Bad at this...

I'm so bad at this blogging thing. I apologize to those of you who routinely check for updates. I do so well at journaling, but just can't seem to do it online. Mary Anna & Natalie have threatened me, so I figured it is time for an update.

Everything is going really well. I still LOVE Nashville. I am so thankful that God has brought me to this place in my life -- I can't imagine being anywhere else right now. He has continued to teach me so much, particularly about his being my provider and confidante. He has also blessed me with some incredible people around me -- people at work, new friends, roommates. This weekend marks 4 months of being in Nashville. I can hardly believe it's been 4 months! I feel like I just got here, and yet I feel like I have been here forever. I love that this is home now.

I've had some really fun things going on lately.

• Spent Thanskgiving in B'ham with Coy, Mandy, & Cale. It was wonderful to spend time with them & their family since it was just too expensive to make it back to Texas.
• It snowed on December 1!!!! Just a little bit, but still snow. Then it snowed much more on December 12!
• Went to see Tuna Does Vegas with Natalie, Hadley & Rachel at TPAC. I highly recommend it...so funny!
• Roommate Christmas party -- I am so thankful for Amy, Mary Anna, & Emily. I love how God put us together.
• Nashville Natalie Day -- My dear friend Natalie is moving back to Texas. A few of us went to Pancake Pantry that morning & then her going away party was that night.
• Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson. If you have never seen this live, I highly recommend it! It's a musical telling of the story of Christmas and is AMAZING! I went this past week to see it at the Ryman, which is amazing in and of itself.

I am really looking forward to Christmas. I leave for Texas on Tuesday and can hardly wait! I'm excited about some good time with family & friends. I will be honest and say that I am also excited about some real Tex-Mex. It just doesn't exist up here (although there is talk that Cantina Laredo is opening a location here). I realized the other day that this is the first ever Christmas that has required travel on my part. I'm kind of excited about that part...although I may have a different opinion after Tuesday.

I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and take some time to reflect on all that God has done in your life this past year.

Luke 2:8-14
There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Tagged

I haven't been online much this week and hadn't realized I'd been tagged until just now. So here it is.

The rules:
Go to your picture file on your computer.
Pull up the 4th folder.
Pull up the 4th photo.
Tell us about it.

This is a picture from Sabrina & I last weekend when she came to visit. On Friday night, we went to the Bluebird Cafe, which is a great little music joint. Songwriters sit around and play their songs, often telling the stories of where the songs came from. If you come see me, I'll be sure to take you to the Bluebird.

Okay, so tag, you're it...
Sabrina
Kari
Vickie
Emily
Sarah

It's Been Awhile...

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I really don't have an excuse. Just haven't done it.

Life is really good right now. I LOVE Nashville! It's a great town, and I have met some wonderful people in the last few weeks. One of the hardest parts of my moving to Nashville has been leaving behind Connect Church...and looking for a new church. When I was thinking about moving, I realized that I had never looked for a church. The first time I moved churches, I was 10, and my parents made the decision. The second time was when I went to help start Connect. So this process has been a new one for me, but it has been good, and I have learned a lot in the process. I've seen just how important it is to talk to that person sitting by themself on a Sunday morning. It's a scary thing to walk into church by yourself. If no one talks to you, you are more than likely not going back. So those of you headed to church tomorrow -- say hi to the people around you! Even if you aren't sure if it's their first time or 31st time, just say hi, ask their name, how they are. It goes a long way!

Thankfully, Jesus has led me to a great church. It's not Connect Church, but I have realized that nothing will ever be like just like Connect and that new experiences are good. When I first started this process, I thought that I would enjoy being at a church that was like Connect. However, as I visited churches here in Nashville that were like Connect, I just left disappointed. My expectations were never met. (There's a whole other post in that...expectations rarely are met, aren't they?) The church I am at, Brentwood Baptist, is wonderful. The pastor is amazing. He brings the Word in the most humble and gentle spirit, but isn't afraid to step on toes if necessary. I have loved listening to him and processing through all that Jesus says to me through him. I've had a few of those weeks where I have walked out thinking "Did he have any idea that he was preaching just to me?"

The other thing that drew me to BBC is the people. I have met some wonderful people and have gotten plugged into a small group Bible study on Sunday nights. I look forward to finding my place to serve at BBC and meeting more people.

Autumn has come to Nashville as well. I have NEVER seen colors like the colors that are on the trees right now. It's absolutely incredible. Pictures don't really do the colors justice, but I am including a few just for fun. I went hiking at a state park a few weeks ago and was just amazed at God's creation. Trees were so bright that they looked like they were on fire. It was just beautiful! And to think that God knows each leaf, just as he knows each star in the sky and each hair on my head. I just had to stand in amazement of him.

Along with the arrival of autumn has come the cold. I wasn’t quite prepared for temperatures in the low 30s in late October. But they are here. Thursday morning, my car was covered with ice…enough that I had to get out the window scraper out to clean my windshield. And yesterday, I purchased gloves for the first time in several years. Craziness! But the days are beautiful right now, so I can deal with cold in the mornings.

Enjoy the pictures of God’s glorious creation!

GameDay Video

My dad filmed the GameDay footage on his tv screen & emailed it to me. I cannot believe I was on national television! How fitting though that I was on ESPN College GameDay -- one of my favorite shows! There's not much sound with the video, so you can either imagine the GameDay theme music or me shouting "Go Texas! Hook 'em Horns!" at the top of my lungs.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!

COLLEGE GAMEDAY!!!

I had the most fun experience today! ESPN's College GameDay was here in Nashville because the Vanderbilt Commodores are 4-0, which hasn't happened ever. As a huge college football fan, I couldn't really pass up the opportunity to go. Sure, GameDay has been in Dallas for Texas-OU weekend and I haven't had any desire to go, but this was so different. It was so much fun to be a Longhorn in the sea of Commodores!

These are two sweet Vandy girls I met, Andrea & Gracie, who were standing next to me for most of the morning.

College GameDay in Nashville wouldn't be complete without a musician. Can you tell who that is on the right? It's Kenny Chesney! He's a big Tennessee fan, so he didn't get the warmest reception from the 'Dores, but it was still cool that he was there. He made picks with the guys at the end of the show.

And after the show, when most people had already left, he came over & signed some autographs. Pretty awesome! I was hoping that Kirk Herbstreit would follow suit and come over. AND HE DID!!! I was so excited! I LOVE him! I wasn't able to get a pic with him, but he did sign my Home Depot hard hat. I told him that I love watching him & the GameDay crew every week. He looked at me and said "Every week?" "Yes sir!" "Well, I'm impressed."

So aside from meeting Kirk Herbstreit, the highlight of my College GameDay experience was getting on TV!!!! There weren't really any other Texas fans there. I think I saw 2 others when I was in line earlier in the morning. I was right on one of the barricades and was originally standing next to some OU fans. Of course, burnt orange stood out in a sea of black & gold, and the camera men noticed me. They told me to stay put, that they would be coming back to me. When the GameDay crew talked about the 'Horns game tonight, he came over and got some footage of me. As he was filming, I knew he was really close to me. The camera was about 5 inches from my face. But I had no idea just how close the shot was until Denalyn texted me the picture she took of her television (see below). She said she was about to text me when she looked up and my face was on the screen.

So glad I was able to represent the 'Horns in this land of SEC!

HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!!

Weekend in Music City

Shelley came to visit over the weekend. She came in to see me and to surprise our friend, Natalie, for her birthday. The surprise came off without a hitch! We went to Natalie's house to pick her up. Natalie thought that I was the only one coming. Her face was PRICELESS when Shelley was standing at the door. (Shelley's got the pics...otherwise, I'd put one up.) Here's a pic of Shelley & I at Natalie's birthday party.We spent most of the weekend being tourists, which was great fun. Friday, we went to Franklin, Tennessee, which has a really cute downtown area. Reminds me of Granbury a bit. We went to a really cool plantation in Franklin, the Carnton Plantation, where the book "Widow of the South" is based. It was a field hospital during the Battle of Franklin in the Civil War. It's amazing how much history is literally right in my backyard. The neighborhood I live in is actually where the Battle of Nashville was. You can't drive a half of a mile without passing a historical marker.
There was a cupcake cafe, called Curious Gourmet Cupcake Cafe. Let me just say, both of our jaws hit the floor when we walked in. Pure heaven! Cupcakes with 3 inches of icing. The two I'm holding are vanilla chocolate chip & dulce de leche. Shelley & I split them so we could try more than one. They were all yummy, although the dulce de leche was my fave.This is a cool stop out in the "country." The Loveless Cafe & Motel was opened by the Loveless family back in 1951. It's no longer a motel, but it's a pretty amazing restaurant. They are known for their biscuits, which were melt-in-your-mouth good. You know it's good if there are bikes parked out front. Couldn't pass up this picture.

We also went to The Hermitage, the home of former President Andrew Jackson. It's absolutely beautiful. This picture was taken of the front of the house from the gardens, that his wife, Rachel, loved so dearly. I have always heard about Andrew & Rachel Jackson and how in love they were. I always thought of her as First Lady, but she actually died just a few days before Andrew was inaugurated. However, Andrew still very much loved her, and only her, throughout the rest of his life. It's a pretty amazing love story.

After our Sunday afternoon tour of The Hermitage, Shelley & I grabbed dinner with Natalie. Then we went back to my place to watch the Cowboys play. HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS?! Gotta love watching the game with a fellow Texan. Now I just have to find a Cowboys fan club up here that watches the games together.

Weekend in Birmingham

I was able to spend the weekend in Birmingham with one of my best friends, Mandy, and her family. We had such a great time! We didn’t really do much, just hung out. Had some late-night girl talk. Coy & Mandy have the sweetest little six-month-old boy, Cale. He is precious. And he loves me lots. Just look at that smile. :) He picked this weekend to start doing several things – crawling (kind of – it’s more of a leap frog motion), pulling up, sitting in a high chair, giving high fives. It was so much fun! I think he was holding off until I could see him. :) The only thing that could have made the weekend better is if Matt, Denalyn & Sam could have been there too.

I am so amazed at how close so many things are. Birmingham was a 2 ½ hour drive. That’s it! And it’s a different state. From Arlington, you can go 2 ½ hours in any direction and pretty much still be in Texas. So many places are like that – Atlanta is 4 hours, Lexington is 3 hours, Gatlinburg is 2 hours, Memphis is 4 hours. Makes me want to travel all the time!

My Nashville Story

I've realized that many people don't know the story of how I ended up in Nashville, so I thought this would be a good place to share.
Back in January, God began stirring my heart to pray for what he had next for me. I loved where I was at in life ~ amazing friends, great job, cool apartment, living in Arlington ~ so I was very hesitant at first. But I just started praying that God would lead me where he wanted.
In March, I knew that it was time to start doing my research on places to move outside of Arlington. So I started dreaming with the Lord on this. My list of places was Nashville, Chicago, DC, Boston...and an outside thought of Austin too. (Who wouldn't want to live in the land of Longhorns?!)
In April, I made my first "vision trip." And it turned out to be my only. I came to Nashville and fell in love with the town. My friend Natalie, who so graciously hosted me that weekend, and I had numerous conversations that weekend about God's majesty and how he shows off in the trees of the area. God had worked things out that, looking back now, I see why he worked the way he did. I actually had an interview with the office I'm working at now, which a friend from Texas connected me to. And I tagged along with Natalie to a baby shower, where I met several of her friends ~ three of which are now my roommates. God is so good to go before us and work out the details. And when I got back to Texas and was having my Bible study time that week, the verse the Lord sent me to the very first day I was back was from Psalm 96. It talks about how the trees show off God's majesty and splendor and that they even praise the Lord. Okay God - I get it. Nashville is a yes.
Due to the fact that I was involved with several weddings this summer (including my youngest brother'), life did not permit me to move until late August. My original plan was to move after September 7, the fifth anniversary of Connect Church, where I was working at the time. Well, God had other plans. I received a phone call in mid-July, offering me a job...that would start as soon as I could get to Nashville. Honestly, I was completely taken by surprise. I had continued to pray about the job/move throughout the summer, but I was holding off until after my brother's wedding (July 26) to actively seek a job and/or place to live in Nashville. And here it was, a week & a half before his wedding, and I had a job lined up!
The day after I accepted the job in Nashville and was realizing that I needed to figure out where I was going to stay, I got a phone call from my friend Natalie. She said that Mary Anna, Emily, & Amy had called her to see if I was still moving up to Nashville b/c they had a spot in their house coming open. Seriously?! God is so good! After a series of emails, I had a place to live lined up.
Here I was, a couple of weeks from my brother's wedding and now leaving Texas earlier than I had planned...keyword "I." Isn't it so like God to do things differently than we think he will? I knew through all this that I was doing exactly what he wanted and was following in his will for my life, even as I had to do the hardest part and resign my position at Connect. Turning in that letter was one of the hardest things I have done in my life...especially since this is now the third time I've worked for my pastor.
So all that said, I'm now here in Nashville...have been for 3 weeks now, walking the path the Lord has laid out for me. It's so fun! I do love it. I'm not saying it isn't hard. I have my moments where I desperately miss Texas ~ my family, my incredible friends, my church, Mexican food. But I know that this is exactly what God has...and there's no place better to be than in the middle of his will.

My New Place

Thought I would post a little tour of my amazing house! God worked it out so incredibly. I could not have imagined a cooler place to live. And on top of a cute house, he gave me AWESOME roommates ~ Amy, Emily, & Mary Anna.

we have a front porch!!! with a swing!!!
come on in y'all!

the next few pics are a panoramic if you are standing just inside the front door. this piece is all postcards from local places...it's where i'm starting my list of places i need to see this is looking down the hallway towards the back door. that's amy's room on the left. emily's room is down this hallway too.

this is our downstairs living room. (yep, there's two living rooms!)

through the living room is the dining room. my roomie mary anna is on the left. mandy, a friend who was over for Bible study, is on the right. those flowers are were sent to me by the girls i work with on my first day - aren't they beautiful?

continue through the dining room, and you get to the kitchen...i love this room! makes me want to cook....or at least make banana pudding. :)

more of the kitchen. the house was already decorated, but it looks so much like something i would do. i love the french cafe, parisian look!

let's go back to the front and up the stairs!

this is the "guest couch" - where you can stay if you come visit. just kidding! this little sitting area is at the top of the stairs. you turn back to the left to get to the living room.

this is the upstairs living room. it's so cozy. great spot for watching movies...or sports center.

this is looking to the right from the last view. that's mary anna's room over there.

this is looking to the left. that's the door to my bathroom. my room is just to the left of the bathroom door.

this is my room. i have a few things up on the wall now, but i took these pics just a few days after i moved in, so it's not completely unpacked here. but there are two very important things to notice here - 1) the purple-would you expect anything different? 2) the sonic cup-sonic is around the corner from my house! greatness!

continued panoramic of my room

please excuse all the boxes. they are mostly gone now.

well, that concludes our tour. hope you have enjoyed it!

new beginnings

So, at the request of numerous friends, I have decided to start a blog. I know that there are lots of people who want to keep up with what's going on with me that aren't on facebook, so I figured it was time. I hope you all enjoy! I will share pics & stories of Nashville life, and I hope to share what God is doing in my life as well.
I have lots of thoughts about my life right now ~ my new beginning in Nashville, saying good-bye to Arlington, my family, my friends, my church. It's not at all been easy, but I know I am exactly where God wants me, so that is what I am holding onto. I know it's right. So I'm gonna keep walking this road, knowing that God is walking ahead of me and with me, that he is holding my hand as he leads me.