Whirlwind

I feel like my life has been a going at super sonic speed since fall break. Honestly, how did an entire month go by since I was home?? Not that that is a long time for me to be away from home, but this month has just flown by.
I have been a busy little Baird, that's for sure... some of the things that have kept me the most busy were Rockbridge, four square, birthdays, anniversaries, giving the Sin and cross talks back to back, campaigners, spending time with friends, being a mom every afternoon, and school... okay, maybe not school... but I have to make myself sound good somehow!
Life is certainly amazing, and they say that time flies when you are having fun, so I definitely can not complain.
I can not believe that the semester is winding down. I have project deadlines looming before Thanksgiving break, but I look forward to the coming time off.
Before being home for Fall Break, I hadn't been in Shelby since JUNE. Yes, it took my 4 months to make the 4 hour drive home. Now I will be home next Tuesday through Saturday, then shortly after that, I will be heading home for almost an entire month!
Relaxing and spending quality time with hometown friends is most eagerly anticipated.
I will be sure to keep everyone updated on the happenings of this final frontier of 2008.

Birthday!

Yesterday was my 21st birthday!!! Its kinda ridiculous to think about, but oh so fun.

The entire day was filled with friends and fun and love. That's really all I could ask for. I wanted nothing more than to share that day with people that I love and care about.

I have the most amazing group of friends that can enjoy the simplest things and make the most fun out of any of them.

My birthday went as follows:

-the night before: sharing cake, laughter, and playgrounds with some great South Central Falcon Young Lifers

-being with Reid, Hunter, Aaron, Nathan, and Daniel at the stroke of midnight on the 11th

-coming back to an amazingly beautified apartment...complete with streamers from the fans, 3 posters, and plenty of balloons

-going to breakfast with the amazing Lynn and being served a brownie with ice cream and hot fudge at approximately 8:38am (and having the Cracker Barrell lady servers sing to me)

-going to school for the first time IN MY LIFE on my birthday (so unfair, and inappro)

-making a 96 on an exam... take that teach!

-going to Olive Garden for some wonderful food, conversation, and quality time with Aaron Scott Brooks (we did this last year on my birthday as well... boy am I thrilled that we could share this time again an entire year later)

-playing ultimate frisbee on a full stomach (not bueno)

-getting knocked out while making a baller defensive move.. thank you Reid Smith Warren... apparently since he couldn't get me drunk for my birthday he just decided to knock me out so I knew what it felt like

-sleeping off the pain

-finding flowers on my kitchen table from my amazing older brother

-going to dinner with him

-having wonderful friends over for celebrations that evening which led to four square outside at 11:00... because we so cool that we bring back old school

and our first roommate picture was FINALLY taken last night! Whoooo!

Again, I absolutely LOVE my friends and felt so blessed to have that many people show my compassion on my birthday. Thank you all so much for making it special!

When we finally look for direction

I know its a common struggle for me, and I have found it to be the same for many of my close friends...turning to Christ, and Christ alone, in our life. So much has been going on recently that I have just been letting my emotions rule my life; not much of what I know about my faith has been allowed tobe on the forfront of my actions. It has been detrimental and its about time that I have taken those few steps back to re-examine and go at it all again.

These realizations have come in stages:

First the phrase "In Christ Alone" was stuck in my head for weeks... I didn't even know the last time that I had heard that song or anything, but I was just always thinking about it.

Secondly, great talks with little Lynny, Aaron, and other friends.

Thirdly, getting to catch up with Amy Ruff Ruff Ruff

Fourthly, more things continued piling on.. including an impulsive trip to Barnes and seeing one single copy of this book sticking on on a shelf all by itself. The book you ask? In Christ Alone by Sinclair B. Ferguson. (I have not begun it yet because I am in the middle of The Shack, but it's next FOR SURE!)

and to top it all off... tonight at bible study we reflected on Jeremiah 17:9-10 which touched on the heart being decietful, and the need to base judgement on the Truth.

All these things lining up should eventually tell me that I need to work on how I handle situations involving my heart vs. my head. How hard headed can one girl be in order to need such CONSTANT reminding??

But the Lord is good and is ever faithful in teaching me things.

Today while I was babysitting, I was thinking about these things as I drove the 3 year old home. He loves to tell me exactly where to turn to get to his house from his day care. And its a good thing that I do know where I am going, because, though he gives accurate directions, he announces the turn as we approach the curb...aka, not much notice. I have begun asking him a few seconds before the needed turn if the road we were approaching is the correct one; this allows him to still tell me where to go, but me not put us in annnny danger! I find that we do this in our lives quite often... we're going and don't bother to ask God for direction until we almost pass it by; when he has to throw it in our faces in some form or fashion. Thankfully for us, we can give up the drivers seat and allow him to take control.

I don't believe this would be good for little Hampton since he's already tried to show how he can "reach the pedals."

This is my good buddy Hampton's self portrait... he played with my camera one day on the way home. He really is precious.