Mickey

I've grown in love with Rock Hill for several reasons and I'll spare you most of them. I don't know if it's because I work for the City or because I'm just that awesome (not likely) but I've gotten to know a lot of the community folk. Like Mickey. Mickey is the nicest old man who wears a bow tie and greets me as I walk in the door at chickfila on Cherry rd. A couple of months ago he was asking me what I wanted to do with my major because he didnt really know what it was. Like I tell everyone, I said that I was going to own the Panthers and he laughed and said really seriously that if I put my mind to it, then I could. Tonight I walked in for my free chicken sandwich and he said "where have you been lately? I thought you'd ran off to own the panthers!" Isn't that awesome, that he remembered that? I love that. I love being a regular at cherry rd. and at Moe's and Kinch's across the street from my work. As I was walking home from small group, my ghetto-fabulous neighbor who sits on his front porch everyday saw my guitar and asked if I played and said: "You got some cd's out and stuff?" See the more I stick around here, the more I feel like I fit in. Not just because of Winthrop or because it's some big cool city, but because of the relationships I've made. I told my boss the other day that I'll either be the Director of Parks and Rec one day or the Mayor. The one they had before Dougie was a woman, so I think it would be cool. I recognize that I have a long way to go to reach that goal though. I should probably graduate and pick a high school football team. We have 3 high schools here, and I'll always cheer for Gaffney no matter what. It's just that everyone has a team and they kind of force you to choose a school for the typical friday night football conversation. This is going to make me sound like a total lame head, but everytime I hear a song about a hometown I get all emotional because I love Gaffney so much and miss something about it every week (if not daily). But if I can't be there, I'm glad to have this town where the community mascot is a frog and where people like Mickey know your name.

quote of the day

Rachel: "Do you want something that's not coffee? Hawaiin punch?"
Me: "You have it in cans? I'm gonna marry you! And we'll have these in our fridge!"
Olivia: "I thought you were gonna say have hawaiin punch babies!"

If I could make a livin' out of lovin' you

I need to stop telling people that I'm going to own the Panthers and/or Yankees some day because that's how rumors get started. Just the other day someone asked, "What are you doing after graduation?" Before I got the chance to say I don't know, one of my pals said "Own the Panthers!" I'm honored that you peeps have such faith in me but I was not born into the ownership business, and for a billion dollar industry such as this, it has to be in the blood, dude. BUT just incase I do get put in charge one day, I'm getting some creative juices out of my sport marketing class. We were talking about how even the best sports teams in the biggest cities don't sell out every night. Maybe because the fans (customers) most of the time don't feel appreciated for coming out to the game. It's true. If I were in charge, I would thank the crap out of you for coming to my establishment, for paying $7 for my hotdog, and for sitting in traffic 3 hours after the team just lost. To have a successful business, you've gotta make your fans feel something. Feel like they're literally part of the best team in the country despite your 2-10 record. I would let fans into practice for free during the week. I'd take my season ticket holders out to dinner. I'd have bojangles at the concession stand, serve free sweet tea at every game and all kids would get in free. There would definetly be fireworks and loud, very loud music during crunk time. I'm just saying, people would be more into sports if they could go and have a great time at a game despite the win-loss record or despite how much knowledge or alcohol they have. I'm a dork and I think about stupid stuff like this in my free time. I'll stop now.

Canaan Bound

I sin a lot. And lately I’ve doubted God. I’ve doubted God through my need for immediacy. Ya know, things like “God, I want to feel happy again” or “God, just put me in that dream job already” or “God, times running out so where’s my husband?” I hate that my heart is so set on me. When I get in urgency mode, I'm saying that what God’s doing RIGHT NOW isn’t good enough. I think that the pain I have to put up with every day should just go away but I haven’t earned it yet. And it’s impossible to think that He’s actually using this time to make me better. Andrew Peterson has a song that I really love and it’s been on repeat lately. It’s about Abraham and Sarah’s journey to Canaan and how God has PROMISED Abraham that He would do all these great things through a son. But at the time Sarah was barren so that wasn’t looking too good. They didn’t see how or when, but Abraham knew that God would come through. The world has kept going long since Abraham’s been gone and God used him to bless nations and nations and more nations. I just know that I miss it a lot of times. I claim Jesus so I must claim the promises that He’s made but I just don’t really trust in them most of the time. See when I doubt God, I rely on myself and that’s a sucky place to be. This issue goes way past being impatient, it’s a straight up disbelief in the whole story of redemption. Jesus has saved my soul and He’s promised victory and perfection in the very end. All that to say, even though things are dark for now and for who knows how long ahead, the story won't end there. Good.

I trembled at the voice of God
A voice of love and thunder deep
With love he means to save us all
And love has chosen you and me

Long after we are dead and gone
For a thousand years our tale be sung
How faith compelled and bore us on
How barren Sarah bore a son
So come to Canaan, come
-A.P.

Childrens

I helped in the 4 year-olds to 1st grade sunday school class yesterday. It's been a while since I've been around really little people so a class of ALL BOYS was kinda overwhelming. I also got my soccer team roster this week and I have 14, 5 & 6 year-olds. So I expect life to get a little more fun and interesting in the coming months.

Quote of the day from 4-year old Troy:
Me: "Troy, stay in here until Dad comes."
Troy: "How do you know my name?"
Me: "I know everything."
Troy: "Oh."

All Day

I've had better days than these most recent ones. But today was just sick. I went to the Carolina/Georgia game and my Gamecocks punished it! We never ever beat Georgia and I never ever brag about games because I don't want to be like a Clemson fan, but this one was great. We led the whole game and Williams-Brice was straight CRUNK. I've decided I'm naming my kid William Bryce. While watching Georgia lose, I got to hang with the other half of the Duo and that was just fantastic. I love hanging out with a pal who puts up with all of my opinions on football and who can talk trash with me. That makes a darn good friend so thanks, Manda. Later I got to hang out with Laura on my front porch and talk about Jesus and thats just as good...actually better....than watching the Gamecocks dominate the SEC. Just sayin.

Invitation to the Thirsty

There's a thing that's been coming up in sermons and in what little reading I've done in the word lately and it deals with being thirsty. In Psalm 13 David is begging God to do something. He's wondering how long his emptiness will last. Well, Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible and in #13 David could straight up be my brother we're so alike in this one. He asks "How Long, Lord?" a lot of times but he asks because theres hope in the question. He can see that there will be an end to all the madness. In all the ways Pastor Ken could've tied Psalm 13 together with Jesus, he chose to get at John 4, talking about the Samaritan woman who needed some REAL water. Her testimony is awesome. After the conversation she has with Jesus she runs into town and tells people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" She has found out that Jesus is actually the one that will satisfy her. The Bible is slam packed with pathetic sinners like me who constantly get fooled into thinking the world has something to offer.

I came across Isaiah 55 that gets at kinda the same point. It's like it was written for people who have been crying out to God thanks to all the emptiness and hard times that have taken over more of our lives than we would like. For me right now I need to be reminded about every 5 seconds about who Jesus is. That he's the one that satisfies my needs and takes care of pain and fixes my soul. And I'm sayin, if I were to choose to put my faith in nice things and in fun activities and in human beings I would be so screwed.

"Come, you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come and buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen to me and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare."
-Isaiah 55

quote of the day

Me: "Do you mind if we watch football?"
Grace: "Nope."

I love my roommates!!

Nerd Alert

The one and only reason I'll be glad to see the leaves change is knowing that another football season is among us. I'm kind of rediculous about college football and I'm not sure why because my college doesn't even have a team (yet), I've never played on a real team because I'm a girl, and I'm a Gamecocks fan which means it varies from year to year whether you can call that good football or not. I did wake up a bit happier this morning knowing that my team kicks off the season tonight at home against Southern Miss, a game we'll actually win. The thing I hate about college football has eternally been the way they decide the National Champion. You have to first of all start off ranked in the top 2 to even have a chance at it and they rely on all these different polls of people who vote because they think they know who the champion should be. As it turns out, the College Football Researcher's Association Poll has been added to the list of polls that the NCAA recognizes as legit and the people who vote on this poll actually have some legit-ness to who the college football national champion will be. A friend of a friend hooked me up and now I get to be one of the voters! Isn't that the nerdiest thing you've ever heard? I'm not saying I'm cool and that my vote is the deciding factor. It's just rad that I get to be a small part of the actual process that chooses the champion for college football. This is boring the crap out of some people so I'll stop. I just wanted to share in my excitement for football season and if you live in the south, I bet you're excited to watch your fave team on Saturday too.