soapbox

Today I started reading through facebook statuses (more like stalking) and I came across a girl I used to be friends with in high school. We haven't really seen each other after graduation but we're friends on facebook. She now lives with her boyfriend and parties a lot. It just got me thinking. This girl's mom said probably more than once while we were friends that I was a bad influence. She was even "not allowed" to come over to my house. Then I thought of another parent who said I was a bad influence. This parent utterly embarrassed me when they asked me to leave their house while the rest of my friends got to stay and spend the night because I was "untrustworthy". Their daughter lived with her boyfriend for a while and also partied a lot. And yet another parent said that she and "more adults in the church" thought I was trouble. Her daughter now has a baby with a man who she is not in a relationship with because he is in a relationship with somone else. See a trend here?

I have never in my life been drunk, smoked a single cigarette, done any drugs except ones prescribed to me, had sex, or many other things that might could qualify someone as a "bad influence". Maybe before you go and try to blame problems with you or your children on someone else you take a step back and think about whether the problem is them...or you.

Matthew 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."

In high school I went to a club with 3 of my friends. We didn't dance with anyone, we didn't drink, and we got in legally. We didn't do anything wrong. However, we got a talking to from a couple of adults who thought that by us going we were wrong. I went to a boys room with a couple of my friends on a church trip to watch a movie when we were supposed to be in our rooms. We sat nowhere near each other. Apparently that makes someone completely untrustworhy. My "friend" told a boy something she did and HE told everyone else but then claimed I was spreading rumors about her and that makes ME bad enough for adults to think I am trouble.

It is interesting how people take a bad thing and make it define that person. They don't see all of the times I went to a bar or a party so that I could be someone's DD so they wouldn't kill themselves or others. They don't see all the mission trips I have been on to spread the Gospel. They don't see all of the small groups I have either led or been a part of. They don't see all of the high school girls that I have spent so much time praying over and praying with. Those things are completely irrelevant to them. But not to Christ. The things that I did for people to consider me a bad person were completely wiped away (if they were ever written in the first place) and are as far as the East is from the West.

Believe it or not, I am a pretty good person despite all of the haters. Sure I make mistakes but I have a God for that. I don't need people who barely know me to tell me who or what I am. That is a right that only Christ has. He will be the only one who will ever be able to define me. Ephesians 3:12 "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." I know who I am and I believe in Christ Jesus and I live everyday by faith in Him. I will answer to Him for any missteps I make make along the way. Not to anyone of this world.

Sorry, I will get off my soapbox.

the ship

HOLY COW! Auburn won the SEC Championship and now we're headed to Glendale for THE Championship! I can't believe it. I just booked mine and Josh's flights and our hotel room in Arizona! I think my dad is going to try to go with us. Then of course whoever else we can squeeze into the room we will. We don't know if we have tickets to the game for cheap or if we'll have to pay a boat load. But for Auburn this is pretty much once in a lifetime so we're going no matter what. Of course because of the game I got NO studying done so that will be my life for the next few days. Let me know if you're going to be in Glendale Arizona on January 10th 2011 because I will be :)

amazeballs

Tomorrow is our last day of classes. I cannot believe it. All that stands between me and Christmas break(and a good night's rest) is 3 finals and my OSCE. I started thinking back on the semester today and I realized I have just seen so much of Christ in the past couple of months. I have seen his obvious work in my life. I saw first hand God working things together for my good. I know that this is God's plan for my life and I have been able to give Him all the glory. Every single step that got me to this point has been all Christ and because I am so incredibly blessed I can't help but turn it right back to Him. I am sure you all know my Mammalian saga. I found out I got that D in the Spring and bawled. I talked to the teacher and was stuck with my 69.5 and I bawled again. Numerous times during the summer I cried until my head hurt because I just knew I couldn't handle the work load ahead of me because I was so discouraged because of that grade. I worked so hard to come up 3 points short. I was angry, hurt, and felt cheated. 3 points was all I needed and the teacher didn't care one bit. Josh encouraged me and told me I could do it but I just thought "that is easy for you to say. you have no idea. you don't have to take this whole super hard class again". I literally couldn't even talk about it without crying.

But God had bigger and better. He showed me so much of Himself and His love for me through that whole experience. I have seen something I thought was just so terrible, turned so good. God completely flipped the switch. I see others who are also repeating the class still struggling and I have gone from a D to an A. There is no way I can claim that. I am not doing it at the expense of my other classes either. I am doing well in everything. I have all As and Bs. You may think I am dumb but I havent been able to say that about ANY semester of college. I started off with a C in Comp I and I was doomed. I am in complete awe of God's love for me. I am incredibly blessed. I have an awesome family who loves and supports me. I have an amazing boyfriend who encourages me and believes in me even when I don't believe in myself. I have the best friends who give me comic relief. I absolutely cannot complain but even better I can't help but give praise to God for it all.
Even though this semester is coming to an end, I can't wait to see what God has in store for me. I am positive it will be amazeballs :)

time flies

This past week has absolutely FLOWN by. I took a couple of books home convincing myself I was going to hunker down a day or two at the Trussville Public Library and get some stuff done. Yeah right. That was a complete waste of space in my suitcase. Good intentions I guess. Since we had a test on Friday night I didnt do any packing before then. I spent Friday night packing and putting up all of our Christmas decorations. My roommate Kim cracks me up at the amount of Christmas decorations (and other holiday decorations) she has. She pulled a trunk out of her closet and started pulling stuff out! We got our tree up and our lights and stockings hung. Santa would be impressed :) I woke up early Saturday morning and loaded the cra and headed home. Saturday was Kayla and Chad's wedding. It was seriously one of the sweetest weddings I have ever been to. It was definitely God-centered and precious. She looked absolutely amazing. Congratulations Mrs. Bates! Sunday night we went to my old church. Both of my grandmothers had a little concert. For those of you who don't know, my grandmothers have been best friends since before my parents even started dating. Their choir show was precious. Memaw even had a solo. Of course we went to Habaneros to celebrate. Josh amazed everyone by ordering super hot salsa while everyone else got mild. He is crazy like that. Monday I just hung out at home with my parents and my brothers. They were all off  work and out of school so we just watched TV, played games, and just hung out all day. Tuesday me, mom, and brothers went to lunch and shopping with Granny and then Stacie and I went to see Mel at her new job. Of all of my friends, I would least expect Mel to get a second job. But that is just what she has done so hopefully she loves it! Wednesday we went to get Thanksgiving decorations because we had my grandparents over for dinner. Spaghetti for pre-Thanksgiving. Delish. On Thanksgiving day we went to Granny's for too much of her amazing food. Then we painted door hangers. Last year we painted nutcrackers and Granny liked it so much she decided to make it a tradition! Then we played our family's annual Turkey Bowl. I scored 3 touchdowns! There is an upside to being a giant! Then Me and Josh went back to his house to visit with his family for a little bit. Finally, on Friday, we went to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl. Andy and Garrett went with us and we had a really good time! It was such an exciting game...well the 2nd half. We pulled it off and now it is on to South Carolina, again. War Eagle! I drove back to Auburn this morning and Toomer's was completely covered with toilet paper. It goes all the way down the street. Amazing.

My break was much needed and much enjoyed. Now I have to focus on the next 2 weeks. It could quite possibly be the most stressful 2 weeks of my life. Bring it on Harrison.

war eagle

We won the West! We're going to the SEC championship! Atlanta will turn orange in December. The Georgia game was probably one of the most fun games I have been to. It was exciting. It was emotional. It was awesome. After the clock went to 0:00 the fans and the students stayed in the stadium to celebrate. We stayed for a while. They played this video in the middle of it all.

War Eagle.
It has really been a fun season so far and it isn't even over. Stupid Georgia fans set the TP at Toomer's on fire. Way to be like the Alabama fans.

Now there is only Alabama left. Everyone seems to think we are going to lose. Well I say let them think that because it is when we're expected to lose that we win big. We got put into a lottery to get tickets to the SEC championship and then the bowl game that we go to (hopefully it is the one in Glendale!) I am praying I get both...is that selfish?   :)

almost there

Today is ONE MONTH until we are done with our first semester of pharmacy school. I cannot believe it is so close to being over. School has been going so great. I got another A on my mammalian test. Tomorrow we have a bonus test because everyone else in the class did terrible. I was 1 of 9 people to get a 90 or above out of about 150 people. God is too amazing. I got a 59 on this same test the first time I took it. Christ never ceases to amaze me at His control over everything in my life. In between now and Christmas break, we have a ton to do. We have 2 tests next week. Then I will have to do a little bit of studying over Thanksgiving break because I have 2 tests the week after and then finals the next week. However, I am going to enjoy that time off. I cannot wait to see my family and my friends! Kayla's wedding is that Saturday too. I cannot wait to see her marry Chad (expecially at the Alabama Theater) Me and Josh also have Iron Bowl tickets so we will be in Tuscaloosa (yuck) that Friday. Hopefully we won't regret that decision. Haha. I have been to Tuscaloosa a lot but I have never actually gone to a game. Hopefully WE will be the ones yelling our version of Rammer Jammer inside the stadium. After Thanksgiving break we have 1 week of class and then finals. Then I finally get to go home for a couple of weeks. I get to see Ashley Mills at Lindsey and Allen's wedding. I can't wait for that wedding too! I love weddings. I tear up at every one. I am such a sap. Ha! Maybe I will be able to keep it together at my own. I guess we'll see in a few years.

patients

I am getting ready to go on 2 patient visits today. I seriously have been blessed by the patients we go see every week. Thay really are 2 of the cutest sweetest little women on the planet. I love going to see them. You can really tell they benefit from not only the pharmacy part of it but aslo from the company. I love putting in the hour every week.

On another note, both me and josh have pulled a muscle in our backs. We are a sad sight to see. I have to work 10 hours this weekend and can't find someone to cover (which means standing for 10 hours aka hurting back) so pray I make it.