Spoiled Rotten

no, i'm not referring to will ginn.

i'm talkin bout me! thank you, tim and holly ross, kevin and susan campbell, and adam and brittany hanes (there are more but these are the ones i have really seen during good, bad, and ugly)

you see, i have spent a lot of time with these three couples and because i have been surrounded by them for the last several years i have always thought their relationships are "normal". surprise, surprise. they aren't.

things these couples have in common:

• they are the true definition of a team
• they love one another as friends, lovers, and as parents of beautiful children
• fights don't define their relationships. commitment and faithfulness does. along with love.
• they are always eager to "get alone". you know, occasional time with out kids.. to talk, eat, and just spend time. just the two of them.
• they do life together
• i have never heard any one of the six speak negatively about marriage, their marriage, or their partner

anyone can "fall in love" but these couples have shown me that you can in fact stay in love. do life together. enjoy your partner. be best friends. 

i have always said that i'm willing to work. i am. for real. i want to love will ginn better everyday. and boy, do i have a lot of work to do. my little mouth gets me in trouble more often than not... i hope that we will be an example for a young couple one day. just like these six people have been an example to me.

i have always wanted to love God more, serve Him more, and know Him. i believe that if you are walking closely with the Lord your marriage will benefit just like all areas of your life. i am very thankful this Christmas Eve for a God who gave His only Son to die on a cross so that I can live with Him forever. i am thankful that i will spend another Christmas with my paw-paw and the loved ones i have said good-bye to over the years. i am thankful i will get to thank larry ginn for his son. i am thankful to be spending this Christmas with will ginn. my heart is full today, even when tragedy is all around. 

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling. Calling for you and for me. 

begin a relationship with Him today. don't miss out on the love of Jesus.

life is but a vapor.

happy Christmas eve!

March 24th, 2012

details about my wedding that i am in love with so far:

the groom. William O'Neal Ginn

my dress. part of the principality of monaco collection. inspired by grace kelly. made in the mgm studios in california.

boutineers. made at home by my two sisters, mom, and myself. cost: FREE (except for a yard or two of burlap)

Absence

This ain't a happy post so move on if that's what you're looking for.

My Paw-Paw is in Heaven. I'm sure the Lord was especially happy to welcome him home and give him his crown full of jewels. I am so happy and content, and at peace, and thankful for the confidence I have in knowing where my Paw-Paw is spending eternity.

However...
That doesn't mean I miss him less. My Paw-Paw was the only man that always told me he loved me. When I lived in California we would talk twice a week and send each other cards every week. When I moved home in March I went to his house once a week or so in addition to talking to him on the phone. When he sent me cards, he also threw in a few bucks. Always a random amount like $3, $11, or $7 and he'd do same thing before I would leave his house. I always appreciated that gas money. I would often cry while living in California knowing that I was so far away and he was only getting older. I knew that this would hit me hard but you don't ever know how hard until it becomes reality. It has been over 2 weeks now. It is time for me to see him. It is time for him to hug me and feed me breakfast or lunch.

I have already told Jesus all about how I feel and how I hurt. I know he knows and I know he cares.

Hell is real. I can't imagine what it would be like if Paw-Paw weren't in Heaven. The hurt I feel now is crazy. I don't even want to know the heartache of losing a friend who hasn't accepted Jesus and developed a relationship with Him.

Tell your friends about Jesus. Hold yourself to the standards in the Bible so that everyone knows who you belong to. Life is short. Love hard. Don't waste time.

Mini sermon to myself.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me

missing my twins and their brother a lot today. just four more months....


i remember elle crawling around like it was yesterday. just banging those little hands on the hardwoods.

what a day, glorious day, that will be

last night at alexandria's last home game the field at the lou scales stadium was named after the father of my fiance. unfortunately i never had the privilege of meeting him or knowing him. however, at the beginning of my happily ever after with willis his mother told me that by knowing will, todd, and scott, that i would "know" larry. if she is right and that is true, i would adore him. besides the championships and the legend he left with the community where he invested his God given talents, gifts, and abilities.... if he is anything, and i mean anything, like those three boys, i can be confident in saying that he was a man of integrity, he was an excellent father, he was a joy to be around, he had a serious side that you recognized and respected, family was of utmost importance along with his Lord and Savior, he was old fashioned, he loved and i mean he loved hard especially when it came to his lady... those are just some things and qualities that i have observed in willis and his brothers and i know that they are not perfect and larry was not either. after reading Heaven if For Real by the Burpo family i began to think beyond the glorious day when i see Jesus face to face. i began to think about the day that i will get to hug my father-in-law's neck and thank him from the bottom of my heart for raising will the way that he did. i want so badly for my 25 year old groom to be to have his daddy. i want so badly for will's mom to enjoy retirement and grandkids with the love of her life.




i couldn't go to sleep until twelve (which is late for me these days)
i blamed it on the full moon (i don't have blinds)
i woke back up at five (i blamed it on the wedding)
the wedding is 162 days away....
just like larry was not there tonight to be honored in the naming of the field...
he won't be at my wedding to stand by his son and sit next to his wife.




life isn't always fair. it's interesting how you can miss someone so so much that you have never even met. don't take for granted the big or the small. be thankful always. don't wait to be intimate with your Heavenly Father. and if you don't have a relationship with Him, don't wait another minute. not just so you can get to Heaven but so that you can also have the power of God dwelling inside of you and so that you can really know Him and so that you can know true romance and love. the author of love.


what a day that shall be
when my Jesus i shall see
and i look upon His face
the one who saved my by His grace
when He takes me by the hand
and leads me through the Promised Land


what a day


glorious day


that will be

give thanks. always.

i always have a lot to thank Jesus for but here lately my heart has really been overflowing. here are a few things that i am extremely grateful for:

1. will

2. his mom

3. my mom and all of her help with this wedding

4. my job

5. school

6. my future house

7. janiegirl

8. my bfoh and her faithful listening ear

9. fall weather

10. my new running partner who happens to be my best friend and fiance

when i moved here i started a journal of thanksgiving. hoping that if i had bad days or if i were to get very homesick that i could force myself to keep things in perspective and remain thankful for all that i do have. i definitely needed that some days. i am especially glad that thankfulness has come so easily.  188 days to go :)

and we're makin plans...

i'm your girl and you're my man... and we're makin plans....

wedding plans and house plans, job plans, honeymoon plans, and "the rest of our lives" plans. i say it all the time but i will say it again. thank you God for will ginn.

just a shout out to pastor todd wright and holly ross. pastor todd told me i better go to school.. no excuses, no complaining, just do it. and "my boss", holly, has always, every single day, encouraged me to finish school. well i haven't finished and i can't promise that i will BUT i am back in school and i am doing well. 98 is my lucky number apparently :)

the biggest shout out though? that would be for my precious savior, Jesus. i have been praying about school for a long, long, long time now. my specific prayers were that He would prepare me for school, that i would have the ability to focus, and that He would drench me in wisdom.

i really love answered prayers a lot.

i know that God answers prayers. He does it on a very regular basis in my life and in the life of elevate church.

with that being said, i have a friend that so longingly wants a baby. for whatever reason her and her husband are having trouble conceiving. i pray on a daily basis for them, that they can have patience, and for their hearts. i know it has to be such a struggle. on the way home today i heard a man on the radio talk about genesis chapter 25 and the hard time rebecca had getting pregnant. it pumped me up on a whole new level. God answered her husband's prayer and blessed them with not one but TWO. i truly believe that if you aggressively intercede on behalf of the ones you love that God will hear your cry and answer.


so i say to you (and myself): pray, pray hard. pray without ceasing. align your heart with God's and present your requests boldly to Him.

all or nothing baby, all or nothing.

i'll stand outside with my mouth open wide

singin' ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.

1- i am loving this rain!

2- it stopped just long enough this morning so that i could run a quick 2 before class.

3- i had my first test today so i got out of class at 8:30.

4- i came home and made a hugs and kisses cheesecake. had a little extra... so i made a mini. anything mini is super great.

5- now off to pick up my girl, Landry from her first day of "school".

6- rainy days are good days. the end.

reminiscing

is that even how you spell reminiscing? ha! this picture is pretty recent but pictures are fun and i love this one... so i added it. i love it because it caught us doing what we do a lot of. both of us are laughing and willis is either talking me into doing something crazy or talking sense back into me. and i love his HAT. :)

reminiscing on old posts.

after reading 4 or 5 old posts i got overwhelmed with God's goodness.

again.

to see where i have been and where i am now gets me super stoked about where i'm going.

i really enjoy reading other blogs.

i have friends that are wonderful writers.

me?

i just ramble on and on trying to get my point across.

still, i am thankful for the rambling because it allows me to think back on God's faithfulness.

Another Ginn for the Valley Cubs

Another Ginn for the Valley Cubs: ALEXANDRIA — All seems right in Alexandria this week. It’s the first week of high school football’s regular season, a favorite time in The Valley. Appetites are whetting for victories and Valley D...

I am learning about "The Ginn Way", Valley Cubs, and Alexandria. This is Will's first year back "home" at AHS. He teaches on the same hall as his brothers, coaches on the same field (and court this winter) that his legendary hall of fame dad coached on, and his mom is also a retired AHS teacher.

All I have to say is, "Good thing Will Ginn is my fiance because if he weren't, the internet stalking I do would be... creepy to say the least." The jamboree was last Thursday night. I sent him a text while I was watching him on the field. It read: "I love seeing you in your element. bow chicka wow wow." It is so true. I love watching him in action and couldn't be more proud of who he is and what he does.

Are you allowed to brag on your fiance like this? I mean I know it's annoying when parents brag on their kids 24/7. Either way, I can't help it this time.... I get to MARRY Will Ginn and I'm really pumped about it. I'd like to say I won't ever do a brag post again but I won't make promises that could be impossible to keep :)

Tid Bit: Congratulations to my dear friends Hannah and Blake Ladd. Emmalynne is here and she is beautiful. You two will be great parents and Baby E is blessed to have you both!! Can't wait to get my hands on her :)

Because of His Loving Kindness...

i am overwhelmed with thankfulness.

on friday afternoon my amazingly sweet paw-paw took a fall at ace hardware. within 30-45 minutes i was at the ER along with his wife, my mom, dad, 2 sisters, and 3 nephews. he was very bloody and beat up. i am so thankful to Jesus that my paw-paw didn't break any bones. they stitched up his upper lip and his cheekbone, ran x-rays, and then sent him home. my mom went home with them and got them settled for the night.

while she was taking care of them i went to see "the help". what a wonderful movie. as if the day weren't already emotional enough... i cried straight through that movie. that movie made me feel a sense of urgency. we don't have time to love half heartedly. we have to give others everything we've got. we have to love them because the world will not and is not. we've got to share our stories of Jesus' love with the people we know.

i saw "the help" with my future family. 2 of will's cousins, sister-in-laws, his mom, grams, and his aunt. i am so thankful for these women and the way the have welcomed me into their family. they take care of me, look out for me, and feel "at home". the love i have inside of me for will ginn is unreal. it comes from way down deep. i love him because he is will but i also love him because i understand he is who God has given me. i cherish him because he is the best gift God has given me. and on top of that i get to become a part of his family.

the next morning i went to my paw-paw's house to take care of them and visit. we watched "soul surfer", napped, and had milkshakes and smoothies. i can't begin to list the reasons why my paw-paw is so great. i am thankful for saturday mornings with him and mrs. palmer.

last night we got a call that paw-paw was having left arm pain. which could be from the fall or could be signs of a heart attack. since he didn't take his blood thinner that day a heart attack would make sense. but he fell on his left side. i'd like to say that i don't worry about him at all and that i just trust the Lord at all times. but i don't. thankful that he is okay and thankful for the prayers that were said on his behalf. i know that God will take care of him and i pray for him daily but still get upset to see him hurt.

last but not least.... this morning i went to the early service at meadowbrook. i was invited by a lady i met in the vegas airport the day i was flying to alabama to be in landry's wedding where i would end up meeting will ginn. wow, long sentence, breath, horrible sentence structure? ha. i have been church hopping since april and honestly i am over it. i am thankful for the "random" meetings Jesus orchestrated that weekend in june of 2010.

thankful for His loving kindness.

Obsessions.

Being engaged, my ring, and this picture from the night he asked me to be his wifey!

new ones:

• t-shirts that are a size too big

• vanilla cupcake goldfish

• this 65 degree weather i've had for my morning runs the last 2 days

• pinterest. so FUN for wedding planning

ongoing ones:

• will. can it be march 24th already??

• swimming

• fro yo. thank you gadsden for having red velvet

• toms. i can't wait to wear you every day

• burt's bees. i hope we never break up

• every day with landry patterson

holy life change.

welp. i couldn't be more thrilled to say that i am engaged to marry will ginn. in just one day my life totally shifted. i went from being the girl who spent the last 3 years on the coast to a true southerner. so far alabama has brought tornados, heat, humidity, mosquitoes, small town he said she said, AND a fun new "job", time with family, visits to georgia, and a honkin' diamond ring! the best part of my diamond is that it came from will ginn, the boy i love more than any other boy ever and the one i like to do everything with.... even fishing. since july 29th the wedding wheels have already started turning. ask me anything wedding right now and i could carry on for days. major life change. bam.

more life change you say?

yep. august 19th classes start for this big girl. please pray specifically for me as i work, go to school, and plan a wedding. i love weddings and work way more than school. pray that i can have some divine focus sent from Heaven for class, studying, and motivation.

on top of getting married i also have a house to think about. i can't wait to live under the same roof as will. even if football and basketball steals him from me at least i can watch him sleep on the couch. can i get an amen stephanie?

i have been so blessed. my Jesus knows me, cares for me, and romances me in the most personal ways. thank you Jesus. bottom line.

Satan, get behind me...

i am so blessed. it's no secret.

i mean there are children that have one outfit, that don't get to go to school, and there are mother's and father's that can't feed their little ones.

several of my close friends are experiencing hard times right now too.

i received encouragement from several different unexpected sources over the past week. i so needed it too. i am extremely thankful.

will picked me up from the airport on monday night with flowers.

i say all this to say... i have no reason to complain. however, with just a little homesickness satan rides in and tries to take control of every thought and situation. why can't i be content and have a daily attitude of thankfulness? satan, do you know how BIG my God is? enough is enough. i am His and He is mine. i have to start acting like it!

Love and Respect

I have been reading a book about pink and blue. It is quite remarkable. Explaining that men are a certain way and women are another completely different, certain way. This book keeps me learning and it keeps me thankful. I am thankful that I am dating a guy that is all man. I have enough crazy emotions at times for the both of us. I am thankful that he is grounded and solid. I am thankful that he listens to me and loves me regardless of the nonsense I rattle off. This book has already improved our relationship that has been pretty rad from the start. If you've ever talked to me you know that since I was about 3 years old I have really just wanted to be a great wife and raise a bunch of babies to love Jesus and people. So Emerson's Love and Respect is really helping me understand men and relationships better. I hope that one day I can make "somebody" really happy and I hope that our relationship will honor Jesus and bring happiness to all those who know "us". I recommend this book to anyone that likes someone of the opposite sex that might possibly want to spend the rest of their life with someone of the opposite sex in holy matrimony.

Women tell your men that you respect them. Let them know that you're in their corner no matter what. I can practically guarantee you that they're gonna love you for it :)

Silver Lining...

while living in san diego my sweet southerners at home would often remind me that california is going to fall into the ocean. well, california is still connected to arizona, nevada, oregon, and mexico (happy seis de mayo)! i have been back in the south for a month now and have experienced more extreme and severe weather in these four weeks than i did during my whole three years in sunny san diego :) just a thought. which brings me to the 'naders. these tornadoes have destroyed everything. it is unlike anything i've ever seen. i have been to a third world country and seen poverty. i have done construction in the ghetto. i have cleaned up after katrina but these tornadoes did major work around my new hometown and left me speechless. wednesday night's storms missed my house by just a few miles. the silver lining in all of this mess? well, it has given me the opportunity to serve and love on people in a place that is new to me and where i don't know anyone. this community has really stepped up. neighbors helping neighbors. the church actually BEING the church. can i get a hallelujah?! there are some churches that are serving 3 hot meals EVERY-SINGLE-DAY. there are rednecks everywhere... cranking chainsaws, hauling front loaders, and scooting bobcats around. it's not time to stop praying though. so many have lost family members, friends, and loved ones. so many have lost everything. every family picture, every piece of clothing, every vehicle, every bed. God is good. He is faithful and He will provide.

side note: my first summer in san diego a group from south carolina came to help us. i instantly fell in love with them. guess what??? they are coming to spend the night at my house and my maw-maw's tonight and help with the 'nader relief tomorrow. wow. talk about a sharp group of people!! i am so excited to reunite with these people who are practically strangers but feel like family! wooty woot for friends!

i tell you no lies...

i have been missing me some trader joe's, whole foods, and good eat at spots in san diego.... i know it has only been 3 weeks and i'm okay with being a fatty. if you don't know me very well you don't know that i run to eat :) however, today i found some happiness on the side of 431... Wright's Dairy Farm. hip hip hooray! i bought some milk that came from happy cows. these cows are not given any hormones. they are grass fed, roam on a lot of green acres, and the only pesticides sprayed are along the fence. it's the kind of milk you have to shake before you drink because the cream settles. yum. i also bought some strawberry jam that has all real ingredients. we'll see if it can beat TJ's.... i bought veggie chips and some tomato basil linguine. i would have bought yogurt but they were out :( you see to have the option of buying anything organic you have to drive to wal-mart (a place i totally lived w/o in sd) and wally world is 30 minutes away. so you will often here the phrase "goin to town" around here. i'm not a planner... i think about dinner around lunch time so the likelihood of me driving 30 minutes to town through a gazillion redlights is... well... not likely at all. so the wright dairy farm won my heart a little bit today.

SN: i saw a sign today with all the great things about ohatchee and it said home of the creator of popeye. i came home and said, "MOM! the creator of popeye chicken was from ohatchee??" she just laughed at me... the creator of popeye (the sailor man) was from ohatchee.

one more side note: i am running 3 MILES now!! woo hoo. i got out of the 2 mile rut. i am slow but hey... at least i'm getting the recommended amount of cardio each day. today i rewarded myself with some new nikes! i hope they treat me as good as the ones i wore out.

in just a week's time...

i have felt every emotion under the sun. today i'm not so positive. priscilla shirer said a few things that i am going to remind myself of:

1. my feelings do not have intellect
2. when i give God the credit in the beginning, i give Him control to carry me the rest of the way
3. God's word deserves more commitment
4. those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

the last couple of days have been days where i know that i'm being a girl and i hate it but i just can't stop it. ugh. i've been tapping my dang heels and by golly i'm not in san diego! when i moved to sd a few years ago the first year was pretty rough. tonight i went to the river and talked to my Jesus about how i'm being a girl. tonight i begged him to mold me into who he wants me to be BUT i prayed begging him to protect me from that really sad place i was in 3 years ago....

3 yrs ago i arrived in california. no friends. no knowledge of how to get anywhere. no community. no familiar food. no life. i had a blank slate and i hated it. looking back though, it was beautiful. i am so glad i had to opportunity to build a life that i really loved and God was able to transform me completely in my vulnerability. 3 yrs from now i should read this silly post about how i'm incredibly homesick and would do anything to be able to see my girls and Jackson. and about how i want to go to elevate. and hopefully when i do look back i can smile because God has molded me into someone better. you see, God sees in us what we don't see in ourselves and He will work on us until we are what He sees us to be. thank you priscilla shirer for telling it like it is.

i want to be used. i want to stay focused on the God story and not my story. i want to love hard. i want to invest. i want to use my spiritual gifts. i want to be different, live differently, and give a different love. love that this world hasn't felt in far too long.

Life in Ohatchee...

ok well, this part was in villa rica... but still... brittany asked me to go with her to the women's conference that her church was hosting. i was looking forward to seeing will so i thought i probably wouldn't go. however, will got put working the gate at a softball tournament so i decided to go. i cried and i cried friday night. my Jesus was romancing me and i cried a lot of humbled tears. everything that priscilla share were the same things that God has been speaking to my heart through kevin, the 3 different books i'm reading, and through the very prayers i prayed the night before. it was the best feeling to rest in him. to tell Him again, that all i have is his. that all i want to do is live a life that is all about him. that my heart is hurting and that i miss my family in san diego. i was there by no mistake. He knew what i needed before i asked and provided me with an incredible time with Him. not to mention i had hannah j ladd sitting on one side and brittany on the other. so thankful for the rich friendships in my life. saturday i headed back to alabama. i could tell will was a little bummed i left him again.. oops. on my way in he was fishing in a creek near my house. i pulled over and climbed down there and there he was all done up in his waders and he carried me down the creek. in that moment i decided that i really liked being will's girlfriend. caught some fish, saw a gopher twice janie's size, and soaked it all in. it was so wonderful to go to church and have will there too. i feel like everything's gonna be alright. my time with Jesus has been so sweet and intimate. i am holding that near and dear to my heart.

The Journey Home....

if you don't already know, i have left san diego and moved back to alabama. after much prayer i made the decision to move back home to try school one more time and to bring my long distance relationship with will to a close. leaving elevate = one of the hardest things i've done in my life so far. The Road Trip: brittany and i have been talking about a road trip since we were in middle school. we finally did it! brittany and haileywynn flew in on wednesday. haileywynn flew out saturday night. after elevate on sunday morning the road trip began! i must say that my heart was so full on sunday... i have been praying and praying that my dear friends would come back to elevate and THEY DID. my boss and the kids also came. not to mention we had a pretty full house! love love love. Road Trip Day 1: san diego - flagstaff, az i LOVE flagstaff. such a beautiful place. at an elevation of 7000 ft the stars are incredible! we spent the night with my friend trevor and his family. they are so sweet and definitely hospitable. Day 2: flagstaff - grand canyon - roswell, nm the grand canyon is hard to describe. if you haven't been, GO. we did a rim trail and climbed the watch tower to get a good view of the colorado. then back in the car for a lot more driving! we drove for hundreds of miles (at night) with out seeing a single creature, car, or road sign. finally arrived in roswell around 1 or 2 am. roswell is where all the ufo spottings were. very interesting. got 4 hours of sleep, breakfast vouchers for denny's and then we were off. Day 3: roswell, nm - san antonio, tx - austin, tx - elgin, tx texas was definitely my favorite. i think texas gets overlooked a lot. the alamo cafe was better than i remembered. the alamo was beautiful and the river walk was amazing too. 6th street in austin was a lot of fun. bird man, live music, and friendly people. then there's elgin.... Day 4: elgin, tx - ocean springs, ms woke up on day 4 with a flat tire. bummer. thankfully, we were next door to an o'reilly's. after much wasted time they inflated the tire and we were able to drive 1/2 mi down the road to a repair shop. they plugged the tire for $5 and we were on our way. we got a late start but let me tell you something... if that flat would have happened the night before we would have been in big trouble. we also contemplated driving to houston the night before and if we did that we would have been in trouble then too. all the glory goes to God for his protection over us. as we are figuring out that we have a flat my pastor's wife, susan, sent me a text telling me she is praying for us. love it! louisianan's can't drive. when we arrived in ocean springs we met my dad's friend asa and his wife, cindy at a seafood restaurant on the water. i never realized how much alike my dad and asa are. 2 peas in a pod. i felt right at home. asa and cindy are golden people and i'm glad they shared their home with us. asa even made us biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Day 5: ocean springs, ms - ohatchee, al last leg and reality hits a little. smooth sailing. good weather all the way across america. brittany was away from adam and rhett for 8 days. i am so thankful for the sacrifices she made to help me get across the country. janney furnace- it was only fitting that the sons of the confederates were setting up down the road from my parents for the civil war reenactment. can you say culture shock? haha. we got home around 3 and adam, rhett, and will showed up a little later. mom made a celebration dinner and we had a good time.

March 9, 2011

what a hurricane of emotions here lately. many changes and adjustments on the horizon. how do i describe it all? bitter-sweet. i am concentrating very hard right now on a few things:

-pouring every ounce of energy, sweat, blood, and tears into Elevate and being intentional about reaching the lost and getting them connected to The Source. i want to be empty when i leave. knowing that i used all that God gave me.

-a positive attitude. pastor todd was in town this weekend and he said something along these lines that stuck in my mind: "every journey is a good journey. you just have to have a good attitude because a bad attitude can ruin any good journey." i know difficult days are ahead but i am already praying about those days. i am going to start a journal of thanksgiving. i am going to focus on who Jesus wants me to be and who He has called me to be. so if you know me and in a few weeks or months i'm not focusing on that and i'm throwing myself a huge pity party... don't come to the party... feed me some stern encouragement :)

Jesus is so good. i am so grateful to be a child of God. i just keep learning and learning. i don't ever want to get to a point in life where he isn't molding me, stretching me, and breaking me at my strongest to be rebuilt for His glory. and those words, my friends, are bold ones. discipline isn't always fun but it is beneficial. my roommate was talking about how there is freedom in discipline. so true!

today was a favorite day: (this is for me to look back on and read on down the road. skip if you want)

-staff meeting this morning. i look forward to our staff meetings. i am honored to be there, to pray with those people, and to seek God with them. thank you Jesus for Kevin, Jeremy, Thomas, Lesley, and Melissa!

-soaking up the sun by the pool with Melissa and One Thousand Gifts by: Ann Voskamp

-office work

-getting to talk over a cup of tea with Sarah Mathias! haven't been able to see her in 2 years! she was in san diego this week for her SB. she is getting married soon so we got to talk engagements, weddings, dresses, love, and LIFE. i love my d-group girls and cherish the times we get to catch up and love on each other.

-trader joe's after to pick up my favorites to share with Holly (her plane lands tomorrow night!)

-chipotle for dinner- best burrito of my life

-last but not least... got to talk to will ginn for a few minutes. first time in a week in a half. thank you Jesus for a boyfriend that i love more than chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels from TJ's :)

san diego, i love you.

alabama, get ready... i'm bringing a lot of spunk and love with me when i come. Jesus hasn't called me to be ordinary.

today...

i soaked up the sun by the pool. glorious

i miss the days when i'd come home to isaac cooking dinner in my kitchen. and his wife. nj give them back

i am thankful for a very BIG GOD who loves a sinner like me. true love

i wish for a silly, girly valentine's day. ha. here's to me and janie instead :)

make a day stand out. or 3. or 300.

When we look back on our lives, what we will remember are the crazy things we did, the times we worked harder to make a day stand out. -Donald Miller, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

thanksgiving 2009: grand canyon, vegas, flagstaff

hiking torrey pines then laying on the beach with my roommate on her last day in san diego

buying cheesecake for my birthday, an engagement, and a bad day

surprising will last october... i call it the "wish you were here" surprise

driving down 20. music up. windows down. just my best friend and me

going to cochran mill

fro yo just because

bike rides from south mission to pb

trying a new recipe

making chocolate chip pancakes with my girls

letting jb choose which route to take home from school

hiking cowle's

san fran

driving up the pch

ichat dates

presents or flowers just because

being creative

drive in movies

walking to the store

leaving every thing i had ever known to plant a church

doing something special for someone else

i want the rest of my life to be defined by excellence. i want to love fully. better every day. i want every day to be a celebration. special. i want to pour into others what Jesus has poured into me. i want to honor Him. with everything. i want to be completely aware of the life and beauty around me. i want to take hold of life and run wild. i want to always keep my free spirit. i want to be used by my King, the one who rescued me.

Focus.

i have had the hardest time focusing lately. no, i do not have ADD. it seems that whether i'm trying to focus on work, my Jesus time, cleaning, or just thinking.... my brain is all over the map. i have been praying for two things for quite a while now: wisdom and focus. i have been trying to focus and trying to focus on how to focus and trying to figure out why i can't focus. yes, i know. insane. God is so faithful. he answers my prayers even when they seem silly to me. i think part of my struggle is adjusting to a new routine. i'm home a lot more these days, have a lot more flexibility, and a huge lack of routine. routine can be good and routine can be bad. i personally am more motivated and productive when i have a busy schedule and some form of routine. we had a staff meeting today and i got all fired up again. i've been asking Jesus to put the umph back in me and he did. today. side note: you know you have a great job when you look forward to staff meetings! God is helping me focus and hopefully he will pour out wisdom on me today and for the rest of my life. tune into the world news this weekend because God is up to something at elevate in san diego, california and you all should be jealous that you can't be here to witness it. Join us at Elevate this weekend for the first week of our relationship series!

shout out to my friend hannah who is walking down the aisle this weekend to say forever to my friend blake! wish i could be there to see the most beautiful bride on her big day!

and one more shout out to my sister's blog. such a great post and video!

love God. love people.

Twist.

a twist on growing up.

i have probably blogged several times about growing up and how i hate it. i rather have the high school days where i hung out with my friends, made A's without studying, worked enough to put gas in the car and chick fil a in the belly. i still feel that way HOWEVER....

when i think about growing up here lately i think about it in a whole new light. i moved to san diego when i was 20 years old. just a baby really. i just turned 23 and i'm still quite the baby... but i have grown up so much. it's hard to put how i've grown up into words but i know that i have.

i look at life differently, i look at the world differently.

i have learned that there are appropriate times to share your opinion and other times where silence and a hug is much more beneficial. i am no where near mastering the art of taming the tongue. i am a girl you know. i plan to constantly work on it though. the tongue has the power of life and death (pro.18:21).

i have learned so much from holly ross. she has become one of my dearest friends. at one time i only saw her as the woman i worked for. now, i love her more than words can say. i have learned a lot from her. she is a very accomplished woman who has worked very hard for the life she has. her and her husband are still very much in love. i want to always be in love with my husband and i'm very willing to put in the work to make it happen.

i have become even more independent. i realize this isn't always good but in a lot of ways it is great. being alone doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. in high school i always wanted to be surrounded by friends or family. i still love a full house and i still love people and being surrounded by them. at the same time, i am not afraid to go do what i want to do. alone. if no one else wants to go do something fun, i'll just go by myself. treating myself and "taking myself on dates" can really bring happiness. i'm not too completely independent... i still call my mom every. single. day. and talk to brittany every other day :)

i love the thought that not only did Jesus die for me. rescue me. redeem me. but he didn't stop there. he loved me enough to save me AND he loves me enough to discipline me. and grow me. it's not always fun and delightful but i THANK GOD i am not the same person i was when i was 16. i was a great 16 year old but if you don't learn and grow what do you have to show for the years between 16 and 23? i want to constantly be growing and changing and bettering myself. i want to honor HIM with and in everything.

here's to 23. 2011. growth and change :) {something you'd never hear me say in the past ;)}

I was not dreaming...

I got my white Christmas. I boarded a plane in San Diego on Christmas Eve. I dressed warmly because I knew it'd be cold in the south so I broke a sweat loading my suitcases in the car. I ride on that plane for what seems like YEARS and then finally land in glorious Birmingham. Will Ginn picked me up with sweet white flowers in the passenger seat and we had quite the reunion.... at Waffle House :) That is my kind of Christmas Eve right there! I woke up on Christmas morning and it was SNOWING and I loved it! What a beautiful Christmas.... seeing Will Ginn after a long two months, snow, family, and presents. Heyo!

Janie's first snow

Time with my HaileyWynn at Janney Furnace

Celebrating my best friend's 23rd birthday.

I spent a lot of time just watching Will. Whether he was coaching, driving us somewhere, watching football, or feeding the cows.... and every time I looked over I would just think, 'man, i hit the jackpot.' Too much mushy gushy? Sorry...

I had a wonderful time at home.

I didn't set an alarm at all while I was in the south.

I saw Will coach

Brittany gave me a haircut (thank goodness)

Will and I got to have dinner with Hannah J and Blake

I saw my dearest Holly and her man

I made the grandparents some hot tea to soothe their bronchitis

I shopped with my Maw-Maw and mom

I got to see Row Row and Rhett Hanes

I ate a lot of good food

Rang in 2011 with Will, his brother, and sis-in-law

Did Trivia night with Elmer and Stevo

Lots of good times. More good people. Thankful.

2011 is off to a good start. Today we celebrated Elevate's 2 year anniversary... or birthday... whichever. I heard the service was great. I was teaching the elementary kids about determination and Hebrews 12:1. "Let us keep on running the race marked out for us." After church we had a delicious meal at Ki's in Cardiff by the sea. Local, organic food with an ocean view. Just what I needed to cure me of my home sickness. Or south sickness. Back to Elevate.... I am so honored to be a part of something as huge as Elevate. Kevin has set the standard so high that I'm afraid I will never be able to go to church anywhere else and be satisfied. God has gifted Kevin with amazing leadership abilities and incredible vision. Great things have happened in the last 2 years but this is only the beginning and there is so much more to come. Thank you Jesus and thank you Kevin. I love being challenged and encouraged on a constant basis. Leading people to become passionate followers of Christ. Ya heard?

Little Miss by Sugarland lyrics + download link HQ/HD

You should listen to this song. I kinda like it.

Christmas Lights

Yet another San Diego Christmas tradition of mine. Luke coordinates this fun every year. These neigborhoods resembled Vegas. So bright! It was kinda rainy that night but in the pictures it looks like snow. Perfect!

Jeremy and the ladies

me, renee, amy, laura, luke, steig, sim