giving depot

The Giving Depot....

Grace Fellowship(GFC) does this amazing outreach for the students and families of Boys to Men and Girlfriends. The short of it is that our students earned points for 6 weeks based on behavior, character, grades, respect, etc. Then, they get to go to the Giving Depot and shop for their families for Christmas using the points they earned. GFC provides all the gifts, food, entertainment, etc....everything for this amazing event....the students, families and staff of Boys to Men were so blessed by this event.....

these are a couple of pics of the Giving Depot we did separately for our group of students in Mountain City. It was a truly amazing day and so sweet to have fellow brothers and sisters in Christ supporting the ministry that the Lord has established. I'm not sure my words are giving justice or really even half-way explaining all that was done...but, hopefully you get the gist.

all the volunteers who helped out in Mountain City....THANKS!!!

Ms. Paula, Joe and I with the kiddos from Mtn. City.

return to blogger land

so it seems that i left blogger land for a good while. life got busy and then i just really didn't think about it....so, i have returned, with much to post and share.....here goes the first of many to catch up.....

tagged

okay, so i've been tagged by Laura Stiller in some sort of blogger maddness from Living Hope in College Station, Tx. so here goes the game....

Five Things You May Not Know About Me.....

1. I have never in my life responded to something like this....I always hit the delete button or just ignore these types of things. But, what the heck, it never hurts to try something new.

2. I have a somewhat serious addiction to chapstick. My favorite is Natural Ice. I think I probably have somewhere in neighborhood of 10 things of chapstick in my possession. Today has been rough day on the lips, because I can't manage to find any of them. I have this terrible habit of putting them in the pocket of my jeans or hoodie and then I find them in the wash or the next time I wear that hoodie or jacket....it's time to go dig in the closet, because my lips are on fire as we speak.

3. My ideal job would be a stay at home mom....of probably 5 kids....most of which have been adopted and have different skin colors. I definitely want the house that is filled with all the neighborhood kiddos....a safe and fun place for them to hang out and be loved on.

4. I have a goal of never throwing up again for the rest of my life. I have a serious fear of throwing up. I haven't thrown up since the 6th grade, when I lost my hot dog on the White House lawn. I figure why bother throwing up if you can't leave your mark in a really important public place. I also haven't eaten a hot dog since that day.

5. I have never been able to master the art of skating.....ice, roller, skateboard...notta. I think I have some kind of a short in my brain where I totally loose all ability to stay upright when I have some form of wheels or blades attached to my feet. I'm thinking maybe I should try out those cool shoes that have wheels that pop out of the sole....I mean one minute you're walking and the next you're wheelin' all over the place.

So, I've told you 5 things about me....now I get to tag 5 other bloggers....I tag Melissa, Whitney, Jared (blog, already!), Ryan&Sarah, and Curtis .

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree....

so, most people who know me, know that i love christmas trees and especially the ornaments. i love to take the little jog down memory lane when putting the ornaments on the tree...they each have meaning and memories attached. this year we got a douglas fir which happens to be my favorite kind of tree (even though carson and the guy at lowes think they're ugly). it could be my favorite kind of tree because of my fond memories of christmas at 1701 Austin Ave and it looks old fashion. anyway, this tree of ours has had a mind of it's own. i came home one night to find in laying on it's side with a few crushed ornaments beneath it. it seems to throw different ornaments off at various times during the day and has a serious drinking problem. i mean really, how much water and sprite can one tree need??

a little crooked, huh?
beautiful lights
our beautiful tree (minus a few ornaments)

beauty in the broken

i am in a place right now where i am having to make the choice to see beauty in the middle of the broken places in my life. my heart aches. it aches for so many reasons right now. i need your prayers. the prayers of a righteous man availeth much. i am dealing with hurt. watching others hurt those around them. why do we kill? why do we run away from the real issues we are facing? i think we run becuase satan is constantly blinding our eyes to the fact there is great beauty in the broken places of our lives. there is freedom in the Lord! there is victory in Jesus! there is peace in His Spirit! there is a fierce battle in and around my life right now. please ask for wisdom on my behalf. for understanding. for a tame tongue. for a faithful spirit. for a loving heart. for recognition that He is worthy of all my praise and is truly BEAUTIFUL! LORD, may i willingly rest in Your love and find my strength through Your blood!

thankful

Lord, I am thankful. I pray that my heart would constantly reflect an attitude of thanksgiving. My heart overflows with thankfulness for....

grace fellowship, my new church home

my family, who has supported me through life

leslie, my fun roommate and constant friend

boys-to-men and girlfriends, where my life has found its fit for ministry

friends, old and new whom You have used to help shape my life

carson, my favorite

provision, i stand in awe of all that You have provided and how You have chosen to do so

Your Word, it's truly a light for my path and lamp to my feet

laughter, hugs, smiles, warm pj's, football, thoughtful messages, mountains,

plane tickets to texas, yummy smelling candles, hot chocolate

Thank you, Father, for Your constant Love and Grace.

where has the time gone?

this fall is flying by as quickly as the leaves are falling off the trees. i was shocked as i looked on the calendar and saw that next week is thanksgiving!! yikes!! the past several weeks have been jam packed with "fallish" events. we took our group of students from mtn. city to a corn maze. we got lost in the maze, played in a haystack and took a couple of hayrides. lots of fun in the beautiful mountains of east tennessee! then there was the barn dance @ wiseman's farm with the Well. i got to drive a john deere tractor, pet some beautiful horses, and square danced to my heart's content....what a fun day! of course there has been a whole lot of football watchin' going on....come on Ags....no more 1-point losses. then, this past friday night, we had a lock-in for our mtn. city kiddos....it was a lot of fun! i am so blessed to work with such a great group of students. minus the lack of sleep, it was a great time for all!! here are a few photos to enjoy, you can see the rest at Kelly's Shots.

Hangin' out on the haystack...

yes, that's me drivin' the tractor....

drew, me, leslie, and seth so excited about the barn dance!

BYOP Tennessee Style

so, in honor of a fun tradition started by friends back in good ol' College Station, we decided to continue the tradition of BYOP (for those of you who are wondering what in the world BYOP is, "bring your own pumpkin"...pinson, you should be proud). a fun time was had by all! it's really fun just to be a kid again and discover what you can create with your hands. there were some pretty fantastic pumpkins carved, if i do say so myself! we ate lots of snacks, scraped out lots of pumpkin guts, watched "The Great Pumpkin", and enjoyed lots of laughter with some great friends! Enjoy the pics below....

Shauna working on her masterpiece...
Melissa, Leslie, and Dusty hanging out...
many amazing pumpkins...

Melissa trying out some pumpkin guts...
Ashley and Jara with his masterpiece (pretty good for a first time pumpkin carver!)

me and Carson enjoying some yummy caramel apples...
Carson modeling he and Silas' masterpiece

Sneaky, McSneakerson

Lex's antics continue....

So, on Friday, Leslie came home to find that Lex had helped himself to a bag of candy corn and taken a couple of bags of caramels off the kitchen table. So, she picked up the mess and scolded him, as usual. Later on, she was straightening up the pillows on the chase lounge and found in his secret hiding place a bag of marshmallows. That's right, no bones, but a bag of Jett-Puff Marshmallows....

The stash!
Lex guarding his treasure....sneaky little guy!

off with the old, in with the new do....

So, this past Friday, was the big day that I cut my hair off for Locks of Love. It seems like I've been growing my hair out for FOREVER and Friday was the day that it went bye-bye. It's REALLY short now, and that's okay....it will grow back soon. But, for now, it's nice to have a change! Here are some pics....

fall fun

Fall has undoubtedly fallen upon east tennessee this past week. So, to celebrate the cool weather and magnificently colored trees, participation in some outdoor activities was in store! First, I went with roomie, Leslie, to an East Carolina football game and we tailgated with her family. I think I may make attending college football games at various colleges a new hobby :) Fun times were had by all....

Then, on Tuesday, I headed down the Creeper Trail in Virginia with a few of our awesome girls from Girlfriends (it was fall break this past week). It was soooo much fun!! What a blessing to enjoy the splendor of fall and the majesty of Dad's creation for an afternoon. A few pics are posted below....you can view all by clicking on Kelly's Shots....

I think he may be a real pirate...too cute!!!

Purple Pirates...AAAAAARGH!

That's right, we went to Lizard Lick, NC....don't you wanna go?Isis, Francis, and Selena excited about a 17 mile ride!
can someone tell me who said bike helments don't make you look like a dork?
AAAHHHHH!!!!

thank you, Lord....

for falling autumn leaves

for friends old and new

for mistakes covered by your grace

for discovery of new things

for honesty in a world of deceit

for the giggles of little children

for hugs and kisses

for the prayers of the saints

for late night talks with roommates

for innocence

for squirrely teenagers

for excitement in new relationships

for Your abundant, incomprehensible love

can you say oxymoron???

mountain city

Thought I would share a little bit of what I've been doing with myself. Each Thursday, I travel to Mountain City, TN (which is about an hour from Johnson City....it's a beautiful drive), with my partner in crime, Joe Diaz. In the AM, we educate 5th and 6th grade students at various schools in Johnson County, on safety and sexual harassment, which is a starting ground for abstinence education. In the PM, we have afterschool groups at Mountain City Elementary school with 4th-6th grade kiddos. This past Friday we took this group to the Homecoming Game, parade and we tail-gated for a bit. It was a lot of fun, exhausting, but fun!!! The kids had a great time!! Mtn. City is a tiny place....the kind where everyone in the county was at the game and homecoming festivities!! A lot of fun!!!! Here a few pics from the festivities....please be praying for this group and Joe and I as we travel to and from Mtn. City each Thursday. On a side note....it was quite an experience to watch a high school football game nestled in the mountains in COLD weather in Sept! Quite a change for this Texas girl whose used to hot, humid weather through Nov.

A few of the boys enjoying a little football....maybe not so much football....they were quite entertained by the cheerleaders....
A few of the parents at the cookout....
The girls trying to get warm....it was COLD!!!!
A few of the Girlfriends hangin' on the playground....
Carson and Joe trying to get the grill fired up....
Being silly.

p.s. if you are one of those "no leave comment" blog lookers....try to change your ways and drop a line :)

krelly andf tercvhnology dfon't mix

vcan you eradf wha I'm weritin? so dfare this month, my vcrell phonre has blown up, thre VCDF player in my cvaer stopprefd woreking, anfd now ther kreyboarefd on my laptop has dercvifderdf to typer srecveral letters at onvcre. nothing is woerking!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! what's a gierl to dfo? revrey timer I hit ther "T" krey, thre seaercvh mrenu with thre littlre dfog oprens.....somreoner HERLP!!!!

my super-talented sister

Thought I would take a second to brag on my super-talented, cake making/decorating sister! Doesn't this cake look fabulous? Not only do her cakes look beautiful, they taste scrupciously-delumcious!! Hopefully all will be as lucky as I and get to eat one of her cakes someday :)

P.S. the cake was for a baby shower.....too cute!

things that make you go hmmmm....

fall is in the air

Yep, fall is on its way!! When I woke up this morning @ 9am, it was 55 outside, lovely! I have seen a few trees whose leaves are starting to change and of course what would fall be without college football Saturday. As I write this, I'm watching Notre Dame being brutalized by Michigan. I LOVE fall. It's definitely my favorite season, and I am so excited to be able to experience a true fall with beautiful leaves and all!!! I just need to get out some decorations and buy a few pumpkins and I'll be set! On to more important things....

As I was spending some time with the Lord today, I read a few journal entries from the past several months and my heart was so encouraged to see all that the Lord has done. So many of my cries before the Lord have been answered. I think this fall is especially exciting to me because of the new season that lay ahead. Here are so things that I was reminded of as I reflected today:

What I claim as my life verse, which the Lord gave my freshman year at A&M.....
"Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

.....those who truly wait and hope in the Lord, will not be disappointed! Psalm 33 even further expresses that "the eye of the Lord is on those who hope for His lovingkindness". I have walked out of a long season of waiting and I am so thankful that I waited. That I didn't give up when there were so many times that it seemed that was the best option. That I didn't run away when I was given the chance. But, that through the power of the sustaining Holy Spirit, I was able to endure and wait and place my hope in the Lord. I wish I could say that I always did this well and with complete contentment and peace.....I didn't. But, His grace is sufficient and I am so thankful!!!!! I know there are so many more things I will learn from this past season, but right now, I am going rejoice in thanksgiving for a season of waiting and for the blessed time that lay ahead! If you are waiting, keep on. You WILL be blessed in the end of that waiting and you will be so thankful you waited. May we endure until Christ's return!

sea of orange

This past Saturday, I had the privilege of going to my first UT (tennessee that is) football game. Thanks to the Marions; myself, Joe, AJ and Zack enjoyed an exciting game! Even though it wasn't Kyle Field, I still had a whole lot of fun! There was a HUGE crowd there and I definitely sang "Rocky Top" loud and proud as Troy Freeman advised me! I don't think I've ever heard one song played so many times at a single game, but I definitely know the chorus now. Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure....

the "T"

Joe, AJ and Zack enjoying some football.

Joe and I and the sea of orange (I think we look super-imposed, but it's legit)

A few similarities between UT football and Aggie football....

1. The Block T....although I must say the Noble Men of Kyle look better in my opinion

2. Loyal fans

3. A dog for a Mascot (Smokey and Rev)

remembering

I'm sure today has been a day filled with sorrow for many Americans. Those who lost loved ones 5 years ago today, those who have lost loved ones in the war that followed and those who presently live with the abscence of a loved one who is serving this great nation in a far away land. I believe that we must all continue to remember. Remember to say a genuine "Thank You" to those who wear a military uniform, remember to pray for those who are overseas and their families who are back home, remember to pray for their protection, remember to thank God for the protection he has given this country. I read an article today that really made me think....whether or not you agree with the war, we all have the duty to pray for these families...."the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much"....for these men and women have sacrificed more than most of us could imagine for so many people they don't know. I have been blessed with friends who have chosen to sacrifice and serve this country. Some have lost their lives, some have sacrificed their bodies, and some continue to choose the more difficult road each day they serve.

Here are a few of those names that you can remember to thank God for and pray for:

• Jim McBrayer
• Aaron May
• Bret White
• Dalen Bunch
• Chris Stearns
• Andy Sole
• Clint Weber
• Joseph Weber
• Blake Sawyer
• Clif Kennedy
• Carson Weeks
• David Silva
• Luke Reynard
• Mike Berry

Thanks to all you men for serving. For giving so much, to so many you will never know. I believe our nation is blessed because of men like you!