Spring is in the air!

Oh, how I love Spring! It is without a doubt, my favorite season and I thank God that I do not have allergies. As I see the dogwoods, bradford pears, and forsynthia in bloom I am reminded of how blessed I am to haves a Savior who has given me new life and continues to renew my soul. I am so thankful to know the God that shows himself through His creation.

Healthwise, I am feeling much better. I ended up having to go back to the doctor to get a stronger antibiotic, which worked miracles on my ear infections. I feel better now than I have felt since January. I feel like I have been given a breath of fresh air.

A week from now, Matt and I will be headed to New Orleans (with a pit stop in the ATL). The anticipation continues to build in me as we are going to go look for a place to live there. My dream is coming true. I cannot wait to see how God continues to work out the details in this great adventure. We have a few job leads with some children's homes/group homes as residential counselors. Just to think that in less than four months Matt & I will be living in New Orleans truly makes my heart sing. I am truly blessed!

It was quite a crazy week at the daycare. The kids were just out of control and we had picture day on Thursday which was pure madness. My kids were so precious though and total hams. I cannot wait to see their pictures. When I have children, I am going to be such a sucker for school pictures. I am going to want to buy every pose.

That's a recap on my life. Life is good. :)

update

I couldn't go back to sleep. My ears hurt too bad, so I decided to go to Riverview and see the doctor. I have ear infections in both ears. This is so not fun!

Life goes on.

Why am I awake and posting a blog at 3:45 am, you ask? I'm sick. My ears hurt so bad and have so much fluid in them that I feel as if I am under water. I have decided that I'm going to take today off from work and go to the doctor (for the 2nd time this month). Sure does suck not having health insurance and having to pay a whole freakin lot for a doctors visit and meds! I'll update on my health status later.

Winthrop lost against Oregon. Stupid Ducks! We didn't play our best game though, couldn't make any shots. I know the boys tried their best and played their hearts out. I am proud of them!

With all this said, life goes on.

NCAA Pot of Gold

Check this article out (from the espn.com front page): Winthrop grabs luck of the Irish in first-round win

Let's go Eagles!

WE WON OUR FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT GAME! GO EAGLES!!! *If* we win on Sunday, Matt, Kelly, Paul, & I might go to St. Louis!

ONE

ONE--this organization has been in the public eye a lot lately as a lot of celebrities are supporting them. This campaign is one that not only celebreties should support, but each of us should stand behind. There are so many living in poverty and with hiv/aids in this world. I encourage you to go to www.one.org and check out this organization--we can truly make a difference in the world.

exhausted

I am incredibly exhausted, but I feel like posting. Here's what has been happening around our world lately...

*I was pretty sick with a sinus infection but now am thankfully better.

*Matt was sick with a sinus infection & an ear infection and yesterday got a horrible stomach bug. Please keep him in your prayers--he is incredibly weak and cannot get up for more than a few minutes at a time. Pray that his body will heal quickly and that I can be an encouragement to him (his emotions have been worn thin through all this sickness).

*Winthrop won the Big South Championships and are heading to the Big Dance! We are actually ranked #22 in USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and #24 in the AP poll. Top 25 in the nation baby! I'm so proud to be a Winthrop alum right now!

*I am still going through Beth Moore's Bible study on Daniel and it gets more and more incredible each week. It is so amazing to see the prophecies written out in Daniel as they have played out in time. God is so sovereign and I continue to be astounded at His glory!

*I realized today that God-willing, Matt & I only have 4 1/2 months left in Rock Hill until we move to New Orleans. Time sure has flown by! I am ecstatic about the move, but I now it will be hard to leave our family and friends here.

*I am hosting a Pure Romance party on Friday, April 20th. If anyone wants to come, just let me know. It's going to be a fun girls night!

I'm not who I was

If you have a minute, check out this video. It's so true to our lives.

I'm not who I was

(Thanks for posting this Erin so I could steal it)

Winthrop in USA Today

I found it pretty exciting that on the front page of the sports section in today's USA Today is a great article about Winthrop's basketball team. And the pic above is included...check out my hubby in the top righthand corner. Very exciting! The Eagles are gonna make it to the Big Dance again this year! I'm a proud alumni. Here's a link to the article if you're interested (they have a different pic on the internet than the one in print): Winthrop set to make noise

quick update

Thought I'd write a quick update before we head to church.

*Matt & I are still sick...Matt has a sinus infection & an ear infection and after one round of antibiotics (that cost $300!) he's still not better. And who knows what I have. I probably need to go to the doctor but don't want to spend the money.

*Just finished up my third week working at the daycare and I'm still loving it! The kids can be pretty whiney and bratty but atleast they're cute! It's definitely not a job I could do for the rest of my life, but it'll keep me busy until we move.

*I've got the baby bug. So many people around us are having babies and I can't stand it! I know that if I get pregnant now we can't move though, so...I've got to be patient and wait for God's timing. It's hard though!

*Matt & I reserved our hotel room in New Orleans for spring break (April9-13th). I can't wait to be back there! And we're staying in the Garden District this time so that will be nice.

*Matt's laptop is broken. Boo! And the Geeksquad said there was nothing wrong with it (stu-pid)! So, we may be looking into getting a new laptop--I'm hoping for a Mac this time! :)

That's it for now. Gotta go praise some Jesus!

Rock Hill man indicted in money laundering case

Rock Hill man indicted in money laundering case

*this man is a member of the church who's daycare I work at and one of his kids goes to daycare there. Very sad--sad that his family is being torn apart because of greed.

Viva La Louisane!

Here are a few more interesting facts about the Bayou State...

Just in case Hurricane Katrina causing the levees to break in New Orleans is the only thing you know about Louisiana, here are a fewmore interesting facts about the Bayou State:

Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the nation at 450 feet.

The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans is the largest enclosed stadium in the world.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest over-water bridge in the world at 23.87 miles.

Louisiana 's 6.5 million acres of wetlands are the greatest wetland area in America.

The oldest city in the Louisiana Purchase Territory is Natchitoches,Louisiana founded in 1714.

The first bottler of Coca-Cola, Joseph Biedenharn, lived in Monroe, Louisiana.

Delta Airlines got its start in Monroe , Louisiana (But before it was named Delta, it was Chicago & Southern.)

Southern University in Baton Rouge , Louisiana is the largest predominantly black university in America.

Baton Rouge was the site of the only American Revolution battle outside the original 13 colonies.

The formal transfer of the Louisiana Purchase was made at the Cabildo building in New Orleans on December 20, 1803.

The staircase at Chrétien Point, in Sunset, Louisiana was copied for Tara in "Gone with the Wind."

Louisiana is the No. 1 producer of crawfish, alligators and shallots in America.

Louisiana produces 24 percent of the nation's salt, the most in America.

Much of the world's food, coffee and oil pass through the Port of New Orleans.

Tabasco , a Louisiana product, holds the second oldest food trademark in the U.S. Patent Office.

Steen's Syrup Mill is the world's largest syrup plant producing sugar cane syrup.

America 's oldest rice mill is in New Iberia , Louisiana at KONRIKO Co.

The International Joke Telling Contest is held annually in Opelousas,Louisiana.

LSU "The Ole War Skule" in Baton Rouge has the distinction of contributing the most officers to WW II after the U.S. militaryacademies.

The Louisiana Hayride radio show helped Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash achieve stardom. It was broadcast from KWKH Radio in Shreveport , Louisiana from 1948 to 1960.

The term Uncle Sam was coined on the wharfs of New Orleans before Louisiana was a U.S. territory as goods labeled U.S. were from "Uncle Sam."

The game of craps was invented in New Orleans in 1813 as betting was common activity on the wharves.

When states had their own currency, the Louisiana Dix (French for ten) was a favored currency for trade. English speakers called them Dixies and coined the term Dixieland.

New Orleans is the home of the oldest pharmacy in America at 514 Chartres Street in the French Quarter. These early medical mixtures became known as cocktails (guess they were good for what ails ya?) coining yet another term.

New Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz the only true American art form.Jazz gave birth to the Blues and Rock and Roll music.

Viva La Louisane!!!

i have no voice

Literally, I have no voice. I'm still sick and lost my voice yesterday. It's kinda hard to yell at kids when I have no voice, but I'm making due. Pray that I will get better soon. I'm tired of whispering.

I am absolutely loving my new job at the daycare. I'm working with two year olds and they are a crazy hot mess but I love them. It's lots of fun and I get to hang out with some awesome people and see my hubby sometimes. :)

I found out today that my mom has hurt her back. She's in a lot of pain. Please be praying for her as well. If she doesn't start feeling better soon, she'll definitely end up at the doctor.

Matt & I are going to have an exciting weekend this weekend. For Matt's Valentine's present, I got us a room at the Courtyard Marriott in Ballantyne and the best part is we have a whirlpool in our room. Heck yes I am excited! And Saturday is homecoming for Winthrop so that'll for sure be a fun day.

That's all for now.

If You say go

*I've been loving this song lately...and truly trying to make it true in my life*

If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can't be done
We'll fix our eyes on You and we will come

Your ways are higher than our ways
And the plans that You have laid
Are good and true
If You call us to the fire
You will not withdraw Your hand
We'll gaze into the flames and look for You

tomorrow!

I start my new job tomorrow. I'm working at Catawba Baptist Child Development Center and will be a preschool teacher. I'm excited--just to have a steady job and income. Plus, I love working with kids!

In other news, Matt & I have been sick for the past few days. We've been sleeping a lot and drugging ourselves up with Nyquil and Dayquil. I'm feeling better tonight...hopefully we'll kick this sickness soon.

IT'S SNOWING!!!

Wanted everyone to know that IT'S SNOWING in Rock Hill!!!! YAY!!!

Guess I won't be going to my job interview today--maybe not to my appointment in Lancaster either.

Look out the window, it's so pretty!

job interview!

I have a job interview on Wednesday (10 am) at Thomson Child & Family Focus in Matthews! Please be praying for me...I'm really praying this is the right job for me.

Matt & I (and his parents) are heading to Clemson for the weekend. Michael & Amy are moving into a house, so we're going to go help them. I'm looking forward to this time with them. We found out on Monday that Amy is having a boy (who will be named William Comen) so we have lots to celebrate!

I mailed in my application and essay to SUNO (Southern University at New Orleans) today...hoping it will be the start to another adventure in my life!

The word of God is living and active!

A couple weeks ago I started Beth Moore's study on Daniel with a group of ladies at church. I knew this study was going to kick me in the face after the first night. I have already been taught so many things and most of it has nothing to do with the book of Daniel. I have realized that for so long I have been living out the motions of Christianity without it having any effect at all on my heart. I go to church every Sunday, go to Bible study, pray before meals, etc...yet none of this has brought me to the place where I need and want to be. I am learning that "The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The last two weeks have been an amazing testimony of what God can do through His Word. I look forward to reading His Word and it changing my life. And as Beth Moore is teaching us, the Word is not always about us, it's about HIM. Not everything in the Bible has to apply to us--we need to take it as it is and know why it glorifies God. I am at a point in my life where I am learning just how sovereign God is and how true He is to his word.

I am still looking for a job and trusting that God has the perfect one for me. This week I will be sending off my application for grad school at Southern University of New Orleans--that possibility truly excites me! I know God has amazing plans for me & Matt, we just have to wait and see what he has in store for us!

how cool is this?!

Another reason why I'm dying to move to New Orleans!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070116/en_nm/jolie_dc

loving the new blogger

so i'm totally enjoying the new blogger where it is SO easy to change your template and have fun with it and also to add links and stuff to your blog. super cool!

life's lessons

I have been wanting to write for about a week now but just didn't know how to put what I'm feeling into words. Well, here I am.

In the past few weeks I have learned a lot about life. I have learned that you cannot always depend on your plans. I had been told that I was going to be offered a with Lutheran Family Services (where I did my internship) and that has not worked out. A few things that have recently happened which are out of my control made the position not available. At first I was quite frustrated as I was depending on this job. I now see that God can use me in other places. I have a couple leads on job possibilities and am waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime, I am fearful. I am scared that now Matt & I will not be able to move to New Orleans next summer. It all depends on my job and if we can save up money to move. It also depends on the job I get as I would only be there until July or so. I am fearful of the unknown. I want so much to move to New Orleans and am scared that we will not be able to do so. I know if it's in God's will, it will happen, He will make it happen. That's where trust comes in. I am learning to trust Him more and more in the plans of my life. Trust is a hard thing to learn to have. God is truly stretching me and growing me in new ways.

Prayer for Jenna's family

Please pray for Jenna Witherspoon's family. Jenna was a precious little girl that went to our church that has been battling brain cancer since 2004. Jenna went home to be with her Heavenly Father yesterday. Pray for her family that they will be comforted in this difficult time. If you want to know more about Jenna and her story visit her Caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/sc/jennawit

new year's resolutions

Just read my friend Courtney's blog & was inspired by her to make some new year's resolutions...

*To spend more time with God--in prayer and His Word. This is such a hard thing for me to do. I am not very disciplined at this and it's something I really desire. My mom recently gave me Beth Moore's study on Daniel...I'm looking forward to starting this and really want to stick with it.

*To read more. I love reading. I've got a few books I really want to read and it seems I never take the time to do so.

*Cook more. I really want to cook dinner more for me & Matt. I love it when I do cook, but so many times I am just too tired or don't feel like it. I just need to make it a habit.

*Continue to stick to Weight Watchers and work out on a daily basis. I have done very well with this up until the holidays. I need to get back in the swing of things.

graduation pics!

I am now a college graduate. It feels good. Nice to have three important letters behind my name: BSW. I'll post pictures later--I'm pretty exhausted now and not feeling too well.

blah

So, I graduate in 13 hours and all I can think about is how tired and frustrated I am. Blah.

Christmas picture

This is our Christmas picture...the cats weren't too happy about it and DJ's eyes are glowing green. haha. Oh well.

graduation

In nine days I will be graduation from Winthrop with my Bachelor's of Social Work. It has been a long journey and it's amazing to look back and see where I am now. Four and a half years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be married and settling down in life. God has brought me through so many experiences to lead me to who I am today. I am thankful for who I am and what God has done in me and through me in the past four and a half years.

These are the girls who I have struggling through this program with...we've laughed and cried together...we are a family. I am so proud of each of them and cannot wait to see where God leads them in their social work careers.

at the Christmas tree farm

this pic is kinda blurry & it was sunny, but still...good times with good friends at the christmas tree farm.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Saturday, we went to Penland's Tree Farm in York to cut down our Christmas tree. It was a wonderful experience and we even ran into some of our favorite people there--the Schnees! Here are a few pics of our humongous tree (it's 9 1/2 feet)!

thought this was cute

happy thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty,
May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes 'n gravy have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious,
May your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have a lot to be thankful for!

a thankful heart

I feel that lately I have been showered with God's blessings.

My internship has been wonderful. I've loved every minute of it and can't believe that it will be over with in a few more weeks. I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue to work with Lutheran Family Services after I graduate. This is an amazing opportunity for me to learn and grow as a social worker.

I have been blessed with amazing friends and a strong support system. Since Matt and I moved in with Paul & Kelly I havecontinued to realize what amazing people they are. We are so blessed to have them in our lives and even open their home to us. I have also been building other relationships with friends and I feel each one is a blessing to me. When Matt and I got married, my life and friendships changed dramatically. It seemed that all of my single, college friends didn't want to hang out anymore because we were married. Yet, we hadn't been married long enough to have married friends yet. It has been a year since we helped start up the young married sunday school class at church and this class has been an awesome way to meet other young couples that are experiencing the same things we are. We have truly met some great people and formed friendships.

I am also thankful for the opportunity to move to New Orleans. This has been a dream of mine for 3 1/2 years now. I am grateful that God placed a husband in my life that shares my dreams and desires for serving others.

We are having a Thanksgiving dinner tonight at our house. If everyone comes, there will be 18 people here ranging from church friends to work friends to neighbors. I am really excited about this time of fellowship.

I just feel overwhelmed with blessings right now. My life is far from perfect, but I can see God's hand moving in awesome ways and know that He is a good God. God is God and God is good.

i got a job!

So, my internship supervisor told me today that she is planning on hiring me after my internship is over in December! I'm going to be doing recruiting and licensing of foster families in the Catawba area (Lancaster, Rock Hill, & Gaffney) for Lutheran Family Services. I'm thrilled!

an old soul

The other day I was talking to my field instructor about my dreams and desires for my life. We were also talking about my internship and how things were going with that. She made the comment that I have an "old soul". This was the greatest compliment she could give me. She stated that while I am young in years, I am mature, responsible, and caring. I attribute all of this to the experiences of my life. I had different experiences growing up than most kids. For those of you who don't know, my dad is a social worker and my brother and I basically grew up at the children's home he worked at. Only a fence in our backyard seperated us from about 80 children placed at the home ranging from age 5 to 18. These kids were my life--my friends and playmates. I spent countless days playing on the playground, in the gym, and riding bikes with them. When I was young, I saw no difference between them and me. As I grew older and built stronger relationships with these children, I realized the pain and struggles that they were going through. I truly feel blessed that at a young age, I was able to realize that pain and suffering are a part of life. All of my experiences and knowledge helped fuel my passion for helping others. My heart burns to help families and children through hard times. I want to share the hope and joy that God can give them no matter what the situation. This is what excites me about my future. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me and my family. While I do take pride in being an "old soul"--I know it's only because of my Creator. He has made me who I am today.

Happy Birthday Kerry!

It's Kerry the cat's birthday. He is now three years old. What a precious cat! If you don't know, Kerry is Paul & Kelly's cat, and now kind of ours since we live with them.

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.

remembering Katrina

This is the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Such a powerful storm that affecting so many lives in our nation. My heart goes out to all the survivors and families/friends of those who lost their lives. My heart truly is burdened for these people.

my favorite poem

Just ran across my favorite poem and wanted to post it. We studied this poem when I was in 11th grade and I fell in love with it and still love it. Take a moment and read it.

Mother to Son
by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor--
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you find it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now--
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

the time has come

Today was internship training. Tomorrow I start my internship with Lutheran Family Services! Woo hoo! I'm on my way to being a "real" social worker! Next step, New Orleans!

randomness

10 more days until I start my internship. I couldn't be more ready! Now that I've studied how to be a social worker for 4 years, it's time to dive in and put all that knowledge to use. I'm pretty burnt out on working 3 jobs as well. Ready for this summer to be over with. This week will prove to be bittersweet as it will be my last week working with Carlos and at the Post Office. I will miss them all so much but I'm ready to focus on my internship and graduate!

Matti, Kaley, & I went to Warped Tour on Tuesday. It was absolutely awesome. 9 hours listening to great bands & going crazy in the mosh pits. Fun times. I've put some pictures up on my myspace page if you want to see (www.myspace.com/ragamuffin4abba).

Matt has started back to school, teaching kindergarten. So far, he is liking it and it seems to be going well. It's a whole lot less stressful than last year.

For those of you who don't know, I started Weight Watchers about a month and a half ago. I was inspired by some ladies at the gym and decided that I just needed some structure to get me on track. Well, so far I've lost 14 lbs and gone down 3 pants sizes! How freakin' cool is that?! I'm pretty excited.

That's pretty much all I have for now. I will try & post some recent pictures soon. I know I've been slack.

Why in the world...

...am I awake at 4:49 am posting on my blog? I can't sleep. Ever since we've gotten back from NO I haven't been sleeping well. I think it's just the excitement of starting my internship as well as the excitement of the possibility of moving to NO. So, here I am, wide awake, when I should be sleeping because I have yet another 13 hour work day tomorrow.

hoping and praying that my dream will come true

Matt & I had an amazing week in New Orleans. I'd have to say that it is the most amazing city ever. Ever since I went there for the first time 4 years ago, I have just been drawn to the city and people there. So...I'm considering going to grad school there. I can't think of a better city to get my Master's in Social Work in. Matt is all for moving there and that makes my heart happy to know that he would love to be there too. Granted, nothing is for certain and we wouldn't move there until next summer, but I'm hoping and praying that it will all work out.

So, that's what's on my heart right now.

Why I love New Orleans and want to move here...

1. Seeing a lady walking her pet goat (which even had a collar on) in the middle of the road
2. Hearing a “street preacher/mental guy” yelling in a megaphone that “The kingdom of Heaven is near!” and putting on the megaphone siren to get everyone’s attention
3. Real red beans & rice
4. The lights and sounds of Bourbon Street (but sometimes it’s a little too much)
5. Biegnet’s and coffee at Café DuMonde
6. Street bands jammin’ out some real ‘Nawlins jazz
7. the people and culture
8. the Baptist Friendship House (and those who work there)
9. Going on swamp tours when alligators eat parts of the boat off (for real)
10. Watching spiders capture bugs in our wonderful hotel room(video to be posted soon)
11. Cab drivers that have a heart for the city they have always called home
12. Being able to walk/take a streetcar or bus anywhere you want to go
13. Water that doesn’t taste so great
14. The fact that the entire city has wireless internet
15. Riding a trolley=free!
16. All the parks/squares in the city
17. Po Boys
18. All the random stuff you can see at the French Market
19. Hollywood Hustler (haha)

And finally…

20. The rebuilding of a great city after a disastrous event…these people have strength, hope, and determination!

taking donations

because Matt & I are drooling over the new toyota fj cruiser!

You wish you were me...

because I'm going to see Rascal Flatts on September 15th! Holla!

prayer

Pray for sweet Riley...

www.caringbridge.org/visit/rileyfriddle

and for Jenna...

http://www.caringbridge.org/sc/jennawit/

Wanted to share these lyrics...

Wherever You Are~Third Day (I get to see them on July 1st!)

Thought that I was all alone
Broken and afraid
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

And I didn't even know
That I had lost my way
But You were there with me
Yes, You were there with me

'Til You opened up my eyes
I never knew
That I couldn't ever make it
Without You

Even though the journey's long
And I know the road is hard
Well, the One who's gone before me
He will help me carry on

After all that I've been through
Now I realize the truth
That I must go through the valley
To stand upon the mountain of God

As I travel on the road
That You have lead me down
You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I have need for nothing more
Oh, now that I have found
That You are here with me
Yes, You are here with me

I confess from time to time
I lose my way
But You are always there
To bring me back again

Sometimes I think of where it is
I've come from
And the things I've left behind
But of all I've had, what I possessed

Nothing can quite compare
With what's in front of me
With what's in front of me

13 hour workdays

So, I'm pulling 3 jobs now. Definitely not planned but it's okay. I got a call from the Winthrop Post Office (where I used to work) saying they were desperate because one of their workers just quit. Who am I to say no? It's kicking me in the butt though--working from 7 am until 10 pm most days. I'm making it though. The money doesn't hurt either since Matt's new job will be a huge pay cut.

Life has been good though. Matt & I have gotten into kayaking lately (with Kelly & Paul of course). We had a yard sale last weekend and what did we buy with the money we made? A new kayak. We'll be excited to take it out on the river this weekend.

We had a wonderful time at the beach with Matt's mom. It was an enjoyable, relaxing week. Matt & I even went on a casino boat and won $60 on the slots! We went to the Pavilion since it's closing in September. That makes me sad as I've been going there since I was a toddler. But we rode all the rides and took lots of pictures.

Tickets for Rascal Flatts go on sale this Saturday! I've convinced Matt that we should go! Whoa...I'm excited!

The new season of Big Brother starts tomorrow night. I'm addicted to that show.

Matt & I are FINALLY getting the internet at our apt on July 3rd. We survived over a year without it but I'm dying. And I need it for my internship since I'll be working from home.

Matt & I also survived our first year of marraige. We've had some bumps in the road but overall it has been so wonderful! I wouldn't change a think. Marraige is such a precious gift from God!

I'm sitting in the 60 degree gym...freezing my butt off while it's 92 degrees outside. 5 more hours until I'm off. :)

banana pancakes

It has been quite a while since I've updated this thing. It's going to be bullet style today...

• I finished up my classes. Got my grades. Got all B's this semester which is pretty good considering I'm married, working 2 jobs, and going to school full time. I was excited that I got a B in Statistics and Nutrition. I'm glad this semester is over with. Now all that's left is my internship. I'm also going to take a Photography class next semester, just for fun. I'm excited since I have always wanted to take a photography class and now I've got the chance.
  
• Matt has 5 more days left of teaching. I know he is relieved since this has been a very stressful year. He is still looking for a job though so pray that doors will be opened.
  
• We had a wonderful weekend. I had strep throat but struggling though it all. Saturday we went to Carowinds with our Sunday School class. It was exhausting but still lots of fun and good fellowship. I was feeling really bad after that so Matt & I went home & crashed for a while. Then we went to the Winthrop baseball game with his parents and grandparents. We had an enjoyable time. Sunday morning we went to church at the Parks' church (Christ Ridge in Fort Mill) and to our great surprise Jeff Ferguson was preaching. After the service we went back to the Parks' house for a delicious lunch. It was Mother's Day but also Mr. Parks' birthday so we celebrated both. We listened to some more war stories from Matt's dad and realized how thankful we are to have him home. Later we went to Paul & Kelly's & hung out, went to church with them, and had dinner at IHOP. It was a busy and exhausting weekend but we had good times with good friends and family.
• Right now all I'm doing is working--at Impact and with Carlos. I'm working about 45 hours a week total but still have plenty of time to relax. Many days I don't have to go in to work until 5 pm so it's be nice to sleep in, go for a walk at Cherry Park, go to the tanning bed, and shopping. :)
  
• So...I'm in a contest with this lady at the gym to see who can lose the most weight by July 1st. We started yesterday and I've done great with the balanced eating and exercising since then. I really have no problem exercising since I work at a gym 5 days a week but it's the eating thing that kills me. I love french fries, hamburgers, chicken strips...any kind of fast food. I'm really working on it though. This competition is good for me because it gives me some motivation. It'll be fun!

Guess that's it for now. I'm headed to Cherry Park for a walk.

and it begins...

One exam down, three more to go. And then there's nothing left but my internship! Holy mess I'm exchited!

Indulgence

I had the most glorious peppermint mocha from Starbucks this morning. It was smooth, mocha-ey, and peppermintey. :) Who cares if I paid $4 for one cup of coffee. It was devine. Sometimes you gotta live a little!

the promise

He humbled Himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death - death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

When human hands fastened the divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn't the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady. Those same hands that formed the oceans and built the mountains. Those same hands that designed the dawn and crafted each cloud. Those same hands that blueprinted one incredible plan for you and me.

Take a stroll out to the hill. Out to Calvary. Out to the cross where, with holy blood, the hand that placed you on the planer wrote the the promise, "God would give up His only Son before He'd give up on you."

Max Lucado
Six Hours One Friday

Why I love my job...

This is why I love working at Impact...last night one of our members called me at the gym just to tell me who got kicked of American Idol since they knew I couldn't watch it. I sure do love those ladies!

aaahh...papers!

If I have learned one thing in college, it's how to bust out some papers quickly. I am a master paper writer. Yesterday afternoon I wrote a 6 page paper in about 75 minutes. Then last night I wrote a 7 page paper in 90 minutes. Only one more paper to write this semester. My paper writing madness is coming to an end.

encouraging quote

“If Jesus gives us a task or assigns us to a difficult season, every ounce of our experience is meant for our instruction and completion if only we'll let Him finish the work. I fear, however, that we are so attention-deficit that we settle for bearable when beauty is just around the corner." ~Beth Moore

It's Friday!

It's Friday...finally! And it's a beautiful day as well. Matt's on Spring Break now. Unfortunately I have quite a few papers and projects due next week. At least we'll get to spend a little more time together.

Tonight we're having a cookout at Daniel & Jen's with Kelly & Paul. Fun times with new friends. It's fun to have more married friends...we're "adults" now. Scary!

Life is still crazy. I've just got to keep reminding myself...

"Satan, get thee behind me!"

a little sad

So, Mandisa got kicked off American Idol last night. Boo! That's okay though because I heard she already has a record in the making. Now I'm rooting for Chris, Kellie, & Taylor.

In other music news, I've been addicted to Carrie Underwood lately. Matt bought me her cd and I'm loving every single song.

Matt's still looking for a job. Continue praying.

praise you in the storm

So Matt & I have been really blessed this year. We have had a wonderful first 10 months of marraige. I was starting to wonder when this "rough 1st year marraige" stuff was going to happen. And then it came. Last Thursday Matt was informed by his principal and assistant principal that his contract with the district would not be renewed after this year. Matt is apparantly an "incompetant teacher". Whatever. The entire dismissal packet is full of lies. The school never did anything to help Matt this year. The first year of teaching is supposed to be an "assisting year" and the second year is the "evaluative year". No assisting happened to my husband this year. The superintendent and the assistant principal (his "mentors") would come in to observe him and give him no feedback at all. How is he supposed to improve if he is given no feedback. Anyway--this is the part where Matt & I are pretty bitter. He was fired for no good reasons at all and most of the reasons they gave were lies. This leads us to figuring out where our future is going. Matt doesn't really want to teach anymore and is looking into many options. I will be working at Impact full-time this summer to save up money for my internship in the fall. Please pray for Matt & I as we make these transitions. Also pray that we will not be bitter about this whole situation. We know that God has a purpose and a plan for it all. We are trusting in Him. He is in control.

And I'll leave you with my life song right now...

Praise You in the Storm by Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
And stepped in and saved the day
Once again, I say Amen, and it is still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear you whisper through the rain
I'm with you
As your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I'll Praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
You are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will Praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find you

I lift my eyes into the hills
Where does my help come from
My help comes from the Lord
The maker of heaven and earth

encouragement

"My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me."
Psalm 63:8

This verse has been such an encouragement to me recently. There are lots of things going on in and around my life and right now I just don't know where it is all leading to. But that's not for me to know. God knows the future and holds me in the palm of his hand. What a comfort!

We interrupt this marraige...

I saw this bumper sticker the other day that said, "We interrupt this marraige to bring you racing season". What truth this bumper sticker holds in how our society looks at marraige. We interrupt our marraiges for anything. We put anything and everything, including our kids, in higher priority than our spouse. This is not what God intended. When I married Matt, I made a covenant with him and with God that I will love him and be his wife until "death do us part". Nothing, except God himself, should be held in a higher priority than this covenant. That is why I had the word "hesed" engraved in Matt's ring. "Hesed" means covenental love...not just love in the good times when I feel like it. A hesed type of love is not just a commitment, but a covenant. Our society has made marraige a covenience, not a covenant. This saddens my heart.

In other news, Winthrop won the Big South Championship again. Go Eagles! Going to the "Big Dance" once again.

I am so thrilled about my placement with Lutheran Family Services for my internship next fall. I will be working with their therapeutic foster care department. Basically, I will be doing home studies for families who wish to become foster families, home visits and check-ups on foster homes, and mentor some of the kids. I'm so ready for this new adventure!

Next week is Spring Break. It's hard to believe the semester is more than halfway over, but I am thankful. I'll be working Monday and Tuesday but on Wednesday I will head up to Lake Waccamaw to visit my parents. I haven't seen my parents since January and couldn't miss them more. I truly hate the fact that they live 3 1/2 hours away and I work all the time. I'm going to leave my sweet husband in Rock Hill and spend some quality time with my parents. It kind of sucks that Matt's Spring Break is a month after mine. But I am excited to see my family.

End of my ranting.

my internship!

So, ignore all the stuff about the Red Cross in my last post. I have officially been placed for my internship next fall & I'm going to do it with Lutheran Family Services. I will be working in the therapeutic foster care end. I'm thrilled and wish it was already fall. I'll write more about it later.

the future is here...well, sort of

I just turned in my application for graduation--11 months away. It seems like forever, but I know it's gonna come quickly. I've already done my pre-placement interview for my internship. Right now I'm looking at doing my internship at the Red Cross. Doing my internship there could bring lots of opportunities for me after I graduate. It is also an ever-changing internship. No day will be the same. One day I may go to an elementary school and teach kids what to do in case of a hurricane, the next day I may be helping a family whose house burned down. The Red Cross just seems like a good fit for me. We'll see if they think the same. I'll be setting up an interview with them soon and I'll go from there.

Matt & I traveled down to Columbia last Thursday for the Chris Tomlin/Matt Redman/Louie Giglio concert. I knew going down there it was going to be amazing and I was right. I was smacked in the face of how amazing my God is and how he calls me by name. It is one thing to know that God has an intimate plan for your life, but a totally different thing to truly believe it. I relish in my Savior's love. It is such an honor to sit at His feet and call Him "Abba, Father". I wish all could experience my Savior's love as I have.

I am getting my wisdom teeth out next Friday. Sounds like fun, huh? I am kind of excited because Matt is taking the day off work to be with me and pamper me. Haha. We'll see how excited I am at 11 am next Friday though. Nothing like cutting your gums open and yanking those teeth out!

Just wanted to let you guys know...

I am burnt out but completely and utterly blessed by my amazing Savior. I am in awe of His amazing grace.

Heck yes!

I LOVE working 11 hour days!

slacking on the blog

Man oh man, it's been forever since I've written on here. Life has been busy as always.

*The end of the semester went well. I got a B in Philosophy! Woohoo! Only one more semester of classes until my internship. I can't wait!

*Matt & I celebrated our first Christmas together (well, being married). We had a wonderful Christmas eve service at Westminster and then headed over to his parents house. Matt & I cooked potato soup and ham rolls (my family's traditional Christmas eve meal) for his family (all 9 of them that were there)! It turned out well and we had a wonderful time together. We then opened presents since Michael & Amy were leaving the next morning. We both got some awesome stuff from his family (and a chunk of money which we spent on a Gamecube and some games...haha). Christmas morning Matt & I got up and had our Christmas together...he got me a diamond necklace! Whoa, I totally wasn't expecting that! And I got the Full House season 2 dvd--how exciting! We had a wonderful time celebrating together and then we headed to church to continue the celebration of our Saviors birth. We had yet another amazing service focused solely on God's greatest gift given to us...His son. We spent the rest of the day with his family and had a nice relaxing Christmas. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if my family could have been here. My dad was sick and they couldn't make it down. I miss them terribly and can't wait to see them this weekend!

*In other news, they are starting a new Sunday school class at Westminster for "Young Married/No Children" couples like us. We have been asked to serve as leaders in this class and we are so excited about this opportunity. We love the Sunday school class we are in now and are going to miss it greatly but what an amazing opportunity to start a new class and minister to young couples like ourselves. God is going to do amazing things in this class!

*While Paul & Kelly were in California last week, Matt & I took care of good 'ol Kerry & Fiona. Let me recap the crazy things these cats did during the week: Kerry pooped a nail and a ribbon and pooped on the bathroom flour a million times (poor cat just can't seem to get potty trained), Kerry & Fiona knocked over the white roses 3 times, broke the wedding candle, peed on the treeskirt, dug up the potted plant, peed on the carpet by the closet and knocked down the banner on the wall twice. It was a crazy week with these cats--but we love them to death!

I've written all this while at work at the gym, so I guess now I better get back to work and clean up so I can get outta here.

Too twisted for color tv...

Wow, it's been over a month since I've updated! Let's just say things have been mad crazy in my world. I've basically been either in class or working every single day (yes even Saturday & Sundays...it sucks). Since I last updated I celebrated my 22nd birthday. 22 feels old. I feel like an old married lady. Haha.

I'm entirely looking forward to Thanksgiving. I'm taking 6 days off of work! We're going to the beach with Matt's family for a few days & then going to Lake Waccamaw to visit my parents. I'm looking forward to pumpkin pie & my favorite...chocolate chip pie!

I registered & got all the classes I need for next semester. It's hard to believe that I only have one more semester of classes & then my internship. It's crazy how time flies! It feels like just yesterday that me & Ang were living up on the 7th floor of Wofford & going to Denny's at 2 am.

We had to take Tigger to the vet the other day because his ears were just nasty & emitting gross fluids. Turns out his ears are infected. He is doing well with the medicine & we went for a recheck yesterday. His ear canals are clear and looks great! Yay! Tigger is the best looking 20 year old cat ever!

Matt & I went on our first marraige retreat a few weekends ago with our ABF (sunday school) from Westminster. We had an amazing time and learned so much! We feel so blessed to be a part of such an amazing group of couples seeking the Lord.

Since it's so close to Thanksgiving I'm going to list things I am thankful for...

• my family (Mom, Dad, & brother)
• Matt & his family
• my cats (Tigger, DJ & Peaches)
• my Savior
• my education and all I am learning about how to help others
• Westminster & Legacy Builders ABF
• warm, sunny days
• fleece blankets
• coffee & green tea
• all my amazing girls at IXF
• friendships that endure time
• the Word of God
• music
• my digital camera & ipod
• Hawaiian Breeze Glade plug ins
• the smell of fresh laundry

That's all for now.

Mackey out.

an early morning of yoga

This morning, for my 8 am comparitive religion class we went to Peabody and were led in some yoga excercises. This was fun and relaxing, but I sure learned that I can't stand on one foot for 30 minutes!

Praise God I have this Saturday off! Matt & I are going to go to the SC State Fair! Yay! You know I've been every year since I was a toddler and I cannot miss out on the funnel cakes, elephant ears, corndogs, fries, and of course my favorite ride, the Feuer Ball! I love love love the fair. If any of you guys are in Cola and wanna join up with us there let me know!

I spoke with my friend, Karina, last night. She's the one that lived in New Orleans. It was great to talk to her and hear that she is okay. And the Friendship House (the transitional housing center for women & children that she works at) got out with not too much damage. Of course there were some people that came to their Bible studies every week and others they ministered to that didn't make it out alive. Please continue to pray for this ministry and those involved.

Pray for Matt as well. He's having a rough time with teaching. Pray that he will find himself and have the strength to go on and do the best he can do.

I got my iPod nano!!! This thing is freakin awesome. I'm loving it! It's definitely a fun toy to invest in!

The African Children's Choir is coming to Westminster next Friday. I'm really excited about this--I saw them when I was younger and they are just amazing. If you don't know who they are, they are a group of African children from ages 5-12 years old who lived in poverty. The tour the world singing and sharing their lives. As most of you know, it is my dream to go serve in Africa and seeing these kids just encourages me more and more. These kids have been given such an opportunity to shine the light of Christ around the world and impact others. It's amazing.

You said, "ask and you will receive whatever you need."
You said, "pray and I'll hear from heaven and I'll heal your land."

You said Your glory will fill the earth like water the sea.
You said, "lift up your eyes; the harvest is here, the kingdom is near."

You said, "ask and I'll give the nations to you."
oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart.
distant shores and the islands will see

another day gone by

A few minutes ago I was walking across campus over here to the computer lab. As I pass Byrnes I see a guy sleeping on the concrete steps. This I do not understand. There are plenty of couches/comfy chairs on this campus. How hard is it to walk a few hundred yards to Bancroft or across the street to Dinkins? But this guy chose to sleep on the hard concrete using his bookbag as a pillow. Whatever.

Guess what? Matthew bought me an iPod nano!!!! Yippee!!! I have been wanting an iPod for quite a while now (ever since Kristi got hers I've been jealous) and now they have come out with the iPod nano. It's an iPod that is quite small (a little bigger than a credit card). And it holds 1,000 songs! And pictures! Matt ordered it off the website (he got a teacher discount) and it should be here in 1-2 weeks. I cannot wait! If you want to see it you can go to the apple website: http://www.apple.com/ipodnano/

My life is still rediculously busy. I wish I had more time to spend with Matt & our kittens. You gotta do what you gotta do though.

Now I've got to run to class. I have a Philosophy quiz this afternoon--aaahhh! I don't think I'm gonna do so hot. I just get all the theories and people and everything mixed up. We'll see.

Stream of Consciousness Writing...

(Once again this will be bullet style)

*The life of Mackey=Getting up atleast by 7 am-going to work or class by 8 am-working one of my two jobs or class until about 9 pm. Oh yes, gotta love this life! Add being a newlywed and two baby kittens to the mix as well! :) It's all good though.

*Most of my classes are going well. The only class I don't really enjoy is Philosophy (I mean who really cares about that crap?).

*Matt & I got two baby kittens almost two weeks ago. Peaches and DJ are there names. They are tons of fun but they sure like stink up the apartment with some major poopage! Once I get my digital camera back (my parents are borrowing it) I'll post pictures. If you really wanna see the sweet balls of fluff you can come visit us!

*Matt's dad will be coming back from Iraq at the end of October. It's hard to believe that he's been over there for a year! It'll be nice to have him back.

*I think I've convinced Matt to go to the Jeremy Camp/Bethany Dillon concert in Greenville on Saturday. I love love love both of them...they are such inspirational people who are real about life and it's struggles!

*I got my hair all chopped off! It's all short & spiky...lots of fun to mousse up in the mornings! I love it--I think I'm gonna keep it this way for a long while!

*Matt & I are doing a bible study on Sunday nights through Westminster. It's all about digging in the Word. We do lots of Scripture memorization and applying the Word to our lives. We're loving it. This Bible study is making us sit down and focus on the most incredible tool God has given us to know Him--His Word. Spending time in the Word has been such a refresher for us, during our crazy busy week!

Guess I better go check on the kittens and scoop some litter!

a quick vent

Can I mention that I HATE how spam has taken over the blogging world!!! Dang comments full of spam!

back in the grind of things

Here I am sitting in Dinkins at the "Wireless Cafe" haha. Us Parks people are poor & don't have the internet so I have to be a dork & come to campus to update my blog. Lots of things have been going on lately. I feel like updating using bullets today so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

• School is going pretty well. I like most of my classes. My class by far is my Social Work class on mental illnesses. This is my passion. I even look forward to sitting in the class for 3 hours every Wednesday night! I must be crazy!
• Hurricane Katrina has dealt a blow to me personally. I am so burdened by the people on the Gulf Coast (especially New Orleans). Many of you know that I lived in N.O. a few summers ago and worked with the homeless there. That has been my dream for a while now...to live in the ghettos of N.O. and minister to the homeless there. I was hoping Matt & I could go this summer but now we'll have to wait and see what is happening there. Even more personal than that, I have a really close friend who lived right in downtown N.O. She worked at The Baptist Friendship House, a transitional center for homeless women and children. At this point I still haven't heard from her and am very concerned. Please pray for my friend, Karina, and the others who worked & lived at the Friendship House.
• Matt & I are going to get a kitten soon...maybe two. :) Matt's friend, Bobbie, has 5 kittens and Matt & I are going to get the runt of the group. His name is Peaches and he has the biggest belly I've ever seen a kitten have! We may also get another one of the kittens. We'll see. I'll post pictures when we get them!
• My parents have now moved to Lake Waccamaw, NC. They are doing well and settling in. I can't wait to go visit them!
• Lately I have been struggling with a lot of bitterness from the past. There are so many friends that I once felt so close to and now that I'm married I feel like they don't care about me anymore. I sit here reading people's blogs & away messages and it just makes me sad that I'm not a part of their lives. I feel like the old married lady that's still in college who nobody wants to hang out with anymore. I know we can't live in the past but it hurts me that many of my friendships have simply dissapeared in the last few months. It makes my heart hurt. I am glad that God has blessed me & Matt with such great friends in Paul & Kelly. Sometimes it seems like they are the only ones left in our simple little world.

Now I'm off to Matt's school to help him get some stuff done around the classroom. Then it's back to my Mental Illness class!!!

Back to the WU

Thought I'd give a quick update since I've been slack. Classes started back today and fortunately I was able to come. I thought I might have to take this semester off for financial reasons, but God is good and here I am. I had Comparative Religion this morning which I'm really excited about (even though it's an 8 am class) and I just got out of Public Speaking, which won't be too bad (hopefully). I'm headed off to Philosophy in a few minutes and tomorrow night I will go see Dr. Manetta in Mental Health Services in SCWK. I'm so excited about that class...fits right in with my passions!

Matt is doing well. He's been teaching 1st grade for a few weeks now. He's got some rough kids but he's getting the hang of it. I'm a proud wife.

Both of my jobs are awesome & I'm loving them. I've just got to really learn how to balance my time working 2 jobs, going to school, church activities, & of course being a new wife. This semester should be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it all.

I'm heading out for Philosophy. Hopefully I'll update more soon. Peace, Love, & Chicken Grease!

it's a mad mad world

Let me tell you, my friends, last week was a crazy one (this one's gonna be bullet style).

• Last Tuesday my boy Matt got in a wreck. Oh yes, you gotta love those 4 car pile ups in Charlotte. All is well though--the Lumina is smashed (actually totaled) but Matty is just fine.
• Wednesday was Matt's b-day. I really can't remember what we did--pathetic huh?
• But then, Thursday began the madness. Thursday afternoon I rode to the big town of Sumter with Kelly & Wendy for Kelly's lingerie shower. That was a crazy time with 33 ladies & millions of panties and so forth.
• After the shower began the wedding madness. How much fun it was to follow my Kelly around & be her "assistant". We got pedicures and had lots of girl talk.
• The wedding was so beatiful. I cried and cried. I'm so excited for Kelly & Paul.
• After their wedding I had to head to Lexington for Rene' & Nathan's wedding. Unfortunately I didn't make it in time for the ceremony but I did get to the dessert reception. How good it was to see old friends this weekend (Erroneous, Shlebs, Tam Tam, & I even got to see Pierre!).
• Fast forwarding to this week. Monday was my first day working at Impact. I had a ball & am so excited about working there! To those of you wondering, yes, I am now working 2 jobs. I'm still doing ABA therapy with a child who has autism & I'm a "fitness instructor" at Impact XPress Fitness. It's gonna be an exciting year!
• Yesterday Matt had an interview for a 1st grade position at Rosewood Elementary. He got the job on the spot and started new teacher orientation last night. School starts Tuesday so he has less than a week to get his classroom and everything organized. Pray for him. He is extremely overwhelmed by this transition. It'll be awesome though!

Guess that's all for now. Have a good one.

horses and gators

Last weekend Matt & I went up to Lake Waccamaw, NC with my dad. He has been working at the Boys & Girls Home there for two weeks now. We were excited to go see what it's all about. We had a great time hunting for gators in the swamp (I spotted two!) and feeding the horses. I am so excited for my family. I am a little sad that they won't be so close (3 hours away instead of 3 minutes) but I know God has placed them where He wants them. My dad loves his job and it is such a blessing for him to be there. God is good.

Matt is looking for a new job. There is a possibility of a job at a really nice child development center in Fort Mill. That would be wonderful since it would be a lot closer. Matt is just getting burnt out driving to Northern Charlotte and dealing with all the drama at his job. Pray that he will be able to find a job that he will enjoy.

This continues to be a crazy busy summer for us. I'm looking forward to school starting so I can have more of a routine. I will be shadowing a child at McFeat all day on Monday/Wednesday/Fridays and I'm thrilled about that. It will be fun.

Today is my best friend Kelly Douglass' birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

9 more days until Paul & Kelly's wedding and Nathan & Rene's wedding! How exciting!!!

HELP!!!!

My screenname on AIM (Ragamuffin4abba) got deleted so I had to make a new one (SmacksParks). I lost everyone's screennames so please send it to me! Thanks!

Let Freedom Ring

So I just tried to post some of the wedding pictures on the blog & it's not cooperating. So you all just have to be more patient!

Hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July. Ours was nice. Paul, Kelly, Matt, & I spent the morning at Ray's Splash Planet in Charlotte with a kid we know. It was lots of fun! If you haven't heard of this place, it's an indoor waterpark. Really it's for kids...there is one big slide for adults though. We had a lot of fun splashing around & playing! After that we went to a cookout in Fort Mill. A family at Kelly & Paul's church was having this cookout & they have an awesome house on a pond. We played croquet, volleyball, and went boating. And I can't forget the delicious barbeque. When it got dark we shot off fireworks. When we left the cookout we went to Carowinds to see the fireworks there. It was fun, but we were tired so we left before they were over. We bought some fireworks of our own that I think we may shoot off tonight.

My parents are heading up to Lake Waccamaw, NC tonight. My dad is starting his new job tomorrow! What a blessing that is!

If you want to see my pictures on snapfish just let me know & I'll send you an e-mail inviting you to see them.

The Great Adventure

I decided to come back to blogger instead of my blog on thenest.com. It's just easier and more people are on it.

This week has been an adventure...well, especially Sunday. Sunday morning started off with me fainting in Sunday School and later on Matt falling flat on his face at Cracker Barrell. Let's go back to the fainting part. We are in Sunday School and praying for a couple who is moving. We all are circled around laying hands on them and had stood there about 10 minutes. My arms begin to feel a little tingly (sp?) and the next thing I know I wake up in a chair shaking and everyone is asking me if I'm okay. I've never fainted before and it was a scary thing. We think it's just because it was hot, we were standing for a long time, and I hadn't had much to eat that morning. We hope that's all.

So after church Matt & I meet up with Paul & Kelly at Cracker Barrell. Matt is hobbling along on his crutches up to the front porch and misses the curb. He hops for a while and I laugh because he's hopping like a loon. Well then he losses his balance & falls flat on his face...luckely he fell in hte grass. It was very scary & he hit his head hard. I thought I was going to have to take him to the hospital. But he was okay.

A million other crazy things have happened like our hot water spurting out of the faucets and overdrafting our account to make this week an adventure. Man, this whole married thing is tough!

The good news is that Sunday night Matt started walking on his foot again and it's getting stronger every day. So now I don't have to be the old maid anymore--he can do things for himself now!

I'm working on putting up the honeymoon & wedding pictures on Snapfish.com. I'll let you all know when they are up.

Oh yeah--some REALLY exciting news is that my dad got a job!!!!!! He's going to be a minister of music to the kids at the Boys and Girls Home of NC at Lake Waccamaw. He may be able to start as soon as this Tuesday! My dad is going to go ahead up there and my mom & brother will stay here in Rock Hill the rest of July to pack and get things ready while they look for housing in Lake Waccamaw. SO EXCITING!!!!!

Now that I'm married...

Matt & I are starting a new blog together...so you can enjoy reading about our life. You can find it here http://blogger.thenest.com/blogger/3232088840593150/Default.aspx

So this may be the end of this blog...we'll see.

the day after tomorrow

the day after tomorrow i will be married. and then heading to good 'ol charleston. compliments of anita & impact express fitness matt & i will be taking a cute little stuffed monkey named coconut on our honeymoon. we will take pictures with him in charleston & take them back to the gym & show them to the ladies. :)

guess i'll write when we get back from charleston.