Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Charleston, South Carolina.

Anyone that's heard me talk about places I want to visit knows that Charleston has been on the top of my list since I got into the Savannah/Charleston debate with my best friend a year ago. It was ALSO placed on my bucket list immediately, so it is with great excitement and enthusiasm that I can officially say....

I'VE BEEN TO CHARLESTON!! 
(and officially crossed bucket list item #56 off the list) 


To say the weekend was fun would be a huge understatement, and there's no way I will be able to bring all the memories back in one blog post. So. I'll let each picture be worth the thousand words they're worth, and keep this somewhat short :) 


We got stuck in traffic on the way up.....so obviously this meant we had to entertain the hundreds of cars in line behind us. The picture is Kase peeling her orange and flinging it in patterns behind us. Other entertainment included kareoke, chinese firedrills, random picnics, and all out jam sessions. 

We got 3 thumbs up, 5 head shakes, several laughs, and a few more judgmental glances....


Our group consisted of the beautiful roommate Jess and I, and our other roommate half Kase &Quails (both of whom are ACTUALLY named Kayla) 

We explored many a pineapple fountain, and walked the Battery at LEAST twice. 



We experienced the Charleston City Market....I found a thimble to fill the empty space in my shadow box. Other meaningful purchases included spoon rings, Irish heart rings, and a free basket flower from Jess' secret admirer ;) 



We walked Historic Downtown Charleston, stalked horse drawn carriage tours, and took many beautiful pictures.


Jess found this in the back of her car....it seems she has, at some point, made a terrible mistake! 


We picked up a old for Kase, new for us friend at the Citadel, which means I finally got to see the campus I've heard so much about. It was fun, beautiful, and incredibly intimidating all wrapped into one...


And we finished the weekend at Folly Beach. 

I am so blessed to have the friends and opportunities that I have, and this might have been one of the best bucket list cross offs yet! People were missed as the weekend continued, and by the time we made it back to school (complete with travel car buddies Norbert and Pablo that we lost somewhere around rest stop #3) we were all happy to be back in our own beds. 

But we'll definitely be heading back in the future. Definitely.
Next road trip destination: Savannah. Probably via Charleston. 


Monday, April 22, 2013

Moments pass WAY to quickly!

I got spend my weekend in Pine Mountain!! Like always, this makes it one of the best weekends ever. Add to that the fact that I got to hang out with the 2013ers, got to see MY 2012 (especially the ones I didn't think were going to be there but were) and got back to my home away from home for a little while, and my weekend was FAN.TASTIC.

I got to help out planning a block party for some of the kids in Pine Mountain, and it was amazing. Over the course of about 3 hours there was a group of 4 kids who held my hand, told me the stories behind all their treasures and turkey feathers, screamed "draw on my face Ms. Bethany!" and asked me to pick them up when they got tired. It might sound silly, especially since I was only with them for a little while, but I now CARE about these children, and it didn't hit me until I got back up in the truck that I'll probably never see them again. So on a lot of different levels, I got my moments with them and now it's over and I sincerely hope that they counted for something.

On a WHOLE different level, this concept makes me think of the 2013 class, my class, and I guess just about life in general. I LOVE the 2013 Impact class. They are strong in so many ways my class wasn't, and they are a mashup of so many different, unique, absolutely awesome personalities. It has been a huge, HUGE blessing and adventure to try and get to know them. But now they're about to be commissioned and they're moving out into the world to see whatever incredible things God has planned for them....and in a lot of ways my moments with them have come to an end. And I hope they counted for something.

AND then of course there's my class. My wonderful class whom I miss greatly when I'm away from them, and for whom I'm very thankful that so many of them are still actively a part of my life. But we're spread out all the way from Chicago to Florida, and I don't get to see them very much. And in so, so many ways my moments actually WITH them came to an end, and occasionally I get a few more moments with them for things like Service Weekend, and I hope that they did and continue to count for something.

I guess I just remembered that sometimes God separates people so that they can bring greater glory to Him in different places....and not to take moments and memories and people and friendships and the fact that I can look across the room and make eye contact with my best friend for granted :) I was challenged by a really good friend to make my moments count, regardless of how much time I MIGHT have left to pour into somebody. So....I guess challenge accepted :)

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Because.

Because my roommate and I do life at exactly the same time, in exactly the same way, and share so many of the same struggles and joys....I know God is providential.

Because I can meet one beautiful girl in Pine Mountain, Georgia for 2 hours, and carry on a friendship from Florida to South Carolina to the point where I claim a little sister....I know eternally based relationships beat distance every time.

Because popcorn bags explode, and professors like hilarious statuses, and New Testament notecards are used to study for Old Testament tests.....I know God has a sense of humor. And laughs at us sometimes, I think ;)

Because God can use my mistake filled life to mentor and love my friends and family....I know that His grace is amazing.

Because God can bring life-changing friends from all over the United States and stick us in one tiny town, NEVER having met one another before, and help us leave a family....I know God is POWERFUL.

Because my baby sister is someone I want to be like when I grow up....I know God continually seeks humility.

Because I can look at relationships that SHOULD be trashed and bitter and KNOW that they're not only none of those things, but growing....I know God's promises are TRUE.

and Because I can claim as some of my BEST friends people that are NOTHING like me, and know that I would be nowhere near the person I am today without their help, criticism, encouragement and leadership....I know that God's love trumps personality, preference, petty squabbles and disagreements.

In every situation God continues to reveal Himself and His personality to us....and this is a mere shadow of what finally awaits us in heaven.

It blows my mind guys. Really.