Louise O'Connor

In case you haven't found out my deep, dark secret...my middle name is Louise. PLEASE don't go telling everyone. I hate it...really. And on a side note, I still can't figure out why they didn't get it to Jessica (Lauren, btw), who was the firstborn girl. 

Today, I love my middle name. I am named after Louise O'Connor, my faith-ful, amazing Grandmother. She will be 90 years old in just a few short days. She may not live much longer- since she has cancer. She doesn't want to live any longer, and Lord help-me, I don't blame her. She's been miserable for 6 or 8 years since he husband died. 

Jess, Anna-Jane and I went to Columbia today to visit her for Christmas. I am so thankful for the heart Jesus gave me for her today. Bless her, you have to YELL at the top of your lungs while having a "normal" conversation for her to be able to hear you. It's hard. If I couldn't barely see or hear either, I would hate it too. We spent awhile talking, and Anna-Jane played the violin some, to break up the awkwardness a bit. We went to lunch with Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Joe, and then came back to visit her once more before heading back to Charlotte. What I will remember most, is sitting on the floor next to her chair before leaving, and holding her hand, while speaking truth into her life. The same truth she's been speaking into my life all these years. That girl's grip was as tight as it could ever be. She was loving on me, and I was loving on her. I held her head in my heads, and kissed her soft cheek, and then said "I love you, and am so thankful for you as my grandmother. I am blessed to have had you praying over my life all this time, and I'm going to be praying for you each day. I'll pray for your strength, and health, and comfort." She just looked at me back, and said "I've been praying for you Karen. I'm going to try to keep praying for you." She can barely speak, hear or see, but she still has a servant's fervant heart of prayer. Bless her, Lord. 

My other favorite memory of her growing up is letting her fix me lunch as a kid. She'd fix me my ten-year only lunch time meal- peanut butter and honey sandwhiches. She would cut the crust off, and give it to me on her brown plates. It was SO delicious. I'd sit on her stool, next to her kitchen counter, and eat while watching the daily Days of Our Lives show she loved so much. Then, Jessica and I would head back to her room and watch Nickelodeon on her bedroom tv. Sweet memories I have of her. All sweet. All loving, and faithful praying. All true. I can't think of one bad memory of her. 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I l-o-v-e-d Christmas this year. I mostly enjoy the sweet family-time we get. It's highly unusual for Jessica and me to be in our parents' house together, so it is such a treat. I wasn't exactly sure how this year would go. I was coming home for a whole week...yes, I'm so grateful to be out of the office for a freakin weekend baby (two really)! Anna-Jane was the only one getting any real presents. And, the brother and his wife were not heard from in awhile. 

The Christmas tree ended up being pretty dang full for the "crisis" we were supposed to be in individually. My favorite part was watching mom open her "designer jeans" I got her, and knowing that I was able to bless her with several articles of clothing. She's gonna look hoottttt.

My dad wrote me SUCH a good letter. He's notorious for writing letters...and normally we make fun of him for it...but it really is how he gets all of his thought out, and this letter was PRICEless. Seriously! I could've cried for days...and, I probably will when I dare to open it again. 

To top it off, we had the sweetest family prayer I think we've ever had. I can't remember the last time we had a tear-jerking, get on your knees, I need some LARGE help from Jesus prayer. I always cry when I pray....I guess I mess up some much, and when I get on my achy knees before the Lord, I am reminded of His never-ending grace, and his amazing faithfulness. It was truly a sweet moment with our Provider. I'm believing he WILL provide. Amen.

I pray that Jesus is your focus today, and every day. Really. It's hard in our hustley-bustley lives that we walk in. It's DEFINITELY hard during this present-centered holiday that we create. It's hard period. But he is worth our attention. He deserves it. And if we turn our focus a little bit each day, we won't have to work so hard during Christmas, to remember the reason for the season. Like Pastor Livingston said, it's hard to just talk about the Christmas story- Jesus' birth, when that is only a small piece of the puzzle. Jesus dying perfectly, to save our sorry butts and His Grace should also be talked about and remembered. Without that full picture, we aren't gaining the whole aspect of what we should be thankful for. 

Christmas Spirit...thanks for coming

I am FINALLY in the Christmas spirit, officially.

Last night I decided to dig through my guest bedroom closet to find my medium sized fake Christmas tree. Fake, you ask? Yes. I know...it's not the same...you're right. But, when you work 12 hours a day, and are hardly home on the weekends, plus home for a week for Christmas, you would agree that a fake tree is better than a burnt-down home. I still need to find the ornaments and other decorations to hand. I also put a small, already-lit tree on my bar overlooking my kitchen and den. It's perfect!

Today at work, we took an hour out to build some christmas themed bookshelves for kids in need. This week we've built over 3000! It was so fun....the room smelled like Christmas. It was decorated with a tree and light and lots of other holiday decor. Then, in the (loud) background we had some fun Christmas music playing.

We also had our IPR (Inventory Planning & Replenishment) department Christmas party today. It's a bit early, and lame to have it during the day if you ask me...but that's Home Depot for you. I'm used to going to someone's house or to a nice restaurant with the team, and exchanging real presents. Not so here. I'll deal. BUT, we did eat really yummy (thanksgiving-ish) food for lunch, which later almost put me in a coma at work. And we had an elephant gift exchange. At the end, they asked us to look under our chair for numbers. I had one! Although i was last, number 18, I was able to pick from the blow-up, LED lit, christmas decorations. I was kinda bummed, because being last there was nothing left. Now, after a few hours, my treats have grown on me. I got an LED gingerbread woman, which is now hanging on the side of my cube with an orange Home Depot apron. And I also got a tipsy, topsy, Dr-Suess-looking lit set of boxes. It's actually super cute.

I'm so truly happy toady. No, joyous. That's what the Christmas holiday brings for me. Joy. I really contemplate often how thankful I am for my circumstances, friends, job, family etc. And I'm thankful that everyone else is thankful and normally in a sweet mood (except for at a mall, lol).

Merry Christmas! It's not too far away anymore.

Thankful Thursday- For my Birthday

Today I'm hitting 2 posts in one- Thankful Thursdays and Thanks for Making my Birthday Fun.

So, in case you're out of the loop, I turned the BIG 2-5 on Tuesday. Tuesday! ...of all days my big birthday could be on (there were 6 others to choose from), it had to fall on a lame, working day. Although I was gearing up for a lame, working day Birthday, I was very surprised.

First, I woke up (super tired, since I didn't sleep well) to a voicemail left at 6:30 am from my Mom, Dad and Anna-Jane. Priceless. They were all singing happy birthday to me. It was great.

Then, I hit work, late as usual. I had a meeting with my buyer and her/my assistant and they both brought my flowers and a card. We mostly socialized through the meeting, instead of actually getting work done. When i got back to my desk, I had an email from my manager asking where I wanted to go for lunch and that it would be "on him." Sweet! Of course I chose my favorite restaurant here, one that is still too expensive to spend lunch on- Houstons! Breaded chicken tenders with the best cole slaw and skinny fries- HERE i come! Oh it was delish. After lunch we had a department wide meeting where they had cupcakes (not for me, but I can pretend) and they made me lead the Home Depot cheer. Not so much fun, but laughable. I basically only did a little bit of work Tuesday.

Once I got home, I rolled up to Fedex and UPS boxes on my porch. Yay! Presents. I was confused at first, trying to remember what my latest Ebay purchase was and if this was the time it'd be arriving. I looked at the addresses, and didn't recognize any of them. Not to mention, one was in a Blackberry Verizon box. I said to myself "SHUT UP!, did someone buy me a blackberry!" ...then it hit me that these were birthday presents. I'm dumb. But it was funny. My brother, who I never talk to, called me soonafter, acting as a recruiter from Lowe's. He said he wanted to bring me back to Charlotte, and take me away from Home Depot. I bought it, for half a second, before I asked who it was and where they were calling from. He said it was so-and-so from DC...and then I knew it was him. It was really great talking to him.

To end the night, I ate with all of my friends (15 showed up!) at Cracker Barrell. I know it sounds a bit lame, for a birthday dinner, but when my friend Katie mentioned it a week before, I couldn't get the yumminess of the food out of my mind. And OH was it Yummy! Pictures to come. What was so great is that a) someone paid for my dinner. So nice! and b) Gina and Jonathan bough chocolate cake for everyone, and gave me 3 separate red velvet cupcakes from the best cake place here in Atlanta. It was SO cute. She knew red velvet is my favorite cake, but I told her it wasn't a crowd pleaser, and to get something everyone would like. She surprised me. It was so sweet!

I realize this is a long post, but there is SO much more I could say about this birthday. I really TRULY loved it, and everyone who participated in it with me. More to come...as I like to have a birthday "month"...so I can celebrate in Charlotte, Atlanta, and everywhere else.

Love you all!

Thankful Thursdays

Today I'm thankful for:

1) the fact that the campaign is finally over, and we have a new President
2) for women like Beth Moore who speak truth into my life, right when i need it- about praying for our new president
3) discount halloween candy, since I didn't trick or treat. My favorite is all things Resse's
4) my parents- both are coming down to be with me for my procedure, and to FINALLY spend time with me in the ATL
5) the doctor's office being willing to work out a payment plan for my procedure, so i'm not out of $500 at once- during the holiday season, nonetheless
6) Thursdays at work- normally they are slow and I get to go walk the stores and the competition
7) Macy's, since I found a CUTE new duvet cover for my guest bedroom and it's on SALE :)

What are you thankful for today?

A Presidential Opinion

It's been decided. Obama is our president. I would've been disappointed with either candidate, so I feel kind of indifferent. I was very tempted to write in "Karen Tabler for President" when I voted early, but I decided at the last minute to choose.

There were a lot of issues I thought about strongly this year. The last time I voted for a President, it was my senior year of college. I cared, but not deeply. Now, I'm a workin girl who wants every last minute of her paycheck to be in her wallet, but also wants people to be helped. I debated and debated (mostly against myself, but sometimes with others) about who to choose. It was difficult, because in general, it's assumed that if you're an evangelical christian you vote Republican. I think, as Christians, we should be involved in both parties, "striving to be the 'leaven' that permeates both parties with biblically based judgements and values".

For issues, such as abortion, human trafficking, poverty, and many more, Jesus clearly guides us on how to approach these throughout the Bible. I think members of both parties should lean on the never-changing truths and values that have been provided as guidance for us in the Bible. These issues should be nonpartisan issues AND bipartisan issues. It's clear, from yesterday's election that single-issue voting is over and the broader moral agenda is being sought by all sides. This election, no matter who should have won, has brought people together on the biggest moral issues of our time- even across old politically driven divisions. Now that there are "evangelical" christians on both side of the table, let's work together on a common ground, to help our country seek Jesus first, to seek God's agenda first.

I liked this paragraph from Jessi's blog yesterday. It brings it all home.

There are so many issues I'm passionate about when it comes to politics, but I'm not scared to go public and say - the issue of Jesus Christ is the only one I'm really willing to die for. He's the only one whose character I know and support, He is the only one who can fix this country - or this world for that matter. He appoints Kings and Rulers of this world, but He will always be the King and Ruler of my heart.Whatever happens tomorrow, He will still be in control. Whoever gets elected, I will pray for.

Weekend with Jess

It was SO good to visit my sweet big sister this weekend. I arrived on Friday night, after a super smooth and quick flight to Philly. We grabbed some wonderful pizza at Peace a Pizza. The crust was yummy yummy! Then we picked up 2 of her friends, in the Ford Focus, to go to a halloween party. (Jess was psyched to have a car- with a radio. We were jammin out all weekend. It's beats the scoot anytime.) Once we picked up her two friends, we got lost for an hour and a half. Poor girl, she never drives far, since she has the scoot, and so therefore she doesn't know her way around anything past 5 miles from her house, lol. We finally got to the party, but most everyone had left. It was still fun to meet most of her grad student friends. They were super nice.

Saturday she had to write a terribly hard paper, so I just kinda sat around and explored Wayne, PA. BUT, Saturday night we went to see Coldplay. Top 5 concert ever. Chris Martin is HOT HOT HOT! LOVE him! We had a good dinner, and a good concert. What could be better?

Sunday we got to visit with sweet Sarah's siter, Krista. We walked along the Schukyill River (sp?) and took lots of pictures (still need to be edited). We walked for about 3 or 4 miles, so we definitely got our exercise in for the day. Enough exercise to eat a great big Philly Cheesesteak. From Genos? No...but just as good.

Here's a few pictures to enjoy.

In west Philadelphia....

Born and raised, on the playground is where I spent most of my days....

Welp, it's nearing 2pm (not really, but I want it to be), and that's when I get to leave for the airport and go to Philadelphia this weekend. I CAN'T wait to see Jess. It's been since July, and that's too long to go without seeing your sister. I guess it's better than going 1 or 2 years, like when she lived in Indonesia.

Has anybody been? What should we do? We're definitely going to Geno's for a Philly Cheesesteak. That is a must. Even though i'm trying to give up meat. Oh well.

What are you doing this hallo-eve?

Thankful Thursday

1. For my sweet little chewy who keeps me company when i get home from LONG days at work
2. For my new gastro doctor, I met today, who is going to take good care of me and finally label what's been going on for 10+ years
3. For my mom, who is driving down to Atlanta on her day off next Friday to take me to the hospital
4. For my bestest big sis, who is letting me come visit her in Philly this weekend, and who is taking me to the Coldplay concert (yay!)
5. For Stephanie, who is so kind to take care of Chewy this weekend, SO last minute, and while taking care of 2 other dogs. love her!

Happy Thursday! It's almost the weekend...

Children of the Corn

Last night BC went to the good ol' Cagle Dairy Farm in Canton, GA. Way fun, I must add! We had some hot chocolate (which kept me up half the night), we had a headlamp, we had a "if you're lost, hold this up" stick, we had a corn shooter, we had a great big bonfire, and we even had a bluegrass band who played on the back of a hayride.

Anything fall, I'm down for. LOVE the weather. Here are some pictures of us.

Thankful Fridays

I'm kind of in a blah mood today because I've had a headache for 3 days, got some not-so-good news from my doctor yesterday, and it's a rainy Friday. So, for kicks, I'm making a Thankful Friday list-- instead of Thankful Thursdays.

1. It's finally cold outside. I get to keep my windows open, and i haven't turned the AC/heat on in over a month. Yay for low energy bills!
2. I'm going to a corn maze/pumpkin patch with friends on Sunday, and we're having a bonfire. Bonfire = fall, and in case you didn't know, I love fall.
3. This weekend (friday and saturday) I have zero plans, as of yet, which means I finally get to be lazy, after several weeks of travelling here and there.
4. I get to call Chip and Melanie tonight to congratulate them on being pregnant with their first girl. so fun!
5. I had pizza for lunch. Nuff said.

Hope you have a great Friday today!

AND i'm back...

So, I guess I took a little hiatus there for awhile, but I'm back. I didn't feel like I had much to say, for awhile, because it was strictly transition boredom.

Now, however, with the election and such, it's time to speak again. Keep on the lookout for more posts.

Oh how He loves

So, by now, I'm pretty sure you know it's Valentine's Day. I've never been one to really get into celebrating Valentine's Day...and not because of lack of boyfriends on Valentine's Day...I just honestly think it's a day to waste money. I get flowers (which I don't even appreciate), I have to make a reservation for dinner, I have to buy another present for my significant other and other random people, and I always end up indulging in too much chocolate. Needless to say, when this day rolls around each year, I let it pass my by without any affect. I don't put forward any effort in thinking about it, really. 

Today, though, I was reminded by a friend of mine, that I am loved by THE lover. It shouldn't be something I need to be reminded of, yet I do. In a day that is focused on hallmark cards, dinners and chocolate, I fail to think of the real and true love that I get to experience every day of my life. He loves me with a love so deep that you can't express it with a cheesy hallmark card, or a heart shaped box of chocolates, or even a nice candle lit dinner. His love is so strong and so abundant, that he floods me with it whether I deserve it or not. Whether I want it or not. Whether I ask for it or not. He loves me. He is (everlasting) love. 

Frankly, I am baffled at how He loves me. How real and unconditional it is. How gracious and forgiving it is. How never-ending and tangible it is. And when I really think about it all, it begs the question, am I able to love others like He loves me? After all, that is what I am called to do, to show, to be. Someone asked me a few weeks ago "who are you?" and one of the things I said in describing myself was "I am someone who loves to love on people." It's true. That's my goal, is to make you feel loved and wanted. But, my love for you has no comparison to God's love for you. My takeaway from today is to legitimately and purposefully work on loving others- the people who are in my daily life, and even those who aren't. I want to leave a mark on your life, and I want that mark to be one of love. Keep me accountable. I'll need it. 

IKEA

Oh the wonders of IKEA. I love it! It's a huge warehouse of furniture, kitchen gadgets, shower curtains, rugs, flowers...I mean all kinds of goodness. And the best part, is...drum roll...it's cheap and affordable. 

This was my second run to IKEA since I've moved to the A-T-L. I went with Scott and Darlene, for the purpose of getting house stuff for them...and alas I walked away with a new piece for my bedroom, and some new accessories for the den and kitchen. 

I love this place. It's a trap for me to most assuredly spend lots of money. But I love this place. 

I'll post pictures of my cute house soon :)

Work

This is my 8th week working for the Home Depot in Atlanta. As you may have already read, I am an inventory analyst. It's the kind of job I've been wanting for awhile...and I hope it will get me where I want to go in the Supply Chain world quickly. 

Being my 8th week, you might think I've been doing a lot of work, catching up on lost time. Not so. I've been bored out of my head, for much of each day, for a few weeks now. I've been screaming (on the inside) for responsibility. It's just the culture of Home Depot to "take it slow" and just glide into things. BUT, this week I finally began doing my own work, for real. I was finally given complete control over all of my SKUs for the watering class- cool, i get to order hoses, that's fun huh? Actually, I don't care what I get to order, I'm just glad I'm finally working. It's nice to feel like I'm worth something, and that I'm filling my day up with meaningful things. At the end of the day, I'm working with about $25 million dollars worth of product, for all of the United States. If I screw anything up, i'm in big trouble. Likewise, if I do a good job, i make a profit for the HD, and that is just plain great any way you slice it. It's not to be adding value to my team and for my managers. It's like a breath of fresh air. I'm back in place. I'm doing work. I'm accomplishing great things. I feel like I'm of some worth. I'm in the game, and I'm going for it. 

Speaking of going for it...I still have a few hours of work left to do for the night. While I'm NOT a work-a-holic, i can almost taste it...YUM, it feels good to be doing what I've wanted to do for a long time. 

What defines who you are?

So tonight at 722, what Jared said really hit me right when I needed it to. His series right now is called Re:Purposed, and tonight the focus was on work. We all know that one of the first questions asked when meeting someone new is "So, what do you do?" But have you ever asked someone "who are you, really?" instead? 

Mark 6:1-2 "Jesus left there and went to his hometown...when the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. 'Where did this man get these things?' they asked? 'What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter?'

Often times, we learn to define someone by their job, or their title, instead of who they really are as a person. Even Jesus, at this point, was defined by these bystanders by what he did..."isn't he a carpenter?" It's commonplace for society to tag you by your position- "Oh, he's a doctor, he must be smart, kind, in good moral standing..." blah blah blah. With this constantly pressed upon me, I'll be honest, it's sometimes hard to escape defining myself by anything other than what I do from 8-5 (ok, 9-5, haha). If Jesus allowed himself to accept this definition of carpenter, how would he have accomplished what he came to do? What I realized tonight, is it's the same for me. 

Take this one in: Mark 1:9-10 "At that time Jesus...was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open...And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." If you know the life of Jesus, at this point, he wasn't even officially in the ministry. He wasn't out preaching yet, or traveling performing miracles. He was still just a carpenter. What had he done up to this point that was of earthly value? He was just a carpenter, but God still said "I love him because he's my son, and he's established in me." Jesus' worth and identity came from knowing who he was in God. 

This is something I need to be reminded of daily, hourly sometimes: truly knowing the heart and character of God will allow me to know who I really am. My purpose is to do the will of the One who created me. I long to know the heart of God- to know that he is my Abba Father, my friend, my protector, my redeemer, my provider, my healer, my lover. And by know, I mean KNOW- I mean understand, grasp, receive. But how am I to know this about God, to know his character and to know how he views me, if I don't spend quality time with him? Some days, since I'm still new to Atlanta, i have absolutely nothing to do, and still I spend time watching movies, or playing around on the computer. If I truly want to know who God is, why don't I strive harder to get there? I could bypass alot of stress, and times of no confidence, if only I would know God, which would in turn allow me to know who I am. Jared was right, instead of focusing on what I do, and how I perform in that job, the right way of thinking should be

        Who are You (God)? ---> Who am I? ---> What do I do?

Let it Snow, let it snow, LET IT SNNNNOOOOOWWW!

YAY, i'm jumping up and down for joy because it's been snowing for about 2 hours now. The last hour of work was a crapshoot because we all just stared out the window watching the flakes. Once I left to come home, the flakes were HUGE. These really are the biggest flakes I've seen in the south in a looonnng time. It's definitely sticking on the ground, for now, too. That makes it even better! Snow just plain makes me happy!

Chewy (my dog) loves the snow too. Last year in Charlotte was his first snow, and he ran around in circles in the park with the other dogs for hours that day. His hair was long then, and he was literally dripping when we came back in the house, because he was in the snow for so long. Today was not much different. He was super hyper when I got home (more than usual, if you can imagine) and when we went outside to walk, he just took off running. He stayed on the sidewalk for awhile, not knowing what to think of the grass being white. Then, after sniffing the snow for a few minutes, he just ran around in so many circles. He loves it. I love 

it. Everyone loves it. Snow is fun! I know the storm is moving north pretty quickly, so it won't last long, but I am going to savor every moment. You never know, it could be years

 before I see it again.

Chewy sniffing the snow

My home in ATL with snow...yay, fun!

Christianity vs. Jehovah's Witnesses

Wow! What a big topic. Something I now wish I knew more about. 

let's go back for a minute...remember when you were little and you used to get random knocks on your front door at the most random times of the day? When you opened it, if you did, you'd see a couple of people from the nearest Kingdom Hall coming to talk about being a Jehovah's Witness?When I was little, it happened frequently in my neighborhood, and after awhile, I'd hear my mom or dad somewhere in the house say "don't get it, it's just Jehovah's Witnesses...."

It's been a long time since that has happened to me...until today. This morning, I decided to sleep in for a change, and go to the night church service. I was sleeping real good, when all of the sudden Chewy started barking because of a knock at the door. My first thought was, "who the heck is knocking at my door at 10am?" then I thought "darn it, they see my car in the driveway and know that I'm home...I guess I'll get up." As soon as I answered the door, I saw two ladies, one with a bible. One lady said "we'd just like to share with you a verse from the bible" and i said (being sleepy) "sure, go ahead, I read the bible and I'd love to hear." After she started talking about "the kingdom" I knew that they were Jehovah's witnesses. My first thought was why did i even open the door?!? And then it hit me...i am a Witness too...though i believe differently. Part of my responsibility is to spread the Truth that I believe. So, i let them keep speaking. All the while, my mind was drifting back to a mission trip I took to NYC one year in highschool, where I learned alot about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses as we passed the "WatchTower" headquarters building. I could've kicked myself...i couldn't remember all of the differences in our beliefs. I couldn't even remember any of the main, very important differences. How am I supposed to reach them with the Truth, if I can't refute what they believe. I said "i believe in Jesus" and she said "well, we do too"...crap! Then I just admitted that I would gladly take the magazine but that I knew I believed differently than she did. I told her I would go and do some studying again to refresh myself of what they believe that is different from Christianity. And that's what I did...right away, I went and opened up my mac and googled "refuting Jehovah's Witnesses." I found a few good sites to read up on their faith. It made me ponder again, how did so many different religions and faiths come to exist? Why does God allow all of these to exist? If there are other people out there who believe so deeply in their faith, as I do mine, and they believe that theirs is the one true way, how will I ever reach them? ...i know some of the technical, book answers for these questions, but I still struggle with them in my heart. 

At the very least, I'm glad that I had a knock on the door this morning. Some people might have been irked that they were woken up from some good sleep, or that they were "pestered" by some Jehovah's Witnesses. I, however, am grateful for the opportunity to study their faith again and feel even more solid in mine. I'm grateful that this gave me another chance to be reminded of what they believe in, so that next time I might remember what I read today and be able to speak truth into someone's life. After all, who knows if I'll become good friends with someone here who is a JW? I'll be more equipped now. 

in:Fusion

This is my first weekend to spend in Atlanta since I've moved here. Moving in December was hard because there were birthdays and holiday parties and of course Christmas and New Years. I went back and forth from Atlanta to Charlotte 4 times in 4 weeks. It was exhausting, but fun. Then, last weekend I went to Sarah's wedding in Columbia. Thank God that I have no agenda this weekend, except to relax and experience Atlanta. My "experience" starts tonight...

Tonight at Buckhead Church, my new church, there was an event for people my age to connect. It was called in:Fusion. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I knew is that I needed friends, and this was one way to get some :)

So, when I walked in, there were lots of roundtables and people sitting all around them. I thought, "I have to pick a table? I don't know a single soul!" I just went for it. I walked around for a minute, trying to find a table with open seats and people who looked to be my age and my style. After I found one, we did a trivia competition with everyone. It was a "pop culture" trivia game...and some of the questions were hilarious. I couldn't remember what Meredith's half sister's name is in Grey's Anatomy for the life of me...and I watch it all the time! My table didn't win, but it was still fun. After we took an intermission to grab some drinks, we were told to find a new table with new people. More chances to meet more people...yay! I found another great table, and this time around in the trivia game, we did much better. I contributed to knowing a song was sung by Keane, to knowing the order of the American Idol winners, and to recognizing David and Victoria Beckham from a picture. 

As we were leaving, I found out that one of the girls from my table used to work at the Depot. I thought this would be one thing we have in common. So i asked her where she lived, and she said the Smyrna/Vinings area...yay! I do too! So, boldly, I asked her for her number so that we could maybe grab dinner. Thankfully she was cool with that. Her name is Courtnay, and she may very well be my first good girlfriend I make here. As I was driving out of the parking deck, I thought aloud "Thank you Jesus for allowing me to meet one person here tonight that I think I can connect with." Now, after tonight, in a church of 5,000 plus people, I know a few more faces and a few more names. It excites me to think about the new relationships I'll start here, and the lasting memories that are to come.

I love visitors!

Anne Marie, my BFF, is flying to Orlando for a work trip. Her plane ticket got messed up, so when they changed it, so had them give her a pit-stop in Atlanta for the night. YAY!

I love it when people come visit. They get to see first-hand about what my new life is like. Instead of having to tell random, sometimes long, stories, she was able to see my house...see where I work...see where my new life is. It makes me happy that she can now relate to me better since she has seen it all. 

I hope there are many more "house guests" to come!

New Year's Resolution 1: Reading the Bible

Ok, I am the first to admit that I do not read my Bible every day. Who does? I mean, I know there are people out there who are great about doing their daily devotions, but I am not one of them. Although I've heard and been reminded on several occasions how beneficial it is to read the Bible, I still suck at it. How can I rely on the scriptures (aka the Truth) to get me through the good times and the bad, if I can't "remember" what they say? Even further, how can I trust in the Lord to bring me through the storm if I'm not solid in what the scriptures say? I want to be well versed on the truths of the Bible so that I can quote scriptures to myself when I need to be reminded of how Jesus will work in any particular situation. 

Tonight at Buckhead Church, the pastor spoke about "a" way to read the bible. He reminded me that I don't have to give up altogether if I miss a day or two, or twenty. Many of us feel like failures when we miss our devotional time, and then we just completely give up and don't keep trying. He reminded me that I don't have to spend an hour in the Bible everday, at first...because it's not realistic all the time. He reminded me that you don't have to read a full chapter or book each day- it's not about length, it's about depth. He said that we should choose 5 or 10 verses, and read them, then meditate and hear what they are saying, then pray. Read, meditate, pray...continually for about 10-15 minutes each morning. We don't have to be perfect- ie, do it every day- but we do have to try. This is one of my New Year's Resolutions. I want to go deeper...and this is a great way to do it.