yes i am still alive & well...

wow, it's been almost 7 months since i last blogged and boy has a lot happened in my life since posting about bama basketball...here's just a brief list recapping:

1) spent christmas w/ 2 sets of families for the first time
2) new year's in nashville w/ chuck & msstate football
3) became an aunt january 19...mary frances arrived!
4) had a break in at my birmingham house at the end of january
5) roommate & i decided to move in february...i currenly live with 2 friends & have most of my stuff in storage
6) march brought basketball madness, spring time, birthdays & engagement...chuck proposed on my birthday!!
7) i'm getting married january 5!

i will take some time in the next few days to update a bit more on several of these but the one thing i continue to fall back on is the goodness of the Lord & how He continually pours His grace over me despite crazy changes and uncertainties. as i continue to grow in my ability to trust in Him it's incredible to see the Gospel play out & His plan come to fruition

who's pumped for some bama hoops?!!

this girl is no doubt!!!

yes, football season is still going on but for me, college basketball gets me way more excited that college football...which is crazy coming from an alum of the univ of alabama but if you spent some time around my family you'd see that college bball's in my blood.

the great thing is that coach grant has the team primed for good things this year...and after watching the freshman play through the first few games of the season especially the puerto rico kick-off i'm looking forward to enjoying many of games from the crimson tide! plus, coach grant's going to steal saban's thunder with the way he has this bball team playing some defense!

plus, i have a season ticket...all thanks to my boo being a tide pride member and former bama ticket office worker...check them out:
(and the cool thing is that my friend jonathan king designed them!)

everyone enjoy the next few months of awesome college hoops!! roll tide my friends

blessing in that trust

well in my last post i discussed trusting God in the uncertainties and unknown...one way i have experienced/was challenged with that in 2011 began in may when a friend from undergrad decided to make his feelings for me clear and then i had to react. initially i wanted to just say no mainly because i didn't have a yes to give but the Lord had a different plan and for a week He continually prompted me with the Holy Spirit that just because i don't have a yes doesn't mean i have to say no.

and that's just what i did & couldn't be more blessed with the Lord's blessing my letting go and trusting in Him. the past 6 months have been a thrill and i couldn't be more grateful for jason walker being a part of my life.

i'll take some time later to share more specifics on how great he is but now i'll just leave you with some pictures

it don't matter if it's black or white

one thing i've been learning a lot throughout what seems the majority of 2011 is that i like the black and white of life and am not a huge fan of the gray areas of life. well, the Lord has a different idea and in line with mr. jackson's song...it doesn't matter if it's black or white because let's face it the black or white doesn't comprise life but the gray areas sure do. and not only must i embrace that fact but i must decide how i will proceed, live, and respond through the gray areas.

response: my usual response in the past when things seem fairly uncertain and there's not a clear cut black or white answer or action is to go with the no or to give up or just dismiss the idea. well, throughout the past 6 months or so the Lord has really done a great job of breaking me on this. at the start of this year i began reading this book about trusting God where in the beginning of the book the author states that for some believers it's easier to obey rather than trust because we obey what is certain & known and trust in what is unclear and uncertain. well i've never been the greatest at trusting the Lord because that means i then have to sit and wait and well you know, trust. what's crazy is that going into 2011 i thought i did a pretty great job of trusting the Lord when times are uncertain but oh was i wrong. i have some absolute struggles and insecurities with trusting and the Lord has done a great job of showing me my insecurities and need for control and also throwing me into situations where i can only trust HIM, not myself one lick but HIM.

what would you give up?

world vision's started a campaign to make the famine in the horn of africa the last famine ever...their challenge: what one thing would you give up? for the sake of those dying of starvation each day!

check out this blog/site: http://blog.worldvision.org/tag/east-africa-food-crisis/

http://blog.worldvision.org/conversations/what-would-you-give-up/?lpos=ctr_txt_readmore_BringingdeathinAfricatolifeinAmerica[LINKUP]#more-7654

join me in giving up one thing and praying for rain in the horn of africa