Life according to Lu

New Address

2010-09-11T16:49:00.002-04:00

This blog is MOVING over to lusmith.wordpress.com effective immediately!

check it out!

lauren

New Directions

2010-09-11T11:37:00.002-04:00

and I'm not referring to the Glee group of high schoolers that i might or might not be slightly obsessed with downloading songs of on Itunes...

no, not new directions in my life/career/location either...(see 2009 for that)...

this new directions refers to this here blog. to be honest, i am bored with my posts recently. As much as i love posting pics of fun trips i have been on recently...let's be honest, do you really care? i'm guessing no ...and much of my work life now cannot be blogged about... confidentiality agreements and such...

so, in fairness to my one reader (shout out Sarah J in NC :) ...I am heading down a new path for this blog. Basically, I am going to be writing more, posting pics less, and working on developing into a legit writer. (one of my lifelong dreams*) When I was in Charlotte, I started trying to write a book...ended up being more of an article and didn't get picked up by anybody :( ...so i've got some work to do and so i am going to look to get inspired. Here are some of the blogs that i have been reading lately and am daily challenged by their wit, humor, knowledge and all around greatness.

so...here we go...new direction...

pretty sure i should calm down on the use of the ... if i wanna be that legit writer!

* more on those later

The Coast 2010

2010-08-13T18:48:00.004-04:00

Our annual trip to Port A (Port Aransas, Tx) was last weekend! To say this is my favorite weekend of the year would be a big understatement! It never disappoints with fun friends, delicious food and lots of sun and sand between my toes! This year, we incorporated some oldies but goodies, as in the greasy watermelon aka 2:00am wrestling match in the pool...speed scrabble (my words with friends skills were put to good use)...shrimp boil at 10:00pm...spoons...signs...paddle ball...sunburns...good times!

Brookie and Jim are always the best hosts and make it a weekend to remember each year!

the whole group (with our props)

with some of my besties, Sarah and Brookie

All of the girls...

...and the boys

Dance partay...

more dancing...

...and more dancing leads to...

dress up time!!

Such a great group! Can't wait for next year!!!

HILLSONG LIVE...

2010-07-28T21:56:00.000-04:00

This Friday night... Can. Not. Wait!

TEAM USA!

2010-06-24T21:47:00.009-04:00

The Boys

Now...

Here are some of my favorites!

My absolute favorite player, the Texan, Clint Dempsey...

He doesn't play every game, but Feilhaber is a great when he does!

The Hero, Landon Donovan

Defender Demerit

Cherundolo....a cutie too!

Bradley...the coach's son but he completely earned his spot on the team!

Boca :)

If you don't watch US soccer, here are some reasons, you should...these cuties; the pride that each country takes in their team; because it really is exciting; and did i mention these cuties?!?!

Now, how can I meet them? :)

God Bless America! (and the US Soccer team!)

2010-06-24T13:04:00.008-04:00

sorry in advance if this is hard to read...

not sure why it is formatting this weird...

Well I can sum up what I have been up to this past week in one word....

FUTBOL. and if you have been living under a rock (or on your honeymoon,

Marisa and Aaron :)...that means it is World Cup time!

and even better than just that it is on...the US team is making history!

I have basically watched at least one game everyday...getting up early to

watch or DVRing and watching at night...I am sucked in for sure!

Yesterday, I knew I had to work from 9-7pm at my counseling site, so I was

hoping to either follow it online or on my phone, but much to my surprise and

utter happiness, my boss had decided to buy some rabbit ears so we could

watch some of the games at the office...and did we ever! :)

At one point, 5 out of the 7 of us on staff were in there biting our nails watching

the US/Algeria game. I was following the England game on my

phone, so we were aware of the importance of the US scoring a goal! It was

intense....Oh and did i mention that we were watching it on the

Spanish channel, so I couldn't understand the commentators...which was probably

a good thing, but it made it for hilarity when those around me

watching were yelling at the US team in Spanish! When we scored, our room erupted!

Literally, we were jumping up and down, hugging each other,

and I shed a couple tears! It was a little like this...what a fun moment for the US!

As for the American players, if they ever stumble upon this blog, just want to throw this out there....I am single and have a huge weakness for futbol players!

So, as you can see...I have been busy cheering on the US and am thoroughly excited that I can see them play Ghana on Saturday before I leave

for church camp with the kiddos on Sunday!

Just wanted to give those of you who don't appreciate the amazing thing that is happening in South Africa right now for our country in a sport that we

do not garner much respect, a little look into how exciting it is for a soccer fan like me! :)

stay tuned for some pics of some of my favorite US players! I know...you are sitting on the edge of your seat, but please just indulge me :)

Catching up...

2010-06-12T13:39:00.003-04:00

Blogging has not been a huge priority in the last month or so...but I will update you with a little of what I have been up to.

The first is probably obvious to those who know where I am in my life/career right now...WORK has consumed my days, nights and some weekends the last few months. It is going really well, racking up all those hours toward my goal of 3000 by next summer.

Last weekend I got to play in a golf tournament with my dad and 2 of my guy friends for one of my jobs. We had fun, everyone played really well, but it was super hot!

My sweet friend Marisa gets married this coming weekend (June 19th), so we have been showering and celebrating her for the last couple of months too! Can't wait to see her as a bride on Saturday as she marries her love, Aaron Miller!

I am in somewhat of a slump this time of the summer...I miss the camp life and being carefree during the summer months...probably doesn't help that most of my friends are either stay at home moms or teachers, so their schedules are a lot more free this time of year... trying to keep my eye on the prize...3000 hours.

My sister is in full on wedding planning mode in DC. Getting excited for the fun things we have planned to celebrate her and George's union in November.

I am in the home stretch of my time at Frisco Bible Church...come July 2, it will be the first time in 7 years that I will not be on a church staff. Weird...but what will I do with my Sundays now that they aren't a work day? I'll tell you, I am going out of town on weekend trips for a while! Road trips to see friends and much needed vacation time!

Speaking of vacation, I'm pretty excited because I just booked my first trip ever to Alaska. I'm hoping to see some awesome views like this one:

Well, until that trip, I will be working, playing on the weekends, and watching as much of this as I can!

Swing Low Sweet Chariot...

2010-04-20T23:51:00.006-04:00

Doris Jean Dalton Smith

January 11, 1922 - April 19, 2010

(how gorgeous is she!)

Me as a little girl with Gran Gran

At DTS graduation in 2005

Thank you for all of your sweet messages over the last couple of days. It has been a sad week...early on Sunday morning, my sweet grandmother, Gran-Gran went home to be with Jesus. She lived a full 88 years of life and I am so grateful for the time I had with her here on earth. I am named after her with my middle name, Dalton carrying on her maiden name. We have always had a special bond all my life. One of the big reasons I moved back to Texas last summer was because I wanted to spend time with her in her remaining time. God gave us almost 9 months of sweet time together, most of which was her beloved weekly trip to the beauty shop. She and I had that in common...there is nothing like getting your hair done! As I was singing during worship tonight at The Porch at Watermark, tears came to my eyes as we sang these lyrics...thinking that Gran-Gran is in the presence of the Lord now...free of pain, suffering and weeping! Thank you Lord!

On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fears swept away
In the light of Your embrace
Where Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven
Rise to You alone

No weeping no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now
You hold me now

You Hold Me Now by Hillsong United

As for the title of this blog entry: When we were growing up, Gran Gran would always sing "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" as we would swing on her swing in her backyard. I have always loved that song and think of her when I hear it...I am making a DVD to play at the visitation on Thursday night with lots of pictures of Gran Gran and our family over the years...and am using that song as one of the background songs. I'll try and post the video next week...

A little shout out...

2010-04-08T20:36:00.004-04:00

You HAVE to check out my best friend Ali's little ones on her blog and also her photography website...she is a very talented child photographer! Shout out to my girl and just want to let yall get to see how cute her kiddos are and I'm sure you can imagine how much fun I am having with them each week! Today, we had a lovely "picnic" and swinging session in the backyard in the perfect spring weather! Some of my favorite moments every week are spent being "yaya" with these 3! Love you Al, Junebug, and H.P.!

A Longhorn in Aggie clothing...

2010-03-22T15:09:00.003-04:00

One of the bright spots of watching the Aggies play in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament (i can't discuss the outcome, because it still hurts to think about it...) was getting to see my bestie, Ali sport an A&M shirt...mind you, in all 20 years that I have known her, i have NEVER seen her wear the Aggie Maroon! Even being married to an Aggie hasn't brought this unlikely event about...until now...whether its the fact that she is now the mother of 2 and by having a 3 week old old at home, her defenses have been down or if we are finally wearing off on her or if it is simply because I lovingly donned a longhorn tshirt for the national championship party this year and she posted it on her blog...it has finally happened!

(just please don't pass this along to her granddad or any of her burnt orange blooded cousins...i fear for my own life if they see this)

Also, disregard the fact that I am NOT in maroon...my only maroon shirt is now part of my tshirt blanket that my mom had made for me...i must restock my Aggie gear i guess now...

"beware the ides of march"

2010-03-18T12:33:00.003-04:00

Never did I think this statement was as true as I do now being a therapist! I have several pretty tough cases right now at work and I'm praying that when April gets here...things will be looking brighter! However, I am trying to remain emotionally healthy myself, and it seems to be working because....

I am in a happy mood for the following reasons:

~March Madness starts today and Aggies play tomorrow
~The sun is out and the temps are rising in Dallas
~My sister asked me to be her Maid of Honor
~I'm getting some good pampering this weekend...sleep and a manicure!
~Got to see some of my favorite friends, Cassie and John in Houston this past weekend
~Having lunch with Ali and baby Hamilton today
~i'm currently dogsitting and sleeping in a Heavenly Bed
~looks like spring is finally here!

if you need to get ahold of my in the next couple of weeks....i'll probably be sitting on a patio somewhere drinking diet coke watching college basketball! Welcome to spring and April...get here soon, please! :)

Lately...

2010-02-23T19:43:00.007-05:00

Since my 30th birthday, (which was 2 months ago) I still feel thirty, flirty and thriving...Thankfully more of my friends have gotten to celebrate this big milestone (and more to come) :) So...here's a recap of what has gone on since then... (December is a blur, so here is a fast recap...there was lots of christmas celebrations, I won second place in our cousin christmas exchange with an Obama chia pet, a ski trip to colorado with the fam which started with a road trip with Sarah involving a huge ice/snow storm, and an uneventful New Years Eve)...

In January, I started 2 more jobs (that makes 3 total if you are counting)! My life got complicated very fast! It has been incredible so far...gaining hours, getting experience and finding out what it means to be a counselor! I am really enjoying both of my counseling sites, which are very different, but are giving me lots of great experiences!

We celebrated Ali's birthday early (late January) because we weren't sure when Baby Boy Wood would make his debut (more on that below) and had such a fun time at Jorge's surprising her with Mexican food, a cake and a fun night with friends!

Jeff, Christina, Nel, Ali, Erin, Max and JaneAnn

On Valentine's Day, my little sister Kim got engaged to her love, George Hicks. They have been dating for about a year and a half and are both very successful professionals in DC. Our family got to spend some quality time in Colorado with this couple and it is apparent they are made for each other! They balance each other out really well, and he fits into our family so well! I am really looking forward to getting to know him better and have him as a brother in law!

Kim admiring her beautiful ring

The newly engaged couple celebrating

The planning has already begun! :) Ryan married in 2009, Kim in 2010, maybe 2011 will be my year? We will have to wait and see...I'm leaving it up to the Lord and His plan for my life...but it would be pretty cool, don't you think?!

And early this morning, 2:02am to be exact, this Yaya got a little "nephew"! Hamilton Paul Wood arrived and he is absolutely precious! He is so cute and I am already in love with him...as is everyone who has met him so far! His momma did a great job and thankfully, this baby came a lot faster than the last one! I got to spend the night with Kennedy last night and play with her this morning while Ali's parents went to the hospital. We had so much fun and I think she is going to be a great big sister! I am so blessed by my friendship with Ali and Nelson and getting to be Yaya to two of the cutest little kiddos around!

Here is the cutie pie!

Sugar (ali's mom) made this cute wreath for the door!

Mom, Dad, Hamilton and Yaya

with Al and Hamilton (HP)

Love this pic of Ali and her son

Who could resist this cute face? big sister Kennedy

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

2009-12-18T19:39:00.002-05:00

It's been such a fun week celebrating my 30th birthday with so many friends and my family! Last Friday started with lunch at my favorite place, Celebrity Bakery with my mom. Then it was off to get pedicures with the girls at my new favorite place, Village Nailery. Then we headed up to Frisco to stay at our fun hotel called NYLO. Brookie flew in from Austin to stay with us and it was such a fun girls night! We had dinner at Mi Cocina complete with delicious birthday flan brought with singing waiters. Then we had a slumber party at the hotel! Didn't get much sleep but it was so fun catching up and laughing together! Saturday, we went to Breadwinners for breakfast and then did some Christmas shopping.

Saturday night was the big party at my house. It was so fun...the only problem was I didn't take any pictures til the very end...after almost everyone was gone! Guess I'll just have to relive those fun memories in my head. I feel so lucky to have so many great friends around me who truly care about me and love celebrating this big milestone with me.

My final birthday celebration came last night, when my sweet cousins Matt and Seema took me to dinner at Rise No. 1. I hadn't been there yet, and was really excited to try all their delicious souffles...and they were absolutely divine. I will definitely be back there soon!

So, I am thirty! It feels good...not too different at all! So...there's the update, now I'll get back to this..

baking yummy pumpkin bread!

The end of an era...

2009-12-10T15:30:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow, I turn 30. Wow, it looks weird even when I write it down like that. Weird and scary...but then again, I am also so grateful for what I have gotten to do, see and experience in my last 30 years. My life has been a blessed one so far and I know that God has so much more in store for me in the next 30 years of my life. But for now, I want to face this next decade of my life with complete gratitude for the past and a renewed hope for the future! As the verse at the top of this page says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." God knows that desires and I trust and believe He will give them to me in His timing! So, bring on my 30's!

I saw this video on another person's blog and "borrowed" it! (Sorry for the slight profanity in the title) but it really did make me smile and think about how great our God is all over the world! It combines 3 things I love: dancing, music and smiling little faces in far away places! I hope it makes you smile too!

Hilton Head Wedding Weekend

2009-12-09T13:32:00.002-05:00

I am a little behind on posting pictures...maybe because I don't have a working camera, other than my iPhone one which isn't that great...so here are some pictures from my friend Julie.

Part of the reason I went back to Charlotte the weekend after Thanksgiving was to be at Sarah and Mackie's wedding in Hilton Head. We had such a blast celebrating with them and hanging out at the beach. We stayed at our friends' Kristy and Jake's awesome condo which was a short walk from the shore, which we took a walk to on Saturday morning. Then we played some tennis at the club down the road...fun to play with my old tennis buddies. We felt like such yuppies playing tennis in Hilton Head.

Christmas trees at the Westin hotel

The Bride-to Be watching the West Virginia game

Mel, Julie and me at the beautiful reception

The Charlotte girls (Julie, Mel, Sarah, me and Ash)

It was so much fun to catch up with these girls for those couple of days at the beach! Congrats to Sarah and Mackie as they start their new life together! Miss you already! :)

Fun times in Charlotte!

2009-12-03T14:30:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Jake, this is the video of them surprising me for my birthday. Hopefully you can

see the shock on my face and hear the surprise in my voice when I got to Kristy and

Jake's house...(oh, and i was 30 minutes late) :) oh, and yes, i do say, "I'm glad I'm wearing

something cute"...when I am nervous or center of attention, I tend to say random, sometimes

inappropriate things. insert phrase above! :)

I did have an AWESOME time in Hilton Head/Charlotte this past weekend! Sarah and Macky's

wedding was beautiful and a blast! Since I've already had one celebration, I feel 30 already! :)

only 8 days to go til it's official!

During the 2 days in Charlotte, I got to see lots of friends and faces that I have missed the last

5 months...it was further confirmation that I am where God wants me to be, because He has

allowed me to have such great friends in both Charlotte and Dallas! I am so blessed!

Lots of pictures to come...(when I get them from some friends) but thanks to all my

wonderful friends who made time in this busy season of life to see me when I was in town!

I love you and miss you alot!!! :)

This weekend, I am off to Houston to see my friend Mandy who is in town from Charlotte

and can't wait to catch up with my girl, Cassie who lives in Houston! :) Good times!!!

I promise...pictures to come...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

2009-11-20T20:03:00.002-05:00

I am officially in the holiday spirit...hence my blog redesign!

It is t-minus...

6 days til Thanksgiving

7 days til I leave for the Carolinas

21 days til my 30th birthday

34 days til Christmas Eve

36 days til snowboarding in Colorado

41 days til a brand new year!

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Embrace the celebration! :)

What I've been up to...(in pictures)

2009-11-07T23:12:00.003-05:00

This workout is kickin' my butt...seriously! Shredding until I turn 30!

One of the best books I have read in a while...making me think about life and the story mine is telling...

This is hawaii...i wish this was true, but sadly, i was just the chauffeur to the airport so my parents could go to Paradise!

Loving this latest masterpiece by the Shanes...it is AWESOME!

I can't get enough of the NCIS marathons that have been on...get sucked in every time!

And probably most importantly, I have been looking for an LPC internship...have been narrowing it down and have some great options that I will fill you in on when I make a final decision!

That is all for now...off to watch Taylor Swift on SNL tonight and read a little of Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz before bed! Inspired to make my life/story better each new day!

A little homesick for Charlotte...

2009-10-27T17:55:00.002-04:00

Today I am missing this little city and the people in it! :( So, if you are reading this and you are one of my friends in Charlotte...just wanted to let you know I miss you alot!!! In 1 month, I will be back up there for a wedding, so I am hoping to jam as much face time with friends as I can into a couple of days at the end of November! Here are just a couple of the things (besides a long list of people) that I miss from Charlotte:

1. Polka Dot Bake Shop cupcakes

2. Sweet Tea

3. My sweet little condo

4. Driving only 10 minutes to work/church/anywhere really in the city

5. Freedom Park

6. Dinner and Guitar Hero with the Charlotte family

7. Going to the annual USC game

8. NC Barbeque - wow, can't believe I said that!

9. Blowing Rock's cute little town with Kilwin's delicious toasted coconut ice cream

10. Sitting outside on the patio at Dean and Deluca

11. Charlotte traffic...it's no where near the nightmare that Dallas traffic is!

All that being said, things are going really well for me here in Dallas. God has provided so much for me the last few months that I have been here with a great living situation :), an awesome job at Frisco Bible Church with a staff that I am so blessed to be a part of and love spending time with, an awesome opportunity on the horizon for a counseling internship...more on that later if it works out, and most of all...sweet time with those that I was away from for 4 years! I am loving getting to catch up and spend quality time with so many that I missed while I was so far away! Now the table is turned and I feel that way about those whom I was so close to in Charlotte...

Fall and U2 visit Dallas...

2009-10-20T16:28:00.004-04:00

This past week was a good one!!! After I passed my test, I went and celebrated at the U2 concert at Cowboys stadium. I have ALWAYS wanted to see U2 in concert and felt like this was my chance!!! (This has been a dream since high school when my "boyfriend" went to U2 and called me from there to play me a couple songs over the phone...LAME! He should have taken me to the concert!!!) So, this was going to make up for that!!!

My friend Todd and I met up with my cousins Matt and Seema and their crew on the party bus before the concert!

Matt, Seema, me and Todd on the party bus

The 2 Laurens and Seema in front of the Cowboys stadium

The stage was AMAZING...our seats were really good!!

Love this pic of Bono...he did not disappoint...puts on a great show!!

This past weekend was TX/OU...Ali and Kennedy and I went to Erin's housewarming party on Friday night. Sarah and I braved the crowds on Thursday to go to the State Fair...corndogs, cotton candy, livestock and lots of people watching to be had there! :) Saturday, my dad and I went to play golf at Dallas National. I was super intimidated to play this course, but was fairly pleased with how I played! I think I can hang with him out there! :) My new clubs were awesome and I love them!!!

So....there is a little bit of what has been going on around here...I leave for DC to see my sister this Thursday and then for Cincinatti the next weekend for Youth Specialties conference...its going to be a busy couple of weeks! I'll try and take lots of pictures to be able to update this blog along the way...

I Passed!!!

2009-10-10T18:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, that's right, I am on my way to being a licensed counselor! Yesterday I took the dreaded NCE and after 2 1/2 hours and a mild panic attack in the midst of it...I got my lovely score sheet with the word PASS on it!!! What a relief! :)

So...everyone is asking, now what? well, simply put...I now find a job! There is some paperwork and red tape to get through but having the exam, not to mention 3 years of Masters degree work behind me, I am feeling pretty good! After accumulating 3000 hours of Internship, I will have my permanent license!

I had so many sweet friends who prayed for me, texted me, facebooked me yesterday and I really appreciate it!!! I actually got sick on Thursday and didn't feel great all day Friday, but wanted to take the test anyway...and then some great friends took me out to celebrate last night...so all in all it has been a fun end of the week and weekend!

Now I can look forward to U2 on Monday night!!!! Can't wait...

Aggie Football Weekend

2009-10-02T12:06:00.004-04:00

1 Awesome Weekend!!!

Normally, I wouldn't be this excited for an Aggie Football game, okay, maybe that's not entirely true...I do love watching the Ags play (when they are on TV...) but this weekend marks a unique experience...the Aggies are playing in the new Cowboys Stadium...aka Jerry World, aka Deathstar, aka 1.2 billion dollar stadium and....I get to go!!!! A couple months back, while I was still living in Charlotte, some of my college girlfriends decided we should all get tickets and have a little Dallas reunion at the A&M/Arkansas game...this was before all the hoopla that has gone on since then about the new stadium. So, we bought tickets, and mine was going to also have to include a plane ticket to get here but thankfully I saved a chunk of change on that deal and just have to drive across town! So, tons of our friends are going....our class of '02 is having a tailgating party as are a bunch of other friends...so it is sure to be a great time!!! I wonder if Jerry will be rooting for the Ags or Pigs?

My Daily Let Down...

2009-09-24T16:14:00.002-04:00

Warning: this blog entry has no fun pictures, upbeat stories or funny quips about life right now. It is just an honest journal entry of my heart right now.

I feel let down on a daily basis.

In my life, I tend to keep pretty high expectations for things...food, haircuts, dates, boys, trips, football games, family holidays, etc. I always think they are going to be the greatest yet...the best ever...and then...

I feel let down when they aren't.

Without naming any names, in the past couple of weeks and months, I have been let down by people. Some that I thought I was really close to and some that held a high place of respect and trust in the past that have let me (and others) down. I have felt forgotten, betrayed and hurt by the actions of these people. I've gone through the stage of being mad and now I find myself just sad about it. My expectations for people are usually pretty high, but this has left me feeling like maybe I should lower my expectations about people in order to avoid getting hurt when they don't live up to them.

This even happened when I moved back to Dallas. My expectations for being back in this town, surrounded with people that I have known almost my whole life, in a city where I run into someone I know almost everywhere, and going to church with others instead of by myself were sky high. I thought my days of staying home alone on a Friday or Saturday night were long gone. Granted, there haven't been very many, but my expectations were none!!! Once again, it has been a let down in terms of my high expectations for what life was going to be like here.

So, why do I keep doing this to myself? God is trying to teach me something through it I know! He has been reminding me over and over again that if I put my trust in people or things, I WILL be let down...but if I put my trust in Him, He will NEVER fail me or forsake me. Why is this so hard for me to learn...and even harder to put into practice?

In high school, my youth pastor, Buddy, gave a message on the following verse and it still is one of my favorite verses on trust:

O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Trusting in God isn't just an occasional thing...it says at ALL times! I feel like I continually pour my heart out to God and ask why or why not about things, and then go seek refuge in something else or someone else. Those things and people never fully satisfy my heart, because God alone is my refuge!!! How silly to go looking for it somewhere else...and then be disappointed when it's not comforting or refuge-like!

I love the way it written in this verse:

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. Jeremiah 17:7

So, my goal is to begin to put my hope and confidence where I should...in the Lord! I tend to be overly confident about some things...but I need to work on my confidence being in the Lord and the fact that He won't ever let me down!!! So instead of lowering my expectations of people and things, I want to be able to understand that when I feel let down by them, I am not destroyed because I have placed my trust, hope and confidence in someone else...

Happy Birthday to 2 of my favorite people!!!

2009-09-18T12:48:00.004-04:00

Today is a great day!!! September 18 has for the past 23 years been my baby brother's birthday! Then 10 years ago when I met one of my best friends, Marisa, it has also been her birthday!!! So, sometimes this can get a little confusing for me, especially when I was living in Charlotte and was mailing gifts to them. One year, I sent Ryan a really cute purse and some earrings and Marisa got a Carolina blue polo shirt and a signed Pat Green poster (which I'm sure she would have kept) but anyway...obviously I got the packages confused at the post office. Now, it is funny because they text eachother to say happy birthday...and I'm sure make sure they got the correct gift from me!

I have so many memories with Marisa...too many to think of and some that can't be written on this blog, so we will just continue to recall and laugh about all of them when we get to hang out together, which thankfully is alot since I am back in Dallas!

As for my brother, I'm sure he doesn't even read this blog...but for the benefit of those who do, I want to say that he is at the top of my list of guys that I respect in this world. He is much smarter, taller, funnier, and Godly than I am but I love him even more for those things! He will always be my little Ry Guy, but it has been great to watch him grow into a man over the years! Some of my favorite memories with him include all the trips we have gone on together, ski slopes we have raced down, lake weekends with the family, and more than that, the tough times that we have been there for each other and for our family! He is the best brother anyone could ask for, and I got him!!!

So, I just want to say that I love love love these two people and am so thankful that they are in my life! This is a big year for both of them. Ryan is celebrating his first married birthday in San Diego with his love, Ashley. And Marisa is leaving her 20's behind and paving the way for all of us to turn 30 this year! :)

Happy birthday to you both!!! Love you very very much!!!

Marisa and I at my brother's rehearsal dinner

The siblings at my brother's wedding in May

A Date has been set!!!

2009-09-03T17:38:00.003-04:00

For my NCE Exam...that is!!! :)

October 9th at 9:00am

Feels weird and good at the same time to have a date that I know I am taking this thing!!! After the exam...who knows what? An internship hopefully!!!

Alright, back to studying...in my little nook...in my parents kitchen!!! It's my favorite spot!

Because I have time to do this...

2009-08-29T20:49:00.002-04:00

I know you probably don't care about this...but I couldn't resist...I love filling these stupid things out!! And...I love filling out paperwork...weird, i know....but if someone gives me a clipboard with blank papers that I can fill out and actually know the answers to without having to study beforehand...i am happy!

1. What time did you get up this morning: depends on the day, but usually around 7:30 or 8:00

2. How do you like your steak? Medium...like a little bit of red on my meat!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? it's been awhile...but I think The Ugly Truth...not worth the $10 I had to pay to see it!!

4. What is your favorite TV show? How I Met Your Mother.

5. What is your favorite time of year? Winter... especially Christmas!

6. Can you be trusted with a secret ? I'm keeping one right now, so we shall see!!!

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Tex Mex no question!

8. What foods do you dislike? Mayo, bologna,...pretty much everything else I like to eat!

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Chuy's, Mi Cocina, or Potbelly's.

10. Favorite dressing? Balsamic

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Chevy Trailblazer

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and polo shirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Hillsong Church in Australia

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? hopefully I am a half full kind of person most of the time...I don't enjoy being around half empty people

15. Where would you want to retire? Vail, Colorado

16. Favorite time of day? Early evening

17. Where were you born? Dallas, Texas

18. Any siblings? 3 - brother, sister and sister in law

19. car stereo , CD’s or XM radio? Radio or Ipod

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night person

21. Do you have any pets? No...have tried to like pets when my roommates have had them, but it hasn't convinced me I want one.

22. Anything odd or different about your life you’d like to share? I am at a strange stage of life right now...starting a new career at almost 30 and living at home with the parents for the time being...so i guess that is kind of odd!

23. What did you want to be when you were little? A youth pastor or a counselor - all my dreams have come true!

24. What is your best childhood memory? Being on the lake with my dad waterskiing in the early mornings...when it was pure glass!

25. Are you a cat or dog person? Definitely not cat (sorry to my friends and brother who have one :)...but i think I would have a dog someday maybe...

26. Are you married? not yet

27. Do you always wear your seat belt? yes

28. Been in a car accident? define accident....a got into an accident with a uhaul trailer driving back from NC...but no injuries or damage to my car...so i guess that is an accident

29. Any pet peeves? Yep....lots!

30. Favorite pizza topping? canadian bacon and pineapple

31. Favorite Flower? peonies

32. Favorite ice cream? Blue Bell anything!

33. Favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Bueno

34. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? none, not even the NC one!

35. From whom did you get your last email? Ash

36. What was your favorite concert? Chris Tomlin or Steve Fee

37. Do anything spontaneous lately? sadly, no

38. Like your job? yes

39. Sweet or Salty? usually sweet

40. Kids? Not yet.

41. Last person you went out to dinner with? Marisa, Todd, Matt and Bryce

42. What are you listening to right now? The Cowboys game on TV

43. What is your favorite color car ? Navy

44. How many tattoos do you have? Zero

45. Favorite Holiday? Christmas

46. What time did you finish this quiz? 8:07pm

47. Coffee Drinker? Prefer Chai Tea Lattes

So there you go....all you ever wanted (or didn't want) to know about me! Feel free to copy and paste this onto your own blog...

Happy Birthday Ash!!!

2009-08-26T12:19:00.006-04:00

At her wedding May 2009

Today another one of my friends turns the big 2-9...how did I get so lucky to have all these younger friends??? :)

Ashley was my best friend in Charlotte for the past 4 years! We met the 2nd weekend I was there in a interesting way. I had no friends and no plans, so I decided to go on the High School Beach Trip with their group (I was the middle school girls leader at the time), so I ended up driving my car out to the beach, since I had to drive back to Charlotte for church on Sunday. There wasn't enough room in the vans for all the leaders, so one of them volunteered to ride with me the 5 hour drive to the beach. Her name was Ashley Cannaday...a girl my age from Wichita Falls, Tx who had just started working with the 9th grade girls! (Side Note - Ashley stayed with her girls all the way til their graduation which was this past May, they were my last graduating class at Forest Hill.) So, after 5 hours in the car together, we had become fast friends....I knew then, she was going to be someone I would want to become better friends, especially since she had the same love of Pat Green and his music that I did!!!

Over the years, we got to go on a lot of trips together, especially after I started working with high school. We went on beach trips, a trip to the "hollers" of West Virginia, and Brazil with students. Not to mention all of our "friend trips" to Atlanta for concerts, Hilton Head, Columbia, SC for USC games, NYC for the US Open, and we are still planning our ski vacation together!

Brazil 2008

US Open Trip to NYC 2008

In four years, we have been there for all the boy drama in each of our lives, as well as the good times...I was at the Halloween party where Ashley met John Trotter for the first time, as well as the birthday dinner where they first started talking! Getting to watch her fall in love with John and then get married to him was one of the best things about living in Charlotte!

She has been like a sister to me since I have known her and we always called our little group of friends (Texans living in NC) our Charlotte Family, and when I left, it did really feel like I was leaving a family!

Ashley, I love you and am so thankful that God brought us into each other's lives during this season of our lives! Even though we live far apart now, I know our friendship will continue!!!

Happy Birthday Ash!!!

Ode to Sarah Ruth on the day after her birth!

2009-08-21T11:22:00.004-04:00

This post is for my sweet friend Sarah whom I have known since sophomore year of high school when she came to Trinity and joined the Drill Team! We have had a whole lifetime of memories together since that time! Not sure if I even know how to write an ode, so i will just be creative with her name in honor of her job as a 1st grade teacher!

Sold out for Jesus Christ
Aunt to precious nieces and nephews - dresses up with them and is always talking about how cute they are and how much she loves them!
Really Compassionate - wanted to use this word, but she doesn't have a C in her name. From her students to little orphans in Africa, Sarah has a servant's heart for the least and the lost of this world.
Addicted to Sonic Happy Hour and Diet Coke with Vanilla
Happy - she can brighten anyone's day with her contagious laugh and jovial spirit!

Relentless - she goes after what she wants...this is a good thing!!
Unashamed - she doesn't embarrass easily and always loves to put on a costume show whether it is grandpa's jeans, boas or a full out Michael Jackson outfit!
Teacher of the year - she loves to teach 1st grade and is really good at it...i have witnessed it! :)
Hilarious - I find myself laughing hard whenever I am with Sarah! She won "Best Sense of Humor" as her senior superlative in High School and got robbed of the "Best Laugh" one!!!

Sarcastic - this is probably why we get along so well...
Mentored - Sarah has been mentored for years by some very Godly women as well as been a mentor herself in the lives of younger girls at church.
Inspiring - whether it is for a child learning to read or a friend who needs encouragement, Sarah can inspire greatness in so many different ways!
The most fun person to be around! We always have a good time together no matter if we are on a great trip or a trip to a ghetto Walmart...we always manage to make some sort of memory, whether we intend to or not!
Hopeful - She isnt content with the status quo and tends to look for ways to become better!

Happy 29th! Hope this is the best year yet for you! :)

Love,
Loreno

Life in Texas these days..

2009-08-12T16:39:00.008-04:00

Well, you would think I would have time to update this with all the free time on my hands these days...but sometimes it is intimidating trying to be funny, witty or interesting when talking about the daily things of life. So instead, I'm going to just write about what has been going on the last few weeks...

Took a fun little trip to Port Aransas for our annual weekend with high school and college friends...it was a blast as usual! Here are some highlights...
the whole crew
the famous paddle ball game...note the "professional circle"
Ali and I
Brookie, Sarah and I
the yayas
there's always a dance party
at Sharkey's...these boys love to dance
the girls

ali, sarah and i with the infamous future actor, Andrew

So many memories are always made on these weekends and I am blessed to have such fun, creative and talented friends who know how to have a good time at the beach!!!

Since then, I have just been studying my Encyclopedia of Counseling preparing for my NCE exam which I will take in either September or October. I also started my part time gig at Frisco Bible Church and things are going well there. I will be teaching my group, Evolve (5th and 6th graders), for the first time this Sunday after we have a big Lake Party with all of student ministry on Saturday!

Some of my college friends and I threw a Baby shower for my sweet friend and college roommate, Jen and her soon to be son, Andrew Thomas at my parents house this past Saturday. It was fun to see all those girls again and know that I will be around when little Andrew makes his appearance in a couple weeks!!!
me and the mom-to-be Jen
The 2 Brookes
some of the girls
Jen and the hostesses...minus Allison
Marisa and my beautiful table creation
Kalli and Alyssa
The Aggie KDs
Jen opening gifts

All that to say, my schedule is filling up slowly but surely...it has caused me to slow down and be grateful for this time in my life where I do have some good moments of rest, longer conversations with friends, days with little to no agenda, freedom to be spontaneous and overall a time to trust God fully in this next chapter of my life without having all the answers upfront!

I hope you are encouraged by these verses,

Psalm 62:5-8 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge."

A New Reality

2009-07-23T14:52:00.003-04:00

Well, I have been in Dallas 2 weeks now and thought I would reflect on what this "new reality" of my life is. Although, this is a temporary "new reality" as I haven't been working and am living in the lap of luxury at my parents' house where they are spoiling me rotten with home cooking, laundry and a great time to reconnect with them while I am here!

I have had a chance to get back into the routine of a student...or at least a student who has 1 gigantic test that I must pass in order to acquire a counseling job that will help me pay the bills!!!

In my non-studying time, I have gotten to reunite with friends and friends' kiddos who I have missed seeing the last few years! I've spent days with Ali and Kennedy, Jeffie and Sam, Brookie and Gain, and Kerri, Kate and Elle! I have also been having dinner, Bachelorette viewings, movies and laying out time with Marisa, Sarah and Erin!

The strange thing is that I wake up each day wondering when my flight back to Charlotte is and then realize that I am here to stay...a bittersweet feeling still!!!

Pictures of all these fun times to come soon, but for now...just wanted to update on the life of a temporarily unemployed stay at home future counselor! My job at Frisco Bible starts in 2 weeks after I get back from the Texas coast!!!

In the meantime, go download this single...you won't regret it!!! I promise! :)

Fee's "Glory to God Forever" on Itunes!

The Bumpy Road back to Dallas

2009-07-09T17:03:00.010-04:00

When I wrote my last blog entry, I don't think I had any clue what would really play out on that one last road trip!!! It wasn't so much the trip to the Outer Banks that was the doozy but the long road home to Texas that happened right after...let's start with the good parts...my last "goodbye party" and the Outer Banks.

Thursday before we left I got together with some friends at one of my favorite places, Angry Ale's to say bye to my closest friends!!! Here's a little of that...

Then, on Friday morning, I woke up at 4:00am to go to the airport to see off the students who were going to the Dominican Republic, a trip I would have been on if I hadn't decided to move...so that was a little sad, but pancakes and grits, Andy, Anna and Nick made it all better!!!

I have always wanted to go there...my friends Lynn and Erin worked there one summer in college and it sounded like so much fun...so since I was only a mere 6 hours away, I decided I wanted to spend my last weekend in NC with friends Kristy and Jake (whose birthday we celebrated while there) and my friend Sarah, who flew in from Texas to drive home with me.

We left on Friday morning and stopped in Durham to see some old college friends who work at Duke Medical Center and then to Raleigh were I met up with my sweet friends Kevin and Jenny who were the original North Carolinians who peeked my interest in looking at churches in NC when I was job searching after seminary...basically, it was because of them I felt good about moving to NC where I knew no one else...little did I know they lived a mere 3 hours away and I had only seen them one other time since moving to NC until this weekend. So, we met at Walmart and hugged and said goodbye...I got to see their 2 precious kids, McCain (who Jenny was prego with when we met in Karen and Rob's wedding in LA in 2005) and Anna...they have been so much fun to talk to and be around!!!

Then we were off to the Outer Banks where we enjoyed 3 days of fun, sun..burns, lighthouses, fireworks on the beach, kiteflying and delicious food...

After those fun memories it was back to Charlotte and the reality of packing and moving...with a quick stop in Raleigh to say bye to my friend Anna who was in town for her sister's wedding. We packed up the rest of my apartment and went to bed Monday night...woke up Tuesday morning and I went to pick up the Uhaul trailer. (here's a little hint if you ever are going to pull a trailer behind your car...make sure you get a big enough trailer/truck for the place you are packing up...i got a 6X12 trailer to haul all my stuff...which the movers successfully CRAMMED into the trailer and my car. All I had to give away was my bed...so I was feeling pretty excited that they got everything to fit...and we were off...

About 30 minutes outside of Charlotte in Gastonia on a 4 lane interstate highway, we hit our first hurdle...and it was a big one!!! As we were switching lanes, the trailer starting swerving behind us and basically took control of the car...we spun around at least once and then the trailer slammed into the median and then we were facing oncoming traffic...that's what happened in a nutshell...it was terrifying and the only way I can explain why we didn't flip, slam the car into the median or get hit by other cars is that God's angels protected us!!! It was truly a miracle!!! Sarah and I can laugh about it now and talk about our "new lease on life" but it was one of the scariest moments of my life! We pulled off the highway and called 911 and Uhaul to report the accident. Everyone just said it was a fluke thing and we must have swerved too fast and caused the trailer to lose control. We followed the state trooper to the nearest Uhaul center and they checked it out...said it was driveable and were would be fine. Got back on the road and went about 10 more minutes only to have it happen again..not as bad but there was clearly no way this thing was driveable for 18 hours to Texas. Thankfully there was a Uhaul place right up the road and we pulled in and tried to figure out what to do next. Our best option was to ditch the trailer and buy a truck to haul everything...it did cost a pretty penny but at least we were going to be safe and alive when we got to Dallas!! After some tears and nerves wearing off...we (Sarah and I) proceeded to unpack the trailer which had been totally crammed into the truck...it was hot, we were exhausted but we did it...couches, dresser, everything I had paid movers to load, we unloaded and reloaded into a truck. We attached my car on the back with an auto transport trailer and we were off...and to be honest we were most upset it didn't have a CD player to play our book on CD that Ashley had given us...but we did jam out to some good Ipod mixes and country radio driving through Tennessee...

through the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains we drove...got all the way to Nashville by midnight and crashed at a hotel. Feeling better the next morning, we woke up and got an early start around 8:00am. Things went really smoothly that day driving...we hit some traffic in Texarkana and some rain in East Texas but up until about 60 miles out, we were doing good.

I just happened to be watching the trailer with my car on it at the moment we had a blowout which I believe counts as miracle #2 (I had a weird fear that my car was going to fly off the trailer so i watched it the whole way when I wasn't driving)...so we pulled off the highway, called Uhaul and then waited for someone to come fix it...sitting on the side of the road knowing we had made it so close, but we still weren't home.. 1 hour 1/2 later, we were on our way again...watching each of those 60 miles praying we would make it all the way in...the plans to unpack with friends had been abandoned and after my dad parked the thing in front of the house, I took Sarah home, the trip was finally over!!! As my dad said, it will be a great story to tell our kids someday and as my mom said, at least I didn't put all those miles on my car...and there's the silver lining folks!!!

God bless texas!!! I'm never moving across country again...and if I do, i'll be flying and someone else can haul my stuff!!!

So tonight some sweet friends are going to come over and have dinner, unpack the uhaul truck...(no telling what it looks like in there from me and Sarah packing it)...so now I can begin this new chapter in this city that I love so much because of the people in it!!!

One Last Road Trip

2009-07-03T08:58:00.003-04:00

Sarah is in town now and I have calculated we are going to spend approximately 32 hours in the car together in the next 5 days... I hope we are still friends afterwards! :) But here is our first stop and my last trip to an NC beach for a while!!!

Just a little piece of Heaven called the Outer Banks...

Happy July 4th!!!

Lu

The Countdown is On...

2009-06-30T14:47:00.002-04:00

This time next week, I will be driving a trailer back across the country to Dallas with my sweet longtime friend, Sarah who gets into Charlotte this Thursday!

I can't believe how fast 4 years has gone and how fast 1 month has gone by since I decided to move. Everyone keeps asking me if I am sad or happy and my best answer has been that I am feeling bittersweet about this move!!! Charlotte has been such a great adventure for me and I could never have imagined all the great relationships I would have made...with students, my church staff, friends and even my very own Charlotte family! I have gotten to travel to Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Nashville, Hilton Head, Charleston, Asheville, Columbia, Ethiopia, and Brazil as a result of being here in Charlotte!!! I have fallen in love with this part of the country and the people who really do exhibit Southern hospitality.

I feel like I am a different person as a result of living here for 4 years. I think I am more independent, more adventureous, more spontaneous, more willing to try new things, a better pastor, a better friend and I can say I have had to trust God more than ever before in my life out here!!!

This has been an amazing season of life for me, and as I move on to the next season...one full of studying for an exam, accumulating a massive amount of intern hours (3000), living in Dallas again after 4 years away, and getting reaquainted with the brutal heat of Texas...I am so thankful for the way God orchestrated getting me out of my comfort zone and showing me amazing things I know I never would have experienced if I hadn't taken that leap of faith!!!

So here I am again at the cusp of another big change in my life and career and I have a feeling of peace and confidence that God is going before me to pave the way!!! There is no better feeling than that!!!

Even though I'm sure over the next few days, quite a few tears will be shed, I am leaving confident that the verse I shared with the students on my last Sunday is true:
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillippians 1:3-6

To God be all the Glory!!!

Lu

Let's make it official...

2009-06-07T19:53:00.005-04:00

So we were southbound 35, we were headed down the road,
hit the border by the morning, let Texas fill my soul,
yeah let Texas fill my soul.

So...to start this post off, I have to quote one of my favorite musicians and post the picture from this past Friday night where I got to see him again in Charlotte thanks to my St. Jude friend Ashley who let me volunteer at one of her events that he was playing at.

Brendan~Me~Pat

That brings me to some pretty big news...after 4 wonderful years living on the East Coast in beautiful Carolina...I am packing my bags and heading back to....

That's right...just when I finally changed my license plates to NC plates, I'm going to have to change them back to Texas plates, come early July... I will be moving back to live in

Dallas

and pursuing my professional counseling license! God has opened this door and answered my prayers about wanting to live closer to family and longtime friends but I am still nervous about how it is all going to work out!!! I know He called me to Charlotte for a season and now I have no doubt that He is calling me back to Dallas!

I have never been good at goodbyes but I have a couple weeks to spend with all the students, families and friends who have made the last 4 years worth being here!!! So, I'm not going to be sappy on the internet and I am going to be giving lots of hugs, crying quite a few tears, I'm sure, and try to let those here know how much I love them!!!

For those of you who I will be seeing in Texas, I am looking forward to all the great times ahead!!! I have missed you all so much over the years and look forward to catching up with you again when I get there in July!

I shared this verse with my students this morning when I told them about my move and it will continue to be my life verse!!!

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
Ephesians 3:17-21

Ryan and Ashley's Texas Wedding

2009-06-01T17:36:00.006-04:00

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:24

Last weekend, we celebrated Ryan and Ashley's wedding in the beautiful Texas hill country! It was so much fun seeing lots of family friends and spending some quality time with our immediate family and with the Curry cousins!

Here are some pictures from our fun weekend!

Kim, Mom and I at the Cowboys themed Rehearsal Dinner

Mom and Dad giving a sweet toast to Ryan and Ashley...of course I cried

My date for the weekend, Marisa

fun with the boys at the Rehearsal Dinner

The Smith/Curry cousins...(You can tell that I had some tears before this pic)

Ryan loved his Texas groom's cake

me and my date Marisa and our friend Bryce

me and my sweet dad

the siblings

me and my brother, the handsome groom

Ryan will look exactly like my dad in a few years...

The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Even though I'm pretty sure Ryan will never read this blog... just in case, I want him (and everyone) to know that I have the best brother in the world and I am so proud of the man he has become! As I said in the toast Kim and I gave to him (which apparently was pretty funny and enjoyed by all) that we hope we both will meet a man like him someday! He is more than just the best brother, he is one of the best men we know and he and my dad have raised the bar pretty high for guys in our lives! Baby Ryan, or Ryeena as we used to call you... I am so thankful to be your big sister! I love you and can't wait to see how God uses you and Ashley in your new life together in Houston!!!

Sneak Peek: May Wedding Month

2009-05-17T21:59:00.003-04:00

So in the span of 7 days 2 very special people in my life get married in 2 different states! First, my best friend in Charlotte, Ashley married John Trotter last night in a very beautiful wedding ceremony and fun reception that followed! Then, this coming weekend, the Smith clan will be heading to a small little town north of San Antonio, Texas called Boerne to celebrate my brother Ryan's wedding to Ashley Albrecht! Outside in Texas in May...should be a hot one! :) Here is a little preview of Ash and John's wedding...more will come later after I get back from Texas!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:43:00.004-04:00

I have the best mom in the entire world! Seriously, I am truly blessed to get to be her daughter! She is such a Godly, smart, selfless and beautiful woman...plus she is the best cook I know! :) I love you Mom! Can't wait to see you next week!

The Greatness of The Office: A Musical

2009-04-17T19:31:00.001-04:00

this video speaks for itself! :)

Go Shoeless with me this Thursday!

2009-04-14T16:34:00.002-04:00

I own a pair of these shoes and I absolutely love them and am 100% behind this company and the guy who started it, Blake Mycoskie (who i follow on Twitter). They had this cool commericial during the Masters this weekend: check it out Here
and then go buy a pair of these shoes!!!!

Good Friday thoughts

2009-04-10T18:14:00.002-04:00

This video has been so powerful to me and especially on this day as we reflect on what Jesus went through for us because He loves us so much!

We sang this song last night at our service of darkness and what is so powerful to me are the words..."nothing but the blood"...how I desire for that to be true in my life and that I would stop trying to put other things in that place in my life! Hillsong United finishes this version with the chorus of Hosanna...one of my all time favorite worship songs!!!

May you join with me as we remember what God did in sending His precious Son to die on that cross for each and every sin of each and every one of us!!! I am reminded today of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 118

As we go through the next couple of days leading up to celebrating the fact that we worship a living Jesus through the resurrection...may our thoughts be on the work of salvation on the cross and the rescue that Jesus came to do for each of us!

It's Friday....but Sunday's comin!

A picture of Heaven for me..

2009-04-03T17:15:00.002-04:00

So, the last 2 years I have had the privilege to travel to Brazil with our high school students and spend 10 days ministering to the people there, but more importantly building life long relationships with our Brazilian brothers and sisters. There are so many amazing memories from the last 2 years, but one that sticks out to me is of the times we spent singing our favorite songs with the Brazilians...us singing in English, them in Portuguese. One instance when this spontaneous singing happened was on our long bus ride to Iguaracy, a community inland that we went to put on VBS and a church service for 2 days. It is a 10 hour drive and we got lost this last time...that's another funny story. But to pass the time on the bus, we would put in Hillsong DVDs and sing along to the music. It is amazing to hear 2 languages singing the same praises to God at the same time in confined space. To me, that is what Heaven is going to be like on a much bigger scale! I can't wait!!! I found this video below and it brought me to tears watching the worship leaders from Hillsong United who speak/sing normally in English engage this huge crowd with their own language and create this worship party!!!

Hillsong United's new CD comes out this May and I can't wait!!! We sing at least one Hillsong United song a week in our Student Services, so it will be a preview of what we will be singing this summer and fall!!!

Gone too long?

2009-04-02T15:36:00.002-04:00

So, the other day I was driving downtown to Charlotte One (more on that later) and a car started honking at me from the side. I turned and looked to see a dad and daughter trying to get my attention with their hands. They were giving me a thumbs up and smiling at me. It literally took me a couple minutes to realize they were giving me the international sign for "gig em". I have become accustomed living up here in Tarheel/Blue Devil land that I didn't even recognize a fellow alum and Aggie "gigging em" at me! I have officially been out of Texas too long!!! I must get back and get my fix!!!

Another story about how I have become desensitized in these 3 1/2 years I have been living here. Shortly after I moved here, I got to know my former roommmate, Cori and we started playing golf together on my day off. We were leaving the driving range one day and there was a car parked in front of us with a Texas A&M sticker on the back window. There were two guys getting in their car leaving and I told Cori (who I might add does NOT talk to strangers) that I would be right back. I proceeded to introduce myself to the guy who was driving and had a very awkward conversation about us both being Aggies. He was so not into the conversation and I could tell did not think it was a big deal that we were in Charlotte and both were from a place that is 2000 miles away...

well, I have become that guy...not entirely sure what kind of face I made at the car who honked at me the other day, but by the time I figured it out and smiled...it was too late!

Gig Em to all those Aggies living in Charlotte! I'm sorry I am not representing very well these days...

Is Anyone Out There?

2009-03-27T09:02:00.002-04:00

This is a favorite line from one of my favorite bands, Anberlin in their song Hello.Alone.

This blog today is going to be 1 simple question with 2 parts.

Who are you reading my blog? and why?

Here's the deal...I get caught up in blog stalking (reading people's blogs who I don't personally know) and I get inspired, challenged, empathetic, etc. when I read them...so here's my question, whether you know me or not, please leave a comment telling me A) that people actually read this thing and B) I want to write things that are more relevant to those who are reading this...hope that all makes sense...

If I get no comments, this blog may soon disappear!

LU

Missing Texas...

2009-03-15T19:40:00.006-04:00

Well, I am currently in a drought of trips to Texas...praise the Lord I am out of debt, but that means I can't just put a plane ticket on the credit card and pay it off later...therefore, I won't be going back to Texas until the end of May for my brother's wedding. This has inspired a blog about some of the things I miss most while I'm living up in the land of College Basketball, sweet tea and Nascar!

1. I miss alot of people of course...so if you are reading this and you live in Texas and I know you, then I miss you!!! I'm just posting one of the littlest people I miss seeing and loving on!!! Miss Kennedy Wood, Auntie Lor misses you!!

2. Food is a big part of my life...I love to eat! These are a few of the things that I can't get up here and am dreaming about having someday soon!!!

3. Watching Texas high school football in person...the best I get up here is Friday Night Lights on DVR!

4. Wearing my Aggie Ring and having people not mistake it for a high school ring...therefore, I do not wear it up here!

5. Going to the movies with Ali and running random errands with Sarah!!!

6. Access roads...don't ask about this one...just be grateful you have them there!!!

7. Knowing my way around town like the back of my hand...last night I led a group of people to the wrong house (way out of the way) for a St. Patty's Day party because I trusted Google Maps and it failed me!!!

8. Getting to hug people I love anytime I want to!!!!

So, I'm missing Texas and all the people in it tonight, but am praying God would continue to use me up here in North Carolina!

On an exciting note, 8 high school students accepted Christ this morning at church and about two dozen middle schoolers rededicated their lives to the Lord and vowed not to continue following a religion but live in a Relationship!!!! Praise God!!!

now that I'm thinking about that, it doesn't make me hungry for Texas food as much!!! God is good!!!

Surprise appearance by Nick, Joe and Kevin

2009-03-01T19:44:00.003-05:00

If you are over 18 years old, you might not know who this is referring to...but if you work with teenagers, like I do...these boys are a household name and their last name is Jonas...as in the Jonas Brothers. When I saw on Good Morning America the other day that they were making "surprise" appearances all over the country at movie theaters showing their movie, I had this weird feeling that Charlotte might be on that list. Why would I think this? There has been this strange phenomenon here in Charlotte that people have ties here or connections to this place in some way and big things happen. Michael Jordan playing with Tiger Woods a couple of years ago in the Wachovia Championships, talking to Sergio Garcia on the links this past year, Pat Green loves coming to play here because he has family nearby,Davidson College was the cinderella story in the NCAA tournament last year, Will Ferrell played Ricky Bobby and lit himself "on fire" at Lowe's Motor Speedway, and now we can add the Jonas Brothers appearing at a movie theater to shocked and amazed teens here in Charlotte this weekend!!! Check out the story HERE
So, I have gotten to witness some awesome things while living in Charlotte, but this was not one of them. I instead chose to go see Slumdog Millionaire and I can honestly say, I don't regret my movie choice one bit! This was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and I encourage everyone to go see it and open your eyes to the reality of what children experience in the slums of India! Hopefully it will touch your heart and remind you to pray for these children, as it did for me! So, while I didn't get to meet the Jonas Brothers (they are WAY too young for me anyway!) :), I did get to be reminded of what God tells us in His Word.

LoveMercy
Lu

P.S. check out this. But because of this I am just going to say that these guys are hilarious and are friends of friends in Dallas!

One of those moments...

2009-02-02T18:56:00.004-05:00

So, this past Wednesday night was our first ever Emerge Baptism service! Our group has done believer's baptisms before but we have always either done them with adults or with children. This was the first time we were able to have a special service with just our middle school students and celebrate each person individually!~ It was AWESOME! We had 43 students, leaders and even some parents get baptized that night! Being the emotional person I am, I usually cry every time someone gets baptized...there is just something so special about it to me! Anyway, I saved my tears til the end, because I was the emcee for the service and had to announce each person's name as they got into the water with Ryan. But when it came time for me to get into the water and baptize one of my high school girls who is now an Emerge leader...it was hard to hold it in! Ali has been one of my girls from day 1 when I moved here. She has been in bible studies, life groups, accountability groups, countless mission trips to Pittsburgh and Brazil with me over the last 4 years and so needless to say, I was completely honored when she asked me to baptize her last Wednesday night! I got choked up talking about her and how much she means to me and it was so true when I said it was one of the best moments of my life to get to baptize her! God showed up big time last week and I can't wait to see the fruits of these students who have now professed before their peers and parents that they will live to make Christ famous!!!! AMAZING stuff!!! Here are some pics of me and Ali during her Baptism!

So how do you follow up a Wednesday like that? Well, this week we are packaging 20,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now in 2 hours!!!! Yeah...we don't mess around!!! God is moving in the hearts and lives of students!!!

Honest Scrap

2009-01-26T13:42:00.004-05:00

So, my sweet friend from seminary,Kerri tagged me to do this thing called Honest Scrap and since i haven't blogged in a while, i thought i would incorporate it into telling you what has been going on in my life this past month.

Here are the rules: you have to list 10 random things about yourself that are true and then tag 7 other people to do the same. So onto the game:

1. I am obsessed with YouTube and all the crazy videos on there...but not the random stuff people think is funny, but actually good stuff like this (T.I./Rihanna "Live your life"): (Thanks to my friend Taylor who put this on his blog...I'm stealing it from you!)

2.One of the things that makes me cry is seeing people get baptized...notice I said one of the things...I cry at just about anything...but for real, there is something amazing about watching someone get baptized. We are having a service for our middle school students at Emerge on Wednesday night where we are going to baptize students, leaders, and even our Middle School pastor Ryan Carson. It is going to be amazing...I am going to bring a box of kleenex for sure!

3. I hate going to the grocery store more than anything else! I would pay someone money to go to the store for me...well, not in this economy...but i wish i could!

4. Sometimes I watch ESPN....for fun! Most of the time though, I am watching something on Food Network, TLC or a DVRed show like 24 or the Office.

5. My celebrity crush is on Chris Tomlin.

6. I have to drink at least 1 Diet Coke a day or I get a splitting headache...I know, that is called addiction and i am working on it!

7. I don't like to fly any other airline than American Airlines...I am brand loyal to them! They still give a complimentary beverage...guess what mine is?...Diet Coke! :)

8. I run a red light every Sunday morning going to church. No one is around and the light is SO long! I am usually running late to our 7:30am meeting, so it is necessary...but i know it is wrong. I feel better having confessed that!

9. I have 2 cell phones that I carry around. 1 work phone and 1 personal (my I Phone)...long story, but it works for me!

10. I have read the book Sex God by Rob Bell 3 times! It is SO good! Read it!

Well, that didn't really tell you as much as I thought it would about what I have been up to. Maybe i will post pictures in my next post from our LockOut, Live Show, Emerge Baptism, etc! So, I am tagging:

Ryan Carson
Ali Wood
Karen Kimmons
Allison Wendler
Kalli Sterling
Brian and Aleisha Stephens
Cheyenne Schultz

Name Dropping...

2009-01-04T16:02:00.002-05:00

Well since my last post, a couple of my close friends have joined the blog world and so it has inspired me to be better about keeping this up to date! One of these said bloggers (Ryan) has said that blogs should be updated at least 3 times a week...so that is what I am striving for...not sure if I have enough interesting stuff to say that often, but we can try it out! This has been on my mind lately...I am a name dropper and sometimes a celebrity stalker...not the big celebs, like Brad or Angelina or Britney...I wouldn't think it was that big of a deal to see them up close or have a conversation with them. No, the ones that I tend to drop that I am "friends" with...and by "friends", i usually mean I know someone who knows them or used to be in their circles, or someone I have met for all of 5 seconds and therefore think that I am their new best friend...here is a list of my most popular names dropped:

-Chris Tomlin - friends go to the church he used to lead worship for in Austin, Texas
-Shane Barnard - have met him multiple times and we are both Aggies :)
-Pat Green - met him also multiple times and his violin player went to college with me
-An unnamed bachelor from an unnamed reality show - I really am family friends with him...he was my first boyfriend :)
-The current American Gladiator winner - worked at Kanakuk with him and he is my cousin's best friend; so have spent some holidays together
-Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot) - met him at a conference this past year
-CJ Spiller (Clemson RB) - had dinner with him in Anderson, SC - apparently it was a big deal to those we were with!
-Multiple contestants on The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Average Joe and Survivor have gone to high school or college with me.

So, I was thinking how cool it is that I have connected with all these "famous" people...but then it dawned on my how seldom I drop Jesus' name. Why is that? As my "friend" Chris Tomlin sings, the "famous one" is Christ. He is the biggest name I could drop anyway and I have a real relationship with Him and... He knows my name! So, I am going to work on name dropping His name for a while!

Tell Your Momma about these SHOES!

2008-12-15T13:21:00.002-05:00

I stole this from another person's blog but I really want to plug this ministry/company. I bought a pair of TOMS shoes a couple months ago. Here are mine. I love these shoes and get compliments and questions about them all the time! Last month in EMERGE and THE HEIGHTS we talked about issues around the world and asked our students this question: ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS? My topic was Human Trafficking and it was one of the most powerful messages I have ever given and our students jumped at the chance to do something about these issues around the world. TOMS shoes was one of the ways they could act now! We gave away two pairs of shoes to middle school students and then gave all the students the information to order them. Alot of our students will be opening a pair of Toms shoes under their tree this Christmas and the word will keep getting spread through SHOES!

So if you are looking for some tangible ways to make a difference in the way you give this Christmas...here are some links and a video about TOMS~!

Love 146
To Write Love on Her Arms
Support a Child
Buy a Goat

Turning 29, Elfing myself, and Pat Green...what could be better?

2008-12-11T23:23:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Southbound 35...

2008-11-18T21:31:00.003-05:00

PAT GREEN was in Charlotte and we went to see him! It was an awesome show and he is such an incredible entertainer! Here were some of the goodies he sang...
Oldies but Goodies:
-Here we go
-Southbound 35
-3 Days

Newer ones:
-Baby Doll
-Wave on Wave
-Cannonball
-Feels Just Like it Should
-Don't Break My Heart Again
-Dixie Lullaby

Brand New:
-Let me

PURE GREATNESS!!!

From High School Reunion to High School Musical...

2008-10-28T12:21:00.003-04:00

Okay, I am admitting this because I am not ashamed...maybe I should be but in my line of work, I think it is absolutely imperative that I see the movie I watched last night....

Let me first say, I did not go alone. I did not go opening weekend. I did not go with students. I went on Monday night at 7:00pm with 2 of my middle school leaders, who have asked to remain nameless, but they are girls between the age of 21 and 35. We are all fans of the previous 2 movies and were dying to see this new one....So we could discuss it with our girls in our groups, naturally! :)

Here are some of my observations of HSM3:

1. You can be alot more obnoxious as an adult watching this movie when you are in the theater alone! Which we were...only the 3 of us.

2. Our favorite scenes of the movie had Zac Efron in them...1) Troy in the junk yard with Chad and 2) Troy's solo late night at the school in the gym with his Wildcat Jersey on.

3. This third one pushed alot of the limits that they haven't before...Zac Efron and several other guys shirtless multiple times in the movie. I did giggle a couple times...

4. I liked the music in this one much more than the other two...catchier songs and better dancing for sure!

5. Were there cheesy lines? Yes. Were there weird, unrealistic dance numbers in the middle of the cafeteria? Yes. Is 21 year old Efron a believable 18 year old Senior? Yes. Do I want all of Gabrielle's outfits? Yes. Did I shed any tears during the movie? Yes. Will I be seeing this movie again, on my very own DVD? Yes. Will I justify going to see this movie as research for the girls I work with? Absolutely YES!

Unpacking the Suitcase for a while...

2008-10-20T22:20:00.004-04:00

I am back in Charlotte after being gone what seems like the entire month of October so far...it feels good knowing I can spend multiple nights in my own bed for change! Here are some fun highlights from my 10 year High School Reunion! It was a fun time and great to see everyone and what everyone is up to now....10 years later! Good times...most of all it made me grateful for the choices I have made by following God's call into ministry and then all the way out here to Charlotte! God has definitely blessed me with a great job, sweet and true friends and a great place to live (pics to come soon)! So, 10 years after graduating from high school, I gotta say I am pretty happy and grateful!

sweet Kennedy (Ali's baby girl)
My friend Bethany
my "oldest" friend Matt Brennan who I went to elementary school with before TCA
my friend from school and church Timmy Nutter

some of my favorite girls from high school
just a few of the '98 grads at the football game
my best friends from High School - the infamous Yayas!

Still on the Road...

2008-10-15T21:07:00.007-04:00

One more trip...this weekend is my 10 year high school reunion in Dallas! Yippee!

Here's some highlights from last week and weekend!
On Wednesday night around 9:00pm a group of 6 six of my staff and volunteers headed to Atlanta for Catalyst! We rolled into town and to our hotel around 1:30ish and then woke up around 6:30am for the conference! The lack of sleep was well worth it! The speakers were awe-inspiring and the worship was excellent! My favorites were Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great; Craig Groschel, the pastor of LifeChurch.tv and
Andy Stanley, pastor of NorthPoint Church. I met one of my favorite worship leaders, Kristian Stanfill and 2 of my favorite bands did a "private concert" for about 75 of us on the first night. Robbie Seay Band and Jon Foreman, lead singer of Switchfoot! It was so sweet to get to meet them and talk after the show! They say that the experience of Catalyst...amazing speakers, intense worship, 12,400 people in one place is like drinking out of a fire hydrant...it always takes me a little time to process through everything i heard and experienced!

We drove back to Charlotte early on Friday so a couple of us could get back for the Heights Beach Trip that night. It was a great weekend, not a lot of sleep and a bit of rain...but it was alot of fun and went really well!

meeting Jon Foreman...he was so nice!

Jon Foreman doing his thing!

Our high school group! (Gotta love Chandler in the scarf in the middle! :)

the bus driver took these shots! :) (i'm in the green on the left)

me and my sweet college friend Alexis!

Hanging out with some girls!

1 more trip and then i am here for a while! At least a couple weeks in a row! Get excited for more pictures!

Out of the Office in October!

2008-10-06T15:33:00.002-04:00

This past weekend was my first of 4 trips out of Charlotte this month! I am going to be living out of a suitcase until the end of October...here's some pictures from our Emerge (middle school) Beach Trip this past weekend...

Our fun group...see if you can find me in the picture! :)

Me and my friend Sarah

So, I leave for Catalyst Conference in Atlanta on Wednesday night til Friday and come back in time to jump on the bus to the Heights (high school) Beach Trip...Pictures to come...

Then after a couple days back in Charlotte, I head to Dallas to go to my 10 year High School Reunion...has it really been 10 years? It doesn't feel like its been that long!

So, here's to traveling all over the place this month!!!

Jack Baur is BACK...and this season is going to be...

2008-09-25T10:49:00.001-04:00

pure greatness!

4 little words...

2008-09-24T07:47:00.004-04:00

How 'Bout them Cowboys!

If you are not a Dallas Cowboys fan or a Texan, you probably think that was poor grammar, but it wasn't...at least for those who want to root for America's Team!

Now this is something worth getting excited for:

3 - 0

The Cocky Celebrity

The Long Haired Running Back

The Cute QB who has a Hollywood Girlfriend with roots in Texas

The One thing that could keep Romo distracted enough to not get past the first round of playoffs again this year!....here's hoping she doesn't ruin it for us!

P.S. Hey Jessica, the cowboys colors aren't Pink and White...get a real jersey if you want to root for them, please!

Exceeded my expectations...

2008-09-02T19:10:00.004-04:00

I love it when this happens...most of the time, it has to do with doing something for the first time or fulfilling a dream I have had as a little girl! This isn't the first time this has happened to me: my first ride on a bicycle all by myself; cheering at my first high school football game senior year; my first week of college; graduating from seminary; my last 3 years living in Charlotte; going to the US Open can now be added to that list. All exceeded the expectations I had leading up to them. If you know me, you know that I tend to set my expectations low so that I can try to avoid alot of disappointment. But for this particular trip, having a year to think and dream about this little weekend, my expectations were unusually high and it STILL exceeded them! I won't bore you with every little detail (there are lots)...much like the city we were in...we slept very little...but here are some highlights:

-2 Days at the US OPEN (one night session with James Blake and Mardy Fish and one day session watching tons of matches)

-1 night out to dinner to Ash's favorite Tapas restaurant called Pipa

-1 Off-Broadway Show called “Altar Boyz” – hilarious

-1 All American Rejects concert

-1 walk on the Brooklyn Bridge

-Multiple Subway rides through the city

-1 Coach purse purchased in China Town

-Many many miles walked through the city (including a 4 mile walk through Harlem – funny story…)

-1 Ferry Ride from Randall’s Island

-

NEW YORK CITY!!!!

2008-08-27T14:06:00.005-04:00

So, on Friday afternoon, I am getting on a plane to head to New York for 3 days with two of my best friends in Charlotte, Ashley and Sarah. This trip has been in the making for a whole year! You see, last year on Labor Day, Ash and I went to Hilton Head for the long weekend, however, it rained the ENTIRE time and we only got to see the beach at night, the first night we were there...the rest of the time was spent watching the US OPEN tennis tournament and these on the History Channel. Right then and there we decided we were going to GO to the US OPEN next year and started planning our trip! This past year, on Sunday afternoons after church, Ash and I have been going to Sarah's tennis courts at her condo and playing with an ex pro tennis coach named Mac. He basically gives us free lessons and it is alot of fun! I can tell I am definitely getting better! So, Mac let us know he could hook us up with some Open tickets and we were so excited! Ash got us a sweet hotel deal here and I got a "free" plane ticket (a story for another day...but lets just say i booked 2 flights home for Christmas and only needed one ticket!) While in New York, we are hoping to see a Broadway show, shop in ChinaTown, cheer on Sarah in the Human Race 10K , watch the All American Rejects concert after the race, eat some good food and above all, see all the tennis we possibly can! We have tickets to Arthur Ashe Stadium Saturday night and a grounds pass Sunday...look for us on TV...I am most excited about seeing these two guys:
Andy Roddick and James Blake

I'll post pictures of my new place and our trip when I get back on Monday!

TEAM USA!!!!

2008-08-14T18:41:00.006-04:00

This is what I have spent my waking (non-working) hours doing for the past week and what I plan on doing for the next one too! I am obsessed with the.....

And I can't get enough of this guy:

Seriously...what am I going to do when the Olympics are over????

Planes, Trains and Automobiles...

2008-08-10T21:35:00.008-04:00

Well, that is how i feel this last week and a half has been....traveling from one place to another...but it was SO fun to see friends and family for vacation! I left last Wednesday night to fly back to Dallas...spent the night at my parents house and saw some friends. Thursday, Ali, Sarah and I drove to Austin and stayed at my friend Brookie's cute new house! The YaYas were reunited for a couple days at the Texas Coast in Port Aransas staying at Brooke's parents' house with 15 of our friends from high school, college and Austin...let's just say there were a LOT of Aggies in one house together! Here are a couple pictures to sum up the fun we had!

the group at the beach

Kendall, Ali, Amber, me and Brookie at the beach!

Out to dinner for Andrew's birthday...the big 29!

the best game ever...Speed Scrabble!

me and sarah hanging in the shade

why not have dance party while we are waiting for the shrimp to boil (for 3 1/2 hours) :)

limbo??!!!

Games played at the coast 2008: Speed Scrabble, Signs, Spoons, Rummy, Mafia, Volleyball, Paddle Ball...gotta love the competition!

the boys...

the girls...

Typical YaYa picture...never serious...

It was an awesome weekend with old and some new friends...it was then off to Colorado for a week with my parents and brother with 2 of our friends...pictures to come later...I really feel so blessed to be able to have such a fun vacation after a full summer of traveling with the church! I am definitely racking up the advantage miles! :)

Back to Reality!

2008-07-19T10:05:00.005-04:00

Well, I am back in Charlotte and have my hands full with packing up my house and moving to my new place in about a week...not much time to box up and move all the stuff I have accumulated in the past 2 years living here!

Brazil was an amazing trip and it was hard transitioning back to everything here and its back to the office on Monday...ugh...only 10 days til my vacation!!!!

Here is the link to all my pictures from Brazil...400+...haven't had time to edit them yet but they are all there!

Brazil Pics

Enjoy and I'll post some pictures of my new place when I get moved in...

I heart Brazil!

2008-07-07T10:19:00.004-04:00

I am in Recife, Brazil until July 16th...here are a few pictures to sum up my trip here...which in 2 words (one english/one portuguese): Pure Allegria (Joy/Happiness)

our group at the school we stayed at in Iguaracy!

some of my friends (peter and clovis) at VBS

precious kids right before we left Iguaracy to come back to Recife!

tchau!
Lu

Pitts to the burgh! 2008

2008-06-30T21:34:00.006-04:00

So i have been back for a little over a week and it has been CRAZY...had to go to 3 ministry events...dogsit/catsit...find a new place to live when i get back from Brazil...sign a lease at said place...get EVERYTHING ready for Brazil...pack...and of course blog! :) its been a while! one of my sweet friends told me she reads my blog....so this is for my 1 blog reader...lynn! :)

my lovely guy leaders getting ready to go on our cruise ship for dinner!

my work group with our homeowner, ms. griffin and her grandkids...so sweet!

a little reinactment of the prank of a high school boy snatching my pack on the boat!

loved my all girl work group! GIRL POWER!

FOREST HILL GROUP

another crazy work group pic! we really did work! :)

it was freezing in Pittsburgh this year!

It was an awesome trip to Pittsburgh this year...my group of all girls worked on a house of a sweet lady named Ms. Griffin! She had 4 dogs, 2 cats and 3 grandkids that hung out with us all week! Our job was to paint all the trim on her house...her 3 story house, i might add. And that means one scary thing to me....extension ladders...3 of them...24 ft - okay; 32 ft - scary; 45 ft - never will i be on that!

We did get all of the painting done...my girls were champs and scurried up those ladders like it was their job! And drumroll....the highlight of my trip was.....

NOT GETTING LOST DRIVING!!! yes...i had the help of my new best friend - GAR ... (Garmin GPS) best purchase i have made in the last 3 years working at Forest Hill...i am known for getting lost on every trip and by being known...every time my van showed up somewhere, i got lots of high fives from the high school boys for not getting lost on the way there!...it definitely got old!

Alright...next trip is in less than 2 days...to Brazil...i am so excited and can't wait! i'll post some pics when i can...not sure if i can blog when i get there but i will try! :)

i AM from texas...

2008-06-10T20:38:00.005-04:00

So, if you know me at all, you know that i cannot turn down a challenge...or a dare...or worse...a dare that someone else pays for...gets me every time! This past weekend, some friends and i went to taste of charlotte downtown. For those of you not from here, it is a weekend festival where a ton of restaurants bring delicious "free samples" of food that you can pay for with coins that you purchase...rip off? yes. Worth it? yes! So, they have to entertain all the hungry people with something...so naturally they had a mechanical bull. I am not a stranger to this particular type of entertainment. 6 words sum up my experience: Progresso, Mexico, junior high mission trips! This is not the first mechanical bull i have ever ridden...we also have these at multiple "dancehalls" in Texas for those of you from NC. So, here's the result of the paid for challenge from my roomie, Cori and photographer Julie.

~this is the face you are supposed to make while doing this!~

~is it crazy that i am proud of this picture?~

~full from delicious food and burning up from the heat~
Nick, Julie and me

This weekend, my little brother comes to visit me and then I leave for my 1st of 2 mission trips this summer...to Pittsburgh with the high school group...will post pictures when i get back!

Its been too long...

2008-05-30T12:52:00.002-04:00

I know it has been a while...where has the time gone? i can't believe it is almost June... here are some recent pics of my trip to Dallas and Colorado for Lynn and Thomas' wedding...

I love this little girl...Kennedy!

My best friend and now Mom to Kennedy Wood...so fun!

The newly married Thomas and Lynn Bain at their wedding in Estes Park, Colorado! We had such a great weekend!

A little perspective on my life...

2008-04-09T16:36:00.002-04:00

So today, i came across this article on msn.com. I thought i would so a little checklist on how i have done so far...

Single-Girl Things to Do Before Lu Gets Married

1. Date a guy who's totally wrong for you just because he has amazing abs. No i haven't done this...but if i meet someone soon with amazing abs who asks me on a date, I have a second reason to say yes...

2. Collect at least six country stamps on your passport, including one from a place that until recently you didn't even know existed Let's see: only got a passport 2 years ago...so far, i've got Brazil, Ethiopia and that is it...i was kinda confused about where Ethiopia was in Africa, so i guess that counts as not knowing it existed...i will use that one until i go to Madagascar...which until i was in Africa did not realize it existed...thanks tca geography!

3. Embrace feminine decor. Check! My room is painted Pink! the article literally says: "Don't go so far as to paint the walls pink — that'll freak out any guy who sets foot in your place"...however, I am not scared...bring it on! i have always wanted a pink room!

4. Take advantage of the whole bed Check...based on the indention in the middle of my mattress, i would say i have this one covered! Now, i guess I need to buy a new mattress...

5. Spend an embarrassing amount of money on a designer bag you love or heels that make you feel incredibly sexy I can't do this one just yet...I have however bought designer jeans which i think should count for this one...check!

6. Learn how to change a tire and work a drill. Tire - NO...I call one of the 6 guys i work with for that; Drill - need to own one before i figure out how to work one.

7. Slip one of those furry covers on the toilet Absolutely NOT! I don't like these things...they remind me of my grandparent's house growing up...and they were always mauve colored...no way...

8. Get a grip on your dough Working on this one...can we just count me doing my own taxes this year as a check for this one?

9. Have your dad take you out to dinner as often as possible If only my dad lived in the same town as me this one would be so easy...I do hit up the parentals when they come to visit and when i go home...so check!

10. Want a cat? Heed this advice: Buy it now First off - No, i do not want a cat. Second, i have a bunny and that is all i can handle right now...and by handle, I mean, i do nothing...it hates me and has bitten me twice...no more pets for me.

11. If all you feel like eating for dinner is ice cream and diet soda, buy a cone and pop a Coke This one i can definitely check off...it happens more frequently than not!

12. Use tons of hot water in the a.m. CHECK!

13. Take your celeb crush to the max No comment....but Check!

14. Plan your fantasy wedding If you know me at all...let's say it together....CHECK!

15. Start a pleasure ritual that a change in your relationship status can't disturb Pedicures - check; massages - check; shopping therapy - check

16. Set up your home in a way that fits your needs If this means I can keep my room as messy as I want to and no one can say anything to me about it...then...check! But, it annoys me, so I am going to clean it when i get home tonight!

Well, if you are still reading...you might be crazy! But I will say that being single does have its perks sometimes! :)

Baby Brother is Engaged!

2008-04-06T19:36:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say congrats to my little brother who got engaged last night to his girlfriend of over 2 years, fellow Aggie class of '09, and all around great girl, Ashley Albrect! We are so excited to add another girl to our family and could not have asked for a sweeter one than Ashley. They plan to get married after they graduate next May! Can't wait for another Texas wedding! Yeah!

Ryan popping the big question!

The future Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Smith

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Mom and Dad!

2008-04-03T19:37:00.003-04:00

Today my parents are celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary! That seems like such a LONG time to me. They are still so sweet to each other after all these years! I am so blessed to be their daughter and hope that someday I will get to be celebrating that many years with my best friend! Love you Mom and Dad!

Back to Texas for a quick trip...

2008-03-25T20:48:00.006-04:00

This past weekend i got to go back to Dallas to celebrate Easter with my family and friends! Last year on this same weekend, my cousin Matt married Seema (only it was 2 weeks BEFORE Easter) so i didn't come back for Easter last year...i got to go to Hilton Head with my roomie Cori, which was fun but i was excited to spend this year back in Dallas with the Smith/Curry Crew...here are some highlights...it does look like i spent most of my time with babies but that is what happens when friends have babies and you live out of state...you gotta eat up that time you are there with them!

Cade (my cousin Zach and Chelsea's little boy) searching for eggs inside! :)

My brother Ryan and I at Easter

With my sister Kim at Easter lunch.

Ali, Sarah (with Kennedy) and me outside the delicious Potbelly's!

My sweet friend Ali's little girl Kennedy! Love her so much!

My good friend Sarah's little niece Brylie...so precious!

Marisa and I at the Mavs game! (we lost...ugh...again)

It was a really fun weekend...so sad i didn't take pictures with my other friends i got to see too....John and Ginny, Erin, Jen, Lori, Lynn and Kerri...sorry guys...love you though! Until next time I get back to Texas...love from North Carolina! :)

Blonde or Brunette...

2008-03-17T23:24:00.002-04:00

As a Blonde...here are my celeb look alikes...

Now as a Brunette...here they are...

Observations:
1. As a brunette, my celebs are way OLDER! what's up with that?
2. Is it weird that one of the blonde celebs is named Kim Smith (and is NOT my sister?)
3. Do i seriously look like ashley olsen...she is definitely 10 years younger than me! what in the world?
4. Wait...now i just saw Dakota Fanning as a celeb lookalike...she is 20 years younger than me! whatever...
5. And sally field is super old...maybe they meant back in the day when she was the young flying nun in that movie...let's hope that is what they meant!
5. Anyway, i am dying my hair blonde again immediately!

Geography 101...

2008-03-11T16:30:00.002-04:00

So...my friend Sarah and I always try and play the "name all 50 states" game when we are on long road trips together...sounds easy right? well, i must have slept through geography in elementary school because i always forget some of the more "random" states. Needless to say, this game stumped me the first time i did it...couldn't remember 3 states (Nebraska, Maryland, Connecticut)...seriously, i was embarrassed! I tried to redeem myself by trying it again and was awarded the following certificate as proof that i am not an idiot! awesome...

In 3m 19s

Click here to Play

I am a Blog Post stealer!

2008-02-26T20:22:00.002-05:00

So, i saw this on someone else's blog and had to steal it b/c i thought it looked fun and i'm not really sure if anyone reads my blog and would tag me on this!

10 years ago:
February 1998, I was a senior in high school. We had a sadie hawkins dance on valentines day and my 2 good friends Brooke and Ashley and I took our 3 dates in a decorated van to all of our houses to eat different kinds of food from around the world and then went to the dance. Afterwards, a big group of us went to my parents lakehouse for the night...it was one of my favorite memories from high school! :)

Things on my To Do List today:
-Call some students' parents back - done
-Lots of other work stuff - somewhat done
-Go to Zumba workout class at the Y - done
-Make tacos with guacamole for dinner - done and yummy!
-update my blog - in process
-Waste 30 minutes on Facebook - done
-Watch American Idol - in process
-Get to bed at a decent hour -

What would i do if i became a billionaire?
-Buy a house, buy a lakehouse and boat in NC, travel to Europe, give lots of it away anonymously to people and organizations, build a bunch of wells in Africa!

3 of my bad habits:

-biting my nails
-being late
-saying the word "like" more than i should in conversation

5 Jobs i have had:

-Youth Pastor
-Christian Counselor and file sorter
-Kamp Kounselor (Kanakuk...love it)
-Gymnastics Camp Coach
-Full Time Student for a stinkin long time!

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I spend a ridiculous amount of money on getting my haircut and colored...and I can't stop!

2. I am officially an Ordained Pastor.

3. I have lived in NC for 2 1/2 years and still have Texas License plates...yikes, i am always avoiding the cops!

4. I have a pet bunny now named Sawyer who one of my students gave me b/c she didn't want him anymore! i love him!

5. I am writing a book right now...

So, i will try and tag some of my friends whose pages i frequent: Kerri, Hillary and Kristine.

I am Passionate about Passion!

2008-02-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

Here is all I have to say: Go buy this album today!!!!!
Here are 6 Reasons:
Chris Tomlin
David Crowder
Kristian Stanfill
Steve Fee
Christy Knockles
Charlie Hall

Did i mention there are 4 Chris Tomlin songs out of 14 songs? One word: Awesomeness!

I'm only at 11 Dresses...there's still hope!

2008-01-19T17:45:00.000-05:00

I am in love with this movie that i saw today! So cute...and a little bit like my life!!!

P.S. if anyone knows a single guy that looks like James Marsden in this movie...please introduce him to me! :)

2007 Highlights (those i can remember...)

2008-01-07T18:41:00.001-05:00

So 2007 was a big year for me...i did alot of traveling, i was in a lot of weddings and i had a lot of fun things happen in my life...so here is a little recap for you (but it's really more for me! :)

One side effect i have realized that comes with being 28 is that i am losing my memory....rapidly...so i must make notes here in this blog about 2007, b/c otherwise, i might not be able to remember any of it at this rate i am going...

January - spent new years in austin, tx with friends; decided to go to Africa on a mission trip this year

me, ali and leighton on new years eve 2006!

February - seriously...i have no idea what i did this month...

March - Spent 2 1/2 weeks in Ethiopia...life changing trip for me! Also, went home to Texas for my Cousin Matt's wedding

my favorite picture from the trip!

April - Spent Easter in Hilton Head with my roommate Cori and her family; reminded everyone in Charlotte that i was a high school cheerleader at our LockOUT; found out my best friend, Ali was prego with her first baby! :)

the roomie and I on the beach!

I've still got it! :)

me and Ali's signature pose for pictures during her pregnancy!

May - Said goodbye to my sweet senior girls on Senior Sunday at Forest Hill; spent mother's day with mom in Asheville, NC seeing the incredibly beautiful Biltmore Estate

the Amazing Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

some of our seniors in Nashville recording a CD in a studio! :)

June - Went to Pittsburgh for the 3rd time with the High School group; also, came home to be in Hilary and Brian's wedding

Kristin, Rebecca and I with Mrs. Barnette our sweet homeowner in Pittsburgh

Marisa Hilary and I at her Bridesmaid Luncheon

July - went to Brazil for 2 amazing weeks that changed my heart for that country and its people forever!

Our group and some Brazilians at VBS in Recife!

August - celebrated Brookie's bachelorette weekend in Port Aransas, Texas and then went to Colorado for a week with my parents to live it up on the golf course and relax!

September - spent a weekend at the beach with high school students...love the carolina shores! learned how to surf...got up on the board the first time i tried! :) wish i had a picture to document it...:(

October - Went to Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA and had the epiphany to write my book (more on that later); went back to Texas to be in Brookie and Jim G's wedding in Fort Worth!

Good friends at Brookie and Jim's awesome reception!

November - Spent a weekend in Boone, NC with my Life Group...Went to NYC with my family for the first time!...spent Thanksgiving with friends and family in Texas

cool pic i took in the mountains.

in the limo going to see a Broadway show with sister and brother's girlfriend, Ashley!

December - had an amazing weekend called Refuel with my 9th grade Life Group girls; turned another year older; celebrated Kennedy Smith Wood's birth; spent a few days skiing in Colorado with the family; celebrated my friends' Bethany and Ryan's wedding in Charlotte and rang in the year 2008 here in Charlotte!

my 9th grade girls at Refuel!

out for New Years Eve with Mandy, Cori and Erica

Random thoughts of an almost 28 year old!

2007-12-10T19:33:00.000-05:00

Well, tomorrow i turn 28 years old...it just sounds so much older than 27. Last year, i had the debate with my friends whether 27 is late or mid twenties...i maintained my firm belief it was mid b/c it is closer to 25 than 30....but there is no negotiating room for this year...i am officially in my late 20's...some other random things in my world right now:

-I finally had to get an NC driver's license...2 1/2 years later than the law says i should and i almost cried when i had to turn in my texas one with my number that i have had memorized since i got my permit at 15...sad, i know!

-It is december in Charlotte and we are 2 hours from the mountains and it is in the mid 70's (73-77) based on my earlier definition of mid-something...anyway, i wore flip flops today...in december...and in Texas, 14 hours from the mountains, it is 30 degrees and freezing....what in the world is happening? is this what they call global warming?

-this year, i visited 2 countries outside the US, made about 20 trips to texas, have racked up some serious advantage miles...and can't figure out what to do with all the pictures i have from these trips...

-alright...now my mind is blank on random thoughts...must be a sign of aging...just great!

I'll post again when i am actually a year older.....

Mountains...Fall....Carolina...love it!

2007-11-06T22:31:00.001-05:00

My girls Life Group went up to the mountains this past weekend for a little "away" time from the city! :) There was delicious food which included smores roasted by the fire, well...in the microwave...we couldn't figure out the gas fireplace! There was some serious competition playing CatchPhrase and Apples to Apples...we hiked up about 3 miles to the top of a beautiful mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway! Gorgeous! I was reminded of God's amazing creativity in creation! We also spent some time in a cute little town called Blowing Rock...for lunch and ice cream...delicious...my favorite ice cream place Kilwin's toasted coconut! Great weekend with great friends...now I am getting ready for New York with the family this thursday-saturday! :) promise to take lots of pictures!

This picture turned out so fun!

some of my life group girls (me, hannah, and erin)

Our life group at the top of the mountain!

this picture does not do the view justice!

another great view of the leaves changing!

Another Beautiful Texas Wedding

2007-10-20T16:53:00.001-04:00

It seems like these days, alot of my time (and money) is being spent on friends getting hitched...and it is totally worth it! :) Last weekend, I flew to Texas for the weekend for one of my oldest friends, Brookie and her Aggie husband, Jim G.'s unique and incredibly memorable vows and parties! I got to see so many friends from high school and college, not to mention hanging with the fam watching one of my favorite teams: The Dallas Cowboys! Congrats Brookie and Jim Galbreath! :) Love yall and see you soon!!!!

I heart...

2007-09-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

COLLEGE FOOTBALL! There is nothing like it...especially in a town that i love and miss every Saturday called College Station, TX...I stole this from another aggie's blog and it gave me chills! If you are an aggie....you'll get chills too....if you're not one...maybe this will give you a glimpse into the reason we are so passionate about our college football team, our university and our beloved town, especially when we are sitting among 80,000 in a little place known as Kyle Field!

I am headed to the University of South Carolina game on Saturday in Columbia...it is fun to get to go and tailgate with friends and their atmosphere there is great...but nothing can compare to a packed house cheering on the team that i truly love!

On the road....to the mountains!

2007-08-29T19:18:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday, Cori and I took a half day and drove up to Blowing Rock, NC (about 2 hours north of Charlotte)...her parents just built a house up there and we went to play golf (and tennis) with her parents and brother! It was so fun and definitely great to be in the mountains...it was so much cooler than the Charlotte 100s we were experiencing last week! Even though it was a short trip, we packed alot of stuff in...what a fun cute town with great shopping and boutiques in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina...I only wish I had gotten some good scenic pics...they wouldn't do it justice! oh well...next time!

Driving the golf cart around

Cori's mom and Cooper (her brother, Stan's dog) who i secretly want to come live at our house...but since i can't keep Cori's plants alive when she is gone, i don't think she is going to let me have an actual animal around. :(

My awesome swing! yeah, right...it is getting better though! :)

A fun Brazilian steakhouse in Boone, NC...it was such a blast!

The owner man with us and the meat on a stick! delicious! :)

Outside the Gol Express....get it? GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL! haha...yeah, i didn't

either at first! :)

Alright, i am off to the beach this weekend for a short trip...I'll post pictures when i get back!

Pictures from this Summer...

2007-08-21T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hilary and Brian's wedding - June 2007

marisa, hilary and I at the bridal luncheon

the matchmakers with hilary and brian!

sarah and I at the wedding

The yayas at dinner in Dallas (with petite yaya on the way)

4th of July in Charlotte!

I love fireworks!

cori and I before the fireworks show! i promise i have a shirt on! :)

BRAZIL TRIP in July

Getting ready to leave on a jet plane to Recife, Brazil!

My girl Danielle...love her!

With Kelsey and Ali at the beach!

Me with our translator and friend, Clovis!

Robbi, Todd and I...the rockin' FH staff!

The view of the beach from outside a church!

My adopted Brazilian sister, Ivy!

with some of the brazilians at VBS

Brookie's Shower in Dallas!

Jeffie, Brookie, Ali and me

All the girls!

It was definitely a full summer! Now, it is almost fall

and there is alot to look forward to...most immediately will be

my fantasy football draft on friday night! i am competing against

all the boys...so wish me luck! :)

Summertime is coming to an end...

2007-08-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

Okay, so i just got back from an awesome week of "vacation" in Texas and Colorado! It was alot of traveling (stories to come later) but worth it to get to see friends and family. So...the first couple days were spent laying out by the pool in Port Aransas (Port A) with my friend Brookie and all her bridesmaids for a Bachelorette weekend...so fun! Then we drove 7 1/2 long hours back to Dallas for her shower that night...also very fun! Here comes the interesting part...on Monday, i flew to Colorado to see my parents for a couple days...now I love spending time with my parents and all, but it was a little weird being on vacation with them without any siblings..and mind you, i am almost 28 years old...so I think this summer was the last one that that will be happening! Anyways, it was a great and relaxing end to the summer full of youth trips...here are some highlights from some of those!

Pittsburgh Group 2007

more to come later...my computer is not working properly! ugh!

Giving in...once again...

2007-08-07T18:43:00.001-04:00

So...if you know me, you know that i like to be on the cutting edge of what's new, whether it is a new relationship in Hollywood according to US Weekly or a new Tex Mex restaurant in Charlotte or new fashion trend or joining myspace...then only to find out (from my much edgier students that Facebook has replaced myspace...all that to say i have given in once again to the trend that is overtaking the internet...blogging. Okay, so no, I'm not getting married, having a baby, or needing an outlet to speak deep thoughts of theology...but I am doing this so that I can keep up with my friends all of the country and world, now...thanks to the opportunity to travel over the years! So...I'm not sure if i will be good at this or if it will be entertaining, but here we go...