The Search for Clients...

For those who don't know,

I'm working on a Counseling Masters. 

My concentration is Student Services in Higher Education.

Which is really a fancy way of saying I want to work in an office on a college campus.

Who knows if I will really ever be a "counselor?"

But this is the track I chose to reach my career goal.

Mostly because the idea of counseling is interesting to me.

And I think I can utilize those skills not only in some student services department,

but also in life in general.

I also hope that these skills help me in ministering to people in life.

And maybe one day I can work or volunteer for a ministry,

or I can lead Youth or a Small Group or something in a church. 

And I think those skills will be useful then.

ANYWAY, I say all this to lead into my current dilemma.

I'm completing my Practicum hours this semester.

Meaning, I have to find clients.

Real life clients.

Who want to be counseled.

By me.

For free.

You may think that since people pay absurd amounts of money for counseling every day

that I would have them lining up.

Not so much.

The hard part is, I can't KNOW the person already, 

or have a common relationship.

It can be a friend of an acquaintance, but when it's a friend of a friend, it's still a little hairy.

PLUS I'm not allowed to counsel a full-time Georgia Southern student.

Stupid school rules.

And that rules out a lot of potential clients right there, 

not to mention that college students are my EMPHASIS.

I digress.

ALSO I have to have at least 1 child (age 5-high school). 

Now how do I go about finding a random child to counsel?

But yeah.

That's what I'm working on these days.

So far I have one client.

I've had a few leads, but no more commitments. 

And finding clients isn't really the hardest part.

Then I have to actually counsel them.

It's going to be an interesting semester!!

~Christy~

Every Good Blogger Carries a Camera

We all know that every good blogger carries a camera. Ideally, a really nice camera. And they all have an eye for angles. At least, this seems to be the norm. Anyway, I broke the rule. I don't have a nice camera, or a great eye for that matter, but I do like to document things with pictures. But last weekend I didn't carry my camera with me. And for that, I am sorry. There could have been some great shots!

Friday we left straight from work to head down to Savannah to have dinner with Scott's aunt and uncle. His uncle is a pilot and he comes to Savannah at least twice a year for training. Whenever he's in town, he takes us out to dinner. Upon arrival at his hotel, he invited us up to their room where they had prepared a platter of fancy cheese and crackers and some wine. That's how they are. They always have fancy food and wine, even when they travel! It's fabulous. So, after snacking and catching up, we planned our evening. The funny thing is, Scott & I live a little over an hour away from Savannah, and have for the last several years, but his uncle knows the area way better than we do. Every time we meet him down there, he shows us new areas and shares the rich history of the city with us. It never ceases to amaze me. We take Savannah for granted. I often think of it only as the nearest decent shopping mall, and historic River Street which I've seen so many times I'm sick of it. But there is so much more to Savannah than that.

We decided to take a walk and go to Forsyth Park and visit The Mansion, which is a restaurant, hotel, and art gallery. The walk was about 3.5 miles total (there and back), which was more than I anticipated. By the end of it I was a tad grumpy. But perhaps that's because on our way back some residual Irene rain came our way and I walked about a mile in dress pants and flip-flops (it would have been heels if his aunt didn't loan me a pair of sandals). I digress. The walk there was actually really awesome. Savannah is such a beautiful place! If I had a camera, I could have captured so many amazing sites and details.

I had never even heard of The Mansion before, and I certainly would never have stepped inside it if it weren't for Scott's uncle. I would just assume I wasn't fancy enough to go in. But they confidently walked right in and informed the front desk that we just wanted to take a look around. It was BEAUTIFUL!

That's the outside, and it doesn't even do it justice.
Via

Each room had a different theme and decorations. Everything was very modern and classy. Made me want to order a Martini...even though I don't like them!

Then, after our hike through the rain, we had dinner at The Pirate's House. I had never been. I thought it was going to be a cheesy, tourist trap. It was, in a way, but it is really cool because it's historic. There are actually tunnels running under the restaurant where Pirates and seamen used to travel. Just like most things in Savannah, it is old and beautiful. Plus, the food is delish!

Saturday and Sunday were days of major rest. I admit it, I was a complete bum. Aside from a few small school assignments, some light cleaning, and working with Children's Church on Sunday, I basically slept and watched 90210. Yes, the addiction continues...

In other news, I weighed-in on Friday and I lost 2.5 pounds since the previous Saturday! That was an exciting way to kick off my new fitness goals. I've done 4 days of 30 Day Shred. Man, that workout is killer! I got cocky and moved up to Level 2 yesterday...bad decision! Some of those exercises I just could not do. Even the modified versions were challenging. And today I'm paying for it with a sore neck and shoulders...I guess I was straining through some of the moves. But I've been diligent about it. I didn't work out on Friday since we were so busy, and I probably won't get to today or tomorrow because I work and then have class all day, but I'm trying to workout all the other days of the week! Hopefully I will start to see a difference soon. I also took my measurements so we'll see how that improves. I probably won't take them again for another couple weeks at least.

Now I'm just trying to get through this week so I can move on to next weekend! Gotta love a long weekend! And we have a lot of fun things planned, including Celebrate Freedom Atlanta Christian Festival and a Braves game! :)

Have a great week!
~Christy~

My Love Story With Jesus: Part 1 (The hard part)

4 years ago I believed I was going to Hell.

Maybe I should start from the beginning.

Growing up I had heard about Jesus and God and Christianity. I knew a small handful of Bible stories and knew some bible songs (Deep and Wide, This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves the Little Children, etc…). I knew that Christmas was when Jesus was born. I’m not really sure that I knew Easter had to do with anything other than bunnies and eggs, though. And that was about it.

My earliest memories of church involve being forced to go to Sunday school once or twice a year at my grandparent’s church. I did crafts quietly, didn’t talk to anyone, and hoped that no one asked me anything about the Bible, of which I knew nothing about.

Later, in middle school and early high school, I would occasionally go to church or youth groups with friends. I have a distinct memory of attending a youth group where they were supposed to have Bible verses memorized from the previous week. Obviously I didn’t have an assignment, but the teacher wanted to include me. So, she said she would give me an easy one, and I could look it up if I wanted (I had to borrow my friend’s Bible b/c I didn’t own one)

John 3:16

My thoughts: Crap, crap, CRAP! I don’t know ANY verses! How far in is John? Beginning, middle, end? 3:16? Are those page numbers?

My face burned as I aimlessly flipped through the book, trying to act like I knew just what I was looking for, already embarrassed because obviously this was a verse I was expected to already know. My friend helped me find it. Thank God.

During my junior year of high school, I determined that I wanted to go to church for real. I wanted to be a good person. Good people go to church, right? It just felt like a good decision. Since my family had never been church-goers, I decided to start attending with my best friend Hayley and her family. Soon after, I got my driver’s license and started driving myself to church. I went nearly every week. I didn’t get involved in more than sitting through a 1-hour service each week, but I felt good about going. I felt like I was learning to be a better person. I even started praying before bed.

At the end of one service, the pastor began the typical wrap-up where he asked any who wanted to be saved or baptized to walk to the front of the room and meet one of the staff members to pray and talk. To me, baptism was the next logical step in my journey. That’s what Christians do, right? So, logically, I did it. The lady asked me if I had already been saved. I had no idea what she was talking about. I fibbed. Well, lied really. Probably the worst time to lie. But I thought if I told the truth, she wouldn’t let me get baptized. So, I said yes. She asked me about it. I told her it was at a youth group meeting where they asked if anyone wanted to be saved, and I said yes. I guess that was all she needed to hear because she scheduled my baptism for the next month.

I was genuinely excited. I recognized it was an important step. I invited all my friends and family, and was proud to call myself a Christian. The church I attended had a baptismal pool at the front of the sanctuary, behind and above the altar, covered by a screen when not in use. There were several other baptisms that day. I remember waiting anxiously, hoping that I didn’t accidentally breathe in water and choke. When it was my turn, I cautiously lowered myself into the pool, surprised by how warm it was. I was told to wear normal church clothes, so I wore black dress pants and a sleeveless turtleneck top. The sensation of getting in a pool with my clothes on reminded me of a few wild nights at a friend’s house…ending up fully clothed and in her pool in the backyard.

I don’t remember much about the actual baptism part. I don’t remember what the pastor said, though I assume he blessed me in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I know I was dunked because I remember emerging, dripping wet, and rushing to change clothes before heading back into the sanctuary to see my friends and family. I was 17 years old.

Several months later, I got a job working at Kroger and wasn’t always off on Sundays. I started going to church less often. That July I started dating my neighbor and friend, whom I had had a crush on since I was about 12. I threw myself into the relationship, trying to live out every dream I’d had about him, before he went away to college in August. On July 11, 2003 I lost my virginity to him, at a camp site, after drinking several brightly colored, test-tube shooters by the fire. I felt no shame, had no sense that what I was doing was wrong in any way. Apparently I hadn’t attended enough church to even know that pre-marital sex is a sin.

Our relationship did not end when he went away to college, as we originally planned. In fact, we stayed together (in a painful, on-again-off-again fashion) for 4 years. I came down to Georgia Southern to join him the following year, where I continued my practice of partying, spending every night with him, and giving absolutely no thought whatsoever to church, God, Jesus, or anything other than having “fun” and being “in love.”

As I started my sophomore year of college, my roommate Christine started dragging me to church. I told her I was a Christian—I mean, I believed in God…isn’t that enough? I had been baptized, what more did she want? First I started going to the Wesley Foundation on Wednesday nights. Soon after I started going to Bridgeway: The Church on Campus on Sunday mornings. Then I joined the leadership team. And I learned that all the fun I had been having was actually a sin. I couldn’t deny that I believed in God. I couldn’t act like it didn’t matter. But I also couldn’t stop what I was doing. My boyfriend wouldn’t agree to stop having sex. He was an atheist and just assumed that my Christian friends were brainwashing me or trying to change me for the worse. I didn’t want to stop drinking. My 21^st birthday was coming up. I had to get completely wasted. I mean, I was turning 21 for crying out loud! 

So. There was no other option. I was going to Hell.

(Please read the next part of this story when I post it! I promise it will have a much happier ending!)

Back on Track

Remember how I was trying to lose weight? How I wanted to lose 10 pounds in 2 months, I did that, and then I wanted to do it again? Well, as you've probably guessed since I stopped blogging about it, I never did lose 10 more pounds. I never did lose another pound at all. In fact, I've gained some of those original 10 pounds back. :(

Well, I'm ready to get back on track! I don't want all that hard work to just disappear! According to Wii Fit, my ideal weight is around 140 pounds. I currently weigh about 154. At the start of the year I weighed 162. I don't know if I necessarily want to set a weight-loss goal. I want to be healthier all around, and I mostly just want to look better. I'm not as concerned with the number on the scale, as I am the size of my clothes, and how I feel wearing them. And I how I feel not wearing them.

I always say my butt is the first grow and last to go. And it is true! My midsection is what needs the most work. But I also want to tone my arms a bit. And when I lose weight, my face looks slimmer, which I like. I have had big cheeks since I was born. So...I guess maybe both sets of cheeks are first to grow last to go? haha!

I'm not big on dieting or cutting out all the foods I love. Because I know I'm not going to stick to that. It's a recipe for disaster. So, instead I want to continue trying healthier options for snacks and meals. I'm not going to make super low calorie cookies that taste like beans (b/c they're made from beans...). If I want a cookie, I'll have one. Fat, calories, sugar and all. But I'm trying to incorporate more healthy options into my diet. I bought a pack of cottage cheese with pineapples and it was delish. I've been eating lots of spinach salads, which I make tasty by adding cut up strawberries or oranges. So, more stuff like that. I don't expect to lose a ton of weight without making really big changes and sacrifices, but at some point enjoying my food is actually more important to me than losing weight. I have to consider that when I set goals.

I've also started writing down what I eat each day in my Fitness Journal. I'm not counting calories or anything, but there's something about that accountability of having to write down what I eat that really seems to work for me. I'm not even sharing it with anyone, but I have actually made some choices this week to not eat something unhealthy because "I don't want to have to write that down." Also, if I struggle to lose weight, I can look back through my diet and see what might be the cause. It can help me realize what the real problems might be.

I'm also writing down any exercises and workouts I do during each day. In a similar way, I feel motivated to do more so that I can have the satisfaction of writing it down. Silly, I know. But hey, it seems to work! My gym membership expired this week, and I can't afford to renew just yet. I might be able to in the next few weeks or so. Until then, I'm trying to do as much as I can at home. It's challenging because I live out in the country where there isn't anywhere to walk or ride a bike or anything outside. Plus, it's way too hot to be out there. So, I have to find things to do in my house. Not only that I can do, but things I know I will do. There are plenty of exercises that can be done on any floor space, but I'm not disciplined enough to actually do them.

I've been using my Wii Fit and playing Just Dance 2 more often. I also just got Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in the mail. Thanks, Alycia for recommending it!! I plan to start it today. I'm a little scared, but I'm also excited. I know I won't do it every day for 30 days. I just won't. Some days I need to rest. Some weekends I travel and it isn't realistic. And every Tues & Weds I leave for work at 7:30 AM and don't get home from class until 8 PM. Then I eat dinner with my husband and have time for maybe one TV show and then we head to bed. (yes, we get ready for bed at like 9) So, I'm not going to work out on those two days. I just don't have time. But I plan to do it for 30 days total. We'll see how it goes!

Wish me luck! I plan to weigh in on Fridays, like I used to. So, I'll keep y'all updated. I think I will also take my measurements because that can often be more accurate than weight anyway, especially if I'm building a lot of muscle.

Thanks for the support!
~Christy~

Halloween...

I know it's early. But I'm already thinking about Halloween costumes for this year.

It's never too early to start brainstorming.

Because I'm not the type to purchase a costume.

I like to make them.

And I like to be creative.

And for the past two years, Scott and I have had couples costumes.

And not just the generic kind.

You know... cowboys, hippies, biker couple, etc...

We like to dress as real characters or people. 

It's more fun that way! :)

So, I'm open for ideas! 

What's are some good couples costumes that people will recognize?

Now, for your viewing pleasure...some of my past Halloween costumes! :)

This was freshman year of college.
We didn't decide to dress up until the night of Halloween.
We did the best with what was already in our closets.
I'm a prostitute (classy. I know.), Hayley is Batman (hence the t-shirt),
Raycheal is a...Corona monster?, and Chris is a vampire.

This was sophomore year of college.
This is my friend Christine. She and I were roommates.
These costumes were her idea.
8 ball and sunflower :)

This was senior year of college.
I actually didn't dress up for this party.
But Christine gave me her husband's shirt and a tool belt (which you can't see in the pic)
and I was a Tool Time girl! :)

This was also senior year of college.
More last minute costumes (you see why I want to start thinking early!)
Not even sure what I was supposed to be.
Just a dead girl, I guess.
That's my friend Chris again (the vampire from first picture)

Behold! Our first couple costume!
Ron & Hermione from Harry Potter :)
I made crests and sewed them onto our graduation robes.
We bought the replica wands (cool. I know).
And the rest of the stuff we either had in our closets or got at Goodwill.
Oh, this was Halloween 2009

Halloween 2010. last year.
We were Rogue and Wolverine from X-Men.
My costume was the easiest.
I bought that black, shiny shirt from Goodwill.
I wore my stretchy, dance pants with black boots over them,
and the liners to Scott's motorcycle gloves.
Oh, and I spray painted the grey streaks in my hair, of course!
Scott pretty much had all of his stuff already.
he just shaved his beard into mutton chops and made some sweet claws!

There were a couple years in there that weren't represented. My junior year of college I was Samara.

The creepy little girl from The Ring. 

I had black hair, and I pulled it all over my face.

I wore a long, white t-shirt and a white slip, smudged with brown face paint to look like mud.

I smudged the brown paint across my legs and arms.

I carried a VHS tape and walked/crawled around really creepy.

All my friends at the party were sufficiently freaked out.

Too bad only one of them took pictures 

and for some reason deleted that album from FB since. :(

Those types of costumes always make me think of Mean Girls.

When Lindsay Lohan is dressed as a Zombie bride

and all the other girls are wearing lingerie. 

Classic.

And in 2008 I didn't dress up.

No fun.

So, that's it! My costumes since 2004! Thrilling, huh? :) 

Now, let me hear it! What should we dress as this year???

Double Standards

You know how we ladies always complain about double standards that work against us? Such as girls who sleep around are sluts, but guys who do it have "game." Well, I'm here to say there are some double standards that work against the guys, too. For instance, girls can get away with wearing a man's shirt and boxer shorts, but if a guy puts on a nightie he's suddenly a cross dresser! Okay..that one was mostly a joke! 

But there are some serious double standards in my marriage, and they do not work in the favor of the hubs! 

In our house, there are few, if any, gender roles. We both cook, clean, do laundry, etc... It's not considered MY job because I'm the woman. Scott willingly helps with all of these things. In fact, he's a better cook than I am and he's WAY more diligent about things like making the bed and promptly washing the dishes after dinner. But notice I said in our house. Outside of the house is a completely different story. While we share all of those typical "women's duties," I do not offer to help with the "man" jobs in any way. 

Cutting the grass = man's job

Taking the trash {I don't mind taking it out of the house, but we live in the country and have to drive our trash to the recycling center once our outside can is full. I willingly tag along and help sort the recycling into the proper bins, but I'm not about to pick up the smelly, rotting garbage and haul it over into a germ ridden dumpster.} = man's job

Washing the cars = man's job {in my defense, if he weren't so darned PICKY about how the cars were cleaned, I may offer to help.}

So, I guess I'm just trying to say...sorry, babe! But that's just the way it's gonna go. :) 

Oh, one inside the house man job = KILLING BUGS! 

Do you and your husband (or significant other) have specific, gender roles? Do you, like me, feel it's okay for a man to do woman work, but women shouldn't have to do man jobs? Feminists, attack me...now! ;)

The Weekend Wrap-Up

Hello, all.

I don't know about you, but I had a GREAT weekend. You all know I started off my Friday in high spirits, listening to my Feel Good Playlist on Grooveshark, and being optimistic for the times to come. And my optimism paid off!

Friday Scott had to work a little late, but that night we watched Shrek Forever After and enjoyed a glass of wine. The movie was hilarious, and much improved from Shrek the Third and maybe even the second one, too. The first one is still the best, though. This one left me wanting to watch the old school Rumpelstiltskin movie. Did y'all see this when you were kids? I used to watch it over and over and OVER. I'm sure my parents loved me for it.

Saturday Scott had to work, unfortunately. But I mysteriously popped out of bed at 8 AM, which I never do...no matter how much sleep I got. I finished my book, watched several episodes of 90210 (yes, I'm still watching it! I'm afraid I'm hooked!), finished cleaning the house, worked out at home with Wii Fit and Just Dance 2, had some good quality God time (I just started reading a book called Enjoying God's Grace, and I think it's going to really open my eyes to a lot of truths I have been missing), and generally enjoyed the me time. When Scott got home we had dinner and then spent the night singing and listening to music (while Scott played along on the guitar) and playing a fun card game called Mad Gab. It's a game of word puzzles. We got it from my dad in our Christmas stocking and this was the first time we tried playing it. We were practically rolling on the floor laughing at the crazy things we were saying trying to figure out these puzzles!

Yesterday we had an awesome church service. Boy, do I love worshiping God! :) Then, we went home to cook the sauce for our spaghetti dinner and do a few chores. We live out in the country and we don't have a trash service. So, we have to load up our trash and recycling and take it to a dump or recycling center. We choose recycling center! Fortunately, there is one right down the road from our house. We also take our neighbor/land lord's trash when we go. Because we take their trash, they usually let us borrow their truck. Well, the truck is being used by the church for now, so we have been taking their car. We took the trash and as we tried to crank the car back up to leave the center, it wouldn't start. And there was a thunderstorm rolling in. We had to call our landlords and have them drive up to meet us with some jumper cables. So, that was quite the adventure! But after all that madness, we drove back to town and saw The Help. I LOVED the book, and I think I actually loved the movie just as much. It's rare that I like a movie as much as a book. I think they did a great job with it. If you haven't read the book...DO IT! If you haven't seen the movie...DO THAT TOO!! :)

Now, today I'm starting off the first week of fall classes. So, you may not see as much of me. But I shouldn't be as busy as I was over the summer. Summer classes are much more intense! I have one online class which I've already started working on (and it looks super easy so far), and 2 in-person classes. My first one is tomorrow night. I think both of those classes are going to be a CRAZY workload. So, I'm glad my online class seems easy. I'll be sure to update you after I go to my first meetings.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

~Christy~

Let's take the next step...email me!

When I first created this blog, I was hesitant to put my email address on it. At first I had no intentions of reaching out to a broader audience than my friends and family. I wanted a way to share my Christian walk with those I love. I still want to do that, but since I've broadened my horizons and have started following blogs of many people I don't know in real life, I've started thinking of the beauty of meeting new people. I'm not worried about weirdos trying to email me. I mean, it's just an email account after all...not my home address! I want to get to know you all better! Please continue to comment as usual on my posts (or more than usual if you don't comment!!!), but also feel free to email me a response, question, or just to chat! It's on the main page...first thing on the left hand side, but I'll give it to you here, also. 

ccurley0530(at)gmail(dot)com

I know I'm way behind in the times as most of you are chatting, skyping, and even having real-life meetings (or, as you call them, blates). But I wanna jump on the band wagon! :) 

Talk to you soon,

Christy

Feel Good Friday

Today is Friday! And despite things like Scott having to work late today and tomorrow or school starting back up next week, I'm still going to enjoy it! Today I'm having lunch with some ladies from work, and then heading home to relax. Tomorrow I'll do a few chores around the house (to not feel COMPLETELY guilty about husband having to work while I sit at home), and hopefully finish up the book I'm reading (One Summer by David Baldacci). Then Sunday I get to go to church to worship God like crazy, which I always love, and then we're going to see The Help. I'm so excited! I LOVED the book, and am looking forward to seeing how the movie turned out. 

And today, to truly enjoy this Friday, I'm listening to my Feel Good Playlist on Grooveshark. And I want to share the love! Check it out: http://grooveshark.com/playlist/Feel+Good+Music/58369127 

You can listen for free. :) Trust me, it's good stuff. Guaranteed to brighten your day. Here are just a few of the amazing artists you can enjoy:

• James Morrison
• Jason Mraz
• Matt White
• Ben Rector
• Boyce Avenue
• Joshua Radin
• Matt Nathanson
• Blues Traveler
• Eric Hutchinson
• Paolo Nadini

If you haven't heard of some of these, you want to give it a try! Trust me! :)

ENJOY--and I wish you all a Feel Good Friday and an amazing weekend! 

~Christy~

And because every post should have a picture...
here's to hoping for cooler weather SOON!
(Did I mention that I HATE summer??)

Serving Others...my inner ramblings

Lately I have felt challenged and encouraged to do more service work. I read the book Radical by David Platt. Our pastor has been preaching hard-hitting messages. And certain worship songs seem to be speaking directly to my heart, lately. I feel like God is teaching me what it means to serve others, revealing the need for service in the world, and preparing my heart for just that. The only trouble is, I'm not sure where to begin. I know I want to serve others, but I don't know how to get started. I serve at church all the time, which I love, but I also want to find ways to serve the lost--not just my fellow Christians. The starvation and disease taking it's toll on the horn of Africa is heartbreaking. Haiti, still piled so high with rubble, or Japan still suffering from their recent earthquakes...all these cases, and more, make me want to get out and help the world. I want to help those who are hurting. And I also want to share the love of God with others, so that even in hardships, they will have the joy of the Lord in their lives to sustain them. I also know that you don't have to go another country to serve hurt and  hungry people. There are people right here in our tiny community that need help and service. But how do you go about it? I feel like I can't just go up to strangers and ask how I can help them. And sometimes I'll see someone who I think looks needy, but I'm afraid to approach them, not wanting to offend them if they don't want help. And then there are the needy people who abuse the service of others by asking for money that they will only use for drugs, or who scheme and scam charitable people. I don't want to enable them... I guess I just don't know how to take the first steps in serving others. For now, I try to help out those who I know. One of my coworkers recently had a tree fall on her house. I donated to her and have offered to help in any way possible. I helped clean up my great-grandmother's house because she was physically unable to do it. Other than that, I donate clothing and money to various causes. But I'm wondering how to get more directly involved in service in my community and in the world. Have any of you done service work or have any advice for finding ways to get involved? I'm so thankful that God has put this on my heart. I guess for now I'll just continue to listen and submit to Him in any way I can, trusting that He will guide and provide a means for me to serve others in His name and to His glory.

~Christy~

My CRAZY, weirdo, random thoughts...

Do you ever wonder, in a given moment, 

how many bugs are in the same room, building, or general vicinity as you? 

How many of them are lurking behind walls 

or tucked away in the nooks and crannies of your room and furniture?

Or you do you ever wonder what you would see

if you could rewind your life

and see from a different perspective

all the close encounters with bugs that you didn't notice before?

How many times has a GIANT spider been hiding underneath the patio chair you were sitting on?

And how many times has a roach crawled across the wall behind your head while you slept?

Yeah...I'm crazy.

I really don't like bugs.

And thinking about these crazy, somewhat morbid, possibilities

really makes me shudder!

Do you have any crazy, weirdo, random thoughts like this? 

(not necessarily related to BUGS)

~Christy~

It's Complicated

Occasionally I have to remind myself why I love living in South Georgia. Because every now and again the reasons why I HATE dislike it seem to pile up and seem overwhelming. This especially happens in the summer. Boy, do I hate summer! The muggy, suffocating heat! We've been on a heat advisory for the last week or so. That means it's DANGEROUS to be outside here! That just isn't right. And as if the life threatening danger weren't enough, there are BUGS. Lots of them. Gnats mainly. Buzzing around your ears and eyes with that annoying, high pitched drone that can send anyone into a temper tantrum when combined with the awful heat. And we're far away from so many people who I love and miss like crazy. Our nearest family member lives 3 1/2 hours away. My niece is growing up super fast, 4 hours away, and I miss all the wonderful little milestones along the way. My sister is racing through her teenage years and has a father who makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for me to spend any real time with her. And I have grandparents who are aging, their last years going by, and here I am...seeing them once a year, if that.

When all these things pile up, it puts me in a bit of a funk. Stupid summer.

So, I have to remember why I've been here for the past 7 years and have no real plans to leave anytime soon. And it's not just because of school. It's because this is my home. It's more my home than any other place in the world. Even the town I grew up in is not my own anymore. And I really do love it.

We're within driving distance of the beach! 

We are super blessed with a wonderful house
complete with a pond
and sunsets to die for

I have lots of friends.
I know it's weird that I put up a picture of just one friend.
And me in toilet paper.
This was a for a bridal shower.
I like the picture.
Deal with it! :)

We're only an hour away from Savannah

And I do love Georgia Southern.
With all my heart.
I can't imagine attending or working for a different school.
But I am willing to work somewhere else.
maybe.
One day.
If the timing and opportunity is right.

And perhaps most importantly, we have a wonderful church family here.
We actually rent our house from our pastor's parents.
We are very close with the family.
We've made lots of great friends.
And the message and worship music is the best we've found.
I would be afraid to move somewhere and lose it.
but I know if we are called to move,
God will provide an anointed church for us to join. 

How about you? Ever think about moving? What keeps you where you are?

~Christy~

2 in one day! Just a couple pictures... :)

Hi, folks. I know I literally JUST submitted a post. But I wanted to share a couple pictures of the few crafty things I've done in an attempt to redecorate our home. :) 

This is the "hole" in our living room. 
It was designed to put a TV in it, but we have an entertainment unit for that.
This is how I decorated it when we first moved in. 
I like it. But it's a little boring. 

This is how it looks now. 
There's a little more going on, and it's more colorful. 
I still need to find a place for all our Picaboo albums, though....
And the tallest two candle holders still need candles!

These were just plain, wooden letters that I painted. 

This idea I really loved!
I found this VERY pretty pot for only $7.
I bought a foam insert.
I painted 4 white pipe cleaners blue and green.
I twisted them together, in pairs, leaving a fork at the top.
I taped pictures to the front of the forks.
Then I stuck in some colorful sprigs.
That's my fabulous niece, by the way! :)

This was just a wooden bird house that I bought from Hobby Lobby
for about $3.
I used Mod Podge to paste scrapbook paper to the tops.
I cut up pieces of another print of scrapbook paper and glued them
together on the front.
Then I painted the sides, bottom, and top blue.
Cute, huh? 

Again, just a plain wooden frame. $4
Mod Podged scrapbook paper to decorate it.
You can tell it's not perfect, but from further away it's really not obvious at all.

I wanted to use the pipe cleaners/pictures idea with Mason jars, too.
These are just ideas I'm playing around with.
They are not finished products.
Will likely find something pretty to fill the jars with.
I'm also not so sure about that polka dot ribbon....

I don't plan to leave the wall like this. It's far too plain and small
for such a large wall.
But I do like the scrapbook there.
I'll probably put more things up and rearrange the cross...or move it entirely.

This is the cross up-close.
It was only about $7.
Plain wood.
I used Mod Podge to glue the blue scrapbook paper onto it first.
Then I cut and positioned the pictures.
I used Mod Podge on the backs of the pictures to glue them down,
and then over the top of the whole thing for a protective, matte finish.
I also played with the colors of the pictures before printing them so they looked a little more muted.

 Well, that's it so far! I've got more ideas and definitely want to play around with things some more. After finishing up the living room, I'll probably move on to the guest room. I'm pretty satisfied with the other rooms in our house for now The sun room is a little plain, but whenever I get around to putting a fresh coat of paint on it and maybe reorganizing the bookshelves a little, I think it'll look much nicer.

What are some cheap and creative things you've done in your home lately? I'd love to hear!

~Christy~

An insightful thought...brought to you by 90210

First of all, I admit I have been watching old reruns of Beverly Hills, 90210 on the SOAP network. I used to watch this when I was younger (it's great for children, I know) and when it recorded as a suggestion on my TiVo, I decided to revisit the old show. I actually still like it! And of course I only remember tiny tid-bits, so it's almost like watching it for the first time. And I'm getting a huge kick out of the early 90's styles. Also...why are all the girls ghostly pale if they live in Beverly Hills? Maybe tans weren't cool until the past decade or so.

ANYWAY, today I was watching it and actually had a thought relevant to my Christian walk. Crazy, right? So, I'm here to share it with my bloggy friends! :)

The episode was about safe sex and Andrea was heading up a program to educate the high school students about birth control and STDs. She really dove head first into the project. She wanted everyone to join her mission. She started confronting all her friends, and even complete strangers. She put together informative pamphlets to hand out on the streets. Some of her friends were getting annoyed with her high and mighty attitude, and her insistence to do things that made them uncomfortable, like the pamphlets or having her friends write their sexual experiences and problems down for the school newspaper. One of the guys, Brandon, confronts her about it. He says, "The only people that will respond to these in-your-face methods are people who are already on your side." 


And that made me think...how much can we be like this in our mission to save the world and share the truth of the Gospel? I certainly do not think we should sit back and let people sink or swim. And I don't think we should "water down" the Gospel and make it more "world friendly" either. But what are our methods? How are we reaching the world? Is it by constantly confronting people, recommending songs and books they aren't interested in, handing them brochures they'll never read, inviting them to a church they'll never venture to on their own, quoting scripture they don't believe in anyway? Just how effective is that? It's likely the only people who will respond to these tactics are the people who are already saved. The people who already listen to Christian music, read Christian books, know and believe in the Gospel, attend church, and read the Bible. All the lost people...well, you're likely to just turn them away. Just like Andrea on the show.

So, maybe we should be investing more of our time in PEOPLE, RELATIONSHIPS, and showing the love of God through our ACTIONS and genuine TESTIMONIES and not by shoving Jesus propaganda down the throats of the lost. If that's our only tactic, it's no wonder so many of them don't like us at all.

Just a thought! I'd love to hear if you agree, disagree, or think I should be spending more time sharing the Gospel and less time watching crappy daytime TV... Well, that last one probably goes without saying!

~Christy~