Washington D.C.

Wow, where do I even begin? I just experienced one of the most fun weekend adventures of my life and there is so much to share. I'll only include part of the excitement so as to preserve space and time. This trip came about very randomly; I was so hyped when Jon Stewart announced his rally and Stephen Colbert followed with his march announcement. My little heart was aflutter. Then my bestie, Maegers, said she'd always wanted to go back to D.C. to enjoy an adult perspective of the history within this city. I eagerly accepted her as my travel partner and more so, partner in crime.

Our adventure began early Thursday morning (about 6am) and if you know anything about me, you realize this is pretty much 4 to 6 hours before my average wake up time. None the less, I was pumped and ready to go. We arrived in the capitol around 11 and met our great and gracious friend, Jessie, for a quick bite to eat before heading to her house to drop off our luggage, change into dresses (it was 78 degrees), and trek to the ZOO. I do love a good zoo regardless of the city. After the zoo, we toured Georgetown and Dupont for a few hours. In Dupont there was a really neat bookstore/bar/restaurant and one of the most brilliant ideas I've ever heard of, if I do say so myself. I loved it so much, probably because books and beer are two of my favorite things!

Friday was our official tourist day. We woke up extra early to avoid the crowds and shivered our way from monument to monument. The highlight of my morning had to be the Albert Einstein Memorial. I am a huge fan of his and love anything to do with him.

After hanging out and chatting about relativity for a bit, we moved onward to the museums. The Museum of National History was my favorite, but they were all enjoyable. We concluded the day by meeting up with our friends, Will, Jade, and Zach, for some delicious pizza at We the Pizza (amazing food and beer on Pennsylvania Avenue). If you are ever in the area, you should make the trip to this place for deliciously cheap pizza.

Saturday was RALLY DAY and a most glorious day. We headed to the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear and enjoyed all the fun and creative signs and costumes while waiting for it to begin. The rally was filled with tons of great guests and loads of hilarity. My favorite part was the intense debate toward the end that resulted in Colbert melting and being drug off stage by John Oliver. Overall, it was one of my favorite events and Sir Dr. Stephen T. Colbert D.F.A. estimated a crowd of around 6 billion in attendance. At the end, Stewart gave a sincere and nicely articulated speech. His sentiment really summarized the importance of each individual and the intention of the rally, which was to encourage average, everyday people to get out and take responsibility. We have the power to change the channel, go to the polls and vote, and take an active roll in our country. Also, to not be a douche. That was the essential message. After waiting for the mass exodus to mellow out, we headed to Union Station for a scenic dinner and then hopped on the metro to relax and catch some z's.

Sunday funday was for travel. Our early flight touched down in Atlanta and then we headed our separate ways. I to Murfreesboro and Maegsy to Athens. My drive back was filled with great music, windows down, and beautiful weather. I had a wonderful weekend and would recommend D.C. as a great and inexpensive vacation spot to any and everyone. I'll end with a poignant quote from the rally:

"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing."

-Jon Stewart

Did you know that 23 is my favorite number? Well, now you are aware, and seeing as it is the 23rd I have decided what better date than today to delve a little deeper into my psyche and the exciting plans I have for my future. Just to forewarn you, after reading this post you will be jealous of my movie star-esque lifestyle and wish desperately to lead a life one-eighth as interesting as mine. (Well, in all actuality, you might be vaguely entertained and have dedicated a few solid minutes to procrastinating on whatever you have going on in your meager existence)

Anywho, "I'm shaking the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world," as George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life so emphatically phrased my exact feelings. Don't worry, I won't require a near death experience to make me realize that the town I'm leaving isn't that crummy. But the second half rings true. I am going to see the world.

On a larger scale, I dream of traversing the globe until I croak at the ripe age of 98. While I still have my original hips, I aim to sight-see all over Europe as I backpack there one summer in the near future. Also, I want to set foot on every continent at least for a little bit. My parents definitely passed down to me their love for travel and adventure.

As far as a permanent residence, I am pretty much open to living anywhere in America or any English speaking countries. I hope to have someone to share it with, but I am content in my current single state. Looks like I have spent a majority of this blog discussing travel options and not one bit of it delving into my ever so interesting psyche. So to make up for lost time here is a list (23 items on it of course) of things you, the random reader, should know about me:

1. I LOVE three things: Dr. Pepper, Los Angeles Lakers, and Duke Blue Devils

2. House of Heroes is one of my favorite bands

3. Favorite Disney movie: TIE between Sleeping Beauty/Robin Hood (the fox version)

4. I have 1 tattoo of a cross on my right hip

5. Johnny Depp is my favorite actor

6. Burping, I'm good at it (ask my mom she's not a big fan)

7. Reading is one of my top hobbies

8. Killian's Irish Red is the BEST beer in my humble opinion

9. Favorite joke: What did the zero (0) say to the eight (8)?

NICE BELT

10. Albert Einstein is one of my heroes

11. Skinny jeans are the greatest invention in all of fashion

12. Photography is something I would love to be great at and I'm always practicing

13. Insecurities: Few, but one is being open and vulnerable around people. Lots of people know my goofy exterior, but very few know me well.

14. Bones broken: 1 toe (prolly shouldn't count, but it healed crooked and it's funny looking)

15. I write a lot of poetry

16. Secret Addiction (though not so secret any longer): Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney

17. Favorite sounds to fall asleep to: Rain and sneakers on a gym floor

18. Last time I peed my pants: 7th grade on the way home from a church trip, ask me to tell you the story sometime

19. Favorite Bible verse: James 2:26 (NIV version)

20. "Blackbird" is my all-time favorite Beatles' song

21. Best concert I've been at: Memphis in May 2009 w/ Shinedown winning of all the artists there

22. I have a number "thing" where I dislike certain numbers and can only turn the volume on my tv to the numbers I like. 22 is a number I dislike. It is gross.

23. Favorite quote: "Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything." -Mother Teresa

Life's Little Joys

So, I have been watching "Life" on the Discovery Channel since 6pm tonight (it's now nearly 11pm) and I am completely mesmerized. I am quickly hooked on any show that revolves around or highlights how and why things work. I can't resist a good knowledge session every now and again. I was addicted to the show "Earth" last year and watching "Life" tonight got me thinking about why I am so intrigued by these types of shows. I've decided it is because each system within a particular species is extremely intricate and largely instinctive.

"Life" highlights the idiosyncrasies among insects, primates, sea creatures, and even plants. Ants are the original architects. Their infrastructures below their hills are designed to create direct paths to main living chambers with smaller chambers off to the side for living area. They also have a ventilation system that expels carbon dioxide and draws in oxygen using food waste. Scientists recently poured concrete into an abandoned ant colony and found that the colony went 26 feet deep into the earth. A creation this large is comparative to a group of humans building the Great Wall of China and colonies like this exist all over the globe.

Another episode focused on a tree that was able to thrive on an island, even though it spent 6 hours a day beneath high tide. Salt water is deadly for any tree and by law of nature this tree should be dead. However, it has adapted and has pores on its roots that take in as much oxygen as possible during low tide and filter 99% of the salt water out during high tide. The little salt that seeps through this barrier is directed into a few sacrificial leaves which wither and die. A tree with no brain or thought is able to thrive when it should be dead.

Incredible stories like that of the tree and ants inspire me. They also highlight how reflective nature is of man and man of nature. When groupthink is in place and humans work together for the greater good of their "colony" they are able to create amazing feats just as the ants do on a daily basis. Watching their selfless existence causes me to really question my attitude towards my fellow man. Adaptiveness is another great quality that cause man, or tree, to thrive. Our ability to react to a situation and work with the surroundings or tools we've been given benefits us much more than being irritated that life doesn't work the way we want it to or refusing to change does.

As useful as the parallels are with what they can teach us on a survival and physical standpoint, they are all the more important on a spiritual level. I can't watch an episode of any of the aforementioned programs without being in awe of our creator. Every detail only further magnifies how breathtaking are the details of every living organism. Nothing is in place that doesn't serve a purpose. Knowing that, how can anyone not believe in a god of some sort? "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in," George Washington Carver illustrates this concept so simply.

Fall is a season filled with beautiful scenes in nature. You wouldn't think twice about trees covered in yellow, red, and orange leaves, yet there is a specific reason that the phenomenon occurs (beyond the aesthetic it creates) every year. As the temperature drops, trees begin to suck the nutrients from their leaves into their trunks, this includes chlorophyll which gives leaves their green color, and seal off the veins that connect branch and leaf. The trees do this so they can survive during the winter.

Look inward, if the tree wasn't astounding enough, to any of your various systems. The minute details surrounding something as basic as typing this sentence requires the collaboration of many different parts of our bodies. I have to think that 1) I want to type and 2) what I want to type. Next, the information from my brain has to flow from my nerves through synapses all the way to my fingers and then back so my brain is aware that the message was received. This happens for every single letter typed.

I guess I enjoy shows like "Life" and "Earth" because of their relevancy. Information on the shows is about creatures and plants I encounter on a regular basis. It is neat to understand why they function they way they do and that such care was taken into creating every thing on earth. I can only feel loved and in awe when I think of the time and effort God has taken and continues to take with each new creation. The parallels between them and I are no accident and the Discovery Channel provides programs that enlighten and inspire me due to their simultaneous depth and simplicity. I'll end with a quote from Albert Einstein, "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."

Insomnia

I am living up my bouts with insomnia for a while longer until I have to become an adult and get a real bedtime. But until that day arrives, I will entertain myself (and hopefully you) with my late night creative streak.

Often I go through phases of obsessing over one hobby or another. I had a scrapbooking phase which didn't result in the masterpieces I had anticipated; instead my designs came out more like a 3rd grade school project than anything else. There was also those few years that I wrote tons of poems. Edgar Allen Poe eat your heart out. I wrote across the spectrum of emotions and rhyme schemes. I am actually proud of several of them, but most are just jokey or angst filled. Painting is another hobby that had me trekking to Walmart at 4am to grab supplies for the project that could not wait for daylight. Usually once the sun rose I realized it could have waited and regretted inhaling all those paint fumes for naught.

I divulge all this information to bring you to my next point: books. Reading is the one hobby that has never waned. Possibly because it requires no skill and is essentially free. The love affair started in the early days of Kindergarten where I first discovered the enticing lure of books. Ever since then I have been reading continuously. Nancy Drew was my first beloved series and what turned me onto murder mysteries, where I eventually matured into being a Mary Higgins Clark fan. Biographies, Science Fiction, Sports, Novels, etc.; there isn't a genre I haven't delved in, even if only for a little bit.

Brian Jacques and Margaret Weis are my Science Fiction boos. I own every book in the Dragonlance Chronicles and Redwall series. The age old battle between good and evil is only made more interesting by their choice of using animals and mythical creatures to depict the conflict. Don't judge me.

Books are such a wonderful escape from the mundaneness of day-to-day life. I love their rich smell, the crisp feel of their pages between my fingers, the blanket and comfortable chair that most always accompany them, staying up all night or being late to something because I literally "couldn't put it down," the common thread I share with everyone else who has ever read the same story, but mostly the chance to view the world from someone else's perspective.

For some reason Fall is my favorite time to curl up with a good book. I guess the crisp pages and crinkling leaves remind me of one another. I cherish those moments outside as the breeze tickles my shoulder blades and my imagination runs wild with each turn of the page. As Fall inches around the corner, I will leave you with some of my favorite books from childhood to the present:

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Redwall by Brian Jacques

City of Thieves by David Benioff

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Dragonlance Legends series by Margaret Weis

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne

When that next round of insomnia hits you, do as I do, open a good book and get carried away on your own adventure!

Abiding in Christ

Abide as defined by Webster's Dictionary:

1. to wait for

2. (a) to endure without yielding

(b) to bear patiently

3. to accept without objection

Abiding as defined by ME via analogy:

To abide in Christ is to be as His shadow. As we go through any motion; be it jumping, raising an arm, or changing direction; our shadow mimics each and every action. Abiding in Christ is living as if we are His shadows.

This section of my bible study really caught my attention today and made me ponder what life would look like if I were abiding in God. I'll take each definition one at a time and describe the way it would play out in my reality.

To wait for: Often I am impatient and eager to know what's next, arrive at a solution, or guess the right answer and move along. It is hard to wait for a few hours let alone an undisclosed time to find out what the future holds. Part of being a disciple of Christ is persevering through periods of waiting. There are reasons, beyond our comprehension, that God chooses to withhold information from us or make us wait.

To endure without yielding: James 1:2-4 illustrates this concept beautifully, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

To bear patiently: This corresponds with to wait for. Romans 8:28 is a verse that offers encouragement and provides a glimpse of the future God has planned for each individual. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It's much easier to be patient if I love and trust the person I am waiting to reveal more information. Also, previous experiences have allowed me to see the rewards of waiting patiently.

To accept without objection: This is the concept I grapple with most. I want what I want, when I want it. Now, after years of selfish motives and self-gratifying choices, I have to accept whatever God sends my way and do so with a smile? Kind of a hard transition to make. After reflecting on where my self-centered motives led me, I realized all to clearly how ineffective that route of decision making was and how fulfilling it was to wait, bear patiently, and accept without objection.

To be God's shadow is to embody the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Any decision made utilizing the prior tools will lead to a satisfying and Christ-like life. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus," states Philippians 1:6.

John 15:4-5 summarizes the analogical benefits of being shadows of Christ, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Gram

Kentucky Lake is what comes to mind when I think of summer. My grandmother's house rests directly on the lake and most weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day were spent playing in the sun with her and Gram. Gram was my great-grandmother who lived in a trailer a little over a mile down the raod. We spent the days on the water, eating popsicle after popsicle, and burning rubber in the go-kart.

Once the sun began to sink below the water, we would get cleaned up and head down the gravel road to Gram's. I loved everything about her trailer. Lace doilies covered almost every surface and extras spilled out of the cabinets. You couldn't find a speck of dust if you wanted to, but it still felt like home. Gram's place always smelled delicious. My favorite dish she made was strudels. She would talk with my sisters and I as we helped her toss flour on the counter (and the floor) and roll out the dough. Those moments are what meant summer to me.

When I was about five years old, Gram sewed me a small pillow covered in pink and white gingham fabric. What she intended me to use the pillow for I can no longer recall, but it became my "cry pillow." That small, round pillow got me through scraped knees, hurt feelings, and a broken heart or two. I rarely used the pillow once I was in high school, but it still held a prominent place atop my bed.

As friends and boys became more important than family, the lake seemed further and further away. Trips became rarer and nights spent at Gram's were seldom. That is when Gram got sick and was moved to a nursing home. Now this once strong and stubborn woman was frail and didn't know my name. Each time we visited her and repeated past conversations, I watched my childhood disappear alongside her already small frame. How could the woman who survived being stabbed five times not sit up in bed without someone else's help? Life was no longer carefree and simple as summer had always been. When Gram died, splotches of black stained that pink gingham pillow as my tears fell. Now whenever we would pass her road it felt as if something was missing. That essence of childhood was lost forever, somewhere along that gravel road.

That long, gravel road between the lake and Gram's is where I grew up. I learned to drive on that road. Deep conversations were had on that gravel. Laughter was carried away on a sweet summer breeze as it echoed off those rocks. Many nights were spent on its hard surface listening to night settle in and staring beyond the stars. Strolling along those stones, I could think more clearly than when anywhere else. That road is where go-kart races were won or lost, where memories were made, where friendships blossomed, and where death became real for the first time.

Years have passed and I can still remember vividly the pain of standing in her church, holding my sister Hannah, as they carried Gram's casket away. Not all of my memories are sad ones. We started the tradition of eating strudels every Christmas (we still can't make them like she did) and lace doilies fill our dining room. My bed still proudly displays my "cry pillow." Now when I drive past her road I think fondly of summers long ago and life lessons she taught. Gram's trailer is long gone, but that stretch of raod will always be my second home.

Happy Turkey Day!

Often the focus of Thanksgiving is the delicious food or what sales you might find on Black Friday the following day. I can't recall the last Turkey Day that I set aside a moment to truly ponder the reasons I am thankful. This year has been filled with challenges and blessings and I have decided to use this blog and this moment to appreciate everything I have to be thankful for this year.

I graduated college! That alone is worth plenty of thanks and praise. I have a job; it is part-time and not my dream job, but it pays the bills. I am thankful that my parents are helping me during this transitional time in my life. I can't imagine the stress of having to take out loans or work multiple jobs. I am thankful for my amazing family. Everyone of my family members are loving and always there for me. I love that they are extremely funny and keep my spirits high. I don't laugh anywhere as hard as I do in Dyersburg, TN. My friends are also another thing to give thanks for this year. I have some of the greatest friends in the whole wide world.

Another reason my heart is abounding in thanks this season is because of my growing relationship with God. I have a solid relationship with Him and it is continuing to grower deeper through each trial and tribulation that has come my way. For the first time in my 23 years I am placing my trust fully in Him in ALL areas of my life and the contentment I feel is evidence of that.

I am also thankful that it is GLORIOUS basketball season and both my Lakers and Blue Devils are starting their seasons of well. I love when there is a game on almost every night of the week. I think one of my favorite sounds of all is sneakers against a gym floor. Their rhythmic shuffle is nice to listen to as I fall to sleep snuggled deep within a cushy blanket.

There are many other things that I am thankful for, but for time and space sake I will leave the list as is. I am so grateful for the ability to celebrate this holiday surrounded by the people I hold dearest. I wish everyone out there a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving!