Day 59: Only Way

Today I've was preparing for a future FCA Split Night- where we separate the girls and the boys and discuss real life questions. Anyways, I really wanted to derive the discussion questions from Crazy Love by Francis Chan. It is an incredible book! So here is a little sneak peak... "125,000,000,000 people have lived on this earth. In about 50 years no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore. This can be terrifying or reassuring." He goes on to say, "We need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God. Our lives here are short, often unexpectedly so, and we can all stand to be reminded of it from time to time. That's why I want to help us remember that in this movie of life, nothing matters except our King and God." He is everything. He is the only way.

Day 58: The Situation

Tonight I went to a Jersey Shore themed birthday party. Basically it is a show on MTV that is "delightfully trashy", according to Lauren. It was fun to dress up in outrageous clothes and have an extreme 'Snooki' poof in my hair. Afterwards, I got the chance to talk with Melinda. It was a ton of great conversation and I really enjoyed it! On another note... today was my last SAT prep class! Whoop!

Day 57: The Dysfunctional Day

Today has been crazy. It all started when Lauren tried to bring me lunch at school. She ran through the pouring rain, just to find out that only parents were allowed to enter the cafeteria. Tonight Jason, Katie, Lauren, Mom, Shannon and I were headed out to eat dinner downtown. My Mom had a particular restaurant in mind; however it was a struggle to find it. We took two cars and needless to say, my mom's car got very lost. We were all over the city. We tried to head towards the Toyota center and ended up in a never ending HOV lane going south on 45 . The car ride was full of constant bickering and frustrating arguments. Once we finally got to the restaurant, my mom joined the Margarita train. Then she found out that Happy Hour was only offered in the upstairs part of the restaurant. Shannon was singing 'Tick Tock' word for word at the table and on the way home my Mom was driving in the Metro Train lane and got stopped at a red light. Shannon was bawling in the back seat saying “I don’t want to die!” What a dysfunctional day.

Day 56: Girl Talk

This afternoon Lauren came in town for the weekend... so my Dad, Lauren and I went to BJ's for dinner. I don't know what it was about tonight, but we were all incredibly hyper. It has been a busy week for all of us... so I think we were ready to let loose! Over dinner we had 'Girl Talk' and posed as extremely random things on demand for the camera. I think the whole restaurant thought we were nuts. We topped off the great night with 3 mini pizookies. They were fantastic! I am so glad Lauren is in town and I know this weekend will be great!

Day 55: Basketball

Today it was beautiful outside and I didn't have an over load of homework, so I got a chance to play basketball with Shannon. I don't spend near enough time with her... so on the rare chance we are not arguing or I am actually home for more than 15 minute intervals- we might get the chance to do something fun together. I know sometimes it is hard for her to see now, but I love her more than she can ever imagine. Even though she is much younger than I am, she has always been and will always be my best friend.

Day 54: MWOB

Tonight we had the first ever MOB (Men of the Bible) & WOW (Women of the Word) combo bible study... we named it MWOB! :) The event took place at my house and even though my Mom and I felt like we made a ton of food... it went very quickly! Tonight we talked about seeking a Godly relationship and what that looks like in our life. The person we should be dating ought to encourage us in our faith and more importantly love God more than they could ever love the other person. Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Day 53: Mmmm Whatcha Say...

Tonight Dalton & I spoke at FCA! Dalton talked about living in the light and I talked about what we say and how that reflects our relationship with Christ. One of my favorite bible verses that I spoke about tonight is 1 Corinthians 10:23-- "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." In life we can say and do whatever we want, but that may not be beneficial to ourselves and those that surround us. I hope the people at FCA were able to take what I said tonight and apply it to their lives. God is doing great things in so many students' lives and I am so excited I get to be a part of that journey!

Day 52: Nap Time

Today was a really great day! Shannon decided to transform her bedroom into a classroom. That sounds awfully familiar.... oh wait that's because I did that EXACT thing when I was her age! I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I started teaching my imaginary students in my half bedroom/half classroom! This chart was hanging on her ‘classroom’ wall and I just loved that it said 'nap time zzz....' for an activity! I think we all need insert a slot for nap time back into our busy schedules!

Day 51: "We are swnging"

Today Shannon and her best frined Mia went to the park and took my Mom's cell phone with them. We got this cute text message with a picture of Shannon and Mia on the swings that says "We are swnging". Shannon figured out how to send a picture text message on my Mom's phone before my Mom ever did! Technology is advancing swiftly and these kids are catching on fast! Before we know it Shannon will have a cell phone of her own... she's growing up way too quickly!

Day 50: How 'Bout Them Cowgirls

First of all, it's already Day 50! Wow! Second of all, this evening I babysat the sweetest little girls in the world! They constantly made me smile and reminded me of how simple & fun it is to be a kid again. Brooke, the younger one, decided she needed to wear her cowgirl boots and hat for the remainder of the evening. They were extremely silly and precious cowgirls-- I couldn't ask for a better set of kids to babysit!

Day 49: GHS

Tonight Brittany, Melinda and I got inducted into the National Honor Society at our school. Basically... we got all dressed up, walked across a stage and lit a candle. When I came onto the stage I got a simple applause... but when Brittany came onto the stage my Dad "Whooped" for her! I was a little offended... but my Dad said it's because Brittany is a true Aggie, so she deserves a whoop. It was all fair in the end because I had a mini cookie cake waiting for me at home. It was very sweet, but I was extremely confused by the letters 'GHS' in the frosting. My Dad said it stands for the Global Honor Society, because I am way beyond the National level. I can always count on him to boost my confidence. Haha :)

Day 48: Unfailing Love

As I was driving into school this morning, the sun was finally shining off in the distance and the song "Unfailing Love" came on my iPod. It was the perfect start to a new day. I sat in my car, while parked in the student parking lot, until it was time to go into the school. It was the first time in a while I simply embraced the day the Lord has made. I took a deep breath and really listened to the lyrics of the song...
You have my heart

And I am Yours forever

You are my strength

God of grace and power

And everything You hold in Your hand

Still You make time for me

I can't understand

Praise You God of Earth and Sky

How beautiful is Your unfailing love

Unfailing love

I sat there, staring into the sun in awe of the Lord's creation. He created this entire universe and has a million things on his ‘to-do’ list- but continues to make time for me. Why is it so easy to get caught up in life and forget to make time for Him?

Day 47: It's A Good Thing...

Today has been filled with many emotions- I've experienced too many lows and not enough  highs. However, tonight I went to the softball game with the PALs and other students for this month's H.O.T hangout. It was the first softball game I've ever been to and hands down the coldest! Even though I couldn't feel my toes, it was definitely memorable and one of my good things for the day. Shannon came with me, since my parents are at the Rockets game tonight! Wooo for date night!

Day 46: No School!

President's Day= No School, which for me meant homework all day! Even though my day was occupied with school work, in the evening I went over to Big Shannon's house for a One Tree Hill party! It was great getting a chance to catch up with Shannon, since I haven't seen her in a long time! We used to car pool to school together and have our 'morning chats' every day... but now that I can drive, we don't get to! I am so thankful to have a friend like Shannon; we cannot see each other for months but whenever we do, everything is exactly the same!

Day 45: Valentine's Day

Well today is the day when we are supposed to show love and compassion in our relationships. My only question is... shouldn't that be every day? Anyways, my family and practically every other person in America went to see the movie Valentine's Day. It had a handful of well known actors and it made me laugh a lot. Even though today has been pretty low key, I spent it with the one's that I love the most... and that's all that really matters. P.S. Jason & Lauren—I hope y’all had a great Valentine’s Day and know that I love you!

Day 44: Top Secret Surprise

Tonight I babysat the sweetest kids in the world! Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, I decided to have the kids make a top secret surprise for their parents. We grabbed the paint, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work! The painting we made for them includes each child's hand print and age (Grayson- 6, Caroline-3 and Ellie-1). The kids and I had a GREAT time tonight... like usual we had an ice cream party, competed in races around the house, played 'fly on the bed' and many more fun things. I've been babysitting them for a little over two and a half years and truly cherish every second that I am able to be a part of their lives!

Day 43: Five Guys

First of all, today is Jason's 22nd birthday! I hope he has a great time tonight and knows how much I love him! Secondly, tonight was the annual Life Skills dance! This is an event planned by the PALs and FLO/SAIL students at our school and it is notorious for being a blast! This year it was Valentine's Day themed and everyone had a great time! But the best part of the day was yet to come... after the dance all the girl PALs surprised the 5 boy PALs by blind folding them and transporting them to the restaurant Five Guys! We gave them cards, cookies and paid for their dinner! This evenings events were somewhat spontaneous, but they ended up working out perfectly! I am so glad that I've gotten a chance to meet these great Five Guys!

Day 42: Faith

To me faith means having complete trust and confidence in the Lord at all times, no matter the circumstance. This week has definitely challenged my faith in many ways. Whether I doubted God's ability to handle the stress in my life or simply questioned what faith really means to me. Most people fear having faith because it means giving up control and surrendering their lives to God. Faith and grace go hand in hand and our society is in desperate need of both. Grace is receiving a free gift that we DON'T deserve! Mrs. L has the best quote and it says, "You catch grace as a man fills his cup beneath a waterfall". Picture yourself standing before God with a cup in your hand, asking for undeserved grace... and instantly he sends down a waterfall. Absolutely captivating! Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible.

Day 41: The Rose

Long story short, there was a guy at the PALs Ropes Course that entertained us with magic, hit on me with an 'ace of hearts' card trick and ended up being quite the stalker. Well, this week at school people could purchase a rose from FFA and send it to one of their peers... and of course I didn't think much of it. Well 6th period rolls around and a girl comes up to me, hands me a rose, and tells me it is from "Justin-- the Magician". My jaw dropped and I practically threw up in my mouth. Eventually, Brittany and I started dying laughing and Brittany said, "It must have been one of those PALs!" I quickly turned towards the girl and asked her who forced her to give me the rose and she hesitantly said, "Katy Lowery". Katy you are quite the little comedian, aren't you?

Day 40: Bittersweet

Today I had to do a million things on my to-do list and I am still counting down. One of the things on the list was to attend W.O.W. (but that's something I actually enjoy)! Allison's Mom made us such precious and delicious Valentine’s Day sweets! To my surprise they actually tasted just as good as they looked! In the midst of all the stress of school, I am so thankful to have a night dedicated to just be around girls that will encourage me in my faith! I still have a ton of studying to do and that's why, as good as these desserts tasted, today is bittersweet.

Day 39: Alright

Today was a much better day thanks to my sweet Aunt Diane! I woke up this morning to a nice message from her on facebook. It basically said that everything is going to be just fine and that I shouldn't worry. That's not to say that I shouldn't care about my school work (because that will never happen), but I should not let it consume my life. Sometimes I just need someone to tell me it'll be alright... and this morning she definitely did just that! Aunt Diane thanks for putting a smile on my face, I love you!

Day 38: Super Bowl Sunday

Today was Super Bowl Sunday... but for me it was Super Breakdown Sunday. While everyone was enjoying the game, I was tucked away in my bedroom doing homework. I am really stressed out about school and today I hit my boiling point. This week my schedule is loaded... but I need to take it one day at a time. On a lighter note, I am excited for the Saints on their first Super Bowl victory and I wish I could have seen all of the overpriced commercials!

Day 37: The PALs

Today was the final day at the Ropes Course! Throughout this weekend we have heard a ton of hilarious jokes, spoken many meaningful conversations, witnessed our peers conquer their fears, and participated in numerous team building activities! I have laughed more in the past few days than I have in a long time! One thing that made all the difference was our attitude! We were excited to be there and truly enjoyed each other’s company. This is a little something we learned this weekend regarding attitude; "Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company... a team... a home... an individual." Our optimistic and positive attitudes made this weekend simply unforgettable.

Day 36: On Top Of The World

Friday was finally the day for the highly anticipated PALs Ropes Course! While there, Katy & I decided to participate in the Partner Challenge! Being 30 feet up in the air, on one fine wire, looking down and being totally dependent on your partner is intimidating. Katy is my best friend and I simply said, "If we can do this... we can do anything!" Stepping inch by inch, with calm communication, we were victorious in this challenge! We rang the bell at the end of the course and felt like we were on top of the world! "I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength!"
 -Philippians 4:13

Day 35: PALs Sleepover

Thursday night was the PALs Girls Sleepover! It was so much fun and I am so glad we have such a close group of girls! The night was filled with food, dancing, our 'love fortunes' and many laughs. It is incredible how much our friendships have grown over such a short amount of time! We danced like there was no tomorrow... and were all incredibly hyper! After a late night of fun, we then realized there was a tomorrow and we had to wake up super early for the PALs Ropes Course!!! All in all... it was a great start to a GREAT weekend!

Day 34: Helping Hands

Every Wednesday the PALs class hangs out with Life Skills (the students in the special education department). Today was unique, because the Life Skills students helped us paint our t-shirts for the ropes course that we are attending this weekend. It was one messy, fast paced and fun class period. There was paint not only on our t-shirts, but all over the floor, our hands and Dalton's face! Everyone's shirt turned out super cute all because of Life Skills'  helping hands! 

Day 33: The Bachelor

Today in Sports & Entertainment Marketing we had a guest speaker and he said, "If you only enjoy two days out of the week, being Friday and Saturday, then you only enjoy around 20% of your entire life!" That quote stuck with me the entire day and when I got home from school, I set aside my homework and said "I am going to enjoy TODAY!" I tuned my DVR to the The Bachelor and sat back on the couch without worrying about ANYTHING! It was so great! By the way, if you watch The Bachelor... Tenley is my favorite! :)

Day 32: Chasing

I have completed one month of my Project 365! It has not been easy, but I believe the end result will be worth it!!! Despite the stresses in life, Christ instructs us to quiet down our busy minds and find a hiding place. This project has become a place I can share what is on my heart with others and truly chase after Him. After FCA tonight the song 'Chasing' came on the radio and reminded me, "I have found my love, I have found my love and my heart is dancing..." No matter where life leads me... I am confident I will always be
Chasing after Christ!