the fray

I just bought tickets to see the Fray on January 22nd! Heck yes I am excited!

quick update

Thought I'd share what the past few days have been like. Matt & I began moving stuff to Kelly & Paul's on Friday and continued through yesterday. We actually still have some cleaning stuff at the apartment and some stuff to donate to Goodwill...we'll get that out tonight. I think moving is a great thing to do every few years. It makes you clean out all your stuff and evaluate what you have. I couldn't believe how much junk we had accumulated. My mom made the comment "Just remember when we brought you to college 5 years ago we could fit everything in one van and now we have to have a big U-Haul"...it's true. Granted, I did get married and accumulate some furniture during that time, but I really do have a lot of junk. Makes me wonder where my priorities really lie sometimes.

Our cats are adjusting to living at Kelly & Paul's. We sent Tigger (my 21 year old cat) to live with my parents because we didn't think he could handle living with Brogan (Kelly & Paul's dog). My parents say he is doing well. I'm glad. Peaches and DJ have been staying in our room a lot. Peaches stays under the covers and DJ stays under the bed. DJ has been wandering out some and I think he'll feel comfortable being out of our room soon.

My internship is still going well. I got to do my first home study on a foster parent by myself yesterday. That was fun--I'm sure I'll be doing hundreds more during my career as a social worker.

I'm going to walk across the street now and hang out with Jenn & the kids she's baby-sitting. I'm getting my haircut later (just trimmed I think).

this is my life...

As of late, my head has been swimming in a state of being overwhelmed. My internship is very hectic right now as we are trying to get all of our foster homes through the yearly re-licensure process. So, I am busy being a full-time social worker, trying to keep up with all my assignments for my seminar class, working at the gym, and packing up the entire apartment to put into storage for 8 months while we live with Paul & Kelly. It's a crazy week and I really don't know how I'm going to have time to pack everything and get it ready to move on Saturday. I sure will be glad when the move is over. Pray for my sanity this week. Praise God that He is in control.

ink

I got a tattoo today. I absolutely love it! I've wanted this for a long time and it's bee-uuu-tee-mous!!!

Boyfriend cuts up corpse, cooks it

Boyfriend cuts up corpse, cooks it

Have you guys heard about this?

Yes, this is the city that I love and am moving to next summer.

kitty rescue

This is the kitten we are trying to find a good home for.

Emily

check this one out

So, you guys are gonna think I have way too much time on my hands with this one. But really, this is what happens when you work from home...you make your cats webpages.

check out my sweet babies...

Tigger

DJ

Peaches

tragedy

Tragedy and heartbreak has hit Rock Hill this week.

Police search for suspects in shooting death of clerk

'Adults aren't supposed to bury children'

Please pray for these families. I know Lindsey Craven's mother and grandmother. They are just devestated. Pray that these families will cling to God in their darkest times.

big news!!!

Just found out tonight that I'm gonna be an aunt! Matt's brother, Michael, and his wife are having a baby! It's due in the beginning of June...so we might just have to wait to move to NO in July/August. Can't miss out on this baby!!!

See the Morning

I just downloaded Chris Tomlin's new album, See the Morning, from itunes. It's just fabulous. It's got some hardcore good worship stuff on it. Check it out...www.christomlin.com

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

life

Why is it when things seem to be going wonderfully, something happens, you hit a rough spot, life brings the challenges? I think it's a God thing. When the rough times come it seems to knock us back into reality and realize that it's all about Him. It's not about us, our plans, our achievements. It's all about His plans and His grace. Thank you Jesus for once again kicking me in the butt & letting me know that it's not all about me!

When I hit a rough spot, I always seem to turn back to Jennifer Knapp's music. It's inspiring and humbling.

Romans~Jennifer Knapp

Just when I think I've got it,
It's gone.
When I think I know the answer
And I dare to raise my hand it's wrong.
Stop. Stop. Stop this foolish pride of mine.
That dares to drag me far away from you.
When I try to do it my way I always lose.
I always lose your point of view.

I don't have to be condemned.
Jesus saved me from the laws of sin.
If I fall I'll try again.
With the Spirit as my guide
I'll never have to hide again.

I, I, I try to close my eyes like a child
Playing in a game of hide and seek.
If I cannot see the Lord
Then surely Lord
You cannot see me.
As if I could ever
Keep Him from spying me.
All the plans of this man they're nothing more
Nothing more than evil schemes.

another kitty!

Let's add another kitten to the Parks' home...

Today I'm walking out of the apt to go to the gym. I then see a sweet little black kitten on the sidewalk. Poor kitten was just crying as loud as it could. So I call to it and it comes running to me! It's over at that point--there's no choice but to take it in. I'm putting up flyers and stuff hoping it belongs to someone, but it's not likely since it's a kitten. We're going to keep it for now, but we're hoping to find a good home for it. We think it's a girl. She's absolutely loveable and precious!

That makes 4 cats in our apartment though! Whew! We love them all!

i'm bored but excited!

So, I've already completed all the work I need to do today and have 3 1/2 hours until class. I've been searching around on the web for places to live in New Orleans and job stuff. Every day the excitement about moving grows in me. I know that it's going to be really hard to leave our family, friends, and church here but I know that God has amazing opportunities for us in New Orleans. Matt & I are moving in with our good friends, Kelly & Paul at the end of the month in order to save up money to move. It will be a great adventure living with Kelly & Paul since they have 2 cats, a dog, & a rabbit and we will bring along 2 more cats. I'm sure fun times are in store for us! But, praise God that we have amazing friends that are open to us living with them for a while. They are such a blessing to us! I'm not really sure what is in store for me after graduation in December. I'd love to get a social work job but being we will be leaving 6 months later, I'm not sure that is possible. So, I might just keep working at the gym until we move (not that I'd mind, I love it there). So, that's all for now I guess.

Sweet Home Superdome

The New Orleans Saints won their first game back in the Superdome!

Wish I was going to the Saints/Panters game this Sunday, but I'll have to settle for watching it on tv.

Vision

The whole topic of "vision" has been weighing on me since church on Saturday night. Our church is going through an awesome time where things are changing and we're building new buildings, bought some new land, beginning new outreach programs, etc. The entire campaign for our church is entitled "Vision". We have been hearing a lot about vision for the past month or so, but last week's sermon was aimed at our own personal vision. What are we here for? What is our purpose? What can we accomplish here on earth?

I have always had big visions for my life. I'm a big dreamer kind of person. I can remember the first real vision I had in my life. When I was eight years old I had a dream about going to Africa. This was at a time when we were learning about missions a lot at church. Since that time, I have met so many people either from Africa or have been missionaries in Africa. Each person I met inspires me and makes my vision grow even more. This is a huge vision that I have...to go to Africa, live there, and minister to those living in poverty there. I know, God-willing, this vision will be lived out one day.

This leads me to a vision for my life that is closer to being lived out. Ever since I visited New Orleans three and a half years ago I have be drawn to the city. The people, the culture, the land, the buildings...I love it all. I have never understood why I love this city so much. As I was sitting in church listening to Shelton speak the other night, I realized...New Orleans is a huge part the vision I have for my life. God has placed a burden for the city and the people on my heart and that burden is not going away. And I realize that I am so blessed to be married to a man who shares my visions for life. At this point we are making plans to move to New Orleans in June, so that I can begin grad school in the fall. It's all about living out your vision.
So what about you? What vision do you have for your life? Vision drives us to accomplish great things for God. Shelton said one thing that hit me big, "You need to have a vision so big that it's due to fail if God isn't it in". Isn't it amazing to think that we could accomplish nothing without Him. Dream big. Have a huge vision for your life. We can't do it on our own, but God can do it through us.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Jesus Christ to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

The world is Flatt's...

Here are some pics from the Rascal Flatts concert last Friday (9.15) It was a great show!

Here's me, Matti, & Anita.

Matt says that this is such an exciting show he can sleep through it.

I'm a cowgirl!

poem

Poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, written in the form of a prayer

Make it so the poor are no longer
despised and thrown away.
Look at them standing about--
like wildflowers, which have nowhere else to grow.

it's a crazy world

So, I got a call from Matt while I was at work last night--his dad's identity has been stolen and someone has tried to charge over half a million dollars on his bank card (fortunately only charged $4000 because all the other charges were denied). How crazy! They had to call the police and file a report, call the bank's fraud department and call all the credit agencies to get it all straightened out. We hear about this all the time but never think it can happen to us. This goes to show, it can happen to anyone.

Other than that scare, things are going well. The gang (me, Matt, Kelly, Paul, Daniel, Jen, & Grant) all went camping in Cherokee, NC for Labor Day. We had a blast and got to do lots of fun stuff. We went rock mining, saw a waterfall, fished, and just hung out at the campsite and ate hotdogs and s'mores. I sure do love camping and wish we could do it more.

My internship is still fabulous. I got to go to Hall Psychiatric Institute (yes, the infamous Bull St) last week. It was a great experience as I had been in private psychiatric institutes before but never the state run ones. It was sad in just the fact that it is run down and just looks so dreary. But in meeting with a psychiatrist and social worker I was encouraged to see that they really want the best for these kids. So, yeah, that was really cool.

This is random, but does anyone else hate the new facebook?

Guess I should get back to working on my agency presentation.

fun times

this is my life

Things have been great the past week & a half. I started my internship with Lutheran Family Services and have truly enjoyed it. I've gotten to go on plenty of home visits and meet foster parents and children. I am truly blessed to have an amazing internship. I'm learning a lot and having a blast as well. We have some crazy kids (hence the fact they are in *therapeutic* foster care) but they make life so fun and interesting. There's never a dull moment with these kids. And the foster parents we have are amazing as well. They are so dedicated and go above and beyond for these kids. It's just great. I'm loving it.