On the Mountain

Last weekend our cross-country team traveled up to Chattanooga, TN and stayed at Fort Bluff Camp. The cool breezes, colorful trees, and high altitudes were amazing. I love the mountains!

Just walking around the camp, awed me. The mountain's beauty sang of God's glory. The people there call it The Mountain. "I hope you enjoy staying on the mountain. Or - While you are on the mountain-''. It was a good time where Christ was honored. People praised God, not man. I loved staying there.

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands." ~ Psalms 19:1

My sweet friends were such an encouragement. I am blessed.

The night before the race, we ate with the other runners and heard a guest speaker. His message, though very convicting, was a great blessing to hear. He talked about our sinful state. He addressed very clearly what it means to be ''dead to sin''. He told of Christ's salvation and of our purpose in life. It was a great reminder and I pray the Lord used it in many hearts.

Lovely friends.. ♥

 Here we go lining up. This was my last race. My last XC meet. I must say that I was very sad and many tears were shed. When you run a cross country meet, you not only have the pressure of your own conscience, but the accountability of your coach and team-mates urging you to go on. I will miss that and I will miss the love that I shared with the team.

 Go Spartans!

Devin's wedding

 

Sometimes I think the things that make life so beautiful are the things we can't see. God's love, kind words, friendship, laughter... Devin's wedding was filled with those things. Christ's joy lit up many faces and His love was poured out through the Word. I feel so blessed to know Devin and Justin. Their courtship has been such a joy to watch. Christ truly seems to be the center of their marriage and they both, I know, rely on Him. What a great example for the young people around them. 

The morning of, the bridesmaids gathered to get ready and spend our last girly time with "single" Devin.

Wedding Toms:

  Here Kat, the Maid of Honor, and I are singing, "Goin' to the Chapel" to the bride. Our harmony sounded pretty good, if I do say so myself. ;)

The bouquets were so pretty. This picture was taken just before.  

The Groom and his men...Waiting.

Rachel and I. (and Kaelan in the background!)

The ring....well, kinda. It was Joseph's ring to carry on the pillow. In actuality, it was a remake of the ring from Lord of the Rings! Ha.

This last picture was taken at the reception. It was so beautiful. Devin had a lovely fall-ish feeling and the pumpkins and popcorn added the perfect touch.

The wedding was such a great picture of Christ and His bride.  (Ephesians 5:25) Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Congrats Devin and Justin! May the Lord bless your marriage and future family. 

Right now

Right now is a perfect time. My life is filled with young, girlish dreams, piano keys, early morning jogs, giggle-filled sleepovers, Gileskirk notes, worn Bible pages, pumpkin spiced lattes and the whinnies of a tall white horse. I have little worries and much love surrounding me. The small things in life are my big things. Ancient hymns, the steam off my coffee and handwritten letters the things I delight in.

 But it is all soon to change. Senior-ism has begun to wear on me. The adult life is creeping up on me and the line from Peter Pan rolls over in my mind - "All children, except one, grow up.” Of course my true childhood days ended long ago, but just now I am beginning to realize it. Sometimes I wish I could find Peter Pan and travel to the Neverland I once believed in.  To relive all my disney, fairytale moments, but as I get older and taller (well hopefully not too much taller) I realize that youth is just like all of life, brief as the wind. 

Time passes and all is gone. I will blink and gray hair will begin to shade by face. Sometimes it seems like time is a curse, ruining all that is good. I want to freeze and remain exactly where I am. But time isn't a curse, it's a mighty force that God has created. Time does not just push me on towards old age, it pulls me towards my Savior. With every passing minute, I am closer to seeing my Savior face to face. 

So instead of constantly looking to the past, however delightful it may seem, I will move on. Slowly and sentimentally, I will make the next turn in life. College, jobs, cars and apartments seem terrifying, but God's goodness and wisdom reigns over all. The whole of my life is in His hands. I have no reason to fear. As my world begins to change I will trust in Him, for He is faithful. 

Goodbye Peter, it's time for me to grow up. 

Looking back

I recently went back and looked at my old blog. As I looked back, I saw how different life seemed then. Just is that short amount of time, since then - so mauch has changed. The Lord has made great changes in my heart, as well as changes around me. On Father's Day this year, I made my Daddy a card with some very old pictures on it - pictures from before Ben was born. Daddy was throwing my tiny self into the air. (yes, believe it or not, I was once tiny) I remember how I trusted him. How I knew I was safe whenever he heald me in his strong, loving arms. I see even at that age, the Lord was pointing me to Himself. In God's strong arms are where we find sure safety. There, we find fulfilling love. Only in those Arms can we trust, truly. I am so thankful for my Daddy. He is the best ever, but even more, I am thankful for a Savior, in whose arms I may abide.

This Summer

Summer is here, things should be slowing down and the days should be getting longer and warmer. But, the ACT is this Saturday and we have several trips planned. I will be very busy this summer-to my delight. I recently visited my momma's brother in Starkville, MS. I was privileged greatly, by being allowed to bring my dear friends Margaret and Martha. My family, as is well known, is quite crazy. Momma and her siblings are very amusing together and Uncle Jerry's house was loads of fun. We woke up at the crack of dawn, every morning to run on the Mississippi State University campus. All of the old buildings and passing students awed our trio. Many times our jaws dropped to look up at gorgeous chapels and breathtaking old libraries. Lauren, my cousin Joe's wife, gave us a tour and gave us many historical facts about the college. Running there was so fun. Coming back was delicious, Crispy Cream dough-nuts awaited us. Yumm... Playing Frisbee, swimming, fishing, shooting 22s and sitting around laughing, was many of our daily habits. One of the joys of our time, was sipping coffee in the morning, talking about our Savior and softly singing hymns in harmony. Praising the Lord with others, warms your heart. I'm so thankful for this.

Life in the Light

The Lord has been so kind to me. I am living in the Light. Praise to the Lord for His goodness. His blessings are unmeasurable. May He be given all the glory.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows
me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12

My recent picture editing,

Stormy, as I have said in the past, is a great horse. Broken, but ignorant - Young, but gentle. Beauty is another grand virtue we share. Ha! Just kidding. I got compared to her recently... I'm still not sure that was a good thing. ;)

Usually photography isn't my thing. Not that I dislike doing it or that I dislike admiring other's work, I just don't seem to have that inner photographer's eye. Occasionally though, I grab the camera and snap a view pics. I love black and white pictures of horses and had loads of fun editing these.

This first one is obviously of me and Stormy. ( I might also add, Catherine took this picture. I only edited it)








This was a cool angle. The blooming tree added to the greatness. ( I took this picture)
















I love this one. Isn't John cute? (picture taken by C.J.S.)








A lot has been going on around here. This long, tall, sally, has greatly enjoyed her spring break. I was so happy to get it. I refuse to believe it's almost over! This week-end I spent the night at some friends of ours. One of the young Moms had a ''get together'' for some of the teenaged girls. We giggled and played games, ate pizza and ice cream, but we also heard a great testimony from our hostess. She told of how the Lord is enough. One of the main struggles, young ladies have with with submitting and serving Christ is: tthe fear of losing freedoms, the fear of losing friends and even fearing rejection from God. Those were some of the trials I had, before I was converted. Through the talk, I realised that so often do I, even as a Christian, fail to make the right choice or say the right thing, for some of those same reasons. I fear my friends may laugh or I may lose freedoms I now have. But no. Christ is enough. Even if we lose all our friends, He is faithful. He is the perfect friend. Even now, I need to be remained of that. He is enough. The things of this world will disappoint us, but He is always Faithful. Praise to the Lord!