Simplicity & Sincerity

Leaving for the new fad

2010-11-19T20:43:00.001-08:00

Blogspot, I'm leaving you for tumblr. To the faithful few, you can follow me now at cassidysummers.tumblr.com if your heart so desires.

Mule Day

2010-11-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

Calvary, GA, home to 200 folks. Once a year, Mule Day, a festival and parade, draws 60-90,000. Activities include, but are not limited to, a mule parade, a craft show, syrup making, funnel cake eating. Here are a few photo highlights from today.

Forlorn

Regal

Sassy

Cassia

Photography

Darling

Laughter and Funnel Cake

Sighs

Last Day

2010-10-31T18:31:00.000-07:00

This morning, mom and I visited Park Street Church in downtown Boston, per a friend's recommendation. I loved it. From the liturgy to the hymns to the beautiful baby, Annabelle, baptized, to the many young faces mixed in with the many old faces, to the disabled scattered throughout the sanctuary, to the internationals, to the huge budget going towards international missions (40%), to the hour long sermon. Afterwards, mom and I went to Stephanie's on Newbury, a bistro that a friendly lady recommended to me one of my first days here. I ordered the best salad I have ever eaten, a warn goat cheese and pear salad. Delicious!

Then, mom and I strolled through the Boston Commons once more, observing folks playing Quidditch and Ultimate in costume.

We then went on a guided tour of The Freedom Trail. I felt like a schoolgirl, with all of my US History facts coming back, slowly pulled from their dormancy in the back of my brain.

On this trip, I have contemplated future careers. Get ready, I am ambitious. I would love to be a barista at Starbucks and do web/publication design on the side, I would love to buy groceries for people (Peabody Grocery Delivery here gave me the great idea), I would love to be a tour guide of Orchard House or the Freedom Trail, and I would love to teach US History, preferably to 5th-8th grades. I do not imagine that I would have the gusto to make a career change in the foreseeable future, but, at least I am dreaming. The Freedom Trail was fascinating. Following this, mom and I ate and then started home. We treated ourselves to some yummy desserts from the Whole Foods Market next to our B&B, and now I am about to pack for the trek home tomorrow. This blog will most likely lay dormant for a while after vacation, but for this week, I have enjoyed it immensely.

Concord, a Little Girl's Dream, and Selective Hitchhiking

2010-10-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today, mama and I took a commuter train from Cambridge to Concord. Concord, a tiny city, is packed with historical significance. Famous battles, famous authors, revolutionary thinkers, all occurred here. Our first stop was Orchard House, Louisa May Alcott's home. Touring this home and asking lots of questions and learning more of the authoress who influenced my childhood was quite a dream realized. As a 5th grader, I believe, my grandmother gave me a copy of Little Women. Since then, I have read the book at least 3 more times. I don't know that it is such an extraordinary book, but I have always been captivated by Jo, who stands as Louisa, in the novel. As a little girl, I longed to be Jo. I was fascinated by her spirit, her passion for writing, her love for her family, and I felt kindred with her as she struggled to understand herself. I did not know that I was longing to be Louisa May Alcott.

I learned today that Alcott wrote the book while living in Orchard House, but it was not the home the girls grew up in. The four sisters in the book, the March girls, represent the four sisters in the Alcott home. Mr. Alcott, a transcendentalist himself, encouraged his girls to find their niche, their giftings, and to explore them fully. Louisa wrote, Anna (Meg) acted, Beth (Beth) was a talented musician, and May (Amy) was an artist. Mr. Alcott's views on education, women's rights, and slavery were progressive. He was such an idealist, though, that his ideals often jeopardized his family's welfare. I left today wondering if this led to the intense responsibility and burden that Louisa felt to care for her family.

Orchard House School of Philosophy

After touring the Alcott home, mom and I walked to Walden Pond, the site of Henry David Thoreau's home where he wrote Walden, an influential book in the transcendentalist movement. Walden Pond is only 1.5 mi from downtown Concord. However, once we arrived, dusk was setting in, our legs were tired, and we would have to book it to make our train leaving Concord at 6:20. The next train was not until 10:30. So, we selectively hitchhiked. We scoped out the parking lot and approached a friendly looking couple getting into a 2 door BMW, explained our predicament, and they kindly offered us a lift.

Walden Pond

All in all, I enjoyed Concord immensely. I was most looking forward to this day out of all of our vacation days. The city is laced with historical meaning, every home is old, all the leaves were turning, and it is more beautiful that I imagined. I found that to be quite a feat, as I had imagined quite a place for the past 16 years or so. Exceeded hopes and dreams. Now that, is a gift.

Harvard, The Duck Tour, and a Cup o' Joe

2010-10-29T19:40:00.001-07:00

One block from our Bed and Breakfast, which is located on Prospect St, is this street, Harvard St. Every time I step onto Prospect Street, I think of Coldplay, which I find to be a wonderful thing, as Coldplay is my shameless indulgence. This morning, mom and I decided to walk to Harvard. From our B&B, we only had to make one turn, and then we were about a mile from the prestigious university itself. Once inside Harvard Square, mom said a hush came over the place. We were a little melodramatic. I insisted that everyone looked intelligent, well most everyone. As a nerd myself, I feel confident in my ability to assess one. Mom is a little more skeptical of my assumptions and assessments.

After Harvard, we went on a Duck Tour, which everyone and their brother had recommended to us. It was a guided tour full of random facts. The Duck mobiles can go on land or sea. We just did the land version. It was cold today, so the Duck Tour was nice for a warm reprieve from the elements. I have been impressed with how many places I covered by foot before mom ever got here. I think I am getting the ropes of this city.

We then hopped off the Duck Tour into a plethora of local market vendors, ate a hot dog and split a huge cookie, and bought Cheers merchandise in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The opening song to Cheers is one of my earlier memories. After all of this, we were pooped, so we cozied up in a Starbucks and spent time with Jesus and coffee and then headed back to Cambridge.

Finally, we ended the day at Mr. Bartley's, a Cambridge burger joint and then meandered through the Harvard New and Used bookstore next door. I ordered the "Michelle Obama burger", a sweet and spicy burger, garnished with bleu cheese dressing and cajun spices. (At this point in the day, I am impressed with my tummy's fortitude for junk food) I also found an Alice Munro book for $5.99. She is currently my favorite short story authoress. So tonight I sit content in my Boston souvenir (thanks, mom!)- a long-sleeved Cheers shirt, windows open, 50 degree breeze blowing softly through, blogging, while mama talks to Tiff on the phone. Vacation. It's nice.

Welcome Mama

2010-10-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today, my mom arrived in this grand city called Boston. I enjoyed greeting her in the airport and then realized just how much I had missed face to face interaction with people I love and know, who also love and know me in return. Boston and Cambridge through my mom's eyes was sweet experience alongside of her. She marveled at, and still continues to, the public transportation system, the little restaurants on every bustling corner, the fall leaves, the public parks. At one point she even said, "I see why you don't want to move back to Jacksonville." Not that Tallahassee triumphs over Jacksonville, but there is something enchanting about all of these things that bigger cities hold. And I would say, for me, bigger cities that experience all four seasons, hold.

We walked across the Longfellow Bridge, which links Cambridge to Boston, I then napped while she read in Boston Common, and we grabbed two meals in between and did lots of chatting. Lots. I feel as if I am almost at my word quota for the day now.

Tonight I sat on the balcony of our B & B while talking to a special friend, and the cool air and quiet hum of the suburb was nice. Now, I am off to relax with my mama and rest deeply and anticipate the adventures to come tomorrow.

Today every tree in Boston declared, "It's Fall!"

2010-10-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

And I responded, "Why, thank you!"

For the past 48 hours I have been solo in Boston. My mom was to arrive tonight, but her flight was canceled, and she will now arrive tomorrow late-morning. I have spent a lot of time living in my own head. Good thing I am an introvert at heart, so I take the solitude as a deep, refreshing gift.

Tuesday:

Yesterday, I felt a little timid as I ventured out of my hostel. My throat was sore, I had no firm agenda, and I felt gun-shy about hopping into the new Boston terrain. Once out and about, my iPhone's walking GPS made navigating around downtown quite easy. I puttered around a public garden, found a lovely used bookstore, ate a whole carton of strawberries (as they contain the most vitamin C per ounce and were delicious and cheap from a produce stand) read in Boston Common while listening to Arcade Fire's new album, window shopped in Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Chinatown, lounged in Starbucks, got the top of my right ear pierced, and went to AMC and watched The Social Network. After the movie, it was growing dark, so I found a mom and pop pizza joint and realized that the man taking my order was Mediterranean. I quickly changed my order to a Mediterranean veggie dish that came with a side salad, rice, and hummus. Delicious! I had sauteed mushrooms, broccoli, fried eggplant, lots of onions and green peppers, which I used to scoop up the rice. During both lunch and dinner friends happened to call me. Both times, I realized that I was having my first real dialogue of the day when I was chatting with them. Prior to lunch, the extent of my language use had been, "No I do not have a CVS card with me" when buying vitamin C for my scratchy throat. Here are a few photos of documentation.

My day ended in my hostel lobby, where I was befriended by a British man named Christian who had tattooed sleeves and had been in several bands and is more well traveled within the US than I am. He invited me to join he and his friend for dinner or drinks, which I politely declined, and I retired to my room for a phone date with Leigh. Then, it was another 10 hours of slumber.

Wednesday:

Today was a dreary day outside, so I decided to visit the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. While walking the 2 miles there, I realized that the dreary day was absolutely beautiful too. Every tree was losing leaves by the dozen, sidewalks were covered in hues of gold, and I had a blast with my new camera. Once finally inside the MFA, I enjoyed the music instrument exhibit, the Nicholas Nixon photography exhibit, and an exhibit following the fashion industry through the lens of Vogue's Richard Avedon the most. After this, I enjoyed the surrounding campuses of the Boston Conservatory of Music, North Eastern, and the walk back to my hostel. I stopped into Starbucks for some more time with Jesus, ate at a charming cafe, comparable to Hopkins but not nearly as bustling, and then prepared to move from my hostel to a B&B in Cambridge, right outside of Harvard. Whew. It was a feat moving through the city with two 50 lb bags. 100 lbs, you may ask? Why, yes. 7 books, a laptop, a journal, and a camera accounted for a lot of that weight. I need to learn to limit myself on books, but a girl must have her options. I felt accomplished when I arrived to Cambridge, after switching trains and huffing and puffing up many flights of subway stairs. And I fell in love with Cambridge instantly. The Whole Foods market across from my hostel helped my affections grow, as did a quaint bakery, lunch, and dessert restaurant where I now sit blogging.

Please pardon my wordiness. I have lived alone in my mind for most of the day. Perhaps, it is about time to say goodbye.

The heart is an autumn wanderer

2010-10-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

The heart is an autumn wanderer

This is a quote from Franny and Zooey by Salinger. Thank you, Paul, for the loan.

I am on a train somewhere between DC and Boston. Fall foliage has not forgotten the NE terrain. Even the most bleak, industrial areas look more beautiful. It's almost as if they look remembered, imprinted by the Creator's fingertips.

I am reading Franny and Zooey and writing down quotes that intrigue me. The heart one in particular captures how my heart feels most all of the time but especially in the autumn months. It wanders and longs and loves and aches. For what? It is not quite sure.

As I arrived into the DC station this morning, my heart leapt. I stepped off the train into a grungy outdoor station, people bustling by off all sizes and colors. I thought to myself, "These are the types of people that travel by rail." I then grinned and thought, "I am the type of person that travels by rail."

So here I sit, munching on grape tomatoes, carrot sticks, and am trying to stifle the powerful aroma of my homemade hummus. I won't bring that for a train snack again. It's embarrassingly strong. I would compare this food treat to the distinct aroma of curry an Indian child brings into an all Caucasian cafeteria. There is just no getting around the obvious declaration I am making, "I'm too cheap and too much of a foody to buy 'food' from the dining car!"

I feel indulgent blogging. Then I remind myself, I am on vacation! I feel perfectly content. Here I sit, only to read and people watch, and window shop as the world races by the window of Amtrak train no. 174.

Goodbye for now.

7 days

2010-10-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

In 7 days I will embark on my first solo road trip. I have traveled to the Philippines and Taiwan solo, and somehow this stateside solo traveling is more daunting. Perhaps the thrill of being a minority and having obvious reasons to be lost, like language barriers and cultural nuances that leave much lost in translation, are void in the stateside travel.

So, in 7 days I will depart via Amtrak from Jacksonville->Washington, D.C.->Boston. I feel safe on the train. There is ample opportunity to window gaze, choose my own soundtrack of music, and read. I have missed reading these past 2 months or so. Once in Boston, I feel scared. There, I hope to putter around Harvard, bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail, tour the Boston Symphony Orchestra, hop into a few museums, and then anxiously anticipate the arrival of my mama, who is flying into Boston mid-week. Together, she and I long to enjoy the brisk weather, learn more of our country's rich history, and make it into New Hampshire for a day or two.

And I feel a little nostalgic. Christina White, I miss the idea of you taking this trip with me deeply right now. North Carolina of 2006, Chicago-->Seattle of 2009, and Florida-->Colorado of 2010 were priceless. The Bible says a good friend is hard to find. I think a perfect road trip companion may be even harder. Sigh...How precious our 4 years of co-working together and road-trip travels together were. I love you, dear friend.

Road Trip 1: Rock climbing in NC

Road Trip 2; Chicago-> Seattle

Road Trip 3; Florida->Colorado

Lots and Littles

2010-09-21T19:06:00.001-07:00

Lots to think about

Little to blog about

My camera died about 12 months ago

I am borrowing a prospective camera tomorrow

I imagine that the purchase of a nice SLR will improve the content of this blog

This month has included a handful of lovely things

Bike rides

Homemade soups

Meals with friends

Bookshops

Dreaming about places I'd like to see, things I'd like to learn

Lots of tears

Some much needed laughter

Good music

Beginning to run again

Running before the sun comes up

Saw a shooting star one morning while running

Goodwill finds

Art

I just realized that I tend to think September just slips by, unnoticed. That does not seem fare. Perhaps because I dream about Autumn all year, September takes a back seat. I am sorry, September. I wonder if anyone else feels the same?

I Commend this to You

2010-08-25T03:04:00.000-07:00

This morning my body awoke before my alarm. This only seems to happen from anxiety/ stress/ excitement. God knows what I need. I figured I should get up, get some more of Him. I began with a devotional reading from P.D. Tripp's A Shelter in the Time of Storm. The morning's reading was from Psalm 27:13, "I believe I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!" This verse, followed by "Wait for the LORD. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the LORD!" are two very special verses for me. They remind me of many things, one being a tender moment in Uganda, last July 25th. I puled out my journal from that day. Here is goes.

Saturday, July 25th, 9:45 p.m., A Blessed 24 Hours

This morning I awoke to a hazy, misty valley outdoors. The air was cool and damp. I snuggled deeper under my down comforter of pure, white linens and awoke slowly to animals moving, munching, birds awaking, chirping. At 8:30, hot coffee and a scone arrived. I then sat out on the back patio to read Scripture, pray, sing psalms to the Lord. At 9:45 we congregated for breakfast (Larry, Mary, Terrill and Amber)...From 11:30-1, I lounged in my heavenly hut on the back patio-yogo, listening to instrumental music, weeping, reading, singing to the animals, soaking my feet and shaving my legs atop a huge sink top while watching animals loll by. I wept, lying down on the thick wooden patio. I don't know that I have ever sobbed for love lost before. God softly reminded me of the gentleness he care for me with, the pain he guards me from, and promises yet to come. And I felt close to Him... At 1:30 we had a yummy lunch. From 2-2:45 I had my last luxurious bath. Then, at 3:15 we started back to Kaabong. I listened to Angus & Julia Stone. Africa danced to the music. At one moment, two tall, slender women, water jugs perched perfectly atop their heads, simultaneously turned to see us pass. Their slow, graceful dance as we traveled by on the burnt orange dust was captivating. Sigh...my life is good. My soul yearns to return here.

Above are a few photos from the lodge where we stayed, the porch where I read Psalm 27 and sang, the sunset of our last safari in the Kidepo Valley. God is good. He is most certainly good to me.

Home From Camp

2010-08-12T18:43:00.001-07:00

This week marked my 4th year on staff at Four Oaks in Children's Ministries. 4 years ago, I began my journey in CM by attending Salt & Light Camp, a 5 day/ 4 night camp where Four Oaks & Wildwod Presbyterian endeavor to impart the Gospel into precious, rising 4th-5th graders. Not only is this one of my favorite ages, but this week is just plain fun. From shaving cream fights, to kiddie pool kick ball, to capture the flag, to tucking the girls into bed at night, to cabin devos...I just love it. If I had to pick a week where I felt most in my niche, this would be it.

2006
2007 (I can't find your photo tonight, but I will)

2008
2009

2010

This year's highlight:
The faith of a child is the sweetest thing. Last night, one of my girls prayed, "Dear Lord God & Jesus, I hope you can find a place in my heart. I want to communicate with you & be your friend. Thank you for forgiving sins. That's awesome. I hope you can forgive mine. That's all." And as we prayed on the porch of our cabin in the middle of Live Oak, I think the angels rejoiced. My heart did.

5,000 % Girl

2010-07-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Friday, well, as I post it is actually Saturday morning. Anyway, my weekend began at 5 p.m. on Thursday. I love the weekends. Who doesn't? I had no set agenda for Friday except for 1) sleeping in, 2) prolonged time with Jesus, and 3) girl time with Nina (Christina White) and Jess (Jessica Hughes).

When I got home from "girl time", I realized that I felt 5,000 % girly. This is not an every day occurence for me. Tonight, we indulged ourselves with manicure/pedicures. I can count on one, now freshly polished hand, how many times I have done this. Never, was it for indulgence. Well, perhaps it was, but it was to indulge the bride whose wedding I was currently in. For Christina, this was her first pedicure. The three of us, each so similar on heart levels, and each so different in expression of personality, chose 3 wildly different colors. Jess, "cherry chick flick", Nina, a lovely brownish hippy shade, and me, "Lincoln Park After Dark." I had my mind set on a deep purple. The name sold me. I feel young and wild and mysterious. All through my polished nails. Hmm...

We then went to Moe's and got "Streakers", the healthy, naked and fancy free version of a burrito. Did you know that you can find and build your own little meal with a nutritional calculator on their site? Only look here if you enjoy knowing exactly what you're consuming.

Finally, we let Nicholas Sparks string our hearts along in Dear John.

Who have I become, I am not quite sure.
But tonight, I believe, I am 5,000 % girl.

And I must confess, it was kinda fun.

What to Blog...

2010-07-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

...it has been a while. And I am not sure what has transpired in the a while.

Books read and enjoyed

Runaway; A. Munroe
Gilead; M. Robinson
A Walk in the Woods; B. Bryson
In Defense of Food; M. Pollan
Big Truths for Young Hearts; B. Ware

Crafting

A whimsical strand of stars on my bedside lamp.
Old spice jars filled with trinkets of fond memories.
Deer antlers turned into a jewelry display.

Time with my folks at their lake house. Watching sunsets that made me cry or at least invoked the strong desire to cry and dance all at the same time.

Shopping at my favorite Good Will on 1/2 on Mondays. Pretending I am more of a hippy than I am.

Discovering new music or rediscovering old music that makes my soul sing:

Gregory Alan Isakov; This Empty Northern Hemisphere
The National; High Violet
Alexi Murdoch; Time Without Consequence
Ray LaMontagne; Gossip in the Grain
Over the Rhine; Ohio

Playing ultimate frisbee with folks much younger than I with energy that far surpasses mine into the wee hours of the night that almost leaves me feeling reckless.

Babysitting and baking.

Dreaming.

Ode to Barry

2010-06-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

On June 17th, Barry Manilow will turn 67 years old. A week and a half ago, on June 6th, I won Ultimate Manilow at a birthday party. I did nothing to win this great cd. I won by sheer enthusiasm for an artist that embedded a memory in my mind.

When I was 4 years old, my mom, dad, and I lived in Lakeland, Florida. I have distinct memories of singing "Copacabana" with my mom in a convertible. The song tells the story of Lola in a tangled love affair. "Music and passion were always the fashion at the Copacobana." The song reaches a ridiculously fabulous crescendo at the chorus, at which point, mama and I would shriek "Copa! Copacabana!" over and over again. The notes were impossible to hit unless we shrieked, so we crescendoed with the best of them. The song ends with Manilow warning all his hearers, "Don't fall in love."

My 4 year old mind loved the yellow-feathered Lola, mourned the death of her love, and delighted in the abandon mama and I would sing with. Winning the Ultimate Manilow cd brought this memory back with such fondness, so I naturally shared this with my mom later on in the week. She informed me that we never owned a convertible. No, we always had an old Monte Carlo. I knew this. So where did I concoct the convertible memory from? Well, according to my mom, that summer we had some car trouble and had to roll the windows down to keep from inhaling gas fumes that were pumping through the car's a.c. vents. Her solution? Windows down meant time for some Barry.

So, this week, happy birthday to you, Mr. Manilow. While some may call your music mediocre and saccharine sweet, I call it the stuff 4 year old memories are made of. And thank you, mama, for imprinting me with your love for music, childlike abandon, and Barry, of course.

This is the only photo I had that is close to me at 4 years old. I'm on the far left, hanging out with my cousins. :)

signposts pointing towards Eternity

2010-06-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Colorado gives me hope for a new heaven and a new earth. The last time I felt such affection for the world around me was in Africa. Deep joy. Profound longing. An ache to bundle up all of the beauty around me, package it in cloth and twine, and carry it in my hands for all of time. Perhaps that is why we are cautioned to worship the Creator. I am in love with His creation.

Delight

Trail Ridge Road

Windpower

Somewhere between here and there

Old friends

Day hike with Brian and Lois Van Stratum in Fairplay, CO

Miner's eye view

Balance

Day trip with David Shingler through Rocky Mtn National Park

I will lift up my eyes

Hello

Rocky Mtn National Park

Blue

Burnt-over, tangled-up beauty

Fairplay, CO

Glory

The Garden of the Gods

My sweet friend, Christina

Survivor Whistle

Hold my heart

Boulder Creek Trail

Slow Down

Boulder Creek

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

2010-05-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

These past few weeks have been full: full of emotions, full of memories, full of celebrations, full of challenges, full of heart aches, and full of joy in all of these circumstances.

One of my favorite, and often most daunting tasks each year is to attempt to honor the 120 volunteers Children's Ministries has. These are faithful Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, helpers, Good News Club teachers, Special Needs teachers, greeters, and more. The slideshow below is one we put together for our end of the year dinner 2 weeks ago. These photos mean so much to me. I know they may not mean a lot to the average eye, but to me they capture

A little girl who come from complete brokenness in her home

A little boy who struggles so hard to focus he wants to quit daily, and he is learning about Jesus

A man battling an ongoing illness and fighting for the faith of little ones each week

A mom and dad of 7 tenderly loving on babies in the nursery

A spunky girl with a mischievous eyes and a call of God on her life

A nine year old boy who has a crush on Miss Cassidy

A dad who loves his children well

A husband who loves his wife well

A couple who has rebounded through life with laughter

A friend with unshakable faith in the sovereignty of her God in the midst of suffering

A widow who will rock babies all day long

A middle school girl learning that she is gifted with children and is a good teacher

A middle school boy learning how to lead children into song through worship

An older man and wife captivated by Jesus all over again as they catch a vision for the gospel

The lost

The redeemed

The broken

The mending

The family of God

This is my church

And I love it with all of my heart

This is a glimpse of my God

And he has my heart

Geocaching

2010-03-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia says "Geocaching is a project organized by Groundspeak, which holds the trademark for the word/activity. It is organized as outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a tupperware or ammo box) containing a logbook. Larger containers can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica. As of March 8, 2010, there are over 1,007,477 active geocaches over the world.
Cassidy says, "So fun."

As Mike, Matt, Christina, Anna, and I trapsed around Optimistic Park, just behind Indian Head, I felt ridiculous, merriment, and wonder. It was a beautiful springtime day, birds were chirping, children were squealing on a playground a ways off, and I was looking for a camoflauge box in the middle of a trail-just discreet enough to spot and to miss if you were not actively searching. We actually found 2 boxes, the first of which was not a geocache series, but another, similar concept. Matt found this one, and Nina found the second one.

The day began at the Springtime Tally Parade, lunch at Little Athens Gyros was next, followed by geocaching, and ended with tossing a frisbee, swinging on the playground's swings, sidewalk chalk arting, and dinner at Mike and Matt's home. What a perfect day. Thanks, God.

Welcome Weekend

2010-03-03T18:41:00.001-08:00

It is Wednesday night. That means tomorrow, Thursday, is my Friday. Whoot. I have a nice weekend up ahead...in my mind. We shall see how it fares.

For 24 hours I have listened to my ipod shuffle through all of my music. It has been a lovely thing to realize, "I like this music...alot." It is fun to re-discover old loves, to let the soulful sway of familiarity take me back to poignant memories. Like an unnoticed treasure there all along, I am delighted to uncover music I have had for years but didn't have the ears to appreciate it.

Enough of that.

This weekend, I am hopeful for a good game of Ultimate Frisbee with friends at Tom Brown Park. It should be sunny with a high of 60. Perfect. Blogging stirs up curiosity, and I just learned via Wikipedia that Ultimate has been played since 1968.

Sunday afternoon, I am hosting a Bridal Shower Luncheon for my college friend and roommate of one year, Nicole.

I hope to make some new food creations, or variations of some old recipes. Here is what I am thinking:

Blueberry Muffins

Orange Walnut Whole Wheat Scones

Spinach Quiche

And here is a new theory I learned last Saturday at an Art Therapy workshop on Mandalas taught by Susanne Fincer:

Basically, mandalas are everywhere--visually seen, physically drawn, expressed in auditory song, even patterned in daily life. In this one day seminar, we drew our own mandalas, analyzed them, learned art therapy theory, etc. It was fascinating. I enjoy learning. There is a point to this incoherent rambling though. I find circular patterns, repetition, and essentially, mandalas in cooking. Cooking is cyclical in nature: ideas-->creation-->steps, often repetitious-->cooking-->eating-->enjoying-->digesting-->expelling-->starting over.

I was at this Art Therapy Workshop at FSU because my cousin, Kara, was here interviewing for the Master's Program.

Placebo Buttons

2010-02-23T18:44:00.001-08:00

You're never going to believe this, or maybe you already knew. Either way, I feel deceived.

Placebo buttons are buttons that actually do nothing except give the user an illusion of control.

The advent of computer-controlled traffic signals make thewalk buttons at pedestrian crossings on heavily trafficked streets obsolete. By the late 1980s, most (but not all) walk buttons in New York City have been deactivated yet people push them anyhow, either in ignorance, out of habit, or in the off chance the buttons did work.

Many large office buildings also have dummy thermostats to give office workers the illusion of control. Some even go as far as installing white-noise generators to mimic the hum of fans after the HVAC system is shut off.

The same goes for the close button in elevators. Most elevators built or installed since the early 1990s don’t have close buttons that work, unless you have a fireman’s key. People do push them anyhow, because the fact that the door eventually closes reinforces their belief that the button works.

To view the original article, click here.

2010-02-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Today I was home sick all day. Yuck. Why can't your bed feel all snuggly and comfy when you're forced to be in it all day? I'm thankful for sick days. And broken fevers. And IB Profen.

Since I slept from 9 p.m. on Sunday night until 3 p.m. on Monday, I have a groggy semblance of alertness now that bedtime is approaching. So, I thought I would blog. Here are some interesting sites that I have recently stumbled upon.

1. A

provocative bill board in GA from this company, has raised a ruckus.

2. Etsy. I think I would like to decorate my home, my very self, from this website.

3. I thought I had more, but I do not. Oh well. I guess I am in a blogging dry spell.

When days blur by, what gives?

2010-01-18T18:51:00.000-08:00

Blogging

Emailing

A clean house

Sleep

Phone calls

Short term memory

Creativity

Reading for pleasure

The past month has been chock full of blurry days. Life and work and ministry often bleed into one, and they have most recently. My church moved into our first permanent facility since I have been on staff, and really the first one in 20 years. We have been nomadic for a long time. And I say "permanent" with a tinge of hesitancy on my tongue because nothing is permanent. In the midst of busyness, some things surprise me now in retrospect.

I had energy.

I almost was an extrovert at times.

There was such joy as volunteers labored over Christmas and New Years breaks to get our church ready for opening Sunday.

The body of Christ is full of such gifts. I loved seeing them expressed.

I bonded with co-workers.

God answered prayers.

I had the privilege of eyes that saw him at work.

On January 10th, we had our opening Sunday. What a beautiful thing to see---so many brought friends and neighbors ad family members who had no exposure to the gospel. May our church grow through the lost coming to Christ. I over-see our 2nd service Children's Ministries. We had 53 new children learning about Jesus.

This photo was taken by a friend afterward. We had a bbq and a time of fellowship across the street at Shannon Lakes Park. That's me in the hat, just taking it all in.

12 Months of Music

2009-12-16T20:44:00.000-08:00

My favorite albums of 2009

Disclaimer: many of these albums did not come out in 2009, they just found a nook in my heart.

January

Radiohead

In Rainbows

Chosen because it afforded dancing moments all year long.

February

John Fahey

The Best of John Fahey

Chosen for its sheer excellence-- "When the Springtime Comes Again" breaks my heart every time and this music never grows tiresome on winding, mountain roads.

March

The National

Alligator

Chosen because "Slow Show" is beautiful. The vocals are rich and raspy and desperate, all in one.

April

Indelible Grace

Wake Thy Slumbering Children

Chosen because of its creativity and female, soulful vocals.

May
Page France
Hello, Dear Wind

Chosen for its quirks--anyone who can entitle a song "Dogs" or "Elephants" and then still surprise me with a smile and tapping toes, is noteworthy.

June
Angus and Julia Stone
A Book Like This
Chosen for Julia's rich, entangling voice. "Mango Tree" makes my heart sing.

July
The Avett Brothers
The Gleam II
Chosen because these 3 boys were a good find this year. This album is simple, pure, lovely.
August
Neko Cake
Live from Austin, TX
Chosen because Neko is the first female artist that has caused me to stop everything and listen since Patty Griffen.

September
It's a tie:
1. Beirut
The Flying Club Cup
2. Ra Ra Riot
The Rhumb Line
Chosen as a tie because both were recommended and loved at the same time. Many a Friday was spent cleaning, or baking, or relaxing to these wonderful tunes. Upbeat and ambient at times, they are perfect for a day off.

October
Bon Iver
For Emma, Forever Ago
Chosen out of nostalgia. I sang "Flume" when I saw my first flume on the Occoee River in TN. Some hippy men sang "Skinny Love" and made me swoon in Seattle.

November
Ryan Adams
Heartbreaker
Chosen because Ryan Adam's languid, alternative, country soul transforms many days for me.

December
Sufjan Stevens
Songs for Christmas
Chosen because it is one of the few Christmas albums I do not grow tired of. And, many of the songs I listen to year-round.

Last Batch of Photos

2009-12-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

These were taken from either me or Christina's phones. Who knew?

Featured song: "Curs in the Weeds" by Horse Feathers

Highlights of My Roadtrip

2009-12-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

Below are three brief photo slideshows capturing Road Trip 09.

1. Chicago

Featured song: "Chicago" by Sufjan Stevens

2. Train Ride from Chicago to Seattle

Unfortunately, these photos play in reverse order.

Featured song: "Easy Plateau" by Ryan Adams

3. Seattle...sigh.

Featured song: "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver

I love my church

2009-12-04T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning, Work Day 1 begins at Four Oaks' new church home. I am eager to jump in and paint furiously for hours with some wonderful people who have become family to me. This is our first church building in many, many, years. It may not seem like much, but it is a joy to move into one. It is an even deeper joy to realize that our leadership's vision is to see this as a hub for satellite campuses going out into all of Tallahassee. As one elder is known for saying, "You can rest when you are dead." Until you come, Jesus, may we be faithful to be "gospel-ers", spreading your Kingdom's name.

In the midst of busyness, I appreciate the ridiculousness of our Preaching Pastor's "Rodney videos." You can view them here.

I pray for you

2009-11-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

For a few months my heart has held this thought: "I may never see any fruit from time spent at Sunrise Apartments." This statement is only partially true. I have seen fruit:

The smile on Cashen's mouth, his toothy grin and expressive eyes lighting up as he articulates in little boy language that we all are born with dark hearts, and then follows by shouting that Jesus is perfect.

D'Erykah's hugs and sheepish, shy smiles. She has become a beautiful lady in the past 3 years. Her heart is tender and compassionate, she is kind and considerate of others. She is a follower, easily led by the schemes of others, who do not honor God.

Ke'Yondre is one of the first boys I met at Sunrise. This is what he wanted painted on his face at the last Family Day we had there. Does he fear God? I do not know. I am glad he at least has the sentence "Fear God" etched in his mind. May it be etched on his soul.

Jatia and Kashura. Last year they came to help decorate my Christmas tree. Kashura can break my heart. She cannot decide if she loves God or not. The pull of all else, of the world, of the flesh, of the devil are too strong. Lord, free her. Teach her that power comes through your Son. May your Gospel free her.

And so my very short season at Sunrise has come abruptly to a close. Our church partner that sustains the ministry there has faced intense opposition, making it nearly impossible to do ministry in the community. The church that has overseen this ministry will relocate to their new church building, only a mile or so away, and can begin ministering to surrounding neighborhoods and housing projects from there.

My heart aches. My spirit prays. My mind wonders. I wish I could give them Jesus and know they took him and loved him. God, how will you take care of these little ones? I pray your Word fell on good soil. I pray they love you and cling to you and cherish you. Please guard them from all the world's evils, from Satan's onslaught, from the dominion of darkness that lurks around the complex. Be gracious. Save. Help. Rescue. Redeem.

May your Word reign true.

Psalm 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

Home from R.T. 2009

2009-11-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Bean. Downtown Chicago.

Outside our hostel, outside Pike Market in Seattle

The Windy City at its best

Taken during the swooning over the street musicians in Seattle

So Road Trip 2009 was a lovely trip. Several life goals, or really just dreams of a silly girl's heart, were crossed off:

Driving a manual car for 2,000 mi.

Taking a train

Seeing the northwest coast

Some scattered highlights of those 10 days:

My heart was fueled by awe as I shared the gospel on the train

Some beautiful, hippy men singing Bon Iver's "Skinny Love". These street musicians blew me away. I was swoony. I'm sorry, Mr. Iver, but they rocked your own song.

I was refreshed in God's presence as Nina and I sat for hours in Starbucks having Jesus time. We had nowhere in particular to go and no rush to get there, so we sat.

I was dazzled with creation:

.crisp fall on the drive up through Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois

.Chicago's windy, yellow-tree clad streets

.the harbor

.looming, big sky Montana

.the calming, rolling hills of N Dakota

.snow covered firs as our train chugged through the Cascade Mnts just before daybreak

the dewy, sleepy towns of northern Washington, blanketed in fall's fog, fires gently burning inside, smoke curling through the morning air

.the glories of Puget Sound

.the majesty of mountains meeting the ocean, fall trees touching the rocky bay below

Photos to come. I took the ol' film Rebel.

Road Trips Make My Heart Sing

2009-10-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night after work, my friend, Christina and I will leave for our 2nd road trip together.

View Larger Map

Our route looks somewhat like this:

Tallahassee--> Birmingham, AL

Birmingham--> Nashville, TN

Nashville--> Chicago, IL

Chicago--> Seattle, WA

Seattle--> Chicago

Chicago--> Louisville, KY

Louisville--> Tallahassee

We are traveling to Chicago by

Then to Seattle by

Then back to Chicago by

Then back to Tallahassee by

I am looking forward to cold weather, my first train ride, reading books, back country roads with good tunes, coffee, and friendship. I am excited to explore 2 cities, stay in a hostel, meet new friends via Christina. I am eager to wear winter clothes and boots. Whew...I can't hardly wait.

A Plan for Those Nestled in Timu

2009-10-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had some thoughts about a people known as the Ik. They live in the mountains of Timu. It is high and arid, windy and wonderful. They are "backwoods", even to their neighbors, which says a lot. And they are alone.

Remember...

...that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Ephesians 2:12

This is my friend, Maria. Everyone needs a friend in a foreign land. And a friend that serves as your tour guide is even better. She held my hand and toured me around Timu. Perhaps I was just her token white, fair-skinned, novelty. Perhaps. She was my token ebony-skinned, shiny-smiling, silly tour guide. But she was more. She is more. She is a soul made for relationship with a holy God.

And today, Amber emailed me these photos. Maria has had a baby since I last saw her. Has it only been 2 months? Sigh...

But now!

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

God has a plan for the Ik people. My soul believes it. And I am blessed to know a few ordinary people giving their lives so that one day Maria, and maybe her baby, and perhaps the entire community can read Ephesians 2. I pray you do, oh people nestled in Timu. I pray you do. And I pray you love it and live it and all else would pale in comparison to knowing the greatness of the Father's grace for you, made manifest in his Son.

Carry on, sweet friends, of mine. May your first evening in Timu be blessed.

Boots

2009-09-30T20:36:00.001-07:00

These are my new boots. Today was cool outside. 55 last night, 80 today. After having the windows open all night, the air inside was cool and crisp and earthy...it was fall. And it was time for boots. Oh, the little things that can warm the heart.

Two Things I Love

2009-09-25T07:53:00.000-07:00

1. Spurgeon's Mornings and Evenings. This morning, this excerpt touched my soul. I wanted to share it with you.

..."'Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?' Not God, for he hath justified; not Christ, for He hath died, 'yea, rather hath risen again'. My hope lives not because I am not a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust is not that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. My faith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. On the lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen."

2. The Jesus Storybook Bible

We use this as a resource in our preschool Sunday school rooms. I have been reading a story a morning as part of my intro into time with the Lord. It is winsome, each story points to the Savior, and the illustrations are beautiful. I have found the proper emotion of gratitude and awe as each story points to the magnitude of grace found in Jesus.

Fall is here...Kind of

2009-09-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

As I drove home tonight, windows down, heading north from the Rock Gym, there was a slight coolness in the air. Today is technically the first day of fall. I wore a long sleeved shirt and shorts to celebrate. Then, I drove with my windows down and jammed. These are two of my favorite things to do in Tallahassee fall weather. Thought the thermometer in my car reads 87, I do believe there was a hint of fall. Call it wishful thinking, I was still happy as a clam.

The process of becoming a "Literal Day" girl

2009-09-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Per my friend's request (Meredith), I am blogging about some time spent in Genesis this summer and what has happened in my heart.

Before this summer, I ascribed to the "Old Earth" camp, meaning that I believed God created everything--time, space, matter, but that he did not do it in a literal 24 hour day x 6 days. Most of my conviction came from an immersion in science classes in college. I majored in Exercise Physiology, minored in many sciences, a by-product of many prerequisites and some dabbling in BioChemistry my freshman year, and embraced much of what I was taught in the classroom.

One evening at Geoff & Meredith Schaefer's home, I spilled the beans that I did not believe in the "literal interpretation" of the creation account of Genesis 1. Meredith challenged my by asking, "Cass, did you come to that conclusion after studying the Word, or after studying science?" So, I felt the only respectable thing to do was to answer honestly and to evaluate my own heart. No, I had not studied Genesis. And no, I did not really want to. "The Bible is not a science book", I retorted. But what a hypocrite I am being, I thought, because I say I love studying God's word, and I am not even considering studying this piece of scripture.

Meredith bought me a precept study guide to Genesis 1, put together by Kay Arthur. What is a precept study? Basically, it is an inductive study, where you learn to 1)observe, 2)interpret, and then 3)apply scripture, digging through it slowly, methodically, and investigative-ly.

I was uncomfortable from day 1 of this time with the Lord in Genesis. A few days into the study, I began to pray, "God, you have to open my heart and my mind to this. I am resisting it." Slowly, he has changed my heart. One evening, Geoff let me pick his science-minded brain about many of the theories I whole-heartedly had believed. Problem was, I viewed them as truth, as facts, not as theory. Graciously, the Schaefers answered a lot of questions and then just sat back and let me learn on my own.

So, this morning, I wrote:

"The methodical repetition of Genesis 1 goes like this: God spoke, it was, God saw, and he declared it good. As God created, he also governed the creation--commanding, guiding, and teaching sustainability. Everything came into existence by God's spoken word!

How beautiful this truth is. How it deepens my dependence on Christ and magnifies the power of God's spoken word. Also profound, he spoke to my soul, said 'Awaken! You are mine!', and it was so. Thank you! Thank you!"

Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Psalm 33:6-9

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Psalm 148:1-5

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!For he commanded and they were created.

2 Peter 3:8 (Context is KEY. This verse is often used to counter literal days.)

3:1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

These are all my thoughts for tonight. And now, I am going to sleep, in peace. "Tojoto ka ekisil", as the Karamajong might say.

Just a little bit...

2009-09-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

...of goodness in today.

1. I really enjoyed my coffee this morning with Nina. Our favorite barista whipped up a splendid soy cafe misto with toffee nut.

2. I had an encouraging conversation with Debbie. Debbie "sails the Four Oaks ship", so they say. There is very little that Kirk and Debbie Tanis cannot do (computer programing, building all sorts of odds and ends, admin gurus, you name it). So, today, while I was in Debbie's office learning some more admin details, she just took an opportunity to really encourage me. Coming from the guru of so many things I respect, it meant a lot.

3. I went to the Rock Gym for the first time in months today!!! This was my first climb on the broken foot. I was not half as bad as I thought I would be, especially after having a sabbatical from the Rock Gym for so long. Two of my rock buddies climbed with me.

4. While at the gym, I glanced at some shoes for sale. There was a nice, used pair of MadRocks with a piece of tape on them, "$4", it said. I thought it might be a bad joke, as it was plopped down to some nicely packaged shoes. No joke. They were the real deal. And they fit my feet well. I gave them a test climb for an hour, and then bought a new (to me) pair of climbing shoes. I saved about $65 today! Not to mention, my shoes were so worn they had begun to hurt my feet because I could feel the rocks poking me.

5. I came home to roommate dinner. Rene made quiche with asparagus, goat cheese, and green onions. So yummy! Pretty sweet end to a long day- a great meal just waiting for me.

6. Now, blogging away, listening to Neko Case. You should love her. Really.

Bad Day Gone Good

2009-09-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

This morning began what I would call a "bad day." I do not easily recover from bad days. No, I wallow instead. Yeesh. It really wasn't all that horrible, but I felt particularly overwhelmed at the tasks ahead. At 9 this morning, it was kindly and graciously pointed out to me that I had done a rather large mailing wrong. Already metered and in the mailbox, it all had to come out and be redone. Poor Scott. This was all I needed to tip over the precarious footing I had on emotionalism. I teared up immediately. He was so kind as to re-do the postcards after I made a sticker to put on top of my mistake.

I wallowed for most of the day. My Morningstar, pizza flavored, veggie burger helped my spirits a tad. Followed by a Diet Coke, one would think I would be up to par. But I was not. I was grumpy most of the day and failed to extend grace to others in need, though I readily and expectantly received it from others.

At the day's end, the laminator was out of laminate, not to be bought, mailed, and delivered until Monday (only 1 day too late) for some of the big-ticket items for this Sunday. So, I just smiled (finally!) and headed home. Convinced a nice dinner would lift my spirits, I came home to immediately put on my pj's and started on a hodge podge meal (a smoothie made with pretty weird yogurt I tried to make and some good fruit, a yummy salad, and an apple and p.b.). After making dinner, I enjoyed the quietness of my home, watched the news, and delighted in two things.

I made some notecards with some of my favorite photos from Uganda. I enjoyed chatting with a friend and listening to Jars of Clay (the music my weary soul finds solace in).

My mung bean sprouts! This is my first attempt at sprouting beans. I started these little guys on Monday night. I think they are doing quite well. I learned everything one would ever need to know from sproutpeople.

Quick mung bean facts:

"The most consumed sprout on Earth, Mungs are grown and used extensively in Asian cuisine. Perhaps the most exciting sprout to grow as it offers unique challenges - if you grow them big.

Mungs are probably the best cooking sprout - especially if you like Chinese food."

I'm only anticipating eating these in salads, but I was enthralled with the possibilities.

This one goes out to some things I love

2009-09-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

My preface is this. Most of the things below stem from a common source, my church. So many of the daily joys I experience flow from the family I am a part of called Four Oaks Community Church.

Tonight I was able to pick up my friend, Kristen, from the airport. Her mom, Susan, is my preaching pastor's (Erik's) mom. This is really besides the point. Susan leads women's Bible studies at the church and has taught me how to study the Word inductively these past 2 years. Just riding to and fro the airport with her afforded me the opportunity to listen and glean from a woman who has been soaked in the grace of God for years.

I love Kristen. She is a wonderful friend to me. She has been in France this summer as a nanny. It was a post-college/graduation/adventure expedition for this bi-lingual artisan. She came home tan with sun-kissed hair and a wonderful European air about her.

Kristen was with me when I got my first little tattoo of a songbird this spring. I have just decided to name the bird Miriam. In Exodus 15, verse 20, Miriam leads the people in singing and dancing to tambourine. This prophetess had the song of God in her heart and on her lips and in her feet. I love it.

Last night Children's Ministries had our school year training time. We have 87 Sunday morning volunteers and are still in need of a few more. What a daunting and awe-inspiring task to lead 90+ volunteers under our Children's Pastor, Scott. My love for this ministry and the privilege I felt to serve alongside some truly inspiring, godly folks, was renewed last night. As pooped as I was at the end of a long day, I was satisfied.

There are some quirks to Tallahassee that I have a love/hate relationship. These quirks rub me weird, and yet Tallahassee would not be my small town home without them.

1. Most of my co-workers, the church's pastors, go to the same gym that I do. Weird. Really. Gold's Gym is all of $11/month. Who can blame anyone, even my pastors, for snagging the same deal I did. Today, I bumped into Lauren, my roommate. Run-ins like these make the eliptical all the more enjoyable.

2. At stop lights, I look around me to see who I might know passing through intersections or parked alongside of me.

3. My roommates and I have names for the common pedestrians in our neighborhood. There is "the man in the red workout suit with the dog" who now is "the man who changed outfits and has a girlfriend and no dog." There is "the old couple with the even older labrador retriever" and "the black man with the walking stick", just to name a few.

And to conclude, here are some material things that bring me great joy.

1. My Meriam-Webster "Word of the Day" calendar. Today's word is "nomenclator." Considering I named my tattoo, I am now a certified nomenclator.

2. My ipod. Though on the fritz, it brings great musical delight to my soul many hours of ever day. The past week's highlights included Page France and Ra Ra Riot.

3. A tall soy cafe misto at Starbucks at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday morning with Nina.

4. And now, my pillow.

I suppose 5-7 could be literacy, the blogging world, and my education that led to me loving writing and reading and made me the bookish person I am.

To the mysterious benefactor & blesser...

2009-08-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today a mysterious envelope arrived in my office box. It is every 10 months or so it seems that I get personal mail at work. Seeing that one of my love languages beats to the rhythm of the US Postal Service's drum, I was elated. I opened the envelope, addressed in seemingly male print to find a tiny envelope. On the tiny envelope, in loopy, more feminine, cursive was written, "Ms. Cassidy, what a blessing you are." Inside the tiny envelope was a giftcard to Starbucks. A few people know that I adore coffee. And an even fewer amount know that for a few financially tight years I prayed for giftcards to Starbucks and never bought a cup out of pocket. That 2.5 year blessing came to a close earlier this spring...until today. And this little giftcard from some sweet individual, of whom I may never know, made my day. I felt, I feel so loved, so blessed.

To continue on in my blessed state, I will tell of my weekend as well. Thursday night my dad came into Tallahassee. Taking the day off of work Friday, he labored for hours around my house. There is nothing my dad cannot do when it comes to home repair. We mulched and I planted hot pink zinnias; he did some hedging. We then installed quite an organizational system in my garage, which involved a 12 ft wire rack, hanging tools on the wall, hanging 3 bicycle racks, and me ending it all by sweeping to the point where my garage was cleaner than my kitchen. Inside, the repairs continued, and by the time our weekend closed, I felt quite cared for. I also began to love my home more. It feels nice to really enjoy the place you dwell in. It makes me want to be here more, not fluttering from one thing to the next.

Over the weekend, Lauren's b.f., Paul, built a planter for our meager efforts at gardening. Well, Lauren is quite successful. I will attempt to grow lettuce this fall. The planter is an old surf board mounted on an even older, small bookcase. Can I say cool?

That's all for now...

Camp Is...

2009-08-06T20:02:00.001-07:00

sunscreen on pink noses

the one kid who marches to the beat of his own drum

discovering hidden talents (in this instance, an Annie Oakley was born)

tie dye

the empowering feeling of making it to home base in kick ball

joy

One evening, I stepped outside of my cabin to get a camper some tissue. And I paused. My sweet co-counselor, Stephanie was leading our evening devotion. As she read a passage from Luke 6, the outside street lamp hummed, nearby frogs and crickets serenaded along, and little flashlights bounced off of the thin walls of our bunk house. Inside, I knew the Spirit was at work in 6 little girls with soft hearts and tender consciences. And I pray they grasp the gospel. And I praise my Father. In that moment, I realized there was no where else on earth I would have rather been.

"If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you?"

2009-08-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

The expanded version:

stream of consciousness

2009-07-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

If home is where the heart is, then I have left pieces of it

in the mountains of Karamojong

in the ebony skin of children whose smiles and sheepish grins melt my heart

in the knobby knees and dusty feet of shepherd boys

in the sunsets over Kaabong hill

in the moonless nights of the Milky Way and shooting stars

in the company of friends, whose hospitality, gentleness, humility, and open hearts, ears, and minds challenge and pierce my own heart.

"If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world."

C.S. Lewis

If home is where the heart is, than my home cannot be found here.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

updates and such

2009-06-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

Above is a tidy little photo slideshow capturing many of the highlights of the spring and early summer thus far.

Hiking with friends

Birthdays

Good News Clubs

Time at Sunrise Apartments

Friends coming to Christ and then being baptized

Celebrating with friends on the birth of their son

Turning 25

Spending time with family on the water

Spending time in TN with our middle school youth

Spending time in the e.r. in TN after breaking a tiny bone in my foot

On Tuesday, July 14th, I will leave for Uganda with Larry and Mary Shingler. That is 2 weeks from this posting. My hard cast will be replaced with a boot by the time I leave.

While in Uganda, we will vacation with a missionary couple from our church, Terrill and Amber Schrock, for one week. I highly encourage reading of their blog.

We will also spend a week with them closer to their home, in NE Uganda, where Terrill is doing Bible translation work with the Ik people through Wycliffe. His wife, Amber, is a nurse.

I hope to post many a photo upon returning. Until then, here are some prayer requests:

1. Logistics: God's safety as we travel by plane, and by car along unreliable roads

2. That Larry, Mary, and I would be a refreshment and blessing to Terrill and Amber

3. That God would show me how to prepare best for this journey;

I want to be well rested and ready to serve creatively and faithfully while in Uganda.

4. For the Gospel to spread among the Ik people

5. For God to continue to use, care for, guard, and guide Terrill and Amber

...africa

2009-06-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

...i am going to africa.

i leave in just over 5 weeks. as plans shape up, here is some of our itinerary. get ready...this is breath-taking, and it is only a photo.

murchison falls national park

apoka safari lodge (see the site here)

timu

this is terrill and amber's home going up

the lovely schrocks themselves

highlights

2009-05-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

After arriving in Lake Grandin, FL, the weekend was marked with many peculiar and often laughable moments. In order of occurrence:

1. Saturday was a "work day", and it entailed some hard manual labor. At once point, my dad was sawing off old metal from the clothes line. He told me to hold the clothes line pole steady while he sawed away. I asked, "Shouldn't I wear something like sunglasses?" He replied, "Just close your eyes and turn your head." When I saw metal and sparks flying, I decided to find the largest pair of sunglasses I owned.

2. My Nana arrived in her hot pink Crocs, a new addition to her primarily hot pink wardrobe. I love it. I also enjoy the photo below because it captures my mom and her silly sisters in action as well.

3. While playing frisbee with my cousins, my dad yells "Catch" and then throws something my direction. I caught what I thought was a piece of wood, only to realize it was a hot dog. "Why are you throwing hot dogs at me?" was the only clever reply I had. Who knows...

Some other photos from the weekend:

Nicole and I Sunday morning

Girl time. Too bad I don't wear pink.

happiness

2009-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

is a cup of coffee

music

a rainy day

rest

I am in Jacksonville resting. It is a glorious thing. Some other highlights of this week:

Dreaming of seeing my friend, Amber in Uganda on July 14th. To see some awesome footage of the Schrock's ministry to the Ik people, click here. Wycliffe is filming new translation efforts across Uganda. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see their story.

I also bought my first piano. It was a steal. It has brought me such joy this week.

My love language=birthday

2009-05-08T21:08:00.003-07:00

Monday night, my sweet girlfriends took me to dinner for my birthday. We all shared sushi. Lauren and Rene, my roommates, are below. Rene made the most delicious carrot cake, my favorite cake, I have ever had.

Here is the lovely cake.

My sweet friend, Leigh, who I fondly call Leigh-Delle.

After an evening of presents and wonderful food and sweet cards, I came home and announced to my roommates, "That was the best evening of my year!" After they teased me a little, I explained that on my birthday I am surrounded by people I love, spending quality time with them, am encouraged by sweet cards, and I am getting thoughtful little gifts. What could be better? I felt so loved. So deeply blessed.

A few days later, Christina and I went on our "birthday date." For Christmas and birthdays, we do outings with one another instead of gifts. Our birthdays are exactly 2 weeks apart. We have been able to celebrate birthdays 23/25, 24/26, and now 25/27 together. This year we toured Our Bodies Exhibit, had a fantastic dinner at Kool Beanz, and listened to some live music at Illations Cafe, a music and coffee house outreach our youth ministry does 2x/month. Blair, our good friend, performed a little, which was lovely.

The date begins; here we are getting ready to go into the exhibit. It was an amazing and unsettling experience all in one. I remembered so much from my Anatomy & Physiology classes. I was also quite aware of the intricacies of the human body, pointing me again to our great Creator.

At Kool Beanz, we split an appetizer, salad, and entree'. For our meal, we had feta encrusted grouper with homemade tapenade, red skin potatoes, and creamed spinach. Amazing!

Christina, me, and Christine outside of Illations. Christine and her husband, Chad, help oversee the Illations ministry.

In conclusion, I am blessed and spoiled. I am so grateful for friends, fellowship, yummy food, fond memories.

"We live in a beautiful world"?

2009-04-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

This evening as I drove home, windows down, letting in the evening air that only has faint traces of crispness left, old memories and strong emotions hit me. I had just left Rail Road Square, where Rock Gym is tucked into one of the most unique places in Tallahassee.

I was listening to a shuffling of old Coldplay music, one of my most shameless music indulgences. "Don't Panic" came on, and the chorus rekindled a memory I had in the Philippines in 2005. I was riding with a Filipino medical team, and it was muggy, and the windows were foggy from the humidity. My face was pressed against the window for some reprieve from the intense heat. And I was listening to "Don't Panic" on my portable cd player. I had not yet entered the luxury of my beloved ipod just yet. And while we drove, we passed hundreds and hundreds of squatter children playing in the rain. I journaled about this moment almost a year later. I am surprised that it had such an impact on me. Here is that little entry.

"Squatters in the Philippines"

To look out at the array of colors amidst bleak grays

A blur of life and death and poverty

And to believe, truly believe,

as the barefooted children splash in puddles of filth

that this word is a beautiful place

Is a gift.

And though the moment is fleeting,

quickly lost in the disillusionment of life,

It is a gift.

This photo was taken by Anna, my sweet friend from that summer, in the Calamba, a squatter community we visited often.

The link between the precious strangers I watched splash in puddles outside of their tiny squatter homes in Manila that day, and today is this. Last week, my precious friend (and her sweet husband) suffered the most intense grief I think any human can suffer on earth. She lost her first child. Her second child, this little boy's identical twin, is safe in her arms tonight. We talked tonight, and she had just given her newborn son his first bath. Saturday she will see her other son in a tiny little coffin.

And as I drove, and as Coldplay sang about this world being so beautiful, I couldn't help but try to re-reconcile deep despair and the beauty of relationship with God once again. I cannot pretend to empathize with my dear friends. I cannot imagine anyone facing tragedy and loss without Christ. I am so profoundly blessed to watch my friends sift through this with Christ. Hebrews 4:14-16 comforts my mind tonight:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

To anyone who has read this far, please know that this entry was only a processing relief for me. Dawson Trotman once said, "Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through your fingertips." I whole-heartedly agree.

E.R.--The Power of a Television Show

2009-04-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched the final episode of E.R., that wonderful show that ran for 15 seasons. I started watching it as a 6th grader with my mom, who would tape it on Thursday nights, because the 10-11 time slot was much too late for her (and most definitely me, as a middle schooler). Even as a high schooler, when I could choose to stay up later, I rarely did. Though I claim night-owlish tendencies, I love an 8 hour's worth of sleep much more.

So, from 12 or so years old on, mom and I would watch E.R. together on Saturdays. It was a ritual of sorts, somewhere before or after cleaning the house to Sheena Easton, Whitney Houston, or Michael Jackson. We would cry at the tragedies, laugh at the peculiarities, and dialogue about the characters that had become our conversational realities.

I haven't consistently watched E.R. since my freshman year of college, which would be 2002. Yet tonight, it held its familiar pull, and I was captivated again. And as the final episode closed, and the catchy music kicked in, I saw the power of this t.v. show, especially how it fueled my ambitions throughout most of my teen age and early twenties years with more clarity than I have previously seen.

Around the same time I started watching E.R., I also started dreaming of being a doctor. This morphed a little in college, when I considered medical missions. By senior year, and after a 2 month stint in the Philippines, I was on my way to Physician Assistant school instead. PA School offered me a lucrative career and flexibility. And who says you can't have everything? I lived and breathed the American Dream. And somewhere in the mix of all of this, I whole-heartedly believed a career in medicine would assure me of my significance, though I do not think I would have readily disclosed this. As I watched E.R. tonight, I felt the smoldering embers of that old ache spark again. This time, I more confidently challenged those embers with truth. My career will never satiate my human soul's ache for significance. My ______________ (insert your idol of choice) never will. And in this, my soul has taken solace.

I still love E.R. I still love medicine. What a privilege it is to have access to modern medicine. What a greater joy, though, to now be a few years removed from a desperate search for identity. All of these thoughts are the consequence of 1 hour of t.v. Perhaps this is why I should steer clear.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73: 25-26

Anaphalatic Hemp. For Real?

2009-03-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday I had an allergic reaction to one of my favorite necklaces, a hemp necklace with a sea-shell on it. Wednesday I just thought my neck was itchy. Thursday I thought it was kinda weird that I had a strange rash all over my neck and arms, so I started taking Benadryl. It made staying awake quite challenging. Friday morning my lips were swollen, not to mention the embarassing rash that had taken over my body. When I called the doctor, they were concerned that I might not be able to breathe. It really was not that severe, but they wanted to see me immediatley. I had to get a steroid shot and go on corticosteroids for 9 days! Yeesh.

I have never had allergies. My doctor told me to avoid foods that are common allergins (shrimp, nuts, strawberries). Unknowingly (I thought maybe I was allergic to my perfume), I ate sushi, strawberries, and peanut butter Wednesday through Friday before the diagnosis came in. Seriously, I think I was trying to send my body into anaphylaxis.

I now feel like I can no longer call myself a hippy. And, I need to go through all of my clothes and jewelry and weed out all the hemp. Pun is most definitely intended.

My sister's response="Can I have that necklace?"

Finished

2009-03-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Me and Carla at the finish line. We decided to meet at the bananas. Too bad there were 100 feet of bananas. It made finding one another a little challenging.

Well, I finished the Gate River Run in 7,315th place. Now that is something to brag about. Haha. When I realized that my 9.5 minute mile was really an 11 minute mile, I had to focus on the positives--I have legs, I like running, I can run free from pain, there are really ridiculous bands playing at every mile marker, and my sweet parents and Mema and Papaw are cheering me on at mile 7. I would like to accredit my slow pace to the cold I've had for 2 weeks. Maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe I am just slower than I thought. Regardless, I had a great time in Jacksonville with family, relaxing in the sunshine, and running.

This weekend I am off to the Ligoniers Conference in Orlando. I was given a ticket to this amazing conference. I am looking forward to learning a ton and staying with my precious friend, Leslie, and her husband, Luke.

Rejoice & Celebrate

2009-03-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Luke 15:3-7

So he told them this parable: "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for i have found my seep that was lost.' Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."

Last Sunday I had the privilege of attending the

baptism celebration of two of my friends, Blair & Steven. It was the best celebration baptism I have ever been a part of. It was 45 degrees outside, so the freezing cold outdoor pool aided in the excitement. On a more serious note, though, the transformation of these two friends has been encouraging, led to much joy, and much celebration. There is something so contagious about conversions. I have been challenged on multiple fronts-our sermons on Sundays, the Word, and the example of these friends, to boldly share the gospel of Jesus with others.

Before

Blair

Steven

After

One of Steven's trademarks is his tattoos. He has a lot. Sleeves and everything. Notice Jesus in this pic.

Friends.

2009-03-02T19:05:00.001-08:00

One of the funniest things that has happened to me in a long while happened this past Thursday night.

I was sitting outside of Black Dog Cafe, waiting for a friend, people watching. Black Dog is on Lake Ella, the most glorified man-made lake in Tallahassee, and droves of people and fat Muscovy ducks circle the lake at all hours. Anyway, while I am sitting on a park bench, 2 benches over 2 young guys are playing guitars and have their guitar cases open in case any joggers feel like tipping their serenading. I glance over, and one of them is running to me and says he would like to sing me a Jason Mraz song. Because I am a snot, I reply, "He's a little too poppy for me." I then tried to be friendly and encouraging. I had a fleeting panicky thought, "What if one of them is Jason Mraz?" So, the 2 guitarists began playing and singing quite loudly to me on a tiny park bench. All I could do was smile, and then applaud them. The accompanying guitarist was quite good. The vocalist guitarist was really enjoying the chorus of the song that involved one long drawn-out curse word. It drew a lot of attention.

I felt quite privileged to have such a funny thing happen.

Too Precious

2009-02-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

This was the sheet Erika used to memorize her Bible verse in Good News Club because she had misplaced the one we gave her. I loved the effort she made, and I especially loved the misspelled words.

Learning

Nicholas was bothered by all the icing on his hands as he ate his cookie. We had some cookie decorating going on.

All clean, he was a little happier.

What a Find

2009-02-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

Friday I went to the downtown library's bookstore for the first time (Thank you, Kate, for telling me about it!). I intended to scout out some birthday presents for friends and look for world maps. I found 2 birthday presents, no maps, and 5 books for myself. I have a problem. I also have a budget. At least I stayed in my budget. The books I bought for myself came out of this month's grocery line.

This was love at first sight--the classics case in the corner.

Here is my pile. Deciding which ones to purchase was tough. I stopped to take a photo, which seemed to aid the decision making.

The lucky ones. Does it look like I staged this photo to look cool? I did.

And the winners are...

Huckleberry Finn

The Scarlet Letter

Uncle Tom's Cabin

The Arabian Nights

Robinson Crusoe

Book #6, Alice and Wonder Land, was given away.

All 6=$13. What a steal. I also had great conversation with the 70ish or so year old woman volunteering in the book store that day. The pale blue books had a charming story behind them, which led to me buying all of them.

These are the things I do on my Fridays off. Other typical Friday activities include reading music reviews, listening to new music online, reading, running, and dreaming of other hobbies I would like to take up:

--Having a garden where I grow some of my own food

--Starting a compost pile

--Being a proficient at the guitar and piano

--Dusting off my old film Canon Rebel, learning to shoot again, and getting better at photography in prep for a few weeks in Uganda this summer

many opportunities

2009-02-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

"Outside of heaven, the power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel. This must be so, for the Bible twice describes the gospel as 'the power of God.' Nothing else in all of Scripture is ever described in this way, except for the Person of Jesus Christ. Such a description indicates that the gospel is not only powerful, but that it is the ultimate entity in which God's power resides and does its greatest work."

M. Vincent, A Gospel Primer

This quote is from a book that continues to shape my thinking. What does it mean to inform my thinking on the truths of the gospel? What does communicating that look like?

In short, I am far from knowing, but I have had several unique opportunities at trying to communicate the gospel.

In our newest Good News Club, a Bible Club that is in an elementary school as part of the after school program. For more info, visit CEF's site

I love Lauren in this picture, the little girl looking straight at the camera and not at me. She is our truly spunky kid, which makes her so much fun. After our lesson time, we have small groups. In our small groups, we try to take one truth from the lesson and ask our kids questions that lead them to understand the truth of who God is and then how the

should respond to him. My small group 2 weeks ago began asking me all sorts of questions about Jesus' death on the cross. Questions ranged from "If Jesus was perfect, I don't understand how he could even take on sin, like how could he even be near it?" Or, "I don't understand the Trinity. If Jesus is God, then how could God make Jesus come to earth?" These are 9-10 year olds!

At Sunrise, we have an informal, very chaotic version of the tame club mentioned above. I took a picture of one of the pictures a 1st grader drew me on Monday, and I accidently deleted it from my camera. If I can recover it, I will post it because it is precious. In Sunrise small groups, we break the older boys up from the older girls and I usually corral the remaining preschoolers and younger elementary schoolers. Once again, there was this cool opportunity to just go through who Jesus is and what sin is and how we must respond to the cross. Kiira asked me part-way through, "Is this just something I can understand?" At that point, I realized I was focusing most of my attention on her because I thought she was the only one listening. Cashen, the 1st grader who drew me a picture, proudly shows me his version of the gospel drawn in crayon. He and Kiira then went around sharing the gospel with pictures to the other kids. Pretty sweet stuff.

I feel like my blogs are all quite happy and cheery. The reality is, I am tired by the end of the week, or more often, the end of the day. One great outlet continues to be running. I am eagerly anticipating the Gate River Run in 5 weeks or so. It is the largest 15k run in the U.S. right now, a pretty cool stat. I also find the cheesy bands at every single mile marker, my Pa Paw whistling at me from the corner of Holmesdale and Atlantic, and my parents love for photographing my pained expressions, quite inspiring. Celebrating with lunch at European Street Cafe is a great incentive too!

My church sold our office building to another church. In the midst of the shuffling around of offices (we are sharing the space and sub-leasing back), there has been some laughter. Why? I am sharing an office with my bff and co-worker, Christina. My favorite moment of the entire week was her pressuring me to play a game on her cell phone. She kept saying, "Cass, come over here and play 'Labyrinth' with me." I responded, "David Bowie?" She had no idea what movie I thought her cell phone game was based on. It resulted in a lot of giggling and me refusing to be swayed by the peer pressure.

As an aside, Jim Henson's 1986 Labyrinth, is hilarious and weird. It is a Valentine's Day tradition movie for me. There is no rationale, and it technically won't be a tradition until I watch it again this Valentine's Day. Last February 14th, I was in Little Rock, Arkansas visiting Anna. I don't know that I have laughed so hard in a movie ever before. Sir Didymus, the courageous squirrel-fox, is by-far my favorite comedian now!

Say Hello...

2009-01-23T14:31:00.000-08:00

In short, I hope to use this blog as a means to keep prayer supporters and friends in the loop. I thought I would begin to summarize the past 6 months through photos.

To begin, here is a slideshow of my favorite photos from my month in Taipei, Taiwan with OMF. Coldplay's newest album had just come out when I left. I felt like the sights I was seeing were dancing when I would walk and listen to this song!

After returning from Taiwan, the Lord continued to affirm my heart for serving within the church. August was marked by rushing into awesome opportunities that were stretching and quite enjoyable. The day after flying into Tallahassee, Four Oaks left for a week long camp with our rising 4th & 5th graders. Here is my cabin of great girls.

After camp, I helped lead a VBS at Sunrise. We had a surprisingly strong turn out, with more pre-teen boys that anything else. What a blessing that was to see! This is a photo after a Kids' Club (our Monday Bible Club), with everyone piling into Mr. John's truck.

Then, my sister moved back to Tallahassee for her sophomore year at Florida State. Having Tiffany here brings an element of home to Tallahassee. My sweet cousin, Bryson, is also in town. Both of them attend Four Oaks, and we get to see one another pretty often. My mom and

dad have more of an incentive to come to Tallahassee with both of their girls being here, so they visit every other month now.

The tail end of the fall was marked by a few things:

1. lots of weddings and quite a bit of traveling for those

2. affirmation that my role in Children's Ministries is my fit

3. deepened relationships with friends and mentors

My job has morphed some in the past 2 1/2 years since coming on staff. While about 1/2 of it is administration, I have transitioned into more teaching and leading opportunities this fall. I now spend Monday afternoons at Sunrise leading a Kids' Club and Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons serving in Good News Clubs at 2 elementary schools. I cherish the opportunities I have to teach and be with kids.

Rene (in the front) and Lauren (in the green) are my 2 roommates. Here we are celebrating Rene's 25th birthday with friends at our favorite Sushi restaurant, Jasmin's.

Here are 3 other of my favorite ladies:

Christina White, my co-worker and dear friend.

Mary Shingler, my friend, sounding board, and mentor.

Kay Andrus, Christina's mentor, a prayer advocate, and dear encourager.