It's been a while since I have updated my blog but if you remember in my last entry I filled you all in on some of the craziness that was about to happen. In case you all wanted to know I survived my crazy month of October. I want to share with you the big things that happened this month. Before I do I want everyone to know that through prayers, love, and support of friends and family the Lord raised the $2100.00 for my trip to Belarus. I couldn't be more excited and thankful that it is all raised. It is a burden I don't have to focus on, now I can use all my energy trying to prepare spiritually for this great opportunity that lies before me. Thank you friends, you will never know how encouraging it is to have othesr support what the Lord has called me to do.
Now to start off my month of October, it was the wedding of some sweet friends of mine. I have known Eric for several years now through Campus Outreach and Addie was one of my roommates on the last summer project I went on. Their wedding was so sweet and so fun. The gospel was clearly articulated at the ceremony and the love of Jesus was felt at the reception. Definitely one of the best weddings I had been to.
The Beautiful Bride- Addie Shrimpton
Room 11 ladies at the Wedding
Room 11 had to initiate Eric into the group :)
Congrats to you both!!
The next thing in my crazy month was my little brother's Marine graduation from Parris Island, SC. He didn't know that my older brother Shawn or I were coming. He thought we weren't going to be able to come, so when he saw us on family day he was pretty surprised. When he walked out with his Battalion on family day it was very surreal, I think that was the exact moment I realized my little brother wasn't my "little brother" anymore. After the drill instructors dismissed the recruits we had 4 or 5 hours to hang out with Chris. He took us to his barrack which where he sleeps, then he showed us around some of the base, then we ate lunch together, and finally we drove around the base where he has the Crucible, which is something they have to complete in order to graduation and it makes them put together everything they have learned over the 13 weeks. Then we had to leave him there for that night. The next morning was his graduation ceremony. All of the platoons lined up on the parade deck and we got to watch them march behind the American flag and we heard some speakers give them a charge and saw other very memorable things. I was SO happy I was able to go to family day and graduation. Looking back on it and knowing everything I got to experience while I was there I would have been so sad to have missed it. I only have one family and I want to be there as much as I can. I can't say enough how proud of him I am.
Shawn, Chris, and I during family day
Chris and I on his graduation day
The whole family after Chris's graduation
He looks so tough
The same day as Chris's graduation ceremony was also the start of the college retreat that the church I work at was putting on. I had been planning this retreat for a few months and this was the day for 200+ people to come for a weekend to hear the Lord's word. It was kind of crazy driving from SC to Gatlinburg, TN in the 6.5 hours it took to get there but the Lord graciously gave us good timing to get there. I was so thankful for the retreat. It went so smooth and everyone loved it. The campus ministers loved it as well as the college students. I was also thankful for all of the help I had in pulling the retreat off. I knew the Lord was helping because there is no other way the Retreat would have been such a huge success otherwise. Friday was registration and the opening session. There was a session Saturday morning and then the students had free time Saturday afternoon to hand around Gatlinburg, and then we had dinner, another session, and the costume party Saturday night. The costume party was a lot of fun. The students are always so creative with their costumes. Sunday morning we had our last session and then everyone packed up and went home. During my free time on Saturday Katie and I went to Ripley's Aquarium which was a lot of fun and a good way to get my mind off the retreat for a short while. My costume for the party could have been several things but I decided that I would call myself a photo journalist.
I got to be with the Nemo's and Dorrie's
Here I am as a photo journalist with Rapunzel and a Shrimp
The Campus Outreach Students at the Retreat
There were other things that I had going on in October that weren't as crazy but definitely has fun. The first was the Huge Honkin Hoedown for our youth group at TCPC, where I dressed as Edna from the Incredibles. The Luke Bryan Concert where I got to meet Luke (ahhh). I went to a few costume parties to celebrate Halloween, I dressed like the green powerpuff girl for those. I finally got to go to Keeneland on the last day of the season. I went to a haunted trail, that did not scare me. Lastly, a sweet family that is so dear to me welcomed a sweet baby boy into the world. The Hardin's had little baby Bo Steven Hardin and I had the privilege to go to the hospital and meet him. The Georgetown Dance Team continues to do great, the football is as well, they are undefeated (8-0). We have our last football game of the season this Saturday.
Edna from the Incredibles
Katie and I at the Luke Bryan Concert
Nerds and the Green Powerpuff girl (Buttercup)
Pink, Lobster, Cheerleader, and Buttercup
Me with Baby Bo Hardin. He was so sweet. What a blessing he is for the Hardin's.
The Tiger Dancers!!
Needless to say my October was so very crazy. However I took it step by step and day by day, I trusted the Lord with all of these things and as you have witnessed it all turned out well. Some of it better than I would have even thought. I still struggle with the idea that I am not in control over the things that go on in my life but this month alone was enough to remind me that I can't and I'm not in control of my life. The Lord was in control of all of this and I'm glad he was because I wouldn't have been able to do it on my own. A passage that I have meditated on for the past few weeks and even shared with some close friends of mine is found in Matthew 6:25-34. It talks about not being anxious about your life or anything in your life. The Lord provided for the smallest of this world so why would he not provide for his own children. This was huge for me because I think I spent 75% of October anxious about the things placed before me. I am thankful that the Lord has revealed this to me and it is something that I will be praying for as I continue to grow.
In case you all didn't know Charley turned 1 on Halloween, so Happy 1st Birthday Charley!!
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