weekend at home! I got all of my homework done and I feel great about my test! Hopefully I will get to see my grade today!
I have honestly been shocked and astonished when I have gotten home before midnight! I have been able to go to bed by ten o'clock! If you know me well, you know that this is a big deal for me!

I was also very fortunate to be able to go to church last night, Wednesday. I haven't been able to make it to church on Wednesday's because I have always been studying... So I was really excited to go! Man, did I receive a blessing! God is truly in the midst of the ministry at Ridgecrest and I am so excited that God has brought me here to grow. The longer I live here and work here the more I believe that Tuscaloosa is 'God's Country' and not just for football. ;)

This weekend I am staying in Tuscaloosa, I am going to clean and rest and I am really honestly excited about it. Friday night I am going to wrap shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child with my college group at church. It is going to be a fun night of service, fellowship and rejuvenation! And I can't believe I am going to be able to do something FUN on a Friday night! haha!