Scripture Memory Verse 2 & New Beth Moore Study

2/1 Update:  Apprently I got a little excited about this post.  I'm generally going to try and post on the 1st and 15th of the month for Scripture Memory.  I just got a little ahead of myself.  Happy Monday!

Since it's January 30, I thought I'd post another entry about Scripture Memory again.  Feel free to jump in whenever, if you'd like.  Just leave a comment with your verse you're working on committing to memory.  You can read more about my original post here.

This Scripture memory was inspired by Beth Moore's blog, so while I'm on the topic, I thought I'd mention the study she is going to do about her new book, So Long Insecurity.  Her book comes out February 2, and I'm really excited about it.  I just love the studies Beth Moore does, and I love blogs, so this is a really good combo! 

Every Thursday (starting Feb. 11, I think), she will post new discussion questions from a couple of chapters of the book.  The details are all written out here on her blog.  I've already pre-ordered my book from Amazon.com so that it will just come right to me.  (I'm really excited.  And online shopping is addicting.)

On a more personal note, I was really inspired by one of my life-long and dear friend, Allison's post.  Here's my favorite part of the Oswald Chambers devotional from January 27, "Look Again and Think":

“Take no thought for your life.” Matthew 6:25

"A warning which needs to be reiterated is that the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things entering in, will choke all that God puts in. We are never free from the recurring tides of this encroachment. If it does not come on the line of clothes and food, it will come on the line of money or lack of money; of friends or lack of friends; or on the line of difficult circumstances. It is one steady encroachment all the time, and unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up the standard against it, these things will come in like a flood."

 

I also like the Message version from Matthew 6.

 

And you count far more to him than birds...Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

 

Easier said than done, my friends, but I have found life is much more manageable when I let God figure it out. 

 

Happy Weekend.

Ode to Papa

One of my favorite things about moving back after college has definitely been the time I spend with my grandparents.  My grandmother passed away during my third week of college after a long battle with dimensia.  A year later, Papa married another lady whom I love dearly as well.  She has added a certain spice to his life, in addition to 10 grandkids.  The three of us go to choir together on Wednesdays and usually catch a meal in there sometime during the week.  It's always entertaining, and I'd like to think the feeling is mutual.  Afterall, who doesn't love their grandkids?? 

This is one of my favorite pics of us.  It was taken at my graduation party last May.

Papa called me on Tuesday around 11 a.m. and asked if I had lunch plans.  He wanted to come take me to lunch and see my office.  Who am I to turn down a free meal and show off my office?  I gladly accepted the invitation and made my desk look a tad more organized (so really I just stacked things up). 

He met some of my office friends and charmed them, of course.  And we finally made it to the end of the hall where I am.  I really do have a great set up: a door, four walls and a big window.  These are the things he saw:

My parents framed my diploma for Christmas, and now it sits in my office.  I get to look at it every day, and I love it!

I also have a map of Texas on the wall:

Since I am on the state team here at work, I work with all 20+ walksites.  I was having issues remembering where these places were, and I was really tired of looking them up online.  So, being a very visual person, I slapped a map on the wall and went to town, color-coding the different locations.  I had an interesting time finding places like Alice, Texas, and I'd forgotten how large our great state really is.  It's HUGE! 

Papa loves History and Geography, so he particularly enjoyed the map.  He constantly laughs at my lack of direction.  (It seems he was born with an internal compass.  Unfortunately it didn't get passed on to me.)

After Papa visited my office, we went to lunch at Schlotzky's and had a grand time catching up.  It was quite a treat. 

American Idol Auditions

Well, here it is:  the post you've all been waiting for.  Ok, not really.  But I'd like to think that.  

I Twittered just for this occasion, so I've mixed in a few Tweets in blue throughout the post! (Not necessarily in order... :-) 

Fox posted the dates and locations for tryouts last summer, and I decided to go for it.  I remember watching Kelly Clarkson win that first year, and thinking that was just about the coolest thing ever.  It's been a dream of mine ever since.  (As cheesy as it sounds!)

A few nights before I went to the auditions, some girls came over for a Bible Study.  It was one that Beth Moore did on her blog just for the summer, and we had to take a pic and upload it.  This is a self-timer photo...hence why our heads are cut off!  But these girls were a major part of my summer, and they were so sweet to listen to me sing my audition song and give input for what to wear.  Here's Lyndsy, Katie and Claire with me earlier that week:

My sidekick for the day (two days, really!) was Katie.  I asked her especially because I knew she would make it a memorable experience, having no issues making friends with perfect strangers!  She is definitely one who thrives on adventure and few hours of sleep.  I've seen it in Europe.

So off we went, Wednesdaymorning to get our wristbands and tickets.  There was no cost, except for your time and less sleep.  We left her house in Colleyville for the brand new Cowboys stadium in Arlington at 4 a.m.  (It's still very dark.)

Why hello world. 4 am sure came quickly! 4:36 AM 

We stood in a line that wrapped at least halfway around the building.  Despite it being mid-June, it wasn't hot until right before we got in the building at 8 a.m.  Between the hours of 4 a.m and 8 a.m., we hung out on the sidewalk and people watched.  I realized there was a form you had to bring with you that I'd forgotten.  I Googled the nearest FedEx/Kinko's and took Katie's car to find it.  I got the paper and stepped back in line.  Turns out you didn't really need it until Friday, but that's ok.  It made me feel more adventurous. 

Around 8:30 a.m., we got inside, and we each got a wristband.  Mine was blue; Katie's was gray.  And yes, we have matching Baylor rings.  (And I miss my solar nails, but that's beside the point here!)  I was allowed to gawk at the ginormous stadium for approximately two seconds before they asked me to move along.  Pretty incredible place. 

We spent the rest of the day back in Colleyville, and we were supposed to learn Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" for the day of auditions.  They wanted everyone in the crowd singing it.  I strongly dislike that song now because of the sheer number of times we had to sing it on camera, plus the fact that it says "sucks" a lot.  

Katie [KK] is the best A Idol buddy. She was up late researching the auditions and is more excited than I am! What more could I ask for??

6:00 AM Jun 26th, 2009 from txt

Set my alarm for 3:55 am. Signing off for the night. Maybe I'll wake up the next American Idol 10:18 PM Jun 25th, 2009 from txt

Anywho, I spent Thursday night with Katie again, and we got up to actually audition this time.  She was such a trooper.  We got in line outside again for another four hours.  Just waiting.  Cars like this were painted with all sorts of American Idol excitement.

And we're off! Kelly clarkson on the radio. Its a sign. Dry honey nut cheerios = the breakfast of champs 4:46 AM Jun 26th, 2009

@cowboys stadium-major traffic jam waiting to get in here. Kris Allen on radio singing
Aint No Sunshine. So good. More inspiration. :-) 5:11 AM Jun 26th, 2009 

We saw one of last season's finalists, Alexa Grace interviewing people, along with a myriad of other sites to see. 

Saw the sun rise for the second time this week! Moved closer to getting into the stadium. 

Fox is having people sing on camera.

6:27 AM Jun 26th, 2009 

Around 8 a.m. we were permitted into the stadium to find our seats.  It was bedlam, even though we all had assigned ticket numbers. 

Once we all got in there, we sang Kelly Clarkson's song over and over and over again for the cameras.  Everyone was really excited and wanted to be on camera.  And of course, the day wouldn't have been complete with out the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Dallas cowboy cheerleaders just showed up. They're saying "welcome to dallas" I wonder how many times we'll do this? I'm loving TV.

8:09 AM Jun 26th, 2009 

Idol has a moment of silence for the king of pop

9:10 AM Jun 26th, 2009

Then they called us down to the floor by section.  So we sat another two hours waiting and watching crazies.  A few people got golden tickets to the next round, but not very many.  And just to note, tryouts were the day after Michael Jackson died, so there was a whole lot of hoopla about that.

The first 4 just went to the a table. Makes me nervous to watch them!

3 got cut from the first group but one girl got the golden ticket for the next round. 

Makes me excited/nervous all the way down to my toes!

8:57 AM Jun 26th, 2009

Finally it was my turn.  I headed to the floor and got butterflies in my stomach.  Then there was more waiting as we fell in line four at a time.  We finally headed to one of 13 tables where a producer sat.  We got closer and closer.  I made friends with those on either side of me:  one was a (good looking) plumber, the other was a (good looking) musician that had already tried out in a few other cities. 

My seat section is ON DECK. We will line up soon to sing!O my gosh. 

I'm IN LINE. Probably another 30 mins of waiting at least. Stay tuned. 

11:28 AM Jun 26th, 2009 
Made friends in line with a musician and a plumber. 
12:04 PM Jun 26th, 2009 

How much more random could it get? 

Ah, the american dream. I'm up next!

The four of us eventually made it to a producer.  I think I went second.  I stepped up in front of him and sang "Anyway" by Martina Mc Bride (see, I remembered this time).  Well, I take that back.  I sang part of it.  A verse and the chorus.  That was it.  Then everyone else did their thing.  It was loud.  The tables were divided by black curtains, but that certainly didn't block the noise!

After we all four sang, the producer said, "Ok folks.  Thanks for coming out today.  You can exit to your left."  And that was it.  

I walked out of Cowboys Stadium around noon, and it took a while to weave through the underground railroad tunnels.  Eventually I found Katie again, and we set out for lunch. Surprisingly, I don't remember much more of that day, except that we ate, and I took a nap.  But the whole experience was really fun, and I'm so glad I did it.  

The producers look for what will make "good" TV, so when crazies came by, even if they couldn't sing, a lot of times they would get through to the next round.  I saw a lot of funny things.  Here are a few that i Tweeted about:

I spy dorothy with ruby slippers. No joke.Dorothy just got a golden ticket

10:12 AM Jun 26th, 2009

I Spy Miss Texas 08, crystal stewart-she wore her sash todayKK made a new friend with the girl in front of us. We are on the 4th time of the group song "my life would suck without you" omg

I spy a hardcore looking guy w/ a curious george stuffed animal. Go figure.

7:25 AM Jun 26th, 2009 

I spy 3 blond wigged cheerleaders with matching black tank tops that say "Amanda". 

The news cameras just spotted them

6:13 AM Jun 26th, 2009

I spy someone in a chicken costume. Let's play the game all day-ready, set, go.

5:46 AM Jun 26th, 2009 

It was a really fun experience, even though I didn't make it through to the next round.  I'm so glad I did it.  It was one of the things on my bucket list.  I don't really have a desire to do it again, but it was a positive experience, for sure.

The NEXT Pioneer Woman...

It's me!   Just kidding.  I blogged about cheese muffins this weekend from The Pioneer Woman, and they turned out to be a big hit with some friends we had over Saturday night.  I love it when people love what you cook! 

Yesterday, I got this in the mail:

I excitedly unwrapped the Amazon.com box, and poured over it for a good solid hour.  I can't wait to see how the recipes turn out.  I'll keep you posted. 

Tonight is the Dallas American Idol.  I need to record it so I can see if my face was caught on camera.  Probably not--I think I'm too normal looking!  But it will be fun to watch.  Yesterday we had a January birthday celebration at the office, and when we sang "Happy Birthday" a few who knew about my A.I. experience asked why I didn't sing a solo right then (kidding, of course).  Well, that turned the whole room of 20 people to look at me, and I fielded questions for the next ten minutes about my experience.  I turned bright red at one point when I realized all eyes were on me!  They thought it was funny.  I didn't exactly agree.

Sometimes I get really self-conscious about talking about the experience.  People ALWAYS ask me what I sang.  And I can NEVER remember the name of the Martinia McBride song.  In fact, I  had to look it up just now to figure out the title of the song.   I sang "Anyways." Maybe typing it out will help me remember it next time.  So embarrassing!

That's all for now.  Happy Wednesday.

Watercooler Conversation & American Idol

Well, I had my first Watercooler conversation today.  At least I think that's what it was.  Aren't those the impromptu conversations you have at a random location in the office about work-related things?  I guess it had to happen at some point.  That would make sense, since I am, afterall, working.  It was kind of surreal, since I don't usually feel like I'm old enough to be working.  Typically I keep my work in my office, and work with people in other cities, so most of it's done by email and phone.  (Hence why this was an out-of-the-ordinary experience.)

My boss (in another city) has been out sick this week, so that leaves me to pretty much hold down the fort.  I want to ask them if they think it's ok for a recent college grad to hold it down.  Apparently they think it's normal.  Weird.

I just had one of those flashback moments where I was in college, I came home in between classes, and then headed out to Sing Practice, Choir Practice, Sonic Happy Hour, or Visit with Friends, or some combination of all of those.  To think that not to long ago, that was my life...it's very strange.

Now, I sit at a desk and listen to three-hour conference calls, make plans with big companies, and take care of myself.  It's very surreal, and somtimes I question how I got here, and if this is really my life.  Apparently it is. 

I think this is what they call a "stream of consciousness" post.  Welcome to my head.

Tonight, Roomdog and I are heading to another friend's house to watch American Idol.  I'm excited because I think they are showing Dallas auditions.  Maybe I'll catch a glimpse of myself on TV.  I should probably post about my A.I. experience soon.  Coming soon to this blog near you.

Dear Lady A...

Good morning bloggy world.  It's a good day!  Lady Antebellum's new album came out today, and that got me out of bed this morning.  (Not sure if that's a good thing, but I'm going with it...I got up!)  I'd had almost an entire cup of coffee from my little red coffee maker before I left my house this morning, listenting to my freshly-downloaded Lady A.  Usually I'm running out the door, debating whether or not to take the time to make it.  Totally worth it.  I think it might be a new routine. 

Anyway, back to Lady Antebellum.  Definitely my favorite band right now.  (Really for the last two years, when they were still new.)  I think I like the fact that they were nobodies and now they've won Group of the Year.  They write their own music, which I really respect, and their lyrics...oh, the lyrics.  I'm such a words girl.

My favorite song right now is American Honey.  Here are the lyrics to the first part of the song:

She grew up on a side of the road

Where the church bells ring and strong love grows

She grew up good

She grew up slow

Like American honey

Steady as a preacher

Free as a weed

Couldn't wait to get goin'

But wasn't quite ready to leave

So innocent, pure and sweet

American honey

There's a wild, wild whisper

Blowin' in the wind

Callin' out my name like a long lost friend

Oh I miss those days as the years go by

Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime

And American honey

I love it!  I really like all the songs.  Thanks, iTunes for instant gratification.  Happy Tuesday.

Love, Lady Shay

What's on the menu today?

I love Fridays: you have the whole weekend ahead of you. I love Saturdays...especially the ones where you don't have anything specific planned. And I love Sundays because of Church, and then afternoon naps and football games. (Yes, really.) Basically I love the weekends. Who doesn't??

One of the blogs I've started to read recently is The Pioneer Woman. I think I like it for a lot of reasons. First, she chronicled her and her husband's love story in segments on her blog. And it's very funny. And I love love. Really. Basically, she grew up living on a golf course, had plans for law school and city life, and in one moment, met a rancher at a bar, and he found her again four months later (they live in a very small town), and they dated and fell in love and now she lives on a ranch with husband and their four kids (she calls them "punks"). She has adapted to ranch life, and cooks! She uses really basic ingredients to make really yummy stuff. Now, she even has a cookbook, which I've ordered.

You may be wondering what weekends and cooking have in common. Well, I have a lot of time today, and I made one of her recipes.

Cheese Muffins:

Yum. (photo by The Pioneer Woman) They were pretty good. I made them for lunch with homemade chicken fingers. Lyndsy showed me how to make them in Europe, and now I'm hooked on how easy and delicious they are!

Dress Up

To lighten things up around here on this little bloggy, I thought I'd post some particularly funny photos that I found on my computer. Stay tuned...there are more.

Nashville Dog Park Day

(October 2009)

How. Just at little stop with Katie at Buc-ees on the way to Houston for various weddings (August 2009)

Katie and I helped Kimmell celebrate his b-day at Joe's Crab Shack, complete with costumes.

(Summer 2009)

Happy Thursday!

Good and Gracious

Another earthquake hit Haiti this morning around 6 a.m. I thought of my friend there, and went to check her blog. There was no news at that point, but I learned later today that they are fine.

This is from their most recent post yesterday:

We're ok. Why? How is that possible. This is why.

Therefore those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Our hope does not in asking the question why but in knowing the character of a good, trustworthy, and gracious God. -1 Peter 4

It's not ok here. Nothing is ok about the suffering in this place. It wasn't ok even before the quake.But we're ok- for one reason. Not because we're comfy, not because we're happy- it's because we know the character of the one who's in charge, and he. is. good. Good to the core. Not safe, not predictable, not tame, but wild and good and true, and redeeming all things, making all things new, all the time. He doesn't waste a thing.

I am beyond grateful that we have a faithful, good, trustworthy and GRACIOUS God. Aren't you?

One year ago today...

...I was on a plane to Maastricht, the Netherlands. I cannot begin to explain what an adventure those three months were. It was the trip of a lifetime!

When I set foot on Baylor's campus in August of 2005, if you'd told me that I would spend my last semester of college in various foreign countries, I would have laughed in disbelief. You were talking to the girl who couldn't handle a week at summer camp before my senior year in high school. Going off to college two hours from home was adventure enough!

(Freshman Homecoming, 2005)

Well, gone is that girl who is terrified of leaving home. In her place is a well-traveled, cultured 23 year year old. (If I do say so myself!). That's not to say I didn't get homesick. I definitely did. I missed my family and friends a lot. A LOT. But, I learned the art of keeping in touch through email and Skype, and even snail mail. I tried to send a postcard to my Great Aunt Jenny in North Carolina in every city I visited.

I took my last eight hours of class through independent study, so I corresponded with my professors by email. It prepared me for the job I have now--my boss is in Austin and my other team member in Houston. We navigated train schedules and hostel reservations. I wish I could say I gained a better sense of direction, but that's just not meant to be. Thankfully I made a great new friend, Lyndsy, who took care of the directions part! And when we were lucky enough to travel with Katie, she definitely added a whole other sense of adventure. Oh, the stories she tells.

I learned to travel with only a day-pack for a backpack, and I honed the art of packing. I'm telling you, ROLLING your stuff is the secret. It really works.

I learned that the best place to make friends were on the train--they could give you inside scoop to your destination.

I fell in love with whoever invented Long Johns. They are the best invention ever for someone that gets chilled so easily. I wore them every. single. day. with. out. fail. Even into April.

London was a great place to start. I actually did have a sense of direction there, much to Katie's surpise. Something about Subway systems make sense. We got great, cheap seats to see Les Miserables and Wicked.

Spain was my favorite. Perhaps it was the warm sunshine we hadn't seen in months, or the familiar Spanish language, or the apartment-style hostel we lived in with 10 of our friends. That is at the top of my list of places to go back to.

Rothenburg, Germany wins for being the most quaint. I remember the snow and all the good food we ate: Chinese food, German food and Italian food. Dutch food left much to be desired, so by the time we traveled there on our third week in Europe, I definitely appreciated it.

Nice, France was the most picturesque--without a doubt. I really have no words.

Easter in Rome was unforgettable. Mainly because I fainted and was cared for by the Pope's very own doctors and nurses.

Pompeii, Italy was something I'd wanted to see since my seventh grade Latin class when we learned about Mt. Vesuvius' eruption that swept over the city, catching its residents mid-run. I also ran into a friend that I worked with at Southwest Airlines. My small world just got smaller.

Oh, what semester. I gained so much independence and confidence in those three months. I learned much about myself, about relationships, and about Europe. I cemented friendships with those I traveled with and with those I kept in touch with. It was quite the adventure.

I quickly got acclamaited back to life in the states--making regular runs to Sonic Happy Hour for a Dr. Pepper. I graduated from college and began the job hunt. I've now worked long enough to have my own insurance--weird. To say life has changed in the last year would be an understatement. But I'm learning to like this new life, too. But as I sit at my desk some days, flashes of Europe play in my head. They make me smile the most.

Pants on the Ground

This weekend at church, I spent it with 11th Grade Girls for Winter Weekend (aka Disciple Now). They were the sweetest group of girls, and I had so much fun with them and digging into deeper things.

Our big sessions with the whole youth group had a variety of entertainment options: a magician, a rapper, the New Zealand band Detour 180, the speaker and a comedy duo that was actually pretty funny. One of the things they referenced right away was the clip from American Idol where this old guy rapped a song called "Pants on the Ground." I went and looked it up, and could not stop rolling.

I tried to embed the video in this post from YouTube, and I can't really figure out how to do it. So just click here to follow the link. Enjoy. And if you know how to embed a YouTube video, let me know!

On a more serious note, please continue to pray for Ben and Katie in Haiti. They have to decide soon if it's best to stay there or evacuate. We also have another friend, Diane, at church that went as a nurse with a group of doctors to Haiti yesterday morning--please lift them up as well.

His Word Does Not Return Empty!

I was just trying to come up with something to blog about today. One of my favorite sites to check is Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries blog. It is uplifting, insightful and very funny, too.

Last year, they had a Scripture Memory Team, where you committed to memorizing a specific verse on the 1st and 15th of each month, and if you did 20 out of 24 verses, you could come to a special event Beth Moore was putting on just for this group of people. I was pumped to hear about it & also excited to start it up in 2010.

As today is January 15, I was hoping they would post more information on this, and they did. Alas, it was not what I wanted to hear! LPM isn't doing the Scripure Memory Team this year, but that doesn't mean we can't memorize it this year on our own!

So, if you would like to be a part of the 2010 Scripture Memory Fiesta (I'm open to naming this differently!), just add a comment with your verse that you would like to commmit to memory over the next two weeks. Write it out in whatever version you find can relate to best, and leave it in the comments section. This way, others can get ideas for which scriptures they might want to learn.

It doesn't have to be really long, but it could be. Just as long as we're hiding God's Word in our Hearts, I think that's a great start! (Does anyone else remember Steve Green's Hide 'em In Your Heart music? Tell me yes.)

I will leave you with this, from Isaiah 55:

10 As the rain and the snow

come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 So is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

will clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the LORD's renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed."

Happy Friday!

ps. For the Deltas: I just loved the pine tree reference in verse 13. Made me smile.

Haiti

UPDATE: To get a very real sense of what it's like for those in Haiti, check out my Baylor Student Foundation Friend and her husband's blog. They just move there to be missionaries two weeks ago.

Ben and Katie in Haiti

Not very often do I turn on the TV to get my news. My main source of news comes as I make my way to work each morning and listen to the radio. As a Public Relations major who had to know current events for pop quizzes, I suppose it is a shame that I use only one source to get my news. But hey, at least I'm getting it.

I heard about the earthquake in Haiti yesterday, but perhaps because I hadn't seen photos or really knew much about it, I wasn't aware of the magnitude of the situation. This morning as I got ready, I prayed that I would have an urgency and also have compassion for those in Haiti. Well, the Lord answered fast.

As soon as I got to work, I looked through my typical blogs I like to check, and one after another came up about ways to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti.

Living Proof Ministries, Beth Moore's organization, has posted a list of ways to donate to the disaster relief. This is what they have written:

Compassion is already in active operation toward aid for Haiti and so is World Vision. You can also get on the official Red Cross website and give online. Go to Redcross.org then look for "donate" and choose "International Response Fund."

Text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts. It will be charged on your cell phone bill.

My heart goes out especially to those children sponsored by Compassion International. I have much respect for that organization and the work that it does in Jesus' name to meet the physical and spiritual needs of children and families in impoverished conditions.

Please consider donating as much or as little as you can. And of course the best thing we can do is get on our knees and pray.