James 5:10-11 (The Message)

Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.

grace.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. II Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

guilty pleasure throwback.

except I don't feel one ounce guilty about it...

Mornings like this.

Mornings like this fill me with anticipation, hope, gratitude.  Mornings like this that make me realize the opportunities just beyond my fingertips.  Mornings like this that reveal to me even the smallest blessings.  Mornings like this that my eyes are opened.  Mornings like this that make me feel as if I am about to burst with excitement for the unknown. Mornings like this.

new years resolutions

so I absolutely LOVE this time of the year, as I'm sure y'all all know :)  Halloween to January is the best time of the year.  Just in case you haven't heard this, I'll outline my reasoning.  Halloween: we dress up.  And get candy.  And it's Georgia-Florida.  Really?  What else do you need?  November brings my BIRTHDAY (21 this year--yay!) and Thanksgiving.  Oh Thanksgiving.  A no pressure holiday.  Bring food.  Eat food.  The end--no presents to worry about, thank you notes, just a great way to bring in the holiday season!

And then we have December.  Let's just review: Christmas movies, Christmas carols, Christmas cookies, Christmas milkshakes.  Everything Christmas!  And everyone's in a great mood.  And everyone is loving and giving and just wonderful :) Haha.  Maybe a little overboard, but whatevs.

And New Years.  I love New Years, the opportunity to start over.  The hope of a new year.  Looking back on all of the wonderful things of the past year.  A few years ago, my mother began having us each set goals, and each month we "report" on our progress at a family dinner.  Yes, we all sigh and dread it sometimes, but I actually enjoy setting goals. Anticipating great changes and great possibilities.

Along that line, here's a great blog by Don Miller about the new year!

http://donmilleris.com/2010/01/01/living-a-good-story-an-alternative-to-new-years-resolutions/

Year in Review

This year has been... incredible.

JANUARY...

Ashley's mother's BEAUTIFUL wedding... after our road trip to Baton Rouge to see our Annie presented into society :)

Katie Gamble cut off her hair and donated it to locks of love...

We celebrated birthdays...

I spent most of FEBRUARY in FLORIDA...

Went to the ASJA conference for Judiciary, where I learned Patrick Dever is age-ist, sexist, and can't remember to lock his car doors.  Ever. :)

Then I headed to Jacksonville with Mama Goodwin and Grace to run my first MARATHON...

MARCH brought the SNOW!

Spent the night at Elyssa's house... our first roommate bonding experience :)

Travelled to the "mountains"... AKA South Korea, where we learned about Buddhism and food poisoning, and bonded more than any of us ever could have imagined!

And celebrated more birthdays in Athens...

(which may have ended in hot knees...)

Spent a weekend relaxing at the mountains...

Spent a lot of time lounging around and wasting time at the Pi...

May... Katie turned 20!

We moved out of the Pi :(

Spent some time playing around Athens before heading off to Ghana...

June - Spent a month in Ghana

Spent a three weeks in Peru (but my camera was lost... boo)

And now I'm bored so... To be continued. :)

happy endings.

I am an optimist.  It works for me.  I like happy things.  I'm not saying there isn't pain or sadness in the world, but I would just SO much more rather focus on the HAPPY. On the things that work out.

The rest of the world, unfortunately, has not gotten this memo.

Last night, I was admittedly in a not-so-hot mood.  Not in a terrible mood, just not in a great mood.  So when I headed to the movies with Michael, I was excited that we were seeing what I THOUGHT was going to be a feel good movie.  BEFORE you attack me, though, let me say this--it WAS great.  It WAS hilarious.  I WOULD see it again.  I probably would have liked it a lot more if I'd seen it when I wasn't upset about something.  It was just, at the end (and I'm SPOILING this for anyone who hasn't seen it), I wasn't ready for the "realistic"ending.

Throughout the movie, Ryan (George Clooney) develops a "relationship" with business woman Alex, who leads (at first glance) a similar, detached life on the road (or in flight).  Ryan's attraction brings the slightest warmth and humanity and even vulnerability to Ryan, as he realizes, with the help of Natalie (Anna Kendrick) that he needs SOME human connection.  Despite his backpack speech about how relationships hold one down, Ryan realizes, as he explains to his sister's uncertain fiance, that the most important parts of life occur not when one is alone, but when one is sharing life--the pain and happiness--with another person they care about.

This was actually my favorite part of the movie.  Ryan, who has publicly denounced marriage, committment, children, and everything that terrifies his sister's soon-to-be-husband, must convince this young man to take a plunge Ryan has yet to even slightly approach.  At first he acknowledges all of these fears, and flounders when he sees his older sister's disapproval and tries to get the fiance back on track.  But finally he finds his feet, and, like I said before, comes to the realization that as pointless and bleak as life sometimes may seem, it's better with someone else there.  "It's better with a copilot."

Ok.  So writing that and focusing on THAT message--against the isolation that seems to pervade every part of life (think about it--you can "communicate" and "reconnect" and see what others are thinking and develop relationship without even leaving your computer.)--redeems the movie somewhat in my eyes.  But still.  The end, when Ryan finds out that Alex has a husband with kids at home? Somewhat depressing.

All in all, a good movie.  Good humor.  Good message.  Just not a typical happy ending.

This WAS well directed, and here's a little clip about one of the most recognizable scenes:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/12/04/movies/20091204-upinTheAir.html

The NYTimes.com Review:
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/movies/04upinair.html

best christmas commercials

I refuse to believe Christmas is over...
















merry, merry y'all!

2009...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

So for an early Christmas present, my mother gave me an ORIGINAL framed movie poster for my FAVORITE movie (not JUST Christmas movie... ANY MOVIE!!!!).....


WHITE CHRISTMAS!!

She even had it matted and framed BEAUTIFULLY.  Like I said, this is my favorite movie of ALL TIME.  I remember watching it for the first time when I was in elementary school.  We were on the way back from my dad's mother's house, and my mother sat in the back of our minivan with me as we watched White Christmas on the tiny 3 inch flat screen.  And I fell in love. I wanted to BE Vera Ellen!  I'm a sucker for the oldies--Bing Crosby melts my heart.  Seriously, if you haven't watched this movie, along with Holiday Inn and It's a Wonderful Life, take a few hours PLEASE watch! :)

I lied. THIS is the last one.

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

one last quote for the night...

it is more important to know who you are than where you are going, for where you are going will change as the world around you changes.
-HBR

Why I read

"All books are alike in that they are truer than if they had happened, and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you: the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. If you can get so that you can give that to people, then you are a writer." 

Ernest Hemingway

"we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. we do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place."
-president obama

"It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty - and said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do. And mostly, against all odds, they're enough."

~Anne Lamott
(Traveling Mercies) 

Yesterday, I told people on mystery google to send me cookies because my boyfriend and I just broke up. Today, I got an overnight UPS box. Dear mystery person, your snickerdoodles are delicious. MLIA

"In other words, let's face it: Life is basically unfair. But even in a situation that's unfair, I think it's possible to seek out a kind of fairness. Of course, that might take time and effort. And maybe it won't seem to be woth all that. It's up to each individual to decide whether or not it is."

~Haruki Murakami
(What I Talk About When I Talk About Running)

Holly Jolly Christmas!

So the one plus side to this cold, rainy weather is that it makes it perfectly acceptable to just curl up in bed and READ with a big mug of tea! And this break I'm most excited about getting to all the books I've been wanting to read this semester! Like...

1. Her Fearful Symmetry
2. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Donald Miller
3. I am Charlotte Simmons
4. Remembering the Forgotten God, Francis Chan
5. Harry Potter (rereading my favorite parts... eeeek excited!)
6. The Lost Symbol (Just got it last night--I've heard great things about it... Has anyone read it?)
7. Nanny Returns (Haven't gotten it yet but planning on hitting up the library this afternoon... I haven't heard anything about it, though.  Any word?)
8. The 4:8 Principle
9. The Reason for God
10. The Freedom Writer's Diary
11. One Day, All Children, Wendy Kopp

Along with all of the other books laying around the house. I think one of my New Years resolutions might be to finally read all of the books I've collected over the years. Maybe.  Ha.

Any other fabulous suggestions?

Andrew, you missed out.

This is directed towards my brother.  Andrew, you missed out.  On more food than our kitchen has seen since we moved here, 5 years ago.  On mom attempting to use the thermometer, despite the fact that we lost the digital read out, you know, "for good measure."  On mom holding up a red onion and a lemon, not knowing what the heck to use either for, but knowing that at some point, she WAS supposed to use them.  (They're still sitting on the kitchen counter)  Just a warning, mom thinks this dinner will count for cooking for a year, so don't expect anything when you get home.  I suggest you stop by Qdoba or something for a good last meal.  Something to last you till we go to TN for Christmas, maybe.

All in all, though, Thanksgiving 2009=success.

Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving

So for the second year in a row, a group of friends gathered for a potluck style Thanksgiving dinner.  After living with this group of 20 amazing, unique, awe-inspiring people, getting together with them is like coming home to a huge family celebration.  I can't even begin to explain what each of these people mean to me, except that when we get together, I feel like everything is right with the world.  These are the people I know will always, ALWAYS be there for me.  These are the people who saw me go crazy in Oxford, told me to run across that bridge in Barcelona, packed into a boat cabin like sardines, experienced the infamous S'Korea together, hiked the Inca Trail together, and so much more... They really do feel like a family.

The story behind the name: Spring Break our freshman year, a group of five of us was wandering around New York City--Bobby, Rachel, Alex, Aaron, and I.  Somehow, we assigned roles to each other.  Bobby and I were the parents, Aaron was our oldest son, Rachel was the middle child, and Alex was the youngest (I think).  Throughout the rest of the week, our family grew--we had mistresses, crack-babies, and illegitmate children until everyone joined the family.  One of the last nights in DC, we were out to eat and one of the desserts was called the "Dysfunctional Family Sundae."  And so we were named.

This year, I held the 2nd annual Dysfunctional Family Thanksgiving.  It was a night filled with sparkling cider, pies and stuffing galore, Matt's famous Turkey (which even the vegetarians admitted smelled VERY DELICIOUS!), Rock Band, and good friends.  Heavenly.

Happy Turkey Day :)

so thankful.

2 months later, quite a bit has happened.  Pictures to prove it:

Katie Kellogg and I went to Savannah... for a day.  What did we do?  Everything we could have done in Athens--we read, shopped, and ate.  A lot. But it was lovely. :)

Quote of the weekend:

"You know, I'm glad you have friends."

-My mother.  (Was she doubting this..?)

 

It was also Halloween at the Hardin House... Elyssa MIGHT kill me for putting these up.  But it's probably worth it...

  

We took many a trip to Sonic for late night tots.  Complete with headlamps when our work load was just too much. :)  (I told you those would come in handy...)

 

And Georgia-Florida.  (NOT FLORIDA-GEORGIA)  Wonderful time (did I mention I was sitting at the 50 yard line, 3 rows up?) despite the loss.

joy.

I'm sitting at my kitchen table, thinking about my purpose in life (for a class. literally-this is our assignment), listening to nothing but the clock ticking, drinking a great big cup of coffee.  This is it.  I could die happy.

happy.

In the past week, several people have asked me, point blank, "Are you happy?"  Once was expected, many were not.  The first, the expected, my answer was automatic: "Of course." As I was winding down that night, though, I thought about it.

And I am even more certain of my answer.

I. am. happy.  And unbelievably so.  I am surrounded, in every arena of my life, by incredible, outstanding people (if I spend any amount of time with you, chances are, I think you're amazing.).  Inspiring people with huge hearts.  HILARIOUS people.  I am involved with organizations I think are doing incredible things. I feel like God is putting me in the right place in the right time.  I feel His presence in my life. 

Why wouldn't I be?  Life isn't perfect. But the thing is, if you look for the jagged edges, you'll find them.  But if you look for the beauty, it's everywhere.  The jagged edges included.  If you know my mom, you know she's probably the most positive person EVER.  And yes, sometimes this is annoying--mainly when I'd like to be complaining and she keeps trying to readjust my vision.  But as much as I sometimes hate to admit it, she's right.  I mentioned this earlier, and it's absolutely ridiculous and 99% of you would probably make fun of me for doing this, but I do it anyways.  Count your blessings (I literally do this.  yes, I'm a nerd.), because the thing is, the more of them you see, the even MORE of them you see.  Seriously, try it.  Just once.  If you think it's totally pointless, you can make fun of me, but it just makes me so FREAKING HAPPY when I remember all the wonderful parts of my day.   Life is life. Life is BEAUTIFUL.

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.
-Anne Frank

(PS, this is so true.  It's rare that I'm around a truly joyful person and don't leave that person overjoyed as well.)

grace.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”
II Corinthians 12:9

happy day, folks.

peaches, love, and gorbachev.

so the saying goes.  actually, that's one coined by my roommate and myself last year, in the height of my Cold War studies (read: when I was buried behind Cold War memoirs, records, and books for 18 hours a day, 2 weeks straight).  and a typo: when you're sleep deprived, peaches=peace.

but that's besides the point.  today: peace.  something that ironically is on the forefront of my mind when I am most WITHOUT peace.  If you've seen me at all today, you know that today was "the busiest day of my life."  Which is a lie, but it seemed like that.  Woke up at the ungodly hour of 5am to finish a paper, class till 1:45pm, meeting, hearing, meeting, meeting, HOME.  Home at 7:45, not having eaten since a piece of toast (which I made WIHTOUT catching our house on fire) at around 2.  Needless to say, I was relieved to walk in our little door and our little house to see my little roommates and eat my little sandwich (to add to my gratitude list: people who buy me food.  without me asking.  key to my HEART.)

but peace.

Ironically, everywhere I looked today, as I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I saw... and I almost hate saying this because I don't want to sound cheesy, but I really did feel like God was sending me little notes.

Love note #1:

I read a handful of blogs each morning, and one of them today had an entry all about this little boy finding peace in God.  The mom says to the crying little boy, "You've got some big feelings," which perfectly describes how I've been feeling the past few days.  I've realized especially lately how much more EMOTIONAL I've become.  And while sometimes it's lots of fun and I feel SO ALIVE and passionate, times like last night, where I felt like I would cry at the drop of a hat, make me ill.  But anyways, the mother essentially leads her child to peace in Him.  Not in her, because as I discover time and time again, true fulfillment and comfort cannot come from even the most amazing people in our lives.  The only true haven, safe place of comfort is God.

"For He Himself is our peace..." ~Ephesians 2:14

“The Lord of Peace Himself gives [me] His peace at all times, and in every situation” (2 Thess. 3:16). 

Love note #2:

Procrastinating, I of course looked at Twitter.  One of my friend's Tweets was simply Colossians 3:15.  Looked up the passage on my good ole crackberry, and I find these comforting words:

Colossians 3:15-17 (New International Version)

 ¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Talk about powerful.  Powerful peace.

Add in the random, encouraging text messages and wonderful people who helped me through the day, and I am ending this day (ok, not ending, because I'm about to go study for stat...) sitting on my screened in porch, drinking dessert coffee with a wonderful roommate, relishing in God's love, amazed that the "busiest day of my life" is one that has brought my mind to such peace.

peaches, love, and gorbachev.

count your blessings.

Literally.  At the (somewhat sarcastic) suggestion of a friend, I've taken to writing down the little things that put a smile on my face...

1. realizing that the book I have to read for history is 50 pages shorter than I thought it was.
2. the big hugs I get from the 2 year olds at Waumba Land :)
3. a text from my mom simply saying, I hope you're having a great day.
4. new friends.
5. meeting up with a very special faculty member of the Honors program, who asks me what I'm doing, how I'm doing, and telling me she's proud of me.
6. teach for america, and the wonderful people I get to work with.  enough said.
7. sunsets.
8. getting a book in the mail.
9. i love you's.
10. the incredible, laugh inducing atmosphere of a georgia football game... especially after a win :)

And now, back to statistics.  Which certainly does NOT put a smile on my face.

september = love.

I am in love... with September.

1. Changing seasons... cooler weather.
2. Concerts... and after the concerts.
3. Georgia Football... enough said.

happy gameday, chickadees. :)

Strike?

Today, Anne and I will be spending time with our family. Not going to
the main square. Not going to spanish classes. Not going to the
orphanage. Why? Oh, just a national strike that makes it dangerous
for us to come near the riots, which just happen to be everywhere we
normally go, haha.

Good thing this morning was the day I decided to go out for a run. No
big. (Dont worry, mom, this was BEFORE I knew about the strike. There
were just lots of policemen) Oh, but I did get chased by a dog.
Oops. But the run was so nice because I got out there before everyone
had set up for the day, so I saw street vendors preparing their stands
and shops opening... it´s completely different world, which is why I
love running in the places we´ve visited. It´s like I get to see a
whole different world.

Besides that, though, Cusco is INCREDIBLE. Definitely one of my
favorites. Thanks to Grace for updating my blog, by the way!
Internet is hard to get here, but because of the strike... we have
nothing else to do today haha. But back to Cusco. It´s heavenly.
Mystical and beautiful, like a little South American town with a
Western twist. The night view from the Plaza is my favorite. There
are all these little yellow streetlamps lining the cobblestone streets
and the fountain and churches are all lit up. And if you look up at
the mountains, all the tiny houses are lit up, dotting the mountains
with little specks of light. It reminds me of a scene from a story
book. Cusco´s really cool because even though there are a lot of
tourists, it´s a different kind of tourist... the rugged, backpacking,
granola eating tourists. But we do all tend to congregate at the
McDonalds, haha.

Claire, Rachel, Ryan, and Haylee are all here in Cusco, too, so it´s
been really wonderful to be reunited with everyone! This week, the
girls are all taking ceramics lessons... we´re all quite talented.
Ha. But it´s very very fun all the same! Next week we´ll be taking
cooking classes, so soon Anne and I will be able to amaze everyone
with not only our Ghanaian but also our PERUVIAN cooking skills.

Well, my internet time is about to run out (story of my life) but I
love you all and I hope everyone is safe and sound, wherever you are!

Hello Peru

We have barely any time to ourselves so interent is hard to get! Also, I don´t have texting here for some reason, but I am safe and comfortable and not being force fed at all! haha. Anne and I love love LOVE Cusco, it reminds me a lot of San Miguel, except a little bit bigger. Its pretty calm and quaint and mystical, especially at night when the mountainside is lit up with the lights from the houses. There are a lot of tourist here which is weird after being alone in Africa. We´ve been able to see Ryan and Rachel and Claire the past two days which has been really really nice, it´s fun to all be back together again. It´s really REALLY cold here, I´ll probably end up buying some more coats and mittens and hats. The food is pretty good, lots of bread and coca tea, which is from the same plant as cocaine haha. Our Peru family is great, they really let us do our own thing, which is wonderful. Lunch is the big meal that we eat all together, but we do breakfast and dinner on our own, usually just bread and tea which is goo because the altitude makes it hard to digest food at night. Cusco really is a cool city, and we feel really safe. I´m glad we did africa first because it was definitely more out there and on our own, and this is much more modern with hot water and mcdonalds and stuff like that. So even though we´re a lot busier, it´s kind of like a vacation. This weekend we´re going to go to Lake Titicaca, and stay in Puno, and then next week we´ll take a day off of spanish lessons and volunteering to go to the Sacred Valley. Our whole day is booked, though, with lessions from 9 till 1 and working at the orphanage from after lunch until 5 or 5 30! This week, all the girls are doing ceramics lessons from 6 to 8 and next week we plan on doing cooking lessons. My spanish is picking back up, which is good, and talking to the boys at the orphanage is especially helpful because i´m less afraid of messing up, haha.

Geales

Girl power.

One of the most touching things I remember from teaching was a phrase the KG2 teacher, Mr. Richard (who was actually only NINETEEN, and we still called him Mr. Richard.  Weird.)  had his kids repeat.  It's a quote that they attribute to one of their presidents, but that I've seen from various authors.  It goes:

"When you educate a boy, you educate an individual.  When you educate a girl, you educate a family.  When you educate a family, you educate a country."

This is touching on so many levels.  First of all, hearing so many little voices assert this was just... breathtaking, for me, at least.  Second, it was a MALE teacher who was ensuring that these children grow up realizing the importance of girls' education.  It reminded me of a movement called "The Girl Effect."  One of my professors last fall showed us their promotion, and it was SO AWESOME.  If I haven't made you watch it yet, please take the time to look at it, it's so cool, from both a people-perspective and just pure advertising genius, haha:

http://www.girleffect.org/

Enjoy!