Time to get Free

The Bible does not say you are God's appliances; it says you are his masterpiece. Appliances get mass-produced. Masterpieces get hand crafted. God did not make you exactly like anyone else. Therefore his plan for shaping you will not look like his plan for shaping anyone else. If you try to follow a generic plan for spiritual growth, it will only frustrate you. Paul said, " Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." It is time to get free.

-John Ortberg The Me I Want to Be

Verse of the day : Matthew 9 : 12-13

" But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means : 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice, ' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Me I Want To Be

I'm currently reading John Ortberg's The Me I Want to Be and I came across a very interesting and moving section,

"Your flourishing is never just about you. It is a "so that" kind of condition. God designed you to flourish "so that" you could be part of his redemptive project in ways that you otherwise could not. He wants you to flourish "so that" people can be encouraged, gardens can be planted, music can be written , sick people can be helped, or companies can thrive in ways they otherwise would not. When you fail to become the person God designed, all the rest of us miss out on the gift you were made to give."

Honestly this passage kind of scares me. I don't want to mess up and make everyone else miss out on something amazing. However it also energizes me. We are each apart of God's huge plan for life. We each play an important role that no one else but us could play. We were each created for something bigger than we can even imagine.

Confession Time

I just had a huge moment of self realization. Rules scare me, not because I'm rebellious but because I'm scared of doing something wrong. I'm scared of all the things I'm supposed to live up to, and terrified that I just can't live up to them.

I just bought John Ortberg's book The Me I Want To Be and I just read something amazing. Jesus did not say " I have come so that you might follow the rules." He said, " I have come so that you might have life, and have it with abundance."

This is in a way very freeing to me. The Christian walk isn't about checking off that you have accomplished certain things, or it shouldn't be. It's about growing spiritually and not following the set of rules that society wants you to live by. For the longest time the question "How is your spiritual life?" scared me to death. I always felt like I was falling short of where I "should" be. I constantly measured my spiritual growth by what I saw of others'. I recently realized that where I think I should be and where God plans for me to be are totally different. And His plan for me is totally different from His plans for others.

An Ode to 2010

Ever since New Years Eve I have found myself reviewing the past year. I must say that without a doubt 2010 was the most eventful and exciting year of my life. Here is a quick recap of all that happened:

Graduation from ACS

Went on a mission trip to New Orleans with my class

Took my first AP Exam

Had an amazing week in Hilton Head with my best friends

Started college at Mercer

Met some amazing friends

joined a great sorority

visited my best friend at Clemson University

Celebrated 2 years with my wonderful boyfriend

Got a new car

Wrecked that new car

Lived in a tiny dorm

Went to Miami

Completed my first semester of college

Went to my first big concert

So many things done, and so many lessons learned! I hope 2011 is just as amazing!

The Christmas Rush

Merry dayafter Christmas!

My Christmas was very enjoyable! A lot of family

time and food were had! Here are a few pictures from all the festivities...

My boyfriend got a (huge) puppy!

& it even snowed!

This week my family is off to Miami for a little warmth!

A Lesson I Can't Seem to Learn

I have recently found myself asking God for a lot. Not material things, but more insight on a particular situation. Today, I read during my quiet time about tough trials that God often puts us through to strengthen our faith in Him. There was a passage from James 1 that I really liked, so I decided to read all of James 1, and that chapter screams "HELLO! This is all you need!"

I can't really pick out a specific verse that touched me, but it was more like the entire chapter. James is basically saying that if you ask the Lord of something, you must do it in complete faith. That is where I seem to go wrong. I ask something of God, but then I try to fix it myself, which is obviously not working. I need to let go and let God. A bit cliche, but absolutely the truth.

The remainder of James 1 says that you must put to practice the things that you read in the Bible and not let them just go in one ear and out the other. This only reinforces the previous truth.

All this to say...God is good & I need to put ALL of my trust in Him. Everything will work out for His perfect will soon enough!

A Few Things I Love

I adore sunsets. It's just something about the way they look

. How you can't completely see the sun but you can see how the light that is shining from it. Sunsets just radiate the glory of God. Who or what

else could paint such a magnificent picture?

Another thing that I really love is music. It is very rare for me to be in a silent room. I just love how music and lyrics can express the way I feel, even when I cannot find the words to express myself.

So give me a sunset and an ipod and I am a happy girl!

They Made Me Who I Am

So according to this 3o day blog challenge that I'm doing today is the day that I talk about my parents.

Mom

My mom is absolutely wonderful. She is everything that I want to be and more. I admire her in so many ways. One of those ways is her ability

to make anyone feel at ease around her. On many occasions people have come up to me and asked me if my mom is really as friendly as she seems. And it is true, she is. The only way I ca

n really describe my mom is as one little ball of love. She is really one of the most hospitable people that I know. She is always the life of the party and is the first one ready to have fun. One of my goals in life is to become exactly like her.

Dad

I've been told on more than one occasion that I am my father, and I'm completely fine with this. My dad is truly one of a kind. Ever since I can remember I have heard my dad described as a "good timing man." This is the truth. Like my mom, my dad is always the life of the party. I believe that one of his many talents is his ability to entertain. One thing that continues to amaze me about my dad is that he knows everyone. He has truly never met a stranger. Something that I admire about my dad is his love for people. He continually goes out of his way to make sure others are taken care of. I truly have no problem being compared to my father, I take it as a honor and blessing. What can I say? I'm a daddy's girl!

You May be Wondering..

Some of you might be wondering the meaning behind my blog title. You might associate my blog title, Unwritten to Natasha Bedingfields' song Unwritten. The meaning is very similar to this song. When I was about to graduate h

igh school everyone was talking about how the next part of my life is unwritten and it was up to me what would be written. I really liked this analogy, obviously since I'm an English major. These next four years determine so much about the rest of my life. Everything is so extremely new to me that at times I'm overwhelmed. Most of these changed have been amazing, however overwhelming none the less...Yay for college!

Current Musical Obsessions:

Manifesto by The City Harmonic

Angels We Have Heard on High by Family Force 5

Addison Road

Taylor Swift- The entire Speak Now cd. (generally not a fan of hers, however this c.d. is amazing!)

30 Day Blog Challenge

So I have a best friend Chelsea (see previous post) who gave me some helpful tips on how to keep up with my blogging. It is a 30 day challenge on different topics to talk about..Today is day #1

15 Facts about me:

1. I attend Mercer University

2. I'm an English major

3. I would love to teach at my old high school.

4. I really want to be creative, but it's a struggle

5. I'm saved by God's glorious grace.

6. I have a tiny family. Both in quantity and stature.

7. I'm a Clemson fan.

8. I enjoy the sound of football on tv, but not

actually watching it.

9. I love to travel.

10. I can't handle silence.

11. Awkward moments make

me laugh.

12. I love a man with a guitar.

13. If I could wear gym shorts

every day, I would.

14. I can't wait to me a mom, but I have a while.

15. I have the best friends in the entire world.

A Friend Like No Other

So I just got overwhelmed by my love for Chelsea

Brown. She is without a doubt the closest person in the world to me. We have been inseparable since the second grade. We have gone through all of the milestones of life thus far hand in hand. Though she is younger than me, I look up to her in so many ways. She is an amazing athlete and one of the most godliest women that I know. She is wise beyond her years and truly passionate about her faith. I am so blessed to have her in my life!

She knows the real me, and still somehow loves me.

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

Long Time No Blog...

Hello all, or very few...

Life has basically taken me by a whirlwind these last few months. I have had almost every aspect of my life changed in one way or another. Granted these changes aren't bad at all. I have started college, moved towns, and embarked on a whole new chapter of my life. I won't bore you with the details, but it has been an experience to say the least. I constantly find myself looking at pictures from high school and longing for the simpler days of Augusta Christian.

On a different note, I have found myself in the midst of a unforeseen mission field. Yes, I know that the whole world is a mission field; but after going to a Christian school for so long, I never really realized the reality of that statement. I'm trying so desperately to shine for Christ everyday, that I feel like it's my job. This is a great thing, because isn't it our job as Christians? It's about time I realize this!

Promise to write more!

Eating healthy even in a cafeteria

I'm really interested in health and nutrition & I feel that it should be of the utmost importance in everyday life. While flipping through the channels one day I discovered Dr. Oz's daughter, Daphne Oz. She wrote a book titles The Dorm Room Diet. This inspired me since I'm about to go to college, so maybe it will inspire you as well! Here are a few suggestions from the piece...

Here’s what you need to know about cafeteria eating.

Your friends:

➤ Fresh fruits

➤ Fresh veggies

➤ Whole grain cereals (Total, All-Bran, Raisin Bran,
Cheerios) and breads

➤ Low-fat cheese and milk

➤ Eggs (not fried)

➤ Grilled, baked, broiled, stir-fried, pan-seared
anything

➤ Low-sugar, low-calorie items

Your foes:

➤ Stewed or jellied fruits (which have tons of sugar)

➤ Sugary cereals

➤ High-sugar fruit and soda drinks

➤ Full-fat cheese, milk

➤ Fried anything

➤ Cheesy, creamy sauces

➤ Full-fat, high-sugar items (ice cream, cookies, brownies, cakes)

➤ Simple carbohydrates (rice, crackers, bagels—except for the
whole grain varieties)

Unwritten

Hello all,

Right before walking across the stage at graduation our class was given a last bit of advice from a few coaches and our Bible teacher. They basically said that we are embarking on a whole new stage of life. After we cross the stage it is up to us to write the next chapter...I going off to college in less than a month & so the writing begins...