lately

I cannot believe we're only a few days away from November!! I LOVE the month of November...my (25th!) birthday, LOTS of friends' birthdays, Thanksgiving and the official beginning of the holiday season; Christmas is less than 2 months away now! I also can't believe how much of a roller coaster my life has been these past 2 months since August. Here's a brief recap:

-Finished up my last few weeks at First Pres
-Moved out of my apartment
-Moved into Bob and Lisa's awesome guest house
-Spent lots of time traveling between in Marietta, Athens, and Chattanooga
-Vegged out for hours
-Job hunted like crazy
-Got burnt out with job hunting
-Started teaching Signal Mountain's color guard
-Prayed a lot about applying to grad school
-Applied to West Georgia for the Community Counseling program
-Swallowed my pride and started working at the ribbon place (more on that later)
-And now about to start applying to Richmont so I can maybe stay in Chattanooga (and be really broke)

All while this was going on, my favorite moments have been with friends and family. The initial shock of unemployment, sadness over missing the kids of the youth group every day, wondering what I'm supposed to do with my life, and beginning to pursue what I've had on my heart for some time now--my friends and family have stuck by my side and encouraged me. My closest group of friends have been Bob, Lisa, Kelly, and our newest addition, Cary Queen.

I have mentioned Kelly and Cary in the last several posts but never can seem to show our friendship justice in a quick blog post...I'll try my darndest though. Kelly and I have grown closer over the past 2 years and I have considered her a best friend for a little less than a year now. Cary just graduated from Tennessee in July and moved back to her parents house on Signal Mountain while she was looking for a job. During this past September, Lisa invited Cary to come to our small group that we have every other week. I wasn't there the first Monday Cary came, but the girls all told me how much I was going to love our newest addition. I was able to meet Cary the next Sunday when Bob and Lisa hosted a small group at their house. We found out that night that Kelly and I were housesitting for Bob and Lisa for 10 days while they were in Italy and Cary's parents were going out of town the exact same 10 days!! Oh yeah, did I mention Cary lives like 2 streets over from the Franklins?! Everything was falling into place for the 3 of us to be friends; it had to be a God thing. Ever since that week and a half, we have been inseparable. There have been countless times that we've said "What did we do before each other??" We can be honest, cry (which happens often), laugh (which happens 10 times as often), and do nothing together. I have never had a friendship fall into place as easily as our's did and it has hands down been the biggest, hugest, most unexpected blessing of unemployment (slash partial employment) that I wouldn't trade for anything.

PS-I also love that we have a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead as well as 4'10, 5'7, and 6'2. 

Home Sweet Mountain Home

I am more or less officially moved out of Signal View and unofficially a Signal Mountain dweller now! I still have a couple of things that I need to go and collect from the ghetto, but last night was my first night staying in the Franklin's guest house. It's one big room, fully furnished and FREE! It doesn't hurt that I love it and I'm about 40 feet away from 2 of my favorite people.

I'm bringing in as little as possible because needless to say, I am so over all of this moving stuff! But I could not be more grateful to have somewhere to call home whenever I'm up in Chattanooga though. And no, I'm not here permanently nor am I in Marietta permanently. I just have 2 places to call home right now--it all just depends on the day that you ask which state I'm in....such is the life of a vagabond.

All My Bags are Packed, I'm Ready to Go

Welp. Here I am again, doing what I should do best: packing up and moving. Seriously if you count moving in and out of the dorms/sorority house, and apartments, plus "squatting" at the Liners, Taylor's and the Harwoods, plus summers at camp in Chattanooga, this is my 27th time moving since I was 18. Oh my Heavens, that was the first time I've really counted and that is just too much to fathom. This time has probably been the worst just because I have lived here for a full year and that's something I haven't done since high school! Plus, add in the furniture and that's a whole other level of stress. Luckily, Alex and Forrest let me borrow their couch and bed (mattress, bed, everything!) and they're even letting me store my other junk in their basement until I have a home of my own again! What a HUGE blessing! But after hours of packing this week, mostly today, I am almost all the way moved out and the apartment feels so empty right now! Here's just a bit of the progress from today--just to remind myself later on that I have WAY too much junk...that I refuse to get rid of...

Erin had to pack up my shoes for me because I tried to throw them all into that black trunk, they wouldn't fit, I got stressed and so she just took over for me--thank goodness! And yes, I know I have not enough way too many shoes (and that's not all of them...)

And now here's the almost "after" shots...so so empty and disorganized right now! Stressful for a Type A personality like myself.

I will be splitting my time between Chattanooga and Marietta the next few weeks, mostly just dependent on my weekend plans...but it would be nice to have a job so I could move all of this junk into another home! Until then, I will just take advantage of all of the wonderful friends and family that have opened their homes to me :) Such a huge blessing to have so many people in my life that are so hospitable and willing to put up with me (and all of my junk!)

One month later

It has officially been a month since Robert "broke the news" to me about my contract being up. So here I am, one month down, one month to go--where does that leave me?

I was out of town, preparing to be out of town, or recuperating from being out of town pretty much the whole month of July. I kept telling myself that I would buckle down and really look for jobs and start packing up my office and apartment once August came around...so here we are. I brought home a couple dozen hangers worth of winter clothes to my parents' house this weekend and brought back some boxes to pack up picture frames, books, and other decorations around the apartment. At least I'm getting somewhere with that. And it helps my mentality that I can do that in stages, but I know I'll have to be moved out before I know it!

It breaks my heart to think about packing up my office though. I felt like that place was more home to me than my apartment has been. I have notes, pictures, scripture, and momentos all around my office and I know I'm going to need an afternoon to myself and a box of Kleenexes when I pack up that little square room. Robert and I agreed that my official duties to the youth ministry would be over the 12th of August since the 14th is Promotion Sunday and the kickoff of a new school year. I'll still get a paycheck until the end of August and help out around the office, but won't be required to go to leader's meetings, Sunday school, or Wednesday night youth group. I'm grateful that we would come to that decision because it really does make it emotionally easier for me to not have to be one foot in and one foot out and not nearly as stressful to make it to events because August is jam packed with showers, weddings, and other things to do here and there.

I've already started to notice myself pulling away a little bit and some days are harder than others to talk myself into going to the office or hanging out with kids. I want to continue to love on these girls and invest in them for the Kingdom's sake, not just for the sake of the ministry, but it's hard knowing that there is a time limit left on our time together. I want to stay apart of the church if I stay in Chattanooga and have a job that allows for that in my schedule, but I'm going to take some time away regardless of where I end up just for clarity in my mind and theirs if I transition from "staff" to "volunteer".

Speaking of where I end up...that's what's keeping me up so late tonight. I was so dead set on Chattanooga for the longest time, but after going home this weekend and seeing so many great friends from around the Atlanta area I've at least broaden my job hunt for Chattanooga and Marietta. Granted, if I were to be offered the same job in Marietta or Chattanooga and got to pick, the Scenic City would win hands down. But with the state of the economy and knowing the kind of person I am, I can see the benefits of either city and am waiting to see where God takes me. But I think the biggest problem of all, (sorry to be such a Debbie Downer for this post, but this is just life for me right now!) is that I have NO STINKING CLUE what I want to do. Like none. Zip. Zilch. Nada. So if you have some epiphany as to what you think I should be doing at this point in my life, I would greatly appreciate the direction. I really would like to stay in some kind of "people" service because God did NOT create me to be business minded. I am a people person, super organized, and like a scheduled, but constant change of pace. I know my strengths and I thought this job spoke well to them, but God's got something planned for me and I'm just waiting and trusting to see what it is.

So, that's where I am. Much more at peace. Scattered home and office life. Trying to focus on my job while I still have it. I'm still at as much of a loss of what I'll be doing come September as I was a month ago. And still I'm praying lots and lots. And lots.

PS-I have totally been blown away by the support, encouragement, and love of my friends and family through this! As much of a low point this is for me right now, I have felt nothing but comfort and stability from those around me! You all are such a blessing in my life and I don't know where I would be without yall :)

Top 10 of 2010

One of my favorite postings to do for my blog has become somewhat of a tradition-the highlights of my past year. 2010 will be a year that I will never forget. It was my first full year out of school and there is no way I could have planned what all this year held for me. God has shown me big things through disappointments, surprises, and fulfilled promises. I love where God has me at this point in my life and cannot wait to see what 2011 has in store. So here they are, my top 10 of 2010:

10. Surprisingly, losing my job was one of the best things to happen to me this year. I learned so much about what I don't want in a job, how grateful I was to be surrounded by encouraging friends and family in the midst of my disappointment, confusion, and questioning, and if I didn't lose my job at the Youth Network then I wouldn't be where I am now. And I wouldn't trade where I am now for anything.

9. Not that material things define who I am, or at least I don't ever want them to, but it sure is nice to have a steady income to be able to afford some luxuries. 2010 brought my a new car, a new computer, new phone, and something i probably take for granted the most is insurance through the church. I started to feel a little bit more like a grown-up this year because I could afford these big purchases and that's always a nice feeling...paying the bill for them every month is a different story!

8. In April, I started interning with First Pres and I had no idea that that would lead to a full time position starting in August of this year. This year's summer was such a fun, encouraging time getting to know the students in the youth group and really figuring out what my passions are. It was the closest thing to being at camp like spending time with students and seeing the staff, and even getting a chance to play on the lake every now and then while still enjoying some free time to myself. Highlights of this summer's internship were
tubing on the Hiawasee, the Mystery Tours on Sunday nights, and hands down, my favorite thing was the missions trip to New Orleans.




7. Another unexpected, but rewarding event of 2010 were the 2 weeks I got to spend working at Camp Vesper Point this summer. I thought that 2009 would hands down be my last summer on staff at CVP, but God yet again taught me to never say never. Family Camp and a week in June as a counselor reminded me the joys of teaching the Gospel for the first time to young girls and that its the little things that campers will remember, like being mud sisters for example.


6. A less specific event, but overall highlight of this past year were all of the opportunities I got to visit friends outside of Chattanooga. All of these roadtrips reminded me how grateful I am for my friends and that distance does make the heart grow fonder. Being in Kasey's wedding allowed for lots of trips to Bowling Green, throw a couple of trips to Nashville, Athens, and of course Marietta makes for a lot of driving that were well worth the gallons and gallons of gas spent to see so many wonderful friends.






5. This summer, the Harwoods asked me and Katy Fisher to house sit for them and I LOVED getting to live with my best friend all summer. Our bucket list always gave us something to do and it was so fun to come home to someone that I enjoyed their company and conversations.


4. 2010 was a year that I will always remember for moving several times. But with all of this moving around, I appreciated the hospitality of those who took me in without question or complaint. Last January I was at the Liners, then to Taylor's apartment in March, (an arrangement that was only meant to last 2 weeks that turned into 2+ months!) the housesitting at Harwoods with Katy, and now my apartment with Erin. Moving around that much is something I would never wish on someone, but all of that "pack and go" mentality made me appreciate those who opened their house and made me that much more grateful to finally have a place that I can call my own.


3. Time spent with family has always been so valuable to me and 2010 gave me lots of opportunity to do that. Because Chattanooga is only an hour and a half away from Marietta, 3 hours from Athens, and Kirby and Daniel are a short 30ish minute drive from my parents' house, I had so many chances to see them! Charlotte turned 2 years old in April and I loved getting to celebrate that with her. My favorite family trip was our trip to Disney just a few weeks ago. That will be a trip that I will always remember and cherish!




2.One of the most life altering events of this past year was getting my full time job at First Pres. This job has been the biggest blessing and so much better of a job than I could have created for myself. When I moved to Chattanooga in 2009, I fell in love with the church and knew I wanted to be as involved as I could be. Through interning with the Children's department at the beginning of the year, that turned in the internship with the youth in April, and eventually led to a full time position in August, I wouldn't have seen this coming this time last year! I LOVE the students, their families, the people I work with, and what the church stands for. 2010 was a big year for First Pres as a church--Tim Tinsley became our head pastor and Robert Row was brought on as our Youth Pastor. I have loved seeing the change that 2010 brought for our church and I know that God has big plans for 2011 and could not be more grateful that I was chosen to be apart of it all.




1. And drum roll please for the number 1 spot in my Top 10 of 2010.....The birth of my beautiful niece Felicity!!! She is such a precious gift to our family and I have loved seeing her grow this year and I am so blessed to be apart of her life.


So there it is, 2010 in a nutshell! And here's to a great 2011!

For Sloan

Saying that this post is overdue is an understatement. But thankfully, Sloan called me out and here I am, on a Sunday night at my work computer (more explanation on that to come) typing out a belated blog post on my life.

Some highs in my life:

-I finally moved into an apartment at the foot of Signal Mountain! I will dedicate a WHOLE post to that this coming week with pictures and all!

-I bought a new phone--a Samsung Captivate. I could not do it justice, but I LOVE this phone. I am on my phone 24/7. Whether it's texting, phone calls, checking emails, or looking something up (or playing a game), my students consume most of my phone time so I decided to get a phone worthy of using so much.

-School is in full swing for the kids and I think I'm finally starting to get into a routine. As I said in my last post, this is a 24/7 kind of a job so I do breakfasts at least 3 days a week, but get the chance to go back to the apartment to nap if I will be with students until sundown. I love the flexibility.

Some things that I wouldn't necessarily call lows because life has been great, but some realities I've been facing:

-My job is hard in the way that life is hard. I am living life with these girls and life gets a little bumpy from time to time. Think back to middle school; everything was a big deal. I hear about the "she said, he said" tiffs, but I also hear about the divorces that these girls are going through or have gone through, the heartbreaks of boyfriends, the questions when something in life happens that just doesn't seem to make sense. Those are the moments in my job that I realize I need God the most. And so do they.

-Ministry is not a job for the weak of heart. I'm still the new kid around here and I mess up more than I want to admit to. And I have to learn to step up, apologize, and learn from my mistakes. That's a harder pill to swallow some days than it is for others.

-Making time for friends my age/realizing that my weekends are more like Fridays (sometimes) and Saturdays (sometimes). Being back in town for Sunday mornings can make for a tight weekend schedule if I ever want to get out of Chattanooga.

I am planning on getting a new laptop AND new car in the next few months, will be settled into my apartment AND my office at the church hopefully by the end of this week (maybe even get my TN drivers license too?), and will never plan on being caught up on sleep again. :) I am so blessed and that's definitely not a statement that I say lightheartedly.

I just realized late last week that September 23, 2009 was the day I packed up and headed north for Chattanooga so that makes me an official Chattanoogan for a whole year now. This past year has been the CRAZIEST of my life but the fact that this is where God has me now, it's all been worth it. I've learned more than a blog post could do justice and I never would have put myself where I am today. It just all goes to show that God's plans are bigger, better, and more perfect than my own. He's taught me so much about trusting Him through the thick and thin, and all of this just points to the fact that He is calling us to glorify Him through our circumstances. (Could I sound anymore "youth leader-y"?!)

My next post will contain pictures with more regular "life" details and I just might even get caught up on reading all of your blogs too! Thanks for your patience and I promise (it's in writing, so I can't take this back!) to become more regular once I get a new laptop and internet at my apartment (because otherwise, I have to stay longer at the church to use my work computer and their internet!)

Never Homeless

Well, here I am--Homeless yet again. And this time, I feel more homeless than ever. I think it's mostly because there has been continuity in my life so to live a normal life with no where to go back to somewhere I can call "my own" has thrown me off. I was housesitting for the Harwood's, but they had to come back because camp had ended and they had to get ready for the school year to start again (which starts tomorrow for them, how crazy is that?! Sitting in a classroom in 100 degree heat seems a little weird to me.) I housesat for a family in the church, but they came back early, thus leaving me homeless.

Something we talked about on the missions trip in New Orleans is how we, as members of the body of Christ, will never be homeless. So often, people that truly are homeless are not only living life without a roof over their head, but are also living life without a community. As a person in the church--and when I say church, I don't mean First Presbyterian of Chattanooga, I mean the church as a whole, the body of believers--I have been beyond blessed with friends that have willinigly took me in time and time again and that's such a great example of Christ's love. It's so neat to see Christians actually living out love in what seems so small to them but is so big to me--they are sacrificing their norm to open their homes and their lives to me. I have a long list of people that I know would let me in, even if I called at 11 PM and I pray that whenever I do have a place to stay that people know they can call on me in the same way.

So thank you to all of you that have housed me--whether for a night or 3 to 4 months (Liners, Taylor and Harwoods!) And don't worry, I don't plan on never settling down. Keep your fingers crossed for an apartment to live in by the end of this week for me and Erin...and when I say keep your fingers crossed, I mean pray!

Two Part Post: Mother's Day and One Year Later

Part One:

Happy Mother's Day to all of those mothers out there! As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate my own mother more and more. There were several times while I was at camp as a counselor that I called her to thank her for raising me the way she did. Although I can be a brat at times (I will be the first to admit!), I saw how spoiled some of the kids that came through camp were; getting their way no matter way, not having to clean up after themselves, or not showing respect to those in authority. I am so glad that my parent's made it a priority to not only teach me lessons like that, but even moreso that they showed me what real love is through disciplining me.

I could not be more appreciative of my mother--she loved me when she had to drive me around to my dance lessons, girl scout meetings, and Science Olympiad meetings in elementary school, dealt with my through my high maintenance middle school days, hugged me as I cried over boys and high school drama, and showed me patience while I was learning how to do laundry before leaving for college. She loves me and my sisters so well even when life gets crazy. I have loved to see our relationship grow into a friendship as I have grown up. I love you more than you know Mom!!

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Part Two:

How in the world has it been a whole year since I first walked under the arch?!?

I've said this too many times on this blog, but I'll say it again--if you had told me that my first year out of college was going to be as crazy as this past year has been, I would have laughed and called you a dirty fibber. I have loved it, maybe not every second of it, but I have grown in so many ways that I would not have had my life gone according to MY plan.

Since finishing college, I have...

-worked at the oh so wonderful CVP for a 4th summer

-been unemployed
-moved to Chattanooga :)
-worked 3-4 jobs at once
-been semi-homeless
-got my first big girl job
-took the GRE
-got fired from my first big girl job
-been unemployed again
-become an aunt again!
-started interning for First Pres

I am so glad that I have gotten to share these ups and downs over this past year with all of you since I've graduated from UGA. I will always be a bulldog and have a special place in my heart for Athens. College grew me and shaped me into who I was as I stepped out into the big bad "real world" and gave me a foundation as I started my life post-grad. There are some days that I miss college more than others. I am so grateful for the experiences and memories that Georgia provided for me.
Georgia, Hail to Thee!!
GOOOOOO DAWGS!