Last night on campus we had an amazing worship service. It was called After Dark. We spontaneously went, and I'm so glad that we did. Tyson Lee (how awesome to have a quarterback sold out to Christ) gave his testimony and we had an wonderful speaker, Joe White. Joe showed a video, similar to this one, about a young man who has cerebral palsy. You all know I have a heart for special needs, and this definitely is no exception. Watch it. And remember that when we feel like we can't make it through, our Father will carry us.
(remember to pause my other music first)
Can you even begin to grasp how much our Heavenly Father loves us? Even more than this.
I have the greatest: Family, Boyfriend, Friends, Church, Roomie in the entire world. Just saying. My life is just good. I am blessed. And I forget to stop and ponder about these things way too often. So today, I'm extremely thankful for the good and bad. For all the valleys that have made me stronger, and for all the mountain tops that have made me grateful.
One little chap I'm thankful for especially is my little sister, Britta. She's the best sister anyone could ask for. Being away at college the past 3 years has made me realize just how much I love her. She's one of the few people I could trust with my life. I love her so much, and I can't believe how fast she's growing up. She's maturing into such a wonderful young lady, and it's a joy to watch. She's a natural born leader, and she loves the Lord. I'm so proud of her, and I don't tell her near enough. I love you Britta! I'll always be your biggest fan!
Speaking of growing up...my little smoosh. He is simply adorable. And growing like a weed. Look at those little shoes :)
Fall break. I love it so much. Two days to rest up and catch up from the busyness of school and life in general. In Sunday school yesterday we talked about Psalm 23, and last night Bro. Jimmy preached out of Psalm 46. Just a good Sunday really.
We got new Sunday school books yesterday morning; therefore, Debo (my SS teacher), and our class, as a whole, opted to use our new book and "go with the flow." (Our class is all about that :) It was just what I needed.
Psalm 23, I've read this scripture about a bazillion times...and still God used it to speak to me. :) (vs 2-3) "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul..." Basically, our SS lesson in a nutshell said this..No matter what your current circumstances are, God is there to guide you, give you peace of mind, and protect your steps.
And then Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." Be still could be translated as "give up" or "let yourself become weak." This was just such a wonderful reminder that my God is in control, even when I fail to realize He's a work.
That's what God's been doing in my heart here lately. Calming me. Reminding me how blessed I am. I tend to get caught up in the rush of life...and He just says, ever so gently, Be still, and find peace in me my child.
Who am I to deserve such love?! :)
Or blessings such as these:
"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family: Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." - Jane Howard
my precious parents :) we'll be best friends forever, no doubt. Can you believe he's EIGHT months old already??? My little mini-me! :) KK turned 9!! My babies are growing up! 2 of my favorite people. Beezie and Payton :)
Life doesn't get much better than this. I'm unbelievably blessed. And extra thankful.
My, my, where has time gone? It's already SEPTEMBER! "Time flies when you're having fun!"
What's been going on lately?
Well school is in FULL swing, and I'm loving it so much. I love living with my best, Whitney, and right beside Chris. We are loving "big kid" school life so much. Despite all the fun we're having, studying does take place on occasion :)
Jacob Waldo, my dear friend, has officially moved to Texas. Bittersweet is the perfect word for him having moved there. I am excited about all the things God is going to do for him and through him, yet I miss him all at the same time.
Whit, her mom, and I went to pick out bridesmaid/Maid of Honor/Flowergirl dresses a few Saturdays ago...It was a blast. Whit was helping me in the dressing room, and it was sure a site to see. Haha! Many, many memories and laughs! :) Oh, and we found the perfect dresses too. Whit's color is marine blue (dress she's wearing).
Let's see..We had our first official MSU home football game. It was entirely too much fun! We tailgaited, got soaking wet, and ran our cowbells with the best of them. It was a great day. Needless to say, there were a lot of "Live and learn moments from that day." Shall I recap... 1. Don't opt for the cheaper tent. 2. Bring a spatula if you're going to grill. 3. Bring a poncho incase there might be rain. 4. Bring your student i.d. 5. Get a wagon for your tailgate stuff. 6. Your cellphone will not work in the stadium.
FUN day, seriously! :) Just makin' memories!
Here are just a FEW pictures from the past few weeks! :) Life is good. Blessed beyond words. :)
Happy 18 years of friendship Chrissy! Here's to 18 more!
Well, it's official. I'm a Mississippi State University student. Three years ago I would have never, in a million years, have guessed that I would be a student here. God had other plans, and I'm sure glad He did. I really do love it here. My teachers are all really nice and very passionate about what they are doing. Annnd, I get to live with and beside 2 of my best friends. Whit and Chris.
Life back in Mississippi is just plum gooooood :)
Jacob, another best friend of mine, is moving off to Texas for an intern with Shane and Shane. WOW, I know, right?! Texas for 2 years. It's such a bittersweet time for all of us. Chris, he, and I have been inseparable for the past 4 years, and now that's coming to an end. But, at the same time he's received this amazing opportunity to serve and following God's call on his life. I'm proud of him, and I know he'll do great. And as for the rest of us in Mississippi...many road trips will be made.
2 weekends ago, Paul and I took a group of boys on a picture scavenger hunt for a birthday party, and we had sooo much fun! We were running (literally) all over Pontotoc. A few of the things to do were... 1. Pump .25 cents of gas and get a receipt, 2. Get a police officer's signature (we used Paul's) 3. Take a picture on the court house steps, 4. Take a picture of graffiti, 5. Give a flower to a food place employee.... The list had about 25 things or so, and it was such a fun birthday idea. We had just as much fun as the kids :)
My little man, Payton, is growing like a weed. He'll be SEVEN months old in 6 days! Oh, he's sooo cute! And when I say cute, I mean CUUUUTEEE!! :) I've taken a TON of pictures of him. Beezie laughed and said "I bet you have over 1000" ...and I do, seriously! I just can't get enough of him! He's adorable, and such a reminder of God's love for us. I love him completely, and God loves him even more than me... I can't even begin to fathom.
Check out my little smush! He spent the night with me, and we had so much fun. Tell me this isn't the most PRECIOUS picture in the WORLD. Sunday afternoon nap, swinging with Beezie :)
Speaking of little munchkins growing up...Britta, Mimi, and Kati. My little hearts. I can't even describe how much I love these 3 girls. They will always be my babies. B's in high school....AHHH, time slow down!
Papaw's peas have finally came in. So we've been just a pickin' and a shellin' for the past week. He's so cute. Soooo...here's part of my room in my cute little apartment.
The end. Remember Erika Heatherly in your prayers. She's in surgery now.
It is with bittersweet feelings I say, I'm back at home.
I got home last Saturday night about midnight! I must say it's never been better to see my sweet family and Paul! I cried, of course! And then Chris, Jake and Kelsey surprised me by baggage claim. I seriously skipped about 6 escalator steps and jumped on Chris. He's back from Africa too, and boy does it feel good to have him home.
So, I've been trying to come up with the perfect description of my summer. And it's hard. People have asked, "How was Tahoe?" And I respond, "Oh, it was great. I loved the kids so much." And that's completely true, but there's so much more in my heart that I don't even know how to express really.
How can I really even describe my summer?
For 66 days I got to share the love of Christ through songs with kids from all walks of life. Every single day we sang about how amazing our God is, and how life is not about us...It's about Christ. I have such a vivid mental picture of watching those precious 3 yr olds sing "It's not about me, it's all about you Lord." ONLY 3 years old and I got to be (possibly) the first to teach them that life is ultimately about Christ. What a precious gift Christ gave to me this summer.
How can I really even describe my summer?
Everyday this summer I walked out to a playground full of kids who captured my heart in such a short moment in time. My sweet little Kacey ran up to me every single day and said "Miss Ashley, you are my most favorite teacher and I love you!" And everyday I got to watch the 4 year old "Cool Caterpillars" act like every super hero under the sun. From Batman to Spiderman...their imaginations running wild. My precious Talon and Oliver swinging beside each other everyday to see who could swing the highest. Or little 3 yr old Libby asking me to push her in the swings.
How can I really even describe my summer?
I spent every Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon with my speaking part kiddos. 15 kids who I got to spend extra time with learning about the complete story of Joseph. I got to teach them that God can turn bad situations into amazing situations. 15 speaking parts, and would you know there was NEVER a single practice where all 15 were there...In the words of Debbie, my supervisor, "That's Tahoe for you." :) But they did awesome, and I know God was proud!
How can I really even describe my summer?
I served with 12 other girls this summer. Amazing girls. Seriously, God could not have put a better team together. 13 total summer missionaries from all kinds of backgrounds with one purpose...to serve Christ. We were challenged individually, and as a team. We learned to pour and invest into each other this summer. Whether it was bonding over stories from the day or a walk to the beach, we did it. Every night we went to bed exhausted and every morning we woke up tired. We served.
How can I really even describe my summer?
The truth is, I'm still trying to figure it all out. God did a work in my heart this summer. I am blessed to have been apart of something huge. God is working in Tahoe. I can't wait to read email updates about those precious kids accepting Christ in the future.
Of course, when I run out of words...I let pictures do the rest :)
Summer Missionaries with Debbie Could not have made it without them. Speaking parts. :) Kacey and Riley. Loooove! TEAM! she's awesome! My little policemen :) "Look it Libby, Look it" Jake and Sydney. Precious. My life just wasn't complete until I met Cole! :) "Why do you always talk like a cowgirl Miss Ashley?" my sweeeet Talon. :) my precious Oli :) Extreme bike riders. 16 miles.
