Robert

YOU'RE ENGAGED!

While we haven't always agreed with or understood each other, I can't deny the difference you've made in other people's lives. Just last week I was in a class with someone I didn't know and he looked at me and asked if you were my brother. When I said yes he proceeded to tell me what a great guy you are. I don't even think you know him but he saw you play basketball and just in the way you played and your attitude he gained respect for you. [And I'm just adding that to the 47328439 times that someone has known we were siblings because we look so much alike. I'm sure it won't be the last time.] So even though you're not at Liberty anymore people haven't forgotten you or the example you were to them. I'm grateful for that, even though I don't tell you. I don't mind when others associate me with you because they always have good things to say about you. It's a blessing to have a brother who loves the Gospel more than girls and can ball a thousand times better than he can play video games. So here's to you...

 to all the photos we've posed for

 to all the games we've played together

 to all the times you put up with my mischievous self

 to the times we got along

 to the times when we worked together just to get through

 to the times we tried to be cool

and to the times I'll never forget.

I love you and I'm excited for the life you have in front of you. Never stop pursuing Him and presenting the Gospel. HE is worth everything.

you can be the change

In starting a brand new semester of classes this week, I've realized all over again how much I love my major. Most people are jealous because they think we play sports all day, some people have no clue what the word 'Kinesiology' even means, and almost everyone thinks it's a joke. The first couple semesters that might have bothered me, not really sure as to whether this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. But now, with only two semesters of classes left and one semester of student teaching, I can't imagine doing anything else. My professors are amazing. Each of their stories is so different and it's easy to see God in the ways each of them were brought to Liberty University. They're funny and they're just so fun. And I love my classes too: Exercise Physiology, Innovative Games, Administration of Physical Education and Sports Programs, etc. I love what we're learning and the homework is enjoyable for me. While I love both of those things: my professors and my classes, it just wouldn't be the same without the other people in those classes. A lot of us have almost every class together and I never get tired of them. I feel so blessed to have people to lean on whether it's about getting back in dress code after we're hot and sweaty in the morning after an activity class or what classes we need to take next semester. They are so encouraging and I honestly never go a day without laughing. 


I realized something this week that I'd never really thought about. One of my professors said that most of us (in the Health and PE major) are servants by nature. We care more about others than we do ourselves. I'm not saying that other people who have different majors aren't like that, but we choose to sacrifice our lives to save others'. It is so important to us that kids grow up healthy and strong that we are willing to make very little money and deal with a lot of criticism just to make that happen. My mom has told me more than once that there aren't PE teacher jobs out there, but does that mean that I should give up? Schools still continue to cut out physical education despite the rising obesity rates among children, but does that mean we should let our passions die? When there is no physical education in school and no jobs for PE teachers, there will still be overweight children and parents who need to be educated about how to raise healthy kids. 


So what can you do? Be an example! Live an active, healthy lifestyle. Don't push kids just to play traditional sports, they'll eventually stop playing. Teach them how to fish or how to ride a bicycle. Show them that turkey can taste better than chicken nuggets and that salad is yummmy! It's the every day decisions we make that eventually turn into a lifestyle. If you're a parent, make your kid go outside! Don't buy them more video games or unlimited texting, buy them a kickball or a skateboard. Life is so fun and it's not meant to be spent inside by ourselves. 


Write your school board and make sure they know how important physical education is in the schools. And be that example for kids to look to and say, "I wanna be like that!"

This one's for the girls

As I go into my senior year of college, I am tempted by the people and environment around me to feel as though I need to find a man before I graduate. Here at Liberty, "ring before spring" is a common mantra and as freshmen arrive this week they are to be given Clayton and Charie King's new book "Twelve Questions to Ask Before You Marry." While I'm sure it is a great book and very helpful for those considering marriage, I believe it is a little ridiculous to hand one to each 18 year old along with their dorm room key. 

I understand the urgency many people have to find the right guy while here at Liberty. Where else in the world will you get to be around thousands of Christian guys your age day in and day out??  It's like people who don't go here think it's this magical place of men who love Jesus and always hold the door open for you. While there are Christian guys here, and most do hold the door open, they are not much different than guys at other schools. Guys are guys wherever you are. And I know I'm being general, but we have to be real here. But trust me, I've met some great guys here. Selfless, funny, athletic, caring, Bible-knowing guys. I just haven't found the one for me. 

So in the mean time, I'm reading this great book called "Sex and the Soul of a Women" by Paula Rinehart. It's one of the best books I've ever read. I'm reading it for the third time now and I'm still amazed by the words on the pages. It's the most insightful book about relationships and how they affect women. It's for married women and single girls. I'd recommend it for every female between the ages of 15 and 95. Really. Especially if you've never had anyone to talk to about sex and relationships. Sex was always one of those things that wasn't good to talk about. It's uncomfortable and it's bad, that's what I grew up thinking. But somewhere along the way, thank the Lord, I learned that it is holy and special because our Creator, the One who knows our deepest desires and wants, created it. 

One of the reasons I'm majoring in Kinesiology is so I can be in a high school environment. I've had experiences and heard countless stories of the choices people make during those precious four years. I have a desire to plunge into the lives of teenagers and teach them about their bodies and how to stay healthy (physically, mentally, emotionally, academically, and socially). I believe that things people begin to do in high school quickly turn into habits created for the rest of their lives. Whether good or bad, what we do in high school tends to define us for years afterward. This book I'm reading alludes to that by explaining that most of our perceptions about sex and relationships begin at this stage, before most of us even know who we are and what we want: "Many of us give away something precious before we know what we have. No one in our lives alerts us to our vulnerability; no one values our sexuality enough to struggle for its protection. Or perhaps we do not allow ourselves to hear one who wants to help."

This book is also about the strength and respect women deserve, simply because those things are God-given rights. My favorite section of the book goes like this:

     "One of the most confounding movements these days is our culture's push to convince women to deny their femaleness. A woman isn't supposed to feel anything. Not fear that her current relationship may not last. Not grief when it's over. Not a bit of tacky resentment when another woman comes into the picture. To feel something- to be hurt, betrayed, devastated- would be to admit that she had hopes and expectations at the outset. She should be able to walk away and expect nothing. The proof of our equality with men has become our ability to flat-line a broken heart."

     "There is something tragic about women not being allowed to express the loss and betrayal they feel when a relationship is over. Wendy Shalit turns her guns on this insistence that a woman not feel anything about broken sexual relationships. 'All those bad feelings we are too enlightened to feel nowadays- such as resentment , jealousy, betrayal- also signify the capacity to lose yourself in the first place, to fall in love with someone other than yourself. They presuppose that there is a soul to protect, that there are hopes to be shattered, a lost love to guard, even if now only mentally and futilely. No hard feelings? I'm advocating a return to precisely that: hard feelings. At least then you know you're a person, that you have a heart.'"

Relationships is a hot topic amongst my single friends and many people have told us that our expectations are too high. We haven't found the right guys for us because they don't exist. And I admit that some days I've gone to bed believing that. But this book assures me that these guys do exist, if only we are strong enough to expect the best from them. So here's to you: to the girl who's given it all away, to the girl who's never known what it's like to be loved, to the woman who's scared to open up; here's to the hopeless and the used. Here's to the college student who thinks she has to give herself up to be accepted and here's to the girlfriend who's overlooked. Here's to the woman who has fought to protect her innocence and to the girl who's spent years waiting for the right one. If I've learned one thing from this book it's this:

"You are meant to be loved and valued and cherished for the rest of your life by a man whose face lights up when he sees you."

leaving Hinton

Once again, I have come to a time in which I have to say goodbye. Leaving never gets easier, I can tell you that. Usually when you have to do something so much you get better at it and handle it better, but not when it comes to leaving people and places you have grown to love. 


For the first time in a long time I spent an entire month in the great state of West Virginia. This place is beautiful and I claim it as my home. As we've established this week, I'm a Hintonite (thank you Nationwide billboard). Coming to visit this place is one of my favorite things to do but I can't stay here very long. I just wasn't made for small town life. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just not for me. There are people here who are pros at it, I can't imagine them living anywhere else. And I love that about them. It wears on me though. Although it's nice when it takes 10 minutes to get anywhere you have to go, those same roads get extremely worn out. And there are so many people here who say they want to get out and they can't stand living in a small town, but the funny thing is they always come back to stay. Not me. 


I've learned so much about myself being here for so long. And boy have I learned a lot about other people. In a small town you really do know everyone's business and I honestly know way more about others now than I care to know. It's crazy how fake people can be. I don't know many people my age or in high school around here but I see them occasionally and as soon as I say something about how I think they are I'll find out about the drugs, alcohol, and sex they're involved in. While it may make me mad, break my heart, or do both...I realize that no matter how cliche it sounds, God loves them despite of it all. He loves the girl who gave it all away to someone who could care less about her. He loves the single mom who stays drunk so she doesn't have to deal with her problems. He truly loves the drug dealers here and the guys who take advantage of girls. He loves the people who party and the people who want nothing to do with Him. He loves them just as much as He loves me. Not that I'm perfect, but I have come to the point of realizing that I am wicked and I need Him desperately. But how do I show them? How do I tell hundreds of people that there is a God who thinks each of them is worth dying for? I'm hoping He will use the small things. If I am faithful in the little things, like how I live my daily life in front of these people, then He will use it to do big things. 


On the flip side, I have come to know other people so much better and I have been encouraged by them. I was a part of the West Virginia State Water Festival this week and while it wasn't perfect or the funnest thing I've ever done I'm leaving with memories I'll never forget. I was able to spend a ridiculous amount of time with the crazy Ashley Brown and I don't think we'll ever be the same after this week! She's become one of my best friends and I want to apologize to her dad for making her spend wayyyy more time at my house this week than his. Hopefully he understands:) And we wouldn't have been able to make it through this week without the wonderful and amazing Kim Jordan. Even though we gave her a hard time we love her more than she knows! I'm also thankful for Mary Jane! Those two ladies could always put a smile on our faces no matter what we were doing and seriously...they're the best (they also have two daughters who are some of the most fun and beautiful girls I know!). I had to have an escort for the Queen's Ball and I'm not sure how but I happened to snag the BOSS himself, Matt Ellison, but I did. He's the man and I'm so thankful for him- not just for being my date but for the example he is to the guys around him. And no trip to Hinton would ever be complete without Jolysa. She laughs at me more than anyone and I love her for that: no one else understands me!


I could go on and on about people I'm gonna miss. I also saw Grace, which is always amazingly encouraging. I actually got to hang out with Tanner and Jordan a little bit which was kinda fun I guess- considering I couldn't figure out the hat game, Jordan almost squirted my contacts right out of my eyes with those stupid water guns, and Tanner was his normal mean self. I guess we can all still be friends though:)


God truly works in mysterious ways and I'm amazed by that. It was so fun swimming in my neighbor's pool...we'd both lived there for years but for some reason it was this week that we started going over there and having a blast swimming with those girls. I also went to a church I had never been to, and I really enjoyed it. I still hate the water slide but if a little boy is in tears and asks me at the top to go down with him I'll do it. One of my favorite people in Hinton is a 5 year old little girl named Nikki Jo...I've never seen either of her parents and she's usually covered in dirt but she's the one who danced with me at the street dance and I love her.


I'm just truly amazed at how sad I am to be leaving this place. I am excited, trust me. I miss my other home something awful. This summer has definitely been my favorite, and this small town has played a huge role in that. I am incredibly thankful for those people who have made that so and I am overwhelmed by how much they seem to be like family to me, more so than blood relatives most times. My God knows just what I need and I have no clue why He chooses to gives those things to me. It's just another reason why I'm falling more and more in love with Him...

MVC and the Dominican Republic

While I've been enjoying the beach down south for a couple of days I've had family and friends of Mountain View Chapel serving the Lord and the people of San Marcos in the Dominican Republic. Kris Janezic does a wonderful job of shooting lots of video and each day he makes a short video recapping what they've done. These videos have been so encouraging to me and they are also a great way to keep up with the team and know how to pray for them specifically. They were also able to Skype with their church family on Sunday morning; thank the Lord for technology! I want to encourage you to watch each video...the majority of them are under 5 min and I promise they will bring smiles to your faces! The children there are beautiful and you can see the joy radiating from them and also from the team members. They are returning home to Virginia tomorrow so I just watched the video of their last day there. It is so powerful and I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion. 


One of the things I learned about during my camp and was reminded about in this video is that all good things come to an end. My heart breaks tonight for the team members and for the people they touched in the Dominican...goodbyes are so sad. I know what it's like to have to leave people you love knowing you may never see them again. Being separated from people so close to your heart hurts, like no other hurt. Especially when you are forced to come back to a society full of selfish people who have all they want yet constantly complain. Air conditioning is nice but you would give it up to sit in the heat with those precious people. There are so many things that cause your heart to hurt after such an amazing adventure comes to an end. But what I've learned this summer is that we all must come down from our mountains. No matter how good they are and how exciting, there are experiences off the mountain that we need too. Also, leaving the mountains in our lives gives greater value to the mountain. The people and places of each of our mountains become precious when we must leave them. The most important thing though is this: don't forget the mountain. We must never forget what we saw the Lord do on our mountains. When our valleys get dark and dismal, we will need to look back and remember. 


Here is the last video, I'm hoping you'll take a few minutes to watch it. It will definitely be worth your time. I was amazed at the powerful act of simply serving the Dominicans by the team members. Tears were rolling as I sat and watched this, imagining the Lord Himself doing that very thing. 

Here's the churches website: www.mountainviewchapel.net. You can watch the rest of the videos there and also download podcasts from the church. It's located in Stanardsville, Virginia. 

7-23-2011: such a memorable day!

first of all...one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world turned the big 2-1 today! WOOHOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the one and only, Jolysa Brown. It's crazy to look back and think how far we've come. 5 years ago I hardly knew you and today I'd tell you anything. You've taught me to never want to be anyone else...we are who we are. No one in the entire world will ever mimic the crazy adventures we've had, do the things we've done, or come close to saying the ridiculous things that have come out of our mouths (ex. "every kitty needs compassion, a human that's never failing. let my hands rub your fur..."). You've also taught me to value friendship. True, real friends are hard to come by and oh how they affect our lives. I consistently thank the Lord for you and our friendship. I know we're not perfect (maybe I should repeat that, I know we're not perfect) but I love that the Lord can work in our hearts about the same things. So here's to being more positive. to tolerating people. and to complementing others when all we want to say is what's really on our minds.

[and not only is this her birthDAY, but her birth month. I'll never forget July 12, 2011...her other birthday. even the angels were celebrating that day! cupcakes and balloons for that next year most definitely. so proud of you!]

some random pictures of our best, and not so best, moments together.

Also, today a good friend finally married the love of his life and I was honored to be there to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

The circumstances that have brought these two people together were not ideal, but in the end God shows Himself faithful and brings two lives together to become one. In the closing of the ceremony, Pastor Dale Elwell said a simple phrase that I haven't been able to get out of my head. He said that Rook and Cyndi's story is one that shows that "God's way still works." We surely wouldn't have written their story they way it turned out, but God wrote it and it's beautiful. 

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful God's way still works. I'm glad He never gives up on His children. I'm so grateful that He cares enough to line our heart's desires up with His heart then is faithful enough to give us those desires. I'm so thankful that He is powerful enough to write our stories. Because if I were left to write my own story, I probably would have never taken the time to become best friends with Jolysa and Rook probably would have never taken the time to wait long enough to fall in love with his beautiful bride, Cyndi. In my story, this day would have been just another day in the books. But with God and His amazing creativity and loving kindness, this is a day I will never forget.

our good, His glory.

I am positive that if I were to write of all that is on my mind and to tell you of the things that have happened since I went to camp 8 days ago it would take somewhere around 30 blog posts. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to write it all so I will condense as much as I can into 1 action and emotion packed post. Get excited!:)

First off- glory to God, glory to God, glory to God forever! What a great God I serve! I have seen Him in so many different ways this past week and not once have I regretted it or wished He was any different. I love Him and I am humbled to be able to have a small glimpse of who He is. You must understand that the things I write about are a direct influence of His Spirit. We do nothing on our own.

Camp this year was something I will never forget. We got excited about the day we were born again, whether it was just the day before or 15 years ago. It's a story that we should never stop telling! God is powerful and mighty to save, that never gets old. He saved old kids and young kids this past week. They accepted His gift during morning worship and during evening service, in their cars and in the cabins. I've never seen anything like it. I heard one of my best friends tell the story of how she felt the Spirit for the first time. I heard another friend stand up and passionately talk about the Lord and what He's done in his life- something I'd been praying for him to do. I saw the desire to win competitions and to be the best just melt away in comparison to the joy and excitement we felt about spiritual things. There were moments when all we wanted to do was shout to the Heavens...at times it felt like that was the only thing we could do. It was so hard to even respond to how He chose to work among us. We were so humbled yet so empowered at the same time. For the first time, I truly understood what it meant to say, "I'll become even more undignified than this, some may say it's foolishness. I'll become even more undignified than this, leave my pride by my side." Tell me there is no God and I will tell you about July 10-16, 2011 and what He did at a little West Virginia camp by the river.

Specifically over the last day or two I've been learning how God works in our lives. I've learned the importance of picking up the phone and calling, yes calling, no- not texting, but calling someone and talking to them. Whether it's about something you're going through or something you know they are going through. Text messages, facebook messages, and emails do not always suffice. God made us to help and love each other and we can't do this life alone. Many times we go through a situation to help someone else get through the same situation in their lives. We don't always see immediate reasons for why we have to deal with what we do but if we trust God long enough we almost always see why. He never fails to work things out for our good and His glory. So tonight I am laying a lot at the feet of the only One who cares enough to take it all upon Himself and exchange it for peace that passes understanding. A missed opportunity, frustrating people, fears and failures, goodbyes, a bad attitude, unknown futures, selfish ideas, a heavy heart...those are just at the beginning of the pile. Would you like to join me? Because I'm already feeling better. His yoke truly is easy and His burden is light. Never have I known Someone so faithful. My problems are starting to grow dim in the light of His goodness.

I've listened to this song a hundred times today. "Can You hold me together? Because without You holding my heart I'm falling apart."

But after talking to some close friends, remembering all God has done in my life recently, and getting alone with Him, I'm going to bed singing this song...