Better Late than Never

Back in October, Nolan and I took our first trip to visit his parents in their new home in Gainesville Florida. We had the opportunity to see the Gators play, which was really fun! I just downloaded the pictures and thought it would be appropriate to put them up and show my support for the Gators in the National Championship coming up in a few weeks!

Watching the "Gator Walk". This is a tradition where the football team walks from the bus to the stadium and everyone cheers.

With Nolan's parents in front of the Gator Statue

Nolan's aunt, uncle, and cousin came too!

Gator Tailgate Party!

Us with Kirsten

Go Gators!

Jumonville! 2

Jumonville!

This past weekend the youth group went to the PYN Fall Retreat, Jumonville. It was a great weekend of speakers, music, skits, games, and just hanging out. We took 12 girls and 3 guys. Each time we go on a retreat, I feel as if our youth group really gets to know each other in a different way than we do in weekly youth group. It's amazing to see how God works in the lives of these high school students and I am constantly in awe of their faith in Him! Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Operation Christmas Child

The youth group participated in a service project last week called Operation Christmas Child. This is run through an organization called Samaritan's Purse. We asked the members of the church to bring in items to pack shoeboxes full of small toys, school supplies, and hygiene items and send to children around the world for Christmas. I set a goal for the youth group to pack 25 boxes. It was so exciting to see people jump on board with this project, and we ended up packing 56 boxes!! On Sunday at youth group, we organized all the items, wrapped and packed the boxes, made cards for the children, and prayed over the boxes. It is so neat to see the students in my youth group desiring to step outside of themselves and really think about serving God and others!

Cooking Class

This past Friday, my girls small group took a cooking class together with Leila. Leila is a member of the church who has her own catering business, Wonderfood Catering. She is an amazing cook and a great teacher too! We cooked Chicken Stroganoff, which is a popular Brazilian dish (Leila's Brazilian!) This was just so much fun. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to know each of these girls and to see all the ways God is working in their lives!

God....or His stuff?

I've been slowly reading Francis Chan's newest book, Crazy Love. So far I am enjoying it and it is causing me to reflect on my response to God. Chan's book focuses on what it is like to truly be "overwhelmed by a relentless God."

As I was reading today, one section really caught my attention, and seemed like a perfect message to be reminded of around Christmas.

"The best gifts in life are gifts from the One who steadfastly loves us. But one important question we must ask ourselves is this: Are we in love with God or just His stuff?"

This question really made me feel convicted. I will be the first to admit that there are times I am desperately in love with what this world has to offer me. It seems no matter how hard I try to resist it, some part of me wants more of this world than of God. I also think its easy to fall into a trap where we justify our love for "stuff" because all of it is created by God. Chan continues...

"Imagine how awful it would feel to have your child say to you, 'I don't really love you or want your love, but I would like my allowance, please.' Conversely, what a beautiful gift it is to have the one you love look you in the eye and say, 'I love you. Not your beauty, your money, your family, your car. Just you.' Can you say that to God?"

I long to be a person who answers YES! to that question, not just somedays, but everyday.

Happy "Peppermint Mocha" Season!

There are few things that I would say I am "OCD" about. Two of these things, however, happen to revolve around Black Friday.

The first of these things is that I absolutely refuse to listen to Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving. (Don't even get me started on the radio stations that start it right after Halloween--I think it gets earlier every year!) For me, it usually comes on our traditional early- morning shopping excursion. All year, I wait with anticipation for the day that I can pop in my NSYNC Christmas CD (which remains in my CD player for the remaining month until Christmas). I realize that revealing this guilty pleasure of mine may be met with judgment and a few laughs, but let's face it, NSYNC just has a REALLY good Christmas album, so judge away! This brings me to the bad news, this year I searched high and low for my NSYNC Christmas CD...nowhere to be found! So I figured, no big deal, I'll get another one when we go shopping on Friday. No luck. I am still on the hunt. If you have any leads, please let me know!

Second, I force myself to wait until after Thanksgiving to get my first Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks, and let me tell you, it is always worth the wait! Once I drink my first one, I'm usually stuck on them for the rest of the winter season. I had my first one the other day, and it just tasted like Christmas! If you have yet to experience Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha, I would highly recommend a coffee run soon! (I recommend asking for it "extra hot", that way it lasts longer!)

It's so fun having silly little traditions such as these, and I hope you all have similar ones! It's also so exciting to think about all the new traditions that come with getting married and starting my own family. Crazy to think about!!!