Nothing could be finer...

Eat your heart out, Clemson fans. On Saturday, October 9th, 2010 I witnessed an event that will forever go down as one of the greatest days in history. Before I get ahead of myself, let me first set the stage. Me, mom, dad and auntie Caroline piled into the Jetta and set out for Columbia...a trip all of us have made enough times in our lives to do it with our eyes closed. There's only one wonderful thing about Columbia: CAROLINA FOOTBALL. It's even more wonderful on days like this past Saturday. You see, we all have suffered (and when I say suffered, I really mean it) for years and years (and years) through what ESPN calls 'the agony of defeat.' Very seldom did we get to experience the 'thrill of victory.' But not this time. And maybe, just maybe, the tide is turning for us faithful Gamecock fans. The good Lord has maybe decided that we've endured enough. So, as the Crimson Tide of Alabama rolled and strutted their stuff into town, our Gamecocks waited in the wings, eager to pluck them from their number one in the nation position. Few of us believed it was possible (not me. or my brother or my uncle Steve). Even fewer dared to hope that this was the day that the chicken curse could be put into eternal rest. 

So, we started the day (naturally) with some yummy bloody mary's and MASSIVE pieces of celery (since we would not likely be focusing on our vegetable intake the rest of the day) 

It was a gorgeous day for football. 

As we made our way into the stadium, we ran into George Rogers, ex-Carolina Heiseman trophy winner and running back for the Washington Redskins. I took this as a good sign. I even mentioned to my dad that I had a good feeling...the mojo seemed to be in our favor.

And then it happened. We scored. And then we scored again. And again. And again. And at half time we all looked at each other in disbelief and thought 'is this really happening???'

It was a great day to be a Gamecock. Me and 90 thousand of my closest friends celebrated the biggest victory in USC history. Perhaps the best part of the whole day was my dad. He was like a kid on Christmas morning.

Here he is early in the 4th quarter when the reality that we might actually win was sinking in...

And here he is in utter disbelief that after all these years, his team is pulling out the victory he has always hoped for...

 And I've saved the best for last:
Here is the celebration...

My dad always says that the perfect day is when Carolina wins and Clemson loses. He says that the planets are all aligned and the birds are chirping. He lives with a permanent smile on his face on days like these...

ROCK 'EM SOCK 'EM!

A Good Article

one of my mama's from my previous post passed this on to me and I thought it was awesome and worthy of sharing...

REJOICING INCREASES FAITH

by Graham Cooke

Thanksgiving creates blessing. Continuous rejoicing opens us up to increase. Life is about possibilities not negatives. Jesus said, “All things are possible, only believe” (Mark 9:23).

Thanksgiving has a creative power to produce good. It is good for us to rejoice. It creates energy, enthusiasm and strength. We are expanded on the inside. Our eyes are bright, watchful for blessing, increase and favor. Goodness is drawn to us as we lift up Jesus in our hearts. We make ourselves attractive to favor and blessing. We are able to look at life and circumstances differently, therefore we see the good in everything. 
Exercise produces endorphins which can escalate our sense of wellbeing making us fitter, sharper and more alive in ourselves. Rejoicing increases faith which is the spiritual equivalent of endorphins. Faith increases our focus and readiness to see God in everything and lean into Him. When we give thanks our ability to trust and believe increases dramatically, because praise produces power  Rejoicing overcomes any inherent negativity and aligns our heart with the continuity of favor.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  The will God is always linked to His nature. All our main experiences of life, good or bad, should be connected to thanksgiving and rejoicing. When we rejoice as a lifestyle then life is less of a roller coaster. It flows. It is more stable and even. We experience more rest, more peace, more joyfulness and our capacity to believe cannot be diminished by events.
When we refuse thanksgiving as a lifestyle then we ensure that our lives are unprotected from doubt, fear and unbelief. We are susceptible to any negative from any source or direction. We can be brought low by people, circumstances and enemy activity. We are assailable; a sitting duck for all that is detrimental to life, faith and happiness. People can be so fearful that they become pessimistic. We can have an outlook on life that is so counteractive to simple trust that we can become cynical towards those who want to believe God for something. 
Rejoicing is linked to God’s nature. He is good. His lovingkindness endures forever. Thanksgiving empowers us to rest in an attribute of God’s nature. What is God showing you about Himself at this time?  Rejoice in that! Give thanks for who He is towards you. When I was learning peace and rest as a lifestyle attribute, all my rejoicing flowed in and out of those virtues. I was so restful, I lost the ability to worry. Rejoicing increased my peace and thoroughly diminished my anxiety.  On difficult days I began to discern goodness around me. In adversity I saw favor standing over me. Whatever attribute God is declaring to you will be increased in you by thanksgiving. 
Thanksgiving is like a heat seeking missile. It hones in on a certain signature. It is drawn to connect with goodness, favor and faith. If that is true in one of a kind circumstances then it must have a greater power in multiple situations. My contention is that a lifestyle of rejoicing not only increases the power of favor over our circumstances; it also attracts favor to us from the future. We are present/future people because we are filled with the Spirit who discloses that which is to come [John 16:13]. It is absolutely possible for us to occupy a place in faith that increases our awareness of future possibilities in the heart of God towards us. “For I know the plans I have for you” says the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope” [Jeremiah 29:11].
Thanksgiving keeps us present to the moment with God and increases our expectation of the future. It creates a space around us that negativity cannot penetrate. In this context our prayer life is empowered. We pray in faith not desperation. There is nothing wrong in prayerful desperation, if that is where you are and all you have. However, it is the prayer of faith that produces life and health [James 5:15]. If prayer is surrounded by celebration [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18] then the will of God has to become abundantly clear, no matter what is happening around us. Confusion is simply not possible when we have a lifestyle of thanksgiving and rejoicing.
We are a people of identity and destiny, founded in Christ within, the expectation of glory. Our lives are always governed by something or someone. In Christ rejoicing increases His Presence within. In Christ, thanksgiving expands His power and influence upon all our situations. Our ability to discern God’s will and pray through it is dramatically expanded through thanksgiving. Rejoicing is a way of life. Without it, we are diminished in stature, power and enjoyment of God.

Exposition Part 5 (the players part 2)

My Mama L's...

Lee Ann & Linda

Enter Lee Ann.

Enter Linda. (well, technically she already entered in Part 1)

Apparently, if you are fabulous and associated with CHM, your name might start with an 'L.' When I arrived, I became the 5th of 5 L's who work at CHM. It's me, Linda, Leslie, Lauren and Lee Ann. We are all fabulous, beautiful women of God - you should all be so lucky to know us ;)

Like I said, I met Linda two and a half years ago at the St. Andrew's womens retreat. And like I said, I instantly fell in love with her. Seriously, like...as soon as I met her, I wanted to snuggle with her. Little did I know that snuggling would be mine and Linda's destiny...

Linda has a little sign in her office that says, 'it's a rare person who can take care of hearts while also taking care of business.' This is so true and so very true to Linda's character. Linda is crazy gifted in this area. I know that I can count on Linda to sit down and cry with me if that's what I need and I also know that I can count on Linda to whip my you-know-what into shape if that's what I need. Linda has perfected how to be a friend when she needs to be a friend and the boss when she needs to be the boss - and she also knows how to be a friend and a boss at the same time. She's a genius. She knows how to speak truth and love right into a situation at the exact moment it needs to be spoken. Since I've come on staff, Linda and I have become fast friends...and the closer we get in our friendship, the more I respect her as my boss. Often times, this is not the case...people get too close and their working relationship suffers...but I believe so much in CHM and I believe so much in what God has called Linda to that our friendship and work relationship do not hinder but rather spur the other on towards greater things. If you can't tell, I just love Linda to death. I can't imagine life in Jacksonville without her. Actually, I can't imagine life anywhere without her.



'TJ's great...better than a chocolate cake'



I cannot talk about Linda without talking about TJ.
TJ is her little yorkie and might be the funniest little guy I've ever known. First of all, he eats a lot of carrots. Second, he has the demeanor of a cat more than a dog...as in, he really could care less about you unless you are feeding him or rubbing his belly. But in the midst of his aloofness and not caring about your presence, you can't help but fall in love with the guy. And then the worst happens...you find yourself talking like an idiot and doing everything in your power to get him to like you/pay attention to you.

Lee Ann is scary. Not in a 'oooh she looks mean' kind of way...but in a when she walks into a room, she commands attention kind of way. She just looks like the type of person who might have something important to lay on the table. Now, I realize that this could be a dangerous thing to say because anybody could take one look at her and say 'well, duh' (cuz she's smokin' hot) but that's not it. It's He that is in her that makes her so dang intimidating. Lee Ann is one of those people that looks at you and you wince because you know that she is looking into your soul and reading everything that is going on. And after you tinkle in your pants a little bit you realize that she is still looking into your soul and figuring out the best way to tell you exactly what is in God's heart for you. It's an overwhelming mixture of love and intense discernment that will flat out knock you over if you're not prepared for it. Coming into contact with the annointing that is in and around Lee Ann is not for the faint of heart. I mean, don't show up at Lee Ann's house if you don't want to be healed. =)

What's so cool about Lee Ann, though, is that right up there with all that crazy gifting is just a great girl who loves to have fun. When I want some good 'ole fashioned girl time, Lee Ann is at the top of my list. And when she's not flying all over the country watching her daughter ride pretty horses, or cheering on her son's soccer team, or making sure CHM continues to go in the direction God wants it to go (she's a slightly busy woman) she manages to make time for me - just to hang out and talk about...well, whatever...anything and everything. She's just all around a great person to have in my life. She's been a mom, a sister, a friend, a mentor...all in a short period of time. I think we have a beautiful future ahead of us...



River



Lee Ann also has a dog who acts like a cat. I can't remember what kind of dog he is but he's really cute. He's more like a cat in that he walks along the back of the couch and nestles down on a cushion...and it is HIS spot. As in, the first time I went over, I sat in his spot and Lee Ann told me to move over because that was River's spot and he would get mad at me if I sat there. River and I became fast friends and now my spot on the couch is right next to his...

So...those are my Mama L's...I'm afraid my character analysis was only a sneak peak and didn't actually do them much justice. There aren't words in the English language elegant enough to describe perfectly how wonderful these ladies are or what they mean to me. But hopefully you get the idea...

Exposition Part 4 (the players)

'In eternity, when we gaze at the tapestry God designed, we will be surprised whose thread crossed ours and thus changed our lives. Conversely, those who touched our lives were also changed, and their change in turn changed others...only the Lord in His infinite wisdom could weave any of our tapestries together to comprise the beautiful tapestry of the Kingdom.'

~ John Paul Jackson

I believe with all my heart that satisfaction in life is directly related to the company we keep...and if you're a girl, it is imperative that you have good girlfriends. I have been extremely blessed in life to have not just good friends, but great ones...the kind that I can count on for just about anything. When I think of what kind of friend I hope to be for someone and what I look for in them, I think of Job. There's a little nugget in Job 2 that, as far as I'm concerned, is the epitome of great friendship:

 ¹¹Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. ¹²And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. ¹³And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.

I just love this. Job's friends knew that there was absolutely nothing they could do to make his condition any better, so they simply sat down in the dirt with him and entered into his grief with him. For seven days, they sat in the mud and cried together - because they knew that's all they could really offer him. I know, it's a rather depressing example to use to depict friendship but I think it's beautiful. And it has really challenged me in how I care for the people I love...it compels me to love more deeply, to really look for what might be lying beneath the surface, and to consider what the other person really needs instead of what I think they need. I long for people in my life that are willing to sit in the mud with me and cry if that's what I need. I have had the distinct honor to have, not many, but a few relationships in my life that look like this. (You know who you are).
But, here I am in a new city, a new job, a new life ...and I am in search of the authentic. It's really hard when you have nothing to measure with, but I am trusting in Him who is in me to lead me to those who will not only nourish me but allow me to do the same for them.
I think that I will have several 'the players' posts - so if you are reading this wondering 'what about me??' don't worry, this is not necessarily in any kind of ranking order...your time will come.
I think it's a really good question for all of us to ask ourselves: who are my Eliphaz's, Bildad's, and Zophar's? Who will know me so well that they will always know just what to say and what to do in my presence? And does anybody in my life see me as one of these guys? It's a taking stock of sorts...
So...since my arrival in Jacksonville, there have been many who have touched me and influenced me already...but I think I'll start with my "Mama L's"...

stay tuned...

Exposition Part 3 (setting part 2)

Jacksonville, Florida.

'The LARGEST city in the US. The governments of the City of Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated in 1968, giving Jacksonville a particularly large land area and placing most of its metropolitan area within the city limits.'

Translation = Jacksonville is HUGE. Not huge as in lots and lots of people; huge as in lots and lots of land. As referenced in the previous post, I decribed the setting in which I grew up as a place characterized by tranquility, simple beauty and innocent charm. This is no longer the case. Ok, before you all go thinking I'm dissing on Jax, I'm not. I'm just saying that it is pretty much NOTHING like what I'm used to. But there is plenty to love here, I will say that...and I will expound on it soon and probably often.
I would say that the biggest adjustment for me is how much time I have to spend in the car. In Charleston, or more specifically: Mount Pleasant, if you got in the car to go somewhere in the city, you were ususally there in under 10 minutes and your anxiety levels remain fairly low. If you have to get on a major highway or interstate, then it means you are going out of town. In Jacksonville, it is impossible to go anywhere without getting on a big road, doing lots of merging, jocky-ing and subsequently lots of cussing. (not really, I try my hardest not to cuss.) I spend a minimum of 20-25 minutes in the car each time I get behind the wheel. This translates into way more trips to the gas station. Also, what falls into the category of 'not too far from here' or 'just around the corner' is operating from a different scale. I mean, the beach is 45 minutes away!
BUT! Like I said, there's a lot to love here.
First, depending on where you are standing and which way the wind is blowing, the air will all of a sudden smell like coffee. HELLO, that's cool. There's a big coffee plant smack dab in the middle of town that emits an aroma of coffee into the air that caffeinates the entire city. Beat that, Charleston ;)
There really is a lot of beauty here. When I previously alluded to Florida being the place I had always stereotyped as a resort, theme-park and geriatric world, I am discovering that Jacksonville is proving that stereotype wrong. (maybe I'm just not far enough south - Jacksonville is BARELY in Florida). The ancient and massive moss-lined oak trees are here as well; the grass and the plants and the air feel similar to home...and if I'm honest, I find myself noticing that the grass here is even greener. (if you're wondering, that WAS meant to be a pun and literal at the same time).
What's most lovely about Jacksonville is the community of people who have welcomed me in...into their homes, into their lives, into their hearts. It was to be the biggest void I'd have upon arriving here; the relationships, connections and love that I left behind felt like a literal tearing of my heart. But God knew that. And in a way that only He can do, He has orchestrated a whole new group of people for me to love and be loved by. I imagine my next post should be an exposition of characters...as they are key parts in the story. (stay tuned for Exposition Part 4) But really, I am 7 months into this new adventure and pleased to say that that I am already deeply, madly in love with a whole new group of people that I know will be my friends for the rest of my life. God is so smart.

Exposition Part 2 (setting)

To describe growing up in the lowcountry of South Carolina, I would have to take you to the marsh on a spring day, flush the great blue heron from its silent occupation, scatter marsh hens as we sink to our knees in mud, open you an oyster with a pocketknife and feed it to you from the shell and say 'breath deeply' and you would breathe and remember that smell for the rest of your life  

~ Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides 

There are many words to describe the setting in which I grew up but if I had to choose just one word, it would be...idyllic. 
Mr. Webster defines idyllic as such:

• serenely beautiful, untroubled and happy 
• having a simple, unspoiled and especially rural charm 
• an experience or period of serene and carefree happiness, usually in beautiful surroundings and often idealized
• a scene or event characterized by tranquility, simple beauty and innocent charm

I grew up with a deep appreciation for the ocean and the surrounding rivers that flowed into her. As a very young girl, I was taught to always respect the tides and to understand that I was powerless against them...no matter how hard you try, the tide will take you where it wants to take you. Never venture out to a moving body of water without knowing the direction in which it is flowing. 

I have spent the better half of my life in one of two places:

 on the beach at Sullivan's Island 

or in the creek at Rockville

My dad used to (and still does) say 'you kids just don't understand how good you've got it.' He was right. It wasn't necessarily that we didn't appreciate it or took it for granted...I just think we never knew it wasn't normal. We were unique kids in an extraordinarily unique environment. 

All that which makes up what we so lovingly call the Lowcountry is what shaped me into the person I am today. People have been asking, 'so how is life in Jacksonville?' 'when are we going to hear what your new life is like?' and that is coming...but I didn't think that was possible until I properly gave credit to the people and the places that stir up a love in my heart that words cannot contain. There's so much to say about where I come from and who has influenced my journey thus far. 

'oh my sweet Carolina, 

what compels me to go? 

Oh my sweet disposition, 

may you one day carry me home' 

~ Ryan Adams

 I feel like this must sound crazy to some. Many of you know exactly what I'm saying. But I feel that I am so deeply rooted in a place that has very rich soil ...so naturally, part of me is trying to reject the new place in which my roots are being planted. But it takes time and effort - and much tending. I believe that I have been placed in good soil and I am trusting that the Gardener is doing what He promised He would do.